Archive for the ‘Tips and Tricks’ Category

I am a big fan of Seth Godin and was really exited when I heard of his new book “Poke the box“. I then went to see about ordering it online at Amazon.com and saw that I could get it as an audio book for free with a 30 day trial of audible.com. This was a no-brainer to me because I absolutely love audio books and already had a audible.com account. After going through the steps of ordering the book on the audible.com site and then downloading the Audible Manager software, I was listening to Seth Godin himself read the book.  I listened to half the book on my computer that day and then listened to the other half on my smartphone days later while traveling by plane to New York City.

I was so impressed by the book and the fact that he was giving it away, I decided to make a 2 The Next Level, 2 Minute Tip of the Day video.  Check out the video below and enjoy the FREE audio book from Seth Godin and Audible.com

All the best

JB

To Download the Audible Android or iPhone App Click here

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Hey My Solos, I found this great site that will help you create your own QR Codes for your business.

What is a QR-Code and how does it work?
QR stands for Quick Response Code.
A QR-Code is a two-dimensional code, which can be read by cell phones cameras using a small software (QR reader). The QR-Code is photographed with the camera of your phone, and the reader software interprets the code and asks if you want to connect to the internet. After confirmation, the internet connection is established and you get on the desired website.

What is the advantage of QR-Codes?
The tedious typing a URL, for example of an ad or a poster is not longer necessary. Use the QR-Code for example on business cards, t-shirts, flyers or posters. Or place the QR-Code on press reports (preferably with the shorturl you also get one-click). Look for example on Flickr, YouTube or in the image search for the many examples around the world, where QR-codes are widely used.

What is special about the QR-Codes from QR.net?
With QR.net the QR-Codes refers to a short forwarding address (shorturl), which in turn redirects to your target URL. This has two advantages: First, you will receive a detailed statistics for your QR-code. So you can view how often your QR-code was used. Second, it hast to be encoded in the QR-code less content and therefore the graphics are less complex. This has advantages if you print your QR-code in small size. You can put next to the QR-code in addition the shorturl (“Scan QR-Code or use http://qr.net/example”. The statistics includes both, the views of scanned QR-Codes as well as from the shorturl.

What do I need to use these QR codes?
Most mobile phones and PDAs already have a suitable camera and a web browser that allows the use of QR-codes. A little recognition software (a so-called QR-Reader), reads the code which is not interpretable for the human eye. If a QR-Reader is not already installed on your mobile phone, i can be freely downloaded and installed from the internet (eg search on Google for “QR Code Reader”).

Take a look at the videos below that will give you more information on how to use QR codes and give me some feed back on how you would use them in the comments below.

All the best

JB

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Are you tired of wasting paper and ink printing unwanted content and graphics from the Internet?  As wonderful as the Internet has been all these many years for finding and distributing great content, there has been one huge flaw up till now that has not been addressed.

Most people that find what they want on the Internet eventually choose to print that information out via their laser or deskjet printer.  The problem is when you print that website out you almost never know what you are going to get.

“Print What You Like“  a Web 2.0 service has finally made it easy to fix an Internet problem most of us have endured for many years.

If you are like me all you really want is to print the content that is most important to you and nothing else. Well your frustration in printing websites is finally over because the printwhatyouwant.com service virtually eliminates the waste in three easy steps.

Step 1

Lets say you are on a website that has content along with full color graphics for ads and a dark background. Depending on how that website was created, printing it could be a paper and ink nightmare.

Step 2

Put that same url/website address in the space provided on Printwhatyoulike.com website and watch the magic happen. PrintWhatYoulike.com will take out all the background color, ads, and anything else you don’t want to print.

Step 3

Print.

It is that simple.

Check out this video demonstration of just how easy it is to use Printwhatyoulike.com

This service has the best of both worlds, not only are you saving money by not wasting paper and ink but your savings stays in your pocket because this service is absolutely Free. Every time I use the service I feel as though I am making a difference in becoming more environmentally contentious. The more you use the service the more you realize how wasteful your old ways of printing websites really is.

Printwhatyoulike.com allows you to print Green while saving you some Greenbacks. I highly recommend you try this service and ask for some of your feedback on how you saved money in the comments below.

All the best

JB

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With the holiday season fast approaching make sure you download the PayPal Plug-in to maximize your online purchasing experience. I have written in past blog post about the advantages of having a PayPal account in order for your Solopreneurship or Small business to accept credit cards. (PayPal.com Makes Ecommerce Easy for Solopreneurs)

PayPal now has a Browser Plug-in that will make your online shopping experience easier and more secure.  

The plug-in puts PayPal right on your browser. You get exclusive plug-in features like AutoFill and Save Receipts, plus shortcuts to send money and check your PayPal balance. Secure Cards let you use PayPal online almost anywhere MasterCard is accepted – even where PayPal is not yet a payment option.

Secure Cards are MasterCard debit card numbers that you generate and control. You can use these numbers to shop online even at places that don’t yet accept PayPal.

How do Secure Cards protect me?

You generate a unique Secure Card number for that purchase only (unless you choose to create a multiple-use card). You’re 100% protected against unauthorized purchases made using your Secure Cards.

How do I use Secure Cards to pay online?

When you check out, a notifier drops down in your browser window asking if you’d like to pay using a Secure Card. You can generate a Secure Card number and pay right on the spot.

What is Fraud Site Alert?

PayPal lets you know when you land on a suspicious website. If you get a Fraud Site Alert, don’t enter any information. And please let PayPal know by emailing  plugin-fraud@paypal.com

What is AutoFill?

AutoFill saves you time by entering your billing and shipping address in one click. It uses the information you have stored in the plug-in.

How can I view my Secure Card transactions?

Go to Account Overview>Account Activity to see all your Secure Cards transactions. You can view your Secure Cards history on the Secure Cards page.

How many receipts can I save?

You can save up to 100 receipts for any rolling 30-day period. If you attempt to save more than that, you’ll be prompted to first delete some receipts from the previous 30 days before you can add any new ones.

Currently the PayPal plug-in only works with the Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla FireFox browsers. Like most debit cards, there are limits on how much you can spend in a day. The Secure Cards daily limit is $1,000. You can request an increase from the PayPal’s Payment Sources page.

So if you are looking to take advantage of all the great online deals this coming Cyber Monday, make sure your browsers is equipped with the PayPal Plug-in.

All the best

JB

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As I have said in my previous post, “PayPal.com Makes Ecommerce Easy for Solopreneurs” I have been a PayPal member for 8 years so I am definitely hooked on using them for my business. Over the years I have learned many of the ins and outs of using the PayPal service. Here are my top ten tips on using your PayPal account.

1. Upgrade your account from Personal to Business.
   If you have not done this already upgrade your account to a PayPal Business account. A PayPal personal account is very limited and won’t give you all the features you need to help you run your business. Two main reasons. You can operate a PayPal Business account under your business name you can also accept credit card payments from non-PayPal account holders. As great as PayPal is to your business to accept credit card payments not everyone wants or needs a PayPal account. Click here for more information on upgrading.
2. Apply for the PayPal Debit Card: By now you have hopefully had your PayPal account for some time but you may not know about getting your own PayPal Debit Card. The PayPal Debit card will allow you instant access to the money in your PayPal account from any ATM machine. Solopreneurs need to have direct access to funds that will allow them to stay competitive in today’s marketplace. Your PayPal Debit card will also give you Cash Back with the PayPal Preferred Rewards program. This rewards program provides 1% cash back on the net amount of your eligible monthly purchases.
   
3. Use the PayPal Invoicing Service. One of the best features that I use almost every day is the PayPal Invoicing service. Not only can I send out professional electronic invoices via email but once they are received by my clients, the invoice includes a link that allows them to make a payment by credit card. After sending your invoice you also have the option of saving that same invoice as a template for future use with other clients. I use this feature so much I wish PayPal would raise the number of templates you can save, which at this date happens to be 10.
   
   
4. Add a Bank Account or Credit card to your PayPal account. Having a bank account and/or a credit card attached to your PayPal account is good for two very important reasons. First you need a bank account in order to transfer money in or out of your PayPal account. Second it is always smart to have that bank account or credit card available as a backup just in case your PayPal account cannot cover the amount you need to make an online purchase.
5. Beware E-check Payments. If you are paid by a PayPal E-Check don’t ship anything or render service until the E-Check has cleared. An E-check is just like a traditional check. It takes about 3-5 business days to clear. The amount of that E-check will show a pending status and will not change to paid until the funds are available and visible in your PayPal account.
6. Open a Second or Third PayPal account. This is not a feature but something I would advise to those who are selling services or products on eBay. PayPal was purchased by eBay a few years ago because PayPal was the number one way most eBay sellers and buyers did commerce. Selling on eBay is a wonderful thing but can turn ugly if a person who makes a purchase from you disputes the charge or is unhappy with the condition of the item purchased. Now that PayPal and eBay are owned by the same company, PayPal/eBay have every right to freeze your PayPal account until the dispute is settled.
   PayPal does this to protect against fraud. Having a second PayPal account can keep your eBay business flowing and keep your customers happy until your main PayPal account is back in good standing.
7. Download and Install the PayPal Plugin. The PayPal Plugin is one of the newest and most security contentious feature PayPal has introduced. This plugin has two great qualities. The first is the ability for it to sense an ecommerce form on any chosen shopping cart checkout page. Once detected you have the option to auto fill all your PayPal information, cutting down the time that one has to take filling out forms to make a purchase with just the press of a button. The second quality allows you to create a randomly generated credit card number further enhancing the security of not giving out your real credit card number online.
   
8. Place the PayPal Referral link on your blog or website. If you are like me and enjoy sharing great web 2.0 tools with your clients and friends. You wouldn’t mind getting compensated for letting people know how they can benefit from using PayPal. The Merchant Referral Bonus Program allows you to Earn up to $1,000.00 dollars for Each Referral.
   
   
9. Get a PayPal Security Key. This little device is PayPal’s answer to all the Phishing scams that are happening with the banking industry. You can get this device for Free if you have a Business Account. It will come in the mail from PayPal and is small enough to put on your key chain. All you have to do is press the button on the front of the device to get a randomly generate six digit number that is exclusive to your PayPal account. This just gives you another layer of protection against those who are always trying to get at your account information.
   
10. Get the PayPal Virtual Terminal. The PayPal Virtual Terminal is the ultimate way you can take your PayPal account on the road. If you are selling your products or services at events like trade shows or your own speaking engagements. The Virtual Terminal is like an online version of the credit card swipe machines used in stores. As long as you have an internet connection via your laptop and Wifi or access via smart phones like the Apple I-Phone you can take credit card orders and get them processed within minutes.
    These are just a few of the tips I have learned over the years using PayPal. Please make some comments on some of the many tips you have learned in using PayPal or comment on how some of the 10 tips I shared have helped your business.

All the best

JB

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