With General Motors going bankrupt and Chrysler about to go under, one car company is soon to unveil the next level in electric cars. I have been a fan of Telsa Motors ever since I found out that one of its owners, Elon Musk helped start PayPal. Their first car caught my eye when I saw a video of it racing a porche and leaving it in the dust. Even though I can only afford a Telsa cap at this time I am truely looking forward to seeing the the new Model S come out of development and hit the showroom floor.

I think Telsa motors will help issue in a new breed of auto manufactures sorta like how the I-Phone turned the smart phone industry upside down.  Telsa’s first car the Roadster cost 100k, this Model S cost almost 50k, maybe in a couple years they will have a vehicle in the 25k range giving most of  us the ability to afford a fully electric car that has luxury look and feel.

It took a web 2.0 mind to create a car that meets the needs for the auto industry’s future.

Bravo Telsa Motors

JB

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What are some Web 2.0 services you couldn’t live without? This blog post is inspired by one of my all time favorite blogs TechCrunch.  Here is my list of Web 2.0 services I would recommend to all the Soloprenuers and Small Businesses. Life would not be the same without these services may they never cross into the deadpool.

• PayPal
• Zoho CRM
• GrandCentral (GoogleVoice)
• iContact
• WordPress
• Google Reader
• Mint
• Twitter
• Hulu
• Facebook
• Linkedin

PayPal

PayPal.com: I have been using PayPal for almost 9 years now and still can’t do without it. Point blank if you are a Soloprenuer or Small Business owner and don’t have a PayPal account you are clearly missing out on  major revenue streams. Please check out my blog post PayPal.com Makes Ecommerce Easy for Solopreneurs and 10 Great PayPal Tips for Solopreneurs and Small Business Owners

Zoho CRM

Zohocrm.com: Clearly one of the best CRM’s for Small Business. I was at one time a very heavy Salesforce user until I found Zoho. Been using Zoho for over a year now and my Free version is still going strong. Check out my blog post Zoho.com Gives Solopreneurs a Suite of Successful Business Tools then go and get yourself a Free ZohoCRM account and let me know what you think.

GrandCentral/Google Voice

GrandCentral.com: One phone number you can have for life. Most of us have multiple ways to be contacted by phone.  We have a home number, work number, cell number and in many cases a second home office line.  I, only give out one phone number my GrandCentral number and it automatically forwards my calls to any one or all of my other numbers. Please read my post, Solopreneurs Stay In Touch With One Number From GrandCentral for more information on this great service.

iContact

iContact: Email marketing has come a long way from just gathering email addresses in Outlook and sending them through your local Internet Service Provider. The key to  using a service like iContact is taking advantage of all the broadcast email features like Open and Clickthrough Tracking, Message Scheduling and List Segmentation. Yes, there are many other email marketing services on the market like Constant Contact and Vertical Response but iContact is by far the better bang for the buck.

WordPress

WordPress: I have been using WordPress to power this blog and many others I have created. I used to use the Joomla CMS for my blogs but decided to move them all to the WordPress platform and have never looked back. Although both platforms were what I was looking for in Open Source, I was really impressed with the amount of plugins and themes WordPress had to offer. Please check out my post WordPress 2.7 Is Finally Here!.

Google Reader

Google Reader: Google has many great tools to choose from and all of them are good. Google Reader is one of my favorites because it helps me manage and keep track of all the blogs I enjoy reading on a regular basis. As long as the blog has an RSS feed I can bring it into my Google Reader. I can also create Blog topic folders to help keep the 100 plus blogs I subscirbe to in order. If you are new to using a RSS reader for all you blog reading I highly recommend Google Reader.

Mint

Mint: With all that is going on with the financial challenges of our nation and the world many of us need to make sure our current finances are in order. Mint is the ultimate way to keep track of almost all  your finances online. I have been using it for over a year now and it has made a big difference in my financial bottom line. Please check out my blog post Web 2.0 Solopreneur Site Of The Week: Mint.com out how it can help you and your small business.

Twitter

Twitter: @jbrath is officially on the Twitter bandwagon and suggest you all come ride it with me. Twitter is a micro blogging service that is currently taking the Internet by storm. And when I say storm I mean it literally has helped people navigate storms, hurricanes, earthquakes and in my personal case house fires. See my blog post Twitter Gives First Response News On House Fire In The Bronx Everyone now wants to look like the Twitter interface with Facebook and just recently FriendFeed changing their look to imitate Twitter. I currently have just over 1100 followers and have had my Twitter account for almost 2 years yet @Oprah just got on Twitter 2 weeks ago and will have one million followers by the end of 2 months.  Now that Oprah is on Twitter we can be rest assured that Twitter will have a way to make profit soon.

Hulu

Hulu: I don’t watch much television anymore but I really don’t have to with Web 2.0 video services like Hulu. I was one of the first beta testers of Hulu thanks again to TechCrunch and have been a huge fan ever since. Hulu allows you to watch some of your most favorite TV shows on-demand for FREE. I watch past episodes of  shows like Burn Notice, The Family Guy, Lie To Me and Rescue Me. Hulu’s mission is to help people find and enjoy the world’s premium video content when, where and how they want it. I still own a TV but Hulu makes it so much easier to watch quality programing on my computer.

Facebook

Facebook: Like everyone else on Facebook I am pretty hooked. I don’t spend as much time as I used to on Facebook but that’s because my business keeps me on another social networking site that I will talk about next. Facebook is great for keeping up with all my high school and college mates. I have also recently used it to invite many of my Facebook friends to attend a teleseminar I held.  Facebook is awesome for keeping track friends and family members without having to call them on the phone or sending them an email.

Linkedin

Linkedin: LinkedIn has over 40 million members in over 200 countries and territories around the world. A new member joins LinkedIn approximately every second, and about half of our members are outside the U.S. Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members. I have been concentrating me efforts on Linkedin for the past few months because I feel it is the best social networking site that meets the needs of most profesionals.  Soloprenuers should create a profile on Linkedin and start making connections. Take a listen to the Teleseminar I did with Linkedin Expert Lewis Howes.

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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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Our nation is in the midst of the largest financial bail out of Wall Street in history. We as tax payers are going to have to collectively pay out almost three quarters of a trillion dollars due to bad real estate loans and greedy heads of major banks. We are now going to have to look after our finances with a fine tooth comb. Every one of our hard earned dollars has to be stretched to the limit.

Keeping track of our finances has become a major factor with the way our economy has faltered. Mint.com is and online money management service that allows you to see all of your online accounts under one umbrella. Whether you have a savings account, credit card or even tracking the balance on some of your investments you can do it all with Mint.com

Mint.com helps me keep track of my three savings accounts, two checking accounts, three PayPal accounts, two credit unions and one investment account. It gives me an interactive pie chart view of all my spending habits. Mint.com also gives me advice on how I can make more money buy analyzing my current bank accounts and making suggestions on others that will give me a higher interest rate of return.

Mint.com takes just five minutes to set up. All you need is the user name and passwords of your online accounts. Security is really not an issue because Mint uses 128-bit SSL encryption to ensure that all communications between your browser and our Web site are secure. You also can’t make any transaction through Mint.com you can only view your account information.

One of the best things about Mint.com is it will send you email or mobile alerts reminding you of various financial matters that go on with your accounts. You can set them on anything from your bank account balance going below a certain amount to your interest rate changing to whether you have exceeded your budgeted spending limits.

Mint.com does all of this and more for free. Yes, Free! I don’t know about you but I love all things of value that are free or just about free. So if you are in anyway concerned about where your money is being spent and saved you don’t have any reason for not signing up for an account right now.

Saving money is crucial in these trying times. Mint.com lets you see where you are spending most of your money and then gives you to tools to keep more of it in your possession.

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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