Successful Blog

Resource blogs for business best practices

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The corporate blog.

It’s often a wasteland of promotional blurbs, outsourced marketing-speak, and keywords.

However, in the right hands, it can be an informative, valuable resource for all of us. Today, I’d like to highlight some of the corporate blogs that frequently share useful information and thought leadership.

Buffer Blog

The team at Buffer spends an insane amount of energy on well-researched, deep-dive blog posts. You’ll find yourself bookmarking them for later. They cover topics like social media, online marketing, and business in general. Bonus—there are additional blogs devoted specifically to workplace culture and engineering.

RingCentral Blog

RingCentral’s blog is focused on business phone systems, but it also includes examples of innovation, business strategy, and small business success that would be helpful to any entrepreneur.

Hubspot Blog

If you’re looking for great insights into marketing and sales (both strategy and tactics), the Hubspot blog is always full of tips, techniques, and best practices. You don’t have to be a Hubspot customer to access their great resources.

Orbit Media Blog

The Orbit blog is clear, concise, and super meaty. These are web design and content marketing posts you’ll want to bookmark, take notes on, and refer back to over time.

Moz Blog

One of my favorites, and the recognized authority on SEO. This is a blog with personality and true thought leadership in the optimization space. If you want to know the latest strategies for dealing with Google’s algorithm, this is your go-to blog.

 

Those are some of my favorite resources, please share your favorites in the comments!

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured Image via Flickr CC: bagsgroove

How to find freelance work

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Are you looking for a “side hustle?”

Perhaps you want to have some cash buffer while your real business ramps up.
Perhaps you just want holiday spending money.

The good news is that it’s easy to find gigs that supplement your primary paycheck.

Some marketplaces are focused on writers, some are focused on design, and some are just for general life tasks, so you can choose the type of work you want to do.

Before you sign up with one of these marketplaces, be sure to investigate. Look at reviews from others who have done work for them, and find out their payment policies, be sure you understand who owns your work product.

Above all, be sure that you’re receiving adequate payment for the work you do. Consider the opportunity cost of accepting the gig vs working on your primary business before you proceed.

Upwork

Upwork offers all types of services, from marketing to IT to translation services. All you need is a computer, Internet access, and your mad skills.

Upwork provides a user-friendly platform to help you communicate with your client, share files and project-related documents, track your time, and get paid. It’s free to join Upwork. Once you begin doing freelance work with a client on the platform, they deduct a percentage fee from each payment. So, be sure to price your services accordingly. Upwork also offers premium membership plans for an additional cost.

Upwork main web page

The Gig Saloon

screenshot - the gig saloon The Gig Saloon is an app for gig workers.

It’s one streamlined place where gig economy workers can go to find new jobs, stay up to date on gigs, and share their experiences.

The app aggregates jobs from across a wide array of sources, so it includes driving and delivery along with general marketplaces like TaskRabbit.

The cool thing is that you can share your experiences (and read about others’ experiences) in the discussion area. This app is still fairly new, but looks like a promising place to find and apply for jobs across a variety of employers.

 

 

Fiverr

Fiverr is a site where you create your ideal gig based on your own talents, time, and experience. Then people who need what you’re selling can come and hire you through the site.

Fiverr includes worker ratings, and provides a secure transaction service, so you don’t have to directly contact the person hiring you for payment.

Fiverr main page

99designs

99designs is a marketplace for design. Customers upload design briefs for potential projects, choose the “prize” (which is the price level offered for the work), and then designers can submit entries to win the work. Because of the contest format, 99designs could be a way to test the waters if you want to get some real-world feedback on the quality of your design work, or if you’re just getting started as a freelance designer and want to build your portfolio.

There is risk that your design won’t be selected, and you give copyright ownership to the customer, so read the fine print before you join.

99designs website

TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit’s marketplace revolves more around local gigs, and you can do general errands, cleaning, and personal assistance among other specialties.

You decide what you want to do, you decide how much you want to be paid, and TaskRabbit finds you local tasks. Members of TaskRabbit are called “taskers.” There’s a mobile app, and on-boarding/orientation provided by the company.

TaskRabbit main site

Hubstaff Talent

Hubstaff Talent makes it easy for freelancers find quality work, simply create a profile and wait for businesses to start contacting you. It’s an easy to use platform with a clean, professional design. Potential employers are able to reach out to freelancers directly – no middlemen involved, and no fees for either freelancers or the businesses hiring. Hubstaff Talent also recently launched a “Jobs” section on their website where freelancers can search through hundreds of remote jobs to find the right one for them.

Hubstaff Talent

 

Bidvine (NEW)

Bidvine.com is a local services marketplace and covers over 800 services from photography to personal training and handyman services. While some of the services covered by Bidvine require professional qualifications, others, such as furniture assembly or dog walking are available anyone with some previous experience. It’s free to sign up, you can view client inquires for free and you pay a small fee when you want to submit a bid – no commission to pay and all repeat business is yours to keep.

 

Have you used any of these services to supplement your income? Did I miss any great resources?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

What is the difference between a boss and a leader?

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By Keith Tully

Richard Branson has a well-earned reputation for putting his employees first, and is seen by many as the archetypal leader rather than simply ‘the boss.’ This distinction between a leader and a boss is an important one, as lack of effective leadership impacts strongly on team morale, productivity, and overall profitability.

A strong and effective leader motivates their team, encourages high performance, and creates a happy working environment, so what does a boss do in comparison? Often
viewing themselves as a figurehead and no more, they tend to remain on the fringes of the team, causing bad feeling and a sense of disillusionment.

So how might a leader’s outlook and style contrast with that of a boss on a practical level?

Being part of the team, not just overseeing it

A leader will play an integral part in the team, understanding how different characters interact, and playing to their strengths. They’re involved in the minutiae of a working day, helping out on a practical basis when necessary in order to get the job done.

In contrast, a boss will ‘lead’ from the outside, being reluctant to get to know or understand what makes their team tick. This generally results in poor performance from individuals who feel misunderstood and unappreciated, but even when results are good, they are often achieved at the expense of team morale.

Motivation and encouragement, not driving results through fear

A culture of fear and unhappiness can lead to high staff turnover, a lack of cohesion, and no continuity within the team. This general sense of malcontent easily passes to customers and other departments, and can affect ‘brand appeal.’

True leaders motivate their team within a supportive and good-humoured environment, using their ‘soft skills’ to get the best out of people.

Leading by example

Rather than criticising members of staff for being late on occasion, a leader will set a good example by arriving before anyone else (and probably being the last to leave). This sets the expectation for everyone else, and motivates those with poor time management skills to improve.

An inclusive approach that doesn’t ostracise those who occasionally fail to meet the company’s expectations will be more effective than punitive action, and a totally negative message.

A leader doesn’t apportion blame – they help people learn from mistakes

If you make a mistake at work, are you fearful of the consequences or motivated to get it right next time? Learning from our mistakes is a key part of life, and when a boss becomes angry they’re failing to nurture and develop their staff for the future.

Part of being a good leader is accepting that none of us is perfect, and we are bound to make mistakes at some point. How it’s dealt with can have a lasting effect on those involved, and if it’s a positive message, instill greater self-confidence.

They take responsibility for the team when things aren’t going well

A true leader will take full responsibility for the team’s performance when it is sub-standard, and no credit when the results are good.

It’s this humility and generosity of spirit that distinguishes a leader from the boss who would distance themselves from the team in times of trouble.

Leaders appreciate individuality, inspire enthusiasm and instill confidence

Everyone brings something unique to a team, and knowing how to develop each person helps the company to succeed. Getting the best out of everyone as individuals, at the same time as creating unity, demands strong leadership qualities but also emotional intelligence and understanding.

It’s draining to work in a hostile environment where conflict with your boss is the norm. Rather than simply not caring whether their employees are motivated, a true leader will ensure their staff are happy and fulfilled, providing the right training and development opportunities that encourage engagement and loyalty to the company.

 

Author Bio: Keith Tully from Real Business Rescue is leading corporate insolvency specialist. He knows what it takes to keep struggling businesses afloat and what qualities are required of company directors.

Featured image via Flickr CC: David Sanabria

Five Apps That Support Mindfulness

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Have you ever caught yourself holding your breath during the day?

Take a moment right now, and notice your breathing, your posture, the tension in your shoulders.
What do you smell?
What is sitting in front of you?
Are there sounds in the room?
How many devices do you have sending notifications while you’re reading this post? (Yes, I saw you just sneak a peek at your phone.)

In this go-go stressed out world, we all need resources that will help us zero back in on this moment. After all, that’s all we have. A series of moments strung together to make a day, month, year, life.

In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Here are some apps that will support your efforts to stop and look around once in a while.

5 Apps That Support Mindfulness

1. Breathe for Apple Watch

It’s not good to hold your breath, according to experts. It’s a sign of stress, and can lead to problems. If you have an Apple Watch, you now have a breathing buddy. I scoffed at this one when I first saw it, but after using it steadily for a week, I noticed a difference in my general state. Here’s a great article that goes in-depth on how Breathe works. The animated graphic, along with the haptic feedback, give you an oasis of calm whenever they appear. You can set the frequency and length as well. The beautiful simplicity of this one makes it a winner.

2. Calm

I’ll admit to being a meditation newbie, and the Calm app was a good entry point for me. It comes with some free mediation sessions, and then offers additional paid sessions. They have a beautiful desktop app in addition to the mobile and watch apps, so you can get centered no matter where you are. If you’re using an iPhone with the Apple Health app, your Calm meditation sessions will integrate and count toward your “mindful minutes” each day.

3. Mindful Mynah

It doesn’t get much simpler than the Mindful Mynah app, which plays a brief sound on a schedule you set. The idea is that hearing the sound (which you choose) will remind you to refocus on the task at hand, or get aware of your present moment. You can use it for any purpose, including remembering to take a brief break and stretch! It’s only 99 cents in the app store; there’s a desktop and a mobile app available.

4. Headspace

The Headspace app is more like a personal trainer for meditation. The application will take you through meditation sessions you choose based on your mood or lifestyle. They have a user community on the website, so you can connect with other Headspace fans and get support. There is a free 10 day trial, with paid plans thereafter, starting at $6.40 per month.

5. Buddhify

If playfulness is your thing, Buddhify will appeal to you. Its colorful wheel-style selector will help you choose the appropriate guided meditation for where you are and what you’re doing. Can’t sleep? In pain? There’s a session for you in the Buddhify app. The app provides stats and charts to track your progress, and has both guided and solo timed options, in case you want to just go it alone. It’s $4.99 in the app store (not free, but won’t break the bank either).

BONUS: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a member of our GeniusShared family, Bija Bennett, who has amazing wellness resources on her website, including this great video on breathing awareness.

Have you tried any of these apps yet? Did I miss any good ones you’d like to share?

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Listen to your branding

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Quick…when I say “branding,” what’s the first word that pops into your head?

Is it logo? Style? Design?

Probably something visual. Maybe your mind goes to “brand guidelines” for fonts, colors, and artwork.

Have you ever considered your auditory branding?

Now that live streaming, podcasting, and voice commands are pervasive, you need to add audio to your branding checklist.

Here are some key considerations to make sure that you’re up to speed:

  • If you are using live streaming tools, what’s your tone of voice? Is your speech clear? Do you use profanity or not? How formal/casual are your words?
  • For podcasting, are you using professional audio tools? Do you do leveling or post-production, if you’ve got multiple input sources? Do you have a “voice for radio?” If you don’t have a pleasant cadence or tone, what can you do to improve your speaking voice?
  • If your company name or product name is spoken into a natural language voice command system (like Siri or Amazon’s Echo device), is it easy to produce correct results? Do you have hyphens, apostrophes, synonyms or other roadblocks to easy voice entry?
  • Think of all possible customer touch points where audio might come into play…from your “on hold” music to the background sounds in your office when you’re on a conference call. Are you projecting the right sensation to your customers or partners? (Do they hear your dog barking and realize you’re working from home, or do they hear Starbucks noise and wonder about your professionalism?) Nothing wrong with either of those scenarios, as long as they match the rest of your branding.

Take some time today to do an “audio audit” to make sure that this important aspect of your branding is supporting your mission.

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via Flickr CC: Patrick Breitenbach

How to start when you’re stuck

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We have an electric golf cart we use to get around short distances in our town.

It has a mind of its own, sometimes starting on the first try, sometimes requiring elaborate finger-crossing, rituals, etc., to lurch to life. Sometimes we just sit for a few minutes, trying to change the mojo before jiggling the key in the ignition again.

Sometimes we just get stuck.

It happens to everyone. In life, in business, in relationships.

And when it happens, you just need a strategy. Are you going to yell into the wind, start experimenting, call for help, or just sit there?

How to Start When You’re Stuck

  • Change mood – Tony Robbins refers to this as “state.” When you’re stuck, you’re probably in a tired, bored, or uninspired state. Do something drastic to shift it, like wearing an evening gown to go grocery shopping, taking an ice cold shower like Julien Smith, chatting up a stranger in the grocery line. Focus your attention away from yourself.
  • Change location – Sometimes your physical environment is the problem. Try a small move, like working at a different desk, or standing up while you work. If you’re really in trouble, consider moving farther (I’ve moved from one coast to the other, but I know that’s a bit extreme).
  • Jiggle it a little – Stand up on your couch and dance around. Yell a little. Laugh into the mirror. Sprint down the street in front of your house and check your time. Can you get faster?
  • Add water – Our golf cart requires water in the battery compartment (who knew). Add an outside element to your stuck-ness. Watch a movie that inspires you, call a close friend, play with your dog. Anything that brings outside influence into your brain.
  • Get a new golf cart – Stop trying to do the thing. Do another, different thing. Just set it aside for a while and let it percolate in the background. Sometimes working on something else completely will work magic in your subconscious. Or maybe the think you’re stuck on is just not something you’re supposed to be doing right now.
  • Push it for a few feet to jump start – Find the tiniest piece of accomplishment in your big dream. Just do one small five-minute particle, to get it rolling. Five minutes at a time, you can make a bit of progress, especially if you do five minutes every day for a week.
  • Call someone to rescue you – Pull the fire alarm and call in reinforcements. That’s what friends are for.

Those are my ideas for getting un-stuck. What has worked for you?

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via Flickr CC: Chris Devers