Launch4Life writes about a variety of topics to help small businesses better market their products and services. This collection of posts fall under the category of BUSINESS TOOLS.
A few years ago I stumbled upon a cool program for tracking my ideas, dreams, and musings. It’s kind of like having a private online diary. Penzu, is a free web-based program that you can use to help you record what’s going on in your head or what’s going on in your life. What’s nice […]
I hate it when I send something to my printer and discover (usually when it’s already too late) that the one page of text I need is surrounded by ten pages of junk. Let’s face it, while some websites strive to create printer friendly pages, most of them don’t.Awhile back I discovered there are several […]
Most everyone is familiar with the phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words.” That’s especially true when you are marketing your business. Whether you are tasked with creating marketing graphics for social media, blogs, or email newsletters, you need to use professional looking images. Graphics Make Your Business Stand OutThere’s no doubt about it – […]
Last week Gillian and I were fortunate enough to be able to experience a tour of Zappos, located downtown in Las Vegas. For those of you who may not be familiar with this company, it is owned by Amazon but is independently run. It focuses on selling retail products online, from shoes to accessories to […]
What is Slack? Listen up and I’ll tell you. Launch4Life is excited about a communication tool we’ve started using called Slack. What is Slack? It’s an awesome program for communicating and collaborating with team members. What’s cool is that you don’t have to be a large corporation to use Slack. It’s effective for small businesses […]
Some people love listening to music while they work. Not me. Instead, I find it’s the sounds of nature I need for focused attention. So, when I’m in a place with distracting sounds I yearn for a white noise generator.While silence may be golden, unless you live in the mountains, it can be hard to […]
Have you ever dreamed of having your own radio show? I know I did. When I was a kid, I used to entertain my family for hours with my imaginary “Allen Brady Interview Show.” I always hoped one day I’d host my own show. Now that starting a podcast has never been easier, my childhood […]
Here’s the scenario. You find something on the web that you need to access again later. While you could just bookmark it in your browser, if you use more than one browser then what? Some days I use Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, all in one day! And, what if you use more than one digital […]
Many of you know that Launch4Life has a mascot, Bob Launch. We took Bob on our trip to Spain and while we were there he told us that he learned some things he hadn’t thought about before our trip. He asked me to share three tips with you that he believes will make traveling a […]
Whether you are a large corporation, small business, or solopreneur, organizing your tasks and projects may be one of the most important tools for business growth. While some of us can manage everything in our head, most of us are better served using a dedicated project management tool. The challenge is finding the right tool […]
While it’s fairly easy working with U.S. clients when you’re in the United States, it can be a challenge when you’re traveling abroad. Also, as your small business starts to grow, you may attract clients from other countries. Solving the puzzle of working with clients internationally is worth some thought.A simple solution is corresponding by […]
This weekend, we tackled a huge project – we moved from one webhost provider to another. What made it especially complex, was we had to factor in multiple domains, websites, and email accounts. Since some of the websites belonged to our clients, we also had to be mindful of minimal downtime.We thought we were being […]
Believe it or not, sometimes even coaches need some coaching. Which is why the Launch4Life team recently sought out a little coaching for ourselves. At the beginning of 2018, Janet and I decided we wanted to master something new. We wanted to create a resource to help people better understand digital marketing. We’re excited to […]
I am one of those people whose best ideas arrive when no paper is handy. Whether it’s in the middle of the night when I’m in bed, in the shower, or in the car, I am constantly bombarded with great ideas when I least expect them. I used to tell myself, I’d remember to write […]
Recently my husband wanted to show me something he’d found awhile back on the Internet. He became frustrated as he hopped from one Internet browser to another. First Safari, then Firefox, and then Chrome. Not able to find the “bookmark” he was looking for, he wondered where on earth he’d saved the link. Was it […]
This past week, my son had an online job interview. I was shocked when I learned that the potential hiring company would be interviewing him using Facetime. While Facetime is a great app for chatting with family and friends via an iPhone or iPad, it’s not exactly the professional video conferencing program you’d expect a […]
You have set up your business. You are ordering your business cards. You are setting up your Facebook Business Page. You have an email platform. You are setting up a Yelp Page. So what phone number do you use? Whatever your purpose, have you thought through what phone number you want people to call you […]
When Dropbox was introduced in 2007, I was one of the first people to sign up. It was revolutionary to have a way to store and share your files in one location on the web. Gone were the days of having to email yourself a file from one computer to another. Now you, and any […]
I have been a fan of telephone conference calling for many years. As a work-at-home entrepreneur and living 90 miles away from a major city, I prefer to attend meetings virtually. I recently learned of a slick telephone conference program called UberConference. It has a free plan, that allows for up to 10 participants, which […]
Shhh, want a hear about a great way to market your business online? Want to discover a little known marketing strategy that won’t cost you a cent? Ok, here it is. The best-kept marketing secret is… SlideShare. Owned by LinkedIn, SlideShare has over 70 million visitors per month, which makes it one of the top 100 most-visited websites […]
Do you want a website to help promote your business, but the whole idea of building one is just too overwhelming? Building a traditional website is a lot of work. You must purchase a domain name, sign up for a web hosting account (which can be very costly), and then either pay a professional web […]
To Yelp or Not to Yelp? Do You need a business Yelp Account? Everyone has heard of Yelp. Did you know it is one of the most powerful social media sites out there? Based on Google Analytics, every month there are 84 million average desk top users, 73 million mobile web users, and 24 million […]
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to create a quick and disposable webpage on the fly? Wouldn’t it be even nicer if no tech skills were needed and it was as easy as 1-2-3? This week, I came across the coolest website that allows you to create webpages with your email. Publishthis.email lets you […]
Every once in awhile I come across a nifty tool that is so cool, I’m compelled to share it with others. The Pocket program, is one of them.I am just passionate about reading. With the wealth of information on the internet, I often feel like there is “so much to read and so little time.” […]
The word “nudge” is such a sweet verb meaning: “to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal.” While from time to time we all could use a little nudge in our lives, how about with your email? Absolutely.Think about how many times you have received an important email that […]
One of the key ingredients to running a successful business is finding a way to stay organized. Entrepreneurs have a lot on their plate, so it’s great when we discover tools to help us manage our time more effectively.I have found that the best way to get more done is to create “To Do” lists. […]
We all have goals we want to accomplish, but reaching our goals is often easier said than done. Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker once said: “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Therefore, it is not enough to just set goals; instead we need to track our […]
Where does the time go? I can’t count the number of times I have uttered that statement by the end of the day. Some days just literally zip by. The setting sun each evening serves as a constant reminder that another day has come and gone. So to me, finding a way to keep track […]