Since there are so many ways that technology can make our daily lives as business owners more efficient, our objective should be to identify them as quickly as possible. Whether we are talking about a piece of equipment, a software program or computer consulting services, we need to be sure to address how the integration of these products and services into our daily work routines will impact our ability to stay organized.

Here are some points to consider:

Consolidate Functions. Regardless of the amount of space that you have in your office, you probably don’t have room for a printer, scanner and fax machine in addition to your computer. You may want to consider purchasing an all-in-one machine that will provide all 3 functions and take up one third of the space. While you may or may not need the scanner and fax if you are just starting out, you will probably need at least one of them in the near future. In addition, with only one piece of equipment to connect to your computer, there is a higher probability that it can be positioned close to your desk thus increasing your productivity by eliminating the distractions that will be encountered on those frequent walks across the room to pick up the documents waiting for you on the printer.

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What good is a website, if there is no traffic? Enter SEO.  Your web developer can advise you how to hit Google’s Top 10, but it is your responsibility, not that of your web developer, to make sure you are doing so safely and legally.  Here are a few things to consider while you are optimizing your site, to make sure that while you’re not stepping on legal toes, you know the ins and outs of limiting your liability (and your conscience.) (more…)

I have just returned from San Antonio Texas, where I presented Shackleton’s Way - Leading Teams in Challenging Times at a conference. Once again I was reminded of the power of optimism.

In 1914 Sir Ernest Shackleton led a team of 27 men into the Antarctic, only to have a tragedy hit, with the sinking of their ship. He has been called “the greatest leader that ever came on God’s earth, bar none” for saving the lives of the twenty-seven men shipwrecked with him on an Antarctic ice floe. For almost two years, he led his team through a grueling ordeal. In the end, everyone got home alive and despite the hardships, they actually had a pretty good time.

After teaching this workshop for over 5 years, I still to this day have my own AHA moments. I often look at the obstacles in my own life and compare them to what he had to face. My AHA this week was that yes, I have my share of ups and downs, but I do not have to face them cold, wet and hungry. I can lift my head up every day, stand tall, smile, laugh and give hugs.

In other words I can rise to the occasion. It is not what happens to me, but how I respond to what happens that determines the quality of my life. Life is powerful, but your thoughts about life are even more powerful, and happiness is not the absence of problems. Happiness is a way of being, and I choose happiness.

Thank you Sir Ernest Shackleton, for providing the inspiration I need on a daily basis.