I’ve just been reading about this guy by the name of Ray Chambers, who has gone from a hugely successful entrepreneur/Wall Street mogul to a life of philanthropy, including his new role as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria. His five steps to happiness are startlingly simple and powerful:

Live in the moment

It’s better to be loving than to be right

Be a spectator to your own thoughts, especially when you become emotional

Be grateful for at least one thing every day

Help others every chance you get

If you are like me, you struggle with balancing these… with devoting time to both moving forward with your business and doing good for others.  I believe it is possible, with just 1% improvement daily, to make that all happen at once. Does your business help people?  Does your work as a volunteer help to feed your business? Does it all feed your soul? I, for one, am getting closer to that every day. You can, too!

Here are some more bits of business balance wisdom that I found meaningful: Best Advice: Lessons From My Dad and Steve Jobs

(Photo courtesy Dan, freedigitalphotos.net)

If you aren’t receiving our monthly e-newsletter, full of great info for web marketing and general good business practices, be sure to sign up in the sidebar!  Click here for our latest issue.

Summer gives way to Fall so quickly that it is easy to be surprised and overwhelmed at this time of year. My purpose today is to remind you that your online presence can help get things in motion for a very productive and prosperous fall.

Here are some ways you can use your website to generate some fall enthusiasm:

• Start that Blog…  Remember that Google loves new and fresh content more than anything else.  A simple article once a week (like this one) can help your site rank better, and show your fans that you are not only still “there”, but are up-to-date and always learning.
• Hook that Blog up to your Social Media… There are great WordPress plugins that auto-post your new blog articles on your LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. In one click, you’re everywhere!
• Run a Contest… Have something free you can offer in a drawing? Send an email blast out with a survey that asks for valuable marketing info and offer something valuable.
• Update your Content… Everything on your website up-to-date? Be sure you don’t have any mentions of things you don’t do anymore, people who don’t work with you anymore, and most importantly, look out for “coming events” that are long past.
• Add Pictures and Video… People respond to visuals far more than text. Been thinking about making a little YouTube commercial?  Now’s the time!
• Get It Out There… Maybe now is the time to consider some online advertising, especially if your Yellow Pages ad is really not getting you anywhere.

We’re glad to help!  Contact your Trusted Web Advisor today to discuss any of these directions.

In a world where such huge emphasis is placed upon “getting it done” and “getting it now” and “getting it cheap”, it’s so easy to lose our sense of humor, or even our sense of people. 

Technology (our bread and butter, being an internet-based company) doesn’t help matters, making things more and more instantaneous. Letter writing has given way to short, impersonal email, which has degraded even further to almost-nonsensical I.M. and text messaging. There are great benefits, to be sure, but aren’t we missing something?

So, one antidote to the quick + now nature of business is to simply have more fun. Take some time to laugh with your colleagues, and more importantly, your clients! This requires something that we are often afraid of doing: pick up the phone.

One of my favorite things in our business is the online help we provide our clients when they are learning how to use WordPress for editing their new website. More times than not, it is a pretty vulnerable time for the client, because it brings to light where they lack some higher-level computer skills. It’s also vulnerable for us, because this is when our own inevitable mistakes come to light. It’s not a big deal though, because all of a sudden we are all on the same page, we’re all human, and we’re all poking fun at ourselves. It brings us closer as people, and it’s fun!

Take time to get to know your clients, and allow them to get to know you. It will pay off great dividends for both your business and your soul!

Click here for another great article on the topic of making your clients laugh.

(Photo courtesy Ambro, freedigitalphotos.net)

I’m taking a moment today to talk about music and charity; please take a moment to read and make a purchase or donation if you feel so moved.

Many of you know that my “other life” is as a church musician – organist, pianist, choral director. Over the years, I have done some recording, and have self-produced three albums of music for pipe organ and piano. The most recent CD, “Peace“, is a recording of my own piano compositions, music perfect for relaxation and meditation.

Half of the proceeds of my music sales support the Homeless Outreach Network in Waterbury, an organization that helps the large number of folks who are on the margin of society, living in the woods or in abandoned buildings. Your purchase or donation will go directly toward food, water, clothing and shoes for these individuals.

Everything you need to know is at this website: www.musicformission.org, including an opportunity to buy CDs, buy music from iTunes or Amazon, or donate directly.

(The remaining half of the proceeds supports the expenses of making future CDs to keep this venture in motion. 100% of donations go directly to the cause.)

Thanks for your support!