Recently, I shared a few tips on how to control the clutter at this time of year with the readers of the blog, Simpler Living. I’ve listed two of those tips below and you can find all five here. Btw, you might remember that the author of Simpler Living, Naomi Seldin, wrote a guest post for OTR – From Cluttered to Organized. It’s a very motivating account of her journey to living well with less.
Holiday Clutter Survival Kit
Are your purchases sneaking up on you? Do you find yourself shoving them under beds and sofas? Check out these tips on how to get them under control.
#1 – Get on the List. Before you grab your purse or wallet and walk out the door, make a list of all the things you need to buy. This way, you’re focused on what you need and you’re less likely to bring home extras (you know, the stuff that you don’t need or have a place for).
#4 – Gather the Troops. When the wrapping and prepping is all over, you’ll need help to clean up and reclaim your space. It’s no fun doing this alone, so get some friends and family to join in.
Get All Five Tips @ The Simpler Living Blog
“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”~Charles Darwin
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This week’s guest post is for our small business readers and comes courtesy of Nicole Nolte, a public relations executive. Today, she shares four free resources on how to get started with organizing & tracking your PR efforts. Next week, she will tell us her top 7 tips to get your small business on the right PR track.
PR Plan a Complete Cluster? It’s Time to Organize Small Biz Owners!
I’m sure the word organize is not the first thing that comes to your mind when discussing public relations (PR), but it is a key component of any successful PR initiative. Given that most small business owners face extreme time and resource constraints, organizing PR efforts is critical. Clearly, there is a need to increase awareness about your company but do you find you have no idea where to begin, what you’ve already done and/or how to maintain tracking of your efforts? Below are some suggestions for organizing and tracking your PR efforts.
Where to Begin?
Several small business owners I’ve spoken with understand the need for public relations but tend to ask – How do I find money for PR? What if I can’t hire for a specific PR position? What if the resources simply are not there? Like anything else, PR is a commitment. Do you label it a priority and if so, are you willing to take the time necessary to make the program successful?
Whether you decide to handle the PR program or hire an external person/agency, there are several free resources for you to consider in helping your efforts. Below are some examples:
- “20+ Free Press Release Distribution Sites” - Check out this Mashable article that lists over 20 free press release sites. You need to let the media know what you’re doing, so why not do it for free?
- Sign Up for the “Help A Reporter Out” (HARO) Newsletter - This provides you with queries from journalists looking for potential resources. Three times a day you will receive up to 30 possible pitching opportunities! Can’t beat it.
- Social Media Tools – These are a great way to build relationships with reporters/target audience: find them on Twitter, Facebook and Linked In. Please note: do not pitch reporters directly via these avenues but rather build relationships – its all about engaging. In today’s landscape, social media provides an excellent avenue for resources to help with a successful PR strategy – but that is a whole different blog post!
- Sign Up for Key Sites – Industry leading sites such as Mashable or Alltop can provide you with articles focused on PR and social media to help direct you.
*Next Thursday, we will share Nicole’s top 7 tips that will give your PR program a kick in the pants.
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About the Author
Nicole Nolte is an Account Director with Welz & Weisel Communications where she serves as an account lead working to support companies within the security, government and telecommunications industries. In addition to managing accounts, Nicole provides strategic guidance across the agency as how to best implement today’s social media tools for building communities, increasing brand awareness and creating relationships that matter. With a solid background in technology, Nicole started her career at Weber Shandwick Worldwide, where she primarily supported the Microsoft Mobile and Embedded Devices Group. If you’d like to join her on Twitter, you can find her tweeting here: @NicolePRexec.
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There’s been a lot of talk around here about the battle between paper and tech, particularly as it concerns business cards. The paper version seems to be the preferred method, but if you’re an iPhone* user, you’ll want to check out these 7 apps that are giving the business card a run for it’s money. Each uses the iPhone’s camera to snap a photo of the biz card and bang zoom! – the info ends up in your address book. The ones listed below do come with a price, however, there are at least 8 free apps that do the same thing.
- CardSnap Lite ($0.99 · Full Version = $14.99)
- CardScan ($0.99)
- Biz Snap ($3.99)
- WorldCard Mobile ($3.99)
- BizCards ($3.99)
- scanR ($4.99)**
- ScanBizCards ($4.99)
Now, let’s not forget Evernote. You can always snap a photo of a business card and upload it directly to your Evernote account – and access it via your iPhone, BlackBerry, other smart phone, or desktop. The obvious good news: You don’t need to have an iPhone to get the same results.
Have you used any of these apps? Tell us how you like them.
*3GS iPhone
**For iPhone, BlackBerry, or Nokia
Get iPod Touch
Emergencies happen at any time and any place. That means that some crazy, unexpected thing (like a fire, flash flood, etc.) could happen while you’re in your home. This is the time of year when a fire can very likely occur (lights – lots of ‘em – everywhere) and as with anything else, it helps to be prepared.
What would you do if a catastrophe occurred?
What if you got separated from your spouse/children?
What about your pets?
Important papers?
Elderly parents?
Medications?
Photos?*
What if you only had 10 minutes to get out?
Check out this video and take the 10-minute evacuation challenge.
*These are just some of the questions to think about and I’m sure there’s a myriad more. So, talk with your family and then practice. Often. Figure out how you would evacuate from all of the entrances/exits to your home and did I mention that you should practice? It may take a bit of time to get a routine down pat, but if that emergency occurs, you’ll be glad you did.
