
Online Video is here to stay, so it’s time for you to join the party! Fortunately, with the proliferation of free video hosting sites like YouTube, Blip.tv, iFilm and Veoh, today anyone with a camcorder and an Internet connection can produce a video and share it with the world. Best of all, you don’t need to be Martin Scorsese to create a video for the web! Online Video viewers are very forgiving…
Producing video for the Web can be a powerful marketing tool for your business. Some benefits include:
Read the rest of this post »
Posted By: Lou Bortone in Internet Marketing, Business Planning, Computers/Technology | permalink | comments (0) | trackback

Are you a Twitterholic or a Twitter newbie? Are you using Twhirl to update your Twitter tweets? Whether you’re just dipping your toes into the water or diving in head first, there’s no doubt that Twitter has become the latest darling of the social networking scene. Aside from the ability to post your own, brief, 140-character updates, Twitter offers a few fun surprises. By now you may be wondering how you can use this neat, little tool to connect and communicate with the rest of the online world. Well, here are five new ways you can use Twitter (and Twhirl) to maximize your connections and boost your business…
Read the rest of this post »
Posted By: Lou Bortone in Computers/Technology | permalink | comments (0) | trackback

It had to happen sooner or later… The sun finally came out here in New England. Spring has arrived, and with it comes a bad case of spring fever.
Am I the only solo entrepreneur who gets the urge to blow off work and go sit in the sun on the first beautiful spring day? C’mon, I haven’t seen the sun for six months!
I tried bringing the laptop outside to pretend to work, but the sun is too bright and I can’t see the computer screen. I tried making some phone calls, but I got distracted by the wild turkey roaming through my yard. (Really! It is New Hampshire, after all!) I chased the turkey away and tried to get back to work, but it was no use. It’s just too nice out…
I’m not too worried about getting my long "to do" list done. The thing about Spring Fever in New England is it usually only lasts a day or two. Then it’s back to cool and cloudy… and back to work!
Posted By: Lou Bortone in Solo Entrepreneur Lifestyle | permalink | comments (0) | trackback

It seems like there are dozens of great, new websites and web resources popping up every day. Some of these new web toys and tools can be a boon to your business - but it’s tough to keep track of them all. Let me save you the trouble of sorting it all out with a quick review of some of my newest favorite sites:
Read the rest of this post »
Posted By: Lou Bortone in Solo and Home Business News | permalink | comments (0) | trackback

Working from home has it’s obvious benefits… Less commuting, flexible hours, freedom, etc. But I’m also discovering the "dark side" of the home office. Take today, for example, in this first week of April. Busy day planned. An ambitious to do list. Plenty on the agenda. And then the snow came! That’s right, scenic southern New Hampshire got a spring snow storm. The down side of this winter wonderland? NO SCHOOL FOR THE KIDS! Two (twin) eight year olds at home while Mom is at work, means Dad is on duty at home. So much for the ambitious work agenda! My "work" day is pretty much shot. Don’t get me wrong, I love time with the kids - just not quite as much on a weekday. Sometimes, you just gotta go with the snow… I mean flow. Time to go shovel!
Posted By: Lou Bortone in Solo Entrepreneur Lifestyle | permalink | comments (0) | trackback

I thought I’d share the results of a recent online marketing survey… No huge surprises, but plenty of confirmation that websites are increasingly vital to any solopreneur marketing efforts. Also, not much of a shock that online video continues to grow. Check it out!
Download survey_results.pdf
Posted By: Lou Bortone in Internet Marketing, Market Research, Web Design | permalink | comments (0) | trackback

Last Wednesday, I spent almost 5 hours on the phone, in what I guess you’d call a "teleseminar telethon marathon!" It just happened that a handful of teleclasses and coaching calls all landed on the same day.
So, when I wondered ‘where the day went,’ I realized that I had spent the better part of the day on the phone - learning new things, broadening my horizons, and expanding my knowledge. (Or was I just procrastinating all the other stuff I had to do?!? Am I becoming a "tele-holic?")
Read the rest of this post »
Posted By: Lou Bortone in Solo Entrepreneur Lifestyle, Motivation, Education/Training | permalink | comments (0) | trackback

It’s February… My least favorite month. It’s freezing here in Cow Hampshire; It’s bleak; it’s grey. By all accounts I should be miserable. But I’m not! I’m upbeat. I’m positive. I’m optimistic. How is this possible? Am I delirious from cabin fever?
Read the rest of this post »
Posted By: Lou Bortone in Solo Entrepreneur Mindset, Solo Entrepreneur Lifestyle, Becoming Self Employed | permalink | comments (0) | trackback