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I always upgrade my blogs with some amount of trepidation - should I or shouldn’t I?  Some blogs have upgraded fine but others have been a nightmare. Mainly because the templates I choose are not always compatible with the latest version.

So in a moment of craziness I decided to upgrade my Workplace-Ministry blog to a later version of Wordpress and was instantly faced with a blank white screen after it told me I could view my blog.  Huh?  My mind started racing to see what I could do and I started to type up a help message to my IT guy.  But then I thought perhaps I should see if I could try and fix it myself.  Fortunately I had not closed the window that I’d performed the upgrade in and had opened a new browser window (I love how Firefox uses Tabs!) to view the blog.

I checked my cpanel and noticed the amount of free space was very low.  I then went into the disk space usage area and clicked on the Wordpress section and it showed 0 megs.  mmm, perhaps that’s a clue.

I went back to the window where I’d performed the upgrade and wondered if I backed up through the previous views on that window and redid the upgrade whether that would make a difference?  So I did and with a quick prayer and a re-press of the Upgrade button it performed what it did only a few minutes ago.  I went back to the blank screen window and refreshed and there was my blog in front of me.  Whew!

What is the lesson in this? Well, apart from not panicking, it was not to close a window I’d been working in.  If I had I would not have been able to re-use the upgrade button because it would have considered the job had been done.  Thankfully I could go back to the beginning and redo it and it worked.  Well, another lesson learned for the day - and gratefully so!

Tags: About Blogging, Wordpress by Kathie Thomas
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Over the past 12 months I’ve written about the use of various tools for networking.  I did a series on LinkedIn and also on Yahoogroups.  And now I want to do one on Facebook.

As time passes I find that my own thoughts on which are worthwhile tools for business to use online changes considerably - perhaps because the tools themselves change and evolve and become more popular amongst the very networks that I spend time with.  At any rate, I finally succumbed to joining Facebook several months ago and used it only for personal contacts - family, friends, people from my church.  But then one of my clients told me about Mari Smith and the use of Facebook to develop Fan Clubs and promote your business and so, in doing the research for her, I ended up creating a new Facebook profile for my business contacts.

So, I plan to share with you my tips on setting up a Facebook profile for your business.

First - there is a difference between a regular Facebook profile and having a Facebook Page.  My business one here is a Facebook Page and if you scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on Advertising you’ll actually find on the right-hand column that you can set up a page.  But you’ll note the address is still a bit cumbersome and too long to give out to people, so what I did was purchased a domain and then forwarded it to the Facebook page address.

So why not go experimenting to see what you can do and I’ll give you more hints and tips soon about setting up Facebook for your business?  Once you do I’d love to be given your address so I can become a fan of your Facebook page.

Facebook page, Facebook profile, domain registration, social networking

Tags: Facebook, Networking, Social Networks by Kathie Thomas
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Let me set the scene for you:

I manage several database lists for myself and for clients.  And as those lists grow, the numbers are well into the tens of thousands.  So, it’s only to be expected that you’ll get several requests for people to be removed off lists or for their details to be updated.

Today I received an email addressed to one of my clients advising that one of her readers may have received an email addressed to this address or that address and could I please update it to ….?  I spent some time trying to find the various addresses she’d given without success. In the end I emailed her back advising that the very next email she receives from my client simply requires her to click on the Update link at the bottom so she can update her email address.

Now, I get a few requests like this and I’m beginning to wonder what is so hard about clicking on a link at the bottom of the email they’ve received that says ‘cancel’ or ‘update’ and for them to update or cancel accordingly.  I use systems that allow for owners of email addresses to easily manage their subscriptions - it’s also designed to try and ease the load for us too.

I mean, I do that when I no longer want to be on a list or change an email and I don’t expect the owner of lists to maintain my addresses for me. So should I be expected to do the same?

And whilst I’m on the subject of maintaining my own email addresses on lists, I particularly dislike being made to login (therefore having to create a username and password) simply to get off someone’s list. Why should I have to register to unsubscribe? The reality is that often these people have just put me on their lists and if I click on an unsubscribe link find I have to prove I am the owner of that address and fill out information I don’t want to have to fill out.  Or am I just being pedantic?

What are your thoughts about who should manage the ownership of subscriptions?

mailing lists, email subscriptions, managing lists, email addresses

Tags: Email Etiquette, Technology by Kathie Thomas
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Perhaps it’s the mood I’m in but there are some things that really irk me on the web.  Not only that but I suspect they annoy other people too and may be the reason why some people don’t get the signups or responses they’re looking for.

Today it was a mom’s membership website - I wanted to join as a member sometime ago but couldn’t get past their sign up process so gave up and forgot about it. Today I get a reminder to say I hadn’t completed the process so I went back to try and work out why I couldn’t complete my registration.

Ahhh, now I remember.  Because my Australian postcode does not fit their requirements for a zipcode it won’t accept it and therefore will not allow me to complete my registration.  I wrote back to them and asked them if they really want members outside their own country?

Make a note - if you want signups on your form for your website then make sure it allows people from all countries to sign up - not just your own!

Tags: Forums, Technology by Kathie Thomas
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In light of our recent family troubles I want to highlight some things that I do and which you may need to think about as a business owner/operator for times when emergencies arise and you are unable to be present in your own business.

Some years ago, when my husband and I started going on overseas trips, I developed some systems to ensure I could hand over the running of daily activities in my business.

• I set up a new ‘business’ phone line so that business calls came only on that number and not my home number.  And yet for 10 years previous I’d only used my home number.  With the new number it meant I could simply divert my business calls to one of my Virtual Assistant team members and she wouldn’t be receiving personal calls as well - those could be diverted to my mobile number if necessary or we simply left a voicemail message saying we weren’t available for a period of time.
• After hearing a professional speaker talk about the use of his mobile (cell) phone I stopped giving out my mobile number to anyone who isn’t family or a close friend and diverted my business line to my mobile phone only when necessary.  This meant that my business didn’t have to follow me wherever I went.  And because 98% of my work is carried out in my own office (I rarely do on site work these days) it’s not necessary for people to call me on my mobile phone but I recognise this might not be a suitable step for all business owner/operators.
• I have an email address that is used specifically for job requests for clients and this is automatically forwarded to one or more team members to handle when I’m away from my office for periods of time.
• I have an emergency phone list of clients and contacts stuck on the wall by my computer so that if my husband or another family member have to call anyone on my behalf, they don’t have to go hunting for that information. The sheet is updated periodically.
• I also have a simple email list set up so I can email all my clients at once notifying them of unavailable time coming up so I can organise backup support for them in my absence.  Planned trips usually mean 1-2 month’s notice to my clients but of course, in emergencies, it’s usually at short notice - but at least they’re not left in the dark and they’re given a contact name of a team member to look after them.
• I’ve also developed more than one income stream through my business so I’m not wholly dependent on client work to financially support my needs. Which means I could realistically have a bit of time off without worrying too much.  Mind you, it is important to plan and put away funds when you know you are going to take leave but if something unplanned came up, finances won’t necessarily be at the top of the list in your mind.

If you are planning leave timing it across two months, i.e. a week or two at the end of one month and a week or two at the beginning of another will allow you opportunity to still bring something in for each month.  I’ve done this in the past, but of course, when unexpected things come up, you cannot plan the timing.

These are just some simple things I’ve done to ease the ‘load’ of what needs to be actioned whenever I have to be absent from my business for a period of time.  What about you? What ‘emergency’ systems have you put in place?

systems, planning, emergencies, taking leave, planned leave

Tags: Business Operations, Self-employed, Work From Home by Kathie Thomas
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