How Color Affects Your Marketing

Did you know that the colors you choose for your marketing materials affects the impact they make on your target market? It’s true. Colors act as a sort of non-verbal communication. They also contain symbolism. So in your marketing pieces, it is helpful to keep in mind how the eye and the mind perceive certain colors as well as what the meanings are that we associate with each color.

Sometimes colors create a physical reaction (i.e., red has actually been shown to raise blood pressure and blue is known to create a calming effect). And other times colors have a cultural meaning (i.e., in the U.S. white is used for weddings but in some cultures it is the color for mourning).

Colors also follow trends. For example, burnt orange and avocado are synonymous with the 60s and 70s to many consumers. And, unless you’re selling a retro look, it’s best to avoid those as the primary color for your marketing piece.

To understand color’s impact, we need to know about color and color theory.

Finding a good combination of colors be tough. Color theory makes it easier. In order to find a good color scheme (the set of colors that produces the best impression), we need to choose a base color then see which colors can coexist with it and which can’t. Some combinations are uncomfortable, or disturbing – while others are pleasant.

Take a look at this color wheel. You will see the three basic types of color combinations: primary, secondary and tertiary.

As you probably know from grade school, the primary colors are red, blue and yellow. All other colors are made by combining two or three of these colors. Primary colors are seen as simple and direct. So they would be good to use for projects that aren’t extravagant such as for preschools, kids’ stores, etc.

Secondary colors are half way between the three primary colors. They are orange, green and violet. Bright secondary colors can convey action and excitement. They would be great to use for sports brochures, restaurants that have a lively clientele, etc.

Tertiary colors are created when primary colors are mixed with adjacent secondary colors. Take a look at the color wheel and notice which colors are considered tertiary. You’ll notice that they are in between primary and secondary colors. Teal and fuchsia are tertiary colors.

Hue, saturation and value of colors
Infinite colors can be created by altering three variables: the hue, the saturation and the value of the color.

The hue is the shade of a particular color. Deep hues of violet, gold, maroon, etc. are used by marketers to convey richness and security while earth tones feel natural and inviting.

The purity of a hue is the saturation. A highly saturated hue has a vivid, intense color, while a less saturated hue appears more muted and grey.

Value refers to the relative lightness or darkness of a certain area. It is often used for emphasis. For example, variations in value are used to create a focal point for the design of a picture.

Colors often have different meanings in different cultures as we discussed before. If you will be working with a client from another part of the world, it would be beneficial for you to do a little research to find out what colors mean in that society.

Even in Western societies, the meanings of various colors have changed over the years. But today, researchers* have generally found the following to be accurate:

Black
Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Use the color black to convey elegance, sophistication, or perhaps a touch of mystery. Black works well with bright, jewel-toned shades of red, blue, and green. Black is the ultimate dark color and makes lighter colors such as yellow really pop out. Photographs often look brighter against a black background.

White
Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility. In most Western countries white is the color for brides; however, in Eastern cultures it’s the color for mourning and funerals.

In most cases white is seen as a neutral background color and other colors, even when used in smaller proportion, are the colors that convey the most meaning in a design. Use white to signify cleanliness or purity or softness. Some neutral beige, ivory and creams carry the same attributes as white but are more subdued, less brilliant than plain white.

Used with light or pastel tones, white is soft and spring like and helps to make the pastel palette more lively. White can make dark or light reds, blues and greens look brighter, more prominent.

Brown
Brown represents wholesomeness and earthiness. The color brown and its lighter versions tan, taupe, beige or cream make excellent backgrounds helping accompanying colors appear richer, brighter. Use brown to convey a feeling of warmth, honesty and wholesomeness. Although found in nature year-round, brown is often considered a fall and winter color. It is more casual than black.   

Shades of brown coupled with green are often used to convey the concept of recycling or earth-friendly products. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful.

Red
Red is power. The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Use red to grab attention and to get people to take action. Use red to suggest speed combined with confidence and perhaps even a dash of danger. A little bit of red goes a long way. Small doses can often be more effective than large amounts of this strong color. Multiple shades of red and even pink or orange can combine for a cheerful palette. Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant.

Pink
The most romantic color is pink and can be tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy. Studies have shown that large amounts of pink can create physical weakness in people.

Both red and pink denote love but while red is hot passion, pink is romantic and charming. Use pink to convey playfulness or tenderness. Add strength with darker shades of pinks and purple and burgundy.

All shades of pink get sophisticated when combined with black or gray or medium to darker shades of blue. Medium to dark green with pink is also a good combination.

Blue
Blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals.

Blue conveys importance and confidence. Long considered a corporate color, blue, especially darker blue, is associated with intelligence, stability, unity, and conservatism.

A deep royal blue or azure conveys richness and perhaps even a touch of superiority. Combine a light and dark blue to convey trust and truthfulness. Create a conservative but sophisticated look with subtle contrast by combining light and dark shades of blue.

Mix the color of blue with green for a natural, watery palette. Add gray for understated elegance.

Sky blue and robin’s egg blue, especially when combined with neutral light brown, tans, or beige are environmentally friendly color combinations.

Throw in a dash of blue to cool down a hot red or orange scheme. Grab attention with the contrast of blue and yellow.

Dark blue with white is fresh, crisp and nautical. Use dark blue with metallic silver accents for an elegantly rich appearance.

Green
Green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Dark green is masculine, conservative and implies wealth.

With both a warming and cooling effect, green denotes balance, harmony, and stability. Use several shades of green for a fresh, springtime feel.

Green with blue produces echoes of nature – water and forest and can denote new beginnings and growth. Green with brown, tan, or beige says organic or recycled and can be a good color combination for packaging of those types of products. Tri-color combinations of green with yellow and black or white are sporty, outdoorsy colors. Purple with green can be highly contrasting causing a lively effect.

Yellow
Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.

Although it can work as the primary color, yellow often works best as a companion to other colors. Use bright yellow to create excitement when red or orange may be too strong or too dark. Yellow can be perky. Use yellow to perk up a more subdued cool palette of blues and grays. Use lemon yellow with orange to carry out a healthy, summery, citrus theme. Very pale yellows can work as neutrals alongside darker or richer colors. Yellow and blue are a high contrast, eye-popping combination. Mix yellow with neutral gray and a dash of black for a high-tech look.

Purple
The color of royalty, purple connotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It is also feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in nature, purple can appear artificial.

Deep or bright purples suggest riches while lighter purples are more romantic and delicate. Use redder purples for a warmer color scheme or the bluer purples to cool down.

A deep eggplant purple with neutral tans or beige is an earthy, conservative color combination with a touch of the mystery that purple provides. Green and purple can be a striking combination in deep or bright jewel tones or use lighter shades for a cheerful, spring like feel. Pink and purple has feminine appeal.

Gold
The color gold is associated with wealth and prosperity. Add a small amount of metallic gold ink to a project for a special, rich touch. Bright gold catches the eye while darker subdued shades of gold lend richness and warmth.

Orange
As a warm color orange is a stimulant – stimulating the emotions and even the appetite.

If you want to get noticed without screaming, consider the color orange, it demands attention. The softer oranges such as peach are friendlier, more soothing.

Orange really pops with a medium blue. Red, yellow, and orange can be a fiery hot combination or, in tamer shades, a fresh, fruity experience. Make it tropical by pairing it with green.

Orange is often synonymous with autumn yet the brighter oranges are a summer color. Orange is mentally stimulating as well as sociable. Use it to get people thinking or to get them talking.

Turquoise
Create feminine appeal with lighter shades of turquoise. Some shades of turquoise have an old-fashioned 50s and 60s retro feel. Teal has a darker, somewhat more sophisticated look. Like the mineral, turquoise shades range from almost sky blue to deep greenish blues.

Keep the soft, feminine qualities going by mixing turquoise with lavender and pale pinks. A bright turquoise and pink create a sparkly clean, retro look. Make it art deco by pairing turquoise with white and black. Turquoise with gray or silver as well as terra cotta and light browns have a Southwestern flavor. Turquoise with orange or yellow creates a fresh, sporty look.

Gray
Like black, gray is used as a color of mourning as well as a color of formality. All shades of gray can be good, neutral background colors. Use lighter grays in place of white and darker gray in place of black. Taupe, a grayish brown neutral is a conservative, slightly earthy, warm shade of gray.

Light grays with pastel shades of pink, blue, lavender and green have a feminine quality. Darken those colors for a more masculine feel. Cool a warm palette by adding gray to rich reds or golden yellows.

Silver
Silver often symbolizes riches just as gold does. Silver can be glamorous and distinguished.

It can be earthy, natural or sleek and elegant. Silver can be used much like gray although when using shiny metallic inks, small amounts for accents is best.

Silver coupled with turquoise evokes the Southwest. A touch of silver pops with medium blue. Use silver with other colors to create a high-tech or industrial look.

Colors in Print
I wanted to quickly touch on the use of colors in print so that you were at least familiar with the terms printers use when printing your materials.

Most color printing is done by using the four process colors of ink: cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black hence CMYK. By the way, in print black is considered a color.

RGB – or Red, Green, Blue – is made through a light-based spectrum of hues. So, by combining all the colors you get white instead of black as you would using CMYK. Therefore, the absence of all color would be black in RGB.

RGB colors will look different online than they do in print. So RGB cannot be used for printing since it is light-based and not ink-based.

Spot Colors
Pantone is the most common spot color system. They are custom, pre-mixed inks. It is cost-efficient to use two or three spot colors when printing because it is pre-mixed for use when printing and the printer doesn’t have to remix colors (or overlay the ink) to get those specific colors.

There are five types of color schemes: monochromatic, triads, analogous, complementary and split complementary.

Monochromatic is the use of one color but with different tints.

Triads are created using three hues equally spaced around the color wheel. This contrast can be intense.

Analogous schemes are created when three adjacent hues are used together. A single intense hue paired with a muted tone can attract attention.

Complementary colors are those colors paired with its opposite color on the color wheel.

Split Complements are created when warm and cool hues are combined. You would pick a color then choose two colors on either side of its complement.

One last thing, if you’re on a tight marketing budget, using different tints of one color to save money since they are technically using only one color.

* Information obtained from About.com

What Your Logo Says About You

Your logo, the visual basis of your company’s image, is more important than you might think. What your logo “says” to potential customers means a lot. It tells them whether or not you’re competent and professional and it tells them what your company stands for.

Your logo can emphasize key benefits that you want your customers to know about you, your product or your service. For example, do you want to be known as getting the job done fast like a delivery service would? Or perhaps you want to stress quality as your main benefit like a fine restaurant? Whatever association you want your company to project, your logo is likely to make that first impression.

There are basically three kinds of logos:

1. Font-based (text only) such as Coke or FedEx
2. Illustration (a graphic, with or without text) such as the Morton Salt “Umbrella Girl”
3. Symbols such as the Nike “swoosh”

Stand Out in the Crowd
Ideally, a logo will differentiate you from your competition. It should communicate your unique benefits. What do you want your logo to say about you? What impression do you want it to make with your potential customers?

From Business Cards to Billboards
Keep in mind that your logo should work equaly well in both large and small media. It should look just as good on a business card as it does on a billboard, on the web as it does in print. Although you may be inclined to use a rainbow of colors for emphasis, it’s advisable to stick with just two colors or no more than three. This is cost effective and provides optimum presentation. Full color printing is expensive. Remember, black is considered a color in the print world. A simple, clean, concise look goes a long way.

Don’t Try This at Home, Kids
Hiring a professional graphic designer is your best bet to design a custom, attractive, captivating logo. When searching for a designer, don’t opt for the lowest quote; look at their examples and see if you like their style. Additionally, look for a designer with experience designing logos in your industry. They have done their research to find out what works and what doesn’t in your target market. Since a logo should last you at least a decade, don’t skimp on this very important aspect of your branding. Find the best and pay for the quality you need.

Trademark It
Once you’ve got your logo, trademark it. This can be as simple as using the TM or SM (Service Mark) symbol in conjunction with your logo. For a more legally binding process, visit the U.S. government’s trademarking website at http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm. 

Use it on Everything, Everywhere
Once you have your logo designed, start using it on everything, everywhere! Visibility is key. You want that design to become associated with your company so use it on all advertising and communication — on the web, in print, everywhere!

Redesigning Your Current Logo?
One word of caution for those of you considering a logo redesign: do it gradually. Most likely your logo has become associated with your business — and even though we all need to update our look after many years — don’t make your change so drastic and so sudden that it loses its association with your business. Just as a name builds goodwill, so does your branding and you don’t want to lose that. Make small changes such as with the color and gradually make the transformation complete — over time.

Whatever type of logo you choose, ultimately you want it positively linked to your company emphasizing your best features. Give some serious consideration when having your logo designed; you’ll be glad you did once it becomes identified with your company’s benefits and clients know who to go to for your specific product or service.

Military Veterans, Have You Heard the News?

If you’re a veteran of any branch of the United States military service, and you’ve got what it takes to lead a successful business, you’ll want to read about the Little Caesars Veterans Program.

According to their website (http://franchise.littlecaesars.com/VeteransProgram/tabid/76/Default.aspx), “Little Caesars is looking for veterans with integrity and character who take initiative, utilize a teamwork management style and have a strong personal commitment to the business. A Little Caesars franchise can provide business owners with the opportunity to become leaders in the communities they serve, maximize their potential and realize a strong sense of accomplishment by achieving goals and growing their business.”

With two programs, one for honorably discharged vets and another, even better, opportunity for service-disabled veterans, Little Caesars is offering quite a generous package to get you started in business.

“The Little Caesars Veterans Program provides the following benefits for all qualified honorably discharged veterans: a $5,000 reduction of the franchising fee, financing benefits and, a $5,000 credit on the equipment order for the first store.”

What’s more, service-disabled veterans get an even better deal!
Service-disabled veterans are eligible for additional benefits, including a waived franchising fee ($20,000), additional financing options and benefits, a $10,000 credit on the initial equipment order and grand opening marketing support from leading national companies. The total benefit for service-disabled veterans can be approximately $68,000.” And that’s nothing to sneeze at!

If you’ve been wanting to get into business for yourself and think you’ve got what it takes, visit their website at the link provided above for more information. This is a generous opportunity you shouldn’t pass up.

Tap Into the Power of Free Press

If you’ve not taken advantage of the power free press releases, you’re making a costly mistake. There are so many sites available – for free – in which to advertise your business, your accomplishments, your new listings, etc. Not taking advantage of this free advertising is like letting your money slip down the drain.

For instance, how many of you use Craigslist and/or any of the many free press release sites? I’m hoping I would see a lot of hands in the air. Both media are very popular and many in your target market are reading them on a daily basis.

What is Craigslist?
According to Craigslist Fact Sheet, Craigslist was started by Craig Newmark in 1995 as a forum for local classifieds for 450 cities worldwide. Through these forums you can find housing, jobs, products, services, advice, etc. You name it; Craigslist has probably got it advertised — including a personals section for meeting someone new. And it’s popular too! By generating over five billion page views per month – and over 15 million users – your advertisement has a good chance of being seen by many potential clients.

Tell Me More About the Free Press Release Sites
According to David Frey – in his article A Secret Technique to Getting Massive Press Using Optimized Press Releases – “Online press releases are a relatively little-known development in the world of search engine exposure. Within 24 hours, a well-optimized online press release can climb to the first page of Google News and Yahoo News – if it is well written and strategically embedded with relevant keywords.”

Frey recommends the following:

• Put your two primary keywords into the headline and subheading
“All you need to do is type up a short press release with your keywords placed in the headline and subheadline and a link to your site in the press release. Then you simply submit it to all of the online PR news wires.”

• Write an article that you can turn into a press release
“Simply write an article that is newsworthy. Lace it with your primary and secondary keywords, and submit it to online PR sites.”

For your convenience, I’ve included several recommended free press release sites. I’m sure there are many more but this will definitely get you started.
• www.24-7PressRelease.com
• www.PR.com
• http://www.fastpitchnetworking.com/pr/
• www.AddPR.com
• www.E-xl.com
• www.Express-press-release.com
• www.Free-press-release.com
• www.OnlinePressReleases.com
• www.OpenPR.com
• www.PR9.net
• www.PRLead.com
• www.PRWeb.com
• www.PRfree.com
• www.PowerHomeBiz.com
• www.Press-Base.com
• www.Press411.com
• www.PressReleaseSpider.com
• www.Pressbox.co.uk
• www.ClickPress.com
• http://www.emediawire.com (a PRWeb.com newswire)
• www.press.xtvworld.com
• www.i-newswire.com

Writing a decent press release is much like writing a decent blog. Just be sure it’s newsworthy to someone and written in the accepted format – many of these sites will give you detailed information on acceptable press release formatting – and you’ll be well on your way to improving your SEO through free advertising.

Don’t Just Erase Your Data, Wipe Your Hard Drives Clean

Prior to disposing of your old PC, laptop or PDA, make sure you wipe your hard drive clean.

Don’t just delete everything from it because, according to PC World, “Keep in mind that deleting just the sensitive files may not protect you fully. Unidentified copies of those files could exist in ‘unused’ parts of your hard drive, or in your swap file, among other possible locations. It’s a good idea to wipe these areas of your drive as well — or go the surefire route and wipe your entire hard drive.”

In a recent issue of Information Week (August 21), it said “researchers purchased used computers at auctions or computer fairs in Australia, Germany, North America and the United Kingdom. When they examined the hard drives in those computers, they found a surprising amount of sensitive data still intact, including payroll information, IP addresses, cell phone numbers and bank and credit card information.”

There are several free programs (or with trial versions) you can download to adequately do the job.

• Hard Disk Scrubber 2
• Active@KillDisk
• BC Wipe

And I’m sure there are many others; just do a Google search for “wipe hard drive clean” and you’ll find one to fit your needs as well as your pocketbook.

Customer Service Ain’t What it Used to Be

Do businesses prioritize customer service anymore? How many times have you gone to a fast-food restaurant and had to wait for the server to finish his/her conversation with a co-worker before they’d ask for your order? Or how about returning an unwanted item to the customer service center of your local retail store? Do they act as if they are doing you a favor by simply waiting on you? I’m fed up with our culture’s lack of customer service!

I know, what can I expect from a teenager who’s making minimum wage at the burger joint? Well, I expect fast, friendly, reliable service, that’s what! If it weren’t for us — their customers — they wouldn’t have a job! When are they going to wake up and realize their customers aren’t an imposition, we’re the reason they’re working in the first place.

You know who I think is at fault here? Often times it’s the management. I don’t believe they’re training their employees to serve their customers, perhaps because no one taught them!

When I do business with someone, I expect excellent customer service. Is that too much to ask? I don’t think so. And I also don’t think it’s that hard to do. In my own business, I make customer service a priority.” I WILL NOT stop until my client is satisfied. If I’ve made a mistake, and I have, I make it up to my client. If I cannot correct the error, I offer my client discounts and other amenities to make it up to them.

If you think I’m laying it on too strong, think about this: A bad customer experience can spread ten-fold. You know the old saying, “If a customer experiences bad service, they’ll tell 10 friends, who in turn tell 10 friends, and so on.”

In “Customer Service is Not a Four-Letter Word”, Gregory P. Smith states, “Many organizations have eliminated the human element, replacing it with a lower-cost, impersonal conglomeration of voice mail, email, and online request forms. For many shortsighted service companies, it is about cutting costs, cutting corners and driving up profits.”

I’d like to add one of my personal pet peeves to his list of impersonal conglomerations: telephone menus. You know, where you call a number and go through the list of options, never having the opportunity to speak to a live person. Sometimes, that’s all I need to do. Financial institutions, and banks in particular, are infamous for doing this. What happened to good old-fashioned customer service?

I believe good service can make up for a lot. If a customer feels that you really care about them, they not only will continue doing business with you, they’ll give you some leeway when you need it. Humans aren’t perfect and there will be times when we make mistakes. If you have a good relationship with a client, there’s a good chance they’ll realize that people make mistakes and continue doing business with you instead of switching to your competitor.

I cannot stress enough how important I think superior customer service is to a client-business relationship. Think about the times you’ve been treated exceptionally well by a business and how it made you feel. Alternately, consider the times you were treated poorly by a representative of a business. This little exercise will give you a good idea of how important customer service is to a business that wants to stay in business.

Information Overload: Is it helping us or hurting us?

With the proliferation of available information, it’s almost as if we know about something before it even happens. Ok, that’s an exaggeration but the speed at which we receive the latest news, it’s not that far off the mark.

Seriously though, consider the information and communication technology we have available to us every minute of every day: telephones (landlines, cell phones, VOIP, pagers, voice mail), email, faxes, video conferencing, Internet (instant messaging, chat rooms, discussion groups, RSS feeds, newsletters), radio (local, national, international, satellite), television (local, national, TIVO, On-Demand, DVD), newspapers, magazines, etc. and I’m sure there’s more that I forgot to mention. Talk about information overload! How can we possibly expect to process all this information logically and still complete our daily tasks?

There’s a term for what we’re becoming due to this bombardment of information: “pseudo ADD.” This term was coined by two Harvard psychology professors who noticed that many people are experiencing a shortened attention span because of advances in communication. Those affected do not have what is considered clinical Attention Deficit Disorder; they simply cannot focus on a task without compulsively checking their email, voice mail and/or surf the Internet. Does this sound like you?

In his online journal, “Dealing with Information Overload,” Paul Chin said that this “rampant multitasking and deluge of available information have produced a counterproductive culture and created a paradox: the more we try to do, the less we get done; and the more inundated we are with information, the less time we spend absorbing it.”

One important consideration about information overload is that since businesses must compete for people’s time and attention, it is important to focus on bringing quality information to the consumer.

Decrease in personal time
Keeping up with all the news, learning new technology, reading and responding to email, making and returning calls take up a lot of our time each day. This then decreases our personal time. We’re communicating ourselves into a frenzy. And it’s affecting our health.

Stress can kill
In “Dying for Information” — a paper written from a 1996 Reuters study — 42% of the respondents said they suffered from ill health due to stress caused by information overload. This correlates to a loss of job satisfaction.

There’s no need to let stress get the best of you. Paul Chin suggests you change the way you manage the overabundance of information to keep it from working against you. Try to:

• Stop being obsessive about email. Unless you’re looking for something in particular, you don’t need to check it constantly.
• Designate a specific time of the day to catch up on the news or surf the ‘net.
• Stay focused on your task. It’s all too easy to get sidetracked on something else, especially on the Internet.
• Don’t file things away that aren’t important or relevant expecting to get back to it – there will be more tomorrow.
• Don’t sign up for content delivery just because you can. Be selective about what information you get.
• Organize your content. Categorize your material to avoid clutter.

Keep in mind that it’s more likely to get more technology and information rather than less. We must decide how to manage it better before it gets the better of us.

The Ultimate Portability Tool: Accessing your computer remotely

“Out in the woods or in the city, it’s all the same to me, when I’m driving free.” When The Who wrote “Goin’ Mobile,” I doubt they had any idea how easy it could be to work while away from home unless you were a traveling salesman or rock band. Well, guess what? It’s no longer a vision of the future. Many of you, no doubt, already use your Blackberry, Treo, etc. to access the Internet while working away from the office. But how would you like to be able to access any file on your computer as if you were sitting in front of it even if you’re in another state?

With the advent of such great software as GoToMyPC.com, PCAnywhere, FilesAnywhere, LogMeIn.com, RealVNC, etc. we can take our work with us anywhere! Sure you can get an external hard drive and back up all your files on it or use your trusty thumb drive to have the most important files available to use from another computer, but what if you wanted to work on another computer while you’re away from home just as if you were sitting right in front of your home computer?

I have to do just that when I visit my husband for extended periods of time. Because my husband has taken a position with the government in the D.C. area and we are still in Augusta, GA waiting for our middle daughter to graduate from high school, we often travel to visit him. Since I can’t stop working just because I’m not at home, I had to find alternative ways to access all my files while away from home.

I’ve used gotomypc.com to access clients’ computers so I could add email signatures, update their computers and so on. It worked fine, although it’s slower than actually working from my own computer. I then heard about LogMeIn and its free version. I like free. So I thought I’d give it a try. I’ve got to say I had some trouble getting it to work on my laptop. I contacted customer service and they were very helpful in troubleshooting ways to get it to work.

Because this is our portability issue, I thought I’d share with you the different software that’s available for accessing your computer while away from home. Below, I’ve provided a quick overview of the most popular programs out there. I have quoted from their sites.

GoToMyPC
“GoToMyPC is for individuals needing remote access to 1-20 PCs. It’s an easy and secure remote-access solution that enables you to conveniently access email, files, programs and network resources from home or the road. Get unlimited access to your PCs from any Web browser anywhere.” They do offer a trial version good for 30 days.

LogMeIn
“The ultimate in mobility, freedom & flexibility. You’re always looking for ways to make your schedule more flexible – it’s the key to work/life balance. And the key to flexibility is access to your computer. LogMeIn Free lets you get on your computer without physically being there.
With access to your PC from anywhere, you can go wherever, whenever:

• open remote files
• check your email
• run programs
• run system diagnostics
• access from any browser
• access from wireless Pocket PC
• Easy-to-use interface
• 100% free to use”

PCAnywhere
“Symantec pcAnywhere™ 12.0 is the world’s leading remote control solution.* It lets you manage computers and resolve helpdesk issues quickly, and connect to remote devices simply and securely.

Now pcAnywhere adds support for Mac OS® X. And new gateway functionality enables remote users to quickly find the hosts they need through firewalls and routers with minimal setup.”

PCNow
“PCNow gives you the ability to access your PC anywhere, anytime. Conveniently access your files, programs and email whether you’re at work, at home, on the road or on vacation.”

Real VNC
“VNC (Virtual Network Computing) software makes it possible to view and fully-interact with one computer from any other computer or mobile device anywhere on the Internet. VNC software is cross-platform, allowing remote control between different types of computer. For ultimate simplicity, there is even a Java viewer, so that any desktop can be controlled remotely from within a browser without having to install software.

The open source version of VNC has been freely available since 1998, and more than 100 million copies of the software have been downloaded. The software has also appeared on numerous magazine cover disks, and for several years all popular versions of Linux have included VNC. It is in active use by many millions in industry, commerce, education and at home. Virtually all Fortune 500 companies use VNC, and installations of VNC across thousands of workstations are commonplace. For the free download, click here.”

Installing and using these programs is easy
If you want to work directly on a remote machine from some other location, just sign up for one of the programs I just mentioned.

Your home computer has to be connected to the Internet all the time so just leave it on while you’re away. (It’s a good idea to protect your computer during a storm or other power outage by having it plugged into a power surge protector.) Then, access your computer while away from home by using any computer that’s connected to the Internet such as your laptop or someone else’s computer. To access your computer back home you simply log on to the Internet and visit the login page of the program you downloaded. You can then initiate a session by logging on with your user ID and password that you created when signing up for the service.

It’s that simple! Now you’re ready to work from anywhere as long as you have an Internet connection! I love this capability; without it I would have a much harder time trying to work from my husband’s townhouse while visiting him.

Give it a shot; what have you got to lose?
 

The Trials and Tribulations of Computer Security

Computer security, and antivirus software in particular, is driving me nuts! This summer my laptop had been slowing to a crawl, then it actually froze to a complete halt. Finally, I couldn’t even boot it up at all.

I rely solely on my laptop when I’m in Northern Virginia visiting my husband. We’d done this several times over the summer and it’d been a frustrating experience trying to work on a computer that works V-E-R-Y slowly, if at all.

During one of its “working, but slowly” episodes I got the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death” (or BSOD) a couple of times. I proceeded to search the Internet for more information and possibly find a fix for this problem. I found lots of information about the BSOD but the recommended fix was somewhat complicated and involved using another computer which I couldn’t do until I returned home. Since I’m no computer geek, I was feeling a little overwhelmed by having to follow the intricate instructions. At home the kids are the ones using the laptop, so it hasn’t been a priority to fix it. That is, until it I lost my Internet connection.

When my Internet connection and cable are down, I have to take my laptop down to our local Taco Bell to get online. Our provider, Comcast usually can’t fit us in for at least a week. This wasn’t too big a problem until the laptop stopped working all together. When that happens, I’ve go to share my college-age daughter’s laptop with her at Taco Bell until I can either take our laptop to a professional such as the Geek Squad at Best Buy or Comcast fixes our cable issue, whichever comes first. After all, my livelihood revolves around computers and the Internet and I’m in big trouble without it.

I forgot to mention that while all this was going on, I read in the IVAANet forum about other VAs having similar issues and they blamed it on their antivirus software. I then started doing some digging and found whole forums dedicated to discussing their woes involving Norton Antivirus (the antivirus software I was using). I decided that must be my problem too and promptly removed it and replaced it with McAfee (offered free as a service to Comcast subscribers). It didn’t seem to make much difference so I researched McAfee and, lo and behold, others were having problems with this software, too.

In the IVAANet forum, a couple of VAs touted the performance of the free version of AVG antivirus. Although it’s a little tricky to find the free version, I removed McAfee and installed AVG. I stopped having problems with my PC and the laptop started working a little better. However, a week or so later it caught a Trojan Horse virus but there was no way to remove it, quarantine it or anything. I thought to myself, what good is antivirus software if you can’t get rid of the viruses it detects? So I reinstalled McAfee on the laptop and tried to remove AVG. Couldn’t do it.

By the way, I’d also finally, after several attempts, successfully used a previous restore point to a time when the laptop wasn’t having so many problems (It wouldn’t let me restore it to any of the several dates that had restore points created when I knew the computer worked perfectly). I thought this had worked but it hadn’t.

I’m hoping my trials and tribulations with computer security will help others in similar situations. One thing I learned — besides the fact that the old adage, “a little information is a dangerous thing” is definitely true with regards to me and computer technology — was that, through research, you can always find others that are having the same computer problems you are and they are willing to share their experiences as well as what worked for them.

Also, if you get nothing else out of this blog, you’ll realize that whenever you search for information on any software there will always be plenty of those who either intensely love it or hate it vehemently. You have to decide for yourself — or from the advice of a trusted professional — which software you should use.

I have seriously considered using Open Source software and switching to the Linux Operating System. I am entertaining this idea because of the inundation of viruses and other attacks on Microsoft software and its operating system. Mind you, I know Macs and Linux are not exempt from attack; however, they have a bigger, fatter target in Microsoft.

After reading in the latest issue of Information Week’s (August 14th edition), “Security — Myth Versus Reality,” I’ve realized switching operating systems isn’t as easy as it may sound. I’ve definitely got more research to do.

Marketing Your Business Doesn’t Have to be Expensive, Just Creative

Marketing is essential to a successful business. In fact, without it a business cannot survive. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or costly; it just has to reach the appropriate market. Your target market is anyone that could use your services. By marketing specifically to those most likely to use your services, you can direct your message to reach them most effectively.

As I said, marketing doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, you could take out a $15,000 ad in The Wall Street Journal and not be as effective as a well-targeted networking event that costs little or nothing. Some of the most successful marketing I’ve done has cost nothing — except my time. It just takes a little creativity and perhaps, acting on an opportunity when it presents itself.

Here’s an example of creative marketing that has been successful for me. Early in my Virtual Assistance career, I was featured in a popular national e-zine. This put me in touch with a very successful marketing coach to real estate professionals. Since 99% of my clientele are real estate agents, this gave me tremendous exposure to my target market. However, the marketing didn’t stop there. I signed up for his e-zine and started receiving his notices for seminars. I noticed that one was being held in Charlotte, only about three hours from where I live. Since he is a HUGE advocate of virtual services, I e-mailed the speaker and asked if I could attend. I explained that it would be beneficial for his attendees to actually meet a VA who could be there to answer any questions they might have. He agreed to let me attend. I met several potential clients, networked with other VAs and learned a lot.

During the presentation, the speaker showed an example of an impressive e-mail he got from one of his students. I noticed in the e-mail that the coaching student was looking for someone to create a newsletter for him. So when I got home, I e-mailed him and told him I could do it and he hired me!

Those creative marketing techniques were very successful. Not only did I get exposure to the attending realtors — and obtained several long-term clients — but it went a step further. I was able to network with the speaker and his personal assistant. Because of that first meeting, I got subcontracting work from his assistant, invited to participate in the National Association of REALTORS® “Meet the VA of Your Dreams” conference and later, invited to author a new column for the marketing guru’s e-zine — which currently has over 10,000 subscribers who are mostly in my target market. All this from a little creative marketing.

When doing research into this industry prior to forming my own business, I ran across the Military Spouse Virtual Assistants program. I wanted to join, not only because of the Request for Proposals (RFPs) that members receive but also for the networking opportunities. The problem, I found was that in order to join you had to complete the MSVA training. Not only that, but to attend the training it must be offered at the military installation at which you are currently stationed. So I had to contact my post’s Army Community Service office (ACS) to see if they would be willing to offer the training. Let me tell you, that was easier said than done! After repeated attempts to call and e-mail the appropriate person at ACS without any luck, a fellow VA finally succeeded in contacting a representative. Once that was set in motion, we just had to wait for the ACS representative to finish the MSVA’s T3 (Train the Trainer) course. Then they finally scheduled the training so we could attend.

Although I knew most of the material provided in the training, it was helpful in that I had the opportunity to network with some important people in the industry. Christine Durst and Michael Haaren are credited with starting the VA industry and they are often asked to do interviews. When this happens they offer a chance for VAs to “tell their story.” I never pass up the opportunity to answer their questions or provide insight into the industry. Because of that, I was included in their best-selling book on Virtual Assistance called “The Two-Second Commute.” There have been other publicity opportunities that I have taken advantage of and been included.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to network. It’s not only free but also, in my opinion, it is the best marketing you can do for your business. Volunteer in national organizations. This piece of advice is important not only by providing name recognition with your peers but could possibly provide an opportunity to learn a new skill. Many organizations will train you for a volunteer position with their organization. I would have to say that volunteering with a major organization in the industry was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my business. I got to know several people and gained a mentor as well. She has taught me more about the industry, marketing and business than anyone I’ve ever met. My relationship with her is the key to my current success.

Now that I’ve offered you a glimpse into some successful marketing techniques I’ve used, here’s a review of what you too can do to market your services successfully.

• Network with everyone and anyone
• Volunteer with industry organizations
• Join and participate in industry organizations
• Start a weblog (blog)
• Create an e-zine

These ideas can help you market your business. Along the way, try to add some creativity. Do something a little different from someone else. Act on opportunities and, most importantly, don’t ever stop marketing.