You just ran across a web page that you would like to share with a client or colleague – did you know that you can send the page itself instead of the link? Just press Command – I and a dialog box will appear asking for the email address of the person you want to send the web page to. Just enter their email address, type a short message, and click Send. The email recipient will see the page right in their email application.

Note: the above only works in Safari.

If you are using Firefox, select File, send link and your email program will open with the link embedded in the message area.

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LetterMeLater.com allows you to send emails to anyone you wish, with the ability to have them sent at any future date and time you choose.

A feature missing from every email service is the ability to schedule when an email gets sent – you must click the “send” button at the exact moment of delivery.

With this service, you can write emails with your existing email address, and they will get sent at the exact date, or dates that you specific – down to the minute.

Some additional features:

• file attachments
• creation of html emails
• send recurring emails
• send emails from any of your email addresses
• your email will be the return address
• import your contacts and create group mailing lists
• sending emails with cc and bcc
• no advertisements will be sent with your emails
• send scheduled txt messages to your cell phone – a reminder notice
• and its FREE!

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The content of your emails plays an immensely important role in gaining trust from your subscribers. Although the quality of the information you send out is still the most important element in building trust through your content, there are a lot of other factors to consider. Listed below are the most important ones.

Give more than what you’re asking for. Every email marketer knows the importance of providing relevant and engaging content in order to gain traffic and money in return. Providing timely information related to your niche but without direct benefit to you may work best especially if you don’t publish any obvious call to action. Subscribers who receive such content from you on a regular basis are more likely to trust you and become loyal to your online business than if you simply sent them content produced specifically to prompt them to make a purchase.

Always keep your promises. Your brand has a certain reputation that serves as a promise. No matter what your brand is, there are things that people expect from you. These expectations are something you must meet through your content. For example, if your brand is known to have a fun-loving and edgy personality, the content of your emails should reflect that. As long as you match the expectations you’ve set in your subscribers’ minds, you will be able to keep their trust and loyalty.

Proofread your emails. The content of your emails should be perfect before sending them out to your mailing list as one typographical error can have serious consequences. Spelling and grammar mistakes can breed distrust as your subscribers may tend to think of you as unprofessional or an unreliable source of information. It also helps to get a fresh eye to go through them for further improvement.

Communicate like a human being. In email marketing, you need to communicate with your subscribers in a way that doesn’t intimidate them. To do this, compose your messages in a tone similar to how you speak in casual conversations and avoid using corporate jargon and marketing buzz words. Doing this will allow you to make your subscribers feel that they can relate with you and that they can trust what you have to say.

Another very important factor in building trust through your content is to avoid using templates that come with your email marketing tools. Compose your own welcome messages as well as auto-responses and customize them to suit the personality of your online business. Doing this will further help you in gaining trust from your subscribers.

Implementing a successful email marketing campaign does not just entail sending out information in exchange for click-throughs. Much of your success lies in how you gain trust through your content.

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A duplicate row (also called a record) in a list is one where all values in the row are an exact maatch of all the values in another row. To delete duplicate rows, you need to filter a list for unique rows, delete the original list, and then replace it with the filtered list. The original list must have column headers. Just a word of caution – because you will be permanently deleting data, it is a good idea to copy the original list to another worksheet or workbook before using the following procedure.

1. Select all the rows, including the column headers, in the list you want to filter. Click on the top left cell of the range, and then drag to the bottom right cell.
2. On the Data menu, point to Filter, and then click Advanced Filter.
3. In the Advanced Filter dialog box, click Filter the list, in place.
4. Select the Unique records only check box, and then click OK. The filtered list is displayed and the duplicate rows are hidden.
5. On the Edit menu, click Office Clipboard. The clipboard task pane is displayed.
6. Make sure the filtered list is still selected and then click copy. The filtered list is highlighted with bounding outlines and the selection appears as an item at the top of the clipboard.
7. On the Data menu, point to Filter, and then click Show All. The original list is re-displayed.
8. Press the delete key – the original list is deleted.
9. In the Clipboard, click on the filtered list item. The filtered list appears in the same location as the original list.

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• Screen sharing
• Video conferencing
• Chat pod
• Whiteboards
• Remote control
• Audio controls
• Unique meeting room URL

Pricing:

Free subscription allows for 1 online workspace and 3 people web conference capacity
Acrobat.com Premium Basic – $14.99/month or $149.00/year for up to 20 online workspaces and 5 people web conference capacity
Acrobat.com Premium Plus – $39.00/month or $390/year for unlimited workspaces and 20 people web conference capacity

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President Obama signed into law the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, which is focused on accelerating the hiring of unemployed workers.

The HIRE Act has many provisions that impact employers, including a payroll tax exemption, and increased tax credits for employers that meet certain eligibility requirements.

Social Security Tax Exemption

The 6.2% Employer Social Security Tax exemption applies to previously unemployed individuals hired after February 3, 2010 who have worked less than 40 hours during the 60-day period prior to employment and whose 2010 earned wages after March 18, 2010 and before January 1, 2011 do not exceed $106,800.

Employers can save the 6.2% Employer Social Security Tax, whether they hire a $40,000 worker, or a $90,000 worker. Employers, including nonprofit organizations, and colleges and universities, would not have to wait until 2011 to benefit from this tax relief because savings would accrue with each payroll processed.

Tax Credit

Employers will receive an income tax credit, which is either $1,000 for each qualifying worker hired after February 3, 2010, and employed for at least 52 consecutive weeks, or 6.2% of wages paid to the qualifying worker over the 52-week period, whichever is less. Wages during the last 26 weeks must be at least 80 percent of wages paid for the first 26 weeks.

Neither the 6.2% Employer Social Security Tax exemption nor the retention tax credit is permitted if a person is hired to replace another employee “unless such other employee is separated from employment voluntarily or for cause.”

Additional information and criteria as to what makes a new hire qualified as well as downloading W-11 forms, please visit www.irs.gov.

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Everywhere you turn, you hear the words “going green”. As a small business owner you probably wonder what you can do to help the environment. Can I really make a difference? Well you can, and here are a few steps that you can start implementing to create a positive impact on the environment. Going green does not have to be hard, it can be the easiest thing you do.

1. Recycle. Permanently place a recycling bin in arm’s length from your mail bin so you can quickly get rid of that junk mail fast. To take it one step further, you can get off those junk mail lists by registering with Direct Marketing Associates at dmachoice.org. You will see a significant reduction in mail in about 3 months.
2. Scanning. Another way to get rid of unwanted paper, scan. Scanning saves valuable file space especially when working out of your home office where space is at a premium.
3. Pay bills online. Pay your bills online or set up automatic bill paying from your bank account. No envelopes – no postage – and not to mention no late fees if you are on an automatic payment plan. Most banks offer this service free so check with your bank.
4. Office Printer and Copier. Configure your printer or copier to print on both sides of the paper. Check your printer’s owner manual to see if you can print on the opposite side of paper that has already been printed as you can damage the printer head on some printers. If you are in the market for a new printer, look for one that allows you to print double-sided. Remember to recycle your used printer cartridges. Major office supply retailers have recycling bins set up in their stores or even offer you money for bringing in your used ink cartridges.
5. Computer. If you will be away from your computer for more than 20 minutes, switch your screen preferences to go to ’sleep mode’ if inactive for 20 minutes. The settings are in your control panel under screen saver, power management.
6. Lights. Switch to energy star rated CFL bulbs, they use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer. If you are going to be out of the office for a long period of time, don’t forget to turn off the lights.
7. Faxing. Switch over to either eFax or another online fax service. You receive your faxes via email, another benefit when you are on the road and not accessible to your fax machine. For sending out faxes, these companies offer software which allows you to fax directly from your computer. There are a number of companies who offer this service at a very nominal monthly fee. Another advantage, you will not hear your fax machine ring in the middle of the night.
8. Power Strips. Make sure all your equipment is plugged into surge protection power strips. At the end of the day, shut down the power strip.
9. Green Vendors. Work with green vendors. Many printers have switched to environmentally friendly inks and paper.
10. Video Conferencing. Video web conferencing is gaining popularity for small business owners. It allows you to connect with the key decision makers even if they are located across the country or in the next town. You can provide training, offer valuable customer support and best of all, you will cut expensive travel costs as well as gain valuable time and less stress with not having to fight highway traffic.

Start off with a couple of these suggestions gradually implementing all over time. Remember to have fun and feel good about doing your part.

If you have implemented some “green” in your company, we would love for you to share with us.

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Despite the fact that so many are using computers today – people still have way too much paper to deal with! Here are some quick tips to help you keep your financial records and receipts organized throughout the year – so that tax season is less of a burden!

1. Monthly Transactions. I have found that this system works well for many small business owners. Create a file folder January through December. Keep two months at a time on your desk (i.e., January/February, April/ May) in an area that is easy to access – colored file folders really help too. When you make an online purchase, print out the receipt and place it in the file folder for that particular month. The same holds true for toll receipts or the receipt from a lunch you purchased when you met a potential client. After your credit card statement comes in and you have paid the bill, place the statement, along with your month-end bank statement, in the file folder. Now you either can send the file to your bookkeeper, or reconcile your accounts if you are the designated bookkeeper, and then file the completed month in your file cabinet.
2. Client Invoices. When you prepare a client invoice, print out an extra copy and file it in an invoice file earmarked for the current year. At the end of the year, you will have a record of all income for which you have billed. In case of a computer hard drive crash, at least you will have a record for tax purposes.
3. Mileage Log. It’s easy to create a mileage log in Excel to track your trips to client meetings, your run to the local office supply store to purchase the ink cartridge that just ran out or perhaps the run to the post office for postage or to mail that proposal to a new client. Don’t forget about networking events that you attend as part of your stepped-up marketing plan. The spreadsheet should have a column for date, odometer start/end, total miles, and description.
4. Out-of-Pocket Expenses. We all have cash outlays throughout the year – the coffee we purchase at the airport, the tolls we pay to go to a meeting, or a quick lunch we buy at a seminar. Keep these receipts in a colored envelope marked with the year and track the expense in an Excel spreadsheet. You can total them either monthly or quarterly and reimburse yourself for those expenses. Please be sure to hand off the receipts and the spreadsheet to your accountant at year-end.
5. Tax File. Create a tax file folder at the beginning of each new year. Throughout the year, place any tax-related expense in that file, such as medical receipts, prescriptions, monthly or quarterly investment statements, property tax bills, and year-end bank interest statements. At the end of the year when you are gathering paperwork for your accountant, most of the information will be readily available and you won’t wonder where you placed the tax refund notice you received in April.
6. Bank Statements. For those who do not receive monthly bank statements in the mail, I suggest you create a file folder for bank statements on your computer. Each month, download the file from your bank’s website and save it in this folder. You can set up the folder as a password-protected file if you have other people using your computer. At the end of the year, burn all the monthly statements onto a CD and store with your income tax information for that year. Most banks only hold 18 months of statements on their server, some only 12 months. The IRS requires you to hold 7 years of bank statements in case of audit. Once the CD is created, you can then delete the files from your computer and create a new folder for the new year.

I hope you find these tips helpful so that you no longer feel so overwhelmed when you’re trying to get all your files in order for tax preparation. If you are interested in receiving the Record Retention Schedule that the IRS recommends for businesses, please email me at linda@yourextrahand.com and I will be happy to forward it along to you. Happy Organizing!

I would love for you to share ways that you have to be helpful in keeping your financial records organized. Please post below.

Linda Siniscal, is the owner of Third Hand Secretarial Service, LLC which she started in 1994. Linda is a certified bookkeeper with the AIPB, licensed and certified professional bookkeeper with the National Association of Certified Professional Bookkeepers and a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor. She is the former Treasurer for the International Virtual Assistants Association and served on their Board of Directors for the term 2005-2008. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Delaware Virtual Assistants Association as their Treasurer for the term 2009-2011. Linda can be reached at linda@yourextrahand.com or at 732-899-0810. Website: www.yourextrahand.com.

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How can Third Hand Secretarial Service help you take some time off this summer?

1. Article Submissions – We can help you submit those articles you have written to trade-specific submission sites. We can also research the appropriate sites for your business demographic and prepare, for your review, a list that targets the audience you want most to reach.
2. Blog Entries – You write a regular blog, but you just don’t have the time to post messages. You can email or fax us the information and we’ll update your blog.
3. Budget Preparation - Do you have a business budget? If not, now is a great time to seriously consider putting one together. If you are running QuickBooks, we can collect historical data that can serve as the basis for determining the balance of your 2008 budget or for planning for 2009.
4. Business Card Scanning – You just came back from a conference or networking event with a stack of business cards. We can scan them and save them in a format that can easily be converted into your contact management program.
5. Client Survey Creation – You would like to get client feedback, say for example on a training session you facilitated or upon completion of your coaching contract with a client. We can either set up a survey for you in SurveyMonkey or another Internet-based survey program, or prepare one that can be mailed to attendees or your client with a postage-paid return envelope. It always a great idea to obtain client feedback – it can only help you to expand your business and deliver what clients expect of you.
6. GBC Binding – We have the capability to bind sales presentations, client assessment reports, or eBooks that you authored or downloaded and would like to have in printed format.
7. Holiday Card List – Christmas in July! This is a great time to review and put together your Holiday Card list. We can keep your list updated with new clients, prospects and business colleagues to have readily available when you are ready to mail the cards.
8. Meeting Registrations – You are putting together a one-day seminar – we can help you process meeting registrations and assemble a final meeting roster. We can also create name tags for your meeting participants.
9. Newsletter Creation – We can help you set up and layout your monthly/quarterly newsletter. We can also import your subscriber list for your e-Newsletter using Constant Contact or another e-zine service. If you’d like, we can run monthly reports after the newsletter has launched.
10. PDF Conversions – We can convert MSWord documents, MSPowerPoint slide presentations, reports or that eBook you just completed into .pdf format.
11. Product Fulfillment – You have a book that you just finished writing or perhaps a product on audio CD – we can process orders, send out a confirmation email to the recipient and mail the order for you.
12. Website Updating – When was the last time you updated your Website or checked the links on your resource page? We can help you to update your Website with all your service/product offerings and post your press releases for all to see.

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TimeBridge (www.TimeBridge.com) has introduced the first Personal Scheduling Assistant designed to help busy people find a time to meet – fast. This innovative, new Web application works across calendaring systems, companies and time zones. TimeBridge allows users to easily schedule meetings, share their availability with others, and connect directly with their calendars, including Outlook and Google Calendar.

One of the biggest Internet trends is bringing Web 2.0 to business applications – think online spreadsheets, Web-based word processors, online calendars and wikis. Business professionals spend a lot of money on productivity applications, providing a huge opportunity for companies that can build advanced Web services to replace tired old desktop applications.

With TimeBridge’s one-step scheduling, you select attendees, propose meeting times and send a meeting invitation. TimeBridge does the rest – collects everyone’s availability and selects the best time. Everyone gets a confirmation once the meeting is set. To make it easy, attendees need only a Web browser to respond and no registration is required.

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