Business Credit Cards

DIY offers a great way to take on personal projects and make things your own. Although often DIY focuses primarily on home improvement, the DIY ethic expands out to arts, technology, and so much more. Check out these categories and more in our list of DIY sites that’s sure to get you inspired to get up and make something yourself.

Home Improvement

In these sites, you’ll find fun and useful projects to take on at home.

1. DoItYourself: Check out this site’s featured projects for detailed DIY instructions.
2. Mike Holigan’s How-To Library: On this site, you’ll find loads of information for home building and remodeling.
3. DIY Homes: Learn about home improvement, repair and more from this site.
4. Acme How to: Learn how to do just about anything in your home, from plumbing to pest control.
5. HammerZone: Learn the art of handymanlyness on HammerZone.
6. DIY Fix It: On this site, you’ll get access to loads of guides and answers to your DIY questions.
7. HGTV: This site offers a great source for home improvement inspiration.
8. Home Improvement: Learn how to buy materials, save money, and more with this site.
9. Home Tips: Check out DIY projects for health and safety, plumbing, and so much more on Home Tips.
10. Home Doctor: Find DIY tips and projects on this home improvement site.
11. Hometime: Get step-by-step guides and more on this site.
12. Ask the Builder: On this site, you’ll get tips from home improvement guru Tim Carter.
13. HomeImprove: Find tips and ideas for home repair, remodeling, and more on this site.
14. Easy2DIY: Check out this site for animated tutorials that walk you through each project.
15. Bob Vila: Get DIY help from the master himself.
16. Curbly: Find cool design ideas in this DIY design community.
17. DIYnot: This DIY site is complete with a wiki, forum, and books.
18. Ikea Hacker: Ikea Hacker offers great ideas for getting more out of your Ikea furniture.
19. DIYonline: This site makes it easy to create your own design online.
20. DIY Ideas: Get inspiration for your home and garden with this site.

Arts & Crafts

Whether you want to learn how to make your own macro lens, or just find a knitting pattern, these sites will have what you’re looking for.

21. DIY Photography: Learn how to achieve looks and create your own studio gear with this site.
22. Love You Deer: Check out DIY clothing, arts, and crafts on this site.
23. Max is Now: Max is Now offers a great source for arts and DIY.
24. DIY Design It Yourself: Use this site to design your own books, Tshirts, and more.
25. Photojojo: Check out Photojojo to find fun photography hacks and DIY projects.
26. We Make Money Not Art: Check out DIY art projects and much more on this site.
27. Craftster: Find out what other crafters are up to in these forums.
28. Craftform: Showcase your work and check out what others have done on Craftform.
29. I-Craft: On this site, you can find your favorite crafts and save them in your craft box.
30. wiseNeedle: Get yarn reviews, advice, and more for knitters here.
31. Crafter’s Community: Find seasonal crafts, resources, and lots more on this site.
32. Get Crafty: Get Crafty features forums, how-tos, guides, and more cool crafty stuff.
33. Make Stuff: The crafts and projects on Make Stuff range from seasonal projects to gardening.
34. Craftown: Visit this crafters resource center for loads of projects and illustrated lessons.
35. Knitty: Check out Knitty for "little purls of wisdom."
36. Craftzine: Figure out what to do with leftover Easter Peeps, plastic bags, and more.
37. Chic Knits: This site offers knitting patterns for clothes that don’t look anything like your Grandma’s wardrobe.
38. My Craft Book: Find easy and fun crafts on this site.

Tech

Find everything you want to know about hacking gadgets, electronics, and more from these sites.

39. Makezine: Learn how to make your own fun electronic and tech toys with this site.
40. Freedom to Tinker: Check out this site to learn how to modify and repair tech devices.
41. Hack This Site!: Test your hacking skills on the challenges presented in this site.
42. Popular Mechanics: This online magazine offers information on everything from green living to buying a car.
43. I-Hacked: Find new and exciting ways to make technology work for you with I-Hacked.
44. Gadget Hacks: Check out this site to get connected with all sorts of sites that offer hacking projects.
45. Layada: Visit this site to find all sorts of fun tech hacks.
46. Console Hacks: This site lists some of the best published hacks for consoles.
47. Hacked Gadgets: Visit Hacked Gadgets to learn how to get more out of your gadgets.
48. Inventgeek: This site celebrates reinvention, offering loads of fun and useful DIY projects.
49. DIY:Happy: Hack gadgets, software and more with DIY:happy’s guides.
50. Wired How-To Wiki: On this collaborative site, you’ll find tech projects, hacks, tricks, and tips.
51. Hack a Day: This site features a new hack every day.
52. MakeUseOf: Check out web apps, tools, and more on this DIY site.
53. DIY Live: Learn how to create and do things with technology using DIY Live.
54. Hack N Mod: Take on these awesome hacks, mods, and projects.
55. Zedomax: Find super-cool DIYs, hacks, and more on Zedomax.

Lifehacking

These sites present great ways to apply the DIY principle to everyday life.

56. Lifehackery: Check out Lifehackery to turn everyday objects into useful things.
57. DIY Planner: This community likes to take productivity into their own hands.
58. Productivity 101: Increase your personal productivity using tips and tools from this site.
59. Instigator Blog: Make more out of your ideas with the help of this blog.
60. 43 Folders: This blog, created by Merlin Mann, focuses on organization, productivity, and getting things done.
61. Life Optimizer: Become more successful and productive with this site.
62. Lifehacker: The Lifehacker blog offers lots of technology and productivity hacks designed to make your life easier.
63. Ririan Project: Check out this personal development blog to find out how you can apply DIY principles to your life.
64. Dumb Little Man: Here you’ll find loads of tips for productivity, projects, frugality, and more.
65. Aim for Awesome!: Find tips for awesome personal development on this site.
66. FlyLady: Aimed at housewives, FlyLady aims to help you get control of your home.
67. Business Hackers: Here you’ll find loads of information on how you can get work done quickly.
68. LifeDev: Take a DIY approach to life development using this site.
69. The Next 45 Years: Visit The Next 45 Years to learn about Lifehacking for the future.
70. HackCollege: HackCollege features all of the hacks a college student might want to know about-from "college drinking games to study skills."
71. Get Rich Slowly: JD at Get Rich Slowly has lots of great ideas and advice for DIY frugality.
72. The Optimized Life: Use the tips you’ll find on this site to make your life the best it can be.
73. Frugal Hacks: This site turns DIY into frugality.
74. Zen Habits: Hack your life to zen with this site.
75. LifeClever: This site is always helpful, whether they’re teaching you to organize your workspace or just find cheap gas.
76. Mind Hacks: Get a look at what’s going on inside your mind, and take it to the next level with this site.
77. Write to Done: Learn how to hack writing with this incredibly helpful blog.
78. Wise Bread: Follow this site for great tips on DIY frugality.
79. Biz Plan Hacks: Use the tips from this site to make life as a business owner easier.
80. Christian Lifehacking: This blog features lifehack tips and tools focused on Christianity.
81. Lifehack: Lifehack’s posts focus on organization, inspiration, and productivity.
82. Study Hacks: This site offers lifehack advice for students.

General

Check out these sites to find anything and everything DIY.

83. DIY Life: Check out DIY Life for projects ranging from tech to home improvement.
84. wikiHow: Visit wikiHow to make use of the world’s largest collaborative how-to manual.
85. Instructables: Find out how to do projects from your peers on Instructables.
86. Hackszine: On Hackszine, you’ll find everything from Facebook to food.
87. Hints-n-Tips: Check out this site to find practical information for just about every topic out there.
88. SoYouWanna: Learn what you want to do on this advice site.
89. ReadyMade: On ReadyMade, you’ll learn how to make items for your home and more.
90. Daily DIY: Make and modify everyday items to create something great on this site.
91. Do It 101: Check out this site to learn about gardening, technology, health, and more.
92. ElephantStaircase: ElephantStaircase boasts a wiki as well as a number of different project pages.
93. How To Do Things: Learn how to do things ranging from raising earthworms to how to buy sod.
94. DIY Chatroom: Although this forum primarily focuses on home improvement, you’ll find great tips for computer repairs and upgrades as well as automotive repairs.
95. The Do-It-Yourself Channel: Visit Propeller’s DIY channel to find instructional information from around the web.
96. How2pointoh: Check out this blog for projects ranging from magnetic potholders to time lapsing.
97. Wikia DIY Culture: Find arts, crafts, games, and lots more in this source.
98. DIY Network: Find products, advice, and more for DIY projects through this network.
99. HowStuffWorks: Although it’s not exclusively a how-to site, HowStuffWorks will give you the insight you need to complete your DIY projects.
100. eHow: On this site, you’ll find out how to do nearly anything you can imagine.

Greetings! Welcome to the 13th edition of the Carnival of Business and Entrepreneurship. Although we had received 85 posts for this edition, we could select only 41 posts based on merit, relevance and quality. Here you go:

Editor’s Picks:

Helen Anderson presents 5 Reasons Why the Federal Reserve is a Failure! posted at Bankaholic. No single quasi-private institution has as much influence on the worldwide economy as the Fed, and as a leader can head this institution for an indefinite term, no one man is as influential on the markets as the Fed Chair. An examination of what has gone awry can help Forex traders understand this new era at the Fed.

Andy Boyd presents The 50 Most Common Mistakes People Make In Business posted at The Credit Letter. Some tips on how to avoid failure in business covering finance, planning, hiring, advertising, etc.

Scott Allen presents Should Entrepreneurs Jump on the Social Networking Bandwagon? posted at About.com Entrepreneur’s Guide. A look at three core social networking strategies and when they do and don’t make sense for small business owners.

Ralph Jean-Paul presents Be THE Presence in Any Room posted at Potential 2 Success. So you want to be one of those people who seem to get noticed wherever they go? You want to have an invisible magnetic attraction that can be felt? You want to come across as confident, cool and in control whether you are in front of an audience or walking down the street? Then you want presence.

Other Great Posts:

Vee presents Community Role in your Success posted at Polishing the Pearl Blog.

Kenton Newby presents One of the Best Content Sources for Infoproduct Creators and Affiliates posted at KentonNewby.com.

Aaron Brandon presents Don’t Leave Home Without This posted at Aaron Brandon.

Steve Oliphant presents Easy method to take notes posted at Steve Oliphant’s Musings.

Don D. Morrison presents Do You Have True Personal & Financial Freedom? posted at dondmorrison.com.

Marcus Hochstadt presents Dreaming vs. Achieving Goals posted at Marcus Hochstadt.

Woody Maxim presents I just have to tell you this posted at Woody Maxim.

Jose DeJesus MD presents Tips for People Considering a Mac or Macbook posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

Steve Faber presents - Top Work at Home Jobs - Earn Extra Money to Get Debt Free posted at Debt Free.

Anya presents Selling in a recession, podcast #1 posted at Gavin Ingham.

Carole DeJarnatt presents Don’t Give Up–The Goal is Not Far Away posted at Tips from the Biz World of Alliance Advisors, Inc..

Edith presents Three Golden Rule of Presentation by Guy Kawasaki posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Shawn Driscoll presents Are You Busy or Productive? posted at Shawn Driscoll.

Cindy King presents 3 Easy Steps To Attract International Business Through Your Website posted at Cindy King.

Richard Lee presents What Will Continue To Sell In A Recession? posted at Richard Lee.

Vishal Gupta presents A rose by any other name? posted at A Business Professor’s Weblog. If you are thinking about starting a new business, it is tremendously useful to think about how to name your business.

Thursday Bram presents 5 Reasons Small Business Owners Should Give A Damn About The Election posted at One Vote Matters.

Kurt Brouwer presents Paul Krugman — Capitalism’s Mysterious Triumph posted at Fundmastery Blog. Why does capitalism win?

Alvaro Fernandez presents Report: The State of the Brain Fitness Software Market 2008 posted at Brain Blog. You may have been reading about “brain training” and “brain fitness”. Here go ten Highlights from The State of the Brain Fitness Software Market 2008 report, which was just released.

Joshua C. Karlin presents Fundraising Ideas - Identification posted at Marketing & Fundraising Ideas.

Erica Douglass presents How I Tripled My Blog’s Traffic in Two Months posted at erica.biz - Erica Douglass challenges you to change your life! What is holding you back from your dreams?. A complete four-step action plan to tripling your blog’s traffic. Includes all details!

Alex M presents RSS Content Builder Review or 5 Advantages of Feeds for eBusiness posted at Dropship Suppliers and Services.

James Feudo presents Executive Leadership posted at Overnight Sensation. Whether you own a business or climb your way to the top of the corporate ladder, there are several important skills necessary to be a leader. This article discusses three of these important skills.

Blue Skelton presents 10 Ways to Make a Name for Yourself Blogging posted at Blue Skelton Publications. Blue Skelton wanted to show you some ways that you can make the chance of making a name for yourself in blogging overnight, less rare.

Craig Andrews presents Outsourcing To Help Your Internet Business Grow posted at Craig S. Andrews.

Derrick Markotter presents 7 Simple Steps To Passive Income posted at FreelanceIncome.co.za. Create passive income by building a mailing list.

Tali presents John Chow - The Dark Side of Making Money Online posted at The Marketer Review. John Chow is a very controversial figure in the blogging-for-money landscape. This is probably the reason why he knows how to make so much money.

SJ Yee presents Time Management for Lazy People posted at Personal Development for the Book Smart. Time is Money. Here’s a detailed summary of the key concepts in the time management lecture by Randy Pausch… You can skim through it to get the points you need…

Teresa Morrow presents Marketing for 1 hr a week posted at Key Business Partners.

Carol Bentley presents Results are in. . . lessons to learn. . . posted at Carol Bentley.

Susan Tatum presents How to Drive Traffic to Your Business Technology Website posted at TechnoBuzz.

Michael Walsh presents Action Management posted at Business Growth. This article outlines a simple system that if followed will save entrepreneurs anywhere from a half hour to an hour a day.

Mark Riffey presents Be the Google of your market niche posted at Business is Personal.

Mattg presents Do You Get Twitter? posted at Matt Garrett. Twitter is really a fast growing community site and providing a good environemnt to interacting with people of same thinking or business line. So, go and get a twitter, now.

Tim Gary presents Introduce Yourself Anywhere and Prepare for Surprising Results posted at Internet Success Bites.

Raymond Le Blanc presents Protect Your Time, Don?t Solve Everyone?s Problems posted at Time Management Blog.

GreatManagement presents On Leadership by Allan Leighton posted at The GreatManagement Blog. If you want to improve a certain skill, then you should model yourself on someone who already has had success in that skill.

That concludes this edition. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on March 28, 2008. Submit your blog articles using our blog carnival submission form.

The environment in which you work can have a profound effect on your level of motivation. Everything from the color of your walls to the way you position your desk can make an impact. Follow these 50 tips to improve your workspace, and you’ll be taking steps toward more productivity and motivation.

Feng Shui

Follow this ancient Chinese practice of arranging objects to create harmony.

1. Sit in a commanding position: In feng shui, the commanding position is one where you’re supported from behind and open from the front, so this means you’ll work facing the entrance to your work area.
2. Incorporate water into your office: Water features will keep you in tune with your desires and help you better become motivated to meet your goals.
3. Keep your doorway clear: Make sure you don’t obstruct your doorway, or you’ll block the flow of positive energy.
4. Look to inspiration: Don’t arrange your workspace so that you’re looking at clutter or unnecessary objects.
5. Define your personal area: Use a door or alert bell to make a clear definition of where your workspace begins and ends.
6. Rearrange your office frequently: Frequent changes in your work environment will keep you alert and on the ball.
7. Draw attention to your achievements: Place your diplomas and awards in a prominent area to remind yourself of what you’ve accomplished.
8. Create a balance: Follow a balance of yin and yang, with light and dark colors, hard and soft surfaces, and more.
9. Place symbols of goals in your area: Create something that is symbolic of your goal, and place it at a high level.

Decluttering

One sure-fire way to feel better in your work environment is to clear out junk. Follow these tips to de-clutter your way to a better workspace.

10. Corral your gear: Make sure that all of your cords, devices, and tools all have a specific place.
11. Create a calendar: Instead of using sticky notes and scribbled papers, keep all of your important dates together in a calendar.
12. Adopt a to-do list notebook: Just like the calendar, a notebook can make it easy to cut down on having lots of different papers around.
13. File: When you do have extraneous papers, make sure that there’s a home for them in your file cabinet.
14. Create a system for paper: Decide what the process is for dealing with bills, letters, and more.
15. Bulletin board: Use a bulletin board to corral important notices and keep them off of your desk.
16. Create zones: If your work requires a few different tasks, create a station just for that task filled with all of the supplies you need. Good examples of work zones would be for shipping or reading.
17. Throw away old magazines: Stop letting old magazines accumulate after you’ve read them. Instead, clip important pieces out, and scan or file them.

Comfort

A comfortable workplace is a productive one. Take these steps to make sure you feel good in your work area.

18. Listen to music: Use music to create a relaxing atmosphere.
19. Eliminate loud noises: Avoid interruptions by choosing a workspace that’s far away from neighbors, TVs, and other sources of noise.
20. Add family photos: Add a touch of home and remind yourself what you’re working for with family photos.
21. Make it smell good: Use aromatherapy to add a nice ambiance as well as motivate.
22. Choose an area with good ventilation: Keep yourself from feeling stagnant by choosing an area that provides lots of air flow.
23. Add a few pillows and blankets: In your reading area, keep a few pillows and blankets to make it cozy.

Equipment

Make these changes in your equipment to turn your workspace into the ultimate motivation zone.

24. Get a nice chair: These days, a good chair is vitally important, especially if you spend a lot of time on the computer.
25. Task lighting: Take it easy on your eyes by using lamps and other lighting to focus specifically on the task at hand.
26. Ambient lighting: Use indirect ambient lighting to reduce glare on your eyes.
27. Keep important items close: Make sure that you keep any frequently-used items, like a phone, close to your workspace.
28. Reading chair: Use a separate, comfortable chair to create a zone made just for reading.
29. Bookshelf with helpful references: Keep your knowledge close to you with a bookshelf filled with all of the references you need.
30. Use a fan: Keep your temperature right where it needs to be so you don’t stagnate.

Environment

Take these tips into consideration when planning your work environment.

31. Create a personal style: Your workspace needs to follow your own style, or you’ll feel like you’re working in someone else’s office.
32. Use natural light: Stay in sync with day and night with a window for natural light.
33. Add art: Introduce paintings or other pieces of art that make you feel great for added motivation.
34. Choose a color: Adopt an inspiring color for your space. A popular color is green because it’s the color of money.
35. Use a separate room: Get privacy and your own space to let your mind go into a work zone by choosing a room to be used solely as a workspace.
36. Plants: Foster the growth of living, oxygen-generating plants so that you can grow with them.
37. Give every object a home: Things won’t pile up if there’s a specific place for each type of item.

Ergonomics

Carefully follow ergonomic guidelines to avoid injuring yourself.

38. Ensure that you have adequate lumbar support: Reduce stress on your lower back with a good chair, and you’ll be more productive and healthy.
39. Place your feet on the floor: Ensure that your feet rest on the floor, using a footrest if necessary.
40. Protect your upper body: Ensure that your arms, elbows, neck, and shoulders are all in a comfortable position.
41. Reduce glare: Make it easy on your eyes by eliminating or reducing glare.

House Rules

Set a few rules about your workspace to carefully preserve your motivation and productivity.

42. Establish "Do Not Disturb" times: During specific times of the day, turn off everything and focus only on the task at hand.
43. Avoid letting things pile up on the floor: Don’t let clutter take over your office, or you’ll find it to be a drain on your energy.
44. Never use your workspace for storage: It’s tempting to use a secondary room for junk, but it will be distracting, especially if it’s not related to your work.
45. Always turn off your computer: Symbolically turn off your day by turning off your computer when you’re done every evening.
46. Make your office a sacred space: Make sure that friends, family and neighbors know that your workspace is for work only.
47. Never eat at your desk: Avoid eating at your desk both for cleanliness and productivity.
48. Never use your workspace for play: Train your mind to get into work mode whenever you sit at your desk by avoiding recreational activities while in your workspace.
49. Always clear your desk: Never leave a messy desk, or you’ll leave the troubles of today piled up for tomorrow.
50. If it doesn’t have a function, you don’t need it: Make sure that everything in your workspace serves a purpose, or you don’t need it.

The struggle to attract and retain key customers is a constant one, but business owners and freelancers have lots of tools and resources to help them when marketing themselves and their businesses. Web-based solutions produce hassle-free services and efficient communication options, while networking events and online opportunities are perfect for making new contacts. This list is full of ideas to improve your branding techniques, e-mail etiquette, website design and other hacks to help you figure out ways to keep customers from flirting with the competition.

Where to Find Them

You’ll never beef up your client roster if you don’t know where to find new customers. Maintaining a presence on select sites and at certain events will increase your profile too.

1. Conventions: Get yourself an invite to conventions that market to your target audience. Everyone’s already in the mood to network anyway. Just don’t forget to bring your business cards.
2. Airports: If you travel on a week day, you’ll probably notice that a good percentage of your fellow passengers are business travelers. Strike up a conversation with someone about their business, and you may find yourself gaining access to a whole new demographic, region or industry.
3. Volunteer events: Whether you’ve got your eye on snagging the nonprofit as a future client or just want to meet people from a range of backgrounds while showing off your community efforts, volunteer events and fundraisers are a great way to meet customers.
4. LinkedIn: This popular social networking site connects professionals and alumni to forge profitable relationships.
5. Ryze: Ryze "helps you expand your business network."
6. Xing: Xing is a sleek social networking site that offers professional contact management, a business accelerator and other cool apps.
7. Facebook: Get on Facebook to market yourself to a particular demographic, keep track of customers and set up groups.
8. MeetUp: Members of this site organize get togethers based on interest and location.
9. Chamber of Commerce: Visit your chamber of commerce to gain access to their business mailing lists. You’ll have names and contact information for some of the leading professionals in your area.
10. Industry-related seminars: Even though you might think you wouldn’t be able to learn anything new from a seminar, attend anyway so that you can meet your target audience and offer them supplemental advice and services.
11. Guru: Guru is an online "marketplace" for freelancers. You might be able to find new customers willing to trade services or share mailing lists.
12. Elance: Elance is another freelancer-oriented site that connects business professionals and jump starts new partnerships.

Networking Tips

Once you’ve met your target audience, you’ve got a small window of opportunity to make an impression. Check out these networking tips that will make you and your business more attractive.

13. Business cards: Never leave home without your business cards. Visit this site to design some for free.
14. Pass out coupons: Attach a coupon to your business card to encourage future contact.
15. Stand out: This post from Freelance Switch gives freelancers plenty of quality ideas for standing out in a competitive field.
16. Host your own networking event: Under the guise of bringing together your friends and business associates, plan a happy hour to meet new customers for yourself.
17. Pass out free stuff: This tip works especially well if you’re hosting the event. Pass out promotional items that boast your logo as prizes or to put in goody bags.
18. Sponsor a contest: Sponsor a contest in your community that awards the winner a temporary gig designing one of your products or an invite at an industry-related convention. Write up a press release for the paper and advertise at schools, churches, community centers and more.
19. Engage others: Whether it’s by introducing yourself to the "loners" or starting up a group conversation, bring different groups together. You’ll be remembered as someone who’s inclusive and knows a lot of people (even if you really don’t.)
20. Make notes: Make plenty of notes to help you remember the people you meet. You can jot down a few key words on the back of someone’s business card which will give you something personal to say when you follow up.
21. Know your competition: If you don’t know your competition ahead of time, you may wind up handing out coupons or pitching a project to the wrong person.
22. Follow up: In the world of networking, the follow up is key. Send an e-mail, a coupon or a handwritten note.

Website Tricks

Make sure your website is user-friendly and attractive otherwise your future clients will leave you for someone sleeker and more organized.

23. Update your blog: Your business blog keeps customers in the know about upcoming projects and the daily grind at your office. Use this guide to ensure maximum blog usability.
24. Create a simple navigation system: Designing a clear, simple navigation system will help customers find out information about your company easily and quickly.
25. Write an "about" page: Don’t forget to publish a short bio about yourself and the history of the company. Your new customers will want to do a background check before they enlist your services, and it’s best if they hear the truth from you.
26. Link with CSS: The website NetMechanic.com encourages Web designers to set up their links with CSS. Follow the tutorial to find out how.
27. Make searching for information easy: Include a search box that allows visitors to search for information and archives on your site easily.
28. Give customers access to their own account information: Let your customers have secure, online access to their account information, including billing statements, deadlines, services requested and more.
29. Set up 24/7 support: A live chat software program will give customers online support anytime they need it.
30. Link your homepage to your logo: This tip isn’t just about website usability: any action you can take to promote your logo is a smart move.
31. Advertise security: If you want customers to buy products from your website, you need to convince them that your site is secure.
32. Encourage feedback: Set up a feedback form on your site to let your customers know you care what they think and are dedicated to making improvements.

Spoiling Them

There’s no better way to keep your clients loyal than to spoil them. From sending out a birthday surprise to sharing your contacts, check out this list of fresh ideas.

33. Celebrate their anniversary: When a customer has reached the one year mark of doing business with you, give them a break on their monthly invoice or attach a free service or coupons to their regular services.
34. Host free clinics and workshops: Educate your clients by offering them clinics and workshops that teach them how to perform simple tasks that you normally do for free anyway. Just don’t give away your major secrets!
35. Remember their birthday: Send a perky e-mail or have flowers delivered to a customer’s office on their birthday. Chances are, everyone else will be doing the same thing, and if you don’t, you’ll stand out: in a bad way.
36. Send a thank you gift when a customer renews a contract: Don’t act like a renewed contract is expected. Even if it’s coming from one of your most loyal customers, make it a big deal and take them out to a special lunch.
37. Allow them to pre-order new services: If you’re about to launch a new product that will undoubtedly sell out, give your loyal customers first dibs. Let them pre-order the item or hold on to a few to send as gifts.
38. Share your mailing list: You may not want to give out your top secret contacts, but sharing a few key e-mail addresses and phone numbers from your Rolodex will make them feel special. They may even return the favor.
39. Nominate them for awards: Nominate your top clients for community awards to show off their business talents and community spirit. They won’t be able to thank you enough for the personal gratification and free PR.
40. Provide plenty of perks: The next time someone sends you free tickets to the symphony or a heavily discounted reservation at a bed and breakfast, consider passing them on to your best customers.
41. Give them space: Your customers might feel too pressured or overwhelmed if you’re constantly throwing specials and reminders in their face.
42. Get personal: Blogger Eric J. Adams suggests cultivating a personal relationship with your customers in order to inspire loyalty. Keep it simple, though: Adams cautions, "don’t expect too much from your newfound intimacy; two minutes of chitchat will only go so far."
43. Gift giving Dos and Don’ts: Before you shower your customer with gifts during holiday time, read this post to anticipate appropriate gift ideas.
44. Make house calls: No, we don’t mean showing up to your customer’s house in the middle of the night with a contract that needs to be signed, but making occasional trips to their office to deliver confidential agreements will earn you brownie points.
45. Emphasize quality: Always pledge to do whatever it takes to deliver quality products and services to your client. They’ll move on to the competition if you start offering defective merchandise, hiring lazy employees or missing deadlines.

Being Attentive

Customers like to assume that they’re your number one priority. Even if you’re juggling a large client roster, make sure to check in on each customer every once in a while to give them the personal attention they expect.

46. Encourage partnerships: Put your clients in touch with each other and encourage them to make partnerships of their own. They’ll see you as a leader in your field and a "go to" person for meeting new people and starting up projects.
47. Hand out your cell phone number: This isn’t always a smart idea, so make sure you give out your cell phone number to very close customers only. They’ll feel honored to have gotten such a sacred number.
48. Send handwritten notes: Quick e-mails are okay, but if you really want to spoil your clients, send them a handwritten note as a follow up or to thank them for their business.
49. Send out holiday greetings: Whether it’s a well-designed e-mail at Thanksgiving or a funny card for St. Patrick’s Day, show your clients that you care all year round.
50. Follow up after a service call: After a customer receives a service from your company, make a phone call, send an e-mail or mail them a feedback form to find out if they’re satisfied with the results.
51. Give them plenty of notice: If you’re going to be out of town or unavailable, let your clients know way ahead of time. Give them alternative contact numbers in case they have an emergency when you’re gone, and make sure they’re well taken care of before you take a vacation.
52. Hire interns: If you can’t afford to hire a full-time employee to write thank you notes and monitor customer satisfaction, hire an intern to do the grunt work instead of failing to do it altogether.
53. Design effective e-mail campaigns: Periodically send out well-designed e-mail campaigns to touch base with your customers, update them on specials and introduce them to new hires.
54. Show them how current events affect their services: If the economy is bad, let your customers know how gas prices will affect your business or if you expect to cut back on certain goods and services. Giving your customers insight into how your business works will make them feel included.
55. Communicate during a project: Give your customers updates regarding their project, especially if you think you might need more time on a deadline. They’ll be more understanding if you talk to them ahead of time than if you wait until you’re already behind schedule.
56. Train employees to be customer service professionals: Even if you don’t have a separate customer service department, take the time to train your employees to work with your customers in a variety of crisis management situations and phone skills.
57. Don’t go into hiding when a problem erupts: If you’re approached with a client problem, don’t stop answering the phones. Tackle the issue head on and take responsibility when necessary.
58. Continue to make improvements: Asking for feedback isn’t any good if you don’t actually make improvements and listen to your customer’s complaints. Showing them results means showing them you care.
59. Prioritize: Use a smart Web-based system like Neptune to help you prioritize and keep track of how much time you spend on each customer.

Exclusive Specials

Give your customers exclusive access to specials and deals they wouldn’t receive with any other business.

60. Throw an annual party for your regulars: Everyone loves a party. Gather all your regular customers together and treat them to a special dinner. Better yet, invite them over to your home for a more intimate party.
61. Go above and beyond: If you’re in the print making business and find out that your loyal customer’s daughter needs a sign for her softball championship, see if you can offer a discounted price for the job, or even design one for free.
62. Give your customers VIP online access: When customers shop online, give them a special promo code or discount.
63. Sign on specials: Award new customers with "sign on specials" after they make their first purchase. Give them a free gift or a discounted price for the first few months.
64. Reward your best customers: Try out these ideas from Starbucks customer Ron Lieber, who suggests throwing members-only parties and offering free coffee.
65. Customized gifts: Don’t limit yourself to creating promotional products for your business only. With a program like Qoop, you can create stickers, posters, keychains, calendars and more for your customers, featuring their business logo or photos from company events and fundraisers.
66. Free upgrades: Whether or not it’s a special occasion, periodically reward special clients with free upgrades, like same day shipping or including bonus products.
67. Offer reduced cost shipping: Give your frequent customers a break when it comes to shipping prices. E-mail them a members only code to enter into the online shopping register at checkout.
68. Free samples: Free samples not only make your customers feel spoiled, they also promote a new product.

Hassle-Free Services

Making things easy for your customers will keep them coming back for more. From interactive calendars to quick and easy accounting software, these tools will make your business transactions run more smoothly.

69. MOO: MOO lets you design promotional items and print images that will come in handy when you want to advertise a new product or send a greeting card.
70. Harvest: This time tracking tool will help ensure that you don’t overcharge clients.
71. Escrow: If you sell products from your website, use this program to protect yourself and your clients from fraud.
72. Box: Keep all of your customers’ files safe by working with this Web-based file sharing system. You won’t have to worry about misplacing important documents or losing contracts anymore.
73. BillMyClients.com: This user-friendly bill pay system sends invoices through e-mail or the USPS quickly and securely.
74. FreshBooks: This popular online invoicing and time tracking system will help you manage your finances more accurately.
75. Spongecell Calendar: Create and share a Web-based calendar so that you customers have easy access to your schedule.
76. LogMeIn: Business owners can stay connected to their work and their customers by managing files, conducting online meetings and more with LogMeIn.
77. PunchyTime: This time tracker offers an easy, fun way to keep track of your employee’s time as they network with clients, work on projects and even do business after hours.
78. Breeze: Another way to keep in touch is to update your clients with e-mail campaigns designed with Breeze.
79. Dimewise: This economical, remote access financial solution will allow you to organize invoices and reports securely and accurately.
80. Veetro Help Desk Software: Set up your own help desk to assist customers with technical problems.
81. Backpack: Backpack helps you "organize your business and share information with your team," including anxious customers who want up-to-date info. on their latest projects.
82. Vstore: This free software gives business owners the tools they need to set up shop online. You can customize different designs to reflect your website’s theme and online store.
83. Veetro Management Reports: This smart software program helps business owners create reports with "real-time statistical reporting on all aspects of…business performance." Your customers will love being able to access organized, accurate information about their accounts and your company.
84. Google Alerts: Set up Google Alerts so that you’ll be notified whenever one of your customers is featured in a story online. You can send them the link or congratulate them on the new press.

Effective, Convenient Communication

Keep your customers engaged by promoting effective, convenient communication. This list features Web conferencing tools, project management software and more.

85. TokBox: Use this live video chat application to talk to your customers in real-time without having to drive to meetings.
86. HyperOffice: Share files and receive customer input on special projects when you work with HyperOffice.
87. activeCollab: This program helps you "eliminate stress" and "manage success." You’ll be able to involve your customers in whatever project you’re working on through customizable design options, website integration and more.
88. ShareItNow 4.9.02: Use ShareItNow to share items on your desktop with clients for easy project management and collaboration.
89. Zoho Web Conferencing: Instead of zooming all over town for different meetings, encourage your customers to use this simple Web conferencing solution.
90. Campfire: Campfire is an application that features Web-based group chats, fire sharing and image sharing, so that you can work with customers online anytime.
91. EyeOS: This open source tool goes beyond project management. Open up your operating system to customers and vendors, so that you can conduct meetings, design presentations and access all your files from any computer with an Internet connection.
92. Skype: This popular online voice messaging service is great for quick communiques with customers.
93. Meebo: Meebo combines your buddy lists from instant messaging services like AIM, Yahoo, Google Talk and others. You can log onto your account anywhere, not just your home computer.
94. Basecamp: This popular application organizes all kinds of information and communication histories within your company and client list. It’s password protected, ensuring a secure system.
95. Wikis: Set up a community portal for information sharing and open communication by creating wikis on your company website.
96. Userplane: This collection of online communication applications includes a Webchat services, Mediaplayer and more, allowing you to chat via text, voice or video.
97. Google Talk: This very simple instant communications solution is a popular Google app that has file transfer capabilities, Gmail notifications and more.
98. Communication tips for the technology age: Review this post titled "Is it Time to Consider New Ways to Communicate?" to come up with cutting edge communication techniques for savvy customers.
99. Don’t disappear on the weekends: If you’re the owner of a business, customers expect you to put in more time than your regular employees. Freelance Switch encourages you to "communicate promptly, even on the weekend."
100. Brush up on e-mail etiquette: E-mail is becoming the official way to communicate in professional circles, and even if you think you have perfect grammar and plenty of tech savvy, your e-mail etiquette could need a makeover. Check here for tips.

Greetings! Welcome to the 12th edition of the Carnival of Business and Entrepreneurship. We have selected 50 posts for this edition. Here are the posts in the order they were received.

Mark presents 91 Financial Terms You Should Know (Or At Least Be Aware Of.) posted at Thoughts, Ideas, and Other Randomness. A huge list of financial terms and their definitions. You need to know these if you’re running a business, a household, or just managing your money.

Anthony presents 7 Keys To Customer Service Excellence posted at The Lives and Times… of Anthony McCune.

Jose DeJesus MD presents Small Business Stands Up to be Counted posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

Rebecca Suzanne Dean presents There’s No Need To Admit You’re Telling The Truth… Unless You’re A Liar! posted at Rebecca Dean.

Joshua C. Karlin presents Fundraising Ideas - Identification posted at Marketing & Fundraising Ideas.

Rich Vosler presents Don’t let your struggles defeat you posted at Sales Training Tips.

Edith presents Free Live Call with Marketing Guru Seth Godin - Meatball Sundae (April 9th) Hosted by SFentrepreneur posted at San Francisco Bay Area Small Business Community That Connects You With Entrepreneurs Around You.

Hill Robertson presents Are You Working for the Weekend? posted at Internet Business Success Guide from a Geek. Do not focus on working for the weekend. Focus on working for freedom.

Mark D. Russell presents 5 Ideas For Affiliate Marketing Websites posted at MarkDRussell.com.

Dorian Wales presents Is Present Value - Value in the Present? The Economic sense behind Net Present Value posted at Personal Financier.

Steven Chang presents 100 Ways To Explode Your Info-Product Income! posted at Passive Income Online.

wilson ng presents Chinese Guanxi posted at Reflections of a BizDrivenLife. Globalization means you start to have more likelihood of working with Chinese, Japanese or Asians. For Asian culture, the art of relationship or Guanxi is important in making the business work. Understanding this facet means you can be more successful by focusing your efforts in cultivating the proper relationships.

Andrew Erickson presents No Phone Number For You! Part I posted at WebSite Werx.

Nitesh123 presents Zero Interest Credit Cards: Do They Exist? posted at anythin.

Ask Matt presents More Stumbleupon Ads Results posted at IM & Affiliate Marketing Product Testing. More stumbleupon ads results.

Fiona Lohrenz presents Why Starting a Day Care Makes Perfect Sense posted at Child Care Only.

Shari Voigt presents Improve Your Marketing With Permission! posted at Express Marketing Memo. Marketing messages bombard our eyes and ears at least 245 times per day. This interruption marketing is expensive and ineffective. But there is a better way.

Kenton Newby presents A No-Brainer Offer and a Lesson Learned posted at KentonNewby.com.

David presents Startup Founders Advice posted at Worldwide Success.

Dominic Tay presents Capture the Globe through Network Marketing at Personal Development for Winners posted at Self-Help for Work-At-Home Business Entrepreneurs. you’ll have to work your ways toward success. This article talks about simple but tested 3-steps towards capturing the globe through network marketing. How? Read on.

Craig Andrews presents Tips For A Great Autoresponder Campaign (Part 1) posted at Craig S. Andrews.com.

Jimmy Sansi presents Guaranteed Traffic Today Using These 7 Simple Methods posted at The Kaizen Business.

Tali presents All Aboard the ClueTrain - The Internet Marketing Bible posted at The Marketer Review. The ClueTrain has been on track since 1999, and what used to be its prophesy is now full on reality.

Fiona Lohrenz presents Why starting a day care makes perfect sense posted at Child Care Only. Starting a day care makes sense.

Alex M presents No Time For Complicated Seo Blogging Software: How Can a Simple Blog Help Your E-Business posted at Find Real Dropshippers.

Kenton Newby presents Focusing on Leverage posted at KentonNewby.com.

James D. Brausch presents MuVar Is On StatisticalCopywriting.com posted at Internet Business Blog.

Aaron Brandon presents Product Creation Worry posted at Aaron Brandon.

Thomas D. Brownsword presents Work: A Mixed Blessing posted at Business Action Steps.

Don D. Morrison presents Taking A Bet & Turning It Into Income? Or, Online Marketing Product Creation #1! posted at dondmorrison.com.

Steve Oliphant presents Stop Gambling with Your Future and Start Making Money posted at Steve Oliphant’s Musings.

James Lee presents 3 Quick Reminders of What People REALLY Think of Your Site posted at Online Business Freedom.

Susan Velez presents High Paying Adsense List posted at High Paying Adsense List.

Robert Phillips presents 5 Magic Questions Every Real Estate Investor Should Ask posted at REAL ESTATE INVESTING.

Roger Smith presents The New-Age Of MLM…Web 2.0 Online Network Marketing System! posted at Magnetic Leadership Marketing.

Charlotte Babb presents Profitable Internship = Profitable Business? Yes. posted at Charlotte Babb.

Deb presents Expert Q& A: How to Manage Your Business For Success posted at American Entrepreneurship.

Erek Ostrowski presents Give Them a Reason to Call You Back posted at Verve Coaching:: Life, Growth and Leadership, Boston MA. Offer them a token of your appreciation…a small gift of some sort that will help them justify spending their time to help you.

Jeremy Zongker presents 7 Reasons Your Small Business Needs a Credit Card posted at Creditor Web.

David B. Bohl presents Entrepreneurs: What Every Business Can Learn from the Luxury Travel Industry posted at Slow Down Fast Today!. As an entrepreneur, what can you learn from the luxury travel industry? Actually, quite a lot! By examining the trends that are taking place in the luxury travel market you can see ideas and business segments that are emerging amongst some of the world’s most affluent shoppers.

Lainey Hausman presents What are the top 17 sources of affiliate traffic? posted at Big Selling Affiliates Blog.

Carol Bentley presents 3 time management tips and recommended reading posted at Carol Bentley.

Mark Riffey presents Blocking time improves small business owner productivity posted at Business is Personal.

Jimmy Sansi presents Memo To Entrecard Users: Get A Clue posted at The Kaizen Business.

Sabrina Jefferson presents How To Create Your Own Blog posted at Sabrina Jefferson.

Sarah Paine presents Is Your Site NeoPet Sticky? posted at Sarah Paine.

Bill Mcintosh presents Google Penalizing Slow Websites posted at Bill McIntosh.

Marcus Hochstadt presents Why Some Should Change The Permalink Structure posted at Marcus Hochstadt.

Warren Wong presents How To Solve Problems By Changing Your Frame Or Perspective posted at Personal Development. How seemingly unsolvable problems can be solved by changing your frame or perspective.

Terry Dean presents 7 Make Money Online Myths posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

That concludes this edition. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on March 21, 2008. Submit your blog articles using our blog carnival submission form.

Telecommuting is a beautiful thing, what with skipping traffic and wearing fuzzy slippers to work. However, working from home doesn’t come without its trials. If you’re not prepared for them, you may find yourself experiencing a serious drop in productivity and motivation. Not to worry though, here are some tips that will have you on the path to telecommuting success with just at little effort and preparation.

1. Stick to a ritual. Make sure your work and home life don’t become too blurred. Create a ritual to transition from one to the other in the morning so you’ll be prepared mentally to get to work.
2. Simplify your schedule. One of the pitfalls of working from home is the tendency to try too hard to prove you’re really working, which often results in doing too much. Simplify your tasks and only do what you really need to get done each day.
3. Set limits for work. Don’t let work start taking over the rest of your life. Set a starting and ending time for work each day so you won’t work longer hours than you would if you were at the office.
4. Make a plan. Don’t just jump into your work in the morning. Figure out what you need to get done and plan out exactly how you can accomplish it. The structure will help you to get more done.
5. Schedule everything. Schedule not only your work time but your down time as well. Plan out times for breaks, lunch, and household chores so they don’t interfere with getting things done.
6. Find quiet. Working at home can be full of distractions. Find a quiet place in your home that will allow you to get away from it all and concentrate.
7. Work smarter. Don’t work harder just because you’re at home, work smarter. Be organized and focused when it counts and you’ll get more done in less time.
8. Allow some distraction. It’s easy to overdo it and deny yourself any pleasures when working at home. You should be cautious of these distractions, but allow yourself the occasional distraction to break up your day. It’ll keep you happier and more productive.
9. Don’t forget about your health. Sometimes working at home can take a toll on your health simply because you’re no longer climbing those stairs to the office or walking to the train every day. Make sure to take time to exercise and take care of yourself.
10. Find a work space. While not everyone has the luxury of their own home office, set up a private and out of the way space to work. Make sure you have room to spread out, and surround yourself with things that make you feel good so you’ll get more done.
11. Keep connected with coworkers. Don’t miss out on colleague friendships just because you’re working from home. Keep in touch with your coworkers so you don’t feel isolated working from home.
12. Find your optimal work time. Everyone has a time of day when they work their best. Figure out when yours is and schedule your most challenging tasks around it.
13. Be responsive. Check your email and voice messages regularly so you can quickly respond to issues and inquiries sent your way.
14. Keep in touch with work. Let bosses and coworkers know where you stand on projects through emails and phone calls.
15. Promote yourself. It can be easy to be passed over for promotions and raises when you’re not in the office all the time. If you are doing good work from home, make sure the right people know about it.
16. Take advantage of associations. There are many associations designed for those that work at home. Try joining the American Telecommuting Association to meet fellow telecommuters and get advice and resources that can be helpful.
17. Get dressed. It can be quite tempting to work in your PJs or sweats, but you’ll be more productive if you feel professional. You don’t have to put on a suit and tie, unless you want to, but at least put on something you’d be willing to leave the house in.
18. Keep track of your time and work. Keep a spreadsheet or log of the time that you put into work each day. It will serve not only as a record for your employer of your work, but can give you a sense of accomplishment as well.
19. Practice self-discipline. Telecommuting can take a serious toll on self-discipline. Learn to keep a lid on those voices telling you to head for the couch and you’ll be much more successful at working at home.
20. Make downtime productive. Don’t waste time waiting around, make that time useful. Whether you’re waiting for a response to an email, or just for your lunch to heat up in the microwave, use those minutes to get small, easy tasks accomplished.
21. Use a timer. If you’re having difficulty staying focused, try using a timer. Work without stop for a set amount of time and then take a break. Breaking up your day into smaller chunks like this can help you get more done.
22. Limit incoming calls. You don’t need to take your phone off of the hook, but it can be to your advantage to screen your calls to avoid becoming distracted.
23. Share your work. Don’t feel that just because you’re working at home that you have to do everything yourself. If you’ve got too much on your platter, don’t be afraid to ask for help from other telecommuters or coworkers back at the office.
24. Don’t isolate yourself. While the isolation of working at home can help you be more productive, you shouldn’t let yourself become a total hermit. Keep in touch with coworkers, meet at friend for lunch, or just get out of the house and socialize every once in awhile.
25. Prevent emails from dominating your time. Email is a fast and convenient way to keep in touch, but it can also be disastrous for productivity. Set times to check or respond to your email so you won’t constantly be interrupted by it.
26. Practice good stress management. Sometimes working at home can be just as stressful as working in the office. Make sure you don’t let the stress get to you. If you feel overwhelmed, take a break to do something you enjoy, and come back when you’ve calmed down or relaxed.
27. Put on headphones. Sometimes you just need to shut out the world, and headphones can help you eliminate all other noises and concentrate on your work. Try listening to songs that relax you or give you motivation.
28. Establish checkpoints. You can often feel more productive by establishing checkpoints to help you monitor your progress. As you complete each checkpoint, even the biggest and most overwhelming tasks will feel more manageable and you’ll gain a sense of accomplishment.
29. Set time limits for tasks. To keep any one task from dominating your day, set time limits for completing tasks. If you don’t get things done, set them aside and come back to them later after you’ve made time for the other things you need to accomplish.
30. Disconnect from the Internet occasionally. Sometimes it can be helpful to get things done if you just disconnect from the Internet for a few hours. While it is a valuable tool, it’s also full of distractions, and you might be better able to concentrate when you’re not tempted to check your email or the news.
31. Attend meetings whenever possible. If there is a meeting in the office, try to attend whenever you can. It will make your presence in the business known, and also let you represent your own work instead of letting someone else do the talking for you.
32. Pace yourself. You don’t need to work at warp speed all day just to prove you’re working. In fact, it’s a surefire way to burn out fast. Instead, work at a steady pace, allowing for breaks and opportunities to get out of your office chair.
33. Find helpful resources. You can find resources for telecommuters provided by many nonprofit organizations that are designed to support telecommuting. Check out the TelCoa website for valuable tips and information.
34. Schedule face-to-face meetings. While you could very well telecommute to meetings with clients, it’s preferable to meet with people face-to-face. You’ll get to know each other better and be more comfortable working with one another.
35. Close your door. If you work in a room with a door, sometimes it helps to just close it and shut out any potential distractions.
36. Let people know your hours. Make sure that both coworkers and family members know and respect your working hours, so they’ll know when they can get in touch with you and when you’ll be off limits.
37. Don’t let friends or family intrude on your work time. It can be tempting for relatives, friends and neighbors to take advantage of the fact that you’re home during the day. While these intrusions sometimes are unavoidable, make sure that those close to you know that even though you’re home, you’re still doing legitimate work and shouldn’t be disturbed.
38. Remember the benefits. Sometimes working at home can get stressful, but don’t let the occasional stress obscure the benefits. Working from home can save you money, miles on your car, and the stress of commuting, not to mention the fact that it probably allows you a flexible schedule to be at important events for your friends and family.
39. Keep work tasks and home tasks separate. While your dirty laundry or dishes may be calling your name, keep your work for work and work for home separate whenever possible by creating specific times to get each done.
40. Don’t work from your bed or the couch. It’s easy to get lazy when you’re lying down, so only work from your desk or other more formal workspace to maximize your productivity. If you need to, you can take a nap or relax over your lunch break.
41. Use the best technology for the task. Don’t waste time using technology that isn’t right for the job. Save lengthy and complex conversations for the phone rather than email.
42. Expect a period of adjustment. Don’t expect to be the perfect telecommuter right away. Allow yourself a period of adjustment while you figure out your schedule and learn from your mistakes.
43. Be accessible. Quell office fears about telecommuting by being readily available to bosses and coworkers. If necessary, arrange an office instant messaging system so you’ll always be just a click away.
44. Network. Don’t let your business connections suffer because you’re not in the office. Talk to clients, business associates, and other telecommuters whenever you get a chance.
45. Make sure people know how to get in touch with you. Make sure all your coworkers have your phone number and email handy if they need you for anything. You should also keep a list of contact information for yourself as well, just in case you have a problem.
46. Don’t overindulge in the comforts of home. It can be hard to resist the temptations of your television or refrigerator when you’re at home and they’re within easy reach. Allow yourself a few indulgences, but keep them to a minimum, or you could end up with little work and a big waistline.
47. Allow yourself breaks. You wouldn’t think twice about taking a quick coffee break at work, so allow yourself similar breaks at home so you don’t get burnt out.
48. Plan work in and out of the office. If you have work that can only be done at the office, don’t waste time worrying about it at home. Get done what you can at home, and take care of office work at the office.
49. Make sure you have the right equipment. Make sure your home office is equipped with all the gear you need to do your job properly. Technology is important, but be sure you’ve got a comfortable desk chair and a setup that won’t give you any aches and pains.
50. Download productivity software. Sometimes it helps to have a little software to keep you on track. There are many free programs out there that can help you get organized and keep track of all your to-dos.

As a freelancer, you’re probably used to managing several projects at once. You’ve gotten the hang of prioritizing, scheduling, and making deadlines. While the overall outcome of your work is vital to your business, maintaining strong relationships with your clients is just as important. To help you out, we’ve put together a crash course in arming yourself with the practical tools you’ll need to stay connected.

Tools

 

1. Freshbooks: Manage your invoices quickly and efficiently with Freshbooks, an online program that helps you notify your clients of new payments and project updates.
2. Highrise: With Highrise, you’ll avoid scrolling through massive e-mail lists to find records of all your communication history. Keep track of your client chats with this handy tool.
3. Salesforce.com: Salesforce.com is a comprehensive toolkit for client relationship management, but it costs much less than traditional CRM packages.
4. Backpack: Keep track of to-do lists, deadlines, and contact information with Backpack. Activate the alerts option to notify of important dates or appointments.
5. Essential PIM: This inclusive program offers a free version, so don’t worry about shelling out extra cash just to stay organized
6. Core FTP: This free download allows you and your clients to take advantage of file sharing, editing, and transfer capabilities.
7. ProjectStat.us: Sign up for a free account, and start updating clients on each project’s progress.
8. Box: Allow your clients to access files so you won’t have to keep from faxing and e-mailing all day long.
9. Jewelboxing: Burn your assignments onto CDs and DVDs with the help of Jewelboxing and send them to your clients. Trust us, they’ll be impressed.
10. 8apps: 8apps takes online social networking to the next level. Make your clients feel loved by checking in on them frequently, updating them with project information and collaborating on assignments with 8apps’ easy-to-use features.
11. Goplan: Use Goplan to chat with clients and vendors, share your calendar and to-do list, and more.
12. eFax: Continue to connect with your clients in a paper-free format. eFax allows you to "fax by e-mail."
13. Relenta CRM: Forget about all those pricey CRM software tools. Relenta CRM simplifies client management software so that you can afford to connect with your clients.

Resources

 

14. Free CRM: Gain access to software programs that assist you with managing databases, contact lists, and more.
15. Up Close and Personal: This resource will guide you through the basics of client relationship management with its training, video tour, reference guide, and support section.
16. BoldChat: BoldChat offers a fantastic way to keep in touch with customers. More advanced than a generic instant messaging system, Boldchat also offers a live support solution for your customers.
17. SalesPro CRM: Signing on as a single user will grant you affordable access to SalesPro, one of the best CRM hosting services out there.
18. The CRM Toolkit 3.1: Follow this link to a free download of The CRM Toolkit 3.1.
19. Stay Connected SOC: Send out cards to your clients for all kinds of occasions.
20. Zoho Meeting: Set up Web conferencing solutions with Zoho.
21. Xing: Search for new customers with Xing, an innovative approach to making online connections.
22. MindMeister: Let your customers feel like they’re contributing to the creative process with the help of MindMeister. Add as many users as you want and start brainstorming. The basic subscription is totally free.
23. Biz-Plan: Your customers will appreciate your organization when you use Biz-Plan. Create a separate business plan for each project, or develop an ongoing strategy for your overall freelance career.
24. Comodo: Give your clients peace of mind with Comodo. This secure e-mail service will assure them that all their creative and financial information is safe from hackers.
25. Spongecell Calendar: Spongecell features an attractive way to share your calendar with clients and contacts. Invite your business associates to leave comments, RSVP, and more!
26. Moo: Use Moo to custom-designed postcards, business cards, and other print items for your clients.

Client relationship management can be tough to maintain if you’re juggling several different projects by yourself. Use these tools and resources to help you create solid connections with each of your clients.

Freelancing is often a difficult profession: it can be lonely and nerve wracking at the same time. But you can make it easier on yourself by learning from and bonding with other freelancers out there who’ve blazed the trail ahead of you. Here are 100 blogs, in no particular order, that can help you find advice and guidance for your freelancing career.

Writing

Whether you’re just a small time blogger or a novelist hoping to write a new classic, these blogs can give you some helpful advice and information on how to improve your writing and manage your freelance career.

1. Fab Freelance Writing: Writer Angela Booth gives advice on improving your writing skills in her blog, as well as her informative series of free ebooks on a wide variety of specialty topics.
2. Freelance Writing Jobs: This blog provides not only links to job opportunities for freelance writers, but also advice on how to get the job you want.
3. Successful Blog: While directed more at professional bloggers, this site has a great variety of tips for every kind of writer.
4. InkThinker: InkThinker is written by Virginia writer-editor Kristen King and brings her experience at finding her place as a freelancer to her blog.
5. The Golden Pencil: The Golden Pencil is a blog that caters to freelance writers. Check out their 31 days of freelancing tips for small ways to improve your freelancing skills.
6. Ask Allison: For those wanting to break into the writing profession, this blog is a great resource. Send Allison your questions or read her answers to other reader queries.
7. Writer’s Resource Center: Find all kind of information on writing at the Writer’s Resource Center. Learn how to please editors, market your freelance work and find cheap publishing. There are also job boards for writers and freelancers.
8. Editor’s Ink: Learn about the business of freelance writing with this blog dedicated to freelance writing and editing.
9. The Independent Journalist: The freelance journalist will benefit from this respectable blog associated with the Society of Professional Journalists. The site has a freelancer directory, postings for jobs, and advice for freelancers all over the world.
10. Bad Language: Marketing writer Matthew Stibbe gives advice on blogging, freelancing, PR and even how to ace an interview.
11. Freelance Writing Business Blog: Freelance copywriter Janice King shares her thoughts on business and marketing as well as information on books and materials to help the freelance writer.
12. Write This Moment: Write this Moment is dedicated to providing information on jobs and resources for writers. Get your questions about writing and freelancing answered by the writers of this blog.
13. Inkwell Editorial: Not sure where to start on your freelance writing career? Check out this blog, especially their series on 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career and great ebook series.
14. Writing for Reason: In this blog you’ll find writing and commentary on freelance writing and marketing.
15. Freelance Writing Tips: Freelance writers Craig and Linda blog about journalism, making great pitches and more at this freelance writing blog.
16. Writers Weekly: Writers Weekly is the highest circulating free e-zine for freelance writers and contains articles on publishing, setting rates, and even fan mail.

Copywriting and Marketing

Learn to sell your freelance services and hone your copywriting skills with a little guidance from these blogs.

17. CopyBlogger: One of the best copywriting sites on the Web, Copyblogger gives great advice on how to create good marketing content, ultimately helping you sell more stuff.
18. Copywriter Underground: Professional copywriter Tom Chandler gives advice and consultation on marketing and how to sell anything.
19. MarCom Writer Blog: Learn all about marketing communications from professional Dianna Huff on this great marketing blog.
20. The Copy Writing Maven: Find tons of great resources on copywriting from the Copywriting Maven including tips on writing great Web content and working with clients.
21. Adventures in Copywriting: Freelance writer Mike gives his thoughts on what it’s like to be a freelancer as well as some humorous insights into the day to day workings of it as well.
22. Michel Fortin: Michel Fortin is a copywriter and consultant and his blog is full of advice on how to become a better marketer and write more persuasively.
23. Writing White Papers: There are tons of copywriters out there, so how can you learn to stand out in the crowd? Start by reading this blog.
24. Ask a Copywriter: Have a question about copywriting you’ve been dying to ask but didn’t know who to consult? Send you question to this blog and finally get the answers you’re looking for.
25. The Write Spot: Freelance copywriter and blogger Ann-Marie Nichols shares her experiences with working on the Web.
26. Micro Persuasion: Marketing is a rapidly changing field due to constantly evolving technologies. Keep abreast of the technical side with this blog by Steve Rubel.
27. Signalwriter: The author of this blog is an incredibly accomplished copywriter and marketing man, so you can learn quite a bit by reading his blog. Who knows, maybe you’ll find something inspirational.
28. The Opinionated Marketers: Get unfiltered opinions on marketing and advertising from three pros in the business on this blog.

Design

Even the best freelance designers can use a little inspiration now and then. Check out these graphic design and illustration blogs to give you a little spark.

29. Coroflot: Here you’ll find guides on how to get design work, what companies are looking for in their designers, and maybe even a place to showcase your portfolio.
30. Design Jump: The design world can be competitive and confusing at times, but this blog aims to give some unique knowledge and insight on how to be successful.
31. Darjan Panic: Learn about typography, photography and boosting your design blog at the personal site and portfolio of Darjan Panic.
32. Top Tut: Not sure how to create the look your client wants? Check out this blog. It’s chock full of tutorials for designers and webmasters.
33. David Airey: Designer David Airey gives advice on this blog about logo design, blogging, dealing with clients and even business cards.
34. Graphic Design Blog: Here you’ll find loads of articles on design, illustration, and advertising specially geared towards freelancers.
35. Graphic Design Forum: At the Graphic Design Forum you’ll not only find lots of tips from fellow graphic designers, but a forum and a library of design articles as well.
36. All About Freelance: This blog is written just for the freelance graphic designer. You’ll find articles on time management, project organization and even a few design tricks you can try.
37. Drawn!: More into illustration than design? Then this blog might be of greater interest to you. Here you’ll find information on the latest and greatest in the illustration and cartooning fields.
38. Designers Who Blog: As the name suggests, this blog, or rather a collection of blogs, is entirely written by designers. You’ll find some quirky content but also some informative stuff as well. If you’re feeling up for it, add your own blog to the mix.
39. Design View: This blog is a collection of articles written by Andy Rutledge. He answers questions about design, and writes about professionalism, deadlines and other issues relevant to freelance design.

Programming and Web Development

What better place to look for programming and Web advice than on the Web? Read up on how to make your freelance business a success.

40. Warren Seen: Freelance software developer Warren blogs about all kinds of coding as well as his advice on programming.
41. Entrepreneurial Geekiness: Being a geek is big business nowadays, and this blog is all about becoming an entrepreneur in the tech market.
42. Programmer Helper: Need a little help with a big project? Check out this blog for programming tips and advice.
43. Carlos on Web: Carlos Velasco is a freelance programmer in the Philippines. Read his articles on reasons why you should become a freelance programmer as well as things you should consider before making the leap.
44. Ben Ramsey: Programmer, author and consultant Ben Ramsey gives his two cents about the latest news in the programming world.
45. Best Practices: Web developers might find some useful advice in this blog, both on freelancing and on a wide variety of programming issues.
46. A List Apart: A List Apart is a great resource for web designers. There are articles on layout, design, process and even on how to get along with other designers.
47. Smashing Magazine: Smashing Magazine, and its blog, are all about providing innovative and useful information to web designers that makes their jobs easier.
48. Design Float: Design float isn’t really a blog in and of itself. It’s an aggregator that brings together the best web design posts.
49. Future of the Web: Having issues with accessibility and making sites user friendly? Take a look at this blog for some tips as well as loads of information on programming issues.
50. Web Worker Daily: Chances are, if you work online, you’ve already heard of this site. But if not, give it a look. Its full of tips to boost your productivity while working on the Internet.

Finance and Business

Freelance financial professionals and other self-employed workers looking for business know-how will benefit from seeing what these blogs have to offer.

51. June Walker: Get tax and financial advice for your freelance business from advisor June Walker. She gives tips to graphic designers, writers, photographers and more about how to manage business finances.
52. Simplify This: Streamline your business with advice from the Simplify This blog, home of the Simplify software, designed to give freelancers a means to invoice and get paid what they deserve.
53. Keeping Nickels: Learning to manage business finances can be complicated for the newbie. Let this blog from a professional accountant set you in the right direction for financial success.
54. The Solo Accountant Reporter: Freelance accountant Jeff Moore gives his insight into issues in forensic accounting and management.
55. Double Ledger: Find tons of information about accounting jobs, news, businesses and software on this accounting-focused blog.
56. Instigator Blog: Whether you’re just starting out in business on your own or you’re a seasoned entrepreneur, you’ll find value in this business blog.
57. Robert Alamos: This blog by Robert Alamos can give you insight and advice on starting and running your own online business, including tips for being successful at freelancing.
58. Biznik: Biznik is a business networking site, and the blog gives information about the program. If you don’t find anything of interest on the Biznik site, check out the member blogs as well.

Photography

Great photography skills aren’t all you need to be a successful photographer–you need business savvy, too. Get advice on both elements of success on these blogs.

59. Pro Photo Business Blog: Stanley Rowin, former president of the American Society of Media Photographers, publishes this page of photo business advice to help you make the most of your freelance career.
60. Dan Heller’s Photography Business Blog: Follow the latest in photography business news with this blog and learn a little bit about your business as well.
61. Photocritic: Get back to the DIY basics of photography with this blog. See photo criticisms or just get tips and ideas on photography you can use to make your work even better.
62. Photo Business News and Forum: This blog focuses intently on the business side of photography. Get a few pointers to help yours get going in the right direction as well as getting the latest information on issues in photography.
63. StockPhoto Talk: Want to sell your photos to stock agencies or even start your own stock photo business? Then check out this blog, dedicated to providing information about news, jobs, and companies working in the stock photo business.
64. PhotoAttorney: Get legal advice and information on protecting your creative works with this attorney’s blog.
65. The Online Photographer: Professional photographer Mike Johnson gives technical and business advice for photographers as well as reviews on cameras and other photography products on this informative blog.
66. Strobist: Strobist is a great resource for photographers who want to learn to work better with flashes and lighting. Improving your skills will help your business in the long run.
67. Digital Photography School: The Digital Photography School blog is another great place to visit if you’re looking for a little inspiration or want to beef up your skill set. Learn about techniques, styles of photography, and even equipment.
68. DIY Photography: For those running their own business, little expenses can add up quickly, especially with pricey photography equipment. Save your business money by embracing the DIY spirit. This blog will let you know how to get things done as cheaply as possible.
69. The Big Picture: Photojournalist and professor Dennis Dunleavy’s blog is a great place for freelance photojournalists to find commentary on technology and visual culture.

Consulting

Learn from other consultants in all different lines of business with these informative blogs.

70. Gautam Ghosh: Gautam Ghosh is an India-based blogging consultant. His blog contains information on HR issues, leadership, training, organization development and social media. Check it out if you want to improve your own blog or help others to improve theirs.
71. Consultant Journal: Thinking about a freelance career as a consultant? The Consultant Journal can help you learn the basics to get started and keep going.
72. Management Consultants’ Blog: Keep up with the latest in consulting news with the Management Consultants’ Blog. Learn about networking online and off and make connections in the field.
73. Law Consulting Blog: Experienced construction law attorney Cordell Parvin gives guidance for young lawyers entering the field and you can learn a little yourself to give consulting advice yourself.
74. Steve Shu’s Blog: Steve Shu, management consultant, talks about his experience consulting as well as management in general and other related issues.
75. The Nonprofit Consultant Blog : For the philanthropically minded, learn how to help the organizations you care about most by being a nonprofit consultant and freelance grant writer with this blog.
76. About.com Consulting Blog: About.com gives you information on how to score consulting jobs and find your niche in the consulting market.

Freelancing and Parenting

Balancing work and family life can be hard working outside of the home and it can be even harder when the line is blurred by working at home. These blogs give some guidance on keeping both parts of your life in sync.

77. Success from the Nest: Learn how to create a successful work at home business in this entertaining and illustrated blog.
78. Freelance Dad: New York-based freelance parenting writer Gary Drevitch shares his expertise on parenting and his commentary on the latest news.
79. Freelance Parent: Moms and freelancers Tamara and Lorna help other freelancing parents maintain a balance between the adult working world and the world of childcare. Find advice on this blog about finding your niche, managing your finances, and finding inspiration.
80. At Home Mom Blog: Freelance writer and blogger Genesis gives advice on how to make your work at home business a success, get organized, and stay productive all while looking after demanding little ones.
81. A Vocational Duality: Sometimes freelancing and motherhood overlap and require a lot of multitasking. Here, blogger Christa posts articles relevant to working from home, parenting and marriage.
82. Dad Balance: Blogger Derek Semmler gives tips and advice for work-at-home Dads who want to find a balance between their career and their family.
83. Work@Home Parents: Working at home, despite the fuzzy slipper appeal, can be a daunting prospect. Get some advice on working, parenting, or even how to manage the stress of the two.
84. Career and Kids: Don’t neglect the best years of your kids’ lives for your work. This blog can help you work in things that mean the most to you, like coaching your child’s team or going on field trips, with your freelance career.
85. Work It: Work It is a great blog for working mothers. Written by several business minded mothers, it can help you strike a balance between work hours and family time.
86. Just Loving Life: Friends Wanda and Paula blog about their work at home marketing business and how they make it work with their busy lives.

General

Some of the best freelance blogs provide information for all fields, not just one. Find job offers, helpful advice, and business help on these blogs.

87. Freelance Switch: Freelance Switch is full of resources for freelancers. Get some great advice on the blog, chat with other freelancers in the forum, use the job posting board to find work, or check out their list of free freelance tools.
88. All Freelance: All Freelance has tons of great articles on every aspect of freelancing from how much to charge to how to keep on task when you’re working at home.
89. Freelance Folder: Freelance Folder is chock full of information for freelancers in every field as well as small business owners. You’ll find tons of useful links, articles and advice on being successful at whatever you’re working towards.
90. Self Employed Blog: Deciding to leave the world of cubicles can be the best decision you ever make, but it can also be a daunting one. Get tips and advice from Eartha on how to make the transition between the two and make your self-employment rewarding.
91. Gizfolio: The main Gizfolio site is a place where businesses and freelancers can post jobs and get work, respectively, but the site also has a blog where you’ll find all kinds of articles with advice on freelancing as well as the occasional competition in which you can showcase your work.
92. Freelancer’s Union: Many freelancers aren’t even aware that there is such a thing as a freelancer’s union, but there is, and it exists to help you. Check out their blog to band with your fellow freelancers and maybe even find some work.
93. The Freelance Pro: The purpose of the Freelance Pro is to help readers learn to be successful and well-respected writers and designers and stop thinking like "employees" and start thinking like their own employers.
94. The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: This blog is primarily directed at women, but men will find some helpful advice here as well. As the title suggests, the blog is dedicated to helping readers make the transition between the cubicle and the freelance lifestyle. If you like what’s the blog, check out the book of the same title as well.
95. Ninja Freelance: This multi-author blog contains numerous articles on helping you become a "ninja" at freelancing. Learn how to get rid of bad clients and what mistakes to avoid.
96. One Man Band: Freelance writer and photographer C.E.H. Wiedel blogs about the trials and tribulations of DIY business.
97. Codswallop: Codswallop helps freelancers learn to make the best use of technology to increase their productivity.
98. The Freelancing Blog: Written by a fellow freelancer, the Freelancing Blog attempts to share the experiences and lessons learned during a freelancing career.
99. Escape from Corporate America: Former long-term corporate employee Pamela Skillings blogs about her experience in quitting her job and going out on her own to pursue her passions. You’ll also get advice on how you can do the same.
100. Freelance Tipster: Get little tips on how to boost your freelance career on this blog.

Greetings! Welcome to the 11th edition of the Carnival of Buiness and Entrepreneurship. We have selected 45 posts for this edition. Here you go:

Susan Velez presents Adsense Secrets posted at Adsense Secrets.

Woody Maxim presents The quickest way to more money is through testing posted at Woody Maxim.

Brody Gatliff presents Create Business Systems posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

Shari Voigt presents Social networking for the local small business | Express Marketing Memo posted at Express Marketing Memo. This article encourages local business owners to investigate social networking. It offers a few statistics on social media adoption, shows how it can benefit the small business owner, and provides reasons why social networking should not be ignored.

Rich Vosler presents Pruning makes growth for new life posted at Sales Training Tips. How challenges could mean growth for you if you’re open to it.

Matt presents Finding the right career path posted at Life is your Career. Chooce the right the career path is like choosing ice cream. It’s best to sample several before picking your favorite.

Jenni presents coping with working from home posted at work from home guru. This is a blog about coping with the daily issues that people face when working from home.

Taylor Coburn presents Create 100% Perfect Products Or Services posted at Internet Business at ProcessToProfits.

Colleen Palat presents Working From Home: You Can Make It Work! | posted at Colleen Palat. Learn tips to stay focused when working from home.

Aaron Brandon presents 24 Hr Special, Monthly Newsletter, MuVar, and More! posted at Aaron Brandon.

Michel Fortin presents Give Your Joint-Venture Offer An Extra Punch posted at The Michel Fortin Blog.

Thomas D. Brownsword presents Thursday, February 28, 2008 posted at Business Action Steps.

Joshua C. Karlin presents Fundraising Ideas - Identification posted at Marketing & Fundraising Ideas.

Kenton Newby presents Simple Solutions For the Content Creation Roadblock Nearly All Online Business Owners Face posted at KentonNewby.com.

Amy presents Unlock Your Business Growth by Outsourcing posted at Website Marketing Strategies - Nitro Marketing Blog. What areas of your online business can be outsourced? Nearly every area. In fact, you may be outsourcing parts of your online business already, without even realizing it!

Edith presents 51 Life Lessons Learned from Starting My Own Business posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Michael Walsh presents The Power of Discernment in Business posted at Business Growth. Here is an article to help entrepreneurs to tap into their internal wisdom, slow down and respond to situations instead of reacting.

John W. Furst presents 10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs To Grow Continuously posted at E-Biz Booster Blog. You probably have heard it before, **A business that doesn’t grow, dies**.

Craig Andrews presents Do You Linkbait With Your Blog? posted at Craig S. Andrews.com.

Mohamed Bhimji presents Using Video Courses As Part Of Your Marketing Strategy posted at Internet Business Opportunities.

Phil for Humanity presents Why a Career Turns into a Job << Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity. Why people lose interest in their careers.

Mark Riffey presents If Tiger Woods takes advice on golf… posted at Business is Personal.

Jimmy Sansi presents Guaranteed Traffic Today Using These 7 Simple Methods posted at The Kaizen Business.

Keith Goodrum presents Can Somebody Drive a Truck Through The Back Door Of Your WordPress Blog? posted at Keith Goodrum. Keith says, “Today I’m going to show you some tips to secure your WordPress blog. One day I while I was looking for information about computer security, I stumbled across Matt Cutt’s blog post about WordPress Security. That sent me off to learn about blog security.”

Sam Allcock presents 5 Ways Wireless Technology is Changing How We Pay for Stuff posted at Wirelapse. 5 examples of how payments will start to change in the future.

John Lenaghan presents Should You Buy The Latest Internet Marketing Related Product? posted at Internet Marketing Chaos.

Brian Terry presents 7 ?More? Big Selling Website Strategies That Boost Conversions posted at Big Selling Website Design.

Cindy King presents Choice Of Internet Marketing Methods posted at Get International Clients.

James Lee presents Are You Making These Mistakes in Article Marketing? posted at Online Business Freedom.

Stephen Dean presents How To Handle Refunders… Ban Them! posted at Stephen Dean’s Copywriting And Internet Advertising Blog - Copywriter.

Wayne Buckhanan presents Three Types of Action posted at Life, Love, & Learning.

Rebecca Suzanne Dean presents How To Write Your First Paragraph posted at Rebecca Dean. What’s the most important part of an advertisement? The Headline! That’s why tons of copywriters admit to spending 80% of their copywriting efforts on the headline alone.

David Cassell presents Online Associate’s Degree - The Degree Of Choice posted at selectcoursesblog.com.

Robert Phillips presents 5 Magic Questions Every Real Estate Investor Should Ask posted at REAL ESTATE INVESTING.

Susan Tatum presents Basic Web Analytics for Technology Marketers posted at TechnoBuzz.

Steven Lohrenz presents 3 Ways I Create Unique Products posted at Steven Lohrenz. 3 groups to focus your product development efforts.

Roger Smith presents Seeing Through The Network Marketing Training Illusion posted at Magnetic Leadership Marketing.

Carol Bentley presents Time for another gift. . . posted at Carol Bentley. Free ebook for your feedback.

Ask Matt presents New Clean and Simple WordPress Theme posted at IM & Affiliate Marketing Product Testing. Clean and simple Wordpress theme.

Sarah Paine presents What Can Ebay Teach You About Your Blog? posted at Sarah Paine.

Ryan Healy presents Business Growth: Copy Not a Cure-All posted at Ryan M. Healy. This post explores the role of sales copy in business.

Alan K Rudi presents Business Wisdom 101 posted at Successful Business Leadership. Proverbs 4: 7 says “Wisdom is supreme, therefore, get wisdom.” One wonders, though, is there a “business wisdom” for us to think about? Here are some ideas and thoughts.

Debbie presents Safety Considerations for Small Business Owners posted at American Small Business News.

Entrepreneur Goddess presents To be or not to be…connected 24/7? posted at Entrepreneur Goddess. Do you feel the pressure to be connected 24/7? In the age of super phones, it’s hard to not feel left behind and overwhelmed by the rapid pace of the world. Do you really want to be sending and receiving emails everywhere you go? This article discusses why a small business owner has made a conscious decision to not own a super phone.

Charles H. Green presents Collaboration is the New Competition: Isn’t It? posted at Trust Matters. Business survival isn’t primarily about competition, it’s about cooperation with others.

That concludes this edition. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on March 14, 2008. Submit your blog articles using our blog carnival submission form.

Looking for a job today is a frustrating, lonely process, even if you’ve got in-demand skills like Web design or networking capabilities. To make your job search a little less complicated, we’ve compiled this list of the top 100 niche job boards that will direct you to the best Web jobs out there. Online forums, staffing services, and government boards are just some of the resources that follow. Online Specific Boards

Your dream job could be just a click away! These websites are devoted to helping programmers, networkers, designers, system administrators, and other Web workers land the perfect job.

1. 37signals: Employers such as The New York Times and American Express post Web jobs on this site.
2. Google Directory: Google is now dipping into the job search industry. You can browse through job listings, job fairs, staffing services, or even brush up on your interview skills by reading tips from their team of experts.
3. FreshWebJobs.com: Find full time, part time, or freelance work in Web design, development, or analysis.
4. Read/Write Web Jobs: Search for Web jobs all over the world.
5. Jobpile: Jobpile searches several other job boards for you, and then lists all the announcements that match your search.
6. Authentic Jobs: Find full time or freelance job openings all over the country when you use this site.
7. Krop.com: Krop’s simple layout makes finding a job easy, whether you’re looking in London, New York, or LA.
8. MeFi Jobs: This online community allows members to share tips about new Web job openings, so you always get the inside scoop!
9. Slashdot Jobs: New Web jobs are posted almost daily. Search by category or location to find exactly what you’re looking for.
10. CSS Beauty: This job board is a partner of CSS Monster, which "was created to help bring Web Developers/Designers and employers together." This easy-to-navigate site features great jobs in North America and Europe.
11. Coroflot: Coroflot posts tons of new jobs each day. Check back often or sign up to receive job alerts that will notify you when the type of job you’re looking for pops up.
12. MinistryCamp Job Board: This job board is designed to help Web workers find job opportunities with churches and othe Christian organizations.
13. Python Job Board: Detailed posts give information about each job description, the company, and contact directions.
14. CrunchBoard: Excellent engineering, networking, and other Web job opportunities are posted daily on this site.
15. GeekUp: Find jobs in "the UK’s Northwest" on this job board.
16. Dice: Known as the "career hub for tech insiders," Dice lets you search for jobs based on location, skill, and keywords.
17. ComputerJobs.com: Search hundreds of tech jobs all over the United States. This site also features an IT Resource page, where you can find links to special training programs, relocation info, and more.
18. DevBistro: Search through directories that post tons of Web jobs daily.

Brick and Mortar Firms

These firms feature job boards posted on their Web sites but also have actual locations outside of cyberspace.

19. EDI Specialists: This company is based in Massachusetts, but its online job board posts jobs all over the country.
20. Web Analytics Association: This professional organization, headquarted in D.C., is a valuable source for job seekers.
21. Winebego Inc.: Winebego, Inc. is located in New York City and has a large department dedicated to finding jobs and maintaining contacts in the technology industry.
22. Reaction Search International: RSI has locations all over the world. Use their superior services to coordinate an efficient and effective job search.
23. Bristol Associates, Inc. A large firm specializing in many different areas, Bristol Associates features many high profile jobs in the Web industry.
24. Kelly Services: This global staffing agency has multiple offices on each continent.
25. Design Group: Based in Canada, this firm’s website is a great resource for job seekers everywhere. Find engineering and design jobs in permanent or contract positions.
26. Allyis: This company specializes in finding technology personnel and projects. Based in Washington State, they’re a great resource for anyone in the Northwest.
27. AdJob.com Located in Ohio, this firm promises to find your specialty and match you with a great job.
28. Systems Personnel Group, Inc. Multiple offices are located in Western New York, including Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Use this company to take advantage of their contacts with IT and other computer type businesses.
29. GCS Recruitment: If you’re looking for an IT job in Europe, contact one of the GCS Recruitment offices to ensure a professional search.
30. TekJobs.com Computer Recruiters: This California firm posts a wealth of Web jobs on its website, including employment opportunities for data and system administrators, software engineers, technical analysts, developers, and security specialists.
31. Going Ware, Inc. If you’re looking for a job in Santa Cruz, CA, this is a great site to visit. Its computer industry index features employers and job opportunities in the following fields: programming, technical support, Web design, network administration, and more.
32. SearchFirm.com: This website has its headquarters in New York City, but it connects searchers with jobs and firms all over the world.
33. The Riley Guide: This Maryland-based search firm provides job seekers with a salary guide and a "how to" tutorial on job searching, as well as a comprehensive job board.

Job Boards Found on Blogs

Bloggers can earn extra cash by posting legitimate jobs on their site. Keep an eye on these blogs to get updates on new job announcements.

34. Recruiting.com: This site posts articles and sponsors forums about all things related to the job search. Find Web-specific jobs on their job board.
35. Australian Microsoft Recruitment Web Log: Even if you’re not looking to relocate to Australia, this blog gives readers insight into the recruitment process at Microsoft.
36. Web Based Recruitment: Several online recruitment blogs are available to job seekers, or you can start your own to post your resume, reveal job openings, or connect with potential employers.
37. Info World Blogs: This blog features IT and computer news and gossip, but it also has a section devoted to career information.
38. Tech Crunch: This blog has forums and articles about the computer and technology worlds, but you should visit to check up on their job postings.
39. Blog Job Board: Read about job boards and search employment opportunities in the Web industry.
40. Job Board Link: This site hosts links to other job boards, making it an easy reference for job searching.
41. Online Recruitment - The Bigger Picture: Otherwise known as "Tim’s Blog," this Web site discusses all aspects of online recruitment. Look for links to potential employers or recruitment agencies for personalized help with your search.
42. Problogger: This blog features one of the most effective job boards on the Web. Browse through listings, which are updated nearly everyday.

Staffing Services and Recruiting Firms

Enlisting a little extra help from the experts is a smart move. Check out this list to see if any of the following staffing services have what you’re looking for.

43. Web Analytics Demystified: This firm offers staffing support for the brightest Web workers, whether you’re just breaking into the industry or are a veteran looking for a change.
44. Aquent:This staffing firm has a huge directory of jobs, including those in the Web industry.
45. CyberCoders: This firm provides great support for Web workers looking for employment.
46. CyberScientific: CyberScientific is affiliated with CyberCoders. Check out their site for even more postings and resources.
47. Computer Management, Inc. The recruiters at Computer Management, Inc. "specialize in recruiting for database administration, network administrator and Web development placement."
48. Spherion: This company boasts years of experience, making them one of the top go-to agencies for job searchers.
49. Link Staffing Services: Find a job, improve your resume, and more, all on this helpful website.
50. Executives on the Web: This "award winning global executive job board" supports job seekers all over the world. Check out their special IT department, which posts tons of technology jobs.
51. Net-Job: Find Web and Internet jobs in the U.K. when you search the posts on this site.
52. Datascope: This is another recruiting agency based in the United Kingdom. They find jobs in game programming and management, as well as in the internet and new media industries.
53. Jobabode.com: Jobabode.com directs you to all kinds of Internet and IT jobs.
54. Sampoorna Computer People: Search the job board to find some of the best IT jobs in India.
55. Tech-Centric: Computer and other tech jobs are posted nearly every day on this website. Save appealing jobs in your own folder, post your resume, and register for automatic job alerts.
56. Resumegator.com: This online recruiting agency connects job seekers with IT and computer jobs, as well as lets you take personality tests to find out what IT niche is the best fit for you.
57. AllEmploymentAgencies.com: Specify your location and browse through the directory to find a multitude of employment agencies in your area.

Government Resources

Whether you’re looking for a job with the government or just want a little help from an agency you trust, these resources provide valuable information for job seekers.

58. U.S. Dept. of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics: Learn what you can expect by pursuing a job in the Web industry. This site discusses working conditions, salary information, and the overall job outlook based on the current economy.
59. GovJobs.com: Search for jobs with the government while you take advantage of relocation information, disability programs, and more.
60. Military Connection: Research what it would be like to be a Web programmer for the United States military. Browse job opportunities with the navy, army, air force, coast guard, or marines.
61. Government Job Search: This website posts lots of jobs in the IT field. Search by category or by state.
62. Government Job Listings: This site will connect you to government jobs all over the country.
63. Jobs in Government: Read this article to learn what to expect when you work for the government.
64. The Book of U.S. Government Jobs: Read this book to find job listings and descriptions of Web industry job opportunities with the government.
65. FedWorld.gov: This site is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Find out where to search for jobs with the government, no matter where you are.
66. "Best Places to Work in the Federal Government - 2007:" Read this article from U.S. News and World Report to discover where you might want to consider looking for a Web job.
67. DisabilityInfo.gov: Learn about your rights as an employee with a disability.
68. StudentJobs.gov: If you’re still in or just out of college, consider working as an intern for one of these high profile government agencies.
69. Careers in Government: This site is an excellent resource for those who wish to puruse a career with the United States government.
70. GovernmentJobs.com: Browse government jobs at the state and local level.
71. GovernmentBids.com: Figure out how you, as a freelancer, can bid on government projects.

General Job Boards

These job boards post employment opportunities in many different industries, but their attention to Web-specific jobs is so extensive, we felt that we had to include them somewhere on our list!

72. JobHuntersBible.com: Browse through a multitude of jobs, and get valuable tips on interviewing and resume writing.
73. Creative Hotlist: This comprehensive job search site allows you to browse job postings by location and industry.
74. Career.com: According to the homepage, Career.com is "the world’s first recruitment site." Apply for hundreds of Web-related jobs each day.
75. Job Databases: This resource provides you with all the tools you need during your job search: job boards, links to employment agencies, and other tips to help you land your dream job.
76. Job Central: Post your resume and wait for employers to contact you, or you can search jobs by U.S. state, metro area, or company name.
77. Yahoo Hot Jobs: This popular site is bursting with technology job postings, resume tips, and other useful information.
78. Monster.com: Organize your job search tools by setting up an account in which you can file away your favorite jobs and custom designed resumes.
79. America’s Job Bank: This site is a great resource for finding websites, staffing agencies, and employers based on location.
80. USA Jobs: Search IT and computer jobs on this website while reading articles about the different aspects of the hiring process.
81. WSJ Career Journal: This "executive career site" is full of tools, tips, and job boards that will help you find the job you’ve been wanting. Take advantage of the salary search and career columnists pages.
82. Craigslist: This famed site is great for finding jobs and housing all over the world.
83. New York Times Job search: Search the extensive directory on the New York Times directory to find IT and other Web-related jobs.
84. Jobs.Internet.com: Find tons of tech jobs that "you won’t find anywhere else."
85. Business.com Job Directory: Click through the directory at Business.com to find internet jobs.
86. Internet Job Store.com: This site is designed to help you easily and quickly search for jobs in the Web industry.
87. TrueCareers.com: Post your resume, search for jobs by state, or catch up on industry news, all at TrueCareers.com.
88. CareerSite.com: Find the jobs you want when you use this Web site for searching.
89. Internet Career Connection: This site allows visitors to search for jobs and seek general career advice from experts.
90. Top USA Jobs: "Where Top USA Talent Finds Top USA Jobs."
91. WebReference.com: The job search directory is listed in alphabetical order, allowing you to search different job boards quickly.

Just for Freelancers

If you’d rather be your own boss, check out these job boards which cater exclusively to the freelance crowd.

92. All Freelance: Find everything you need to know to be a successful freelancer. Browse jobs, read articles about tax law, and more.
93. Go Freelance: Learn about freelancing marketing strategy and post your resume online.
94. Elance: Elance is a great site for finding Web-related freelance jobs.
95. Workaholics4Hire.com: Search jobs and read articles on evaluating your freelancing abilities.
96. FreelanceSwitch: This networking community supports freelancers by posting writing, design, and programming jobs.
97. "How to Win Contracts:" Read this article to improve your branding, marketing, and pitching skills.
98. Guru.com: This Web site is great for freelancers looking to land top gigs.
99. CSS Juice: This site provides links to other job boards, allowing you to compare and contrast easily.
100. FreelanceJobSearch.com: Search by state to find loads of Web-related jobs.

This list will put you in contact with all the right resources during your job search. Link up with staffing services, check out recruitment blogs, or browse job postings on any one of these great sites.