Business Credit Cards

Welcome to the special edition of the Carnival of Business and Entrepreneurship. This carnival turns 14 today. The response to this carnival has been great so far. Our blog, Bootstrapper is not limited to carnivals. We continue to publish useful and intresting articles every week.

Before I take you through the carnival posts, I’d like to share some of the great posts published on Bootstrapper in March 2008. Here you go:

1. 100 Tiny Tips to Create and Maintain Loyal Customers

2. 50 Ways to Make Money During Your Offtime

Now it’s time to take you through the carnival posts. Although we had received 84 received for this edition, only 45 posts could meet the basic criteria. We have divided the posts into two categories: Editor’s Picks and Other Great Posts.

Editor’s Picks:

David B. Bohl presents Are You Too Passive at Your Job? posted at Slow Down Fast Life Coaching and Lifestyle Design. Like being in a relationship, work can become a predictable dance of expected reactions to expected events. Do you find that you can generally count on people to always behave in a certain way?

Alvaro Fernandez presents Brain Rules: science and practice posted at SharpBrains. “If you wanted to create a business environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a cubicle.”

Other Great Posts:

Praveen presents Importance of Testing Websites posted at My Simple Trading System.

JMSherer presents 10 Reasons You Should Not Get a Job posted at Living Infinitely.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Small Business Hassle: Late Payments and How I’ve Dealt With It posted at The Digerati Life.

Raymond Le Blanc presents 5 Great Reasons to Start a Blog posted at Internet Business.

Steve Oliphant presents Discover how to accept all major credit cards on your website with these simple steps. posted at Steve Oliphant’s Musings.

Thomas D. Brownsword presents March 14, 2008 posted at Business Action Steps.

Sabrina Jefferson presents Internet Marketing Newbie Action Plan posted at Sabrina Jefferson.

Brad Trnavsky presents Self-reflect, Recharge, and Redirect for Success in 2008 - Sales Management 2.0 posted at Sales Management 2.0 - Featured Blog Posts. A short article about how to self-reflect and determine where you are and where it is you want to be.

Joshua C. Karlin presents An Opportunity Not to Be Missed posted at Internet Business.

Bill McIntosh presents Submitting To BlogCatalog: Is it worth it? posted at Bill McIntosh.

Charlotte Babb presents I’m taking the 2% solution to Internet Success! posted at Charlotte’s Babblings.

Shaun Connell presents Write Less, Blog More posted at Work at Home. Learn why blogging less can mean more sales. Best post ever. Incredible. Fantastic. Sexy.

Joe Manausa presents Home Construction Video - Watch A Home Being Built posted at Tallahassee Real Estate Blog. Knowing what to expect when building a home is not something that you learn in college or business school. This video shows a 5,000 square foot home being built from the lot-up, and is set to some cool music.

Anthony presents Stark County Entrepreneur Catches Lightning In A Jar posted at Stark County, Ohio News And Views….

Louise Manning presents Management Commitment posted at The Human Imprint.

Karl Goldfield presents Training: Coaching vs. Managing posted at Karl Goldfield.

Ted presents Majoring in Business posted at CampusGrotto.

Hill Robertson presents Business is All About People and Attitude posted at Internet Business Success Guide from a Geek. Business is all about people and attitude. Without people you have no business. Without a positive attitude you have no business.

Paul McCord presents Goals, Planning, and Real Change posted at Sales and Sales Management Blog. Some recent research indicates setting goals isn’t enough. Goals without detailed plans to reach those goals don’t lead to success.

Deb presents How SCORE Can Help Small Business Owners posted at American Entrepreneurship.

Michelle Cramer presents Revitalize Your Stagnant Business posted at GreatFX Business Cards. Ideas for revving up your stagnant business.

Jason Voiovich presents Deadly Medicine, The Science Museum of Minnesota, and the changing image of science posted at State of the Brand from Ecra Creative Group :: by Jason Voiovich. A business case on the changing image of science and its success with emotionally-intense exhibits.

Dodi Dennison presents 3 Golden Rules For Email Marketing Success posted at Lee McIntyre’s Honest Marketing Blog.

Edith presents Are You Making Meaning in Your Company? posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Chad presents Everything You Need to Be Free posted at ProFreelancing. Tips and tools for freelancers to truly become free.

Terry Dean presents 7 Steps To Start A Blog Today posted at Internet Business Coaching by Terry Dean.

Jose DeJesus MD presents Small Business Tax Breaks in the Stimulus Program posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

Alex M presents 4 Tips to Increase Online Entrepreneur Profit posted at We talk on making money on the Internet.

Stephen Dean presents Positive Thinking Is Worth Less… posted at Copywriting Blog Focused On Internet Advertising.

Jenni presents business in a bad economy posted at work from home guru.

Tracy Coenen presents Help rid the blogosphere of bad blogs posted at The Fraud Files Blog.

Christine presents Incorporating a Blog on My Website posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France.

Todd presents The Secret to Success (Podcast) posted at We The Change. A good article, and podcast, on success.

Kenton Newby presents Stop Taking Care of Your Customers and Maybe They'll Leave You Alone posted at KentonNewby.com.

David Cassell presents Degrees For High Paying Entry Level Positions posted at selectcoursesblog.com.

Matt Langford presents Funny, Stupid Mistakes by BIG Companies posted at Funny Puncher.

Sarah Paine presents Run a S.W.O.T. Analysis On Your Blog posted at Sarah Paine.

Rich Vosler presents The System Will Give You Posture - But You’ve Got To Use It posted at Sales Training Tips.

Ed Rivis presents The correct course of action for online success. posted at Ed Rivis. The correct course of action for online success.

Mark Riffey presents 7 questions to ask yourself before going into business posted at Business is Personal.

Joshua Seth presents Overcoming Procrastination posted at Joshua Seth Blog.

Marcus Hochstadt presents Think And Grow Big posted at Marcus Hochstadt.

Sudhanshu presents Lessons in Bootstrapping posted at Gyaan Sutra.

That concludes this edition. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on April 04, 2008. Submit your blog articles using our blog carnival submission form.

By Jessica Hupp

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.

By Jessica Hupp

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.

By Heather Johnson

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