Does your backup strategy include your cell phone?

While I know it’s probably not accurate (at least not as much as I’d like it to be), I’m going to assume that you have some type of backup system in place for your important data. You know those little things like the documents, email, and contacts you need to stay in business.  The sad truth is that many mobile workers and too few home offices have a good backup system in place.

There are plenty of options for backing up the data on your computer such as writeable CDs and DVDs, external USB hard drives, and affordable online backup services. And if you are smart you have some type of system in place – one that is automated and scheduled as much as possible so you don’t have to think about it. But is ALL the data you need to be up and running easily restored?

How about all the contacts on your cell phone?  Have you found the best way to back up your cell phone address book? If you lost your phone or it was stolen could you restore them easily to a new phone?

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Instant Messaging – Essential business tool or time waster?

I have long felt that Instant Messaging (IM) is an often overlooked tool for remote collaboration and keeping virtual teams connected.  What was once a tool used by kids to chat with their friends now offers useful business features such as file transfer, video conferencing, multi-person chats, and document sharing.

For many knowledge workers IM has become a mission critical business tool, like the phone or email, for keeping in touch with team members and coworkers. However for many it is yet another digital source of interruptions that eats away at productivity when working in your virtual office.

Although it is often speculated that IM leads to increased interruptions and decreased productivity – A recent study by researchers at Ohio State University and University of California, Irvine found that workers who used instant messaging on the job reported less interruption than colleagues who did not. Read more

Tools for running a business online

A few days ago I came across a recently published list of 270+ tools and apps for running a business online. Whether you are a small business owner, entrepreneur, or solopreneur you are bound to find something useful in this list.  It is broken down into categories covering topics such as accounting & billing, calendars & scheduling, collaboration, contact management, online meetings, project management, and virtual offices among many others.

Although no list like this can be exhaustive (we currently use some tools not on this list) – there were plenty here I have never come across before. If you’re looking to be more mobile and increase your ability to work where and when you want I encourage you to give this list a gander and consider which ones might be able to improve your business and workflow.

Tools like these were previously only available to organizations with large budgets. Thanks to them becoming more affordable small businesses can now truly work from anywhere.

Send email, text messages, and reminders with your voice

If there is one thing I’ve learned 17-months into fatherhood, it’s that I no longer seem to be able to keep a thought in my head! Between running a busines, working with clients, the endless list of things to do around the house, and frolicking with my little boy – my brain is often full.  So I realized that if I don’t write things down immediately – within seconds – whooosh – it’s gone.

The problem is that many times when I think of these things I am driving, on line at a store, or somewhere else where it’s just not practical to write down my reminders.  My savior and solution has come through exploring some new services available that let you use your cellphone to easily send yourself a reminder, or send emails and text messages to others all with just your voice! Read more

For Sun Microsystems, Open Work is Working

I came across this video the other day while I was looking for some statistics on the benefits and cost savings of virtual teams. It’s about Sun Microsystems 10-year old Open Work program. Started in 1998, this work from anywhere initiative has made them more flexible, increased productivity, and saved money.

In this video you’ll hear from Dave Douglas, vice president of eco-responsibility and Sun’s “Chief Green Evangelist”, and find out how the project operates and why it’s been a success.

You also get an interesting peak into what one of their “drop-in” locations is like and how employees use a special Java ID card to log onto any system to access their work and be productive. Read more

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