Business continuity and disaster recovery teleseminar audio and handouts posted
September 27, 2006 by Phil Montero · Leave a Comment
I am pleased to announce that our free teleseminar yesterday on business continuity and disaster preparedness was a great success. We were joined by 3 panelists other than myself.
All the presentations were full of expert advice and suggestions on how to develop a solid business continuity plan for businesses of all size – from organizations to solo professionals. They also shared some excellent resources, tools, and websites.
We have posted the handouts and the audio from this event online at www.YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com/beprepared/ so you can still benefit from this valuable information.
Please check it out and post any questions you have here or give us feedback. Enjoy!
Premier Call Center 2.0 Conference in San Diego, October 10-13
September 20, 2006 by Phil Montero · 1 Comment
Our friends at The Telework Coalition are coming to the San Diego Convention Center October 10 – 13, 2006 as part of the Call Center 2.0 Conference.. The Telework Coalition will be presenting 8 educational sessions on the benefits of using Work@Home Agents and the benefits of using a more virtual call center staff versus the brick and mortar approach.
Chuck Wilsker, President of the Telework Coaltion was our guest on a previous show, Show # 7: Telework and the Government, and is sure to put on some very informative sessions.
Click here for more information or to register.
Show #10: Search and Research – How to search the web effectively
September 13, 2006 by Phil Montero · 5 Comments
This week we explain some key strategies and tips for how to search the web like a pro. Learn to save time daily with our super search tips. Thanks to Richard Robinson of Legacy Scribe for joining us as our guest on the show.
If you missed the show you can listen in below or download the MP3 file.
Show # 10: Search and Research – How to search the web effectively
The internet is arguably the single largest repository of knowledge and information in the world. Knowing how to search through this data and find what you’re looking for is critical to reaping the benefits of this incredible resource. We are joined by Richard Robinson, an award-winning family history writer, co-author of two books, and the information officer for the international Association of Professional Genealogists. Learn how to avoid becoming road-kill on the information super-highway.
Here’s what we covered:
- Why people search: We look at all the different things people search for everyday both personally and professionaly. We spend more time searching than we think . . . we’ll show you how to save at least an hour a day!
- Where to search: We explore the various types of search engines and list some of our favorites for more niche based or narrow searches.
- The Big Boys: Google, Yahoo, and MSN (with their newly launched LIVE search).
- Meta Search Engines (search more than one engine at a time): Metacrawler and Momma
- Specialized Search Engines:
- IMDB (Internet Movie Database)
- Amazon (books and music)
- eBay (items for sale and vintage items)
- Epinions (product reviews)
- The Internet Archive (very fun – open access to writings, literature, music, and images)
- Great collection of specialized search engines
- How to search: We discuss various tips and strategies for conducting effective searches and finding what you need quicker:
- Is it best to start with a wide or narrow search?
- Boolean search tips – using operators like AND, OR, NOT, +, -, and quotes to fine tune your searches.
- Using Google niche searches to find specific items including Images, Videos, Froogle, News, Discussion Groups, and Maps
- Google Alerts – Setup robots to automatically search important terms for you on the web and in the news and have Google email them directly to your inbox . . . What a time saver!
- Guest: Richard Robinson, president of Legacy Scribe, an award-winning family history writer, co-author of two books, and the information officer for the international Association of Professional Genealogists.
To listen to the show you can use the flash player below or download the MP3 file. Use the PLAY IN POPUP link below if you want to use our flash player and roam the web while listening.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:03 — 10.5MB)
Show #9: Work Unchained – Work where and when you want with a virtual office
September 6, 2006 by Phil Montero · 4 Comments
This week we explain the concept of a virtual office including the different types of virtual offices and their uses. Thanks to Guillermo Rotman of Regus for joining us as our guest on the show.
If you missed the show you can listen in below or download the MP3 file.
Show # 9: Work Unchained – Work where and when you want with a virtual office
Whether it’s a web-based collaboration service or an actual physical office that you can use on an as needed, on-demand basis virtual offices are empowering teams, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. This show will cover the ins and outs of all types of virtual offices and new ways to collaborate. Phil and Jason will be joined by Guillermo Rotman president of The Regus Group Network for the Americas, the world’s largest provider of outsourced workplaces for companies of any size.
Here’s what we covered:
- The rise of virtual offices: We look at the way that working and workplaces have changed to embrace a more mobile, flexible style of work.
- Different Types of virtual offices: We explore the different types of virtual offices and how solo professionals, teams, and companies of all size are using them to improve productivity and collaboration. Smart phones, free web-based collaboration tools, web-based virtual offices, and physical virtual offices.
- Websites and Resources:
- Yahoo Groups and MSN Groups – setup a shared collaboration space or virtual office for free. Basic features include calendar, discussion boards, document and photo storage.
- Webex Weboffice – Professional level web-based virtual office. Shared contacts, calendars, documents, task lists, and more. Get everyone on the same page. This is what we use at Montero Consulting.
- How Virtual Ofices Work – Good article that guides you through some of the issues you have to deal with when setting up a virtual office. They also discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of operating solely in cyberspace.
- Guest: Guillermo Rotman, President of The Regus Group Network for the Americas, the world’s largest provider of outsourced virtual offices and workplaces for companies of any size.
To listen to the show you can use the flash player below or download the MP3 file. Use the PLAY IN POPUP link below if you want to use our flash player and roam the web while listening.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:19 — 10.8MB)
Advice to help you weather any storm – from Office Depot
September 1, 2006 by Phil Montero · Leave a Comment
As we discussed in our radio show a few weeks back, disaster recovery and business continuity is about developing an effective response to a crisis – and preventing that crisis from becoming a full-fledged disaster. Having a sound contingency plan can enable your small business to successfully “weather” any storm – be that a hurricane, tornado or flood, as well as a technology disaster, such as a computer virus or a power outage that can happen at any time and without warning.
Check out this excellent resource compliments of Office Depot. It has lots of great information about disaster preparedness as well as a very useful downloadable brochure with tips and checklists to help you develop a strategy for this important business consideration.