IRS Tax Extension Application

April 2, 2009 by · 10 Comments 

IRS Tax Extension Application.

I hate to feed anyone’s procrastination habit, because sometimes i get it bad (did someone say boomshine?), but the link above will take you to an IRS approved provider website that will file an income tax deadline extension for you FREE of charge if you do it before April 20th. The vast majority of extension requests are accepted and they postpone your tax filing deadline for 6 months, until October 15th.

Taxextension.com is basically an automated, online way to file a Form 4868. As far as i’m concerned, the ability to efile tax forms goes firmly in the ‘computers make my life better category’. The jury is still out on Boomshine…

Growing Your Business in Difficult Economic Times

March 16, 2009 by · 9 Comments 

Cut costs, improve productivity, and actually GROW your business while your competition is operating in survival mode.

Whether you view the current situation in the global marketplace as a depression, a recession, or simply an economic crisis; no one can argue that there aren’t several important indicators of a worldwide economic downturn.

These include high oil prices, which contribute to both high food prices and a declining dollar value; a sub-prime mortgage crisis; increasing unemployment; the collapse of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers; a substantial credit shortage leading to the bankruptcy of several large and well established investment banks and an intervention totalling HUNDREDS of BILLIONS that has yet to slow plunging stock values or stabilize a faltering real estate market.

Each and every one of us has begun to feel the effects – in our neighborhoods, at the grocery store, in the job market…

What does all of this mean for your business? Should you let employees go? Put a freeze on hiring? Cut back on marketing? Backburner plans to explore new markets?

Trimming fat from your business is smart in lean times; but there is a danger of entering a downward spiral which leads to going out of business. When revenues are low you cut back on marketing – which brings less clients, which in turn decreases revenue further – leading to more cutbacks. A few cycles of this and you’ll be out of business.

It is only natural to revisit your overall business strategy when market conditions change, but it is important to recognize that slow economical conditions may offer a significant opportunity to improve your business model. Read more

Our first video post – The Anywhere Office TV

March 3, 2009 by · 18 Comments 

Exciting News! We are now including video on the blog – so here is our first video post explaining our approach and what we will be covering.  We had some fun with this and even included a little jam at the end (more to come . . .)

So make sure the volume on your computer is up and click PLAY to join in the fun!

Useful Links – “Let’s light this candle” Edition

February 26, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

On a daily basis I keep my eye on blogs, news, services, and other happenings related to virtual teams, virtual offices, and other topics concerning living a digital lifestyle and working from anywhere. I come across lots of interesting articles and useful websites that would be of interest to readers of this blog – however I don’t always have time or need to write much about them – other than pointing you at them so you can explore them on your own.

So welcome to a new regular feature we’ll be starting – our Useful Links posts.  So let’s light this candle and jump right in . . . enjoy!

Flex Your Force: Building the Virtual Office: Connecting knowledge workers and managers through both technology and social practices is a management imperative of the new millennium. Sun Vice President of Open Work Services Ann Bamesberger shares with Sun Executive Boardroom readers ways in which today’s managers can help their teams work effectively across distance and time.

I do not work in the nude and other issues with working (and learning) online: In this article Janet Clarey looks at some of the similarities between working at home and ‘e-learning’ at the office. She offers solutions to some of the common problems and misconceptions.

How to Send Large Files without Email: We’ve all been faced with the need to send someone a large file (maybe a report or video) that is to big to send via email. Robin Good reviews some of the best services and tools available for sending large files online without needing tech knowledge or using file transfer protocol (FTP).

What President Obama Teaches Us For Leading Virtually: This article takes an interesting look at some of the strategies and technology that President Obama used in his campaign. Obama’s use of technology offers some insights and lessons to leading virtually, both in teams and organizations.

Congress gets its own YouTube Channels

January 28, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

I guess you can teach an old Congress new tricks!  In a desire to emulate Barack Obama’s success in using the iternet to raise funds and build an army of volunteers online – Congress is launching official YouTube channels where members of the House and Senate can create and control videos of floor speeches, hearings or ribbon-cuttings. (See the welcome video message below)

Whether you voted for Barack Obama or not – one thing everyone can agree on is his campaign had a very effective strategy for using the Internet to raise awareness and build community.

One of the refreshing things about his strategy for modern politics is the transparency and grass roots approach he believes in.  Using a mix of offline and online media and extensive use of videos on YouTube Obama released a constant flow of information about what he was doing, how he was doing it, and where they were spending the money they raised.  He connected with his supporters and the public was given the ability to respond, share their opinions, and get involved.

According to a recent NY Times article – Campaigns in a Web 2.0 World:

Not since 1960, when John F. Kennedy won in part because of the increasingly popular medium of television, has changing technology had such an impact on the political campaigns and the organizations covering them. For many viewers, the 2008 election has become a kind of hybrid in which the dividing line between online and off, broadcast and cable, pop culture and civic culture, has been all but obliterated.

I applaud Congress for taking these bold but necessary steps.  This new direction which involves a using a combination of video sharing and social media, will provide a level of access and transparency never before seen in government. This will make it much easier to follow what is going on in Washington and for people to voice their opinion about it.

Read more

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