Craigslist has gained considerable notoriety over the years as being a great, free service that people can use to do things such as: find jobs, post jobs, sell goods, meet people as well as find out what activities are going on in the area.  However, there are some pretty annoying things about Craigslist, which I have broken down as follows:

5 Pet Peeves About Craigslist

1. Flagging- On Craigslist, you have the ability to “flag” someone’s post if you feel that it is either offensive or if it looks spammy.  This is fine until someone flags something that you put, which was legit.  I haven’t quite figured out if there is a way around the flagging situation so that you can appeal it.
2. Scams-There is nothing more annoying than applying for a job only to realize that the job is a sham.  In a lot of cases, the job posts will look legit until you receive a follow up email from the post indicating that it is really nothing more than some scam artist trying to make cash off of unsuspecting people.
3. No Contact Info-Whether you are posting job information or are trying to sell an item, you need to remember to put ample contact information.  In some cases, people will forget to even put an e-mail address, which leaves the other person who is looking at the ad with no way to get in touch with the host.
4. Linking Out-This deals mostly with job applications on Craigslist.  When you are applying for a job and are reading through a job posting, often times, companies will put a link in the job ad, directing you to go to their website and apply.  However, many job applicants never make it to that step because it seems suspicious or requires more effort.  As a note to employers who are looking to post information on Craigslist, it may be worth it to consider leaving that link out for the time being.
5. Not Enough Info- When you are trying to sell something or are posting information about pretty much anything on Craigslist, you need to give people enough information to go off of.  For example, if you are trying to sell a car, make sure that you include a picture and the specs of the vehicle.  Additionally, make sure that you SPELLCHECK what you are posting.  There is nothing more annoying than a post that is littered with spelling mistakes!

Tweets about this post:
David_Williams_ at 2009-07-01T10:14:25Z: 5 Pet Peeves About Craigslist http://dsysq.th8.us

The idea of a community accessible only via my computer screen sounded cold to me at first, but I learned quickly that people can feel passionately about e-mail and computer conferences. I’ve become one of them. I care about these people I met through my computer, and I care deeply about the future of the medium that enables us to assemble. -Howard Rheingold, The Virtual Community

According to Howard Rheingold, author of the book The Virtual Community, virtual communities form ‘when people carry on public discussions long enough, with sufficient feeling, to form webs of personal relationships’.  Since the Internet craze began back in the mid 1990’s, virtual communities have exploded in the form of forums, online conferences and more, and we have technology to thank for it all.  Without technology, virtual communities would not be possible.  It is because of technology (as Rheingold states in the Introduction of his book), that virtual communities area able to bring ‘enormous leverage to ordinary citizens at relatively little cost.  Another definition of virtual communities that Rheingold submits is as follows:

Virtual communities are social aggregations that emerge from the Net when enough people carry on those public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace.

That being said, there are several communities that I found just by using Google, which are virtual communities directed towards women.  Check them out, ladies!

5 Awesome Virtual Communities for Women

1. GirlGeeks.org- an online community for women and girls who are interested in technology
2. iVillage.com- a community geared towards women and dealing with health, beauty, pregnancy and entertainment news
3. Women Online Worldwide (WOW)- an online community specifically for women and women’s issues
4. CafeMom- an online community for women giving advice and support for moms as well as moms-to-be
5. bizwomen- A subsidiary of bizjournals, Bizwomen seeks to connect women business execs and entrepreneurs in order to provide support, learn, grow and exchange ideas.

If you are interested in reading Virtual Communities, it is available for free online here.

Tweets about this post:
shaunamclean at 2009-06-30T16:42:01Z: RT@BoxcarCreative RT @David_Williams_5 Awesome Virtual Communities and Sites for Women http://m77to.th8.us
BoxcarCreative at 2009-06-30T16:40:21Z: RT @David_Williams_5 Awesome Virtual Communities and Sites for Women http://m77to.th8.us
David_Williams_ at 2009-06-30T16:32:08Z: 5 Awesome Virtual Communities and Sites for Women http://m77to.th8.us

In this day and age, more and more people are operating their businesses from the comfort of their own home.  If your business requires you to have regular contact with people out-of-state or even overseas (internationally), then your phone bill can be pretty high.  That being said, there is a company called ProxyComm which was modeled on the principle of providing generations of people and business owners alike with the best possible communications services.  Founded by John and Sunshine Peterson, ProxyComm combines the telecommunications industry with the technology industry to  offer advanced communications services to untapped markets.

ProxyComm Products

ProxyComm offers  fantastic call routing and unlimited domestic and international calling plans that are unlike any other calling plans in the market.  Some of the things you’ll get with the ProxyLine service include but are not limited to:

• An additional line for your existing phones
• UNLIMITED nationwide calling
• Great features including: Simutaneous Ring, Advanced Voicemail, Call Screening, Call Recording, Live Call Transfer and Free Directory Assistance

ProxyComm Features

When you’re trying to run and operate a business, the type of phone plan as well as phone features you have suddenly become very important.  After all, the last thing you want to hear is that one of your clients (or potential clients) couldn’t reach you.  Therefore, ProxyComm offers the following features (with more to come!):

• Do Not Disturb- Set your ProxyLine to send calls straight to Voicemail or to accept calls normally.
• Simultaneous Ring- You can haver your ProxyLine ring on up to 4 phones.
• Personal Number Administration- Log in to your account through our web portal and manage your account and service options in real time.
• Caller ID Control- Program your inbound and outbound CallerID numbers used by your ProxyLine through the Personal Number Admin tool.
• Call Recording- Ever wanted to record a call for playback later?  Now you can receive recordings as email attachments just like with voicemail messages.
• Advanced Voicemail- ProxyComm Voicemail includes many advanced features such as a folder storage system, broadcast and forward capabilities, and separate “busy” and “not available” messages.
• Email Notification- Have your voicemail messages sent to you as a sound file attached in an email where you can listen to your messages on your computer, forward them or save them!
• Free Google Directory Service- You get unlimited, free directory listings, powered by Google!
• UNLIMITED Calling- You can use your ProxyLine like a calling card for unlimited outbound calling.  Callers will see your ProxyLine number in their CallerID display, and you will save on long distance charges with our unlimited nationwide calling or with our unlimited International plans.
• Call Screening- Your ProxyLine service comes wth an optional call attendant to answer  your phone and screen your calls with a name announcement.
• Call Transfers- Transfer live calls between any two phones- cell phones or landlines.  Need to run and take the call with you?  Just transfer it from your landline to your cell phone!

What motivates you to work diligently at your job?  What’s your relationship like with your boss or supervisor?  If you ask any CEO, most will openly tell you that the key to building a strong, successful business begins with being able to trust your employees to get the job done.

Could you imagine what it would be like if an employer couldn’t trust their employees to show up for work or to do an adequate job once they were there? That company would be on the fast track to failure. The following are 3 simple examples of how you can earn the trust of your employer:

1. Be On Time-Nothing pleases an employer more than an employee who shows up bright and early to work because this demonstrates not only the fact that they are self-disciplined but also, it demonstrates their willingness to learn and their determination to succeed in the company.
2. Communication- Being able to communicate regularly with your employer helps keep him or her up to date with what you’re doing so that there aren’t any “surprises”. Additionally, chatting with your boss may open up other channels for discussion to help him or her get to know you better as a person in a non-work-related way.
3. Quality versus Quantity- You can have quality and you can have quantity, but seldom can you get both at the same time.  An employee who gets a ton of work dumped on him or her might be able to handle it, but what sort of quality will it be?  No matter what task that is assigned to you, always strive to do your very best. Even if you fall short on getting everything done, a good employer will be able to recognize the quality of your efforts- which is more important.

Have you recently stepped onto a new life path or been drawn to what you feel is your calling? Have you taken on an entrepreneurial venture or made a transition from corporate employment to self-employment? If you answered yes to any of these, you might be experiencing a condition that is hardly ever discussed and usually completely misunderstood. It’s something I have discovered in coaching, especially with clients in the process of changing from working for someone else to working for themselves. This mysterious ‘something’ is an unexpected resistance to putting yourself out there, to really stepping fully into your new role and letting the world know you are completely capable and ready for business.

Observing resistance
How do you know if you are affected by the resistance factor? It basically exists if the level of motivation you would expect is not present. As a recent client said, “ I had no problem blowing the doors off my sales objective when I worked for someone else, but now that I’m selling my own product, going for what I really want, I have challenges staying as motivated.”. Now this doesn’t mean that he is on the wrong path. What it does mean is that he hadn’t realized how he had hidden out from truly putting himself out there in the past behind the shield of the other company that was not his own.

It seems that nothing brings up long-ignored life issues like going out on your own in business. Any unresolved issues are forced up to your consciousness to be worked out, resulting in feelings like, ‘maybe I’m not in the right field, maybe I’m not supposed to be doing this’…Of course it does not occur at the same level for everyone, and the solution is unique for each person.

Remember, this is not a fake-it-til-you-make-it method. It is the art of recreating yourself into your next role, a process I designed that takes you through the following four steps:

1. Creating a new role
Define your new direction. For example, say to yourself, “ I am taking full responsibility for my life; I am here and of value; who I am can make a difference”. Step into who you are meant to be instead of who you think you are. Remember only a prince or princess can dream of a castle.

2. Stepping into and living out of the role
This is a chance to develop a fortitude you may not have developed in your former work life. If other people speak more powerfully or enthusiastically about your business than you are able to do, that’s a sign that you have work to do to get to the level of speaking powerfully about the gifts you have to offer. There will be both an element of fear and excitement present, as well as some anxiety as you move to the next level.
3. Collecting evidence of progress in the role
Keep an accomplishment journal to record your successes. Record customer testimonials to apply in your promotional materials and to re-read when you need a boost!

4. Designing the environment to call you forward in the role
Get clarity on what motivates you and have a system to help you remember it. Realize how unstructured time many affect you, and create a new time structure that will keep you in action, with sufficient down time for effectiveness. Set up support that keeps you on track with who you say you are and what you are up to.

Building your own mentor
A client attempting to start a fashion accessory business was facing negative family members who told her she was foolish to go for what she wanted. I saw that support wasn’t going to come from her immediate environment, so I worked with her to create an imaginary mentor, created from a combination of super heroes and Oprah, to advise her in difficult times. Her turning point came when she stood up to her overbearing older sister, telling her, “This is who I am now, and if you want to keep talking to me, you have to accept that.” After that she started standing up for other things that were important—like herself—and built up her business one satisfied customer at a time.

Generating motivation
Another client who had previously done well with a large real estate group was not doing as well in the new agency he had started with a desire to offer greater customer service. We worked to build a mission for him and his partner and tightened up his work schedule. Since he was going to his office but wasn’t being productive there, I had him show up at his favorite coffee shop first thing in the morning for work. But his best motivation came from envisioning sitting down with his grown kids in the future, giving them advice on exploring their own business by telling them how he worked through his fears. Just one year later I gave a presentation to his team of employees in their new expanded office space.

Leaning into progress
People who have made progress on this describe moving from a state of mentally leaning back and occasionally moving forward to an experience that feels like steadily leaning forward into what they have to sell or offer, while realizing that if they don’t get it out there, either someone else will or the value that they have to offer people will be lost. They move from a state of diffused focus to clear focus, from disharmony to harmony.

What are you doing to lean into your goals? To create a sense of urgency?

When you put yourself out there, you will see the adventure as exhilaration.

So deeply engaged that you’re energized, you’ll feel confident that you’re absolutely in the right place.

Reprinted from Women’s Edge Magazine
by Martin Brossman - www.ProNetworkingOnLine.com
If you like this post share it and click “Follow Martin” to follow me on Twitter:

Social media is all about being an active participant in a conversation on the web.  By increasing the amount in which you participate in an online discussion whether it be in Twitter or some other forum, you are actually helping to create your very own social reputation.  To take it a step further, when the context involves marketing, your social reputation becomes an expression of the brand you’re trying to sell.  For example, if several people on Twitter become involved in a conversation about how the iced mochas at Starbucks have tasted really bad over the past few weeks and suddenly Starbucks responds with an explanation, then they become a part of that conversation with the consumer.

Because they are measurable, online communities foster participation.  According to Evans, these communities maintain the collective reputation of a brand, based on which an individual may develop or attest personal loyalty.  Increasing numbers of marketers (and rightly so) are getting involved with the Social Web, with particular interest centering on the collective.  You see, by influencing the collective, you can then reach the individual!

Evans points out that traditional forms of media take a “push and tell” approach to marketing whereby the marketer is in control of the message and dictates that message to the consumer (who is in a subservient role).  Social media throws this balance off, making the consumer and the marketer equal partners- both with the opportunity to voice their opinions.

Consumer Generated Media

Over time, the Internet has grown to have a significant impact on how people view their own ability to hunt and gather information on a wide range of products and services.  Consumer generated media is all over the Internet in the form of photos, blogs, videos, comments, ratings and reviews, and guess what?  It is CONTROLLED BY THE CONSUMER.  You may have wanted to buy that brand name blender, but after having spoken to a few other people online prior to your purchase, you realized that it was a piece of junk with a label.  One of the biggest things that marketers can take away from all of this online chatter is that consumers talk about the things that interest them the most.  As Evans stated,

Consumer-generated media is a reflection of the generational norms: as Millenials move into the center of the marketing power brand, their online behaviors become increasingly significant.

So, what does this mean for modern day marketing gurus?  Marketers need to identify what it is they want to look at when it comes to studying consumer behavior.  After that, create a list of the things that you’re doing (or have already done) to generate some sort of awareness about your product and/or service.  Join social networking groups such as Twitter, and find out what people are talking about, and then start talking back.  And don’t downplay the little things such as blog commenting because every little bit counts when it comes to solidifying your online reputation as someone your consumers can trust!

The Main Points According to Dave:

• Social media plays a significant role in marketing:  The conversations that take place on the Social Web determine how easy-or difficult- your task in driving conversion will be.
• The social feedback cycle is built on the post-purchase feedback and conversational loop that augments your traditional purchase funnel activities.
• Consumer-generated media, and in particular photos, audio, and video that supplement text (blogs), are in mainstream use now, even if concentrated in the Millenial and Gen X segments.
• The determined detractor is an individual who plays an important role in the evolution of markets but nonetheless will not (normally) be “won over” and therefore is generally best viewed as a participant with whom you will “respectfully  agree to disagree.”  Your best response is to simply ensure that your story is also being told.
• Your social feedback cycle, developed and maintained over time, is a key planning tool as you develop your social media plan.

I had been spending some time on Twitter recently when it struck me how many “Internet marketing experts” there were out there.  I couldn’t help but wonder, “Since when did Internet marketing become the new college major?”  With so many people all vying for each other’s attention and business, it is often difficult to tell one marketer from another.  To further prove my thinking, I spent some time going around and visiting some Internet marketing blogs.  The messages all seemed to be the same:

• Brand yourself
• Network with others via Social Media
• Study SEO and know your keywords to get better ratings in Google

What Sets Internet Marketers Apart?

Sometimes Internet marketing can feel like being pushed into a crowded room in which everyone is talking about the same thing in only very slightly different ways.  At the end of the day, everyone’s trying to make a few bucks based on what they know and are able to successfully convey to whoever will buy it.  So, what sets the great marketers apart from the rest of the crowd?  I’ve been able to make a few observations on this subject:

1. Quality; Not Quantity:  There are some people that you will see on every single social networking site available.  They’ll tend to have a fairly decent following, but at the end of the day what does their site look like? Is the quality of what they have to say really worth it?
2. Quality Time: How often do you set aside time to actually read (not skim) other people’s blogs?  What about the few readers or people that you have on  your own blog who leave comments?  Do you write back to them or respond on their blogs?
3. Quality Site: You should think of your website or blog as you would your home.  Would you want to invite people over if it was a mess?  Keeping that in mind, the layout of your site should be friendly, clean and highly navigable.  A lot of people will go crazy with banner ads, etc. and while that may be a source of revenue- you need to keep your readers in mind and know that that might turn some of them off to what you have to say.

What do you think?  In your opinion, what sets Internet marketers apart?

Check Out SEO Podcast Show!

Part 1 of 4: Are you puzzled by the variety of new places to represent yourself on the Web? Concerned about finding the time to create and manage your on-line presence? Blogs, podcasts, Linkedin, Twitter…it’s time for another leap in our technology knowledge! Except for the lucky generation that grew up with computer technology, we are all a bit overwhelmed together. The key is to start learning to use at least one of the many internet networking tools, choosing one that has the value for you.

The Global Profile
Linkedin (www.linkedin.com) is a professional networking site with 25 million users who re-connect with business associates and schoolmates, make career connections and pose questions to experts. Networking on Linkedin and similar sites is a way to show you are a whole person, more than just your job. This applies to management and employees equally, giving you a chance to build real credibility by the quality of your employees who are associated to you on-line, and through the endorsements of colleagues and customers.

Interestingly, the word is out that managers are now turning to job candidate’s Linkedin profiles in addition to resumes to compile a more comprehensive picture when choosing who to hire. In fact, there are employers who actually require an applicant to have at least 5 real endorsements from an online group such as Linkedin in order to be considered for the job.

Two easy ways to get started with Linkedin are to give endorsements to people you admire from your past and to use the Answers section to ask and answer questions, which can build positive connections in the process ( see my Linkedin profile at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/martinbrossman ) .

How It Works

Whitney Hill and I created an in-person networking group called Professional Networking on the Web. It is a team of business professionals sitting around a table with an internet browser projected on a big screen. At a recent meeting our goal was to help Judy in the group connect with someone in a specific company we will call Acme Medical Supplies (changing the actual names here for obvious reasons.) We signed in to her Linkedin account and found she is three hops away from a person she would like to meet in Acme Medical, though she had not realized it. Three hops away means she knows someone (or several people in this example) who knows someone else that she does not know, who is linked to her target person. I asked: “Which one of these people have you invested time in or have a good enough relationship with that they would help you in your pursuit of an introduction?” She said that she knows Debra Jones, the best for this connection, who is directly linked to her Linkedin group. We next look at Debra Jones’ contacts and see who she is connected to. In the process, we find Gary Smith, a better contact into this company and John in the group calls out “I play golf with Gary Smith on a regular basis. Judy, I would be pleased to introduce you to Gary Smith.” Now Judy is closer to this goal with two new opportunities.

To learn more about this group: http://bit.ly/ukPS

Reprinted from Women’s Edge Magazine.
More resources on Linkedin www.UnderstandingLinkedin.com & on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/usinglinkedin

by Martin Brossman - www.ProNetworkingOnLine.com

The following is a guest post from the guys at Logo Inn.

A Logo Design Service Provider

Today, the world is more socially connected; in this regard reputation management has become more and more a concern for any business whether it is small or a large enterprise. Social media marketing in this scenario can help small and medium size businesses to gain reputation and popularity without deploying multiple websites.

One of the best examples of social media marketing could be the presidential campaign of Obama. With his unique logo, he had run the campaign almost on all popular social networking websites included MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube etc. Even now when the campaign has been finished his profile could easily be identified due to his unique logo.

It’s your profile picture that makes you identifiable on social networks, and if you put your logo instead of any other picture, it becomes very easy for visitors to identify and remember your business. Hence, a unique logo can be easily identified by the viewers at a glance and makes your profile to standout from the crowed.

Advertising through web banner can also be done on social networks, which is proved to be very effective and cheaper way of online marketing Thousands of users visit social networking websites daily, subliminal effect could be left on their mind if they don’t even look at the advertisement, but impression of a logo would be saved in their subconscious mind.

One other advantage a small business gets is through creating groups, where you are allowed to setup a main page with a graphic/logo, company’s description, and a wall where users can post comments. Additionally, it provides a discussion board for posting questions that encourage group members to interact and share their opinions. Group creation is free, it is Viral – when people become your fan it is updated on their profile with your logo and shared with all their friends, publicly indexed, and promotable with social network Ads.

It is just not enough; there are many other ways a unique logo can help. Widget marketing is another way to promote your business. Widgets are simple applications that can be made available for your website or blog visitors to copy and paste in their website or blog. Useful widgets can be designed for your visitors, and when they embed this widget to their website or blog, your logo will appear. Therefore, your logo would become the source of bringing qualified traffic to your website and creating brand exposure. Companies like YouTube, Twitter, and Slide are the examples that have taken advantage of widget marketing.

In the last, I would say benefits of social media marketing are never ending, and if you have a unique logo the advantages would be immense. Many other ways are there to utilize unique logo for social media marketing, and it’s your brain how you create innovative ideas to take full advantage out of your logo.

The following is a guest post from the guys at Logo Inn

Karl Staib is the brain behind Work Happy Now, a blog that gives tips, advice and shares stories that help employees and/or CEOs improve their work environment. Recently, I decided to interview Karl to pick his brain about the website as well as his experiences and struggles with it.  If you haven’t already done so, make sure you check out his site here.

Why Work Happy Now?

I have always struggled to enjoy various jobs. The memories were always enjoyable, but while I was working a job I had difficulty staying engaged. Most of it was my fault, so I began studying myself, books and other blogs to see if I could make a few connections. I started a personal development blog three years ago, but kept drifting toward work happiness. I knew other people had this problem too, so after a flop of a personal development blog I made the leap and started Work Happy Now. Best creative decision of my life.

How long has Work Happy Now been around?

Work Happy Now has been around for a little over a year. It’s still a work in progress. I’ve changed the look of my site, added video, launched an ebook “Work Happy the Google Way,” and I’m itching to expand some more. Like any business, I have to pick the strong return on investments and put the other ideas on the back burner. It’s not always easy to decide where to put my time, but that’s what creating a business is all about.

What sorts of struggles (if any) have you had to endure with your business over time?

The business is just in its infancy. I still work a full time job. My goal is to have Work Happy Now become a full time career by this time next year. To answer your question…I’ve lost count of the struggles. A brief synopsis would be cold-calling businesses, keeping up with regular blog posts, responding to every single reader question, staying outside my comfort zone and giving more and more value.

How did you come up with the name for your site?

I’m a big believer in branding. I wanted a name that would be easy to remember and would tell the exact story of how I wanted to help people. Voila – Work Happy Now. I really wanted WorkHappy.com, but it was taken. I actually like the “now” on the end because it’s all about maximizing our work happiness in the present moment.

If you could give advice to other people who are struggling with their entrepreneurial dreams, what would you say?

Be persistent. That means being so freak’n passionate about your concept that your wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend or whoever asks you to come to bed because you are working too hard. I have my days when I can’t sit in front of the computer, but they are few and far in between. Starting your own business is about chipping away at the mountain until you are on top. It has taken four years, but I’m finally reaching my stride.

Do you think it’s better to work from home or in an an office?

It’s all about knowing yourself. If you need an office to get away from distractions then do it. If you can’t afford an office then make the best of what you have.

What sorts of things do you do for fun when you’re not working?

Spend time with my wife, walk the dog every evening (great stress reliever), Yoga every morning, meditation to keep the gauge of my mental state fresh and hang out with friends and family.

Do you have any advice on how to keep things balanced?

My advice is to listen to your needs. I have a full time job (40 hours a week), and I’m also working about 25 hours a week on my blog. It’s a lot of hours, but I always find time to take breaks, exercise, and spend time with loved ones.

What’s one of the most challenging things you’ve had to deal with regarding Work Happy Now?

Building a community is the most challenging. I want to respond on every person’s blog who comments on mine, but I can’t. I have to pick the areas where I get the most bang for my time.

What was one of the most rewarding?

The most rewarding has been the feedback. The emails I get thanking me. The comments from people who I’ve helped has been the best part. They appreciate the value that I give. It just makes me want to work even harder and keep coming up with new ideas.

What are your feelings on social networks like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.?

They are awesome tools. They help me reach new people without dropping any cash on advertising. It’s these relationships that I foster and support with all my energy. I don’t put a lot of money into Work Happy Now, less than $1,000, but I do that because I want Work Happy Now to grow organically. I want people to want me. The best way to do that is to be on social networks, trying to connect and share ideas.

About Karl:

You can read more about Karl here, on his website.  You can also follow Work Happy Now on Twitter or visit Karl on StumbleUpon.

Check Out SEO Podcast Show!
Need Auto Transport?