WP Wednesday Podcast: Recent Episodes
BeBizzy Consulting
Podcast focusing on WordPress, plugins, SEO, website design, and other technical aspects of the internet.
Host : Marv Dorner (@bebizzy on Twitter)
Topic : Hiring an SEO Vendor
Show Notes Link : https://bebizzy.com/news/hiring-an-seo-vendor/
Host : Marv Dorner (@BeBizzy)
Supported by InMotion Hosting - https://bebizzy.com/hosting
If you need help with your WordPress website, SEO or digital marketing, contact BeBizzy Consulting
https://bebizzy.com
701-214-6271
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/website-or-social-media/
bebizzy.com
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting (@BeBizzy on Twitter)
Show Notes Link : https://bebizzy.com/news/google-cancels-mobile-first-indexing-indefinitely/
Host : Marv Dorner @BeBizzy
Show Notes URL : https://bebizzy.com/news/sending-emails-from-website-forms/
Tools Links
Akismet : https://akismet.com/plans/
reCaptcha : https://www.google.com/recaptcha/about/
Gravity Forms : https://bebizzy.com/gravity
SMTP2Go : https://bebizzy.com/smtp
Cleantalk : https://bebizzy.com/cleantalk
Host : Marv Dorner @BeBizzy
WordPress 5.8 download
DIVI : https://www.elegantthemes.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=51955_1_1_3 (affiliate link - thank you!)
Host : Marv Dorner
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/is-your-website-as-unique-as-you-think/
Affiliate Link for Rank Math SEO Plugin : https://bebizzy.com/rankmath
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/how-to-change-a-wordpress-username/
Host : Marv Dorner @BeBizzy
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/4-ways-to-move-a-wordpress-website/
Affiliate Link : WP-Rocket!
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/what-do-you-need-to-know-to-run-a-wordpress-website/
Affiliate Link
SEM Rush - Optimize your website for SEO by using SEM Rush
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting (@BeBizzy)
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/how-to-use-a-robots-txt-file/
Affiliate Link : SEM Rush
Get the data that will help you make the most precise informed decisions on your website to grow your business.
To install SEMRush on YOUR WordPress website, go to bebizzy.com/semrush and check it out. This is an affiliate link so BeBizzy does make a couple of bucks, and we appreciate the support.
Host : Marv Dorner @BeBizzy
Show Notes Link : https://bebizzy.com/news/google-mobile-indexing-starts-in-march-2021/
Affiliate Link : SEMRush
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/should-i-use-a-hero-image/
Affiliate Link : WP-Rocket
Speed up your WordPress website in just a few clicks with the most powerful caching plug-in in the world, WP Rocket. I use it on many of our websites and I can't recommend this plug plug-in enough to optimize your WordPress site.
So to speed up your WordPress site, go to bebizzy.com/rocket and check it out. This is an affiliate link so BeBizzy. I guess that would be me, does make a couple of bucks and we appreciate the support.
Host : Marv Dorner @BeBizzy
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/google-value-hidden-content/
Host : Marv Dorner @BeBizzy
Subject : Hardware, software and web app changes made during this awesome 2020 at BeBizzy Consulting
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/technical-business-changes-in-2020/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Topic : WP 5.6 is available to download and install on your sites.
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/wordpress-5-6-is-available/?et_fb=1&PageSpeed=off
Shameless Affiliate Links - please help support the show by purchasing these recommended products here
- DIVI WordPress Theme by Elegant Themes
- WP Rocket Site Optimization Plugin
- Namecheap Domain and SSL Registrar
Host : Marv Dorner @BeBizzy
Shownotes : https://bebizzy.com/news/what-technology-do-you-need-to-manage-your-wordpress-site
Try CSS Hero to manage your site's css easily
(affiliate link)
Host : Marv Dorner @bebizzy
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/sending-email-from-your-wordpress-website/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Topic : Website to take online classes
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/online-learning-opportunities/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Topic :Do Headings Affect Your SEO Rankings?
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/do-headings-affect-your-seo-rankings/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Topic : Setting secure passwords for your WordPress website
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/protecting-your-wordpress-sites-with-good-passwords/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Topic : Best video conference solution - Uberconference
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/conduct-meetings-with-uberconference/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Topic : Adding Notification to WordPress
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/adding-notifications-to-your-wordpress-site/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Topic : Methods of sharing files.
Show Notes : Best Methods for Sharing Files
Host : Marv Dorner - BeBizzy Consulting
Topic : Finding inspiration when redesigning your website
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/inspiration-website-redesign/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Topic : Silence, Music, Podcast and Apps to be Productive
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/what-sounds-can-mae-you-more-productive/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Subject : Working from home
Show Notes available at : https://bebizzy.com/news/anticipating-technical-challenges/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy
Guest : Jerod Morris, Chief Creative Thinker of Thinkers Notebook
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/remember-paper-pen-the-thinkers-notebook/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/10-reasons-you-should-be-using-gsuite/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Shownotes : https://bebizzy.com/news/my-three-word-2020/
Host : Marv Dorner (@BeBizzy on Twitter)
Guest : Robert Hood - Assistant Product Line Manager for both WordPress and Dedicated Hosting at InMotion Hosting
Show Note Link : https://bebizzy.com/news/great-website-hosting-inmotion-hosting/
Host : Marv Dorner
Show Notes Link : https://bebizzy.com/news/speeding-up-your-wordpress-site-with-wp-rocket/
We made it! Episode #100!
Host : Marv Dorner - BeBizzy Consulting
Show Notes Link : https://bebizzy.com/news/my-favorite-apps-and-plugins-episode-100/
Host : Marv Dorner - BeBizzy Consulting
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/my-favorite-internet-memes-from-2010-2019/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/news/saving-your-abandoned-twitter-account/
Host : Marv Dorner
Topic : Owning Your Own Digital Name
Show notes available at : https://bebizzy.com/time-to-check-if-you-own-your-digital-real-estate/
Host : Marv Dorner
Guest : Keegan Lanier of Keegan Lanier Media
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/elegant-themes-divi-wordpress-theme-with-keegan-lanier/
Host : Marv Dorner (@bebizzy)
Guest : Florin Muresan (@florin_muresan)
Show notes available at https://bebizzy.com/squirrly-seo-wordpress-plugin/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Topic : ShouId I allow comments on my WordPress website?
Show notes : https://bebizzy.com/comments-or-no-comments-on-wordpress/
Host : Marv Dorner - BeBizzy Consulting
Topic : Uses for forms on your website besides a basic contact form
Show Notes : https://bebizzy.com/additional-uses-for-forms-on-your-website/
Host : Marv Dorner
Topic : Troubleshooting steps and technology preparedness
Show notes available here : https://bebizzy.com/basic-technology-troubleshooting-steps/
Host : Marv Dorner
Topic : 2FA (Two Factor Authentication)
Show Notes Available at : https://bebizzy.com/using-two-factor-authentication-2fa-for-better-security/
Host : Marv Dorner
Topic : Best SEO Plugins for WordPress
Show notes availalbe at : https://bebizzy.com/best-wordpress-seo-plugins/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Topic : Using UTM Codes in your Marketing Strategy
Show notes available here : https://bebizzy.com/using-utm-tracking-in-your-digital-strategy/
On our first #WPWednesday episode of the BeBizzy Break Podcast we discuss ways to increase your site speed by decreasing the image file sizes.
Host : Marv Dorner
Topic : Changing resolution, file types, compression and other image factors to make a WordPress site load faster.
Show notes : Available at https://bebizzy.com/increase-site-speed-by-decreasing-image-file-size/
Host : Marv Dorner of BeBizzy Consulting
Guest : Kathi Kruse of KruseControlInc.com
Topic : Job Description for a Social Media Managers and whether or not you are a good fit to manage your own social media for a business you own.
Show notes can be found at : https://bebizzy.com/should-you-be-doing-your-own-social-media/
Kathi Kruse's original post : Job Description for a Social Media Managers : A Complete Guide 2019
Host : Marv Dorner
Guest : John Overall of WP Plugins from A to Z
John and Marv discuss WordPress plugins in depth with topics ranging from how to choose the right plugin, things to consider before AND after installing them, some security issues, and even touched on Classic Press.
Notes and more available at the episode post : https://bebizzy.com/how-to-choose-and-use-wordpress-plugins/
Show notes at : https://bebizzy.com/run-all-your-business-processes-from-one-tool-accelo/
Show notes at : https://bebizzy.com/the-i-need-a-website-scam-and-do-you-accept-credit-cards/
Before we get into the main portion of the podcast, I have a few smaller items to talk about; a cautionary tale and two reasons to back up.
- Cautionary Tale : woman has a computer break down, needs to write an article on her iPhone. Instead of using one of dozens of apps, she instead chooses to write the article on the tiny iPhone keyboard and uses her texting app, thinking when it’s done she can send it and then migrate it to a computer. Being mostly done one evening, she left the app running and went to sleep. The next morning, she picked up the phone, hit the space key, and ERASED everything she had previously written on her article. There is NO WAY to recover that information. Had she used one of the many office or note taking apps available for little or no cost, this would not have been an issue.
- Backup Reminder One : Was asked by ANOTHER person last week if it’s possible to recover photos lost on a now-defective iPhone. This individual has never turned on their iCloud backups, Google Photos, Dropbox, Carbonite, or anything else, just left them on their phone. Now that the phone is dead there is NO way to recover these treasures without expensive recovery processes which may or may not work. BACK UP YOUR DATA!!
- Backup Reminder Two : Many of my websites were attacked last week. I knew this by getting warned by the Wordfence app, which notifies me if anyone has a failed login attempt or if any critical files were changed. By using a weekly backup, all I had to do was restore a backup for the sites and change some login info.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Review * Had my Samsung S9 phone for about a week and it’s finally time to provide my review, and my comparisons to the Samsung Note 8 and Google Pixel 2 XL. * I’m lucky enough to be a member of a pretty cool team of influencing users, I received mobile devices with line of service from Verizon. No additional compensation was provided nor did I promise a positive review. All opinions are my own. By the way, many of us meet every Friday @ 2pm CT on Twitter (#MobileLiving) to discuss mobile phones and how you can use them in your daily lives. Join us!
Spec S9 S9+ Price $800 $930 Operating System Android 8.0 Android 8.0 Screen Size 5.8″ 2960x1440 Quad+ Super AMOLED 6.2″ 2960x1440 Quad+ Super AMOLED Processor Exynos9810 Exynos9810 RAM 4GB 6GB Storage (as tested) 64GB 64GB MicroSD Slot Up to 400GB Up to 400GB Rear Camera 12.MP 12 MP Front Camera 8MP 8MP Battery Life 11 13 Weight 5.74 oz. 6.67 oz. Look, Feel & Design Compared to the Note 8 and the Pixel 2 XL, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is only 3/4″ of an inch smaller, but boy is it noticeable! Carrying in my front pocket was much less bulky, and holding the phone in my hands was significantly different that the other two giant phones.
Typing and some other “business” uses were a bit more difficult with the smaller screen, so if you do a LOT of critical functions like posting to work social media, composing long emails, or maybe even typing notes, the S9+ may be a better option that the S9.
Battery Life If there was one place I saw a drastic difference in the S9 compared to the other two phones it was the battery. I’m a big power user so the more battery I have the better. The S9 only has a 3000mAh battery, but the S9+ has a 3500mAh battery which is more comparable to the Note 8 and Pixel 2 XL. The larger form factor has the benefit for more room, which is largely taken up by the battery.
Performance The new Samsung Exynos 9 processor in both of these devices is fast! Boot times, app opening, even page transitions are noticeably quicker than the Note 8 & Pixel 2 XL. There’s some discussion on whether the Exynos 9 is on par with the A10 processor in the Apple iPhone X and tests seem to place it right in between the A10 and the Snapdragon on the other flagship phones. Either way, this is really quick even compared to just the last version of the S-series phones.
Software Luckily the Samsung S9 and S9+ come with Android 8 Oreo installed so the security and feature updates are available. Not surprisingly the Google Pixel 2 XL is running an even more advanced of Android. But what IS surprising is that the Note 8 is still running Android 7.1. As of this recording AT&T has started rolling out Oreo for the Note 8, but we’re still waiting on Verizon.
Sound While the Note 8 still had the standard single speaker on the bottom of the phone which can easily be covered up and muted, the Samsung S9 has some amazing sound quality built in. They are running a surround system with Dolby Atmos technology and plays back great sound even if the exposed speaker is covered by the hand, clothing or other method. It’s not quite as good as the Google Pixel 2 XL, but this is simply because the Pixel 2 has stereo front firing speakers built into the bezel, which costs a little real estate on the screen, but features great sound.
Camera I’ve saved the best for last. The Super Speed Dual Pixel camera on the S9 is simply better than the Pixel 2, which as been crowned the best smartphone camera for several months. The Auto function does a great job of selecting the right white balance, exposure and focus. And if you go to the Professional mode, you can get really creative with all of those functions. But on the video side, the Super Slo-Mo camera is really innovative. At 960 frames per second for short burst the super slo-mo camera delivers crystal clear slow motion video. And it didn’t really matter how fast the video was moving. The low-light capture is stunning with no artifacts in the darker sections of the photos. FYI, to open the camera quickly you can double-press the power button.
Summary As a phone for personal and light business use, I would have no problem recommending the Samsung Galaxy S9. It’s the fastest phone I’ve ever owned, the screen is great, sound is amazing and the camera is the best smartphone camera available.
I’m a bit of fan of the larger form factor, and while I didn’t get a chance to test the S9+, I have held one in a Verizon store and played with it. The form and performance is similar to the Note 8 making typing and other tasks a bit easier for me.
You can check out both phone and dozens of others at your local Verizon store, or at VerizonWireless.com.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on your digital assistants like Amazon Echo, Google Home and on your podcasting apps like Apple Itunes, Stitcher Radio or whereever you get your podcast files from, like the PocketCasts app!
Got a suggestion for a topic, interview or other show idea? Send it over at BeBizzy.com or on Twitter @BeBizzy
Have a great easter weekend everyone, stay safe on April fools, and we’ll see you next time on the BeBizzy Break Podcast!
Disclosure: As member of a pretty cool team of influencing users, I received mobile devices with line of service from Verizon. No additional compensation was provided nor did I promise a positive review. All opinions are my own. By the way, many of us meet every Friday @ 2pm CT on Twitter (#MobileLiving) to discuss mobile phones and how you can use them in your daily lives. Join us!
BetterMatters #brandpartner
Google Pixel 2 XL vs. Samsung Note 8 Weeks ago, I promised a comparison between the Google Pixel 2 XL vs. the Samsung Note 8 smartphones. I purchased the Pixel 2 XL prior to Christmas in 2017, and as a #brandpartner for Verizon wireless, I was given a Samsung Note 8 a few weeks ago to test and talk about.
I've finally got a few weeks under my belt of using the phones at the same time to do basically the same things, and I'm finally ready to give my impressions.
The Basics First of all, I'd like to preface the comments on the comparison of the Google Pixel 2 XL vs the Samsung Note 8 by stating you can't go wrong with either of these phones. There are differences, and frankly if you could combine the two of these phones you'd have the perfect smartphone... and probably the most expensive. So I get it, you can't have everything in one phone, but a guy can dream, right?
A couple of other things before I continue. I use both phones with a plastic cover on the back and a glass protector on the front. This ads some bulk and minimal weight but keeps the phone protected against dropping and normal wear. I am also comparing these phones in their ability to conduct business more than as a "leisure" device. So taking photos of kids will be less important than ability to run apps, answer emails, etc. (although I DO take a ton of pictures of my dogs).
Here is some basic spec information on the Pixel 2 XL vs. Note 8.
[table id=1 /]
Look, Feel & Design Both phones are roughly the same size, weight and "bulk". But I'm used to a large phone so this isn't a big deal. Even though it's technically larger, the Note 8 just seems smaller and lighter. It is thinner and maybe that lends itself to tricking it's the smaller phone. The bezel is also smaller on the Note 8 than the Pixel 2 XL which provides some extra screen real estate at the top and bottom of the screen.
In true Google fashion the screen is good, but not awesome. My impression of Google in regards to their hardware, and in some cases their software, is here it is, it's functional and wonderful, not go use it. The Note 8 screen is probably the best screen I've seen on a smartphone. However, watching YouTube videos (for work!) seems better on the Pixel 2 XL because the screen isn't as "stretched" for some videos. One note regarding the Pixel 2 XL and burn-in... I've had the phone since the release date and have had no burn in visible on the device.
Something that is a great addition to most Android phones in the last few years is the existence of a fingerprint sensor. Both of these phones have them as a way to log into the phone, but the Pixel 2 XL seems much more easy to use because of placement than the Note 8, which sometimes forces more manipulation of the phone in order to reach the sensor especially when using a back cover.
One final point on the look & feel, typing is easier on the Google Pixel 2 XL. No idea why, just fewer typing mistakes on this device. They are virtually the same size, so I wish I had a reason but I do not.
Advantage :
Battery Life If you use your phone primarily as a business communication device battery life is a primary concern for you. And both of these phones offer excellent battery life with a 3520mAh battery on the Pixel 2 XL and a smaller 3300mAh on the Note 8. The slight decrease in batter size on the Note 8 IS noticeable when you're working away from a charger, taking lots of phone calls, or using the screen a lot. Testing data reveals the Pixel 2 XL has a very impressive battery life of over 12 hours when being used consistently to view the web over a 4G connection, while the Note 8 comes in at just over 11 hours. Real-life experience has shown me the Pixel 2 XL to be even more protective of it's battery level.
Both batteries charge extremely fast when using their provided charging plug and cable. And one feature I really miss on the Google Pixel 2 XL is the presence of wireless charging, which is a feature of the Samsung Note 8.
Advantage :
Performance Both of these phones have the same processor, the Snapdragon 835. And while the Note 8 has a slight advantage in actual processor testing data, it just feels like the Pixel 2 XL is quicker and better at handling requests to process data. Even with it's added 2GB of RAM, the Note 8 occasionally lags or locks on certain requests, while the Pixel 2 XL just hammers it out quickly and smoothly. Now don't get me wrong, the Note 8 is wonderfully quick and opens multiple apps well, again it's more of a feeling that justifiable. And when you have invoicing, social media, mileage tracking, calendars and more open, seconds count.
In regards to network and voice performance, the Google Pixel 2 XL is better here as well. I work in a downstairs office with only a very small window. The rest is concrete walls on three sides, so it's a bit of a bunker. When using the Note 8, I get a noticeable dropping or cutting out of calls in comparison to my Pixel 2 XL with two bars compared to three on the Pixel XL, and even the Wi-Fi radio seems to have a better, longer-reaching connection.
Advantage :
Software Here's where some of the comparisons have issues. The Google Pixel 2 XL is running Android 8.1.1 (Oreo) and the Samsung Note 8 is running 7.1.1 (Nougat). This software upgrade is just a few days away from the Note 8, but as it stands now there are a few things that lean towards the Pixel 2 XL. Security upgrades, notification dots on app icons, picture in picture on videos and some notifications on apps that are killing your battery are an advantage Oreo brings and that means the Pixel 2 XL wins.
There also is the "stock" Android versus the modified Samsung Android experience debate. Stock is just that, no extra default apps installed, no bloatware, and no Bixby (Samsungs smart assistant) which even has it's own button on the Note 8, and also which I have disabled.
Advantage :
Special Features One of the drawbacks of the Google Pixel 2 XL vs. the Samsung Note 8 is what was a benefit in the software section above... stock. On the Pixel 2 XL you get what you get. No SD memory slot, smaller RAM, no S-Pen, just a stock version of Android 8 running on an awesome device.
So the Note 8 easily wins this category. First, the memory expansion. I use my extra memory for a lot of things. I store music (I am a DJ), I store web files, I store data backups, things that will come in handy if I cannot get access to the Verizon network (which frankly doesn't happen too often). I do miss the expandable memory, which is really why I paid the extra money for the 128GB version of the Pixel 2 XL.
So let's talk about the S-Pen. The S-Pen is one of those things you don't miss until you do. I so rarely use it, but when I do it's for something pretty important like a diagram, quick hall layout when talking to bridal clients, a website example, or just a quick note. I actually do use it quite a bit on my Samsung Chromebook Pro, and before that on my Samsung Note 10.1 2014 tablet. Both of these are larger form-factors and easier to write, but the pen works the same across all of these devices.
Advantage :
Sound This is going to be quick. The Google Pixel 2 XL is the best sounding smartphone I've ever owned. Period. The dual front-firing speakers are louder and can broadcast sound regardless of how you are holding the device. The Note 8's small speaker on the bottom of the device gets covered up or just is so small it doesn't carry very well.
This sound advantage continues to the phone itself as well. The sound quality on normal phone calls is better than even wired phone systems, and if used on speaker phones there is no comparison of the Google Pixel 2 XL vs. the Samsung Note 8.
Also, Bluetooth seems more stable and less "laggy" when on a phone call. That's probably a product of Oreo vs. Nougat, but I call it like I see it.
Advantage :
Camera Both of the cameras on these devices are spectacular. The Google Pixel 2 XL is a bit more balanced and more accurate for colors, and the anti-shake correction on videos is pretty awesome if you are using it attached to something that moves, in a vehicle or on a bike, and just walking or running.
But again, the cameras on both the Google Pixel 2 XL and the Note 8 are great features, but many articles claim the Google Pixel 2 XL camera to simply be the best phone camera available and I agree. So crank up the resolution on those photos of whiteboards, presentations, or anything else for work, then get them saved to your unlimited Google cloud storage for use later.
Google Pixel 2 XL photos
Samsung Note 8 photos
Advantage :
Summary Well, looking at these results and forced to make a decision, I would choose the Google Pixel 2 XL vs. the Samsung Note 8. I'm sure shortly after I publish this Android 8 will get installed on the Note 8 and we'll have to do this again, but as it stands now, the Google Pixel 2 XL just has too much going for it starting with the better operating system, then easier to use form factor, easier to use fingerprint unlock reader, better sound, better battery life, and snappier performance.
However, if you want that extra 1/4" or so of screen real estate, a seemingly smaller footprint, wireless charging and ability to add a very large SD storage card, the Note 8 is for you.
Both phones are significant increase in quality over their last versions as well as their flagship competitors, so really you can't go wrong. And the large footprint is simply awesome if you use it for many business tasks, note taking, and communications.
You can check out both phone and dozens of others at your local Verizon store, or at VerizonWireless.com.
Have any questions or suggestions on going paperless? Leave them below, or send them to me @BeBizzy on Twitter!
Disclosure: As member of a pretty cool team of influencing users, I received mobile devices with line of service from Verizon. No additional compensation was provided nor did I promise a positive review. All opinions are my own. By the way, many of us meet every Friday @ 2pm CT on Twitter (#MobileLiving) to discuss mobile phones and how you can use them in your daily lives. Join us!
BetterMatters #brandpartner
Always have a backup system! Ever been in a position where your data is corrupted to the point of not being able to do work? Or how about a critical piece of hardware doesn't work and you're dead in the water?
Back in my tech support days, a guy called in and said he was losing $1000's of dollars a day because his internet connection was down. We went around and around trying to get him up and running, and had to run a technician out because it appeared to be a line issue. Again he stated it would cause him to lose $1000's a day! $20, $40 or $50 a month for a second internet connection doesn't seem like too tough of a purchase when you're losing that sort of money a day.
How this topic emerged was I just worked on a night club's sound system last night. After an hour or so of troubleshooting the entire system while it was LIVE entertaining nightclub customers, I narrowed it down to the sound board was freezing (confirmed with dozens of similar issues on search). We really had three options. 1) Stay the course and have the sound interrupted every four or five songs... not a good solution but not impossible to do. 2) Hotwire it by running mics and everything through the Denon controller straight through to the amps. Or 3) replace the board with the old board and hope everything worked. We let it ride for the night, went back to the old system the next day, and sent the board off to be worked on or replaced.
At BeLoud Entertainment, my mobile DJ company, I have two computers, both have music software and lighting software installed. If the light software fails the lights can all be set to sound active. I have an extra speaker in the trailer in case one of the speakers blows up. There's at least two microphones (one wired) so I can always communicate. And if my board fails, I can run straight from my computer to the speakers.
I also got a call from a regional construction company where a computer was held hostage by malware and the person responsible wanted $1000 in bitcoin to de-encrypt the data files. That person backed up everything EXCEPT his computer, which held all the files for bid, financial records and more. Had that data been backed up the solution would have been to wipe the computer, re-install Windows, and push the data back onto the device.
Some other potentials backup systems. * Chromebook or cheap laptop to work if main computer is down or fails * All data should be at least backed up to off-device storage, then off-site. * Backup internet connection, even if it's a mobile hotspot, or a last resort somewhere offsite like a café so you can still work. * Mobile devices. It's rare to get a lot of money back when trading in your mobile devices, so keep on around in the event that your shiny, brand-new Note 8 fails and you need something. * Communication methods like Skype, a VOIP-phone, Facebook messenger, text and others can be valuable when your main communication method fails. * Have your website backed up so if that network, or even just your server, fails catastrophically you're down for hours and not weeks. * Office systems like Google Drive or WPS Office can get you buy when your computer fails or your copy of Microsoft Office starts to have issues.
The best way to ensure you have backup systems in place for your critical processes is : * Buy a reliable computer, tool or other device that is absolutely needed to get your job done. * Have a cheap backup of that critical piece. If you use a computer all day, every day, get something cheap to get the job done. * Back up to off-device, or better yet, off-site data backup. * Keep that old mobile device if you're not getting good trade-in value to make sure you always have a backup phone if something catastrophic happens to your primary smartphone.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Disclosure: As member of a pretty cool team of influencing users, I received mobile devices with line of service from Verizon (#ad). No additional compensation was provided nor did I promise a positive review. All opinions are my own. By the way, we meet every Friday @ 2pm CT on Twitter to discuss mobile phones and how you can use them in your daily lives. Join us! #BetterMatters #brandpartner
Episode 63 - Upcoming Changes for Google Mobile Results Added as a Verizon Brand Ambassador * Will be getting some equipment from Verizon to review and provide feedback. * My initial phone from Verizon is the Samsung Note 8 https://www.verizonwireless.com/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-note-8/. I'll be comparing very soon to my Google Pixel 2 XL. https://www.verizonwireless.com/smartphones/google-pixel-2-xl/ + Initial review is that if you could combine these two phones you would have to perfect smartphone. * Samsung S9 announcement is coming very soon. It seems to be focusing on the camera in the S9
Google Mobile Results Changes
In early January 2018 Google announced some upcoming changes to the search results that will be presented based on the type of device used to access the search.
One of the ranking factors that will be used in presenting mobile results as of July 2018 will be page load speed. In the past, page load was not a high ranking factor for mobile results, so this is a fairly big change.
So now is the time to start thinking about redesigning the page, moving to a faster host, or making significant other changes to the page to increase your load speed on your mobile page.
Google has already been using page load speed as a primary factor on desktop sites, but will now us speed in determining mobile results.
Now Google has stated it will be used more to punish very slow sites by moving them down the page ranks than it will be to lift faster pages, but I expect it to become more significant in ranking mobile results in the near future.
So the tip for better mobile results on Google searches is to start planning for a mobile site, get it optimized, get it running on a faster server, and get it indexed by Google and ready for the change in July 2018.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
My Three Words for 2018 Several years ago I read a post by Chris Brogan, a recognized marketer and social media evangelist, regarding his three words. Each year he selects three words that will guide him throughout the year’s business landscape and pull him towards his goals.
I’ve done the exercise for several years as well and have enjoyed the thought process, and have achieved success… well, some of the time.
Last year’s words were : traction, focus, and education. My web hosting business jumped from 15 to nearly 70 websites (traction), my goal was to launch at least one website per month and I got 10 out of 12 (focus), and I received amazing SEO training from one of the most respected experts in the field (education). So, minus a few hiccups, I would say I did pretty well. But this year will be better.
My Three Words for 2018 So that brings us to my three words for 2018.
The focus for 2018 will be to adjust focus from BeLoud Entertainment, my wedding DJ company, to BeBizzy Consulting. And my three words are :
Structure 2017 was the year I got BeBizzy Consulting pointed in the right direction. I dropped the focus on computer troubleshooting, project management, and other services, and instead wanted the structure of website development, digital marketing and search engine optimization. 2018 will build on that structure with combining all the scattered hosting environments into two and implementing some increased focus on acquiring SEO clients.
Prioritize Similarly in 2016 and back there was a large selection of services offered by BeBizzy Consulting. 2017 shaped and molded everything into a more management, focused business plan. 2018 will prioritize this plan and act on the experience and education and while still thinking to bring on additional website clients, the focus is to offer better solutions to current clients and new solutions to those already with websites. SEO, local search optimization and digital marketing are needed by many businesses, and that will be a priority for BeBizzy Consulting.
Transition As much as I hate to say it, I’m getting older. And while I can still DJ with the best of them, I am going to be that 50 year old dude behind the gear very soon. So it’s finally time to start transitioning away from BeLoud Entertainment and putting more focus on BeBizzy Consulting, which will be my home for many years to come.That doesn’t mean I’m abandoning BeLoud… quite the opposite. But this year will be a step back while I evaluate how much time can be spent on the planning, meetings and execution of a wedding and school dance and still be able to service my BeBizzy clients. It does mean that I’ll fire up my DJ Voices podcast again, and start offering a DJ planning website so I can still be involved, but on the consulting side instead of the delivery side. BeLoud Entertainment will still provide service to over 30 events in 2018, and we already have a majority of those booked.
And that’s it; structure, prioritize and transition are my three words for 2018. I’m sure we’ll revisit these on the BeBizzy Break Podcast several times to see how we did.
Host : Marv Dorner, BeBizzy Consulting Guest : Donna Amos, Solopreneur Solutions How To Get Started Performing a Social Media Audit This is the perfect time of year to do a social media audit to prepare for next year.
- Create a spreadsheet with the social media platform, the URL, and name on profile and the description
- Also include number of fans/followers, and the date of the last activity
- Make sure everything is consistent (name, images, colors, etc)
- Start auditing individual social platforms for traffic
Where is Your Traffic Coming From? Now that you’ve audited the general items of the individual to make sure everything looks and feels the same, it’s time to start looking at Google Analytics for indicators that visitors to the website are coming from the various social platforms. You can also get some valuable information from the social media platform data.
- Facebook Insights
- Twitter Analytics
- LinkedIn Company Page Analytics
In addition to using the social media analytics to perform a social media audit, you can also use third party tools like Hootsuite and SEMRush to analyze data from social media websites.
Act on the Social Media Audit There are some actionable items that may show up in your social media audit that can
- Repurpose old content in another form like video, slideshows or podcats
- Set up goals and metrics to measure
- The point of doing social media is to create awareness, gain followers to frequency, and that activity drives traffic to the site to sign up for email newsletters and subscriptions, then convert those subscribers.
- Determine what “success looks like” for your business and see what sites are meeting that success model.
- Sometimes it’s better to abandon/close a social media platform if you are unable to manage that platform or your audience just isn’t there.
- Set up a schedule to perform this social media audit quarterly or at least regularly to look for trends on what is working.
Other Tips * Video is going to be the dominant form of media in social media in the coming years. * Video doesn’t have to be polished to be effective. Just needs good camera placement, decent content and great sound. * Create a list of FAQ’s, answer them, and make 1-2 minute videos answering those questions and share in your social sites. * Do you want to be seen as a thought leader? Then consumption of social and website content is the goa. * If you want to create awareness, strive for reach… how many people can you reach with each post.. * Shares, likes and retweets are to be used if the goal is to reach more with word of mouth. * There is a documented trail of each post to see how many people see it, share it, like it, click on it, and even purchase because of it. * Don’t expect immediate results! Sometimes you are talking to no one until your acquire a following. * But there is a benefit to talking to no one in social and blogs because the post lives on and can be found by people searching for the content keywords. * Googe+ is great for SEO benefits, even if your customers aren’t there.
Performing a social media audit can take a bit of time, but if you do it once you will produce a baseline that will enable your business to compare to when making future decisions on digital marketing. Both Donna and I encourage you to take the time between now and the end of the year to audit your social media properties.
Don’t forget to check out Donna Amos’ article on “How to Perform a Social Media Audit” at her website, and follow her on Twitter to stay informed.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Host : Marv Dorner, BeBizzy Consulting We're back from a short Thanksgiving week break for Episode 60 of the BeBizzy Break Podcast and we're talking about why you should allow some time for innovation and not just running your business.
This is a very short episode of the podcast due to a lingering head cold, but the main points talked about are :
- Freakonomics Radio Podcast - Stephen J. Dubner talks to economists about how we seem to be running out of ideas that are able to scale quickly and without millions of dollars.
- Google's 80-20 Formula - It Can Work For You - from SmartStorming.com
- Why Did Google Abandon 20% Time for Innovation? - from HRZone.com
Host : Marv Dorner, BeBizzy Consulting On Episode 59 of the BeBizzy Break Podcast, we talk about the passing of another geriatric internet property, Compuserve, a renewal of the browser wars with Firefox Quantum, and why your technology is good enough.
Tech News * Compuserve Forums + Joins Microsoft Paint and AIM as old tech services being shut down in 2017. + Compuserve was the first major online service provider before AOL took over + The Forums were the last service of the once-proud ISP to remain functional + The service will be terminated on December 15, 2017 and odds are if no one would have said anything, you never would have known. * Firefox Quantum + New browser from Mozilla that promises to be faster, and use less memory. + Some extensions may not work, so beware
Your current tech is good enough * FOMO - Fear of Missing Out * There's always a faster, shinier, and more "feature rich" device * And while there's something to be gained with tech that works better and faster, your current technology might be already good enough, or could be made so with a few minor tweaks or upgrades.
Smartphones There's really no big leaps forward in phone features
- Sure there's cosmetic upgrades like smaller bezels, larger and brighter screens, somewhat better battery
- Most smartphone issues can be solved by doing a few easy things
- Replacing the battery, if possible, or carry an external battery or recharging device.
- Clear up memory by deleting apps, using streaming audio and video services, and uploading photos to free cloud services like Google Photos, them deleting the local files.
- Run Updates - Make sure you're running the most recent operating system and app updates. Having everything updated makes it easier to troubleshoot and work together.
- Factory Reset - Things still running slow? Sometimes it's just best to flush the system and start over with a new operating system install. Keep in mind you will lost all of your data on the phone, so back up and connect to cloud services.
Computers Talk about no huge leaps forward, computers have remained pretty constant for many years
- Improvements like the Microsoft Surface, Chromebooks and even iPad Pros are blurring the lines between computers and mobile, but even they "promise" to be able to do what you can already do with a computer, just smaller and lighter.
- Both "major" operating systems, Windows and iOS have promised no major upgrades anymore, just incremental updates.
- Hard Drives have become so large it's hard for a vast majority of users to come close to filling it up.
- You can increase the life of your computer by doing some very easy, cost effective things like :
- Add RAM - Memory is cheap, and of all the things to replace requires the least amount of technical know-how and time. RAM is easily accessible in desktops by removing the case, and most laptops have a cover to remove to get at the RAM and maybe the HDD. Major products like Crucial have scanners and selectors to make sure you're getting the right memory to upgrade your device.
- HDD - Have an old or small hard drive? There's a real good chance that your HDD is a spinning disc, and believe it or not, it's WHEN it will fail, not IF. Check out Seagate or Western Digital to find a suitable replacement. You can also migrate less often or large files to an external drive for a small price and they easily connect to your current computer via USB.
- To the Cloud! - Get your photos and other important files uploaded to a cloud service like Dropbox to ensure ease of access & transfer, and also security in the event of a hardware failure or catastrophic office event.
Websites I know, it seems weird that a web development company would tell you that your website is good enough. There ARE times when it's best to update the website like when you need :
- Responsive Design - Have a site that is old and doesn't work on a smartphone or smaller screen? Might be time to update to a responsive website.
- CMS like WordPress - Maybe it's time to take over the management of your own website. WordPress allows you to post your own pages, a blog, and more.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Maybe you're site is all set up an running as you need, but you're just not getting found on the internet. By optimizing your SEO and your Local Business Listing you increase the chances of being found by potential customers.
- Social Media Marketing & Training - Like SEO, your website might not be the problem, maybe it's just getting the word out. Social Media offers an easy way to engage your fans and followers and market to new clients.
Other Items We are constantly hit with marketing messages on stuff you "NEED" to ensure you have the most current technology or your life will be horrible. Vehicle enhancements like rear hatches that open with your foot, lane change chimes, and others are safety features, but really just being a better driver will fix that. 4K and 3D TV's are wonderful, but there is little programming that takes advantage of the technology. VR goggles are fun toys, but again, there's very little cool, productive programming for them. And voice controlled devices like Google Home or Alexa are neat, and have a utility to them, but often you have a device in your hands or pocket that can do the same thing.
I LOVE technology, and our economy relies on constant updating of computers, furniture, cars, homes and just about everything else. But sometimes saving that money for something else is your best bet.
In this episode we talk about the newly launched Pixel 2 XL android smartphone, and why you should get one.
BBP : Episode 57 - Google Pixel 2 XL The Pixel 2 XL is the anxously awaited android smartphone from Google. It runs a stock version of Android O(reo), and is loaded with a lot of great features.
Here's the specs * Operating System : Android 8.0 * Cameras : 12.2MP Read - 8PM Front * Processors : Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 * Display : P-OLED capacitive touchscreen, 1440x2880 pixels (18:9 ratio), Corning Gorilla Glass 5 * Memory & Storage : RAM-4GB Storage 64GB & 128GB * Dimensions : 6.2x3.0" * Colors : Black, White, Blue * Batter : 3520 mAh * Sensors : Active Edge squeeze technology * Ports : USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 + No headphone jack + No expandable memory slot * Materials - Aluminum unibody - Water and dust resistant
Google Pixel 2 page at the Google Store
There have been discussions of screen burn-in, a bluish tint and a few other things.
- Screen burn-in article from USA Today
- Bluish tint on screens from Android Police
- According to TNW, Google plans on releasing a software update soon, and also extending the warranty.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
In this episode we talk about how Capterra can help you find the right software solution to manage your business.
BBP : Episode 56 - Capterra Tech News
Windows 10 Fall Creators Update released on Oct 17
- As always, running updates has certain risks, as talked about on last week's podcast
- Make sure you have plenty of time to run the updates, possibly a couple of hours.
- Always back up and know there's that small chance the backup may fail and you'll either have to revert back, or it could cause your system to become unstable.
- Features.
- People Integration - You can now pin friends, co-workers, business partners, family members, etc to the task bar for easy access. It can even be used to contact via Skype
- Fluent Design - a new design language from Microsoft regarding animations and effects. Some included changes are blur effects, easier resizing of apps and windows and a "shinier" design for the Start Menu.
- You can also pin website shortcuts to the taskbar. This was avaiable in previous versions of Windows, and now it's back.
- New emojis - dinosaurs, genies, zombies and more are part of the Unicode updates for the fall creators update.
- Cortana - Cortana notifications can now be seen on your Android phone. And you can control Windows a bit with Cortana, including locking, signing out, shut down or restarting your computer.
Google Advanced Protection
- Meant for high-profile celebrities, politicians and other possible targets for hacking.
- Advanced security features for your account (gmail, google drive, etc)
- Need a physical key to unlock your data (USB)
- It also locks down your files and email to ONLY Google apps, eliminating the possibility of using 3rd party programs to attain the data.
- This will make using Google's products a bit more tough, but if you're concerned about information security more than you are about ease of use, this may be a good solution.
Capterra Capterra is a website with a mission to match up businesses with the right software to optimize any part of the operation. Whether it's project management software, bookkeeping, marketing, testing or just about anything else, Capterra can suggest the right software taking into account budget, ease of use and more.
- Guest : Claire Alexander - General Manager of Capterra
- http://capterra.com
- Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Capterra/
- Twitter : https://twitter.com/capterra
- Website to help find a software solution for your business
- Capterra has been around since 1999
- Virtually any sort of software for your business organized by software type, then displaying the most used, best cost effective or easiest to use.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
In this episode we talk about managing your passwords and updating technology to stay secure.
BBP : Episode 55 - Have You Updated Today? Tech News Yahoo Email Hack - Now up to 3 Billion accounts, apparently every yahoo account. - announced by the new owner, Verizon
- No credit card information in the breach, but
- Suspect part is that the new intelligence was just recently obtained AFTER the deal closed to buy Yahoo.
Equifax update - there's a good chance the company will have to pay penalties to affected consumers going north of $1B.
- For the record, $1B comes to just over $7 per possible affected user.
Cortana is now rollout out into Skype. You should start seeing it appear in private and group chats to offer assistance for scheduling and other items.
- Will also appear in the Android and iOS versions soon.
- Still not sold on voice systems like Google, Amazon or Siri, but I hope to become more reliant on it when the new Pixel 2 phone arrives
- Microsoft claims 141 million "monthly" users of Cortana. I use it only when I accidentally click the button on my desktop toolbar, so that probably counts at least once a month.
- Siri - 41.4 monthly, 19% daily.
- Google claims 20% of mobile searches are voice searches - couldn't find a published #
- Becoming more popular
- Would love to discuss voice searches and voice control on a future episode, so if you're an "expert" please contact me.
Today's topic - You are Responsible for Updating Your Technology * In the last month, I've had to do the following: + Rescued three websites from obvious hacking - Two were hijacked by an out-of-date Wordpress plugin and dozens of fake blog posts linking to a casino were placed on the sites. - One was using a password created several years ago and the FTP was compromised, with THOUSANDS (over 50k) web pages were created, uploaded and indexed by google. * The new index.php page and all the rest were the only ones showing up in Google searches because of the dominance. + About six months ago I got a call that a Wordpress site built over five years ago had NEVER been updated, and now stopped working. - That required updating WP, finding out what, if any of the existing plugins would still work with the new WP, and we had to find alternate solutions for outdated, un-updatable, or costly upgrades to certain plugins. + Two months ago I worked on a computer that was full of malware. The client was still running Windows XP and didn't want to update. Windows XP was abandoned by Microsoft in April 2014, meaning there was no further development on the operating system and it would be exposed as insecure. + In all cases, there was a massive cleanup, one new install of WP, and a complete forced re-indexing of the website by Google and other search engines.
ALL of these could have been avoided if the core functions would have been maintained. By following just a few steps, your computer, phones and other devices can stay up to date and minimize the danger of being compromised.
Remember, criminals will most always take the low-hanging fruit, like the computer not updated in over 5 years, the Wordpress site with outdated plugins, or the FTP password that hasn't changed in half a decade.
A word of warning… updates can sometimes fail, and even cause larger issues. BACK UP YOUR DATA before running updates, or just in general. However, the risk of something bad happening during an update is nothing compared to the possible issues that can happen by running an out-of-date system.
-
Wordpress and Other Websites
-
Back up everything on a regular basis - Always have a way to reset if something bad happens, even if you lose some data.
- Turn on automatic updates for plugins and incremental Wordpress updates.
- Use a service to update multiple sites if needed.
- Turn on notifications for major Wordpress or theme releases, and run them after you back up, update plugins and prepare for possible downtime.
- Also change your FTP and Cpanel passwords on a regular basis, or when someone leaves the organization.
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Windows Computers
-
Back up on a regular basis. Services like Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive and others offer cheap, or even free secure cloud services that will back up your data.
- Turn on automatic updates in the control panel. This will run in the background, and prompt to reboot when larger updates appear.
- If you can update your operating system to at least Windows 8.2 you will at least be receiving regular security updates. There was a time you could have updated to Windows 10 for free, but you most likely missed that if you're still running an older version.
- Keep your software like browsers, office software and other major applications like Photoshop and others up to date by regularly checking, or selecting auto-updates if prompted.
Mobile Devices
- Back up on a regular basis (notice a theme here?). Most carriers have this available, but you can keep your music in the cloud, photos backed up to Google Photos for free, contacts saved to Gmail or Gsuite, again for free, and other data can use Dropbox, Carbonite and other services.
- Go into the Play Store or Updates on your mobile device and click Update All on a regular basis.
- Always accept operating system updates when prompted, your device is properly charged or connected to a power source, and you have the necessary allotted time to accomplish the update. Do a full reboot once in a while to clear the device and also to re-engage auto-updates when the phone reaches back out to the carrier or app store.
Updates are an easy way to keep your site and devices secure. Criminals are looking for the easy targets when you're dealing with electronic crime, so stay on top of your systems and update regularly.
In this episode we talk with Sara Hawkins about the Equifax breach and what you can do now.
BBP : Episode 54 - Equifarked Tech News * Apple Announced three new iPhones yesterday at the new Steve Jobs auditorium at the spaceship + Wireless charging + New A11 Bionic Processor + Glass backs + 2GB RAM ?? + No OLED + Camera can shoot in 4k + $699 and $799 + Preorder is Sept 15 and available Sept 22 + FaceID failure during demo, but basically it will unlock with the camera and your face + Black, White, and new gold color + iPhone X - Bezel is all but gone - No home button - Case is glass and stainless stell - $1000 sale 10/27 with shipment on 11/3 - Screen is an OLED display made by…. SAMSUNG! - The home button and power button are combined to be the Side Button * Long press for Siri, double click for Apple Pay - Two hour increase in battery than the iPhone 7 - Better flash, slow motion recording and of course 4k + Other phones cost - S8 : 700 - Note 8 : 900 - Pixel and Pixel XL : ?? Pixel was $650 & $850
And now to the even bigger issue in the last several days, the Equifax breach. * Equifax announed 143 million customer records exposed. + Just in ND, the attorney general has stated over 248k exposed http://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/ND-AG-says-more-than-248000-North-Dakotans-affected-by-Equifax-data-breach-444010593.html + Rick Smith, Chairman and CEO of Equifax on the breach - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh1gzJFVFLc + Issues - Breach occurred in May - July, found in July, made public in Sept - Three executives sold stock. On 8/1 and 8/2 the CFO and two other execs sold $1.8million in stock, which dropped over 10% on the announcment. Equifax claims the officers had no knowledge of the hack - Your information could be in Equifax because they gather information on nearly everyone to sell to credit checking agencies. It knows everything about your credit cards, bank accounts, mortgage, auto loans, everything. - The website to find out if you're affected has some issues * Stock Wordpress * Site was flagged by OpenDNS as a potential phishing site * WHOIS showed domain wasn't owned by Equifax * Site asked for six of nine numbers of social security number * Can state you've been breached using some test info… I believe this is residual from testing, but could show a larger issue. + What to do - Can check to see if you're affected * Be advised the FREE service may turn into a PAID version after a time * Also, read the T&C's on what rights you are giving up before you agree…. Rumors of being limited on legal actions against Equifax. It's now being reported that the verbage has been removed, so you are NOT giving up legal rights. - Put a credit freeze on accounts - Don't respond to phishing attacks to give out personal information via text or email.
In this episode we talk about upcoming Google Chrome warnings that will be displayed for website forms not protected by SSLs and a little about Dropbox Paper.
BBP : Episode 52 - Insecure Website Warnings & Dropbox Paper Updates * Dropbox Paper has released some updates + Users can now preview Dropbox Paper docuemnts before opening them. Very helpful for admins or project managers. + Usera can also now create folders on mobile devives and move Paper documents to them. Great for those of us who work on phones or tablets a good portion of the time. + And finally, users can now delete files on their mobile devices. A little less useful for many of us IT guys and creatives who NEVER delete anything, just archive it. * Google Chrome will now start displaying a "Not Secure" warning on webpages not protected by an SSL and including a form asking for passwords or credit card information. + This means that if your site requires or requests any of this, the warnings will be shown to potential clients and other visitors. + I believe this is an incremental step towards Chrome requiring all sites to have SSLs in the very near future, with the next step probably being that ANY form will need to be protected by an SSL. * This is a great time for you to get ahead of the inbound wave by activating an SSL on your site as soon as possible to take advantage of the extra search weight assigned by Google for sites with SSLs. * It's also a great chance to take a look at current forms on your website and maybe change them to ask additional questions you may have ommitted due to not having and SSL in the past. * Keep in mind there are some obstacles beyond cost to purchasing and installing an SSL. More to come on that in a future episode.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
In this episode we talk about Android Oreo, Skype, Chromebook Bluetooth issues, Facebook bandwidth limitations and GoDaddy Smartline.
BBP : Episode 51 - GoDaddy Smartline * New Android version is officially Oreo. + Google announced this on during the solar eclipse in New York. + Faster, better battery life, better copy and paste, picture in picture. + No specific date on release, but most compatible devices should have it by the end of 2017 + https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDLc-QPFNs0
- My phone situation
- The cell towers seem to be back up as my connection is much better
- However, I did choose Skype as my inbound/outbound backup.
- Worst part is now when I get a phone call, my phone, my Chromebook, my iPad and my computer all ring. I finally stopped leaving Skype on all the time on my Chromebook, so that removed one of the devices.
- One issue I've discovered is common with Chromebooks in general is a bit of an issue with Bluetooth audio. Seems that streaming audio via BT on the Chromebooks is a bit flakey So factor that into your decision making. LOVE the Chromebook, but that makes two big things I don't like, the other is a limit on
- Facebook will start distributing files based on the ability of users to view the content due to their bandwidth.
- This means that if you have a large video file or even a very large image, it may be NOT shown to users on slower mobile devices, or even slower home and office connection
- This does not mean you should NOT use video or images, it just means you should make sure you take some time to compress or optimize your file before you upload.
- This will make sure your message, advertising, or video of your dog playing will get seen my more people.
- GoDaddy Smartline
- 100 minutes per month
- 100 texts s/r per month
- Add a second number so you don't have to give out your mobile
- Make and receive calls using the Smartline business number.
- Also use Smartline to send/receive text messages
- Installs as an app
- Pricing is $3.99 for basic
- $9.99 for unlimited per month
- Choose a local phone number, link to your smartphone and you're ready to go!ttps://www.godaddy.com/smartline/second-phone-number
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
EPISODE 50!! AND, it's our one year anniversary. So all around a big day for the BeBizzy Break Podcast!
In this episode we talk about what NIST has recommended for a new password strategy.
BBP : Episode 50 - Change Your Passwords... Again First of all, congratulations to Dana and her team at the North Dakota Recreation and Parks Association on their new website. We launched http://NDRPA.com earlier this week. It's a Wordpress site with a calendar, subpage navigation and more. Check it out!
Also, I rescued two websites earlier this week from hacking. I'll use this as my weekly reminder for all of your to back everything up. Websites, databases, financial information, personal photos... everything. Better to put a little bit of prevention and spend a little bit of money now than pay a bunch of money to possibly recover (or worse, possibly NOT recover) lost data.
Passwords Back in 2003, Bill Burr (not the comedian) was a mid-level manager at NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology. They recommend standards on all sorts of things like official weight calibration, timing, and even technology guidelines like passwords. In 2003, Burr published NIST Special Publication 800-63 Appendix A, which spelled out the proper guidelines for creating and managing secure passwords on websites and networks. Those guidelines are still followed today.
The standards included a long password (8-12 characters), upper and lower case alphabet charcters, numbers, special characters and random. Sounds like every website you sign up for, doesn't it?
But now, Mr. Burr has stated that in regards to this document and policy, "Much of what I did I now regret." That's an unfair statement by Bill. Back in 2003, we didn't have much history of what computer network security was, and we definately didn't have the case studies of how criminals and mischief-makers would do to gain access to computer networks. All of his recommendations sounded solid, and while possibly flawed, are still in use today.
What NIST and computer analysts are finding though is humans always find an easy way to get around something tough, and frankly secure. The requirements would allow a user to create a seemingly random password like "Pa5sW0rD". You and I both know that says "PaSsWOrD", but the computer sees it matches Burr's recommendations.
So, when it comes time to update the password becasue of time requirements placed by the system adminstrators, or a data break. instead of creating a new, secure passwords, often we add something simple to it. "Pa5sW0rD" becomes "Pa5sW0rD1", the "5" and "s" switch places, or something simple like that to remember but still meeting Burr's recommendations.
Well the computer hackers have also figured out our shortcuts and have added some smarts into their password cracking to test out some of these easy switches. And it's working.
In June 2017, NIST has published a new version of NIST Publication 800-63, which outlines a very different recommended password architecture. What started out as a project to simply review and slightly revise Burr's policy recommendations became an eye-opening look into how users and criminals were using passwords. And results came back with a HUGE change in password policy.
Instead of a hard-to-remember, cryptic password, it was instead recommending four or five easy to remember words all pressed together. This is easy for the user to remember, change and use, and tough for the computer hackers to crack due to the length and randomness of the password.
A cartoon on XKCD.com estimated that a password created using Burr's methods, "Tr0ub4dor&3" would take only three days to crack using current methods. A password of four words all mixed together would take 550 years. That password was "correcthorsebatterystaple." Which one do you think is easier to remember, and change? And if you DO need to change the password, which is now only recommended in the event of a data breach or similar event, you can swap out an entire word instead of just adding a "1" or "!" to the password.
It will be interesting to see how this is adapted and implemented across websites and networks. Most rules won't allow passwords regardless of length, to not contain numbers, special charactes and upper/lower case, so there's a lot of things that have to change for these guidelines to become common, but it makes sense.
Do you have thoughts on this or anything else technology related? Let me know on Twitter or at BeBizzy.com!
Have a favorite small or home business phone system tip? I'm looking for help!
BeBizzy Break Podcast : Episode 48 - Can You Hear Me Now? I am currently having a problem with my phone.
A few weeks ago, my mobile phone connection has significantly dropped off in my home office. I'm in a basement with only a small window directly above my head to the outside world. I get nearly no bars on my phone connection, and my 4G LTE is suspect.
So, I'm looking for some possible solutions to make phone calls with my clients a reality. So far I've considered :
- Skype In and Out
- Relatively cheap
- Sound quallity is suspect
- Ooma & Vonage
- Extra equipment including a desktop phone
- Upfront cost then relatively cheap
- Grasshopper and RingCentral
- Established, proven product
- Little bit more expensive per month
- Still needs some additional equipment
- Other VOIP Solutions
- Cost is low
- Worried it goes away in a year
- Technology is sometimes good, sometimes a little sketchy.
So let me know what you're currently using if you are also unable to go exclusively with your smart phone, and we'll talk about my decision in a future podcast!
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Have you joined a Twitter chat? What has been your experience if you have? Are you ready to host a Twitter chat?
BeBizzy Break Podcast : Episode 47 - Joining, Participating In & Hosting Twitter Chats One of the biggest big advantages of the Twitter platform is for large groups of people to unite around a common topic to entertain, educate and provide a common voice. Leveraging that to learn about a topic is a great way to keep up with just about any category or specific subject.
But joining a Twitter chat can be a little tricky, and for many of us, scary. First of all, forget the scary part. You can join without anyone even knowing you're there, so let's just get that out of the way now. So that leaves the technical part. It's usually as simple as following a hashtag. Tools like Hootsuite and others allow you to both follow a hashtag, and even create a seperate stream with only that hashtag, which makes it really easy to play along.
Joining a Twitter Chat Some easy tips
- Participate! Ask questions, submit answers, share slides and other media . The biggest waste of your time will be to sit and watch the chat go by with nothing contributed by you. Follow people to interact with you if the content is valuable, entertaining, or helpful.
- When responding make sure you use the #Hashtag to ensure the admins and other followers can see your question, response or generate statement. This will allow everyone to use or respond to your post.
- If this is a q/a chat, look for Q1, Q2 or something similar from the admins, then respond with a similar format A1, A2, etc. along with the #Hashtag
- Follow the rules! Don't promote your website, service or other items unless it's allowed or requested by the hosts. Breaking these rules will 1) get you slapped on the wrist, or 2) get you banned from the chat
Creating a Twitter Chat
Maybe it's time you've finally created your own Twitter chat. You have a following, you have a topic, now you just need a vehicle to get your message to the masses and maybe use it to drive education and maybe even revenue!
If you are looking to build a community and host a Twitter chat there are also a few things to consider.
- Recruit a few ambassadors to help you with the chat by attending all of them, RT'ing invites and posts, and participating with answers and follow-up questions.
- Pick a hashtag that is unique, easy to remember and is about the topic. Use the same hashtag on every chat, every notice, and every recap.
- Schedule it when you think a large number of followers can attend. Many of the small business chats above are in the mid-evenings when fewer people are working, it's after dinner and many of us would be watching TV or doing other leisure activities. Chats targeting moms might be mid-afternoon when the kids are at school or taking naps.
- Prepare your questions, answers and related information in advance, and maybe even schedule in Hootsuite or other tools to make sure the timeline is followed.
- Interact with other users as they share and respond to your questions. You never know what will come up or be revealed.
- Prizes are a great way to get people to attend and interact.
- Guest hosts can add a bit of energy into the chat with a new voice and their following.
- Don't be afraid to change things as they emerge. If you get some feedback that a different time/day will work better, or more or less of a type of content works better or worse, make changes.
BeBizzy Break Podcast : Episode 46 - #NetNeutrality Day of Action Hosted by : Marv Dorner, owner of BeBizzy Consulting Today's episode is a quick view of #NetNeutrality.
If you're unfamiliar with Net Neutrality, it's simply the call to ensure the same speed, access and availability for all websites... basically what we have now.
Many companies, and of course some internet providers, would love to have priority access to the web, making their sites run at full speed, and throttling the rest of the websites.
Many people and companies are speaking out in defense of net neutrality, including Tim Berners-Lee, the man many credit with inventing the internet.
Join in the discussion and defend Net Neutrality by getting involved on Twitter using the #NetNeutrality hashtag, communicating with friends, family and elected officials, and supporting the companies listed on this article from the Verge.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
BeBizzy Break Podcast : Episode 45 - Own Your Digital Data Hosted by : Marv Dorner, owner of BeBizzy Consulting You own your business name, your equipment, maybe you even own your building.
But I bet many of you don't own your digital business presence.
I'm talking about your domain names, your social media pages, Analytics and more.
Here's some tips on owning your digtal data
- Google Business Listing - Make sure you use an email address owned by the company to create and manage the business listing. By not doing this, I've seen the process become very involved just to change the hours of operation.
- Google Analytics - Same as above... use an email address belonging to the business to create this account. We've had an issue where we could not move an account to a client and therefore couldn't use the existing account to manage everything without creating a new Analytics account.
- Social Media - Picture this... you fire the employee in charge of social media. They created YOUR page with THEIR account, and therefore "own" it. Now, in order to make sure that previous employee doesn't post negative information, or simply for you to continue to post as your business, you have to go to them and have them transfer ownership. Awkward! Create your own social media pages/accounts, and invite others to contribue. Then you can manage who gets access.
- Domain Names and SSL's - Your domain name is one of the first things potential customers can see. If you don't technically "own" it, then moving it can be a long, and sometimes impossible process. Lease your own domain names, and SSL certificates to make sure you know when they are up for renewal, and can easilyl change everything in the event you move or change hosting.
If you' currenty don't own your digital business presence or properties, my suggestion is to get them as soon as you can. You never know when your current vendor will be leaving the business space, you lose critical employees, or even if YOU are planning on selling and need to transfer ownership.
Need some help getting this handled? Contact BeBizzy Consulting at 701.214.6271 or at BeBizzy.com and I'll be happy to help you out!
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
BeBizzy Break Podcast : Episode 43 - Facebook Groups Hosted by : Marv Dorner, owner of BeBizzy Consulting One of the best things about owning my own business(es) is I get to make all the decisions regarding business processes and what I want and don't want to do.
Well, almost all the decisions. Sometimes I still need to fire up the printer... like this morning, only to find that I'm out of paper. You see, I print so infrequently that it's IMPOSSIBLE to know when I'm on the edge of running out of paper.
But the bright side of this inconvenience is that I got the immediate therapy of complaining about it on my podcasts, and using it as an opportunity to give some tips on making your office paperless.
What you need to print
- Contracts
- Invoices
- Meeting agendas
Why digital intead of print?
- Offsite backups - fire, water, carelessness, etc can ruin your print documents. Digital files can be secured and backed up in several locations in case there's a problem
- Accessable by multiple apps, computers and other devices.
- You can also share, or limit access to certain files and directories
- Searchable - Ever tried searching for a term or keyword in piles of paper? WAY easier in digital form.
But how can you avoid the general day to day paper mess?
- First, determine a method of storing PDFs, scanned images/receipts, or other documents
- Dropbox (https://db.tt/d7zxY4OK)
- Google Drive
- OneDrive
- Carbonite
- Next, determine a backup/security policy
- Regular backups
- Encrypted?
- Versioning?
- Use a service to store reciepts
- Shoeboxed
- Freshbooks
- Wave Accounting
- Track Mileage and Expenses
- Milebug
- Mile IQ
- Quickbooks
- Place for notes
- Evernote
- OneNote
- If you have a tablet or other device that enables handwriting, you can even write your notes instead of type them if that's a forbidden act in meetings.
- Task Management or Project Management software
- Scribblepost
- BaseCamp
- How can you avoid printing going forward
- Print to PDF
- Don't print emails, Flag them for followup, or organize them in your folders by client or project
- Electronic maps are sometimes incorrect, but if you think they are bad, try PRINTED maps! They are usually outdated the second they are printed.
- You can fax using services like HelloFax or E-Fax for much cheaper than a phone line and a paper/ink-fed fax machine.
- Don't Print web pages. Apps and sites like Pocket can save, categorize and share pages to be easily found later on all devices.
- When you get an invoice, bill or other paper document… scan it, save it and forget it instead of print it, file it, and dig it out later.
What should I do with the old paper?
- Besides a bonfire?
- Shoeboxed offers a service that will scan, organize and categorize receipts
- Many companies offer scanning services to scan and organize other documents
Expense savings
- No printing costs (paper, multiple printers, toner or ink)
- No storage costs with additional file cabinets, or even file rooms
- Increased efficiency in retrieving files and not walking/waiting by the printer for files to print.
BeBizzy Break Podcast : Episode 43 - Facebook Groups Hosted by : Marv Dorner, owner of BeBizzy Consulting Ever been looking for a way to bounce a new idea, get some feedback on something you created, or just want some like-minded people with whom to talk about your business or interest?
Facebook Groups is your solution!
There's a Facebook Group for just about any topic you can dream, and most are actively looking to add new members.
We discuss why you would join a Facebook group, or would want to create your own and some of the benefits and challenges of each choice.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
BeBizzy Break Podcast : Episode 41 - Flash! Ah ahhhhhh! Hosted by : Marv Dorner, owner of BeBizzy Consulting FINALLY! I've been waiting for the Chromebook Pro from Samsung for several months and it arrived late Monday afternoon. I spent the time between then and now putting it through it's paces and have determined it's everything I've envisioned... almost.
I've posted a review of the device here : https://www.bebizzy.com/samsung-chromebook-pro-review/
I loved the size, weight, screen and function of the site. Not happy with Chromebook's inability to see/use the inserted SD card with Android Apps.
Have you bought the Samsung Chromebook Pro or Plus? What are your thoughts?
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
BeBizzy Break Podcast : Episode 41 - Flash! Ah ahhhhhh! Hosted by : Marv Dorner, owner of BeBizzy Consulting Do you flash? Not the trenchcoat in public type, the watch animation or other things on the internet type.
If your website uses this technology, it's time to finally move on before you lose your customers!
All of the major internet browsers, Safari, Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox, have officially dropped support for the Flash plugin. Some will still allow you to install, but you have to go in to the settings and turn it on, then remember to turn it off again.
None of the major mobile devices including iOS and Android will display Flash animations.
That means that unless your visitors are running old computers, or tech savy enough to turn Flash on to watch, then turn it back off for security, you will lose that visitor... maybe forever.
Here are some options :
- If you are only using a Flash animation spash screen, see if it can be removed without killing your search rankings or you website.
- If you are using Flash or Silverlight for videos, can you migrate them to YouTube or Vimoe, or even self host the videos if they are small or viewed without regularity.
- You may need to plan to replace the website sooner than later. Odds are that if you're still using Flash probably not usable by mobile devices anyways.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
BeBizzy Break Podcast : Episode 39 - GSuite & Mailbird Hosted by : Marv Dorner, owner of BeBizzy Consulting Ever get the feeling that someone's watching you?
That happened to me this week, as I started to look for a replacement for my Outlook replacement, Mailbird. The problem was that although I had hundreds of contacts saved in my various GSuite email accounts, there was no way to easily sync to or from GSuite. On many occassions I was either grabbing email addresses from my phone or having to log into the web interface to gather the email addresses so I could send.
Just this morning, I recevied an email from Mailbird claiming they had a new Contact Manager ready to roll out, all I had to do was update Mailbird, click a few things and BOOM!, contacts. The scariest part was that it worked EXACTLY like it was supposed to work, and now I don't have to look for a new email system. Way to go, Mailbird! Check them out if you're a GSuite or Gmail email user.
And if your NOT a GSuite user... here's why you should be.
GSuite is a powerful email, calendar, document sharing, task & project management solution. Some other benefits are:
- Uses Google secure and "always-on" hosting solution. I have had very minimal outages in many years of use.
- The system is available from anywhere, so as long as you can get to a computer, tablet or phone and remember your login info, you can see you mail, calendar and documents.
- Easy to share documents within the GSuite environment, so anyone with your domain email can easily receive, share or collaborate on documents.
- You can still use Outlook. While I recommend getting outside the Office forcefield with apps like Mailbird, old reliable still works with GSuite.
- 2-Step Verification security to protect your email.
- 3rd party apps like CRMs, project management suites, mind mapping tools, and much more can be easily made available across the network.
- Excellent support
- Relatively cheap at $5 per email address per month.
Check out if GSuite is a good fit for you and your business by going to https://gsuite.google.com
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Happy Easter, and thank you for all the birthday wishes, everyone!
There was a huge Windows exploit identified last week, and Microsoft has published a patch for Windows 7, 8 and 10, but not for Vista or XP since they have recently stopped support for those operating systems. Run your updates, kids!
Also, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is coming out on Friday and is rumored to be THE smartphone in regards to performance and features. If you're in the new market for a new device, check it out!
Why Hire A Copywriter?
Copywriters are one of those skillsets that we all need, but we rarely think about until it's too late. On today's BeBizzy Break Podcast I talk about why you would want to hire a copywriter for your websites, press releases, or other marketing pieces. These can include :
- You don't have time to write your website or marketing content
- You're too close to your business to write for possible clients
- Website content is not something you've written before
- Keeping a consistant "voice" in your content
- SEO copywriting is a very specific skillset
- Your content is probably NOT using a copywriter
- Engage with your call-to-action
Copywriters can be a game changing additioin to your marketing team. Contact BeBizzy Consulting if you need to find someone to help you with your marketing voice.
Happy Tax Week, everybody!
Episode 37 - Wave Accounting This week I am happy to be joined by Rob Maurin from Wave to discuss this awesome, FREE, accounting and invoicing software.
We discuss some of the many features of this powerful business tool that will help you with your :
- Accounting
- Invoicing
- Recurring Invoicing
- Expense Tracking
- Payroll
- Mobile Invoicing
- And much, much more.
I've been a user for several years and couldn't be happier with the ease and completion of the system.
Check out the interview with Rob, then head over to http://waveapps.com and take Wave apps our for a drive.
FORE!
Golf is a fun activity participated in by many in the business community. Should you be one of them?
Golfing - Good for Business? There are many reasons why whacking a little white ball around a park can help you and your staff land new clients, get better at what you do, and just create a great environment for you to conduct informal business.
Some other benefits as posted for the MGT Open are :
- It's a 5-hour meeting. Good luck landing that with a client or even with your staff.
- Golf reveals the true character of both your potential clients, and yourself (so be careful).
- Business Golf is ideal for developing exclusive business leads, thanking clients and staff, brainstorming and team-building.
And more! Check out the link to the PDF.
And don't worry if you're a poor golfer, the game can actualy help if you're not just a little better than the person you're meeting with. And there are games like a scramble, best ball, or others that can help golfers with a higher handicap be on a more level playing field. And, getting better as the summer progresses is a great way to demonstrate that you can/do get better with repetition.
Now keep in mind that many don't golf, especially in the millenial age group. So if the target demographic spends more time just sitting around drinking a few craft beers or at a coffee shop, that may be more productive for you. Golf works, but both parties have to be willing and able to play. Remember, golf is NOT a cheap outing. By the time you buy/rent clubs, pay greens fees and cart rentals, and throw in some food and drink, it can be an expensive, but fun day.
So tee it up, network with your friends, and enjoy a day out in the sun talking about your business. You never know what might happen.
Happy World Backup Day, everyone! Well, maybe a couple days early, but we like to celebrate data backups all the time around here.
EP 35 - Happy World Backup Day! Before we get too far, I'd like to wish a Happy 23rd Birthday to my daughter! We'll see you this weekend and celebrate the best way you know how, by going to a hocke game!
Now, on to other important matters.
- March 31 is World Backup Day. Back. Your. Data. Up. That is all...
- I lied, that is NOT all. Your data is your business! Throw on top of that all your photos, your music, personal financial documents and more, and there are few things in life that would make things as difficult as recovering from a data failure.
- At the VERY least, back up your data to an external hard drive or to another computer.
- Personal Cloud storage devices are relatively cheap and easy to add to a home or office network.
- Data companies like Dropbox and Carbonite have built a business out of managing backups for you. Check them out!
- A group calling themselves the Turkish Crime Family has claimed to have stolen passwords to 530 Million Apple iCloud passwords. Time to change your passwords, kids!
- If your Apple password has been stolen the thief can get access to your data, and even reset your phone.
- FedEx is offering $5 for you to turn on Flash in your browsers.
- Why should you NOT do that? Flash was proven to be an insecure browser extension years ago, so none of the modern browsers have it turned on by default.
- FedEx needs to find a way to join the rest of us in 2017 and build a website that does not use this ancient, security-holed software.
Have a good rest of your week, everyone!
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
In episode 33 of the BeBizzy Break Podcast we chat a bit about the benefits of engaging in charitable endeavors in our community or just as a business.
Some of the benefits include :
- Make your community a better place to live
- Respect from others for donating time
- Networking connections with others that are donating time and energy to causes
One thing we've been told for years is that you need an email address in order to do business. I agree with that statement, but in regards to where that email address is used, I'm not in favor of listing email addresses on a website.
Email Address or Contact Forms?
I am, however, a huge fan of forms, and this week's BeBizzy Break Podcast features an interview with Rich Brooks from the Agents of Change Podcast on that very subject.
What are the benefits of using a form?
- Not divulging email addresses to potential spammers
- Guiding possible leads by asking questions in the form.
- Inputting form information into a CRM.
- Pushing the form to multiple recipients, or to a specific person where applicable.
A few more things about Rich Brooks.
First, tickets for the annual Agents of Change Digital Marketing Conference are now on sale. The conference takes place in Portland, Maine, but it's also streamed online and available via on demand video. Jay Baer is the keynote and more great speakers will be announced soon. The event is on 9/15/2017 and people can learn more at http://www.theagentsofchange.com Second, he has a book called The Lead Machine: The Small Business Guide to Digital Marketing that's available now. Your audience can download a free chapter at http://www.theagentsofchange.com/marv Enjoy the interview, bad voice and technical issues aside, and don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Host : Marv Dorner, BeBizzy Consulting
We're talking about Google Keep, Google Docs, and Google Chromebooks today on the BeBizzy Break.
But first, we're proud to annouce the launch of our newest website, Path To Pono. Contact Sandy Thompson with questions about recruiting great employees, developing leadership in your organization, and helping your family with substance abuse.
Now, on the Googles.
- Google has finally brought Google Keep into the GSuite environement in the web version (desktop and browser)
- Easily import Keep notes into Google Docs
- Google Keep is the notetaking app available on all devices (Android, iOS and in your browser) that takes audio, handwriting, images and itemized lists. You can also color code, and tag notes for ease in search and identification.
- Samsung Chromebook Pro - my next tech purchase (when it gets released)
- Chromebooks allow you to live in the Google environement for documents, the Chrome browser, photos and more. And now there's a reasonably priced great device called "Kevin" that even allows users to run Android apps on their Chromebook.
- The device is convertable to a tablet, and even has a Samsung S-Pen for taking notes and other visual needs.
- The Chromebook Plus is available for $449, with the Chromebook Pro being released in "Spring 2017" for around $500.
Have a great week, everyone. Spring is slowly on the way!
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Host : Marv Dorner, BeBizzy Consulting
Today on the BeBizzy Break Podcast we talk about why you would want to have a landing page or niche website for your product or services instead of just putting them as an additional page on your current website.
Some of the things to consider are :
- Really sit down and brainstorm if your product is a niche, or a broader product.
- What keywords should you be targeting with your website and marketing
- Find an appropriate domain name, and this doesn't always have to be your main corporate name, it can be specialized or customized to make it more noticeable.
- Same goes with your logo, if you can customize your current logo to handle this specialized part of your business, do so. Or create a new one. Or just use your main logo.
- Develop your strategies for marketing using both traditional and digital marketing. Does the imagery and content match the domain name? Is it attracting the proper demographic? Is it targeted?
- Think about if this is a long term or short run.
If you have more questions about niche websites, landing pages, or a full website, I would be happy to sit down and discuss with you! Contact BeBizzy Consulting at 701.214.6271, on Twitter @BeBizzy, or our website, BeBizzy.com.
Are you a member of a local chamber of commerce or other business organization? What are some of the benefits, and challenges, you face by being a member, or NOT being a member?
Episode 29 - Chelse Simon from the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce Today we talk about those challenges and opportunities with Chelse Simon, Amanda Schweiter, and David Leingang of the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce. They touched on some of the networking, leadership, volunteering and other opportunities that Chamber members and non-members can take advantage of within the Chamber.
We also talked about why or why not your chamber could be active within the political arena and how chamber members can either get educated or share their experince with other business professionals.
Take advantage of your local chamber by contacting their leadership either through the web, on the phone or just go there in person, and see how joining can benefit your small or solo business.
We did talk about some tech issues before the interview, mostly concerning Verizon' Unlimted plan. While it's not a good fit for me, I would encourage you to call their sales professionals and review your current account settings and whether or not the unlimited plan, or one of their other plans is a good account for you.
We also talked about Google Home and Amazon Echo possibly making phone calls by the end of the year, finally overcoming some regulatory and technical issues. I'm excited for this and will be keeping a close eye on this one.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Want to see what the BeBizzy Bunker looks like? Check it out at https://www.facebook.com/bebizzyconsulting/ !
So why would you want to be using live video to promote your business?
Using Live Video There are many ways to use live video to keep your business in front of your current and potential clients.
- Live Events
- Bar showing performers live
- Conference or seminar walking around showing displays and vendors
- Sales tour
- Restaurant
- Behind the Scenes
- TV news team
- Radiio studio
- Back room getting product ready for sale
- This podcast!
- Interviews
- Training
- Q/A Sessions
Keep in mind there may be interruptions, you can't use copywritten material, and everything else that can happen live.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
New year, new tools!
It’s time to finally get rid of paying $10/month for Microsoft Office and
Is It Time To Dump Microsoft Office Short answer? Yes!
I’ve decided it’s time to dump paying monthly for Microsoft Office and pay a one-time fee for WPS Office of $79. This provides a great office solution completely compatible with MS Office files for up to three years for 25% of the price!
So, if you don’t use Office very often and are looking for a great way to still conduct business with people who do use it, WPS Office has a great FREE version, or a paid version (pay monthly, quarterly, or annually).
I’ve been using it for a few months and recommend making the switch today.
By the way, if you’re using Microsoft Outlook for your Gmail or G Suite emails, Mailbird is a great product I’ve been using for that as well.
There are two complaints when a client is discussing the option of moving to Wordpress.
- Wordpress isn't secure. Something I discussed in a previous blog post - Is WordPress Safe?
- How can I make my slow Wordpress site faster? And besides being a recent blog post, we discuss that on this week's BeBizzy Break Podcast.
Make Wordpress Faster Of all the things that will make customers leave your site before they consume any of your information, images, videos or any other sort of content, a slow loading site is #1 on the list.
Many things cause slow sites, and on today's episode of the BeBizzy Break Podcast we will talk a bit about them.
- Making your server run better and serve up the pages quicker.
- Installing and turning on page caching to make sure returning visitors see pages faster
- Compressing and resizing images to decrease the file size being sent to the brower.
- Turning off and removing unused plugins and themes on the page to reduce the number of calls and possible security holes.
- "Minifying" CSS, javascript and HTML to decrease the number of files that have to be loaded to make the hidden portion of the website work. This is the most technical fix of the five, so make sure you are backing up the files AND database prior to messing around with this process.
Speeding up Wordpress is something that can be achieved if done correctly, so either get dirty and clean up your website, or contact BeBizzy Consulting today and we will take a look and see how we can decrease your page load times.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Welcome to episode 25 of the BeBizzy Break!
Today we're going to bring back Sara Hawkins to talk about some basic business, website and tech planning for 2017. During the long intervew we discuss :
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Consider incorporating if you have not already
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Get an EIN if you are a sole proprietor
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Consider what big expenses you may need, plan for them
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Create an expense tracking system
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Create, Review, or Update Website Policies
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Create or Update contracts you use
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Do a year-end analysis of what you did well and what could have been better
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Plan out when your legal filings are due and put them on your calendar for the year
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Review the images on your website; get a subscription to stock photo site or use quality free sites like unsplash, new old stock, death to the stock photo, good free photos (owner of site shares pix), stocksnap.io, gratisography (Ryan McGuire of Bells Design), Life of Pix (LEEROY creative agency)
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Create Guest Blogger guidelines or agreements
The interview ran about an hour, but there was just too much great stuff we didn't want to stop!
Enjoy!
Guess who's back... back again.
It's 2017, suckas! A fresh slate for your business, websites and personal lives.
It's time to talk about your website content.
- Why is good content important?
- How do you write good content?
- Where do you publish good content?
- How do you format good content?
- Is it just as important to NOT post if there's nothing to say?
- How do you promote the content?
Great topics with some good take-aways from guest Monica Miller of MonicaWrites.com.
Ohhhh the weather outside is frightful, but the Bison are playing for a title. And I have places to go, but it's too cold, it's too cold, cold to snow..
BeBizzy Break Podcast : Episode 23 - Dropbox Paper and the Why's and How's of Podcasting
- Dropbox Paper was announced last week and I started playing with it. It's a meeting management application that allows one to take notes, assign tasks, embed files and videos, and collaborate. Check it out.
- Why and How Should I Podcast
- Here's a simple list of what you neeed.
- Software : Audacity is a free app, so $0
- Microphone : A decent microphone will cost less than $100 through Amazon. The one recommended by many of the podcasting experts is the Audio-Technical ATR2500-USB
- Place to Host/Distribute Your Files : I use Podbean for it's ease on submitting to iTunes and other resources.
- Why Would I Podcat?
- Works like a blog to get a message on your expertise out to the audience
- It's primarily passive. Most people listen while they are driving, working, exercizing or doing something else. Podcasts can even be downloaded automatically. Reading emails and blog posts requires an active participant.
- Notes (like these) can be added and supply keywords and other items that Google is looking for when indexing the site.
- Here's a simple list of what you neeed.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Oh sure, first another blizzard, and now I almost get sucked into a nut website scam?
Set BS detectors to stun!
EP22 - The Gacillia Nut Website Scam I almost got taken by a scammer this week. I was approached, through text (?) by a gentleman who wanted a website built for his computer based in Washington DC. I do some work with a company out of Boston, and also have had past clients out east, so this wasn't totally out of left field. But something just didnt sound right. Below is the text sent to me...
"I have small scale business which i want to turn into large scale business now it located in and the company is based on importing and exporting of Agriculture products such as Kola Nut, Gacillia Nut and Cocoa so i need a best of the best layout design for it. Can you handle that for me ?. so i need you to check out this site but i need something more perfect than this if its possible .http://www.agroamerica.com.... the site would only be informational, so i need you to give me an estimate based on the site i gave you to check out, the estimate should include hosting and i want the same page as the site i gave you to check out and i have a private project consultant, he has the text content and the logos for the site."
James claimed to be hearing impared, so no phone conversation could be used. Now I know why. An internet search for Gacilla Nut revealed this scam IMMEDIATELY, right down to the exact copy of the contact. Apparantly the next step will be to say the credit card won't go through, and to provide him with a checking account number so he can transfer money. I think we all know what happens next.
So, I've deleted the invoice, and will kill the contract with James. If anything else happens, I'll report back to you here.
In other news:
- Fitbit bought Pebble watches. I've also heard that Pebble is now dead... I hope this isn't true. My first smartwatch was a Pebble and I loved it.
- I updated three sites to Wordpress 4.7, which came out yesterday, with no issues. Hopefully this trend continues!
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Happy Wordpress 4.7 Eve, everybody! Start backing things up and getting ready to upgrade!
Episode 21 - Happy Wordpress 4.7 Eve, Google Handle and Chromebooks * Wordpress 4.7 is scheduled to drop tomorrow (12/6/2016) with promised security updates and more. + Start updating and backing things up in preparation. * Google Handle is available for the Chrome browser and iOS. + Makes it easy to create a task from an email and set a reminder to the Google calendar. + Chrome app to use in browser and iOS app available. * Thinking about getting a Chromebook, are you using one? * Also, we will be bringing Sara Hawkins back once or twice a month, so if there's a legal topic you would like us to talk about, send it to bebizzy.com or @bebizzy on Twitter!
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Well, we're digging out from our first big blizzard of the 2016-2017 winter here in North Dakota, but that hasn't stopped us work-from-home guys from getting stuff done.
And just to warm up a bit, I took the opportunity to talk to Sara Hawkins about some basic legal issues this week
BeBizzy Break : Episode 20 - Change Your Google Password (again) & Sara Hawkins
- Googlian - a malware attack was found on over 1million Google accounts that came from compromised phones. For sure, change your password, and you may want to take other precautions if you feel your phone and account has been compromised.
- Sara F. Hawkins joins the podcast today in the first of a series of interviews centering around why and when you would want to engage an attorney as a small or solo business owner.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Happy Week After Thanksgiving, everyone.
Hope you had a wonderful long weekend, or OK short weekend if you were working.
Episode 19 - Twitter Suspensions, 9.4 Billion in Mobile Profit, and Milebug
- Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, got his Twitter account suspended by accident last week. I've had this as well. What can you do once this happens?
- Smartphone PROFIT for the 3rd quarter was $9.4 BILLION globally. Out of that, Apple gobbled up 91% of that profit.
- Microsoft continues to attempt to make it OK for the LinkedIn purchase with the EU. Now opening Outlook to 3rd party app developers in regards to LinkedIn info
- Real News - What is real news? Can you actually build something to filter out "semi-real" news? How does this affect advertising?
- Milebug - Awesome Android and iOS app to track mileage and other expenses. I've been using it for years and highly recommend it.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Happy Monday, everyone! Just a quick podcast today as I'm heading out of town for a client meeting.
- Google has announced last week that while it likes mobile sites to be build with AMP (accelerated mobile page) in mind, it will still show desktop site results above AMP sites, even in mobile searches.
- Takeaway might be to put AMP design on the back burner and focus on responsive right now.
- Microsoft Azure Datamarket is closing March 31, 2017.
- Start looking for alternatives now to avoid the rush
- Facebook acknowledged it found reporting issues in video views and more back in September and it has adjusted numbers accordingly.
- The company has promised to bring in more 3rd party data reviews to ensure the accuracy of information.
That's it for today!
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Oh the weather outside is frightful... or at least it will be in a few days. Big storm a'comin' to the midwest and heading east.
But inside here on the BeBizzy Break Podcast we're just talking about the holidays and your marketing.
- Google Photoscan - need to digitize your old photos and upload them to social media or a secure cloud location? Photoscan will do just that. Available for the iOS & Android devices you can easily scan any old photo or document and keep it digitally.
- Mandy Edwards from ME Marketing Services joins the Break to discuss getting your small business ready for the holiday season with some tips on making your digital locations as well as your traditional marketing efforts a bit more seasonal.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
It's November 14, 2016... and it's 56° in North Dakota. Something's not right.
But on today's BeBizzy Break Podcast I talk a little bit about:
- Yahoo! Mail, and why you should get rid of that thing moving to Outlook.com or Gmail
- Why you should start planning on getting an SSL installed on your website to use HTTPS, even if you don't collect secure information and just want it to maintain your current search position.
- And wearable device security.
Don’t forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Well, it's the day after election day. Hopefully all of your candidates and measures passed, and if not, lick the wounds and get back to work, right?
Today we are talking about Scribblepost, a wonderful task-management system that I've been using for a few months. Paul Berkovic joins in from Australia to talk about the app and how you can use it to manage your business and your day better.
We also spend some time on :
- Election results and how we can celebrate/mourn the results, we really have to get back to working on our business
- Microsoft lost 300 Million browsers last year, mostly to Chrome.
- And, Wordpress 4.7 is coming, so get ready.
Don't forget to send us any suggestions for apps to review or people to interview. And subscribe to the BeBizzy Break Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.
And as always, leave the technical stuff to us!
Episode 14 of the BeBizzy Break Podcast. On this episode we talk about:
- Microsoft Teams - a Slack competito
- Team chat communication and file sharing
- Introducting Microsoft Teams - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKU-FMzZFF0
- Microsoft Introduces a trade-in program from Macbook Pros to Surface devices.
- Program ends November 11, 2016, so hurry up!
- LastPass - making the mobile app free! You can use Lastpass to manage secure passwords across all of your logins and keep it safe with one secure password
- Mobile traffic from StatCounter has finally passsed desktop. 51% of all web traffic is now mobile. - Have you updated your website yet?
- Get ready for Snapchat Glasses - codename Laguna
- Video camera sunglasses going on sale in the coming weeks
- Synced to smartphone and snapchat accounts
- Video files up to 10 seconds
- Hype - Live Video Broadcasting app from the creators of Vine
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- Creators were not happy when Twitter announced Vine was being shut down.
- iOS beta app
- Competitors include Periscope, Snapchat, and Facebook Live and the rumored Instagram livestreaming app, GoInst
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Happy Halloween, everyone!
We're celebrating by releasing Episode 13 (ooooooohhhh, spooky) of the BeBizzy Break Podcast where I talk about :
- New Apple Macbook Pro and Microsoft Surface Studio computers launched last week at big prices.
- Goodbye to Vine
- Speaking of goodbye's... the Apple startup sound won't be included in new computers or operating system updates.
- Google has announced throttling of Google Keyword Planner tools for those not spending an un-announced threshold with AdWords.
- Alternates include using MOZ Keyword Explorer, SEMRush, Search Metrics, and KeywordTool,io. Or it might be time to hire a dedicated SEO person
- Looking for your favorite task management software and/or app. Send them to @bebizzy on Twitter.
Sorry we missed Monday's broadcast, but I was on SuperTalk 1270am to guest host the Tech Ranch radio show and most of the afternoon/evening at an open house for Harvest Events, a new wedding venue in Mandan, ND.
But on Episode 12 today I discussed :
- The Smartwatch is dead, or not...
- Mac Sierra 10.12.1 was released, upgrade today!
- New beta LinkedIn Company Pages are being rolled out to some
- The new Microsoft Surface Studio all-in-one computer was announced today:
- 32GB RAM, 2TB HD/SD storage, four USB 3.0 ports, MiniDisplay port
- Surface Dial - haptic feedback device that can be placed on the touchscreen
- Hinge allows the 28" monitor to be laid perfectly flat for document markup, design work and more.
- True Scale function features a 1":1" actual scale.
- $2999, available for pre-order today
- Toggl
- Great time-tracking app I have used for a few months
- Pushes time, projects and client info to virtually any device in almost real time.
- Free for small/solo users, but cost ranges from $9-59 for a variety of features
- http://www.toggl.com
In Episode 11 of the BeBizzy Break Podcast we chat a little about:
- The debates are finally over, can I have my social media back yet?
- My fancy new Dell D3100 docking station connected to two 23" monitors.
- The rumors emerging from the pending Mac announcement for next week including the Magic Toolbar.
- Microsoft's new booking service through Facebook that will allow tickets and food to be sold right from the social media site.
- Change your LinkedIn password! Czech officials caught a Russian hacker that compromised over 100million accounts in 2012.
- Belichick is smashing Surface tablets on the sideline of New England Patriots games.
- Samsung is replacing Note 7's right at the airport.
- And I'll be appearing on the #VZWBUZZ (#ad) Facebook Live stream tomorrow (Friday, Oct 21) at 3pm CT. Join the chat from 2-3pm, then watch me live!
Episode 10 of the BeBizzy Break Podcast features some commentary on :
- Why do you still have your Note 7? Samsung has stopped the sale and replacement, so turn it in!
- Verizon promised to push Google Pixel updates at the same time as unlocked phones.
- http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/10/12/13258286/verizon-google-pixel-fast-android-updates
- Verizon is also asking for a $1B decrease on the offer to buy Yahoo! due to some information regarding Yahoo!'s screening account information for intelligence informaton, and the 2014 data breach that affected around 500 Million subscribers.
- Twitter is being shopped around... still. Why hasn't Google just written a check yet?
- And if you're going to "friend" me on LinkedIn, at least wait more than an hour to try and sell me something.
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Sticher Radio, and PocketCasts!
We missed an episode earlier this week due to a sick dog, but that's all under control so we got back on track with a great interview with Carrie Drephal of the TechnologyHub conference taking place Oct. 13 in Appleton, WI. We talked a bit about the conference, but focused mainly on how to get the most out of any conference from the eyes of an organizer, not a business person or attendee.
We also took a look at the Google hardware announced at yesterday's live stream including the Google Pixel phones, the Google Home, Google Wi-Fi and more.
You can pre-order the Google Pixels from the exclusive provider, Verizon, by clicking here!
Episode 8 of the BeBizzy Break Podcast features :
- An Interview with Rob Port of SayAnythingBlog.com and the Rob (Re)Port on WDAY in Fargo, ND.
- Old media is dead... again.
- I got Yext Certified!
- Car buying is dead... soon.
- And some stuff about the debate.
Episode 7 of the BeBizzy Break Podcast features some discussion on :
- Google, Microsoft or Verizon interested in acquiring Twitter? What does that mean for the social media platform?
- Yahoo was breached back in 2014. Change your password now!
- When is it time to give up on your old technology and move to something modern and possibly more reliable?
- Project AirGig
- And tonight's Presidential Debate
Joining me today is Nathan from CoSchedule, a great content marketing platform that will help you keep your social media, blog and other marketing vehicles on task.
And, I go on a rant about the Samsung Note 7 recall, and backing up your phone and computer.
Today we talk about the move to a new office space, the iPhone 7 and its lack of a headphone jack, and new updates to Wordpress and the Divi theme.
Episode Four of the BeBizzy Break Podcast features a great interview with Tobi Walter from Shoeboxed, joined by Claudio Amand.
Shoeboxed is a receipt and expense organizer that allows users to uploaded scanned or photographed receipts and organize them for easy presentation to accounting and tax preparation staff. I've been a user for several years and couldn't run my businesses without it.
Tobi also talks about how Shoeboxed is being used for banks and financial institutions, and hints at some additional functionality.
Today's episode was delayed a day as I celebrated Labor Day sorting through a mountain of cables and ancient technology, watched some college football on my tablet, thought about upgrade possibilities, and wondered out loud what would happen to ManageWP as it announced it was purchased by GoDaddy.
As always, send me any app, website or interview suggestions to @BeBizzy on Twitter, or visit BeBizzy.com and drop me a note there.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and send us a review!
Interview with Scott McCarthy, VP and co-owner of Silicon Plains, a managed services provider in the Bismarck, ND area.
If you're interested in the services Scott and Silicon Plains provide, reach out to them at http://www.siliconplains.net .
Initial "test" podcast of the BeBizzy Break.
We'll talk briefly about FargoConnect, a digital marketing conference on August 30, 2016, and also about a new smartphone, the Moto Z Droid.
Using this podcast to test out the equipment and other portions of the recording before launching the full-on interview portion soon.
Have a suggested topic or interview? Send them to me via http://www.bebizzy.com or @BeBizzy on Twitter!