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Video conferencing has been around in various forms for decades. Once very expensive, complex, and out of reach for most businesses, video conferencing is now accessible to the average person. It now requires nothing more than a computer, some software, a webcam and a microphone.

What Is Video Conferencing Good For?

Video conferencing is a great asset for businesses large and small. Any business that has a need to communicate with people in other locations can benefit from it. It provides the capability to simulate face-to-face talk and collaborate on projects without requiring the time and expense of arranging an in-person meeting. It also eliminates the need for you or your participants to make and pay for travel arrangements.

Video conferences are also great for sales presentations. Prospects can get information about your products or services through audio and video, and they can also participate almost as if they were in the same room as you. They can see your products in action and ask questions. You can also give them the option to participate via webcam, allowing them another avenue of self-expression.

Educators and tutors can also benefit tremendously from video conferencing. It allows them to conduct classes or sessions with students who are miles away, or even on the other side of the world. It offers a high level of interactivity that recorded courses cannot.

How Do I Have a Video Conference?

If you have all of the equipment required to do a video conference, you’ll just need to choose a video conference provider or get video conferencing software. You can find numerous options online.

There are some free video conferencing options, but these are usually supported by advertising. Do you really want some other company’s ads displayed during your conference? The free software is best for those who are just giving video conferencing a try to see if it meets their needs, or for those using it for personal meetings.

Paid video conferencing options are available for a fraction of the price that a video conference once cost. Some providers charge a flat fee for unlimited monthly usage. There is usually a limit, however, on the number of participants at any given time. This is an important consideration if you anticipate having large conferences.

Video conferencing was once reserved for government agencies and large corporations. Now virtually anyone can hold or participate in a video conference. Small businesspeople that have partners, clients or prospects who are far away geographically can communicate with them and share video from their own offices or homes. The new technology that has enhanced video conferencing can save you lots of time and money by making face-to-face conference planning and travel unnecessary.

I’ve been Tagged by Alice Seba of Internet Marketing Sweetie (one of my favorite blog and info sites) to play the Weird and Random Things Game! (So apparently she can see my name on the list of commenters, and yet I’ve still never won any of her freebies! BTW, she gives away some GREAT freebies!)
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Here’s how this one works:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog; some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
(Some games have a rule 4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on each of their blogs. But I agree with Alice: I’d leave this step out…it’s not really good blog etiquette to leave random comments - if you know who you tag, you can e-mail them, but like Alice, I found out from Wordpress that I’d been tagged!)

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Anyway, here they are…some random, some weird:

1. I was born in Warner Robins, Georgia, at the Air Force Base (both my parents were in the Air Force, Dad was a pilot, Mom was a nurse.)
2. I am a Star Trek fan, just the original and The Next Generation, after that I think the Universe started to slide backwards down the evolvement scale)
3. I am the middle of two sisters, no brothers.
4. When I was 22 weeks pregnant with my first son, I was told by my doctor (a specialist in high risk pregnancies) to terminate my pregnancy because he didn’t think I would make it the week that we needed to try life-saving measures on my baby.  I refused.  My son was born at 31 weeks and is now a perfectly healthy, very active 4 year old.
5. My cell phone is elligible for an upgrade on September 20, 2008.
6. I used to watch Grey’s Anatomy, but got tired of having to shut my kids out because of the new content, so now I just read the summary at ABC.com
7. When I was a kid, I lived in Sherwood Forest (really) on RobinWay Drive and went to Sherwood Elementary.  (There was also a Friar Tuck, Maid Marion, and all the rest - it was in Cincinnatti, OH.)

So now. . . who to tag, who to tag??

I’ll say

FitDarcie

Auntie Wahm

Lynn Terry

Heather

Here’s to all our random weirdness!

I actually meant to write this article earlier, but. . .

I’d like to say that I was joking, but really, I’m not. I did mean to write this earlier, about a week or so ago. It’s funny, I’m so busy with homeschooling, helping run my husband’s art business Padilla of San Felipe, housekeeping, raising 3 kids, preschool, church, bible study, and my websites, and I ALWAYS have ideas of things I want to do for my websites, posts to write, e-books to put together, etc. But when I finally get a moment of peace, my mind goes blank and my fingers stop working!

It’s more than writers block, it’s that level of procrastination that causes you to freeze just when everything is clear for your schedule - it’s that “I don’t want to. . . no I can’t possibly do anything right now” kind of feeling, and when you work for yourself, too many of these “do nothing when it’s the best possible time to get things done” periods can be disasterous!

Here are a few tips for getting yourself over that hump!

* Do something, Do ANYTHING! Simply start writing anything you can think of. If you’ve been keeping lists of possible topics, just start writing, even it all you can do is write the title and the first sentence. You can always go back and finish later when you are inspired.
* Make a list of mundane tasks such as checking e-mail, writing a post, or logging in to your ftp account. These tasks will prove important if you are ever unable to take care of your business, and may even help to improve how you do these tasks!
* E-mail someone you’ve been meaning to e-mail but haven’t yet.
* Time yourself. Sometimes the lack of pressure can kill your motivation. Try timing yourself at simple work tasks to give yourself the sense of urgency that you are used to working under.

If all else fails, leave your desk and go play with your kids - hey that’s one of the benefits of working from home, and maybe just maybe your temporary burnout is because you’ve been working too hard!

One of the things that many people across the globe share is the daydream of quitting their jobs and becoming their own boss.  Many of these people have no ambition or desire to become the next tycoon or mogul; they simply want to own their own small business.  Some may call this fantasy “the American dream”.

While owning a business may be a great dream or fantasy, it’s not always a great reality.  Becoming “the boss” generally means that a person will be taking on more work, more responsibility, and more stress than they ever had as an employee.

It takes a lot of people to make the world turn, and some people are more suited to being employees than business owners.  There are some personality traits that can help a person become a more successful business owner.

Traits of a Successful Small Business Owner

• Business owners truly need to be independent.  Owning your own business could mean working by yourself.  People who enjoy being surrounded by a team of co-workers may be very lonely as a business owner.

• Organizational skills are a must!  A person who is constantly losing clients’ phone numbers and assignment details will have a hard time being successful in their own business.

• Along with organizational skills, time management skills are also mandatory.  As the boss, a person needs to know what work needs to be done, when the work is due, and be able to organize the tasks in a way that is efficient and timely.

• Having the freedom to create their own schedules is one of the reasons people start dreaming of becoming their own boss.  This freedom can get business owners in trouble.  It can be very easy to procrastinate on tasks or simply put off work to do other activities.  A successful business owner needs to be self-disciplined in order to complete the work, even when they would rather be doing something else.

• Being self-motivated is another trait that will lead to success.  As an employee, a person may get various rewards for meeting goals and accomplishing tasks.  As a business owner, there won’t be anyone else to push and pull you towards your goal.  This drive is something that needs to come from within.

• It can take several years for a business to actually become profitable and successful.  Having the ability to stay positive, even in hard times, as well as making the commitment to keep working every day towards the end goal, will help a business owner tremendously.

Deciding to become a business owner can be scary and daunting, but it can also be one of the best decisions a person will ever make.  Only you can decide what is right for you.

How Hiring an Intern Can Help You as a Small Business Owner

As a small business owner, finding good help can be difficult.  Qualified candidates are more likely to gravitate toward large corporations than smaller businesses because of their high profile and better pay.  One way that you can find quality help is by hiring interns.

Who are interns?

The majority of interns are college students who are looking to get credits needed for graduation, or simply to gain experience.  But some people who are looking for internships have already completed their education, and would like to either gain experience or try to break into a new field.  Either of these groups can be a major asset to your small business.  And they are often willing to work for little or no pay, so they are less expensive than hiring a regular employee.

Interns Can Help With Everyday Tasks

Most interns have little or no actual experience in their field, so they’re best suited to small tasks at first.  That doesn’t mean that you should relegate them to the role of gopher, however.  It just means that they need to work their way up to the bigger tasks.

Interns can start out doing nuts-and-bolts type work, such as paperwork.  Once they’ve mastered that, they can move on to tasks that are progressively more complicated.  The pace will depend on the intern’s skill level and your needs.  If you move him up too slowly, he could become bored or disgruntled.  If you move him up too quickly, he might not be able to keep up.

Interns Can Help With Short-Term Projects

If you have a short-term project that you need extra help on, or if your business is seasonal in nature, hiring interns is a great way to get the help you need at a low cost.  They are often willing to work extra hard in order to get a good report or reference in their field of choice.  And since there doesn’t have to be any type of commitment, you can keep them only as long as you need them.

Interns May Make Good Candidates for Full-Time Employment

Interns are great for short-term projects, but hiring them also gives employers a way to screen potential employees.  It’s like hiring someone, but getting a risk-free trial period to evaluate them before making a commitment.

If you choose to hire an intern as a full-time employee once his internship is over, word will get around to other potential interns.  That could result in a swarm of qualified candidates seeking internships with your business.  That could be great news if you are looking to expand your business.

Interns are great for businesses, and small businesses in particular can benefit from hiring them.  Whether you need a temporary extra hand around the office, someone to help with a small project, or are looking for a full-fledged employee, hiring an intern could be just the solution you’re looking for.  It’s a cost-effective way to get help for any purpose.