Have you ever seen one of those scary websites or blogs that was so full of poor grammar and bad spelling – so full of red flags like “your invited” and “there prices don’t compare”, that not only will you NOT do business with these people – you want to warn everybody else to stay away too?

As an eMedia consultant & publisher, I see it all the time.

It drives me crazy.

It is a dead give-away that the Business Owner either tried doing the website or Blog on her own, or paid the wrong person to do it for her – and she didn’t even have it proofread in the end.

If I could scrawl some BIG words on a giant wall somewhere that every small business owner in the world would read – it would be these:

Just because you believe you can design your own website or write your own Blog articles – doesn’t mean you can.

I mean you can – but your site may not look as professional as it should.

And it certainly may not accomplish what you are trying to accomplish (which I would assume is to assure people that you are professional, and your products and/or services are top-notch).

Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge proponent of all manner of positive thinking.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained (after all) so of course you Read the rest of this entry

We’ve all heard the phrase “time is money”. Yet how much time and money do we waste by not (finally) getting organized?

If you are still carrying around a paper-based “day-planner” or dog-eared pocket calendar full of illegible “to-do” lists, I have a suggestion for you: Google Calendar.

Google Calendar is a free online/mobile organizer application to help you keep up with your daily tasks, meetings, appointments, and payments.

You can create multiple calendars with Google Calendar, and you can choose to share any (or none) of them with family, friends, associates – or whoever you want to share with.

In a way, Google Calendar is like having your own personal assistant – continuously alerting you to the things you need to take care of.

How Does Google Calendar Work?

Since it is a web-based application, Google Calendar will run on virtually any operating system, as long as you have a Web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Chrome, or Safari.

And it is very easy to use!

Just log-in and add your event to your calendar- with details such as time, place, duration, etc. That’s it.

Your events will be stored online, and now you can view your Calendar from any location that has internet access. (Now at least you’ll never lose your calendar!)

But what good is a calendar or to-do list if you don’t have access to it all the time?

No problem.

Just sync Google Calendar up with your cell phone and your email address – and you’ll receive email notifications, or text message notifications.

Want a text or email from Google Calendar one day prior to a dentist appointment, or 7 days before your mortgage is due?

Google Calendar will handle it for you! Your reminder will appear in your email in-box, or on your cell phone (or both!).

To get started with Google Calendar – simply visit Google Calendar and set-up your free account.

But hurry – before you forget to do it!

Posting an ad on Craigslist is probably one of the easiest things you can do to promote your Business, Event or News for free online.

For those of you who don’t know it, Craigslist is an online network which features free online classified advertisements.

You can create your own free Craigslist advertisement and have it online in a matter of seconds. Simply create your ad, and then insert it into the ad form at Craigslist.

Is posting a free ad on CRAIGSLIST really easy?

Well, yes but…

You’ll have to create a CRAIGSLIST account first.

There have been recent changes to setting up a Craigslist account – with new security features in place for some categories.

But still, the process is very easy!

Here are 10 Easy Steps To Creating a Craigslist Account

1. First, go to craigslist.org. You’ll see columns of specific cities, states, and countries.

Just click on the specific location in which you want to post an advertisement.

2. Once you are on your location page, click “post to classifieds”.

3. You will be asked what type of posting you are making. In most cases, you’ll want to select “service offered”.

4. Under the “services” section, simply click the category which best fits your Business or Service.

You’ll be taken to a page that says: “you need to have a Craigslist account…”

5. Click the “Craigslist account” link. Then click “sign up for an account” (at the bottom of the page).

6. On the next page, enter the Email Address you want associated with your Craigslist account.

(It’s important to note that this email address is for Craigslist Administrators only. You will be given a completely anonymous email address to be used for your ads)!

Then enter the verification words you see in the Box. Click “create account”.

If this is done correctly, you’ll get a thank you – but you’re not finished yet!

7. Check your email for the link from CRAIGSLIST to activate your CRAIGSLIST account.

8. Click the link, enter your password, and submit it.

9. Read the CL Terms Of Use page and make sure you understand it.

You don’t want your ads to be flagged (deleted), and you certainly don’t want your account to be suspended.

If you are sure you want to continue with CRAIGSLIST, click “I accept”.

10. You are ready to post your first free CRAIGSLIST ad!

Click “go” and go for it!

Oh yes, it’s FREE.