Better Living On the Web » Small Business http://betterlivingontheweb.com Make the Web Your Personal Assistant at Work and Home! Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:19:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Is Someone Stealing Your Image? http://betterlivingontheweb.com/is-someone-stealing-your-image/ http://betterlivingontheweb.com/is-someone-stealing-your-image/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:56:05 +0000 ltruex http://betterlivingontheweb.com/?p=425

A couple of years ago I was checking my web stats and noticed that one URL seemed to making a lot of hits on one of my graphics. Visiting the site I discovered it was using my logo as its own. This was potentially very bad for me as my site was about finding legitimate work-at-home opportunities and the site that was stealing my logo was a scam. People who didn’t know better would think that I was promoting the scam or at the very least endorsing it. It could have ruined my credibility.

Copyright infringement is rampant on the Internet, and its hard to know what materials are being stolen and where they are posted. But at TinEye.com you can an least find out if your logo, image, or other graphics are being used somewhere other than where you placed them.

TinEye has an easy to use image search engine for graphics. Just upload the graphic or give the URL of the graphic and it will show you where else the graphic is being used. You may be surprised to find your pretty mug showing up on a different  site! Or your logo!

To learn more visit TinEye.com

tineye

Results of a search on my photo image. Sparkplugging has permission to use this photo.

]]> http://betterlivingontheweb.com/is-someone-stealing-your-image/feed/ 1 Get Money for Your Creative Project from Kickstarter http://betterlivingontheweb.com/get-money-for-your-creative-project-from-kickstarter/ http://betterlivingontheweb.com/get-money-for-your-creative-project-from-kickstarter/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:12:24 +0000 ltruex http://betterlivingontheweb.com/?p=1026

Are you a fledgling artist, filmmaker, musician, writer or creative soul? Need some cash to pursue your creative project? Then check out Kickstarter, which touts itself as the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Don’t worry that investors will have part ownership of your project. Through Kickstarter you keep 100% ownership over your work.  Instead, investors are thanked or compensated in other ways such as copies of the completed project. Current projects include documentaries, game boards, comics, art app for iPad and more.

If you don’t have a project, but are interested in supporting artists, Kickstarter has thousands of project looking for your help.

To learn more, visit Kickstarter.

]]> http://betterlivingontheweb.com/get-money-for-your-creative-project-from-kickstarter/feed/ 0 Organize Receipts with Shoeboxed.com http://betterlivingontheweb.com/organize-receipts-with-shoeboxed-com/ http://betterlivingontheweb.com/organize-receipts-with-shoeboxed-com/#comments Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:08:43 +0000 ltruex http://betterlivingontheweb.com/?p=799

If you run a small business, keeping your receipts organized and accessible helps make tax time easier. If you run a business or freelance in which you need to pay estimated tax payments four times a year, you may want to check out Shoeboxed.com, where you can mail-in or upload your receipts to organize them and get rid of clutter. The information can then be transferred to programs such as Excel, Quickbooks, Freshbooks, Evernote, Quicken, and CSV formats. If you scan and upload your receipts yourself, the service is free. Or you can mail your receipts and Shoeboxed will scan them for you. You can even scan and upload using your phone. Fees for expanded services depend on how many receipts a month you upload. There is even an option to upload business cards.

To learn more or get started for free, visit ShoeBoxed.com. Also check out ShoeBoxed’s blog for great articles on personal finance, taxes and more.

Take the work out of paperwork - Shoeboxed

]]> http://betterlivingontheweb.com/organize-receipts-with-shoeboxed-com/feed/ 1 Entrepreneur Assist Offers FREE Tools for Your Business http://betterlivingontheweb.com/entrepreneur-assist-offers-free-tools-for-your-business/ http://betterlivingontheweb.com/entrepreneur-assist-offers-free-tools-for-your-business/#comments Wed, 09 Feb 2011 05:54:14 +0000 ltruex http://betterlivingontheweb.com/?p=19



When I first started my business, I paid a fortune in tools and services to get it up and running. MS Office Suite cost hundreds of dollars. Then there were the planners, form templates and a host of other tools and services each with a fairly hefty fee.

Today the Internet offers many of these tools and services at an affordable price. Entrepreneur offers most of them for free. Entrepreneur Assist is a one-stop virtual officer where you can:

  • Create text documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
  • Customize and use business form templates.
  • Hold live online meetings with customers and colleagues.
  • Schedule events and reminders.
  • Build your business plan.

You can even read and save articles from Entrepreneur.com as well as read free business related books.

The templates menu is vast including samples of accounting forms, starting a business checklists, sales receipts, business plans and more. The book selection is small but offers resources in retirement planning, project planning, marketing and more.

The appeal of Entrepreneur Assist is the ability to have a variety of office tools and service all in one spot. In a single sitting you can print out an invoice, write a letter, read and save an article, create your schedule and host an online meeting all from one site.

To learn more or sign up, visit Entrepreneur Assist.

]]> http://betterlivingontheweb.com/entrepreneur-assist-offers-free-tools-for-your-business/feed/ 0 Create Legal Forms Free http://betterlivingontheweb.com/create-legal-forms-free/ http://betterlivingontheweb.com/create-legal-forms-free/#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:08:40 +0000 ltruex http://betterlivingontheweb.com/?p=374


Ever need a contract or other legal form, but don’t want to hire an lawyer? WhichDraft allows you to automatically create legal forms for free. The site makes it easy by offering wizards to help you put your form together.  WhichDraft has a database of pre-made legal forms in a variety of categories or you can search for documents created by other users. You save your form and even share it with others.

WhichDraft is NOT a lawyer nor does it offer legal advice. But it does offer self-directed assistance to creating legal documents. Learn more by visiting WhichDraft.

]]> http://betterlivingontheweb.com/create-legal-forms-free/feed/ 1 Check Your Email’s Tone Before You Send http://betterlivingontheweb.com/check-your-emails-tone-before-you-send/ http://betterlivingontheweb.com/check-your-emails-tone-before-you-send/#comments Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:01:58 +0000 ltruex http://betterlivingontheweb.com/?p=913

Have you ever sent what you thought was a nice email, only to get a curt response? According to ToneCheck nearly 50% of all email is misinterpreted. I don’t doubt this. I’ve seen more than a few email-group discussions fall completely apart because of mis-communication.

Fortunately ToneCheck offers a service that will evaluate your email on its tone and provide suggestions if some words have a potential for mis-interpretation. ToneCheck “… evaluates words and phrases for the intensity of 8 primary emotions, allowing you to make corrections and adjust the overall tone before you send the wrong message.”

To test your tone or learn more, visit ToneCheck.

]]> http://betterlivingontheweb.com/check-your-emails-tone-before-you-send/feed/ 0 Track Any Package from One Site http://betterlivingontheweb.com/track-any-package-from-one-site/ http://betterlivingontheweb.com/track-any-package-from-one-site/#comments Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:53:36 +0000 ltruex http://betterlivingontheweb.com/?p=400



packageThe major package shipping companies provide tracking services, but you have to know the URL of each site’s tracking page to use it. Or you can use PackTrack.com to trace a package from USPS, UPS or DHL. It’s a no-frills site so it won’t confuse you or slow you down. Its features include:

  • Customizable quick-access buttons.
  • Package tracking log for fast re-tracking.
  • Access to multiple carriers’ tracking on one fast-loading web page.

PackTrack is free to use! To learn more, visit Packtrack.com.

]]> http://betterlivingontheweb.com/track-any-package-from-one-site/feed/ 0 Can’t Afford MS Office? Get OpenOffice for Free! http://betterlivingontheweb.com/cant-afford-ms-office-get-openoffice-for-free/ http://betterlivingontheweb.com/cant-afford-ms-office-get-openoffice-for-free/#comments Tue, 09 Nov 2010 21:42:37 +0000 ltruex http://betterlivingontheweb.com/?p=10



Microsoft Word and Excel are the most common document creation software used by home based workers. But at several hundred dollars a pop, it can price you right out of working at home. Not to worry. OpenOffice.org offers free wordprocessing and spreadsheet software. It doesn’t have all the features found in Word (has anyone used ALL the features in Word?), but it offers good document creation with the ability to be shared and modified by Word users as well. And did I mention its free?

Learn more and download OpenOffice.org here.

]]> http://betterlivingontheweb.com/cant-afford-ms-office-get-openoffice-for-free/feed/ 0 New Website Lists Services of Self Employed Parents http://betterlivingontheweb.com/new-website-lists-services-of-self-employed-parents/ http://betterlivingontheweb.com/new-website-lists-services-of-self-employed-parents/#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:36:48 +0000 ltruex http://betterlivingontheweb.com/?p=3

Self-employment particularly among women, many of whom are mothers, is growing at a fast rate, faster even than men owned business. While many begin their work-at-home search hoping to find a job, starting a business is probably the fastest and easies way to start making money at home. But once the product or service is created, the real work is getting the word out. A new website helps self-employed parents by offering a directory that consumers can use to find products and services.

Our Milk Money was started by two work-at-home moms Ally Loprete and Kelli Shand who wanted to help parents find ways to achieve the financial means to stay home or provide more for their children, and to educate consumers about the products and services found through self-employed parents. They provide a searchable directory of businesses through Canada and the United States from which consumers can find local or Internet based businesses from which to shop or find work-at-home opportunities.

To learn more or find a self-employed parent near you, visit Our Milk Money.

]]> http://betterlivingontheweb.com/new-website-lists-services-of-self-employed-parents/feed/ 1 Make It Easy For Others to Schedule Time with You http://betterlivingontheweb.com/make-it-easy-for-others-to-schedule-time-with-you/ http://betterlivingontheweb.com/make-it-easy-for-others-to-schedule-time-with-you/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:31:48 +0000 ltruex http://betterlivingontheweb.com/?p=664

Timebridge is offer a free resource that makes it easy for people see your availability and schedule time with you.  The great thing about this resource is that it doesn’t reveal the details of your schedule, only the times that you’re “available” or “busy”.  Further is works with Outlook, Google Calendar, and iCal to synchronize your free/busy availability.

For an additional fee, Timebridge’s Meet With Me also provides a meeting room, web or phone conferencing, and text message reminders to those involved in the meeting.

To learn more, visit TimeBridge.



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