Today we covered Online Postcard and Greeting Card Services. I researched online postcard services for the webinar, but just couldn’t find anything better than the one I have used for the last 2+ years, www.ExpressCopy.com. ExpressCopy specializes in do-it-yourself postcard mailings. You can choose from their templates for various industries, create a design online (which is limited but workable if you’re patient), or upload your own design. ExpressCopy will also mail the cards for you, which I do recommend because they can get you bulk rates. They supply you with a design template for mailing so that if you choose to create your own design, you’ll leave the appropriate space for postage and addressing.

ExpressCopy is great too because of the low minimums. I was incorrect when I told the noon Webinar attendees that there is a minimum of 100 cards — not true! The minimums are $41.00 order and at least 40 cards. This makes using ExpressCopy for mailings of a single design with an uploaded mailing list very affordable.

We also talked about online greeting card services. E-cards are very popular, of course, and I’ve used a number of different services myself. In my research for physical cards, I found www.BlueMountain.com, which allows you to select an online design and print the cards on your printer. I also found a good comparison site page that will help you walk through the various features of both E-cards and physical cards:

http://online-greeting-card-review.toptenreviews.com/

My favorite online greeting card service (which doesn’t appear on the web page above) though is one I’m now using both to showcase my own professional photographs and to keep in contact with clients and colleagues. It’s called SendOutCards.com, and I like it so much that I’m now an entrepreneur/distributor with them. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Internet Marketing in the past 3 years, it’s that online contact alone isn’t enough. A combination of online and offline marketing are needed to maintain relationships with clients and colleagues in this increasingly impersonal world.

During the webinar, I demonstrated the SendOutCards online contact management system, how you can select or create your own cards, and how you can do a customized mailing with either type of card. I used SOC to send my holiday cards to friends, family, clients, and colleagues, as well as thank you notes to volunteers who helped with the recent NSA Technology Lab. I created my own designs for all but the family cards, and sent everything without having to lick the stamps myself.

My next webinar won’t be until January 9th, when we begin our “Organize Your Technology” series. January is a good time to clean up your hard drive, archive files, etc., and get a fresh start on the new year, so put the webinar times into your calendar! If you’re not already on the announcement list, you can sign up at http://www.pcpowertips.com/webinars.html.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you all!

Toolie

Webinar Date: December 19, 2007

Today we covered Google Docs, the free service that provides word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software that lives online. You can upload existing documents and continue editing them online, or create them online and export them later. 

The word processing feature of Google Docs is based on HTML; in fact, you could use it as a simple HTML editor if you need one. If the controls in the word processing interface aren’t detailed enough to suit you, you can switch to HTML and edit there.

The spreadsheet function lets you create charts and graphs as well as simple columns of numbers. The keystroke behaviors and shortcuts are similar to those of Microsoft Excel, so I found it easy to use and adapt to the Google version.

The presentation function lets you import existing PowerPoint slides and continue editing them there. You can even store a PPT presentation there and display it from Google docs to people in the room, or to a set of invited guests online.

You must have a Google account to use Google docs, but accounts are free and you can set one up in minutes. On our noon webinar, one of the attendees set up an account on the spot and collaborated with me in realtime on a document I shared with him during the webinar. This stuff really works!

Visit http://docs.google.com to get started.

Webinar Date: December 12, 2007

This week we covered Online Voicemail and Fax Services.

There are many reasons to use online voicemail services, including the opportunity to sound like more than a 1-person operation. You can also route calls to a virtual assistant, to your office, home, and cell numbers as needed. The service I use, AccessLine.com, I found through Costco’s Business Phone Services. I also set up our NSA Northwest chapter to use AccessLine. Using AccessLine for our chapter slashed their phone bill by 60% (instead of using a voicemail line from Qwest).

• Costco Business Phone Services   <– Use this link if you have a Costco card
• AccessLine.com <– Use this link if you don’t
• eVoiceReceptionist — from the same company that gives you eFax. We reviewed it as a point of comparison with AccessLine’s services and pricing.
  
  

We also discussed Online Fax services. There are a number of issues to consider as you look for the appropriate service.

• Can you receive AND send faxes?
• Can you receive faxes via email?
• Can you send faxes via email?
• Can you take your (land line) current fax number with you?

We looked at two services:

• eFax.com
• CallWave.com

I have used eFax for over 3 years. I don’t get many faxes these days, but for a while I was getting quite a few from international locations, especially for reservations from hotels that hadn’t gone online. eFax has some great features, such as being able to send a fax merely by creating an email and attaching a document.

Enjoy!

Webinar Date: December 5, 2007

I know what it’s like to be in a job transition you haven’t planned. I have also made choices about changing jobs with and without help. I’m pleased tell you aboout a new site www.NowWhatJobs.net, which is “The Resource for Job Transitions After 40″. The site provides information about companies and other organizations, colleges & universities, continuing education, franchises and relocation options.

NowWhatJobs.net also includes opinions that Baby Boomer & Active Senior men and women will want to review as they make decisions about their future. I encourage you to both visit and contribute to this site for our mutual success.