Getting work done in a home office can often be a challenge….not because of the inability to get started, but because of the work environment itself. Distractions, pets and other outside influences can often have a negative effect on our ability to meet deadlines and work productively. A well balanced and functional workspace is key to making sure you get the job done. Keeping momentos, positive work tools and other work enhancing items around us are key.
These videos of some of the best home office tours will keep you inspired and productive as you transform your office into a Work Station!
Also take the time to check out Mediabistro’s collection of office tours. See how the biggest names in publishing and media keep their office space both innovative and functional.
My space….a work in progress.
- MAC mini
- Wall calendar (absolutely essential)
- Whiteboard for quick notes
- ASUS Eee Pad Transformer
- Epson Printer
- Place to put a beverage
- Lots of drawer and shelf space
Social media has been used by countless charities as a way to raise funds and create awareness. In the same breath, people are using social media to expose the often hidden seedy side to charities and their work.
This was recently revealed in a news clip aired on CTV News. In it, it is revealed that big pharmaceutical companies are not using research dollars to forward the research of a relatively inexpensive cancer drug DCA.
The drug is surprisingly effective in reducing tumour growth with no side effects.
The low cost and low money-making factor of the drug makes it unappealing because their is no profit involved.
Many people who have seen the video clip have been quick to question where their donation dollars are going?
You make the donation and at the end of the year receive a receipt that you can use towards your taxes. Charities claim that by donating to the cause, you are donating towards funding a cure. Often times, however, it’s been revealed the majority of money collected often goes towards administrative costs and salaries.
This is an issue Canadian business magazine Money Sense raises on an annual basis with their Charity 100 List.
The nation’s largest and most influential charities are rated based on how effective dollars raised are turned into real assistance for those the charity represents.
The news clip raises the question, if our donations are going towards funding a cure for cancer, diabetes or any other cause, where is the money actually going?
Perhaps it is time for charities to use their social media power to demand and advocate that the funding they collect be used to fund research without the monetary bureaucracy that working with large pharmaceutical companies creates.
In turn, the people must make this same demand of the charities. As has been demonstrated countless times in the social media world, the technology has the ability to demand accountability and reveal lies.
So the next time you toss a few dollars in the pot….ask for proof of where your money is going.
The recent anniversary of the Titanic sinking took social media on a new journey.
As this type of communication wasn’t around during the ill-fated voyage, few personal accounts remain of the event except those recorded in newspapers of the time and stories passed down through the generations.
As the anniversary approached several organizations used social media to re-tell the events leading up to the sinking.
The Twitter account @TitanicRealTime followed the journey of the ship from the construction to the sinking in 140 character tweets. Several other similar Twitter feeds did the same. An explosion in YouTube videos hit the internet as homemade documentaries and tribute videos were created to mark the event.
Social media also revealed a somewhat chilling flaw in the education system as countless individuals posted on their Twitter feeds and Facebook walls that they had only just realized that the Titanic sinking was a real event and not just a movie.
So is social media, as a tool to re-tell history a positive step? One argument can say it brought attention to the maritime disaster to whole new generation, who evidently are not being taught about the event in school.
Another argument may reveal a more tragic way in which the world now remembers and grieves. No longer do individuals have to come together as a group (face-to-face) to share memories and remember.A few clicks of the keys and a somewhat pseudo-remembrance can occur. Social media removes the emotion and passion from history and replaces it with a mechanical, isolated and removed form of remembrance.
It is this distance from reality that may lead to other events becoming less and less personal such as Remembrance Day/Veteran’s Day.
Time has already put a huge distance between these events and current generations, particularly youth. It is critical that social media not become a replacement for remembrance but a way to share information, imagery and stories. Educators, parents and communities must still encourage active engagement in an effort to preserve the past and the history of the future.
History is made of up individuals who committed great sacrifice which is why we remember them today. Passing years should not be condensed into typed characters. Remembrance comes from the heart….not from a good WIFI connection.
Having recently adopted Instagram, I was enjoying the organic and retro photography experience it was providing on a digital device.
The simplicity of snapping a picture, quickly editing it and uploading it to my favourite networking site (of my choice), allowed easy control and sharing of photos.
With the new purchase of Instagram by Facebook, my first thoughts were ‘how can I get off Instagram in a hurry?’ and protect any pictures I may have taken. Facebook does not have a reputation for protection of identity, privacy or digital property.
My hope, like many other Instagram users is that both the look and integrity of Instagram is upheld. I don’t want all my images forced to Facebook, nor do I want a timeline of every image I have every taken to become the main focus of my Instagram profile.
The beauty of Instagram likes in the simplicity and lack of clutter.
Will this be maintained as it is rolled into the Facebook brand?
Can we expect to see our images hijacked and suddenly appearing in ads for dating sites and other unrelated content?
Social media truly is the double edged sword. On one side you have the opportunity to share with friends, family and networks in a quick, easy to manage online setting. On the other hand you have a digital free-for-all when it is incredibly difficult to protect personal information and personal branding.
Once something appears online, all bets are off in many cases as social media software troll for content to use in other ways.
It may be wise for those using Instagram, particularly for branding purposes to begin creating an exit strategy, or at least a clear copyright for material posted on the site as it enters a grey area already being experienced by social media sites like Pinterest.
Ownership on the net is a very difficult thing to police – as always it is up to the individual to take the lead online to protect intellectual property.
Over the past few months we have lost two of America’s most prominent and celebrated journalists. Andy Rooney (January 14, 1919 – November 4, 2011) and this past weekend, Mike Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012).
The passing of these two men doesn’t just reflect the loss of two journalists, but the loss of the art of traditional journalism. These two men began their careers in a time when stories were something you dug for, not aggregated. A time when the pen, not the twitter feed, determined the speed and scope of a story. A story wasn’t told in 140 characters.
They are from an era of true ‘hard news’, when countless interviews and hours of research were done to get the story. Sources didn’t come from Wikipedia or culled from previously written articles. It was determination and a desire to tell the whole story that produced some of the most memorable and profound journalism pieces of the time.
As we watch how journalism is being transformed in the 21st century, it is important to take the time to remember and incorporate the traditional ideals of journalism into modern news gathering. Though there is a benefit to the digital age – news travels faster than ever before and often times we have the news before the news agencies themselves.
But there is a greater risk for error when the time to check facts and check sources is eliminated from the equation.
A prime example is Jayson Blair, a former journalist for the New York Times who was able to plagiarize stories and fabricate stories during his tenure with the leading newspaper. When his offences were discovered, it shone a light on the lack of accuracy often found in stories as well as the ability to take the work of others and easily promote it as your own.
Modern journalism has also brought about the ‘citizen journalist’. Now anyone with a smartphone and a blog can call themselves a journalist. Gone are the days of journalism classrooms and years of studying news gathering techniques. With the flash of a camera and the click of an upload button, new journalism has been born.
It is difficult to say whether or not this new wave of journalism will be of benefit in time. It is more and more difficult to determine bias in stories. It also makes determining what the ‘real story’ is even more cloudy.
Perhaps, if nothing else, we should carry with us the will and integrity men such as Wallace and Rooney demonstrated in their own news gathering and reporting and use it to ensure the messages we are taking in are legitimate and when they are not, use these tools to find the truth.
The tough questions must still be asked and the deeper story must still be told.
With winter snow finally making an appearance for many people, many find themselves going into hibernation.
Days when the snow is falling and fire is warmly burning are perfect for catching up on work, but also a great way to spend an afternoon doing some research and virtual exploration. This can be directed towards both personal and professional development. Perhaps you are still hoping to maintain those New Years resolutions, but haven’t quite found the time or inspiration.
One of the best places is YouTube. Here you can find people all over the world sharing their own success, challenges and experience.
One of my goals this year, like many others is to try and maintain a healthy lifestyle. In helping to reach this goal I searched YouTube and found some great channels with helpful hints, tips and recipes to do so.
The Healthy Vegan - more than just vegetarian recipes, the Healthy Vegan shares healthy tips from what to buy at the grocery store to how to stay motivated.
Asian Cooking Made Easy – allows you to try new and easy recipes to mix up your meal time and adds some new fun and flavour to your diet.
Garden Girl TV – helps you achieve your goals whether you live in an urban or rural setting. Helpful gardening tips, cooking tips and lifestyle solutions.
So use YouTube for more than watching videos of fuzzy kittens (though they are incredibly adorable) and start making healthy lifestyle choices.
With less than two months before the crystal ball drops in Time Square it is the perfect time for freelancers and companies alike to begin evaluating what their goals and needs will be in the new year.
Many organizations make the mistake of waiting until after the new year to begin deciding where they want to see their company moving in the upcoming months. This delay in decision making can often put a company even further behind as the winter months often result in lost work hours due to holidays, weather and illness.
Now is the time to begin evaluating what your personnel and technical needs will be in 2012.
Is it time to bring on a new staff member? Is it time to upgrade your operating systems? Is it time for a back up of information and files?
This time year is a particularly valuable time of year to make technical decisions, particularly for small companies as holiday sales can often result in significant savings on items such as computers, printers and other hardware.
Take the time to look at your organization from inside and out. A few simple questions will help you figure out where you are and where you want to be in 2012.
Has my company achieved the goals laid out in 2011?
Did you company plan on cutting back on expenses? Did you plan on landing 10 new clients over the course of 2011? If your list of goals hasn’t been achieved, talk with your colleagues to find out where your missed your targets and how you would like to carry them over into 2012.
What are my technical needs in 2012?
Does your organization need a new set of computers? Are you upgrading your sales force to new IPhones, Androids or Tablets?
Begin researching what it will take to bring your organization up to speed. This will help you set your budgets in 2012 as well as assist with planning any educational workshops that may be required to bring your team online.
Is our work force stretched too thin?
Is your team burning the candle at both ends and in the middle? Take time to discover how your company can work more efficiently. Do you need to make personnel changes or do you need to bring someone new on board? Making these decisions now will once again assist with budget planning in the new year and also give your organization time to work bringing in a new member of the team in an effective way.There is nothing more frustrating to new team members than being brought into an office of disorganization and chaos. It slows the new employee down and it slows overall production down. Be ready for new people!
Is your company Branding and Marketing up-to-date?
Did you plan on finally bringing your company into the social media era and haven’t got your twitter feed set up yet? Designate who is in charge of making this happen. Sit down as a team and work out what you want your message to be in 2012. Make sure can deliver this message on a regular basis. There is nothing more frustrating to an audience than signing up to follow a company and not being given updates.
Make your team part of the voice. Many organizations encourage their team members to use social media such as twitter to share their message.These few simple tasks are a great way to get your company moving forward in the new year to achieve your organizations goals, rather than scrambling six months down the line. Beat the competition to the punch and welcome in the new year now.
Monty is a 6 year old (approximately) white domestic short hair. He is a sweet little boy who loves to lay at my feet while I work. He is also completely deaf. This makes telling him ‘no’ a little tricky.
I have been spending a lot of time this summer with camera in hand daytripping to various historical sites around the province.
We pass them every time we head out of our driveways. Those blue and gold signs beckoning us to stop and visit these often forgotten places of our past. So as I journey along the highways and gravel roads, backroads map in hand, I have been doing just that – and discovering some beautiful parts of Ontario’s past.
It’s been nearly four months since the ball dropped in Time Square.
Many business people use the new year as an opportunity to set new goals and evaluate where they want to see their business in the coming year. But like many individuals who make resolutions to quit smoking, diet and call their mother more often, few of the goals have been achieved.
Much like the corporate world, quarterly reports are an excellent way to understand how far your business has come and what changes need to be made.
Perhaps 2011 was the year your business was going to bring in six new clients. Maybe your goal was to go out on your own. Possibly you had made the choice to finally change careers.
If you still haven’t made a move towards your goal or are finding it difficult to locate the resources to make it happen. There are several highly useful sites you can use to help make your dream a reality – once and for all.
Freelance Folder is perfect for those just entering the business world. This site is home to helpful hints from individuals who have gone through the same experiences as well as links to tips and forums so you can get your hands on the resources you need.
With the tech savvy business person in mind, Google offers a huge array of business apps both for a fee and for free that can help you track your business needs and develop new ways of generating clients and sales. Simply create an account and search for the tool you need.
Are you using your Facebook account wisely? Don’t just use Facebook to post pictures and leave comments. Use it as a business tool and learning tool. It’s fine if your business has a Facebook site, but how are you using it to learn how to gain more business? There are countless groups on Facebook which regular post helpful hints, links to apps and other resources for businesses. Facebook is also a terrific way to get all the information you need in one easy to navigate place. So the next time you are on a site and you pick up a piece of useful information, remember to ‘follow them’ so you can get even more help sent to your wall.
Whether just starting out or a business pro, cloud computing is a guaranteed method to help make your business run smoother and at a higher level of efficiency. Apps, file storage, email can all be done on site or off site making. Cloud computing allows you to take your business anywhere you want to go and allow your clients to access information from anywhere in the world. Click the image to find some of the top applications on the web.
Take the time to evaluate where your business or career is going before it’s difficult to make changes. Part of running a business is learning. Training and continuing education isn’t just for staff. It’s for bosses and individuals too.
There is nothing more frustrating to new team members than being brought into an office of disorganization and chaos. It slows the new employee down and it slows overall production down. Be ready for new people!
