Small Office-Home Office Tips #8


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The Windows 98 Tip of the Day

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*1. CELL PHONE SAFETY

People who work at home often want to be available to clients 
even when they're out running errands or picking up the kids, 
so many small office/home office types carry cellular phones. 
How safe is it to conduct business when you're on the run? The 
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has 
studied the association of cellular phone use and traffic 
accidents. It concludes, not surprisingly, that as cell phone 
use increases, so do the numbers of accidents involving people 
who are on the phone. The NHTSA also looked at anecdotal 
evidence--including comments by drivers who use phones--and 
found some drivers get so involved in conversations that they 
forget they're on the road. Hand-held models can cause more 
trouble than hands-free types, but the conversation itself can 
be dangerously distracting for some people. You can take a look 
at the complete report at  

http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-soho0510%2C00.html


*2. DIRECT MAIL THAT SAYS "OPEN ME!"

Small businesses often use direct mail to solicit new customers 
or more sales from current ones. But, as recipients of direct 
mail ourselves, we all know how easy it is to toss the envelope 
in the trash. You can increase the likelihood that your mail 
will be opened by printing or handwriting the address on each 
envelope, rather than using labels. Of course, adding a bulky 
"gift"--such as a refrigerator magnet or pen--can encourage the 
recipient to open the envelope. Also consider using stamps 
instead of metering for a more personal touch.


*3. TURNING YOUR OLD EMPLOYER INTO A NEW CLIENT

No, we're not talking about stealing clients away from the 
company you used to work for, although that's a fairly common 
practice in some industries. Instead, consider selling your 
service or product to your old company. After all, you know the 
decision-makers there, and you know what they need. If you left 
on good terms, selling your services to your old company as an 
outside contractor can be a win/win situation.


*4. THE COURTEOUS TELECOMMUTER

If you're a telecommuter who still goes into the office now and 
then, try to be courteous to the other people on your team. 
Posting a calendar--even an informal weekly e-mail of your 
schedule--can help people know when you are available. You can 
also update your voice mail or answering machine with your 
availability. If you need to be reached almost anytime, 
consider carrying a cell phone or pager. And don't forget the 
staff back at the office, who may not be able to work out a 
telecommuting arrangement for themselves but help make your 
work style possible. When administrative assistants or the 
folks from IS help you schedule a meeting or troubleshoot your 
dial-in connection, be sure to thank them profusely.


*5. FINDING A LAWYER WITH RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

The Yellow Pages or the local lawyer referral service isn't 
necessarily the best way to find an attorney, especially if you 
want one to deal with small business issues. Instead, ask other 
self-employed people if they have found a lawyer they like 
working with. You can also ask other professionals you 
consult--such as accountants--to recommend someone.


*6. COPYRIGHT, PATENTS, AND TRADEMARKS

The Intellectual Property Center, sponsored by LawOnline, 
contains a wealth of information on the legal aspects of being 
creative in business. The site includes news on current court 
cases dealing with patents, copyrights, and trademarks and also 
links to feature articles surveying broader intellectual 
property issues--including a special section on the Internet. 

http://www.ipcenter.com


*7. A TELECOMMUTING BENEFIT

You've probably already discovered that working from home has 
many advantages--but now you can quantify at least one of them. 
AT&T's Telework site now features a calculator to show you how 
many pounds of carbon dioxide your car would release into the 
air through conventional commuting. The site also explains how 
excess carbon dioxide may change the Earth's atmosphere. 

http://www.att.com/ehs/telework/telecalc.html


*8. A SHAMELESS SITE FOR SELF-PROMOTION

SelfPromotion.com bills itself as "the Net's first and only URL 
Registration ShareService." The site promises to do the legwork 
of registering your site with major search engines. The service 
is free, but you have to register. (Check out the Terms and 
Conditions link before you do, of course.) 

http://www.selfpromotion.com


*9. AVOID VIRUSES THAT COME IN THE MAIL

No, we're not talking about envelopes licked by flu sufferers. 
A more serious threat to your business is a computer virus that 
may arrive via e-mail attachments. Macro viruses--which are 
written in the language users can use to program within 
applications--are becoming very widespread. There are dozens of 
these viruses written specifically to infect Word documents or 
Excel spreadsheets. Other viruses attach themselves to 
executable (EXE or COM) files. What looks to be an innocent 
game could actually infect your system with a virus. So far, no 
one has written a virus that can infect your system just by 
reading an e-mail message, however. To be safe, avoid 
downloading and opening or running files from unknown sources. 
And install and keep updating antivirus software--most leading 
packages have a feature that scans files as you download them, 
but before you save them to disk.


*10. DO YOU NEED A BUSINESS LISTING?

Your local telephone company may require you to get a business 
line for your home-based business. These lines usually cost 
more than a residential line, so if you have a low volume of 
calls, you may prefer not to incur the expense. Your local 
Chamber of Commerce may help clue you in to the local phone 
company's requirements. For example, many phone companies would 
require a business line if the telephone number is used in 
advertising. And having a business line is a requirement to 
gaining access to a great form of advertising: A Yellow 
Pages listing.
