Thursday, November 12, 2009

More FREE Stuff on Web Sites

Check these out - today's web sites discovered, all with low cost or freebies:

- http://www.freestuff.com/

- http://www.totallyfreestuff.com/

- http://www.thefreesite.com/

These sites have many offerings, much of it FREE or at low cost.

Have fun browsing!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Sites with FREE stuff and coupons

Whenever I run across a web site that has good deals or coupons or free stuff - not junk, but consumer staples - I will try to post it.  Sometimes I find these completely by accident, other times by searching, and sometimes via social networks like Twitter.

Without further explanation or wordiness, here are some links for you:

- http://print.coupons.com/couponweb/offers.aspx?pid=13306&zid=iq37&nid=10 - many coupons for food, beverages, household products, toys, etc.

- http://thekrazycouponlady.com/ - features a printable and extensive coupon database (with everything imaginable), freebie, a "Krazy this week" feature and much, much more.

- http://www.couponmom.com/ - this site has free samples, grocery coupons, restaurant coupons, and features sorting by state.  Even specials for members of the military.

- http://www.grocerycoupons.com/default.asp - featured on NBC as per their tagline, and supposedly "the Nations Leading Coupon Website"

- http://thecouponcodelady.com/ - "Black Friday" deals, Craftsman tools, daily deals, grocery coupons, healthy choices and more.


In these difficult economic times, we can all use savings here and there, even if only a couple dollars.  Feel free to add more sites that may be useful.

Thanks.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Get Help for your Biz - Free or Cheap

On occasion, even the smallest business needs additional staff, to meet seasonal demand, for a new product launch or a promotional event. 

Direct hires are expensive, sometimes don't work out, and in some states, are difficult to terminate.  Contractors are costly and for simple tasks, overqualified.  How then to find those willing to work at reasonable rates or for nothing? 

Try these suggestions:

1) Interns - don't think Monica Lewinsky here, but rather a college student that needs business experience and resume filler.  This can be a win-win scenario for both parties - experience for the student, free labor for the business.

2) Retirees - this can be a big plus with the business getting experienced help and the retiree making a few extra $$.  Seniors also tend to be very reliable and willing to share knowledge.

3) High-school work programs - many local high schools sponsor juniors and seniors in work programs as part of their coursework.  These students will need to perform adequately to pass, and are usually paid at minimum wage.

4) Local state unemployment offices - post a notice of your need or talk to an office staff member.  They will be more than willing to help you find a capable and willing worker.

5) Churches and community organizations - talk to the pastors or directors of these concerns and inquire about the skill set you are looking for.  They can publish in their newsletter or on their job boards.

6) Craigslist - most larger cities in the US and Canada have a Craigslist.org website.  In this case, a little more of a risk is assumed with an unknown person, but I've personally found roofers and other workers with no problems on Craigslist.

7) Twitter - use the local job hashtag or create a new one for your area.  See how many people respond to your inquiry.  I'd guess a bunch during this period of high unemployment.

People are always looking for a primary job, a second job or a part-time position.  Take advantage of this by exploring some of the options above.  The location and needs of your business will dictate which option is most appropriate.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Free Web Site Hosting

We ran across this nice little gem today - a basic free web site hosting service available at http://www.tripod.lycos.com/compare/index.tmpl

With any free service, there are some limitations.  In this case, a site is limited in disk space on the hosting server, bandwidth, the number of traffic reports, and the site will have its own advertising to pay for the cost of hosting.  For experimentation or to showcase a basic web site, Tripod's offering may be appropriate and desirable.

Check it out - the link is above and looking is free too!

Increase Site Traffic for FREE

How does a site get free publicity?  Last night I gained several suggestions by attending a local seminar given by a small business guru

Here are those tips:

1) Fresh and lots of content.  Write an article, blog, or post frequently.  Search engines rank sites based on new content, relevancy, and site traffic.   Traffic will increase, site gets higher rankings, and traffic increases more. 

2) Register on a site like " ehow.com " and link the article to your site.

3) Cross link with area companies in similar industries.  If you make metal widgets, cross-link with a site that makes plastic widgets or parts components that work with your widget.

4) Publicity.  Spread the word.  Use Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or any other free social networking tools.

The Internet is a great way to get noticed and to sell your product or service.  Get writing and linking!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Free blog posting sites

It is increasingly easy to post a blog online for free.  Several sites provide this service and bloggers can often earn money via advertising and referrals just by posting an opinion or idea. 

Here are a few common and popular web links to FREE blog sites:

www.wordpress.com

www.blogger.com

www.blog.com

www.mashable.com

Some of these sites have restrictions on content - no porn or defamation - but open to any other blogs.

These services are a wonderful way to get noticed in cyber space and state your personal opinion.  If one has expertise in a certain area, blogging is a great method for passing along that knowledge.  If you want to drive readership, post often and with relevant content.

Words of caution though: Any thoughts you place on the Internet can be searched by employers or authorities and be used against you.  Be smart and careful when blogging.  Also, blogs are not the best way to sell a product if that is your goal.  A better and more controlled way is via a web site and virtual storefront.  More on inexpensive web hosting in a future post.

Happy blogging!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Free Office Software with Open Office

Have a computer?  Have Microsoft (MS) office or considering buying it?  The full office suite is expensive but there are good alternatives.

Have you heard or considered 'open source' software?  This software, based on the Linux operating system, has many applications that mirror or duplicate ones available for Microsoft's Windows system.

Most notable of these is Open Office, available for FREE at http://www.openoffice.org .  At this site, the product can be downloaded, one can join the open source community, and assistance is available.  All of these services are FREE. 

Once downloaded and installed, the word processing and spreadsheet applications are very similar to MS Word and Excel respectively, and can even save files or open files that have a .doc or .xls extension.  The user interface is very similar to MS products, stable, and easy to navigate.  Open Office also has database and presentation software (aka Access, PowerPoint) and is available in many languages.

For the start up company that wants to save big $$ on software licensing without losing the key functionality, Open Office is an excellent and attractive alternative.