Blog

Here comes my first in a long series of posts about tools and services that I use for my business.  My hopes are to help others find a better way to do things they are currently using or even better yet, someone tell me a better way to do something that I am currently doing.  I hope to get feedback on what is and isn’t working for them, other options and more.

For my business phone I use Skype. I’ve used it for over two years now.  For the money I can’t  beat it. For under $100 a year here’s what I get  :

• My own phone number that can be called from any phone whether it be mobile or land line.
• Calls to any number in the U.S.
• Voicemail. Email alert when i receive new voicemail.
• Video conferencing
• Conference calling
• Call forwarding to my cell when I am not at my desk
• IM with anyone else on Skype
• All my contacts in a list that I can just click on to call.
• Contacts synched with Outlook
• Phone numbers in my browser can be clicked on and called through Skype
• Skype button for my website that users can click to Skype me

I use Skype daily. i initially got it because my cell phone wouldn’t come in that clear in my office.  I’ve never had an issue with clarity on Skype.  I use a headset when I am on the phone and the webcam for video & audio when video conferencing. I have heard good things about an actual phone for Skype.

Skype works great for what I use it for. However, I have ran into a few issues with it.
When i first got setup with Skype I paid to have my number for 3 months.  After my 3 months were up I needed to renew the number.  I had some major issues trying to renew it.  I couldn’t figure out how to pay for it.  It turned out I kept adding Skype credits to my personal account when I was needing to add them to my business account.  I ended up losing my number for a few days before I got it all straightened.
Skype doesn’t have a support number that you can call, it all had to be done through email and their forums.  The response time was about a few days too.

Enough of the bad, more good things you can do with Skype.

• If you have a business with employees you can manage all phone numbers in your business account online.
• Call recording add-on
• Fax add-on
• File Sharing add-on
• Screen Sharing add-on

See more extras here.

Everyone knows how import communication is for business.  Skype can work for all sized businesses for the self employed up to large companies spread about the world.

For me I love having a business number that people can call.  When I am not in the office I can decide if I want to continue to get calls by the call-forwarding option or let them go to v-mail.

Here is a another review of Skype and a Skype phone I mentioned earlier, http://www.anywhereman.com/2009/07/can-you-hear-me-now/

Skype users, how are you using Skype for your business?
Google Voice users, is it time I switch?
Does anyone use an add-on that they can’t live without?

I want to hear about how you’re using it or what you have found works better than Skype.

Filed under: Business   Tags: service,
 4 Comments »

This is my first post dedicated towards my portfolio. I’ve had my site up for over a year now, but still have not created a portfolio for it. I have a lot to add to it and am coming to the realization that I will never get it done if I try to do it all at once.

My plan is to start creating a blog post for all my portfolio items in hopes that creating it in increments, it will eventually get done.

I am going to start from the beginning.

The first site I worked on as a freelancer is StillPointe, www.stillpointe.net, a Natural Health Center. I was brought into the project by Nock Design Group. The client wanted a re-design of the site with the ability to manage it themselves.

Nock Design Group did the complete design of the site as well as their “I’m Back …” campaign. I took the PSD design and converted it to the web using css and div tags. I built the site on top of Kentico CMS.  StillPointe can now manage all the copy on their site. The client liked using Google’s calendar feature, so that was implemented into the site along with a Google map. Finally a newsletter sign-up and blog were built into the site.

The site is also hosted with me. I’ve found a way to optimize Kentico sites on my server.  A new post about that will come in the future.

With the combination of Nock Design Group’s design and my implementation of the site on top of Kentico CMS we were able to deliver an excellent site for StillPointe that they can completely manage at a very reasonable cost.

Filed under: Portfolio   Tags: Kentico CMS,
 1 Comment »

I have hosted with the Rackspace Cloud now for about two years.  I really couldn’t be happier with them and would recommend them to anyone.  The one thing I have seemed to have issues with is sending emails from my web applications. After talking with support and doing some testing I have a solution that should last.

Here is an example of a basic contact form.

First set the smtp information in the web.config

<system.net>
 <mailSettings>
 <smtp>
 <network host="mail.emailsrvr.com" userName="info@mydomain.com" password="mypassword" port="25"/>
 </smtp>
 </mailSettings>
 </system.net>

I put this at the very bottom of the web.config just before the closing tag.

Note that the userName and password must be of a valid email address of the domain you are sending from. Make sure to set this up through their control panel.

I also add in the appSettings of the web.config the email addresses of whom to send it to and the subject line. Just best practices.

<appSettings>
 <add key="mailTo" value="joel@mydomain.com"/>
 <add key="mailSubject" value="Contact Form inquiry"/>
 </appSettings>

Now my example is of an asp.net web application in c#. I am going to assume everyone knows how to setup the page, lets go to the code-behind.

You will need to add these three lines to your using block.

using System.Web.Configuration;
using System.Text;
using System.Net.Mail;

The submit button handler:

 /// <summary>
 /// Handles the contact form submit
 /// </summary>
 /// <param name="sender"></param>
 /// <param name="e"></param>
 protected void imtbtnSubmit_Click(object sender, ImageClickEventArgs e)
 {
 StringBuilder body = new StringBuilder();
 body.AppendFormat("Company Name: {0}{1}", txtCompany.Text, Environment.NewLine);
 body.AppendFormat("Contact Name: {0}{1}", txtName.Text, Environment.NewLine);
 body.AppendFormat("Phone: {0}{1}", txtPhone.Text, Environment.NewLine);
 body.AppendFormat("Email: {0}{1}", txtEmail.Text, Environment.NewLine);
 body.AppendLine();
 body.AppendLine("Message");
 body.AppendLine(txtMessage.Text);

 MailMessage message = new MailMessage(txtEmail.Text, WebConfigurationManager.AppSettings["mailTo"], WebConfigurationManager.AppSettings["mailSubject"], body.ToString());

 SmtpClient client = new SmtpClient();
 client.Send(message);

 pnlForm.Visible = false;
 lblMessage.Visible = true;
 }

Pretty simple stuff, the import part is system.net in the web.config, making sure you have the correct host and port  and a valid email.

You would think they would have this in their knowledge base, but as of this writing they don’t. I hope this helps someone.

Filed under: asp.net,Web Development   Tags: .NET, Rackspace Cloud,
 1 Comment »

I have always believed in looking back at what you learned and setting goals for yourself for the future so here goes.

2009

It was a great year for me. I had the opportunity to work with a lot of great new individuals and companies.  I learned some new technologies and became even more organized.  Most importantly with the economy the way it has been, I’ve been fortunate enough to stay busy.  Thank you everyone who I’ve done business with in 2009.  I really appreciate it.

Some of the new companies and projects I got to work with this year were:

• Anagram
• NewCore Wireless
• House of Pizza
• Amscan
• Experian – internal coupon management application
• Fidelity – internal home reporting request and fulfillment application
• Open Preferences
• Trek – Ascend Analytics
• About You Photography

This past year I was more engaged in Twitter where I met a few great people:

• Dave Yankoviak -  @daveyank, aka “The Anywhere Man”
• Micah Iverson – @zebb, Krazier Designs
• Jeremy Lattimore – @jeremylattimore, Refocusing Technology

What I like about these guys is I learn so much from them just by following them and conversing with them over Twitter.  There are a lot more people out there that I learn a lot from too, but these are the ones that really stand out to me that I met over the past year.
It was great getting to know you guys this past year, I hope to continue to learn from you guys and return the knowledge.

I unwittingly met Brenda Cronquist of Mustang Graphics.  She is a great person that has given me some good advice and referred me some great projects.  Thank you Brenda.

I finally learned asp.net MVC, Linq-to-Sql and WordPress this past year.  3 excellent technologies I am glad I learned.

2010

Enough about the past though, what’s in store for 2010?  I have so many ideas and initiatives that I want to do.

First off, I want to contribute more to this blog.  I have so many blog posts that I have already started, I want to finish those up and get them out to you.  I also want to start a new series going into detail on all the services and tools I use to run my business. I’ve enlisted in a challenge called Project52. I am challenging myself to contribute to this blog on a weekly basis.

I want to read more.  I am going to try and read at least one book a month.  That may not sound like a lot to some of you, but for me that is quite ambitious.  There really is a lot of great information out there in print.  Two good books I read last year were:

• The Art of The Start ~ Guy Kawasaki
• Crush It! ~ Gary Vaynerchuk

Already in queue for this year is:

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ~ Stephen Covey
• Trust Agents ~ Chris Brogan
• Rework ~ Jason Fried
• The 4-Hour Workweek ~ Timothy Ferris
• Why AC/DC Matters ~ Anthony Bozza

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I hope to meet more great new people and clients in this new year.

Well enough about what I am going to do.  Time to start doing!

Filed under: Business  
 5 Comments »