Hello 2010... Like many other years, I’ll kick off the year with a blog post, however, this year I’m feeling particularly upbeat - indeed, that may be a bit odd given that times are pretty tough and I’ll admit, the last year was a rough one and in many ways, it kind of sucked! 

And so, I’m actually feeling really upbeat today, this first day of 2010 and can confidently predict that this is going to be a good year… it’s not going to come easy though.

Some things that I’d like to share… I’m not jumping in boasting about resolutions… I’ll keep those to myself but I am setting some goals and I am eager to share a few items and tips with you, perhaps some of them will also work for you or inspire you in some small way.

Saving a few $$. Ok, I’ll admit it, my finances are a little shaky, hell, at least I’m not alone! Times are tough and many of us are working twice as hard for less return compared to this time a year ago. But that doesn’t spell disaster, it just means that I need to work not only harder but smarter. I’ve adopted a few tricks and tools that enable me to do just that… work a little smarter and save me a few dollars at the same time.  My work smarter tips for 2010:

Comcast - I’ve tried a few Internet ISPs including a local, cheapo firm. I can confidently tell anyone that depends on Internet and communications for business (particularly if you work from home) that Comcast is by far the smartest choice. Great support, always online, fast, and most important, very affordable.

Upgrade your technology - Indeed it takes money to make money and if you depend on computer hardware in your work make sure your home PC (or MAC) are not more than 3 years old. PCs are dirt cheap and so are the peripherals.  Are you still lugging around that 6 year old, 12 lb laptop? If so its time to pass it on to your kid or donate it to someone who can use it. Forget that it cost you $1200 because you can replace it with a slim, 3lb netbook for under $400. Most important, invest in an external storage device. For under $100 you can have a small, external hard-drive, ideal for backing up all your data (priceless) and easily portable so you can bring it with you when you travel.

Embrace open source software and web services - Thinking about purchasing a new Office Suite? Forget about it, why not just use Google Docs or an open source office suite solution? Need a blog or CMS for your website? Don’t spend loads of cash on software that you don’t need. For a powerful CMS invest in an open source solution like Joomla or for your blog , use Blogger (Google) or even better, Wordpress… use free web hosting for personal blogs or invest a few $$ in a hosted Wordpress solution - make sure you spend a few $$ a grab a custom domain name for the measly $8 per year that it will cost you.

Bakup, Bakup Bakup… whatever you do, make sure you back up all of your data (docs, email, websites, photos, videos). It takes no time to burn a DVD (you do have a CD or DVD burner right??)  or simply store your data on a USB drive or even better, an external hard-drive. If none of these solutions sound doable to you there’s always hosted storage available for very little cost. Be sure to create a Backup plan and schedule as well as a recovery solution.

A few other suggested money and time savers:
Invest in your health and get a gym membership. Perhaps it’s not for you but it’s something to consider. A little exercise rejuvenates the body and the mind, it gets you out of the office (huge for you home-based workers) , will save you tons of $$ in health care in the long run, and then there’s the social benefits… potentially priceless. If you have a gym membership and are looking to trim some monthly expenses, don’t you dare cancel the membership!

The Library - I don’t know about you, but our area has some fabulous new libraries. They typically offer free Internet access and computer use as well as free check out of books, and videos too.

Coffee Time - Again, important for the home-based worker… use your local coffee shop or find a favorite. You’ll likely be treated to free WiFi, a comfortable place to think and work, and then there’s the social benefits. I purchase “punch cards” saving me a ton of $$ on the cost of coffee (I save about 50% this way)  and best of all, coffee shops tend to be magnets for social media savvy people and are great places to not only meet some local Twitter connections, you’ll likely also hear about some free educational opportunities that are hosted in your local area, possibly even taking place at the coffee shop.

Craigs List - I’ve had great luck on craigs List lately, finally getting rid of loads of clutter from the basement. I’ve made a few $$ and cleaned out the house a little as well. The biggest benefit is the great feeling you get when you start getting clutter free. Be sure to also use it for service work (like hiring a trades person or sub-contractor). Just this week I got some work done on my car for a fraction of the cost I would have paid at the Ford dealership.

Rewards memberships - Be sure to sign up for all the loyalty programs you can, particularly at computer/electronic stores and office supply stores… the savings are awesome. Be sure also to save your printer cartridges and take them into the office supply store - many give a $4 refund per cartridge. Oh, and don’t buy cheapo ink for the printer… you won’t save any money as they typically last only a fraction of the time that a quality ink cartridge will last!

Educate yourself - Social media is hugely popular and /I guarantee that there’s plenty of meet-ups, tweet-ups, and educational sessions taking place in your area. Connect with some local businesses, the local chamber of commerce, your customers, heck, even your competition. Be sure to also scout out some local social media “experts” and listen to them on twitter or face book so you can hear about social opportunities and free training opportunities. Even if you don’t care about LinkedIn, Twitter, or face book it really wouldn’t hurt to learn about them… you may be surprised at what you find out. Companies faced with cash shortfalls, i encourage you to motivate your team by providing educational opportunities for them - its a great way to motivate the team and it's a win-win!

Go Mobile - I’m sure you have a cell phone.. If it’s not a smartphone then now is the time to go and get one! Regardless of your carrier, you can get yourself an iPhone, blackberry, Android smartphone, Symbian smartphone, or other powerful device. If at all possible avoid locking into a plan (if not, bit the bullet and extend your contract)  and invest a little more per month in your cell phone bill… the benefits will be huge. Sure I pay about $35 a month more for my iPhone than I did for my Nokia Smartphone, however, I’m far more productive, I’m staying ahead of technology, aware of all the new mobile apps and trends, and the cost is tax deductible… invest in technology and don’t sweat it!

Finally, I encourage you to pay for some applications and services (I know this may contradict my call for the use of open source) … don’t simply rely on free apps, free data, free music etc… It’s time that the user start paying, perhaps not for everything but consider going “pro” on a couple of services that you depend on (LinkedIn, Flickr) and consider buying a software license of two for apps that you really can take advantage of in your business. Free is fine in many cases, however, if the free version is restricting you and limiting your productivity then what is there to think about? Support some of the fabulous start-ups and application developers by purchasing their goods. If nobody bought their apps they would disappear before you know it. I’m actually hoping that some of the big names in the Internet (Google, Twitter, Yahoo!, face book, LinkedIn, you tube, etc…) become more aggressive really soon and start forcing users to pay. The web economy would boom, we’d have massive job creating and opportunities abound.