Andy Beal recently posted his own list of 21 of the Best WordPress Plugins which includes some of my own personal favorites and some that I’m definitely going to try out.
Whatever your blog may need, whether its SEO, advertising, or some technical tweaks, there’s probably a WP plugin out there somewhere that can do it. When I install a new WP blog for a client, I include 3 plugins as part of the installation because without plugins, your WP site isn’t going to function at the level to which it …

Here’s a quick little video demo of using Feedly as your RSS feed reader instead of Google Reader.
Enjoy!

Feedly vs. Google Reader from April Jones on Vimeo.

My friend (and occasional client;)) Carrie Lauth of Natural Moms Talk Radio just told me about a special offer she’s got going on for the next TWO days.
She’s offering a free 20-minute coaching session to anyone who purchases her Natural Mom Business Guide. But, like I said, its only for TWO days so don’t wait too long to grab it!

If you’re interested in launching your own “natural mom” business, Carrie is definitely the perfect person to help get you started. She knows her stuff! She was even on MSNBC recently …

It sounds complicated, doesn’t it? There is a ton of information out there about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and, as with a lot of Internet business topics, you’ll end up feeling overwhelmed and suffering from information overload. Now there are a lot of SEO experts out there that will gladly help you if you’re willing to shell out the money for it. But before you do that, you might want to check out SEO Lies by Justin Brooke.
For just $1, Justin’s 35 page report will help you sort through all …

Over the years, I’ve held various professional positions that involved implementing or managing some sort of planning system. I’ve had to design an entire organization system for a scatterbrained owner of a marketing firm. (No, I’m not insulting him. He proudly refers to himself as a scatterbrain and considers it a side effect of being a creative genius.) I’ve revamped an entire medical billing process after taking over a supervisory position from someone else. And I’ve worked for several attorneys who all have their own methods of functioning and staying …

This week I have the pleasure of hosting a regular feature of Home Office Warrior, “Tips and Hints” which runs every Friday and provides links to resources, articles and blog posts relating to working from home.
Links for this week:
DoWAHDiddy posted an interview by Mary with yours truly entitled “Do You Need a Virtual Assistant?” (Short answer? Yes, you do!)
And from Home Office Warrior’s own Grant Griffiths From Cubicle To Home Office - Essential Questions To Ask Yourself
From Elizabeth Pott Weinstein’s The Wealth Spa, “How to Delegate: Why Are You Doing …

In previous posts, I’ve mentioned marketing your blog as well as the statistics on how attorneys are using “Web 2.0″. But there are other ways, other than blogging, to market your practice or your firm online.
As an attorney, you have at least one area of law that you specialize in and may consider yourself an expert in that field. One method of using your expertise to reach potential clients and other attorneys is to host a webinar. As the phrase implies, a webinar is a seminar presented on the web. …

An article in the September 2008 issue of the ABA Journal reveals that only 8% of law firms and 2% of attorneys maintain a law blog.
Wow. That’s a lot lower than I would have expected, especially since this same survey shows that 96% of attorneys are doing their legal research online and over half of the solos who participated in the survey have websites.
Ironically, a vast majority of the attorneys responded that they receive their information from websites, newsletters and discussion lists. But who provides the information contained on those …

First, I want to thank everyone for commenting and entering the giveaway. There were 43 comments and using Random.org, a number was chosen. Here is the result:
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
15
Timestamp: 2008-08-11 05:19:12 UTC
Comment #15 was left by Reba Collins who said:
I just got a new laptop after the hard disk on my desktop crashed. I was going to have to buy a bag, it would be great to win such a cute one.
Congratulations, Reba! Watch for an email from me.
Thanks again to all who entered.

Its pretty rare for VA-industry blogs to host giveaways. You typically see business blogs hosting giveaways of their own products like coaching sessions or memberships. Who knows, maybe in the future I’ll offer my own Virtual Assistant services as part of a promotion.
In the meantime, I am excited to be giving away the Abbi New York Mina Laptop Bag courtesy of Cool Computer Bags.

Features:
Quilted sequin nylon with water repellent finish
Matching detachable and adjustable shoulder strap with non-slip ComfortGel™ shoulder pad
Inside pockets for wallet and cell phone, 3 pen holders, and …