Displaying All Posts in the General category

Data Backup and Sync Strategies #1: What Data Should You Back Up?

(Editor’s Note: This article is the first in a data backup and sync series here on WorkAwesome.)

Backing up your data. It’s common sense, right? You should backup your data as often as possible. Simple, isn’t it? Yet everyday we hear horror stories of people losing important information because their laptop was stolen, computer was hacked or a hard drive failed.

So, while you know that data should be backed up, it is important that you setup automated processes so that it is done behind the scenes every day. Keep in mind that losing data means a huge loss in productivity (apart from mental stress). You don’t want your hard work to go waste, right? Click Here to Read Article …

The Best of the Business Blogs, July 2010

At the start of every month, we’ll be rounding up the best posts from the business network of blogs and directing you to them. Here’s the best of business in July, including articles fromthe NetsetterFreelanceSwitch and right here at WorkAwesome. Click Here to Read Article …

Creating a Newsletter in Word in 10 Steps

In my past articles, I’ve discussed how to create several customizations with your Microsoft Office suite.  Creating a newsletter in Word is a simple 10-step process. Here’s how to do a newsletter in Word: Click Here to Read Article …

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Awesome Links #9: Secure Wireless, Accountant Hiring, Google Failures

The Complete Guide to Securing Your Home Wireless Network

This article at Guiding Tech talks about the steps you need to take to make sure that your home wireless network cannot be easily hacked into.

How the internet works [Infographic]

A nice illustration explaining how the internet actually works from Make Use Of.

Accountant Hiring Simplified

Need to hire an accountant? This guide by our sister site The Netsetter will make the process simpler for you.

12 Social Media Monitoring Tools Reviewed

Some prominent social media monitoring tools reviewed by Six Revisions.

Let’s Celebrate Google’s Biggest Failures!

Google Wave’s shutdown announcement prompted Danny Sullivan to take a look at some of the biggest Google products that failed to live up to the expectations. Click Here to Read Article …

The Practical Guide to Doing Laundry

Laundry: the weekly time-consuming chore that ties you up for some hours.  If you’re one of us poor folks who can’t afford help, you’re likely to dread doing laundry, especially if you have to go to a laundromat.  I’ve picked up some best practices on how to do laundry that I share here to help save you some time and energy while preserving your garments.

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How Helpful is Blue Sky Thinking?

The blue sky view. Not a cloud in sight. Perfect conditions, endless opportunity, unlimited potential.

People often formulate ideas using the “blue sky view,” a hypothetical landscape where challenges are nonexistent, success is straightforward, and every lucky break seems to go your way.

Advocates of blue sky thinking say that brainstorming in an idealized, setback-free setting allows you to focus solely on the idea, not the related obstacles or logistics. You develop the idea in a perfect, immaculate universe, and then approach the potential challenges separately.

But, even a bad idea can look good if you picture it within an idealized, utopian scenario. The blue sky view could distort your expectations and affect your judgment. Under the blue sky, a risky move can look like a safe bet.

Undeniably, the road to success will seem clearer if you wish away the obstacles. The question is: Does the blue sky view truly help you formulate viable plans, or does it leave you unprepared for the inevitable challenges of reality? Click Here to Read Article …

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Are You Sent on Solo Runs with Mission Critical Objectives?

Pilots are often sent on long solo missions with no guidance or assistance along the way. They are given an objective and a “blue sky” plan; anything unexpected is the problem of the pilot alone. Despite the importance of the mission, there is nobody on board to share the stress that comes with “mission critical” tasks. Sometimes it’s hard to stay in the air with the gravity of heavy responsibility pulling at your wings, but the faith that’s been placed in your abilities can be very uplifting.

Solo pilots must be as vigilant of their resources – fuel, oxygen, time – as they are of potential obstacles. Stormy weather, reroutes or faulty equipment can instantly turn dealing with a  straightforward mission into dealing with the impossible.

Does your work ever send you on a long, solo run with “mission critical” objectives? Does the lack of colleague camaraderie ever make the air feel thin? Would you welcome a solo flight as a testament to your skills and reliability, or would you find yourself reaching for the ejection handle? Click Here to Read Article …

4 Reasons to Take Public Transportation to Work

Are you tired of driving to work or relying on a carpool? If you live in or near a city, there are several reasons why public transportation may be a great option for getting to work. Here are four good reasons to get out from behind the wheel:

Found Time

Public transportation is a great way to get more hours in the day. The time spent sitting on a bus, subway or commuter train can be time spent reading, working and even napping. If you have a long commute and you’re able to work while doing so, try to convince your boss to build that time into your workday.

Save the Earth—and Some Cash

By taking public transit, you’ll know that you are doing your part to cut down on CO2 emissions and the dependence on foreign oil. According to the American Public Transportation Association, public transit use saves the U.S. 4.2 billion gallons of gas and 37 million metric tons of CO2 annually. Plus, households that use public transit save more than $8,000 a year.

Employer Benefits

Many employers partially (or even fully) reimburse for transit passes, or offer a pre-tax deduction for the cost of a transit pass. Some employers are also going green and finding additional ways to incentivize or celebrate using public transit to get to work. It may earn you some brownie points – or green ones!

Market Research

One of the unique opportunities of taking public transit is the people watching. You may just find that the people milling around you on the platform or sitting next to you on the bus fit a demographic for something you are working on. Observe, take notes, perhaps even chat them up. You just may learn something. Click Here to Read Article …

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