Keith's Biztalk posts

Offered: King sized mattress set with mirrored headboard with nothing expected in return

A friend of mine in Redmond has a newer king size mattress set (top and bottom) and a headboard to give away. I thought I would offer it to Biznik members first. Headboard has "mirrors" along the section that faces the bed. Kinda of a 70s look in that the mirrors are broken up by some dark streaks which were normal for this type of mirrors. Headboard is very heavy.

You are responsible for providing your own transportation such as a ZipCar (formerly FlexCar) pickup truck if you don't own one.

Bed set is currently in their garage.

Tell me how this would make your life better.

Today only: Fry's is selling QuickBooks Pro 2008 for $129.99 plus tax along with PC6400 & 5300 memory

If you are thinking of getting QuickBooks Pro 2008 for the PC (and you've *confirmed that this is the right software for your business), Fry's is selling it today only (5-16-08) for $129.99 plus tax. The normal price is usually $150-170 depending on where you go.

They are also rebating the entire purchase price (excluding sales tax) for a 256 MB PCI Graphics Card, notebook cooler, McAfee Internet Security Suite 2008 for three computers (I have given my extra installations to my QuickBooks clients who are lacking protection), and a 430 Watt power supply.

Also offered after rebate are a Jabra Bluetooth headset for $2.99 or a Motorola for $19.99 (we all have to get ready for our handsfree law in July and so we can all look like half assimilated Borgs, smile), laptop stand for $9.99, Brother laser printer/copier/fax machine for $19.99, 2 GB DDR PC3200 (400 MHz) for $39.99, 2 GB DDR2 PC6400 (800 MHz) for $19.99, 4 GB DDR2 PC5300 Dual Notebook Memory (667 MHz) for $49.99, 4 GB DDR2 PC6400 Dual Memory (800 MHz) for $49.99, and 1 GB DDR PC2700 (333 MHz) Notebook Memory for $39.99, OEM XP Pro for $129.99 (for system builders?), 2 GB Micro SD twin pack for $12.99, and a 1500 VA UPS for $79.99.

Offers can be found in today's (Friday, May 16th, 2008) inset in most major daily newspapers (in Seattle, that would be the Times and PI). Quantities may be limited. Prices are good for today only. The Greater Seattle area Fry's is open to 9 PM and is located at 800 Garden Ave N. in Renton on the west side of I-405 at exit 5 (head towards the lake) and turn left at the light by the railroad tracks across from Boeing.

*a good way to confirm if this is the right software for your business is to call me at 206-789-8328 or any other Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor in your area or you can compare the boxes on display.

Free subscription to Seattle Business Monthly magazine

Seattle Business Monthly is offering free subscriptions. Here's the link that they sent me to forward to my business friends so they can sign up. There is some reference on that sign up page about qualifying but I haven't heard of anyone with a bona fide, verifiable business being turned down.

You can view their current and back online issues (including web exclusive material at http://www.seattlebusinessmonthly.com.

I always learn something from it. This is an update to a previous post.

Would like to be able to use the quote or indent command when posting

Sometimes, I would like to show that some words in a post are a quote besides putting them in italics and would like to be able to indent it.

I have tried to use regular HTML commands like <quote>insert text here</quote> but it hasn't worked.

Could we get this enabled or let us use an indent option?

Need to use different Biznik web site addresses for messages that are invitations to add people to network vs general messages or internal e-mail between members

When I get an invitation to join someone's network or a general message throught the Biznik internal e-mail network, the link on the bottom of my e-mail notification says they are the same:

Name of sender has sent you a message.

Thanks, The Biznik Team

When the message is an internal e-mail, I have to go an extra step to get to that internal e-mail.

What I think should be done since clicking on the add to network and send a message are different buttons under our pictures is that invitations to network would stay the same but general e-mail messages notifications would have a different Biznik web site address of:

http://biznik.com/members/name of member/messages?display=inbox

That way we would go directly into the appropriate area of our mail boxes and not have to do an extra step.

I personally think that mail should be its own tab between Your Profile and Members when we are logged inand not accessed through Your Profile. Currently, it seems like an extra step to access it and this change would encourage the use of the system to send mail internally.

A Place That Sells Unique Business Card Cases (So You Can Start a Conversation at Networking Events or When Handing Them Out to Clients)

If you are like most folks, you either keep your business cards loose in your wallet, purse, or cell phone or laptop case, or you might have some ordinary plastic or metal holder making a bulge in your pocket.

Recently, I was walking along 116 Central Way in beautiful downtown Kirkland (Washington State) and discovered KÕÄP 425-822-2003.

They offer a number of handmade business card cases or holders. Each is made by a different artist. All are conversation starters.

For example, John Hays and the other private investigators could use the one with finger prints on it. Architects like Dan Corcoran or home designers such as Dana Hendrickson would enjoy the blueprint one.

Pet sitters could use the pets design. Landscape designers and gardeners could use the one with grass on the front. Art folks and gallery owners might enjoy the art or tiki motifs.

Or you could contact the artists through the shop and have them design one for you.

Perhaps at an event, we'll see Mindy Carey, CFP open up one with a dollar bill or a dollar sign and a question mark, Sierra Kennedy, LMP whip out one with a pair of outstretched hands facing down, or one of our many photographers showing their best work?

Or you can hire one of our many design folks like jewelry designer Banu-Sekendur to make it part of your brand. Perhaps you could even have a series of cases for different events and venues.

Now, what do you think mine should look like and yours?

Or we could throw out names and see what we all come up with.

Improvements to the add me to your network and introduction click through of people's profiles

I recently got an invitation to network with someone and was introduced to another person.

In both cases, the invitor or introducer didn't realize that the text in the message body could be added to by them.

I would like to suggest that rather the following be added to the usual boilerplate text of these intra member e-mails:

The reason why is because ....

Unable to post a new event

I am trying to post a new *event but I can't find the feature anywhere on the site. I watched the video after searching for this. I have tried under the green events tab as well as my own events tab.

I'm going to be offering a QuickBooks Company File Check Up at Office Nomads on next Monday or Tuesday (April 7 or 8th).

Suggestion for change in wording of Invite subject line

Currently, when someone I invite gets an invitation to join Biznik, they see "Keith Gormezano has invited you to join Biznik" and then they have to read further to find out what it is.

I would like to see that changed to "Your name has invited you to join Biznik - a 6,000 member online and in person business networking and educational group." It is a bit more compelling.

I want people to want to read the message.

Ideally, it would be nice if we could choose the subject line. For my Seattle contacts, I would say something like "Dr. QuickBooks has invited you to join Biznik - a 6,000 member online and in person business networking and educational group with over 4,000 members in Greater Seattle."

BTW, the tags disappeared from the tag section when I edited this post but reappeared as tags on the right after I clicked on submit.

Suggested template for Invite Prospective Members

For those of you who would like to invite your friends but aren't comfortable with the brief canned invite, I offer the following template to use as you wish.

Begin:

I thought as a small business owner that you would like to join Biznik, a free to join, 4,000 member local (Greater Seattle area), independent business network where members meet to help each other build our businesses.

Currently over 10% of my business is coming from the group.

Here's what you'll find:

* The opportunity to post a profile about your business, what you have to offer other members, what you are looking for in clients and collaboration partners, and your educational background and work experience.

* Social events and happy hours where you'll build relationships, give and receive referrals, and meet new clients and collaboration partners.

* Online and face-to-face promotional opportunities for your business. You could even offer a course on what you know in your field.

* Educational workshops that help build your business skills. The last one I went to talked about value-based pricing and why I should raise my rates. Another told me why I should focus on teaching people the program rather than offer bookkeeping.

* Powerful web-based tools that build and manage your personal business network. Don't forget to join mine when you join.

* Opportunities to share your experiences, learn from others through the community's forums, and build your reputation at the same time.

* Improved findability in Google and other search engines. I'm currently #3 when people type in the words "Seattle QuickBooks (or Quicken) training."

* The opportunity to purchase supplemental business insurance such as disability insurance at group rates through one of our members.

And all this at the basic level - is free.

Also, Biznik is an MLM-free zone. Marketing products or services originating with an MLM business and recruiting associates is strictly prohibited.

Keith Gormezano Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Dr. QuickBooks - I make house calls to fix your financial aches and pains and teach you the software program so you can fish for yourself. (206) 789-8328
Visit my profile at http://biznik.com/members/keith-gormezano to see what one (wordy) profile might look like and what the group can offer you. (Please do not join from viewing my profile. I won't get "credit" for it.) Please use this link: http://biznik.com/join/keith-gormezano.

-30-

One thing I don't mention is the price of an active or supporting membership. I think that people should see the value or get some business first before you can ask them to upgrade and some will anyway.

KG

Suggestion for new member badges

In regards to the Biznik Member Badges that appear under our picture and above the tiny photos of those folks in our networks, would it be possible to add something like:

"Attendee" (has attended 10 or more events in the last year), "Networker" (has 10 or more people in their network, "Participant" (has completed all sections of their Biznik profile of at least 100 words in each section), "Promoter" (has offered at least three or five promotions), "Poster" (has posted at least 10 posts), and "Commentor" (18 or more replies to posts [I choose the higher number as it is easy to reply but harder to post an original thought.])

Any thoughts on this?

Please give us a unique ID so we would get credit for anyone who joins after clicking that link.

At Dominic's Marketing Seminar last week, Dan mentioned that Biznik would like to increase its presence in the Seattle area and focus on this area.

One way would be to make it easier for us to promote our membership in the group on our web sites, ads, etc and get credit if someone joins as a result.

I currently promote Biznik on my profile and in my Craig's List and other online classifieds ads but if someone joins as a result, I don't get credit.

I would like to be able to get credit for the folks that join as a result of the link in those ads but not add them to my network automatically. Which would give me an incentive to make sure that I mention it in all my advertising to small business owners.

Is there a way of issuing each of us a unique ID so if someone joins after landing on the link, we could get credit for it? In the old Biznik, we used to have one but I don't know if that still exisits.

Perhaps, people could get direct credits when someone they know personally joins and indirect credit when someone joins as a result of this unique link.

Please change the invite feature (to prospective members) so accepted invites automatically show up in our network when they accept

I would like it when I invite someone to join Biznik using the internal Invite feature within Biznik that if they accept, they should automatically be added to my network. My name should also be added to the Who Invited You section of their profile.

The advantage of this is that folks would automatically have one person in a network and we would know who invited someone to join.

Offered: Incorporation or LLC Formation through Intuit's MyCorporation. Wanted: Office Professional 2007, unlocked cell phone, UPS device.

Visit My Corporation web site for more information about the service. The service is valued at $149

Limits. Offer expires January 28, 2008. State fees, rush fees, and fees for other services purchased while using the promotion will apply.

I am looking to trade this for a copy of Microsoft Office Professional 2007, unlocked flat cell phone with Bluetooth, or uninterruptable power supply with battery backup.

Free copy of QuickBooks Simple Start 2008 (Windows only) with no time limitation but designed for businesses more interested in tracking income and expenses and not needing online banking, the ability to track inventory, or to modify financial reports

Simple Start 2008 is a fully functional with a few limitations, basic bookkeeping program with no time limitations. It is designed for new or existing small business owners who don't want or need full–fledged "accounting software." It's an easier way to keep track of your basic sales, expenses, and customers. You can also use it to keep track of your household spending as well.

If you've been using paper ledgers, spreadsheets to track your numbers (and you know who you are, I've met with a few of you, smile), and word processing documents or paper forms for your invoices and sales receipts, the program could be an improvement for your current paper based business and save you money that you would normally pay your accountant to sort out your financial records at the end of the year.

As a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, I recommend Simple Start to most businesses who are starting up and want to save money their first year and don't need all the features of QuickBooks Pro such as the ability to download their past online banking transactions (you're starting out, remember, you're not supposed to have any), inventory, modify financial reports, or track job costs and profitability.
You can either meet me to get a CD at a Biznik event or ask me for a download link so you can:

• Be ready at tax time (it's getting closer!)
• Stay organized (shouldn't you focus on what you do best?)
• Look more professional.

However, Simple Start is for first–time QuickBooks users and Intuit will require you to register the software to use it after 30 days. You cannot import data from prior versions of QuickBooks, Quicken, or Peachtree but you can upgrade to more advanced versions of QuickBooks or Peachtree.

Key Features

Track money coming into your business:

• Create professional-looking invoices.
• Receive payments.
• Create sales receipts.
• Record deposits.

Track money going out of your business:

• Write and print checks
• Record cash and credit card expenses
• Issue refunds

Manage your business better:

• Create basic, one-click financial statement reports such as a Profit and Loss, Balance sheet, and Cash Flows but you can't modify them.
• Simplify tax preparation (with TurboTax as an example)
• Track thousands of customer and vendor contacts but not inventory

30 days of FREE e–mail support for questions submitted online (1)

Free business tools, plus advice from peers and experts

Accept all major credit and debit cards with QuickBooks Merchant Service (ask me about trying this out for two months free(2)) while you shop around for less expensive merchant credit card processing.

Notes:

1. Thirty (30) consecutive days of Simple Start 2008 support included from first–time registration. Questions must be submitted online to receive free support via e–mail. Internet access required. Offer valid 90 days from software download or installation; U.S. only.
   
   
2. Intuit has offered to pay me a referral fee for signing you up. I just thought you had a right to know that. I have a policy of donating this money to charity or using it to pay for my professional membership with them.
   
   QuickBooks and QuickBooks ProAdvisor are registered trademarks and/or registered service marks of Intuit, Inc. Used with permission.
   
   

Has anyone tried the new WiFi/Wi-Fi enabled phones from AT&T or T-Mobile?

I've been thinking of getting either the Samsung t409 or Nokia 6086 cell phones or the Blackberry 8320 PDA that TMobile offers through their HotSpot at Home program. The phones use Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technology which hands off voice calls between a GSM cellular network and a non-carrier-specific local area network (including both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.)

All of them allow you to make and receive calls through their HotSpot@Home wifi router and other unsecured WiFi connections even internationally. According to the literature, if you start a call on a WiFi connection, it won't be counted against your allocated minutes. Of course, you have to sign up and pay extra ($19.99 a month) for that privilege of being able to save on your mobile minutes.

I am planning on switching over my land line and business number to a cell phone/PDA and keeping a measured service number for emergencies and to send faxes since cell phones and VoIP don't work if the power goes out as many of us found out last year when the big snowstorm hit. I receive free faxes using a local number through K7.net.

I read about this feature online at PC World several months ago.

I tried using the iPhone from Apple that AT&T offers but found it too difficult to use in terms of touch. AT&T also offers a different model of Blackberry, the 8820 for using this type of feature.

2008 Seattle/Eastside Entertainment Books $16-20

I also have the North Puget Sound/San Juan Islands and South Puget Sound including Tacoma/Olympia and Olympic Pennisula editions.

I am selling all of them at cost ($16) to supporting members and the regular retail price ($20) to free members. You pick up at my place in Phinney Ridge.

If you work for or serve on the board of a non-profit and want to buy a box of 10 to resell yourselves or provide to your staff or hard working volunteers, I will sell you a box at cost as well.

(206) 789-8328

Offered: QuickBooks (Windows or Mac) training or new company set up or chart of accounts/bookkeeping check up Wanted: branding/logo/business cards, web site redesign, rewrite print/online ads (Seattle but could do this via IM)

What I could use is some branding/logo design/business cards, a web site makeover, and rewriting some of my ads on Craig's List and Kijiji (new classifieds site owned by eBay.)

Visit my Biznik profile to see what I can specifically do for you.

3 Bedroom, 1&3/4 Bath for rent in Wedgewood $1495

A friend of mine has a house for rent with fenced back yard in Wedgwood in NE Seattle.

Upper floor has master bedroom in the SE corner and second bedroom in the SW corner, full bath, big living room with fireplace, moderate dining area, and small dated 50's style kitchen with dishwasher, electric stove, refrigerator, and microwave.

Basement has W/D, gas? furnance, and third bathroom and 3/4 shower and toilet.

Walk to the Seattle NE library, many schools, religious institutions, supermarkets, stores, etc.

I told her that I would put this listing on Biznik for her and will forward replies. Usual first, last, damage although she may be flexible on these.

Contact me so I can forward your message to the owner so you can see it later.

Free Diagnostics on Your Laptop (in exchange for donation of new hygiene product*)

for the Ballard Food Bank. Why suffer from a malfuctioning laptop when you could find out what is wrong, be able to do something about it, and help out your community?

Advanced Laptop Service at 2404 NW 80th St (@24th Ave NW and NW 80th St) in North Ballard/Crown Hill in Northwest Seattle is offering free diagnostics on any laptop in exchange for a donation of any new hygiene product* for the Ballard Food Bank.

*Disposable Razors
*Shaving Cream
*Shampoo & Conditioner
*Bar soap *Lotion
*Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
*Mouthwash
*Dental Floss
*Laundry Soap
*Tylenol
*Men's Socks, Underwear, & T-Shirts
*Deodorant
*Q-Tips
*Feminine Hygiene Products

A number of these products can be bought on rebate at RiteAid and Walgreen's.