The Software Revitalist™

Forget resolutions, they are too broad – “lose weight” or “make more money”.

I make New Years SOLUTIONS that are empowering and allow me to plan for success.

Here’s one of mine:

I am going to increase my marketing reach by writing more content for social media, article sites, blogs, and print.

Here’s one for you:

I am going to improve my business relationships by managing the information about my contacts in a CRM system. Then I can run reports that categorize and group contacts by industry and interests in order to make better referrals and offer more targeted information.

See how this works? It is not just a statement, it is a plan, and that is the key. It is almost impossible to take any meaningful action without a plan. And, it is also important to include the right tools so that you can more easily execute the plan.

In my case it is writing content that can be re-purposed, and re-posted in multiple locations. My plan includes a list of topics that address my target audience, and a list of locations where I can find them. The software I use is also important, to make things easy.

To copy and paste from a Word document into a form on a website has caused LOTS of ugly results, including rouge HTML code in the text. So, any content I write that will be posted directly onto a website, such as a blog, I write in either an HTML editing software or in WordPress, which adds appropriate HTML code. I only use Word if the final document is going to be a .pdf file or if I am going to print it for distribution.

For my CRM example, you want the right software to capture the information you are obtaining from your contacts. In most cases, this will require the need for custom fields and the ability to at least modify the reports and report filters. All true CRM software offer both of those things, and much more such as flexibility in managing your calendar, attaching emails to contact records, creating sales opportunities, and monitoring customer service.

Planning for success in 2010 is the only way you are going to have a chance of achieving it.

Please let me know what New Years Solutions you have, and what software you need to support it!

Happy New Year!

Ellen DePasquale – The Software Revitalist™

Recently, one of my clients expressed her frustration with cleaning up lists in Excel. They export various contact lists from their CRM and much of that data was originally entered with the customer name all in capital letters. She hates the way that looks on their mailing labels, so their export goes through Excel to clean it up before the mail merge with Word.

The good news is that changing cells in Excel from all caps to normal upper and lower case text is a simple formula. Here’s how it works:

1. Insert a column next to the column of text you want to change. We’ll say the column in all caps is column A. Inserting a column to the left of column A will move all the data in column A to column B, and column A is now blank.

2. Enter the formula in column A on the first row that holds data, which we’ll say is row 1. So, in cell A1 you enter the following:

=PROPER(B1)

3. The result of the formula is the all caps text in B1 is now in normal upper and lower case text in A1. Then copy the formula all the way to the bottom of the data. Now you have two columns with the same information. However, column A is a formula, so if you delete column B, the formula no longer works. Here is the quick fix.

4. Select column A, all of it, by simply clicking on the letter A at the top of the column. Click Edit, Copy – or in Excel07, it is Home, Copy.

5. Leave column A highlighted and click Edit, Paste Special, then select Paste Values, OK – or in Excel07, it is Home, the word Paste to open the pull-down menu, and then Paste Values. Now all the formulas are simply text.

6. Press the ESC key to remove the selection around column A. Now you can delete column B. Select column B by clicking on the letter B at the top of the column, then Edit, Delete – or in Excel07, Home, Delete.

Example of the results of these steps:

ELLEN in cell A1 – then insert a column
ELLEN in cell B1 – column A is blank
=PROPER(B1) in cell A1 – the cell will show the text Ellen
copy formula down the column
copy column A and paste values into column A
delete column B
Ellen still in cell A1

As with many step-by-step written instructions, it looks like more work than it really is. Most of these steps are simple clicks that take only a second.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.

Ellen DePasquale – The Software Revitalist™

This classic story explores many life lessons and  I am sure you can come up with just as many as I can. So here are my top 5 lessons entrepreneurs can learn from The Wizard of Oz! (Please share yours in the comments!)

1. It can be a long journey.
The yellow-brick road was not short, and it had many twists and turns. The same it true for the road to building a successful business. First you need a goal as big as the emerald city, and a plan, or path, to get there. You also need to stay focused. No matter how many distractions came her way, Dorothy never lost sight of her goal to get home. Although she stopped along the way, she always kept going. If you don’t have a documented business plan then it is time to write one. There are several good business plan software programs, or you can get started in Word. You plan may get modified along the way, but with a clear goal and determination, it is your path to success!

2. Enlist support.
As entrepreneurs we are forced to wear many hats, but you have to decide when many become TOO MANY. You just can’t do everything, believe me, I’ve tried. As Dorothy gained help she also gained strength and momentum. Get help with the things that are best left to someone else like bookkeeping or marketing. Your computer can be a big help in these areas. Accounting software makes creating invoices and balancing your checkbook easier than doing it any other way, and social media is a great way to kick-up your marketing.

3. Work with a mentor/coach.
The wizard offered information and guidance that was not found anywhere else. It is very powerful to have a conversation with someone who has been in your shoes. Not only can you ask questions that are specific to your situation, but in a long-term commitment, you will have someone who will keep you accountable, which is vital for growth. By utilizing technology you are not limited to someone local. Online webinars and teleseminars offer convenient scheduling and he ability to participate in long-distance coaching groups.

4. It takes more than just determination.
As determined as Dorothy was, it took many skills to get past the obstacles and back to Kansas. So in addition to perseverance, an entrepreneur needs courage, a brain, and a heart. Too many times I have heard, “It’s not personal, it’s business.” I don’t think that is 100% true. A heartless businessperson will eventually lose business. A successful entrepreneur has to have the whole package! Well, now “You’ve cut me to the quick!” I have no software advice for this one!

5. Look in your own backyard!
Dorothy’s ultimate lesson was that she went looking for something that she “never really lost in the first place.” The same is true for entrepreneurs. Before you head out to your next networking event take a look at the opportunities that are at your fingertips, literally. Search through all your contact databases – email address book, CRM, accounting software – and think carefully about each contact. You have a wealth of information in your own computer that can be harvested to jump-start 2010 with a pipeline full of potential!

Ellen DePasquale – The Software Revitalist™

Resources:
BizPlan Software: Business Plan Pro
Accounting: Intuit, Peachtree by Sage, FreshBooks
Social media: What Is Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
Coaches: Aspire Higher, ActionCOACH, Prime Strategies
CRM: Sage CRM Solutions, ZoHoCRM

Disclaimer: I personally know or have worked with every company and software on this list.