It’s funny, but seeing your computer in a different environment can make you see it as it really is. In my case, when I’m at my desk, it still feels like the shiny new notebook computer I was more excited about than anything since I found out I was pregnant with my first baby. (My baby was only nine months old at that point, so that isn’t an exaggeration.)

Earlier this week, I had to take my computer for a memory upgrade. When I looked at my poor Acer on the table at Microage, I saw it for what it really is. A cracked-kind of dusty-keyboard letters half worn off-scratched-beat up looking-outdated computer. I was actually kind of embarrassed about it, if truth be told.

Although I love my computer like another family member, it’s time for a new one. I will keep this old machine around, but it is time.

Mann Made Time’s second anniversary is in June, and so is my last birthday before the big ‘3-0′. What better way to celebrate than with a brand new computer?

I am officially on a quest to find the best possible machine for me. I’m considering switching to a Mac. I’ve heard over and over again that when you go Mac you never go back.

Is that true?

Do any of my readers have any advice regarding a computer purchase?

I will be wanting to get a laptop or notebook again, because with two children under three years old, I can’t be tied down to a desktop all day, everyday.

So…let me have it…

All opinions wanted!

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I am a huge fan of Google. They have so many great, free tools that are extremely useful to me. I use their Gmail for several different clients as well as myself. I love their Google ‘Docs’ which allows me to collaborate on documents for free. I have Google Alerts set up for my clients and myself along with some other keywords I’m interested in. Do you have Google Alerts set up?

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, when you log in to your Google account (with your Gmail address) click on the ‘My Account’ link at the top of the screen. You’ll see the little icon of a bell on the list of available tools - that’s Google Alerts. You type in keywords that you want to be notified of coming on the internet. Example. If you’re a real estate agent, you could type in the street name of one of your listings and you’ll receive an email notification the next time that street name appears online.

You can set up Google Alerts for anything. I have alerts set up for my name, my business name, my clients’ names, virtual assistance, etc.

I read my blog feeds in Google Reader, and I check my web stats with Google Analytics…and the list goes on.

But Google just outdid themselves….er…outdid itself? I don’t know…but in any case…they have just done something wonderful.

I am now able to sync my Microsoft Outlook calendar with my Google Calendar. I kid you not. I can do two way syncs between Outlook’s calendar and Google’s. That is the most exciting thing to happen to me this week.

It was super easy to set up, all you do is click the bold red link above your Google Calendar that says ‘New! Outlook sync” or something obvious like that. After that, I had to download something very, very small, then type in my Gmail account info. I chose two way sync instead of one way, then clicked on the neat little calendar icon in my little Systray thingy. When I click that, my calendars magically sync.

While this might not seem like a big deal to some people, consider the scenario in which you are managing someone’s calendar in Google, without an easy sync feature. Or someone is managing your calendar and counting on you to keep them in sync.

In my case, I have someone checking my email for me. She will sometimes take things from my email (Gmail) and enter them in my Google calendar for me. Outlook really distracts me, so I try to keep it closed during the day. My VA forwards my urgent and important messages to a secret Gmail account so I don’t have to open Outlook and end up losing my focus! Now, I won’t have to open up my Outlook account at all during the day if I don’t want to.

Thanks, Google. Great feature!

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I like to support local businesses as much as I can.

My laptop has been running a little slower than I’d like, so I decided to get another memory upgrade until I take the plunge to buy a new machine. Today, I brought my beloved computer to Derek Llewellyn at Microage in Charlottetown.

I’ve had a few different dealings with Derek, and I really love the service he’s obviously committed to providing his customers. I like to walk into a place, have a man in a suit shake my hand and call me by name. Call me crazy. That’s only possible in a small town, I think, but that’s why I like living in a small town. He congratulated me on the article about me in the paper a couple weeks ago and everything.

Anyway, it cost hardly anything for the upgrade, and I’m running much faster now.

My point of this post was to promote shopping locally. Often, the small businesses in your neighborhood will treat you better than the staff of a big box store. That’s not always the case, but I find it to be true more often than not.

I know that Derek at Microage wants my business. I know he wants my referrals. How do I know? Because he thanks me for my business, and my referrals, so I keep going back and sending people there. I know for sure the service they get will be second to none. That’s how the smart business owners or sales consultants get our repeat business, and our referrals. They treat us well so we go back.

Most local businesses will treat you just like that. They want your business, and they work hard for it.

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When I was nine or ten years old, I started my first business.

Growing up in an oceanfront home on PEI, I spent many hours on the beach collecting sea shells and beach glass. I can’t tell you how much I miss the smell of that salty shore…

Anyway, I don’t remember what inspired me, but I started gathering small pieces of driftwood, tiny little shells and beach glass, and turning them into custom pieces of jewelry. I made broaches and earrings, and I remember they were actually pretty nice.

After I created the pieces, I would coat them with shellac so they were nice and shiny. Of course, I also had custom cards I would attach them to, and they were ready to sell.

Believe it or not, I actually had craft stores take them on consignment and they sold them for me.

All it cost me for that little venture was the actual hardware for the broaches and earrings, a couple of drill bits and a can of shellac.  Who knows what it totaled…probably less than $10.  (When you’re nine years old, you’re not really busy doing much else, so my time wasn’t as valuable as it is now.)

At the end of the summer, when we went around to the shops to pick up the pieces that didn’t sell, and collect my fortune, I was astonished to have made a little over $300. I might as well have been handed a cheque for a million dollars. Talk about proud!

I believe I did the same thing the following year, but then I took another job picking strawberries…then it was baby sitting…and so on and so forth.

I will never forget how it felt to create something and put it out there in the world, then have someone buy it. Actually spend their hard earned money on it. I still feel that way each time I get a new client.

I had three meetings with three great people today who will hopefully turn into new clients. I am as pleased as I was then when I was nine years old. There has always been an entrepreneur inside of me, and I’m so glad she’s free!

When did you know you were a true entrepreneur? What prompted you to take this path? When did the entrepreneurial bug bite you?!

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My business became fairly successful, fairly quickly. I absolutely love what I do. I love, love, love supporting busy professionals, and that has led to my becoming a busy professional!

Everyone knows we are only given 24 hours per day - all of us. No matter how wealthy we are, we can’t really buy more time. However, the smartest among us know that we can free up more time by outsourcing some of our tasks.

My client work must come before anything else I do, and I don’t believe that to be unique to my business. As a result of my priorities, I’ve been falling behind on the administration of Mann Made Time. My email was getting way out of control, and managing all aspects of my projects had become overwhelming, and takes a ton of (unbillable) time.

I decided that it was time to do something about this! I’ve been working with Victoria Santiago for almost 8 months now, contracting her services for several different things.

I’ve mentioned before on my blog that I’ve had her start managing my email. It’s a very tough habit to break, staying out of my Outlook, but it’s starting to run very smoothly. As action items come up in my email, Victoria adds them to my ‘Toodledo‘ list, and ensures everything is entered in my collaboration site. She also set up a top secret Gmail account where she forwards my urgent messages (So I don’t get distracted in Outlook). It’s working out great. We’re almost a perfectly well oiled machine.

The bottom line is, for the number of hours I’ve retained her for, it’s an absolute priceless investment. I’ve got more focus for my important client projects, I have a system in place for delegating work to my other associates, and I’ve freed up time.

If you’re a busy professional and feel like you can’t breathe with the amount of stuff you have on your plate, get in touch with me. My team can help you. I know how tough it is to let go of that control, I’ve done it myself.

And I am not looking back.

And I’m not looking in Outlook, Victoria. Promise

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