Have you ever considered using online applications to enhance your business productivity?

On line applications can help you when working with current and potential clients. For example in connection with lead generation, delivering services to our clients and as internal tools in our practice – all of which enhance your productivity and effectiveness.

I was recently approached by journalist Marie Boran of the Irish Independent who asked me to do an email interview about my use of online applications in business to enhance productivity.

Online tools are particularly helpful when you are in a role where you are mobile and your team and the business partners you collaborate with are dispersed across the country or event the globe as is the case in my business.

Many of the applications are available at no cost or require a relatively small financial investment to assess them.

In addition, you do not have the challenge of installing and keeping the applications up to date on your own in-house IS platform.

Many of the tools and platforms are providing a bespoke solution for us and we did not have a previous desktop application. Other tools such as Skype we use in addition to our regular phone services.

I shared 32 of my favourite online applications that I use in my business.

Marie also asked me a number of questions about my view of online applications and you can read my perspective about why I think businesses big and small can benefit from online applications to build their brand, generate qualified leads attracting more clients, enhance their productivity, improve customer service and increase profits: Continue reading

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One of the things I have noticed when attending live events about new media from blogging to podcasting is that there are not too many women at the events. That is not to say that women are less than active in the world of blogging and podcasting - far from that.

Valeria Maltoni the author of the Conversation Agent has decided to start a “W list” - a list of women who write great blogs.

It’s great to see my good friends Andrea Learned and Anna Farmery on the list along side women bloggers that I have followed for some time. I’ll be taking time to familiarise myself with the other bloggers on the list in the next few weeks.

You might recall that Mary Gilmartin created a list of female bloggers in Ireland prior to the 2007 Irish Blog Awards.

Anyway, here is the list of women who write great blogs that Valeria is developing - it would be great to ensure that we have some more European female bloggers on the list for example:

• Wiggly Wigglers authored by fellow Podcast Sister Heather Gorringe
• The Blog Angel aka Claire Raikes
• Wealth Strategy Secrets by Money Gym author and Founder Nicola Cairncross.

So come on girls (and boys who know girls who author great blogs) let Valeria know - don’t be shy - as the advert says - you’re worth it - being on the W list that is!

For now, I have listed the blogs Valeria mentioned in alpha order of their blog name:

• advergirl Leigh Householder
• Back in Skinny Jeans by Stephanie Quilao
• Biz Growth News by Krishna De
• BlogWrite for CEOs Debbie Weil
• Brand Sizzle Anne Simons
• Branding & Marketing Chris Brown
• CK’s Blog CK (Christina Kerley)
• Communication Overtones Kami Huyse
• Conscious Business by Anne Libby
• Conversation Agent Valeria Maltoni
• Corporate PR Elizabeth Albrycht
• Customers Rock! Becky Carroll
• Deborah Schultz by Deborah Schultz
• Diva Marketing Blog Toby Bloomberg
• Email Marketing Best Practices Tamara Gielen
• eSoup by Sharon Sarmiento
• Flooring The Consumer CB Whittemore
• Forrester’s Marketing Blog Shar, Charlene, Chloe, Christine Elana, Laura and Lisa
• Get Fresh Minds by Katie Konrath
• Get Shouty by Katie Chatfield
• Inspired Business Growth by Wendy Piersall
• Kinetic Ideas Wendy Maynard
• Learned on Women by Andrea Learned
• Liz Strauss at Successful Blog by Liz Strauss
• Lorelle on WordPress by Lorelle VanFossen
• Manage to Change by Ann Michael
• Management Craft by Lisa Haneberg
• Marketing Roadmaps Susan Getgood
• Moda di Magno by Lori Magno
• Modite by Rebecca Thorman
• Narrative Assets by Karen Hegman
• Presto Vivace Blog Alice Marshall
• Productivity Goal by Carolyn Manning
• Spare Change Nedra Kline Weinreich
• Tech Kitten by Trisha Miller
• The Copywriting Maven Roberta Rosenberg
• The Engaging Brand by Anna Farmery
• The Origin of Brands Laura Ries 
• The Podcast Sisters by Krishna De, Anna Farmery and Heather Gorringe
• What’s Next Blog B L Ochman

Update 8 August: 

Also leave a message in my comments with the name of the female blogger and the URL of their blog. Or if you prefer, send me an email. I will update the master list at the end of the month. I can’t wait to hear from you and add you to the growing list of women who author great blogs!

You know how great blogging has been to help you express your personal brand on-line - so enough of being shy - make August the month for shameless self promotion!

And of course lets also share a little link love! I’ll list the “W list” across The Podcast Sisters, Todays Women in Business and Biz Growth News for you so we share the list and far and wide.

As at 7.30 pm, the W list is going viral and Tiffany Monhollan of The Little Red Suit has added more great female bloggers to the W-list - find the latest update of the list here.

I will be “unplugged” for most of the next 7 days as I am about to leave fo vacation, so thank you in advance to those of you who add and share the list and i look forward to coming back to a wonderful list of blogs to explore on the W list in the next week or so.

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Are you a female entrepreneur based in Dublin looking for professional development support?

Well I just heard from my friend and the Deputy CEO of Dublin City Enterprise Board, Eibhlin Curley that a new network is going to be established supported by Dublin City Enterprise Board to provide customised training in areas specific to the needs of women in business. 

Funding of up to 80% of training costs and networking events is available from Skillnets, a body that supports networks of enterprises to engage in training under the Learning Networks Programme.  The network will be open to female entrepreneurs.

You can find out more at the information evening that will be held on the 13 August 2007 at 6.30pm at Mount Herbert Hotel, Herbert Rd, Lansdowne, Dublin 4.

If you are planning to attend, please contact the event organiser Pauline Logan at network@dceb.ie so they can plan numbers.

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One of the terrific opportunities of new online media platforms is the ability to connect and build networks with new colleagues from across the globe.

Through business blogging and corporate podcasting I have new business relationships and friendships with many people I previously had not met.

I am delighted to announce a new partnership with two other women on the web who I met through corporate podcasting - Anna Farmery and Heather Gorringe both authors with me on Women in Podcasting.

Well as we write about podcasting and we all have our own corporate podcasts we thought it was an opportune time to start a new podcast and so the seeds of our new venture together were sown - “The Podcast Sisters”.

Our goal is to provide provide inspiration and guidance for women in Europe on how to engage with the internet to progress their personal and professional goals. Now of course men will be very welcome to listen to “The Podcast Sisters”.

However there are still many women in business who have not yet explored online platforms for business development as can be seen with the smaller number of women who attend events and conferences on these subjects. There are many opportunities and online communities in North America, but we believe there is a gap in the European market which we would like to play our small part in supporting.

“The Podcast Sisters” will be sharing knowledge and tips all from blogs to podcasts, from websites to wiki’s.

However “The Podcast Sisters” is for you, so do let us know what you would like us to cover to accelerate your online success. So “The Podcast Sisters” need your input.

I’m sure it will be entertaining listening knowing Anna and Heather - you can be sure that there will be times that our different experiences and backgrounds will show through as we share our personal success and all that we have learnt in our foray into this wonderful online world.

So watch out for “The Podcast Sisters Podcast” coming to a CD/iPod/MP3 player/your Mac/your PC very soon.

And remember if you have a sister, daughter, aunt, mother, cousin, grandmother, wife, girlfriend, partner or female friend who has been thinking about building their business on the Internet but are looking for ideas, tips and advice on how to move forward or if they want to take their business online to the next level, do get them to post their questions here for us to address in a future episode of “The Podcast Sisters”.

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In celebration of International Women’s Day, I have recorded a special edition podcast relevant to all women in business.

The business podcast focuses on how we can be more impactful in our engagement in meetings - be they one to one meetings, team meetings or even global conferences.

Get ready to take notes as we share a six step process to enhance your ability to be more impactful and influential in meetings so that you realise great outcomes and expand your professional success.

You can access the International Women’s Day business podcast here.

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