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home office

Happy FOSS Month (No, Not Floss)

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What’s FOSS? Something for Children’s Dental Month? Nope. But for small business marketing, it’s equally deserving of a February celebration. 

FOSS is Free and Open-Source Software. It’s a cooperative approach to computer programming that offers freely licensed software for anyone to edit, modify or reuse—think WordPress and its total transformation of the internet. FOSS has also changed the economic landscape for small businesses; in fact, for many (like me!) it’s been the criterium for opening their doors.

How can FOSS benefit your business?

There are so many software options. Here are five to get you started. Best of all, they’re free!

  1. Want to set up a Live Chat on your website? HubSpot offers this and more to effectively market your product.  
  2. Want to sell online? WooCommerce is to e-commerce as WordPress is to web design. By creating an online storefront, entrepreneurs can easily sell wares from their own websites. 
  3. Need to swipe credit cards? Square is one of many point-of-sale (POS) options that records and processes payments from customers. What would farm market and show vendors be without POS software? 
  4. Can’t meet in person? Zoom. Need I say more? Zoom has become a noun, a verb, a way of life. My favorite feature for business meetings is Share Your Screen. 
  5. Are you a startup needing to start bookkeeping? Wave is a free accounting, invoicing, and receipt tracking software for small businesses. 
LET’s WORK TOGETHER

What I’m Working On This Month

The Hispanic Resource Center of ProHealth works with families in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. This 6-page newsletter is part of its effort to provide reliable information on COVID and the medical care available to them. I’m proud to participate in the fight against COVID-19!

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. Wisconsin 101: Friday Fish Fry: A must hear for this beloved tradition.
  2. Radical Woman Behind “Goodnight Moon”: Always loved the soothing simplicity of this children’s book, interesting read on the author.
  3. Quality of life, not just business, rejuvenates Midwest: Interesting read on community development.
  4. Do you have a Last Letter of Instruction? You should and so should your loved ones. Includes an interactive pdf.
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Productive Marketing Requires a Productive Office

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Maybe it’s because home decor is on sale this time of year. Or maybe it’s because I recently relocated my office. Whatever the reason, I’ve lately been obsessing over home offices. Yes, I know this is a marketing newsletter, but to do good marketing, one definitely needs a good office. 

Functional, Not Fancy

There’s a plethora of information online for creating a functional home office. While each business requires workspace specific to its industry, here are five essentials for every office:

  1. Dedicated and personalized workspace
  2. Desk and ample work surface
  3. Ergonomic chair
  4. Reliable high speed internet
  5. Good lighting (preferably natural)

Want to see how I supercharged my new home office? It’s nothing fancy. Nonetheless, I’ve put together a space that works for me and keeps me motivated. Take a look. 

LET’s WORK TOGETHER

What I’m Working On This Month

January’s winter pace is usually slower, giving me time for Adunate updates. Not this year. I’ve taken on two new clients; one has me learning zoning laws, the other COVID safety. Stay tuned!

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. What’s in your trunk could save your life: one columnist’s thoughts after Virginia’s highway shutdown on January 3.
  2. Growing your business and working from home, a conversation with Erin Ogden of Ogden, Glazer and Schaefer. 
  3. The Seed Keeper, a novel by Diane Wilson. A Dakota family’s struggle for preservation, meaningful because it takes place in my Minnesota college town. 
  4. What I Learned From a Lynching Survivor About Anger: An excellent speaker, one from whom we can all learn.
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Seasons Greetings from Adunate!

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From our home to yours, may your celebrations be blessed!

So, yes, this is my home office, where for the past 15 years Adunate has worked its magic. This year my work space has been both a refuge and, well, an isolation (I’m guessing you can relate). But, hey, no complaints here. As we wrap up 2020, I’m thankful for so many blessings: faith, family, friends and good health. 

Keep On Keeping On

I’m also thankful for another year working with inspiring clients. It’s an understatement to say it was one of complexities and contrasts, thanks to the coronavirus. I watched some clients struggle to keep their doors open. Yet another client started a new business—check out Hymns In My Heart, a specialty card shop.

One of my clients had to cancel its annual conference part way through our project, yet I was privileged to present marketing workshops at two others. The world stopped meeting in person and overnight we mastered all manner of videoconferencing technology. Amazing, isn’t it?

Many of my clients have changed the way they deliver their products. Curbside pickup and online shopping carts are now the norm, which in turn changes the work I do for them. This year, web design kept me much busier than print design. 

Through it all, I cherish our meaningful friendships. I truly work with the best clients! As Curtis Mayfield used to sing, “And there’s still a lot of faith and warmth and trust, when we keep on keeping on.”

And that’s just what we’re doing—keeping on.

What I’m Working On This Month: Vacation!

Every holiday season my husband and I take time off between Christmas and New Year. This year we’re adding a couple days on either side to make it a full two weeks, said with a big cheer! We’re planning a few day trips, hiking (hopefully snowshoeing) and plain ol’ hanging out at home. Glorious!

These off-days are also the time I clean my office and start planning the new year. Stashing the old calendars and putting out the new is always rejuvenating. I think we’re all ready for that, right?

Good riddance, 2020!

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. Christmas in Lake Country: meaningful for the whole family, either in Facebook or YouTube
  2. Ever want to align your planting with the seasons? Me too. I bought this Gardening By The Moon Calendar for 2021.
  3. WFH is a hot topic. I love perusing home offices and creative spaces.
  4. Art Story: The Ecology of Expression and Perspective, celebrate Winter Solstice with the Women, Food & Ag Network.

Wrapping Up 2020

However you celebrate the holidays, my prayer is that God is with you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Working Through the Madness

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In just two short weeks March Madness went from being a tournament to a pandemic. It also permeated our internet with how-to wisdom, everything from the proper way to cough to productively working from home. 

The fact is, being self-employed for 15 years, I already was a sponge for the subject of working from home. And while it’s all sound advice, I’ve come to realize when it comes to our business we each must do what we’re each wired to do. 

Here are some examples.

Tip #1: Set consistent work hours
This morning I started work at 5:30 and later spent a FaceTime breakfast with my 2-year-old granddaughter. Tomorrow I may forego work until noon and spend some morning time in the sun. Obviously, I’m a highly unscheduled person. For me, freedom from routine is a necessity.

Tip #2: Keep your work and personal lives separate
Let’s be honest, this is as unrealistic as the separation of church and state (see this more applicable tip #4). Who isn’t going to take a break and throw in a load of laundry? And anyone who bakes bread knows it’s a wonderful way to work through a creative block. 

My Point: Know Thyself

Yes, it’s good to be open to ideas. But it’s also important to know yourself and how you operate. Whether you’re outdoors with your hands in the soil or you’re indoors with your eyes at a computer, each of us must run our business in a way that works for us. 

What I’m Working On This Month

Meet The Real Estate Duo—fun-loving, highly skilled Realtors serving the Lake Country community. We’ll debut their new website soon. Stay tuned! 

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

  1. Love in the Time of Coronavirus, by Regina Brett. Love could make this our finest hour.
  2. Chicken and Dumplings. Chaos behooves comfort food and no one does it better than Smitten Kitchen
  3. InstaCart: Kudos to innovative business ideas. This one’s a lifesaver, especially for the elderly during stay-at-home guidelines.
  4. Help for Small Business: The more local you go for assistance, the faster and more personal it is. This site has A-Z information.

Stay safe everyone. May God protect you and keep you well.