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BaseCamp: A Little Gem of a Program That Helps Get Stuff Done

23/01/12

Category: Project Management, Project Management Tools, BaseCamp

BaseCamp is an online/ web based project management tool that allows you to log in and setup, access, modify and update your project scheduling from any computer workstation and/or device at any time. It is secure, reliable and the monthly license fees are affordable, especially from a time/ increased level of productivity point of view. It is also extremely simple to use - the learning curve is minimal and I find training staff is a breeze... and they embrace it.

My personal belief is it's suited for use by all businesses types, not just web designers, programmers or application developers. Aside from web projects I myself find I'm more and more using it to pre-plan and coordinate events, actioning plans over several months, assembling data for the accountant at tax time, planning spare time personal projects in my workshop and/ or simply delegating tasks to subcontractor staff.

It's also ideally suited to those working in Administration Offices including schools, not-for-profits, charity groups, you name it. And if I was back studying at University I would definitely be using this tool.

BaseCamp has been massively important to my business, both in terms of transparency and productivity. It has allowed me to be more flexible, able to successfully accept a greater number of projects at any one time with ease, it's much quicker and more efficient for outsourcing/ delegating and properly managing tasks assigned to colleagues and partners, makes quality control and version tracking draft documents simple and provides an excellent paper trail when considering things like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and my own accountability.

Other benefits include:

Ability to log in and tick-off my daily to-do lists as they're completed
Rescheduling is simple and pain free
Overdue reminder notices are automated (though this feature can be turned on and off which I also like)
I can track my time and generate CSV file Time Reports for both myself and my staff
I can add a Gantt Chart plugin if I wish (though atm I prefer to work "non-visual")
There are oodles of bolt on additional plugins if you need to further customise the program
It syncs with Outlooks Calendar
I can easily invite customers, clients, colleagues etc to access one or several projects and set appropriate access levels
Allows for Multiple Admins
If get toward the end of a large project and start to fatigue, BaseCamp helps me push on to finish strong (ie. a good end-game). It is a great motivational tool
It is suitable for both small and large, single and multi-person projects.
You can setup re-usable Project Templates for various project types to save time

I've been using BaseCamp for the past 2.5 years. Prior to that I tested out/ evaluated several other competitor online project management tools including Wrike and Intervals. They had their pros but were not right for me. BaseCamp on the other hand... was!

I was showing this tool to one of my new associates yesterday - apparently he had no idea I was using it... or that such a user-friendly tool existed. His comment was, "have you considered writing a blog article about this to share with others".

Writing lists is always a handy thing to do (like the simple 'to-do list system' by Erica Douglass at Erica.biz), Outlook can be useful but BaseCamp really ramps things up. If you're looking for ways to improve your time management to Get Things Done (the old 'GTD') then perhaps BaseCamp might be worth while trying out. Note: I am not an affiliate reseller for BaseCamp - I am not getting anything directly out of sharing this information with you. I'm simply written this blog post with good intentions. I believe if I can share some info that might help other people out then I should... but only as a suggestion based on my own experiences - as in, "this is what has worked well for me... it may or may not be the right fit for you".

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Below is a not overly exciting YouTube video offering a demo glimpse look at BaseCamp. This video however does demo many of the BaseCamp features so if you've got a spare few minutes, grab a coffee, put your feet up and check it out:

Happy New Year!

2/01/12

Category: eNewsletter, News, Website Design

Happy New Year! We've started the year running with new production work already underway. One of these new websites will be launched very soon. Stay tuned.

Before Xmas another 3 business websites were launched for some of our newer customers. They include www.shanleyknives.com.au which is a fully featured wholesale e-Commerce online shop currently containing 300 items and growing rapidly, www.kelec.com.au who are a local Bundaberg Industrial Electrical business and www.glenedenbullockteam.com.au which belongs to an agritourism business start-up in the North Burnett Region. We also helped The Gleneden Bullock Team launch the beginnings of their Facebook Business Page http://www.fb.com/The-Gleneden-Bullock-Team . More will be written about each of these website projects very soon.

Importance of Using Social Media as part of your Business Marketing

Guest Post Article by Zac Grace from Dejan SEO

25/10/11

Category: Social Media Marketing, Business Marketing, SEO

When contemplating various online marketing methods, there is one strategy in particular that is often overlooked, especially by older business owners: Social media. In its early life, social media was a way for teenagers and young adults to communicate with each other. While this is still a major use for social media, online marketers and social media site owners realised that they can leverage the power of social interaction.

Why would you, a business owner, want to use social media as part of your online marketing strategy? You may be surprised to find out that it was declared the best way to advertise online multiple times by various professional groups. Here are some very basic yet important reasons why you should use social media as part of your business marketing strategy.

Vastly increase your customer base

Facebook alone has over 800 million users according to Facebook's blog. Can you imagine reaching all of those people? Would you be happy to just reach 1% of all those people? Actually, businesses all over the world are launched into a viral spin thanks to Facebook alone. It is not uncommon for brand new businesses to make thousands in monthly revenue in just a short time by advertising on Facebook.

There are literally thousands of videos on YouTube that have millions of views. What would you do if your company's promotional videos gained millions of views? Many viral YouTube videos become popular thanks to word of mouth marketing. All it takes is one person that likes what he or she sees and sends that video to friends and family.

Why Basic SEO in All the Right Places Doesn't Cut It Anymore

11/10/11

Category: SEO, Google's Panda Algorithm, News

I subscribe to SitePro News and many other sources including WebPro News, Sitepoint and SEOmoz to name just a few. I've been subscribing to these eNewsletters for many years. It is one of the ways I keep up to date with correct SEO practices.

A client said to me recently, "I dislike the fact Google, and the other Search Engines keep on changing the 'goal-posts' - how are we supposed to maintain a comparative check on such matters."

This is a fair call considering the tough economic times we find ourselves in right now. However my response to the first part of the comment was:

"Google's 'goal-posts' haven't moved - they have always based their reputation as being THE Search Engine that provides users worldwide with the BEST Search Engine (SE) experience - as in the SE that uses the best algorithms to provide the best, most accurate and most relevant search results for its worldwide users. It has no choice but to change how it maintains its reputation from time to time. As online business owners we need to be responsive and work with SEO professionals who can help guide us.

Google also has to keep ahead of Black Hat SEO's who try to 'game the system' by using spammy linkbuilding techniques. This is why unless you REALLY know what you are doing you should not attempt your own LinkBuilding campaign unassisted, else you may accidentally get seen by Google as trying to spam the system... which will penalise or list poorly your website in the Google listings for the phrases you are trying to target - meaning your efforts could work against you."

Just this morning I also received this eNewsletter article from SitePro News which says similar but also explains why you need to invest in Social Media Marketing as well as the creation of an actual brand as part of you advanced SEO marketing activities. I've now decided to share it here. If you've got the time feel free to grab a coffee, relax and have a read.

Read the Article >

SEO 101 and Social Media's Impact on your Search Engine Rankings

5/10/11

Category: SEO, FAQs, Social Media, News

If you are new to SEO and are looking for a SEO 101 introductory guide and/or have questions about the validity of adding 'Social Media Strategy' to your list of business marketing activities, feel free to read this article http://stateofseo.com/seo-tips/seo-101/.

Remember web marketing including SEO is an essential, but often neglected, aspect of any web development project. Don't be fooled into thinking a small static brochure style website that you 'set and forget' is a magic silver bullet to online success - launching a stage 1 website is just the first step toward creating an Online Presence, which then leads to enquiries, sales and success.

How do you know all about this Web Stuff anyway?

3/10/11

Category: FAQs, Qualifications and Experience, About Jay, News

I am often asked "How do I know about this stuff?" The simple fact is I've learnt through experience - 10 years industry experience to be precise, plus academic training prior to that.

I firmly believe that the reality of modern web development and web marketing is that things are not always what they seem:

- A charismatic talker for instance can sell just about anything including convince business owners that he/or she can deliver huge web marketing results on a shoe-string budget, only to take your money and deliver below average results. This usually then leaves a bitter taste in your mouth and results in a lack of trust and faith in other truly professional webIT and web marketing specialists who ACTUALLY know what they are doing. Worst still is when the dishonest skill-lacking "salesman" convinces you to invest heavily in them.

- Additionally the outer appearance of a functional website may sometimes look simple enough, but it's a different story once you are privy to the strategy and psychology within its planning, design and copy/text. The knowledge that is required to build such websites is something that can only be acquired through copious amounts of experience.

Businesses often expect that having a website equates to having a web presence. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that and all too often businesses will only find this out after handing over huge wads of money. This is a result of what I believe to be false marketing.

Win Birch Carroll and Coyle Movie tickets! - September eNewsletter Released today

6/09/11

Category: eNewsletter, Competition, News

My latest eNewsletter was sent out today. If you missed it you can find it here http://bit.ly/oFnshn . I'm also running a little competition atm and the winners will receive Birch Carroll and Coyle movie tickets. It will be drawn on the 9th of September. Follow the above eNewsletter link to find out more or click here.

What a Year it Has Been so Far

23/03/11

Category: General, Environment, News

Like many reading this I can not believe we are in late March already! And like many I am also scratching my head wondering what is going on with the weather 'down under' this year (?).

Our great State has suffered, our whole country has/is suffering, New Zealand is suffering and now... Japan :( .

I too found myself downing-tools in January here in Bundaberg and instead of building websites was volunteering with the SES and helped with flood clean-up.

Things in this region now seem to be getting back to normal and I am once again assisting new and existing clients re-grow their businesses using online and offline marketing. Last week I launched this website www.chocolatebeigedesigns.com.au and a few weeks ago I re-launched this website redesign www.newagemarkets.com.au . Many more are on their way.

Websites for Health Care Service Providers

16/09/10

Category: Health Care Website, Web Design, News, Mailing List Database, HTML eNewsletters, website redesign, physiotherapy website design

Over the years myself and my network have provided health care professionals with many promotional materials and training aids. These range from websites, CD-ROM's, hi-end Power-Point presentations, audio-visual installations, 3D animated fly-through visualisations, corporate videos, promotional packs and trade-show sample bags to name a few.

During these past few months I've again been approached by health care service providers seeking effective website communication tools. The first to be launched is a physiotherapy website.

After learning more about the clients business and cliental, I redesigned their website so it is clean, easy to read and logical. I have also supplied them a very effective eNewsletter mailing solution. The client is very happy and I sincerely thank them for choosing JayDaniells.com to assist with their web marketing needs. Their testimonial can be read here and the website is www.quaystreetphysio.com.au

Update 12/10/10:

I have just launched another health care service provider website. The business is based in Scone NSW and services Sydney and other areas. The website is www.qualitycare.com.au

Recognition for Wildlife Doco Web Design Support Services

2/12/09

Category: Wildlife Web Designer, Web Design for Documentary Films, website design, News

Plankton Productions combine marine conservation awareness with unique HD underwater cinematography, captured without disturbing the natural environment. Their footage is absolutely stunning, a reflection of the teams exceptional skills, focus, passion and ongoing dedication.

For the past 6 or so years I've assisted them with website design and other media services. Recently I've been invited to include my own profile on their website www.planktonproductions.com.au/jaydaniells

Gayndah Retirement Website Launched

28/04/09

Category: Health Care Website, Web Design, News, Aged care website, retirement village website design

The Gayndah nursing home have just launched their first website. It's been a very personally rewarding project as in I've enjoyed giving back to the community.

I've worked on several similar projects recently and look forward to the next not-for-profit organisation website project.

Web Design Business Relocation: from Brisbane to Bundaberg

15/10/08

Tags: News, Small Business, Regional Queensland, Website Design

It's true what they say: "you can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy".

Last month I moved from Brisbane's West End to my new base of operation here in Bundaberg. After 10 years mostly living and working in inner Brisbane I've decided it's time to escape the rat-race and get back to a more relaxed and outdoors lifestyle. Having grown up in Gayndah I am very excited to once again call the Burnett region home! Bring on the tree change balanced lifestyle I say! Web design, sand, sun, surf, sports, farms, sunsets, great climate, no traffic congestion, no smog, affordable costs of living and so much more!!

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