MTR Virtual Solutions, LLC

When you see the terms “email” and “marketing” together, you immediately think of advertising for small businesses.  And even though email marketing is designed for use as a small business advertising tool, there’s so much more that can be done with the email newsletter.  Why don’t we take a look at three creative ways to use email marketing? Read the rest of this entry »

Solopreneurs, freelancers and microbusinesses operating on a small business budget may find this particular virtual web tool helpful.  Wufoo is a resource that allows an individual to create dynamic HTML forms with little coding experience. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo credit: renjith krishnan

The process of transitioning toward greener processes is challenging enough for many small businesses.   There are long-term, sustainable strategies to be considered.  And luckily, there are quite a few easy short-term changes that can be made to reduce the amount of paper used in the small business or startup.

Since many of the files being printed in the office setting are being stored in-house anyway, printing to both sides of the paper should be easy enough.  This only requires changing the basic printer settings.  See?  Not particularly hard is it? Read the rest of this entry »

All small business owners who rely on QuickBooks and similar bookkeeping solutions should follow this story.  Recently, the IRS has decided to focus its collections efforts more heavily on smaller companies and have begun requesting electronic bookkeeping records.  And this has companies and accountants worried, and rightfully so.

The federal government has already begun sending out requests for electronic records from small businesses.  And as a result, small business owners will be required to turn over their electronic bookkeeping records.  The IRS wants to make sure that smaller businesses are paying their fair share into the system. Read the rest of this entry »

Many microbusinesses and solopreneurs contemplate what it would be like to have a paperless makeover.  Contrary to popular belief, the paperless transition is not as difficult as many make it out to be.  In fact, it is relatively easy.  If you are a solopreneur or run a small business, you’ll find it easier to make the necessary changes if you keep these things in mind. Read the rest of this entry »

Many people get the basic concept of a SharePoint records management solution.  Some see it as a safety net for storing items in a virtual environment as part of a disaster recovery plan.  Others see it as a place to organize content, sharing it among team members in a workspace.  Many small businesses operating either SharePoint Services or SharePoint Server are surprised to learn that there are additional features available in SharePoint.  So how do microbusinesses know that they are getting the most out of their SharePoint solution? Read the rest of this entry »

Photo credit: renjith krishnan

It’s always surprising to open an email newsletter that’s incredibly long with little content of value. As a freelancer or solopreneur, you have to keep in mind that the average reader is busy. Instead of focusing exclusively on word count in your content, say precisely what is needed. Here are some things to keep in mind when planning your newsletter campaign. Read the rest of this entry »

For the small business coach or freelancer that doesn’t have time to regularly update the blog, there are several content creation options available.  It is possible to automate the content creation process in a number of ways.  One can outsource the creation of blog content, write a number of pieces in bulk or develop an email marketing campaign.  Either way, the web content creation process doesn’t necessarily have to be unbearable. Read the rest of this entry »

Managing productivity in a virtual environment can be done using a variety of tools.  But one of the best productivity tools for a solopreneur on the go is the mobile device.  Real estate professionals and freelancers alike will find this productivity app particularly useful.  If you are a realtor, freelancer, sales professional or other type of solopreneur with a Blackberry, you ought to check the Upvise application out.  I have been dabbling in Upvise for a few days now.  And I have to say, this is really a neat and effective little app for managing productivity. Read the rest of this entry »

The average small business consultant may have all kinds of paperwork to keep track of, and this  definitely complicates certain records management processes.  And when that small business consultant or freelancer suddenly realizes that the amount of time devoted to records management is equal to the amount of time devoted to core business, it starts to sink in that there just might be a better way.  For the solopreneur with receipts stashed in the glove compartment or cup holders of the car, and for the freelancer who has simply resorted to stuffing them in a random drawer in the home office, this virtual storage device may be worth looking into. Read the rest of this entry »