Category Archives: Business Tools

The Freelancer: Top jobs of 2011

January 24, 2012 – 9:43 am
the freelancer janae

As a freelancer, it can be hard to know where the market is for your skill sets. Many of the freelancers I know continue to market towards what has worked for them in the past. And why not? If it’s not broke, then don’t fix it. Makes sense, right?
Though that may work as a short term solution, even freelancers need to look towards trends. Freelancer.com, the largest outsourcing marketplace, has recently released its list of the top 50 freelance job trends for the fourth quarter of 2011. Freelancer.com has gathered stats from 134,820 online jobs that were posted over the last quarter of 2011, which represent a 18.3% increase from Q3. Here are the important trending freelance jobs:

According to Freelancer.com:
Android takes off again in Q4. After a slow Q3, Android jobs rocketed up 33% (to 2,454) in Q4. Apple iPhone jobs grew 18% (to 3,682). By the end of 2012, Android should be close to overtaking the iPhone for the rate of development of new applications. Apple iPad jobs rose 22% (to 1692). Blackberry jobs were flat, up 2%, but with volumes too low to register on the Fast 50. As reported before, Symbian and Windows phone applications do [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

The Leaders: 3 Lessons from the Girl Scouts

January 20, 2012 – 11:40 am

I was walking to get my morning coffee, when I saw them. Huddled together around a table  with icy noses, their girl sashes gave them away: Girl Scouts.
Though their dedication and frozen faces weakened me to buy 3 boxes of thin mints, it also made me think about the leadership lessons we can learn from these little ladies. In honor of the organization’s 100th Anniversary, here are 3 lessons we can learn from the Girl Scouts:
The Leaders: Lessons from the Girl Scouts
View more presentations from Ja-Naé Duane

What other lessons can we learned from this organization? How you ever been a Girl Scout or a Boy Scout? What leadership skills did it instill into you? We would love to hear from you.
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50+ Business and Leadership Quotes

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Innovation, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

How to Start a Startup (Complimentary Ebook)

January 10, 2012 – 10:11 am
start a startup

Yesterday, I was asked when the revision of How to Start Your Business with $100 would be out and what I will include in this one. Though I do not have an exact date yet for when it will be released (I’m still finishing up my book on social change), I can tell you that besides all the goodies that are in the first version, we will include:
* Social Media 101
* Social Media ROI
* SEO 101
* Top Mobile apps for Productivity
and much more!
Until then, I am happy to give you guys a complimentary copy of the book. Download Your Complimentary Ebook Now. Please feel free to pass it on and share it with people.
This 120+-page ebook gives you access to:

Over 197 resources and tools to help you start your business
Guide to branding your business
Marketing tips to use in a B2B and B2C market
Budgeting and Financial research
Joint Venture Contract Template
Proven negotiating techniques
How to build a website with very little money
Integration of email and social media
Step-by-step guide on how to start your business within 30 days

If you know a budding entrepreneur, small startup or freelancer, feel free to pass this ebook on. The more the merrier. Let’s help some people start [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

The Revolutionary Change Cycle

January 3, 2012 – 8:56 am
the revolutionary change cycle

We live in a world of constant change. The events of 2011 have exhibited that all too well. As in life, change comes in cycles: birth, growth, death, and renewal. Understanding these cycles can help us thrive in change, rather than fear it. Though change can be painful, it is a source of creativity, innovation and transformation.
While working on my upcoming book, How to Create a Revolution, I created the Revolutionary Change Cycle. Take a Look:

During my research for the book, I found a transformation system developed by family therapist, Virginia Satir. Divided into five segments, her system illustrates how the family unit can transform the status quo into something new. While not related, it strengthens the correlation of change behavior amongst all group dynamics.
Here’s the deal: Feel free to share. Tweet it, Google +, Facebook it, or post it on your own site. I would love your thoughts.

The Revolutionary Change Cycle by Ja-Nae Duane is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Related Posts:
The Power of Vulnerability
How to Breed a Team of Innovators
How to Recognize Opportunity
What Do You Believe In

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Innovation, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

25+ Resources for Creative Thinkers

November 8, 2011 – 9:38 am
creative leadership

Have you ever had a project or deadline in which you had to think of a creative idea to build around? My sister, Samantha, had that same exact problem this weekend. She had been pondering for hours what to do her class project on. When I finally talked to her, she was close to tears. This was a huge project that she had yet to begin or know what it might entail.
Here are some resources, I share with her to get her out of a rut. Hope you find them useful:
Spark Creativity
There are times when we get stuck and have trouble coming up with new ideas. For those occasions, there are a few techniques you can use to trigger that creative impulse and get the creative juices flowing. Here are a few:
Carry a Journal. How often do you come up with a great idea only to forget it later?  Well, you can’t really know how often since you forget it.  So get a small notepad and pen and carry them with you wherever you go.  Whenever an interesting thought or idea hits you, write it down.  Take a look at your journal later and you might find something you [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Creativity, Innovation, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

How Technology Can Help You

October 25, 2011 – 9:38 am

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of giving a keynote speech at Tech Day Camp. What was great about the event was that most of the attendees were new to technology and were eager to have more information on how to use it in their daily lives. Here is my presentation from the keynote:
How Technology Can Work for You
View more presentations from Ja-Naé Duane
What about you? How do you use technology? How has it made your life easier? I would love to hear your success stories. Send them my way!
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By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Break the Rules

October 5, 2011 – 9:57 am
break the rules

New adventures and opportunities do not always show up at your door step. Sometimes, you have to break the rules and get out of your comfort zone in order to find them. Here’s how.

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Adventure, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Philosophy, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

How to Use Google Plus for Business

August 2, 2011 – 9:55 am
google-plus-business

Recently, I have been asked by my clients on how they can use Google Plus for their businesses while waiting for the business pages to be opened to the public. Here is my post for Overdrive Interactive giving my thoughts:
In just one month Google+ has continued its exponential growth reaching 20 million users last week. A few days ago, Google removed several business accounts from Google plus (such as Ford and Sesame Street), but left other brands such as Mashable (because it transferred the brand to a person – Pete Cashmore) to play in beta. Though there has been an announcement that Google+ will be open to the public shortly, many businesses are wondering when they can create their own proper business page. Let’s explore the importance of preparing your brand for that eventuality and some things you can do in the mean time to prepare.
The Importance of Google+ for Brands
So why should your brand really care about being on another social platform anyway?  Is this just another channel for engagement? Well, if you care about your company’s online reputation and its search ranking, consider these things:
Google Plus VS. Facebook
Facebook faces a major challenge from Google. Check out TechnoBomb’s [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

7 Ways to Help Women in Technology

July 19, 2011 – 11:04 am
women and technology

This weekend, I came across two articles that made me step back for a moment. The first was the Wall Street Journal’s blog post, “Addressing The Lack of Women Leading Tech Start-ups.” In the post, WSJ tries to address the question of “Where are all the women in tech?” They mention that there is no shortage of opinions about the issue but the core of the article isn’t really being addressed. It must be noted overall that equality has come a long way even in the short time that I have been in the professional world. Where the disparity seems to be is why there are so few women in the technology industry.
The next article I came across was a TechCrunch response by Michael Arrington entitled, “ Too Few Women In Tech? Stop Blaming The Men.” In the article, Arrington tries to sympathize with the issue but is fed up with the blame game. Can you blame him? I don’t.
Below is an infograph compiled by Socialcast.com that looks at a number of dimensions in the technology industry comparing male vs female ratios. A few key insights:

According to Dow Jones VentureSource, 11% of U.S. firms with venture-capital backing in 2009 had current or [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (4)

How to Breed a Team of Innovators

July 13, 2011 – 12:01 pm
innovation-island-building

It’s been several months since the Our Revolution road trip, but the experience has stayed with me and often finds its way into my conversations with others. Although Our Revolution is about promoting social change with revolutionary ideas and actions to change perceptions in lives in communities, my friend Lucas asked me an intriguing question – “How did the experience change you?”
I have to say that in retrospect, one of the most important takeaways I have from the road trip was an improved technique for coming up with innovative solutions. The technique is similar to what Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, says, “We run the company by questions, not answers.”
Innovation does not spring up out of nowhere. Innovative solutions and answers come first by asking the right questions.  The Our Revolution road trip was full of questions that needed answers. How can we improve a situation? And when you ask a question, it stimulates conversation. It is out of these conversations that come innovation. To stimulate innovation within your team, you need to create a culture of questioning. Here’s how:
1. Set an Example – The behavior of team members always gravitates [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)