In today’s economy, everyone is looking for ways to cut costs.  Web conferences are a great idea, but for small businesses, the costs don’t add up.  But what if you could use a web conference for free?  Sound crazy, keep reading and you will see how.

DimDim

I have been on many web conferences and there are occasional issues with getting it started.  I have seen audio problems, video sharing problems, and even problems with chat.  I have found a service that I like and the price is perfect….FREE!!!

DimDim has 3 main packages for their meetings.  Below is a breakdown of each.

DimDim Free

• Up To 20 Attendees
• Works with Webcams and internal microphones of computers
• Dial-In number for attendees if they choose not to use computer speakers
• Desktop sharing
• Presentation viewing, for PPT or PDF files
• Shared Web Browsing, for showing a website
• Whiteboard for writing and collaboration
• Recorded Meetings – Great for attendees who couldn’t make it or record a basic webinar about your company for people to view anytime.

DimDim Pro

• Only $25 a month
• Up To 50 attendees
• All the features of DimDim Free
• Premium Support – Password protect your webinar, so only the attendees you want can join
• Hi Resolution Video – Make the video clearer
• Registration Widget – Setup a space on your website to have visitors register for upcoming webinars
• Analytics – Pull reports from your webinars

DimDim Webinar

• Only $75 a month
• Up to 1000 attendees
• All features in DimDim Pro
• Designed more for Webinars than web conferences
• Control can be passed to co-presenters

For most of my clients, DimDim Free could be a great tool.  Instead of driving to meet that client, setup a web conference and go over whatever you need to.  I have personally used this with a client.  Rather than drive an hour to meet this person, I set this up and it saved us both the drive time and after the meeting, we could both get back to work.

I have setup a link here for everyone to go sign up for the free version.  I do not get any monetary kick back, but I do get an additional 5 attendees for my meeting if anyone signs up using my link.  If anyone has any questions, or whats to try it out, let me know.

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Last week I had the privilege of attending a training from the Disney Institute at Joliet Junior College.  This was brought to the area by the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce and Joliet Junior College.  I was excited to attend this training because I have always been fascinated by Disney.  They provide excellent customer service and have created a culture for their employees and guest that is matched by few companies.  Below is a brief outline of what we covered in the training.  I strongly recommend attending this training for anyone in any job.  Whether you are a manager, business owner, or a line level employee, you can learn a great deal on how Disney has become a leader in their industry and what you can do to take your company to the next level.

Leadership Excellence

• Story Telling – We all tell a story and we need to make sure we are telling a story about our values.  This will show our employees how they should act in the company.  Basically, lead by example.
• Vision – A clear vision must be created for the company and this must be clearly described to our employees.  Without a clear goal in mind, everyone will not be on the same page.
• Expectation – Just as the vision needs to be clear, everyone’s expectations must be clear.  What is expected of you is as important as what is expected of your employees.

People Management

• Culture – Create a positive culture for your employees to work and grow in.  Negativity has no place in a business.
• Quality standards – Define what is important and in what order.  Safety is a must for any business, but be clear and make it simple.  Everyone needs to know their priorities.
• Recognition – Do NOT ignore recognition!!!  It is the most important part of a positive culture.

Quality Service

• Understand your customers – You need to know what your customers want and need.  You need to understand how they view your business and your industry.
• Service Matrix – Disney has a matrix to show you how to better serve your customer and exceed their expectations.  They lay our their quality standards on 1 side and your delivery systems on another.  I will be honest that I haven’t spent the time to understand how this applies to my business.

Loyalty

• Loyalty Connection Model – This is another Disney creation that I haven’t spent the time to understand.  It is meant to help you understand the relationship between your contacts with your customers, your branding, and superior customer service.
• Experience Mapping – This is a technique Disney uses to break down a task to its individual components.  They then ask the line level employees to find ways to make these experiences better.  I think this is one of the most powerful things I learned at the training

At the end of the training, we all received a copy of a book written by a former Disney Institute employee.  The book is called Creating Magic by Lee Cockerell.  It outlines 10 common sense leadership strategies he learned from his time at the Disney Institute.  I am looking forward to reading this book when I am finished with the book I am currently reading.

I would strongly recommend attending a Disney Institute training for anyone who is looking to advance their career.  They also offer training online.

If you are looking for a great way to allow your clients to schedule appointments online, here it is.  It is called Bookfresh.  I have signed up for this service already, but I haven’t figured out how I want to integrate it into my website.  They give you a free mini-website that will allow you to have another site on the Internet for your prospective clients to fine.  Here is a list of the features.

• Online Calendar that Sync to Outlook – This calendar can be used as the only calendar for your employees, or it can be synced with Outlook.
• Review Appointments before They are Scheduled – You have the option to review all appointments before they are placed on your schedule.
• SMS Messages – You can receive SMS messages (text messages) from the system to remind you of appointments.
• Accept Payments Online – You clients can prepay with Paypal, so you don’t have to worry about payment.
• Multi-Staff Scheduling – You can use this system for scheduling all your employees.
• Customer Reviews – This system allows your clients to review your service.  This allow for the feedback to be posted online for everyone to read.

I have heard many people who are interested in an online scheduling system for businesses and this is the best option I have found.  Check it out.

I know this topic a little of my normal subject, but I was just shopping for books for my upcoming classes and used this great website to find cheap books.  Abebooks.com is the site and here are a list of what you can find on this site.

• Textbooks – Used and new are available.  For college students, just type in the ISBN code for your textbook and see how much you can save on your books.
• Rare books – Signed book, first editions, and other valuable books are available in the rare book section.  I had no idea books could cost so much!!!
• New Books – USA Today, New York Times,  & Washington Post each have best seller lists and they are all listed on Abebooks.com
• Free Shipping – Free shipping is offered on many books that are new, used, or out of print.

If you are a college student, know one, or just want a new books, check out Abebooks.com

***Please read the bottom for what kind of fines can be assessed to people who download music illegally ***

I know this may seem a little disappointing to some people, but please buy your music.  I get asked quite often where to get music and I have 3 suggestions.

1. iTunes - If you have an iPod, this is the best option.  You already use iTunes to manage your music.  They have a large selection and the music will be immediately accessible to your iPod.  If you have another MP3 player, this isn’t the best option.
2. Rhapsody - Rhapsody is a company owned by RealNetworks, the makers of the RealPlayer.  They also have a large option.  They are a great option when you an MP3 player other than an iPod, but you can get your music to your iPod.  For compatible MP3 players, you can pay a flat rate for the right to use whatever music you like for the month.  It’s a great deal for people who like to change their music often and don’t want to purchase every song they want.  They also have unlimited listening to any music you like.  Great for people who are near their company alot.
3. Napster - Napster was a very popular file sharing network.  Now, it is legitimate company.  They offer plans for unlimited listening, similar to Rhapsody, but much cheaper.  They will also sync with your iPod and other MP3 player.  Definitely look at this option when considering Rhapsody.

What not to use?

• Limewire
• Frostwire
• Bit Torrent
• Bearshare
• Anything else where you get to keep the music and not pay for it by the song

Just for your information, here are a list of articles on what kind of fines can be involved with downloading music illegally.

• $1.92 million to woman for 24 songs
• $675,000 for 30 songs

Those are just a few of the most recent and most popular cases against people for illegally downloading music.  Just pay for the music and you will not have to worry about these excessive fines.