However, it is still there.  By default it is turned off.

To turn it back on, go to Tools->Options and click on Contact Options in the Preferences tab. Check the box next to “Show contact linking on all forms.”

• backup your PC to the disk space on your web server
• share contacts, calendars, and tasks with other users
• a sophisticated FTP utility.

I ordered the product and checked out the collaboration tool and found it very lacking.  The tool is very limiting as it does not allow you to customize fields and no secure SSL connection is provided.

A hosted exchange solution such as 123together or intranet solution such a va-nets.net gives you many more options.

There is no easy answer to this question - especially for clients on a tight budget.

Wouldn’t it be nice if shared hosting companies offered web hosting AND an application that allows email users to share contacts, calendar, and to-do tasks with other email users of that system - like an assistant?

It is very hard to find.  Most hosting companies have Horde installed, but the features above are for personal use, not collaboration.

Is this good business practice? In most cases, it is not.

Give visitors the control to run audio and video feeds.

Before you set audio or video to start playing upon a person entering your site, consider these situations where it might embarrass your visitor:

• Browsing during a break at work
• Browsing in a public area such as a library or wireless hot spot
• Discretely shopping at home for a family member’s gift (can be overheard)
• Parent browsing in a home with little children (the kids come running to see what is going on - the moment of peace is gone)

Finally, audio and video feeds (as well as multiple images) is not efficient for visitors using a dial-up connection, an iPhone, or some company firewalls.

This is especially of a video such as that on the Better Homes and Gardens Landscaping Software page.  Why run it if the visitor is not watching that portion of the screen?

These days, multiple web sites have similar information.

If your visitors are surprised by something unpleasant, this may deter them from coming back because they do not want to deal with turning off the sound.

Rather than going to your site to shop, they may spend time finding another more appealing site.

Are there exceptions?

Yes.  When I use iTunes, MediaPlayer, etc.

For websites, I expect video feeds at a TV broadcast site or when viewing previews of a movie.  I expect audio feeds when I go to NPR.  BUT I, the visitor, like to be in control.

If you have Forever Stamps, you will not need to add the penny for the increase

It’s latest is full control of how your RSS feed broadcasts to your subscribers.  If you haven’t done it yet, providing an e-mail digest to visitors of your blog is a great tool for increasing readership.

In the last couple of weeks, AWeber has given more control to its clients.  You decide when you want your e-mail digest should be broadcasted.  For example, you can setup your e-mail RSS feed to publish at 8 AM on Mondays and Thursdays.

Yesterday, they announced that they have integrated RSS broadcasts with Feedburner so you can track both your RSS subscribers as well as e-mail digest subscribers.

The Covey product has two editions basic (replaces your organizer) and a sales edition which incorporates the sales process. You can create a virtual organization by purchasing multiple user licenses and sharing information.

For Covey advocates, it looks like a great alternative to ther CRMs such as Salesforce.com and Act! However, the system is somewhat buggy and still immature. The system is stable enough to purchase and use; however, you may have to wait for bug fixes and new features.

Overview
If you ever owned a Franklin Covey organizer or owned the Plan Plus software, you will instantly feel comfortable with the layout. The software uses Master and Daily Tasks, Covey’s Weekly Planning Tools, and Goals Page. The Plan Plus Online system is really a customized version of CompleteXRM as can be seen in the Preferences->Language setting.

Basic Functionality
For contacts, it resembles most contact managers with the capability of adding custom fields. Like CiviCRM (a non-profit CRM), Plan Plus Online allows you to link a contact with multiple companies and multiple contacts - this feature simulates more closely the micro-business environment today.

The system allows for both master tasks (undated, general to-do list) and daily tasks (dated). It has the Covey ABC prioritization as well as a checkbox area to mark off done tasks. You can simply drag a task from the list onto your calendar to convert it into an appointment.

One shortcoming is you cannot filter the tasks and only show tasks of one type (category). This would be a great feature and allow you to incorporate some Getting Things Done (GTD) principals like seeing only the tasks you do at home.

The calendar includes a notes area for your daily journal. You can use an HTML editor to include links and style your text (bold, italic, etc). One drawback of the calendar is you cannot have an untimed event. Your options are selecting a time and all day event. Finally, there is no free/busy option for resource allocation.

You can create recurring tasks and appointments. This functionality is fairly advanced as you can create an event that occurs on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or every third Tuesday of the month.

A rudimentary e-mail client is included. You receive emails from multiple accounts, but only send from one. The e-mail feature is meant for capturing contact related messages using the “attach note” button and sending contact related messages. The system has a limit of 4,000 messages and may truncate large files.

You can send e-mails to a group of people, but I don’t think there is any personalization and you are sending to the whole group (I could not test this in the demo). It does not replace your marketing e-mail system.

You can customize the software in many ways - custom fields, reports, etc. I only did basic customization exercises for this review.

You can attach files through the contact/organization detail page and other areas. The website does not say what your storage limitations are.

You can access the system through your iPhone or any other phone that has a non-proprietary browser. The Outlook sync is still in beta, but no issues have been observed. You can sync your PDA through Outlook. =-)

Support costs extra. You can purchase a very affordable unlimited plan or pay a per call charge. Registered users can submit issues for free. The FAQ and support forums are a bit clunky as this is product is fairly new.

Sales Edition

The sales edition has supplemental features including opportunity tracking, detailed quotes, and competitor information. It uses the Franklin Covey sales methodology, but you can customize this.

You can setup automated activities to occur during the sales process. You can create a web form to capture leads.

What it doesn’t have

This system does not replace your marketing e-mail service. It does not handle subscriber opt-in, tracking or personalization of mass e-mails.

There is no project management or time tracking capability visible. You might be able to capture time using a custom field in tasks and/or appointments and create reports. Also, you can tie tasks and events to a certain opportunity for light project management.

It is not a financial system. You can keep product information in the system, but there is no shopping cart integration or COGS estimate.

NOTE: There is a professional services department which may allow you to customize the software further. CompleteXRM has project management modules in other products, you may be able to purchase this at an additional cost.

System Maturity

The system is young and reminds me more of a late-beta, rather than a production ready system. You may run into some bugs, but nothing that will bring down the system. Two bugs I ran into:

• Yesterday I could not create recurring appointments or tasks. Today, all the functionality was there. *shrug*
• When using the HTML editor for a journal entry, I attempted to add a picture I upload. I got an error message. This isn’t fixed today. =-)

Is the system usable? Very. It comes down to personal preference.

As I like the Covey system and have used it for many years, I am contemplating trying it out for myself. The price is very reasonable and I am willing to put up with some bugs as long as I can have them resolved for free. A great thing about new products is that customer service listens to feed back and you can have a small say in the direction of the product.

My only grip is they should include one month unlimited support to get users going on their system, especially since there are bugs.

I tried the application and found that it was a very convenient tool for virtual assistants to communicate with their clients.  As this is the first edition, I expect that it will continue to blossom.

• It is secure (uses SSL) and the company has a good backup policy for the application.
• The price structure is based on the number of virtual assistants.  You can give all your clients access and add unlimited number of activities -> something that makes most other applications such as Basecamp limiting for this profession.
• You can track your billable hours right in the application.
• You can setup repeat activities and setup a project with multiple tasks.
• Clients can submit requests, view tasks/projects, and run time billed reports.

Some current limitations are:

• A task must have a due date.  If you don’t select one, one is assigned when you save.
• The look-and-feel is still a bit choppy and you cannot customize it or move things around.
• No email integration.  It sends out going email notifications, but you cannot receive emails within the system.

Is Virtual Assistant Manager ready to be used?  Yes, the basic functionality is there, but there are current limitations which may be limiting depending on how your company is setup.

Tomorrow is the deadline for 4th quarter 2007 estimated taxes. Envelopes must be postmarked January 15, 2008 or you can pay them online or over the phone through the free EFTPS system.

For more information, see the IRS Self Employment Tax webpage and make sure you check the deadlines for your estimated state income and unemployment taxes - if you have them.