That can get a bit frustrating and expensive.

So a lot of small business owners and solopros will spring for Adobe Photoshop (ouch! over $600), or use Gimp, the free alternative (huge learning curve).

But no more. Now there’s a better, easy solution.

A friend of mine told me about Box Shot King, a new online graphic creation software. I went nosing around to find out about it and ended up watching an hour long video (which I NEVER do — until now!). I was so thrilled when I saw this software for the first time. I could not believe it was as simple as the video demonstrated.

But it really is.

You can literally create a cool looking graphic in less than five minutes — and there is no learning curve. Here’s one I created less than 10 minutes after I signed up. Yep. That’s my front page on an iPad.

Here’s a video that shows you just how simple it is. (And it’s only five minutes long!)

If you cant see the video, click here.

Pretty cool, huh? Here’s another thing I really like about this. It’s in the cloud. That means nothing to download. Plus you can use it on any computer — doesn’t matter whether you use a PC or Mac.

And it’s not expensive. It’s priced at $99 a year (more on that later), and I have a coupon you can use to get $30 off. So it will cost you $69 for twelve months. (You might be able to get one graphic for that amount normally!)

Just follow this link to go to the site and enter my coupon oberry when you get there. It will be applied and when you click Buy Now, you’ll only be charged $69.

So you might be wondering what’s so great about software you have to pay for every 12 months? Well, what I think is cool about that is since it’s a membership site, the owner (who is a really nice guy — Jack Born) can add new stuff for you to use. I’m good with that. I hope you are too. But you have nothing to lose. With your payment comes a 60 day money back guarantee, so if you decide you don’t like it you can get a refund (but I know you will love it!)

I’ve been playing around with it a bit and wanted to show you how simple it is to make a graphic from scratch. So I made a new eCover and recorded it in the video below. This took less than five minutes. Give it a watch.

If you can’t see the video, you can click here.

If you’re just dying to get in and play with the software, you can click this link (and don’t forget to use my coupon oberry to get $30 off). Or you can watch another quick video below where I take the eCover I just made and modify it. Less than five minutes again — so cool and easy!

If you can’t see the video, click here.

Can you see why I love this software so much? I know it can do some amazing stuff and I haven’t even scratched the surface. There are all sorts of options for manipulating the graphics. You’ll see that once you get on the inside.

I do want to tell you about one other thing. Support. Often these type of sites are really lacking in that area, but not this one. Remember when I told you above how nice Jack Born (the owner) was? Well, when I first logged in to my account after my purchase and went to create my first graphic, I got an error. That pesky apostrophe in my name causes so much trouble online. So I entered a support request and within 20 minutes had a response and a fix. (I made my purchase at 8:23pm, logged in, had a problem, sent a support ticket and got a response via email at 8:44pm.) Amazing!

Obviously I don’t have anything but praise to say about this new graphics software. If you have the need to create just one graphic (and I know you won’t stop there), you should get a membership.

You can click here to get your membership and don’t forget to use my coupon to save $30 — oberry

There are many tools that have been created to help you with this task. One of them is the Link Builder tool created by the good people at WordTracker. I haven’t tried this tool, but it looks like it may be helpful with reaching your link building goals. Right now they are offering a risk-free 7-day trial of Link Builder if you want to take it for a spin.

Ken McGaffin, the CMO of WordTracker recorded a helpful webinar on “How to Build Links To Your Website” that would be worth your while to watch. In this webinar, you’ll learn from Ken how to:

1) Find relevant link prospects – sites that could link to yours

2) Prioritize your prospects to get the best possible results quickest

3) Plan link building campaigns using proven tactics

4) Track contact with your prospects avoiding duplicate work and the efficient use of teams

Does it look like something that may help your company get found in Google? If so, make sure you take advantage of the risk-free 7-day trial of Link Builder.

And I’d love to hear about your experience.

At least once a week, I hear from a small business owner who is fighting to get the money they deserve from some deadbeat client who has decided not to pay.

That’s why, no matter what, you always need some sort of written agreement with your clients. It doesn’t have to be a full-blown contract, a letter of agreement will do. Just make sure that it spells out what you will provide, when and how your client will pay you.

Your best bet is to write up an agreement you can use as a template when selling your work. Make sure you have your attorney take a look at it. It will be money well spent.

Or you can check out some of the free forms and consulting agreements that are available at Rocket Lawyer where all legal documents are free to try. Look around, you may find exactly what you need.

But, as with anything, you have to be aware that there are “snake oil sales people” out there who will promise you something they can’t deliver. At least not without risking your hard earned online reputation.

Here’s an example of a solicitation you need to watch out for.

The email below landed in my mailbox a couple weeks ago. If you receive one like this, run as fast as you can the other way. On top of the fact that they make outlandish small business seo promises, there is no company identification that tells you who it’s from.

Subject: Put your business on page #1 of Google Today! Comes with a completely free website for your business!
Reply-To: 1@mailingpro3.info

***************************************
+++ Reply with name and phone number please +++
***************************************
The internet is now where 90% of your customers go to find your type of service or product.

Google Certified Company

*ALL BUSINESS OWNERS*

PAGE #1 OF GOOGLE IS WHERE WE WILL HAVE YOU TODAY. WE ALSO DO CUSTOM WEBSITES AT VERY LOW COST.

ALL SERVICE BASED INDUSTRIES. THE TIME IS NOW. BUSINESS ALWAYS WARMS UP WITH THE WEATHER SO LET US PLACE YOU IN FRONT OF PEOPLE IN YOUR AREA THAT NEED YOUR SERVICE.

WE WILL PUT IN WRITING THAT WE WILL GIVE YOU FRONT PAGE LISTINGS ON GOOGLE AND THE MAJOR SEARCH ENGINES

Being on the front page of Google is now a necessity in order to keep up with your competition.

We are in a direct partnership with Google and the major search engines.

So, whether you are an Attorney or a Zipper manufacturer Google first page placement is an absolute necessity.

******* .REPLY WITH YOUR PHONE NUMBER. ********

Your telephone will literally light up once you are placed on page #1 of Google with new customers that need your service or product.

WE GUARANTEE FRONT PAGE LISTING ON GOOGLE IN WRITING. WE ALSO DO CUSTOM WEBSITES!!

We must have your contact info in order to expedite the walkthrough process.

Yes, that’s exactly what the email looked like – word for word.

I’m here to tell you that there is no way they can do what they promise without putting your small business in jeopardy. And to my knowledge, Google would probably choke at their statement about being in “direct partnership.”

So I know you want to get found in the search engines. And, yes, you can achieve that goal by using small business seo the “legal” way. Here’s how.

The best source I have found for getting real results in the search engines is the Google Best Practices Guide by Jerry West of Web Marketing Now. Jerry has been an authority in the search industry for a long time because his approach is based on real testing and real results.

I’ve been using this guide for a few months now to improve my search rankings and it works.

Jerry takes you by the hand and walks you step-by-step through the small business seo steps you need to take for improved results.

The book is not free –  but it will only cost you a mere $47 (with free updates!). If you apply what you learn, you’ll get your investment back many times over.

Don’t risk your online reputation with shady companies promising things they can’t deliver. Get your copy of the Google Best Practices Guide now.

I am so excited! Just found out today that Netflix has an app in the android market. I have Netflix to help me tolerate traveling.

I can watch a movie anytime, anywhere. And now I can get it on all my devices. Yay! So no matter where I am, I have choices.

I can pull out my trusty laptop computer or open up my Apple iPad or if I’m in a real hurry, I can fire up the app on my DROID INCREDIBLE Android Phone.

I love Netflix. If you haven’t tried it yet, you can get it here (free trial).

Many small businesses like doctors, repair shops, and other types of service companies have relied on the yellow pages and weekly coupon mailers to grow their business in the past. That’s changed a lot with the growth of the internet. And now they are finding out they need to get online.  But most of them need help (don’t we all!).

So I heard about this new free video course on marketing for local small businesses and thought of you. All you have to do is enter your email for instant and immediate access to the free video course.

At some point after you’ve taken the free course, Mike Koenigs will be telling you more about his new product (which you should think about before you take any plunge to buy), but do make sure you watch the free video course and learn what you can. Local marketing for small business is really a growing need and something you could add to your portfolio of services.

You’ll learn concepts you can apply to your local small business and — if you are so inclined — learn how to become a local marketing consultant who helps other small businesses take the leap to the web.

There’s lots of good info in the video course you can learn from. Set aside a few minutes to watch now. You can get access to the free video course by clicking here.

Most of the time this activity is focused on marketing (because it’s sexy) rather than operations. But looking at operations can often reap a big reward for your business. That means looking at the tools you use.

The majority of small business owners have less than 10 people in their business. Tons of you are the single, solitary business of one. Oh, you might outsource a thing here and a thing there, but you are the meat of your business. And that means you need good tools to make your time and effort the most effective and useful.

So I thought I’d share three tools that are critical to keeping my business running in today’s virtual world. I’ve become so dependent on having these tools available, I think I’d go bonkers if something happened to them. Here you go.

1. Evernote – This tool was invented for me. I am famous for printing and keeping a lot of stuff because I think I’ll need it some day. I know, not very green is it? Causes a lot of clutter too — even though I kept it filed away and cataloged in my Paper Tiger system (which is awesome, btw). So once I got started in Evernote, I was hooked. Now I can keep pretty much anything I want and get it back via a simple search — whether I’m on my computer, my droid phone, or my iPad. And the best part is that it’s free to get started. I have a premium account (only $45 / year) which allows more uploads per month (no ads!), but the free account has a lot to offer. If you don’t yet have an account at Evernote, give it a try today. I bet you’ll be hooked – instantly -  like I was. And you can get some extra help by picking up a copy of  the Evernote Essentials book — awesome guide!
2. Mozy – You gotta have a back up. Think about how devastating it would be if you lost everything on your computer. Disasters happen. Mozy will make you feel safe. It’s not only easy, it’s free to start and runs in the background on your computer so you can set it and forget it — until you need it. And I have. It has saved me at least once. Mozy offers home and business accounts. The free version gives you 2GB of space and the paid version only runs about $50 a year. Isn’t your business worth it? Take a look at Mozy now.
3. Dropbox – Want a simple folder on all of your gadgets that stores the stuff you use most often? No more worrying about that file you left on your computer back at the office when you have Dropbox synced across all your devices. What you need is always with you whether you are on your computer, iPad, iPhone, or Droid. This is such a simple concept that anyone can use it. And for small business owners, it’s an absolute dream. The basic account is free with 2GB of space. You can upgrade to Pro (50 or 100 GB) for $10 to $20 per month. But what’s really cool is that you can get more space (up to 10GB) by inviting friends and colleagues. In the short time I’ve been using Dropbox, I can’t see how I will ever live without it. Hop on over and give Dopbox a try.  Not only will you love it, you’ll probably end up upgrading like I did!

So there you have it. My three most priceless tools that make business life better. And all of them are free. Do you use any of these tools? What do you think about them? Or do you have another “can’t live without it” tool? Let’s talk about it — please share in the comments.

If you can’t see the video, you can watch it here. Get your copy of Best iPad Apps at amazon.

1. Become Unstoppable

I got an email from my friend Paul Myers the other day. I’ve known Paul for almost 10 years now and love the way he can get you thinking about things you are doing. He has an awesome talent for helping people. A while back he wrote a book called “Need to Know” which covers important things you need to know to succeed online. He thought you might like to read the first chapter to get a kick start. (You can get the full book at no cost by signing up to his list. Instructions are included in the chapter.) Here’s one of my favorite excerpts.

“The good news and the bad news are the same: Whatever you’re doing right now, whether it makes you happy or not, is exactly what you want most to be doing right now. You are exactly where you’ve wanted to be all along. Yes, you might have a really strong desire to be in some other place. I don’t doubt for a minute that you could, in some respect or other. You might even be moving toward that new place. The problem is, human beings are complex critters. We don’t just have one desire or one aspiration. We have a lot of them. And where you are at the moment is the sum of all your desires, not just that big one that you know you should be working on and never seem to get around to. Have you ever been there? You want something so badly that you can taste it, but you put off doing anything about it? Or you go after it half-heartedly, in ways that seem guaranteed to fail?”

Get your copy here – http://www.deniseoberry.com/go/needtoknow

2. Need Blog Ideas? Get the Blogging Calendar

My friend Lynette Chandler has been publishing a calendar to help bloggers for four years now. And this year she has really outdone herself. This year’s calendar not only gives you the ability to plan out what you are going to write about for the year, it also has great ideas for topics that might work for your blog. It is definitely an “all in one” tool. If you haven’t yet started your blog, but plan on doing it in 2011, go ahead and get the calendar anyway. It will be a good excuse the take the action you need to take to get moving. If you already have a blog, get this calendar. It will give you no excuses for not having something to write about next year.

Get the calendar here - http://www.deniseoberry.com/go/blogcalendar

3. Niche Affiliate Marketing System (NAMS) workshop

You’ve probably heard me talk about NAMS before. It’s a twice a year weekend workshop where all sorts of wonderful people gather to learn and share skills for growing their businesses. Orchestrated by David Purdew, the event is going on its third year and each year it gets better and better. This year is no exception. NAMS is for serious people who will take action with what they learn. It’s a workshop that caters to people who are just starting out in creating an online business and for those who want to take their business to the next level. It’s structured in tracks, so the newbies don’t get mixed up with the oldies. This ensures every participant walks away from the workshop with tons of gained value (and lots of things to do!).

I attended last January and it was an awesome experience. Learned lots of good tactics to put to work in my business in addition to meeting many people I’d only known online. The 2011 NAMS is going to be extra special. David has decided that the January event will be conducted virtually to give more people an opportunity to learn. And then the August workshop will be held live in Atlanta. I think this is very cool. But what’s REALLY cool about it is that David is offering both the January virtual workshops and the August live workshop for a single ticket price of only $297. That is an amazing bargain. But it will only last until December 31 and then the price goes up $100. I know that’s a chunk of change for a lot of people and I don’t want you to spend money you don’t have. But it is an incredibly amazing value for what you get back (and will continue to get back from the changes you implement in your business). So take a look and make your decision. Watch David’s video. If you do decide to go, you won’t be disappointed.

Watch David’s video now – http://www.deniseoberry.com/go/nams

I truly do wish good things for you in 2011. Remember, all you have to do is take action. One step at a time.

Please enjoy this guest post by Daniel Offer of Chit Chat.

If you have ever attended a trade show, you’ll see them coming from a mile away. They go from booth to booth, taking pamphlets and putting them in their bags. They grab whatever they can get their hands on. Their bags are stuffed with all kinds of information, but you know they will never take the time to actually read any of the things they spend so much time gathering. Why do they take so many of these?

Well, for one thing, they’re free. At least to the person walking around gathering them, they’re free. For your company, it’s probably something else entirely. Most likely, it costs you money to have these pamphlets made, and have samples for them to take. However, isn’t that the purpose of these? They are there so that potential clients can pick them up and possibly see something they like. The problem is these particular people simply aren’t interested in discussing potential business. All these people want are the free samples or a promotional item. They have no real intention of looking at what you have to offer. If they stop to talk and show real interest, that’s something else entirely. However, a number of these people are only looking for the next free thing they can pick up. It’s this mindset that companies must be vigilant of. There are far too many customers who are only interested in getting free samples. In business to business sales, providing free samples without conditions can be extremely costly. So, what can you do about it?

There are too many confusing messages being sent when providing free samples.

Customers cannot just assume that they can continue to get one free sample after another. Unfortunately, companies continue to be willing to provide these free samples over and over again. Perhaps they feel it will help secure new business, or will bridge the gap between themselves and a customer that has eluded them. Whatever the reason, providing free samples without preconditions, does nothing to make closing business with this customer any easier. In fact, it just makes it that much more difficult. The problem is that the word “free” has a connotation that it doesn’t cost anything. It most certainly costs your company something. It doesn’t cost the customer anything, but it simply isn’t a free item in your eyes. When a sales professional is confronted with a difficult sale, they often rely upon the easy approach of providing a free sample. They will be confronted with a customer who is truly not interested in what’s being offered, and will see offering a free sample as the best way to bring the customer back into the discussion. The customer hears that they will get a free sample, and takes it. Why wouldn’t they take it? It’s free! The customer gets off the phone thinking about how uninterested they are, but that they managed to get the sales person to leave them alone by agreeing to a free sample.  The customer is certainly thinking about how the sales professional simply couldn’t clue into the obvious signals. Of course, the sales person gets off the phone and thinks they are that much closer to new business. After all, the customer didn’t say “no” to taking the free sample? Surely, they must be interested.

Most customers will accept a free sample.

There aren’t too many customers who will refuse a free sample. A number of customers see it as a way of getting something free, while at the same time getting the sales person to back off. There is no intention at all in purchasing anything. However, the sales person firmly believes they are that much closer to winning business. Over the coming months, they will continue to pursue the customer constantly asking if they approved of the sample and when they might be placing an order. As a result, the sales person feels frustrated that nothing is happening, and the customer just wants to be left alone, because they were never interested in doing any business in the first place.

Do it the right way.

It is important to note that not all customers will simply come out and state they aren’t interested. It takes a while, and most will hide their objections. The hints may be subtle, but it is up to sales to identify if the customer is truly interested.

Your approach should never be to rely upon the sample as a way to incentivize your customer to purchase. This approach never works and does nothing to win new business.

Sell the first unit, then after approval, you’ll provide a free sample.

The ideal way is to sell the first unit to the customer, and once that unit has been approved, you then provide a free sample. While this approach may appear  confusing, it’s actually very straightforward. Instead of offering the sample for free, you will state that you will sell the first product to the customer. Once the customer approves the product, you will then ship them a free sample on their first volume order. For instance, let’s assume your customer agrees to purchase the first unit. In doing so, this would be an invoice they would have to pay like any other invoice.  As soon as they receive the product, it becomes their responsibility to approve the product as soon as possible. The faster they approve, the faster they then get the free sample. If you were to sell your customer the first product, and that customer approved it and subsequently placed an order for ten more, you would deliver ten units, but only invoice them for nine. The tenth unit would be the free sample. You will provide all of this in writing for the customer. If there are any issues with the first unit, the customer will not have to pay for it.

What are the benefits of this approach?

A customer who is willing to pay for the first unit, is far more serious than someone simply looking for a free sample. In sales, you must identify those customers who have a sincere interest in doing business with you. Take the time to properly identify which customers are serious and which ones are not. They will eventually get a free sample, but only after they have purchased the first unit. It’s in your customer’s best interest to test and approve the first unit as soon as possible. The customer doesn’t lose anything. If they don’t approve of the first unit, they don’t pay. However, every time they see that first unit, they know it’s an invoice that they will eventually have to pay if they don’t get it approved. It provides a window of 30 days to approve the first unit.

This approach is far more up front and direct.

It’s never a bad idea to take the time and explain to your customer why you are asking them to purchase the first unit. Explain to them, that when you’ve provided free samples in the past, some customers weren’t interested in doing any business. Of course, you did not want to lose the opportunity, so you offered free samples thinking it would salvage the potential sale. Of course, your customer accepted the free sample. You’ve then been left with the impression that they want to pursue something, when in fact, they never had any intention of going forward. Tell your customer about how you then pursued these customers, never fully understanding why they would not approve the sample. There is absolutely nothing wrong with explaining that you did not take the time to listen properly. Your customers simply weren’t interested, and you provided a sample as a last resort. If this customer is not interested, there is nothing wrong with that. All they need to do is tell you.

Ultimately, your customer is either going to be interested in doing business with you, or they won’t. Offering a sample first, when your customer is sending clear signals that they aren’t interested, is sure to fail. Take the time to explain to your customer that you need to do the right thing and want to make sure they have both the time and interest in approving the sample. Eventually, your customer still gets their sample, but only after they are willing to purchase the first unit.

Daniel Offer writes. Daniel is a partner in Chit Chat the popular Facebook chat software. Benefits of Chit Chat – the Facebook login app include chat history, emoticons and text formatting.  Chit Chat is a desktop chat messenger.