Did you know that you were a genius?

Well according the the Blog Readability test you must be!

The genius level is the result I got when I tested this site using the Blog Readability testing tool.  Some may think that this is a good result, but when it comes to providing a website that is readable and understandable by a broad section of the small business community I may be missing the mark (unless all small business people are also geniuses).

This is a fun test for your site to waste a few of the pre-Christmas minutes where motivation may not be at its highest. BUT don’t neglect the more important message that it contains.  Can people really understand the messages that you are trying to get across?

Typepad help just got a little clearer

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and in the case of Typepad’s knowledgebase it is worth more than a thousand.

Just the name of Typepad’s help feature – “knowledgebase” – can give an indication to the unwary “user” that the instructions may be targetted at the more computer-focused clients. (The IT industry will hopefully learn one day how to use real plain-English, only they refer to clients as users and help/how-to/instructions as a knowledgebase).

In the past Typepad’s help system didn’t do much to help or educate the everday “user” in search of answers. Sometimes it just confused the situation with more jargon.

But help is at hand! It will be much harder to be confused by jargon when you can now see pictures to guide your way. Typepad are using video tutorials (also known as screencasts – yes I know more jargon) to provide you with a visual how-to on some of the most frequently asked questions.

Here’s the complete list:

• NEW Getting Started with TypePad
• NEW Using FeedBurner with TypePad
• NEW Tip: Creating a Blogroll
• NEW Tip: Verifying Your Site with Google
• Advanced Templates: Creating and Customizing Template Modules
• Creating a New Basic Design
• Displaying HTML in Weblog Posts
• Accepting an Author Invitation
• Displaying Custom Content and HTML in Your Sidebar
• Domain Mapping with GoDaddy

[Hat-tip to Mike Sansone for the heads-up]

Plans to Finish up 2008 (aka Where did the year go)

The number of people that are saying “where did the year go” seems to me to get greater each year. Is that about the speed of our society / economy / technology or just that we are getting older?

This year I am honouring a resolution that I made last December (who said resolutions were just for January) – I’m going to be more organised for December and have a plan on how the next few weeks are going to be used in the business.

So for this week and next I will be -

• focused on tidying up all the clients projects I have on my plate
• sending a note to all my clients who still need to get me content/details so the project can be finished setting a deadline of next Monday (10th) to receive any oustanding material (otherwise the project will have to be moved into January).
• sending out Christmas cards and other tokens of my appreciation to clients, champions, advisors and friends thanking them for helping me have a great 2007.

Once these next 2 weeks are finished I will be spending the week before Christmas focused on Working Solo (as Michael Gerber would say “working on the business, rather than in the business). There are many ideas running through my head about how I can best serve my clients (current, past and future) and now is the time to start planning for 2008, so when January comes I can hit the ground running.

Allocating (and following through) on this business development time in December is one of the biggest things that I haven’t been doing that I need to change. For me planning and development activities in January makes me feel like I’m already behind the game; running to play catch up right from the very beginning.

I will be taking 3 weeks of annual leave from 21st December to 14th January. My clients will know how to contact me if things are urgent but often it is them who encourage me to have a good break, as they need me to be at my best to help with all the great ideas they have been brewing for the new year.

To all the solo and small business owners who read this blog – I’m curious as to what you end of year plans are and how you will be handling the transition from this year to the next.

(btw – the graphic in this article is the 2008 slogan not just for Working Solo but for the Maclean family this year. If you like it don’t just grab it but ask instead as this is covered by copyright).