Toggle Between Worksheets in Microsoft Excel 2010

If you are entering data into multiple worksheets in the same document, it can be tiresome to have to continually use the mouse to switch back and forth between worksheets.  Did you know that if you press CTRL + PGDN you can toggle to the next worksheet to the right, and if you want to toggle to the left you can press CTRL+ PGUP?   Now you never have to lift your hand from the keyboard to switch between worksheets.

New Trend in Social Media

Hashtags are a new trend that you need to start using.  This article gives a good explanation of what they do and how you can use them to reach your target audience. 

Using Hashtags in Social Media: A How-To Guide

Copy Formula to Multiple Cells in Microsoft Excel 2010

Many times we use the same formula, but don’t want to have to constantly retype it in each cell to reflect the individual references to each specific row.  If you have ever found yourself in this place, this trick will save you lots of time.  First, create the formula that you need and then move your cursor to the lower right corner of the cell, and when you see a dark plus sign double click.  Now you will see that the formula has been copied to all the cells below.  The data showed in these cells will automatically be specific to the cells in that row.

Social Media Today

This article is a good overview of social media as it stands today.  

How Local Businesses Should Size Up & Tackle Social Media

Add Holidays to your Outlook Calendar

Did you know that you can have national holidays added to your Outlook calendar without having to manually enter them every year?  First, click on the File tab and then Options.  Now in the new dialog box click Calendar on the list in the left hand side of the screen.  Now under the section labeled Calendar Options, click the button that says Add Holidays, and then select the country’s holidays you would like to appear and click Ok.  Now your holidays will automatically update every year!

15 Ways to Grow Your Email Marketing List

Here is a good article with practical recommendations for growing your email list. Email marketing is the best value in social media for small businesses. 

15 Ways to Grow Your Email Marketing List

Set a Reminder to Reply to an email in Outlook 2010

Sometimes you may be busy and just quickly checking your emails and try to make a mental note to respond to an email later.  Unfortunately, those mental notes don’t always work!  However, with Microsoft Outlook you can easily set yourself an actual reminder. Right click on the message and click Follow Up.  Now in the drop down list that appears, click Add Reminder.  Then make sure the check box is selected next to Reminder, and select the date and time you would like your reminder.

WordPress Essential Training (2012) with Morten Rand-Hendriksen - Lynda.com

"This course shows how to get the most out of the self-hosted version of WordPress 3.x and create feature-rich blogs and websites. Author Morten Rand-Hendriksen explains how to get a web host, set up a domain, and download, configure, and upload WordPress to your newly hosted site. The course then dives fully into the tools in WordPress, demonstrating how to set up your profile and create content to share with your web audience. The course also includes tutorials on everything from adding images, video, formatting, and links that make posts pop, to installing plugins, creating custom themes, and attracting readers with permalinks, social sharing, and more."

Linking your Excel 2010 Charts to your Power Point presentation

Now that you know how to make amazing charts in Excel, you can also use them to spice up your Power Point presentations.  First, highlight and copy your chart that you created in your Excel worksheet.  You can copy it by using the shortcut CTRL+C or by clicking Copy in the Home tab under the Clipboard group.  Now open your Power Point Presentation and select the slide where you would like to insert your chart.  While still in Power Point, click on the Home tab and in the Clipboard group click the down arrow underneath the Paste button. Hover over the paste icons to see all of your paste options.  Two of the options will link any changes you make to your Excel chart to the Power Point presentation.  These options are “Keep Source Formatting & Link Data” or “Use Destination Theme & Link Data.”

Running a Design Business: Presentation Skills with Petrula Vrontikis- Lynda.com

"Strong presentation skills are necessary for a good designer to be a great designer. How you present your ideas impacts how willing clients are to make meaningful emotional and financial investments in them. Let designer and Art Center College of Design professor Petrula Vrontikis help you convey your ideas with confidence and clarity. Learn to strategize, format, and time your presentation to fit your audience, craft a great message, gain credibility using research, develop visual aids, and deliver the final presentation. Throughout the course, Petrula gives you tips for staying organized and calm, connecting with your clients, and getting the approval needed to move your project forward."

Creating a Graph or Chart in Microsoft Excel 2010

Excel 2010 has made inserting a graph or chart into a worksheet very easy.  Once you have your data entered into your worksheet, simply highlight the data that you would like in a graph or chart.  Then click on the Insert tab, and in the group labeled Charts you can select how you would like your information to be displayed.  If you would like to see all the types of charts available, rather than just one type, you can click the small arrow in the bottom right hand of the Charts group and a pop up window will open where all options will be visible.  Also, once you have created your new chart there will be three new tabs with Chart Tools that you can use to make your chart look exactly the way you want it.

InDesign Secrets with Anne-Marie Concepción and David Blatner - Lynda.com

"In this series, David Blatner and Anne-Marie Concepción, co-hosts of the web's top resource for InDesign tips and tricks, InDesignSecrets.com, share some hidden and sometimes surprising workflow tips that will make working in InDesign more efficient and more fun. The course covers built-in timesaving features such as Quick Apply and auto-expanding text, but also little-known tricks, such as using the eyedropper to copy and paste character and paragraph text attributes and making accurate selections by selecting through or even into objects.

New techniques will be added to the collection every other week, so check back early and often. Find more tips and tricks at indesignsecrets.com."

Out of Office Reply in Microsoft Outlook 2010

Outlook’s “Out of Office Reply” will only work if you are using Microsoft Exchange Server.  This is software to run a network of computers so it is usually used only by larger companies.  Regretfully the feature isn’t available for your standard PC or laptop.

If you are on a network, this is a great tool not only for vacation for days when you will be out of the office a lot. Let people know your reply may be delayed while you’re attending a seminar or working on a large project.

For those of us without Microsoft Exchange Server, there are alternatives.  One of the easiest is to use Gmail for your email.  The Gmail account is free.  Gmail can collect emails from multiple email accounts. For example, my Gmail gathers
               Pamela@YourComputerLady.com
               pamelabir@Gmail.com
               my homeowners association email
               my MSN email
               a couple of client emails

Gmail has an Out of Office feature that you can use. There are other online email services that offer Out of Office service. Call if you need help sorting out the most effective email set up for you.

Here are the instructions for using the feature if you are on a network with Microsoft Exchange Server.

Even though you may be checking your emails on vacation, you most likely don’t have the ability or desire to immediately respond to them all, so an Out of Office reply is an easy way to give you that freedom.  First, click on the File tab and in the list on the left hand side of your screen click Info. Then click the Automatic Replies button. If you do not see this option, it means that you are not connected to Microsoft Exchange Server.   Contact your system administrator and they should be able to help you get connected if your company has an Exchange account.  In the dialog box that opens make sure the bubble next to Send Automatic Replies is filled. Now you can set the time frame you wish this message to be sent, and type out the message you would like to be sent.  Also, you can have different responses go to people from within your organization and those outside.  Just click on the tab Outside my Organization to type out a separate message.

Windows 8 Tips and Tricks with David Rivers- Lynda.com

"Get more out of Windows 8. Author David Rivers shares tips and shortcuts for working more efficiently, improving system performance, and protecting your data in Windows 8. Learn to find files quickly, manage startup items, and even log in without a user name and password. The course also includes advice on controlling Windows with time-saving mouse and keyboard shortcuts, customizing the display, working with utilities, protecting your privacy, improving the performance of the operating system, and more."

Track changes in Microsoft Excel 2010

Many of us have probably used the track changes tool in Microsoft Word, but did you know that you can use this tool in Excel as well?  This can be very beneficial when sharing documents between coworkers and such.  To find this tool click on the Review tab, and in the Changes group click Track Changes.  In the pop up window that opens, mark the box next to Track Changes While Editing.  Then use the information in the rest of the window to set the factors of which changes to highlight.  Once you have clicked Ok you will be prompted to save your workbook.  Now when sharing your workbook you can see exactly what has or hasn’t been changed.

How to Tell Your Business’s Story

Here’s a good article explaining the value of telling your company’s story.  I think it should be part of your website, part of your social media plan, part of your ongoing email marketing plan.

How to Tell Your Business’s Story

Quick Keyboard Short Cut to Switch between Open Programs

This is a great shortcut to use when you are having to switch back and forth between several documents/windows.  Press ATL+TAB and you see a small screenshot of all your open programs that you have minimized, making easier to visually see exactly which program you would like to open.

3 Signs That Social Media Might Not Be the Right Fit for Your Small Business

Don’t let the title fool you!  The author does think you need social media but she believes it should be part of your overall marketing strategy.  She even used my favorite term regarding your website – “the hub of your marketing.”   Good article to help you think through your marketing plans.

3 Signs That Social Media Might Not Be the Right Fit for Your Small Business