Jerad Hill Blog

Updated: 4/28/09

Some of my Mac’s RAM is consumed by some highly useful apps that constantly run from startup to shutdown on my Mac. Below are these apps, why I use them and a link to download them.

Caffeine
Caffeine is a simple but useful app that keeps your mac from going to sleep. This is useful for me because when I run my slide show at weddings I do not want my monitor going to sleep. This is also useful on my laptop when I am watching videos on Hulu or reading long blog articles. With Caffeine installed you simply click it to make it run, and click it to make it stop. Download

Radium
Radium is a internet radio player for the menu bar that allows you to listen to XMRadio, AOL Radio and more right in your menu bar. I love this, I have XMRadio Online and always forget to use it because you have to listen in a browser. When the browser thinks it would freeze my music. For the most part I believe AOL Radio is free and XM is $7.99 a month but you can get 3 days free if you want to try it. Radium is free but you can get the registered version for as little as a $4.00 donation which I went ahead and did on my laptop and my wife’s. Download Radium

Devicescape
Devicescape allows me to login to Starbucks or AT&T Wifi with out going to their website and entering my password each time. I simply open up my laptop, it recognizes the access point and connects me. Gone are the days of remembering Wifi passwords and logins. Download

Soundsource
I often record podcasts and video podcasts. I use an external mic that runs through a mixer. Before the days of Soundsource I would have to open the control panel, change input sources and remember to change it back later so I could access the internal mic. Soundsource lets me control all audio from the menu bar. Download

Twitterrific
I use Twitterrific on my mac for sending and receiving tweets. I don’t need all of the fancy bells and whistles that apps like Tweetdeck and some of the others offer. I just want to post and reply to tweets. Iconfactory offers a free ad supported version. The ads are not annoying and do not show up often. Download

Menumeter
Menumeter helps me see what kind of RAM I am dealing with. On my laptop I often run Photoshop and Lightroom along with other apps, it’s nice to know where my RAM usage is so I can quit a program if need be. Download

All of these apps were designed to work only in the menu bar. Best part, they are free. Some other great apps that run in the menu bar as well as their own windows are Evernote, Littlesnitch and LittleSnapper. A couple of apps that I really like but cost a few dollars are Bokeh and Mousepose.

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There is a fascinating concept called The Paradox of Thrift developed by John Maynard Keynes. This concept states that in a time of recession if we cease to spend, it will only drive us further into recession. It makes sense right? So in a time of recession when we need to do life smarter, what should we invest in? I say, invest in yourself.

[audio:090205_notspendingisnottheanswer.mp3]

Some businesses don’t sit around and make excuses they go for it. When a challenge is put in front of them, they do what it takes to succeed. Is your business finding ways to keep moving forward despite the challenges that lay ahead?

[audio:090204_findanewway.mp3]

People often ask me why I am on all of these social networks talking about my life and what I do professionally all day. The answer is simple. When people think about photography or website design I want them to be thinking about me. In today’s podcast I talk about why you should be on Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and other social networks talking about your day to day.

[audio:090202_talkabouteverything.mp3]

Your Network is your Net Worth. I have been preaching this for a while now and it is true. Your worth or the worth of your business is determined by the amount of people and the quality of the things they have to say about you or your service. Marketing is not a department, it is the sum of the people you or your business interacts with. In today’s podcast I discuss ideas related to the people that are out there inadvertently marketing you and your business.

[audio:090122_investinnetwork.mp3]

If you like this Podcast please be sure to subscribe by clicking the iTunes button in the right sidebar.

Communication has became broken over the last 10 years. Since email and text messaging we have been able to say what we want to say with out expressing it or putting ourselves on the line. There is something about face to face communication that is “real.” Email and text messaging is good for directions to a location or to discuss something neutral but when it comes to communicating feelings email and text misses the bus. In this podcast I discuss why you should avoid discussing sensitive matters with people through email. If you care about your customers, employees, and prospects, deal with them by voice.

[audio:090122_communication.mp3]

If you like this podcast, please subscribe using the iTunes button in the sidebar on the right.

Most of us know that just stating that you are good at what you do is not good enough, it may even come across as bragging, which we all know is bad news. You want to be humble but at the same time convince your prospects that you are the best decision they could possibly make. People are not looking for the greatest solution provider available they are looking to avoid making a bad decision. Listen to my podcast and then let me know your thoughts on Communicating Service Quality below.

[audio:090122_servicequality.mp3]

If you enjoy my podcast you can subscribe in iTunes by clicking the iTunes icon in the sidebar on the right. It’s free!

Some thoughts of mine on making resolutions this year.

Link to this video

I have been doing some testing over the last few months on my websites in regards to how I share pricing information with customers. Most of this year I have had pricing listed on my photography website and a base starting price listed on my website design portfolio website. Just recently I started playing with request forms on my websites. I have removed pricing information and replaced it with a request form and had decent results in the last few days.

What are your thoughts on listing your prices opposed to having a form to request a quote. How has it worked for you either way? I am interested to hear the thoughts of others from other business owners perspectives as well as consumers.