Productivity Portfolio

Displaying Excel Filter Selections

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:50:28 -0800

Have you ever received an Excel file and wondered how it was filtered without checking each column’s data filter? Or, maybe you needed to send a file and show your filters. That was a problem I faced recently when I started with a list of 3200 non-profits for the county. I needed a way for the recipients to see my autofilter criteria at a glance. (Includes Excel lesson file and code.)

Adding Holidays to Outlook Calendar

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 21:45:43 -0800

When doing some resource planning with colleagues, I noticed that my Outlook 2007 Calendar didn’t show any holidays. For this project, I needed to see US and Canadian holidays, but they were missing. Fortunately, I was able to quickly add these items for the next 4 years.

Duct Tape Marketing Seminar Discount

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:11:14 -0700

This morning I got an email from John Jantsch asking me if I would let you know of his upcoming workshop he’s doing with the E-Myth folks. John is one of the best small business marketing consultants I know. I was introduced to him by the folks at Sphere when I was doing research for an article on their service. Since then, I’ve been an avid listener to his Small Business Marketing podcast. There are many appealing aspects to this seminar including a timely 25% discount he is extending to readers here.

Leveraging Local Resources

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 13:26:49 -0700

Have you ever wondered what’s replaced your phonebook? People still have a need to find a business, but the data sources and retrieval methods have changed. If you’ve got a business or non-profit, you might want to look into these local directories. You might think of them as internet yellow pages on steroids. All offer a free listing and many have additional services for a fee. Even if you don’t plan to use the pay services, you should verify your business listing is correct. Otherwise, your competitor may profit. (Includes resource spreadsheet)

Methods to Block Websites

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:38:45 -0700

Fall is my favorite season and for some reason it brings in the most reader questions. This year is no different except that there was one dominant question that was asked in many ways. It has to do with how to block websites. The interesting part is that no age group or gender was excluded. I’ve got four solutions that don’t require you part with any funds.

Finding Excel Word Count

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:49:19 -0700

Recently, I attended an industry summit that had an expert’s panel where people provided their best tips. One Excel tip involved filtering cells with a certain number of words. A nice tip, but it left some attendees wondering where Excel’s word count function was. The program doesn’t have this feature, but you can get the answer by creating an Excel formula to count words. (Includes sample Excel worksheet and formula)

Lessons Learned from Microsoft

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 19:34:01 -0700

For those of you who own web domains, you know that you need to keep track of your expiration dates. If not, some enterprising person is going to grab them. It appears this is the case with a site Microsoft used for an Office promotion.

Tracking Web Information with Alert Services

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 10:26:03 -0700

I often get questions from readers asking how to keep current or track certain topics. The answer often depends on what you’re trying to monitor and how you want the alerts. The two free notification services I use are Google Alerts and ZapTXT.

Travel Lessons Learned on the Road

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:57:43 -0700

School started for the kids in my neighborhood. This time of the year reminds me of essays I had to write about what I learned during the summer. I no longer have to write these essays, but I’m still learning. The latest batch is from my recent travels. Hopefully, you can benefit from my mistakes.

Outlook Hyperlinks Fail to Work

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:48:43 -0700

Sometimes you don’t realize how much you appreciate a feature until it breaks. One example is Outlook hyperlinks in an email. It’s so convenient to click the link in the email and have the correct web page open. What I dislike is when a hyperlink in Outlook doesn’t work and I get some error or no action. Below, I’ve listed 3 solutions to this link problem.