IBM has a new website designed to inform you about Software as a Service (SaaS) providers,
how SaaS works, and what applications are available. If your curious about this relatively
new segment of the software market, you can find out more at SaaSpace.com.

Just another thing IBM does as a free service to the business community.

Curt runs a SaaS Project Timesheet company in Austin.

While the lion's share of your staff is out on a beach somewhere the rest of the summer, what to do around the office during the month of August other than listen to the sound of crickets coming from the cubicles?

Yes, there's hours and hours of chair hockey to be played. Someone could put on a hazmat suit and clean out a year's worth of gunk out of the coffee maker. It's also a good time to do all those techie honey-do projects that always sound like a good idea, but never get done.

Here are five projects to keep you busy until Labor Day:

1. Update all your software and make sure each application has the latest security patches. Here's an article I wrote earlier this year to get your started.

5. Don't upgrade to Vista. Play chair hockey instead.

It's a heck of a lot less painful than learning from your own, now isn't it? If ever there were a teflon-coated company, it's Apple. That doesn't mean they don't make mistakes (can you say Newton?). But, here's an interesting write-up on some of Apple's more classic examples of textbook mistakes turned into triumph.

There are some common themes that runs through most of the examples:

- Apple doesn't always get the product right, but they seem to always get the customer right addressing what they really, really want.

- Want is a more powerful force than need. (Does anyone really need an iPhone? Did you see the news footage of those people camping out all week for the first ones to hit store shelves?)

- What customers usually want is something intangible like ease of use, status, simplicity, a certain lifestyle.

- Get that one big thing right and you'll be forgiven for all the little things you get wrong (just fix them promptly).

- All that being said, don't push it! Apple gets away with murder. It's Apple and it has a rabid customer base that will stump cultural anthropologists for generations to come who study them.

Don't knock it until you've tried it!

Seriously, how good are you at keeping your files organized, your desktop clear with only the necessary shortcut icons and your inbox routinely cleaned out?

If you're like most people, you weed out old files routinely - that is, every time you upgrade to a new PC and only transfer the docs you need, leaving the rest to be cleaned off the hard drive before you donate the whole thing to your kid's school or drop it off for recycling at Staples.

Think about how much time you spend on your computer and how much time you spend fetching office supplies out of that hall closet by the breakroom. Now tell me again, which one you should spend time reorganizing to make your work life more efficient?

I'm only half-kidding about the Feng Shui. Believe it or not, there are some great tips on how to get the chi going to the right places on your computer.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

- Pick out your screen saver carefully with images and colors that supports your core mandate on the job (roping in new customers? Then use bright high energy colors like orange and red, for example. )

- Projects you dread should go in a folder on the bottom left of the screen. It represents wisdom which you'll need to navigate through all those must-do projects

Is all of this too Northern California for you? Then how about this. Lifehacker has put together a list of 10 ways to declutter your digital life, with some more practical tips like archive your old files, uninstall programs you no longer use, etc.

Other tips to "spring clean" your PC:

- Defrag that hard drive and don't forget to run other routine utilities.

- Clean off the desktop, but also be deliberate with what you leave behind. For example, I have four things on mine: the recycle bin, my shortcut to the Internet, a shortcut to a folder of frequently used aps and a shortcut to my documents. That's it! Others may prefer doing three folders: files needing immediate attention, files for ongoing longterm projects and files for backburner items.

- Take the time to customize an iGoogle or Pageflakes homepage. You can put all the things you use the most on one page (links to sites you frequent most, to do lists, a clock, a calculator, a stock ticker, links to files you're working on, etc.). This can function as your virtual nerve center.

Then again, you can just go to the pool this weekend.

We'll get back to business on Monday. - Renee Oricchio

Companies are always feeling the pressure to relaunch their sites optimized for all the new versions of browsers. And rightfully so, I might add.

But here's my thought for the day, a great way to rope in the new may be to not forget the old. What do I mean? Don't forget the folks who don't upgrade their systems until they absolutely have to.

Here are some interesting statistics to ponder on the most popular browsers, as of June 2007. As you might expect, the latest, greatest Internet Explorer 7 is catching on at just under 18%. Internet Explorer 6 still reigns supreme at 37%. Firefox is nipping at its heels at 34%.

However, check out the bottom feeders.

Internet Explorer 5 may only makeup 1.5% of browser users out there. But, we are talking about a browser that was released eight years ago and supplanted by IE 6 in 2001. As you think about that, consider this: as old as IE 5 is, it still beats out today's Apple Safari browser.

If your web team is knocking themselves out to optimize for Safari then why not Internet Explorer 5? There are actually more people in the world using the latter and not the former.

So which is better? It's the debate every cell phone geek in the world is having these days: the iPhone versus the Blackberry 8820.

Check out TechCrunch today. Apparantly, an anonymous self-described venture capitalist (who else could afford both phones at the same time?) has been walking around with both, using both for the past couple of weeks to see which one serves him best.

And the winner is...

Blackberry! Our anonymous reviewer (so buyer beware!) offers some meaty comparisons between the two concluding Blackberry is, hands down, the better tool for corporate types.

Blackberry apparantly smokes iPhone when it comes to email, synchronizing calendar entries with the desktop, phone quality, handy shortcuts on the keypad, longer battery life and an easier to use contacts application.

Other than that, iPhone stacks up just great against Blackberry.

It has long been a dream of technology providers to sell more specific hardware packages to business buyers. The idea of a technology appliance is that instead of buying a computer from vendor X, an operating system from vendor Y, and a software package from vendor Z, and then hiring a consultant or integration vendor to plug all together and make it work and maintain it and keep it working, you just buy one box from one vendor that is preconfigured to do a certain task but is not general purpose at all.

Cast Iron Technologies is having some apparent success with its Salesforce.com Integration Appliance, a tool that you plug into your network and configure to connect Salesforce to whatever systems you have in house.

With more companies outsourcing their CRM to Salesforce, Cast Iron should continue to do well.

Curt Finch is the CEO of Journyx, a project timesheet software vendor in Austin, Texas.

I swear it's not pick-on-Microsoft week. So far, it's just working out that way (but it's only Tuesday!).

But this little tidbit bears repeating. Since launching earlier this year, there has been no shortage of negative reviews and feedback concerning Windows Vista. Bloated, too many security pop-ups, difficult to install.. and those are the nice comments (ba-dum-dum).

Add to the list Gianfranco Lanci, President of Acer, the fourth largest PC vendor in the world. In an interview with The Financial Times Deutschland, Lanci said about Vista:

The entire industry is disappointed by Vista. I really don't think someone has bought a new PC specifically for Vista. Stability is certainly a problem.

Don't sugarcoat it, Mr. Lanci!

I wonder if he's heard Microsoft's latest announcement that the first Vista Service Pack won't be available until later this year and then only in beta.

Wasn't 2010 the sequel to 2001? Anyhoo, it's also the year Microsoft says the next Windows version will be coming out: Windows 7. After all the sturm and drag about Vista, I think few of us mind waiting. The big prediction: Windows will then require a subscription. If that's true the pressure is on to shorten their cycle between releases or at least make their launch dates on time.

It's no secret, Google is actively pitching woo to small business. The latest overture to make you feel the love? Google announced this week it's new service called Custom Search Business Edition. Designed and priced specifically for small to midsize business owners, CSBE (because tech companies love acronyms) offers customized search engines for company web sites, and for a price, you can now get it without all the obnoxious google ads and branding.

Price packages start at $100 a year for up to 5,000 search pages. $500 a year covers up to 50,000 search pages. Companies can also customize the look of the search results page to look more like their corporate site than, well for example, Google's site.

If you don't mind the ads and need to curb the burn rate on your business, you can still use Google's Custom Search Engine (CSE). Not only is it free, but you can actually generate a little revenue from the ads.

Have a great weekend. We'll get back to business on Monday. - Renee Oricchio

Product lifetimes aren't what they once were.

Once upon a time if you released a new product it could own the market for years.

The new Nani (pronounced nah-nee with a staccatto inflection) is the first contender.
Touchscreen, video playback and a TV Tuner - plus much more.

Okay, this is a must read. Carphone Warehouse out of the United Kingdom has put out a comprehensive survey called Mobile Life 2006. Although this is a British survey, so we can only imagine these statistics and findings would be somewhat different in the United States, it is still an eyeopening snapshot of how mobile devices are changing every aspect of our culture.

I am particularly fascinated by the "tribes" of mobile users detailed in the report.

They include:

- Phonatics: young, heavy cell phone users, text message more than they actually talk to their friends, their mobile device is a status symbol.

- Practical Parents: Young parents who shop on a budget for their handheld. They still have a landline at home. They do text messaging, but prefer talking.

- Smart Connecteds: Affluent professionals 25-44. They see their mobile devices primarily as a tool to organize and accomodate their busy lives. These are the people you see sitting in traffic talking to the windshield, because they have a Bluetooth in the other ear.

- Fingers & Thumbs: Middle-aged marrieds or early empty nesters. They see mobile devices as a luxury and only make calls when they absolutely need too. They are intimidated by the technology and downplay it's importance, tending to be clumsy with it in the beginning. But once they get the hang of it, they're hooked.

- Silver Cynics: Affluent, married, approaching retirement. They use their phones only for emergencies and are cynical about technology.

Do these "tribes" sound familiar? As businesses contemplate seeing the mobile crowd as a market to access, think of these tribes as demographics. Which ones sound like your customers? Perhaps, it will give you some idea of how to reach them - by phone.

Like other IT managers, Dom Gugliotti knows how tough it can be to properly set business executives’ expectations for big IT projects.

So four years ago, when Gugliotti’s employer, Northeast Utilities, embarked on a massive effort to consolidate three customer information systems into one and six call centers into two facilities, one of the first things that he and other project leaders did was to collocate 20 business managers with 40 IT workers to help them stay in sync on the project’s products and timetables.

“The closer you can get [business leaders] tied into the decision-making, the better,” says Gugliotti, IT project manager for the customer service integration project in Berlin, Conn.

Read more at ComputerWorld.

There are kajillion tech blogs out there. Here are some tips for picking the ones worthy of hitting the RSS button.

- See a recent posting you like? It could be a fluke. Before you bookmark it or subscribe, skim through the past half dozen or so postings to make sure you get a flavor of the blog first.

- Always check out any information available on the blog about the author and/or regular contributors. If there is no information, that's a bad sign. If the postings tend to be very opinion-based, Google the contributor's name and see what pops up. You may find he or she works for the company being covered or have some other conflict of interest.

- Note how long the blog has been around. Everyone has to start somewhere (this blog is only a few months old, itself). However, a robust archive that goes back at least a year or two is reassuring the blog is for real and not going anywhere.

- Have an idea of what kind of technologies you're interested in following. Are you primarily concerned with wireless? Macs? Windows? webware for business? I promise you there are plenty of tech blogs out there covering every niche of technology you can imagine. Find the ones that are of interest to you, and ignore the rest. Otherwise, you'll get buried alive in TMI (too much information).

- Many, many tech bloggers are not journalists, but because they blog they think they are. Many accept free product "for review" from the very companies they are covering. Many have an advertising relationship with the companies they are covering. With a large media company, you have a news department ignoring the advertisers and a sales department ignoring editorial coverage. With most blogs, you have one or two people doing both and that's a recipe for conflicted interests. Best advice: never act on the word of one blog. Get multiple opinions/reviews from multiple sources and then make up your own mind.

- Technology is expensive. It costs a lot of money up front and it tends to cost even more over time in terms of maintenence. One bad piece of technology can be devastating to the functionality of a business. If a blogger's postings don't convey that kind of understanding and sense of responsibility to readers - then click away and never go back.

- Beware of comments. PR and marketing types are notorious for anonymously commenting on blogs promoting their employer's business agenda. If a comment sounds so boosterish about a product that it sounds like a press release - it probably is.

My favorite interview question to ask people is:

"Tell me about something that was difficult or painful that has happened to you in your life and how you got through it or overcame it or whatever."

I get great insight into people with this question, including how trustworthy they think I am (because that's a lot to ask somebody to disclose). I also find people who've had difficulties more interesting to be around for some reason. Maybe they're wiser or whatever.

Well here is a list of interview questions - some of which might work well for job interviews (particularly in the tech industry) and some for reporter-type interviews. I love the Pivot ones.

Enjoy.

Curt runs a project timesheet company in Texas

As promised from yesterday and in honor of this week's tenth anniversary of blogging, here's the good, the bad and the ugly on tech blogs.

The Good

There are a number of really good blogs out there offering valuable user information (see yesterday's list), including ways to save money, get more use out of the technologies you already use, learn which upgrades and new releases are worth it, get a heads up on new security issues and explore ways to leverage technology as a business tool.

The Bad

For the end user, there's a lot of ego and industry information out there that is just way too "inside baseball" for the average joe. Some of it you may or may not find interesting. But the tech blogging crowd, quite frankly, is a clique. And like most cliques, its made up of people who tend to be self-absorbed in their own little world - a little world they think is mucher larger than it really is. In other words, their postings on technology can easily get blown out of proportion (see The Ugly).

The Ugly

Long before blogs came along, tech reporting was (and still is) notorious for it's ugly tendency to overhype technology. Blogging has just taken that bad habit to new extremes (Witness the recent tsunami of iPhone coverage. It's just a phone, folks!). Some people find following the hype makes great entertainment, just like a lot of people love following Hollywood. Nothing wrong with that! But when consumers are steered towards buggy products or technologies that don't fulfill their intended purpose, that's ugly.

(tomorrow: tips on how to pick a tech blog worthy of your RSS reader)

Retro Web Browsers

If you don't remember just how bad web surfing was a mere 10 to12 years ago, here's something you should definitely check out. It's a browser emulator that allows you to click on a variety of early versions of web browsers from the mid-90's, including Netscape 1.0 and Internet Explorer 2.0.

Every day my company sees requests to install wireless local area networks (WLAN) for businesses across the United States. I often wonder what the business drivers are for many of these customers. While some may have legitimate needs for mobility within the office, most probably do not. We installed one in our office strictly for guests and not connected to our core networking devices or internal Local Area Network. It gets used a handful of times a year, but most guests just plug into the wired LAN because it is faster and truthfully, easier sometimes than entering a long string of characters required for authentication. Before you spend several thousand dollars for even a small business WLAN, consider the following factors:
1. Do you have real business drivers that necessitate mobility within the office?
2. Do you have the expertise to manage the security of your network now that it is open to anyone in the vicinity of your office, including your parking lot?
3. What kind of data does your business house that could be compromised, and is it worth risking?
4. How long will the technology of choice be generally available and supported by the manufacturer?

If you have the needs and the means, be sure to select a quality manufacturer and an installation organization that has the expertise to keep your business data secure and the ability to prove it!

It began with New Yorker, Dave Winer's online musings on The Scripting News ten years ago this past weekend. It would be no exaggeration to call Winer one of the founding fathers of Web 2.0. In addition to getting the credit for birthing the first blog, Winer was also a key pioneer in the development of RSS feeds and podcasting. The New York Times once referred to him as the Protoblogger (there's something for your business cards).

In honor of blogging's tenth birthday, I thought I'd offer the links to my 10 favorite tech blogs (not necessarily in order of preference). True Confessions: I'd like to say this was my idea listing 10 blogs for the 10th anniversary, but actually other bloggers and news outlets are doing the same thing. The list, however, is unique from me.

1. Web Worker Daily (see below for my latest plug and valentine)
2. MobHappy
3. Lifehacker
4. The Consumerist (not really tech, but includes a lot of tech consumer information)
5. Read/Write Web
6. Tech Crunch
7. Ars Technica
8. Alice Hill's Real Tech News
9. Mashable
10. Engadget

Now that I've given you my list, tomorrow I'll tell you my criteria for a good tech blog.

Put your wiki to work

Nifty web aps just grow like mushrooms don't they? I like to bookmark them as I go and save them up for the occasional tool roundup. Why not today I say?

'Tis The Season

Right about now is when so many businesses realize that - oops - no one really coordinated who is taking their vacation when this summer. Check out the free web-based ap called WhosOff. WhosOff is a great little tool for tracking vacations, making sure there's enough staffing at all times to keep the business chugging along even through August.

It's a British-based company, so that's 'holiday' and not 'vacation'. Americans have much less vacation time to track, of course. The average European would stroke at the idea of only two weeks off a year. But, I digress. WhosOff also tracks and forwards 'holiday'' approvals by email. Perhaps the best feature: a daily snapshot of who's off, who's out sick, etc. for managers to use at a glance. Here's some screen grabs if you're curious.

More Britware To Consider

Another online tool from the other side of the pond: this one is called FormatPixel. It's an online publishing tool that makes desktop publishing a no-brainer. The first project is free, after that there are annual fees depending on how many projects you plan to generate. If you need to layout a catalog or brochure, it's definitely worth a look.

Firefox Web Browser - The eBay Edition

Attention eBay Powersellers, here's something to consider for your online tool box. Mozilla has released an eBay version of its Firefox browser. It features tons o' features to make your browser your eBay nerve center, including customized alerts, automatic updates, a companioin sidebar that tracks all your buying, selling and bidding, plus an added layer of security to make your transactions safe.

Have a great weekend. We'll get back to business on Monday. - Renee Oricchio

Wondering if Linux is right for your company?

The Italian Parliment has decided it's right for them.

They're moving 3500 machines over to Linux to save $3m EU/year.

It may be the more democratic feel of Linux or it may just be the money.
Prego!

Write it down on your calendars, because its the end of an era. The page view appears to be going quietly into that good night; at least as a ratings tool in the online advertising industry. Nielson/Net Ratings has announced it plans to track online web audiences in terms of "total minutes" and "total sessions" instead.

Why? Because page views are meaningless when it comes to Web 2.0 applications like streaming video and widgets. For more than a decade we've measured web audiences in terms of clicks, now it's about time.

"Total minutes" is the best engagement metric in this initial stage of Web 2.0 development, not only because it ensures fair measurement of web sites using RIA and streaming media, but also of web environments that have never been well served by the online page view, such as online gaming and Internet applications." says Scott Ross, director of product marketing for Net View Service.

Funny! The newer new media gets the more its starting to resemble old media. This is sounding suspiciously like TV ratings.

Microsoft has announced it's pricing for its yet-to-be released Dynamics CRM Live and obviously plans to put the squeeze on Salesforce.com through pricing. Seats will be as low as $39 bucks a user (compared to $65 for Salesforce.com).

There had been a lot of buzz in recent months that Dynamics CRM Live would launch this year. Nope! Not until next year.

Here's some screen shots in the meantime.

Several people asked me to link the 7 articles together into one so here you go!....

7 Ways to Improve by Tracking Time -Way #1 - KPIs
7 Ways to Improve by Tracking Time -Way #2 - Project Risk
7 Ways to Improve by Tracking Time -Way #3 - Automate
7 Ways to Improve by Tracking Time -Way #4 - SOX & DCAA
7 Ways to Improve by Tracking Time -Way #5 - PTO
7 Ways to Improve by Tracking Time -Way #6 - SaaS
7 Ways to Improve by Tracking Time -Way #7 - Rewards

And that's all folks....

Curt is the CEO of Journyx, a company focused on employee time tracking

If you're still associating online video primarily with short clips of mento rockets on youtube and social networking with teens on myspace, it may be time for a reality check.

A new study, by Ipsos Insight, shows growth in both areas is taking off. Really, really taking off.

Here are some nuggets to nibble on:

- In the United States, 36% of recent Internet users (not just teenagers) have watched a video stream or TV show online. (i.e. lots o' people)

- Three out of four of those people have done so within the past thirty days. (i.e. It's not a fluke, it's a habit.)

- 24% of American adults have visited a social networking site (like myspace, Facebook, etc.)

- Social networking is big globally. As in, one in five adults worldwide have now visited a social networking site. (i.e.I smell an emerging global marketplace soon to hit critical mass).

What's this got to do with my business?

So what did you do this weekend? I sat on a beach with my friend, Barbara, and her little dog, Honey.

Some 70 plus entrepreneurs had a more active weekend than mine. They met up in Boulder, CO to launch a new business from soup to nuts between Friday night and this morning. Check it out for yourself! Introducing Vosnap. Here's what they came up with: Vosnap is a company that will primarily be marketing and selling a tool that helps speed up decision making in a collaborative setting (I guess it got a good work out in beta this weekend launching the business itself).

The attendees of the event (called Startup Weekend) went home with more than a bag of swag and a brief case full of business cards. Because they all collaborated on launching the business, they're all equal partners as well.

For those who couldn't make it, the whole thing was streamed live all weekend (Brave! Going up against Live Earth I say!).

Kudos I also say!

A great experiment. It also sounds like a great idea and it'll be fun to watch what happens in the aftermath. I promise I'll check back on this one from time to time.

Want to boost online sales?

''Think QVC' says The New York Times. More online retailers are incorporating streaming video hucksters to demonstrate products and whip up that order before midnight sense of urgency. And they're seeing dramatic results. Great article, but you'll need to register to read it. Sorry about that.

Instant messaging gone awry

Instant messaging, like many things, is a great thing - in small doses. But, like email threads gone bonkers, it can chew up your day and hiccup your productivity all too easily. Web Worker Daily has a really helpful write up on five tips to reign in your instant messaging. In short, it's all about setting boundaries.

The Business Software Alliance is raising the stakes in cracking down on software piracy in the workplace. BSA announced this week a dramatic increase in its reward payouts for whistleblowing employees who report freeloading companies who don't pay for the use of software.

Whistleblowers can now collect up to one milliion dollars for narc'ing on the boss. Of course, that would take a huge violation of software piracy (as in 15 million dollars in calculated abuses). For the more nickel and dime cases, more likely to happen at the small to midsize business, the rewards are equally nickel and dime.

If interested in reporting software abuses in your workplace, click here to get the ball rolling.

I would advise not doing so on a work computer.

Have a great weekend. We'll get back to business on Monday.

- Renee Oricchio

Unless after spending $500 - $600 on the phone itself, committing to a monthly plan for at least the next two years that starts at $60 (that is for those who can survive off 22.5 minutes of phone time a day, Monday - Friday) and still have money and patience to burn; well maybe it is worth it to you.

But for everyone else, when you find out what Apple is charging to replace those batteries that aren't user replaceable, I think you'll agree the iPhone is an iShamelss shakedown of your wallet.

Dead batteries can be replaced from the factory for a mere $79.95, plus $6.95 for shipping. Can't live three days without your iPhone while you wait for the new battery to be installed? No problem. You can rent a loaner for $29.95. In other words, it costs just over a hundred bucks to change out a bum battery. By the way, Apple defends their battery policy explaining the factory installed battery is good for three to four hundred charges. For the heavy user, that adds up to about a year's usage.

p.s. Apple says make sure you back up your iPhone on your iTunes before sending it in for a new battery. All data will be wiped out when they change out the battery. Uh huh, but how do I do that if my battery is dead?

Other expenses that jack up the cost of the iPhone

- iPhone dock (so you can back it up on iTunes in case the $80 battery dies): $49

- Bluetooth Headset that is iPhone compatible: $129

- iPhone Bluetooth travel cable (so you can keep your Bluetooth charged): $29

- USB power adapter (so you can keep that $80 battery charged, even when you're away from your computer): $29

Cost of the above add-ons: $236

Cost of impressing all the baristas at Starbucks with your new iPhone: Priceless!

No word on what iPhone socks will cost when they come available.

If you use Google at all, you are probably familiar with Google Alerts. It's an easy-to-use tool that monitors key words for you, and then sends you an email everytime something new comes online in that subject.

Most people use it for things like their favorite sports teams. So, for example, if I'm a Texas Longhorn fan (which I am), I could set up an alert that notifies me everytime there's something new about the Texas Longhorns under news, or blog postings, or groups, or comprehensive (which is all of the above).

But have you ever pondered using Google Alerts as a business tool?

Here's three ways to use Google Alerts:

1. Set up alerts using the name of your business or the names of your key executives. It's a great way to keep track of your online clips and mentions. You can use them as links on your site to bolster online testimonials about your company, etc. It's great way to keep track of what other organizations and outside voices are saying about your company. And, it's free! What would you pay a clipping service to do the same thing?

2. Keep track of the competition. Set up alerts using the names of your key competitors.

3. Can't afford all those trade magazines! Set up alerts using key words that describe your business sector. It's also a great way to find new blogs in your line of work, monitor headlines and learn about new companies coming online in your field.

-

It's a holiday week. How busy is it at your office? Traditionally businesses slow down in the summer right about now. By August, it's just deadly. All that quiet time is a great time to reinvigorate the business. How do you want to finish the year? What needs to happen to reach those goals?

All businesses have one thing in common - they all start with an idea. Why not take advantage of the summer slowdown and return to your roots - innovation? Here are some great ways, both online and offline, to get started.

Mind Mapping 101

Whether it's laying out a presentation, brainstorming a new project launch or planning out your company's longterm strategy over the next five years, Mind Mapping can help. It's a great non-linear approach to tapping into ideas and problems from every angle imaginable. Mind mapping is visual. It begins with one bubble, with one core idea (like "ways to grow your business 25% each year for the next five years"). From there, there are satellite bubbles, each with an idea that supports that core goal. Bubbles begat bubbles with more supportive ideas, etc. You get the idea.

Mind Mapping can be done anywhere: on the back of a cocktail napkin, on a white board (see below), there's even software to help you do it on your computer. Here's a list of popular mind mapping software titles, if you'd like to go that route. Some are even free. What's nice about the software option is you can upload the files onto a Wiki or blog and collaborate with other colleagues.

Other Online Tools to Stimulate Creativity

Here's a great round-up of ways to get the ideas flowing. The best part: they're all free!

Sacrifice a walk-in closet and convert it into a brainstorming room

Think I'm crazy! You can still use it as a storage closet (just put supplies on rolling carts, so you can quickly clear it out for brainstorming sessions. Here's a cheap way to remodel all four walls into one big white board. Let your staff go crazy marking up the walls with their best ideas. Just make sure someone remembers to be the "recording secretary" for discussion purposes later.

Unharnessing Creativity

All the tools and techniques in the world can't help your company, if your corporate culture is a creativity killer. Here's a list of 10 myths about creativity we tend to buy into that spells death for innovation.