About Adam

Adam is a young entrepreneurial-spirited business owner who loves helping individuals and local business make money online. Adam writes on a few topics including local business Internet marketing, personal and professional development, and the odd rant and tangent as it pops up. Find out more about Adam.

Be more productive while working from home

By in Personal Development

It can be hard to separate work from life at times – especially when you work from home. It can be a blessing or a curse depending on how disciplined and motivated you are.

That said, I have spent the last four months trying to master working from home and getting the most out of my days. I thought I would share some somewhat common sense tips to being productive while working from home.

Define a work space

Defining a work space is a must to maximize productivity while working from home. Have an area that is exclusive for work. Perhaps it’s a desk you setup in the den or spare bedroom. Whatever and wherever it is make sure it’s for work only. Don’t eat at this desk, don’t watch movies or play games in this area – it is your work area.

It won’t be long before you train yourself that when you enter this area or sit at this desk you are there for one thing – productive work. It is also great for those you live with so they know when you are working vs. merely using your computer or reading for pleasure.

Don’t forget your morning routine

Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you have to roll out of bed and jump on the computer or phone. It may be tempting to get the work “out of the way” but before you know it the afternoon will have creeped up and you will not have showered or brushed your teeth.

So get yourself into a routine in the morning – you’ll be surprised how much more productive you are if you’ve cleaned up, ate some breakfast, and put on a pot of coffee.

Breaks and Exercise

Take breaks and get your exercise. Simple as that. Make sure you aren’t spending your entire day in your house – it is extremely unhealthy.

Run to the gym for an hour or go walk to grab a cup of coffee. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you do it every day – your productivity will soar because of it.

Stay focused and prepare – the night before

I’ve preached about the importance of preparing for your day the night before in other posts. It’s easy to get distracted when you work from home so it’s even more important to identify the major tasks of the day that you need to get done.

Every night, identify three important tasks that you need to get done the next day. Do this on a piece of paper or in your note book and circle the one tasks that is the most important. The tasks that if you got nothing done except this one thing, you would still feel good about your day.

This will keep you focused on what needs to be done first.

Know what schedule works for you

One of the major benefits of working from home is the fact that you can – depending on your job – set your own schedule. Society has us preset to a 9-5 work schedule which isn’t necessarily ideal for everyone. Although some work may need to be completed in this timeframe in order to connect with others on this schedule, a lot of work can be completed at your convenience.

Personally, I am somewhat of a late riser – normally 9 or 10 AM – and I usually take another hour for my routine before getting down to work unless something very time-sensitive comes up. I avoid the mid-afternoon wall – a time during which I am very unproductive – by getting out for a walk to grab a cup of coffee, heading to the gym, or even scheduling a meeting so I can get out of the house and away from the computer. Most of my creative work, brainstorming, and writing gets done between 9PM and 2AM.

If you are just starting to work from home, you will quickly begin to learn what schedule works for you in order to get the most out of your work day.

—

I wanted to stay focused on working from home vs working location-independently. That said, leveraging free wifi and great coffee is another excellent way to stay productive during the day while switching up your environment. There are many great resources to live a location independent lifestyle.

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My 40 Seconds of Fame

By in Rants

I just realized this is the first ever post on my site with a video of myself included. Exciting times. This post doesn’t hold much value except some entertainment.

I recently wrote on some reasons you should juggle and thought I would upload a quick video of 3-ball juggling.

Enjoy.

My 40 Seconds of Fame from Adam Bate on Vimeo.

Happy Friday.

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6 Reasons why you should learn to juggle

By in Rants

I learned the basics of 3-ball juggling when I was about 13. I’m pretty sure my grandmother signed out an old VHS on learning how to juggle from the local library in hopes to keep my brothers and I occupied. Well it worked. I’m fairly certain any one of us could pick up and juggle 3-balls in a pinch.

I always had an interest in juggling growing up but never really had the time to spend on it with school sports, activities, and what not. I always made sure I didn’t lose the basics though. Since the end of summer however, I have spent a good amount of time mastering 3-ball juggling. Perfecting the basics, learning new tricks, and pleasantly enjoying it. The more I do it the more I realize what a great activity it really is.

So if you’re looking for a new skill to learn, I encourage you to consider juggling. In my opinion, here are the six big reasons why you should try it.

1. Juggling Keeps You Fit

Anyone who argues with this statement has never really juggled. Juggling is an aerobic exercise. One that is not expensive to do, doesn’t require a lot of equipment, and is very portable.

Don’t have time to run to the gym on your lunch break? No problem, pack your bean bags in your backpack, purse, briefcase, or whatever and take 20-30 minutes at lunch in a corner somewhere. You don’t need a lot of room either.

Plus: the better you get at it, the more of an exercise it will become.

2. Juggling Makes You Smarter

No joke. Juggling has been shown to increase the grey matter in the brain (See journal article here). So not only are you getting a great core exercise, you are also exercising your mind.

I feel smarter already.

3. Juggling Relieves Stress

It is extremely hard to think of anything else but juggling when you are juggling. It is an excellent way to clear your head of everything that is going on and get absorbed in the activity. It is an excellent positive outlet to expend negative energy and frustration.

You can’t help but smile when you are juggling.

4. Juggling Improves Concentration, Coordination and Range of Motion

You can’t just toss 3 balls in the air and hope for the best. It takes a lot of focus, concentration and problem solving. Recovering your rhythm after a mid-air collision or a dropped ball takes a lot of concentration. This focus you gain from juggling will be noticed in other areas of your life and work.

Coordination is very important for overall health. It helps avoid trips and falls, helps with core exercises and avoiding awkward situations. If you are a good athlete you will likely be able to pick up juggling quicker than non-athletes, and the main reason for this is coordination. However, even if you are the most awkward and uncoordinated person in the world, you will still be able to learn to juggle, and it will be an excellent way to improve your coordination.

When you begin to learn how to juggle, you will need to reach, crouch, bend and grab in ways you didn’t think were possible. Like any new activity, you will be sore at first since it is using body mechanics that you do not normally use. You will experience an increase in range of motion in your arms and shoulders.

5. Juggling is a Great Replacement Activity

Juggling can be used as a great replacement activity for breaking bad habits, overcoming cravings, and much more. Are you one of the many people who eats when they are bored? Try juggling instead. The same goes for overcoming cravings to smoke if you are trying to quit.

As a warning, unfortunately, juggling is also an excellent way to procrastinate from studying and working. Consider yourself warned.

6. Juggling is Cool

Juggling is fun and entertaining.

It is an excellent ice breaker and conversation starter and lets face it we all love watching someone juggle.

—

Have any experience with juggling? I would love to hear.

Good luck!

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How to be number one on Google

By in Online Business

From time to time I will get asked how to get a website to be number on Google. I usually chuckle and think if only there was a secret equation or method that we could use to get a number one spot all the time. So here is the truth: there is no secret.

There are many search engine optimization companies out there and each bring their own unique skill set to the table. Unfortunately, some tend to promise results that they can not guarantee. Understand that you should not be working with a company that promises or guarantees a number one spot in Google or withholds what they are doing in their SEO initiatives to promote your website. You are spending good money and you should be kept in the loop every step of the way. Obviously there are some companies that deliver better results than others. However, this is usually due to experience, research and experimentation, common sense, and hard work. Not secrets.

I have given an overview of where you can start on your own in order to get more desirable Google search rankings.

Content

As far as your website goes, content is king. Great content will drive traffic to your site, brand you as an expert and leader, and build a community of customers, potential customers, and fans. There is nothing better for search engines than great unique content. But how do you get it?

Articles and blog posts are an excellent way to generate new content for a website. It is also very important to describe and write about your products and services. Tell your audience about them and why they are so great. Convince them with content. Be creative.

Inbound Links

This is increasingly becoming the most important aspect of having excellent rankings in Google and other search engines. Inbound links are an excellent way to give your website and content more credibility, and Google recognizes that. Where these links are coming from also plays a major role. The more authority the linking site has in your industry the more weight these links will carry.

Inbound links usually go hand in hand with great content, since why would someone want to link to poor content or product listings? Do you have a client base that are willing to write a review of your product or service as a thank you for your awesomeness? Maybe someone is willing to let you write a guest post or article, or interview you or your company. These are a couple great ways to get some quality inbound links.

Some links are great for search engine rankings, and some are great for driving traffic. It is the ones that do both that you really want.

Site Structure

Site structure includes things such as your directory, files, and permalink structure, as well as your internal linking and overall usability of your website. Make sure your website is not confusing for search engines or people.

Titles

Using proper page titles and header titles go a long way in increasing your search results. If you do not currently use header tags (such as h1, h2, etc.) you may want to consider implementing them in place of your current titles.

The Right Keywords

Getting good results in the wrong keywords is useless. There is no point spending time optimizing for keywords that have nothing to do with your business. There are some research tools such as Google Keyword Tool and Wordtracker that will help you decide what keywords you should be focusing on for your business.

Common Sense and Hard Work

Common sense plays a large role in obtaining a number one spot on Google. Do not spam your website, do not stuff content with unnecessary keywords, and do not buy your links. Things like this will all come back to haunt you later. Search engine optimization takes a lot of hard work. Things will not always work out the way we wanted them to. You need to be able to understand why, isolate what is working and what is not, and fix the ones that are not.

So again, there is no secret as to how to be number one on Google, but hopefully these things can get you started in the right direction.

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Why you and your business should not have a website

By in Online Business

By no means am I preaching that people and businesses should not develop a website and a great online presence. What I am saying is that sometimes a personal or business website does more harm than good.

We have all seen them kicking around the internet and I bet you may even be able to think of one off the top of your head. A website you have visited that left you frustrated and confused.

One of the main reasons this happens is due to the inability to maintain the website. A website is not a fad. It is extremely important and a fundamental online marketing tool. You own it and have complete control over it.

If you do not have the time to maintain your website it could be doing more harm than good for you.

Confuses Potential and Current Customers

It is no doubt that you are being searched for on the internet. Hopefully by now you have come to realize and understand this. The question is what information are your current and potential customers finding?

If your core website has outdated contact information or incorrect services and product descriptions then it will not only confuse the visitors but it will frustrate them as well if they try to use it to contact you.

Damages your Brand

As a business your brand is extremely important. It is your means to stand out. A website that is not maintained may be inconsistent with your current branding strategy – outdated logos, slogans, colors, marketing material, etc. It is important to align your website with the rest of your marketing initiatives.

Even if you are not using your website to its full potential as a marketing tool and are merely using it as an expensive business card it is still extremely important that the information be correct and up to date.

Personal and Business

This does not only apply to business websites. An outdated personal website has the same effect on you personally as an outdated business website has on a business. Employers, Headhunters, and even University admissions officers are using search engines and other online methods to research potential candidates. Are they finding your grade 8 website? Perhaps it is time to update.

Bottom line: make sure someone is responsible for maintaining your website or it may never get done.

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How to choose the right web host and web hosting package (Part 1): A look at Shared Web Hosting

By in Online Business

I have been asked many times what hosting package is the best fit for different types of websites and businesses. This is usually due to the fact that I co-own a Web hosting and Managed virtual private server company. Regardless, I thought I would write an unbiased, four-part blog post that covers choosing the right web hosting plan and company. The series will include the following posts:

Part 1: A look at shared web hosting
Part 2: A look at virtual private hosting
Part 3: A look at dedicated hosting
Part 4: What to look for when choosing a web hosting company and package.

A Look At Shared Web Hosting

Shared web hosting is what most companies offer with their basic web hosting packages, and it is what the majority of websites are hosted on. What it means is that your website will share a server and a hosting environment with potentially many other websites.

The main benefit of shared hosting is its price. It is almost always cheaper than a virtual or dedicated solution. The reason for this is because the cost of the single server can be spread over many paying customers.

There are however several downsides to hosting on a shared environment. Firstly, the inability to tailor and configure it to your own needs can be frustrating. If you run a customized content management system, develop your own web-applications, or require a framework or programs installed that are not already installed on the shared server, chances are you won’t be able to get them – easily at least.

Some smaller shared hosting companies may be willing to tailor and personalize the environment to your needs the best they can (given security restraints of course) but for the most part, the big names will not allow it.

Another major downside of shared hosting is the fact that it is shared. I know our parents always taught us that sharing is good, but when it comes to our websites that is not necessarily the case.

There may be another website hosted on the same server as yours that was built by a 12-year-old wannabe developer who enjoys using many infinite loops in his code. The inefficiencies in their code will affect the performance of your website. Not fair. If the server is placed under a high load due another client – although that client is usually in violation of the terms of service and is removed from the server – there’s no real compensation that is going to happen for you.

The other end of that extreme is if you are hosted on the same server as a very popular website that happens to land on the front page of a popular community-based website such as digg.com. This will send a sudden increase in traffic and will cripple many shared servers. This is often referred to as the Slashdot effect.

Also understand that in most cases, if these things do happen to the server – usually it is not only your website that will be affected, but also your email.

I realize I have painted a pretty ugly picture of shared hosting here. Remember that these are the extremes. Most of the time a shared environment will be able to survive regular day-to-day hosting. However, you do need to keep in mind that it is in fact shared, and there are risks that are associated with that, even at the best of times.

What should you look for in a shared hosting plan?

Each shared hosting plan will include the following:

  • Bandwidth – the amount of transfer that is allowed to and from your website
  • Disk Space – the amount of physical space on the hard drive your website is allowed to use
  • Sub-domains – unlimited sub-domains are typically included in shared hosting packages
  • Multi-Domain Hosting – the ability to host more than one domain with your plan
  • Dedicated IP Address – will you receive your own IP address with the hosting (usually at an extra cost)
  • Operating System – an option of a Linux or Windows-based hosting server

Something to watch out for is the overselling of shared hosting. The offering of unlimited bandwidth and disk space is a very controversial topic amongst hosting companies. Mainly, because it is impossible to follow through on in most cases – and usually it is just covered up in the company’s terms of service stating that they “won’t limit your transfer or space unless you go over X amount.” You don’t want to have your website suspended because it is a high traffic site or because you require a lot of disk space after you’ve already signed up for the account.

So how do you know that shared hosting is the right solution?

If your website and email is not business-critical, you are not paying for traffic through affiliate networks, banners, or pay per click campaigns, and you do not rely on search engine rankings for a major source of your traffic, then shared web hosting would be an ideal fit.

In most cases even if your website and email are business critical, a shared web hosting package will still work for you. However, if you are investing money in driving visitors to your website through SEO initiatives or PPC campaigns, you may want to look into hosting your website on a dedicated or virtual hosting environment.

Check back for the next parts of this series.

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New Theme, WooTheme

By in Rants

It was a long time coming but I finally decided to switch up my design for a while. It was hard to part with my much loved Thematic Theme, but I have heard many good things about Woo Themes.

I thought I would start with one of their free themes to become familiar with how they work, but so far I have no complaints. I’m sure I’ll reflect on it at a later date once I get a chance to actually use it more in depth.

Would love to hear any thoughts or comments about it.

EDIT: I have since been through a few themes, and settled back with Woothemes‘ Canvas.

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The Beginning of my Minimalist Lifestyle: Starting with the 100 Things Challenge

By in Rants

I’ve never been one to throw things out – or to go without for that matter. I’ve always been surrounded by “stuff” growing up and although I’m in no means complaining about that, I have recently been admiring many people who live a much simpler life. People who are able to up and relocate without problem.

So to kick off my attempt at a (somewhat) minimalist lifestyle, I’ve decided to go ahead with the 100 Things Challenge by David Michael Bruno. This is a challenge to only keep 100 personal items.

Naturally, things that are used by the household aren’t included – such as furniture, TV, etc. Also, books are not counted, and you are able to combine some items – including socks and underwear. The idea is to live minimal, not to have to go a day with inside-out undies.

So, without further ado, my personal items:

1. Macbook, including gear such as mouse and charger.
2. External hard drive
3. Headset, with mic (really needs replacing)
4. Headset, no mic
5. Digital Camera, Canon
6. Cell phone, Blackberry
7. Wallet
8. Watch, although it’s broken right now. I remember the day it happened.
9. Sunglasses
10. Note book, black, for notes.
11. Note book, blue, for brainstorming
12. Backpack, books and laptop
13. Backpack, for the gym
14. Jackknife
15. Razor, Gillette Fusion Power
16. Electric razor kit
17. Shaving Cream
18. Deodorant
19. Toothbrush
20. Tweezers
21. Chap sticks (combining)
22. Flip Flops
23. Running Sneakers
24. Vibram 5-fingers KSO’s, I’m going to be upset when Winter comes and I have to take these off.
25. Black Casual Shoes (really needs replacing)
26. Black Dress Shoes (also really needs replacing)
27. Nike Casual Shoes
28. Coat, black.
29. Jacket, grey
30. Scarf, brown
31. Scarf, red
32. Winter hat
33. Winter gloves
34. Belt, black
35. Belt, brown
36. Swimming trunks, blue
37. Swimming trunks, red
38. Shorts, White
39. Shorts, light brown
40. Shorts, lighter brown
41. Shorts, dark brown
42. Shorts, darker brown
43. Shorts, sports
44. Shorts, sports
45. Shorts, sports
46. Jeans
47. Jeans
48. Jeans
49. Dress pants, black
50. Dress pants, tan
51. Pants, black
52. Pants, tan
53. Pants, Pajama, black and white (I remember when I used to have so many of these)
54. Hoodie, black.
55. Dress shirt, red
56. Dress shirt, blue
57. Dress shirt, black
58. Dress shirt, white
59. Dress shirt, striped
60. Button down shirt, black
61. Button down shirt, brown
62. Sports coat, linen, black
63. Sport coat, striped
64. Tie, purple
65. Tie, black and white
66. Polo, blue
67. Polo, red
68. Polo, brown
69. Polo, red
70. Tank, red
71. Tank, blue (why do I still have these?)
72. Long sleeve shirt, black & grey
73. Long sleeve shirt, blue
74. Long sleeve shirt, white
75. Long sleeve shirt, brown
76. Long sleeve shirt, black
77. Long sleeve shirt, grey
78. Long sleeve shirt, old, for around the house
79. Argyle sweater, black & red
80. Argyle sweater, white
81. Sweater, white
82. Sweater, Grey
83. Jersey, old NS jersey (can’t seem to part with it)
84. T-shirt, grey
85. T-shirt, black
86. T-shirt, black
87. T-shirt, black
88. T-shirt, red
89. T-shirt, green
90. T-shirt, red
91. Gym shirt, white
92. Gym shirt, white
93. Gym shirt, grey
94. Running shirt, black
95. Running shirt, black
96. Undershirts (combining)
97. Socks (combining)
98. Socks, dress (combining)
99. Underwear (combining)

I left a spot open just in case. I know this doesn’t leave a lot of room for gifts, etc. But I thought I’d start by keeping things this way until Christmas. So I can reassess then.

I must admit that this is much harder when living in a location that gets both plus 40 and minus 40 degrees. Having to balance for both seasons will be tricky, but as more sweaters are needed, I will replace some of the items I won’t be using.

Also, I’m not throwing anything out. I’m boxing it up and putting it in storage – which is down 6 flights of stairs so I likely won’t be inclined to go down and unpack it if I have the urge to play Mario Kart.

I will write a followup post on the pros and cons of my experience living like this at a later date.

For more on a minimalist lifestyle, check out Zen Habits.

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I’m Back! And ready to rumble.

By in Rants

I looked at my last post date and was quite disappointed in myself. Two months to the day.

In my defense, I had an intensely hectic and busy summer. I’ve relocated to South West Ontario (London to be exact) and am slowly deciding on and preparing for, well, “the real world” – if you will.

Well, now that I am back in the groove, I have some great content I am researching and writing, and many new developments to roll out soon. I will be redesigning the site a little bit as well- although sticking with the Thematic WordPress theme.

Not the longest “I’m back” post but I hate these useless posts anyway. Stick in there.

Also, if you happen to be located in London, Ontario and want to say hello, please ping me an email.

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Live happier: A different look at friendships and relationships.

By in Personal Development

I recently listened in to a call on the importance of building strategic business relationships versus general networking. The authors and entrepreneurs Keith Ferrazzi, Tim Ferriss, and Guy Kawasaki had an open conversation on how they were affected by having a close-knit group of strategic relationships and how to go about finding them.

Although this call was mainly focusing on the business-related applications of strategic relationships, it got me thinking about how people form relationships and friendships in general.

Everyone has many levels and layers of best friends, friends, associates, personal contacts, business contacts, etc. and whether or not we think about it, every time we meet a new person we form opinions about them and unconsciously place them in one of our layers and categories. People typically drift from level to level, and unfortunately we lose touch with many, but there are also many people that we should likely be keeping a little closer – but for whatever reason we don’t.

The thing that got me thinking is the amount of people that actually consider how they choose their friends and who they keep close and at a distance. Most people don’t put much thought into it, and it definitely has its effect. The people that are the closest to us have an enormous influence on our lives and it is important to understand that this influence can be both positive and negative. If you are struggling and finding yourself not as happy as you should be, try to surround yourself in people that have a positive influence on you. This may not always include your current circle of friends so it may mean you need to reach out to old friends, new acquaintances, etc.

Fortunately, I consider myself quite lucky in the sense that I have what I believe to be an excellent group of close friends on which I can rely. Unfortunately, it is impossible to be very close with a large number of people – which makes it even more important to make sure you are keeping the right people close to you. After some thought I have come up with some of the things I find extremely important in developing a close friendship and relationship.

Honesty.

It is important for someone to be able to tell you when you are out of line, or call you out on something that they disagree with. Praise from someone who is also willing to challenge you, is worth much more than If someone only ever agrees with you.

Respect.

I think this one goes without saying. Being brutally honest without being respectful can hurt. It is important that they show respect and are able to be critical, but constructive.

Dependability.

If you were in a crisis, whether personally, professionally, or emotionally and reached out to a friend to get together for a chat over dinner would they make time for you?

I’m not saying that it has to happen all the time, or that you even need to spend a lot of time together, but are they willing to make time for you when you need it? Or do they only ever seem to appear when it is convenient for them?

Motivating.

I’m sure you have experienced people that make you feel motivated or inspired when you are around them. For whatever reason, they have an aura that makes you want to strive to be the best. These are the people in particular that you want surrounding you, but are unfortunately harder to find.

—

Losing touch sucks. I’ll be the first to admit that I have lost touch with many great friends that I wish I could have kept closer. I know with a relocation coming up there will likely be more shifting of people from layer to layer which is I guess why I started to think of it. If you’re reading this and have lost touch please feel free to contact me or email me to say hi and let me know what you have been up to. I would love to catch up.

Thoughts and comments are always welcome and encouraged.

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