Nice Approved — January, 2014 Edition

by | Jan 9, 2014 | Blog, Nice Approved | 5 comments

Ever wonder who you should work with or who the best companies to buy from are? Who the best coaches or consultants on the planet are? Who stands out far ahead of the crowd and provides win-win solutions? There are so many options and it can be a tad overwhelming, to say the least. We are here to help with our “Nice Approved” directory!! In late 2013 we introduced the Nice Approved directory that we are building for you and we are back with our first edition for 2014.

Nice Approved!!

The Nice Approved directory will build over time as we add new companies to the Nice List each month — we’ve selected the first couple round of companies, but it will grow over time as we add our selections and you send in nominations. That’s right! We want YOU to share the love by telling us who your favorite businesses are (more on that below).

Newly Nice Approved

This month we are focusing on some of our favorite technology solutions and providers.
Get ready to fall in love…
 

If you are looking for a fabulous developer, designer, and wordpress security guard

to partner with on your new website, you better consider Alison Monday of tiny blue orange

I started working with her with the re-brand of NiceOps at the start of 2013 and she has been my go-to web gal ever since. Alison partnered with me and my web designer to ensure we were able to bring the visions of the site design to life on the website.  She build custom assessments for me (e.g., Get an A+ in Running Your Business Quiz) and is constantly working on future state enhancements.

Does Alison do all of my development work?  Not exactly.  She does about 90% of it — The reason why is part of what sets her apart.

In one example, I reached out to her just this week for a project that wasn't in her area of expertise.  She was honest about her skills and her ability and this self awareness, as well as the boundaries she sets, is a big part of what I love about her.  She provides strong timing estimates for her projects, she is honest about her availability, and she sets strong boundaries for herself and for her clients.  Can't beat it!

Without question, tiny blue orange's operating model is Nice Approved. To give more entrepreneurs the orange carpet experience, Alison will be partnering with some seriously Nice designers in 2014 too so you can look out for more from her.  Speaking of web security, Alison's got the hook up for you here.

LeadPages

LeadPages saved me and helped me accelerate implementation of my programs exponentially.  It's easy to set up sign up pages and sales pages make launching as easy as pie.  Not to mention they integrate with the top email providers out there so there is no extra work to get people sign up and on the right mailing list.

Clay Collins, founding member of LeadPages, was one of the first internet marketing experts I learned from.  He was a solid teacher and proved that knows how to generate leads without having a massive sales team behind him.  He converted his internet marketing know-how into LeadPages and man, is he clearly operating in his sweet spot.

I have created many sign up pages using LeadPages and can't recommend it enough — Especially if you really hate going into the backend of WordPress and prefer to stay out of it (like I do) and you like no-brainer technology solutions to set up your sales pages.  At one point, I was having issues with how one of my pages was showing up to clients and prospects and their customer service team spent a good bit of time troubleshooting a solution with me.  As an example, here are a few sign up pages that I created using LeadPages:

freshstart
  clonecamp
The live version has ended, but 2014 planning is still going strong.  Feel free to join us to create your own planathon experience with daily email prompts from us.
planathon
Can't beat it!  I love LeadPages so much and I was referring it so often, that I signed up for an affiliate account.  I've signed up for affiliate programs in the past, but this is one of the few that I actually use and share the affiliate link for because it feels so good to share it and I want to test this whole affiliate thing out.
 

Boomerang for Gmail

Boomerang for Gmail Image

I'll be forever grateful to Jamie Dubose and her team at Zenplicity Now who first introduced me to Boomerang.

In the Zen Master's words ::

Boomerang is a simple program that installs right inside my Gmail account that allows me to schedule messages to be sent at different intervals. It gives the flexibility to reply to a message in an hour, the next day, or at a specific time and date. I am not exaggerating when I say it’s completely changed my life.

Their free subscription allows you to schedule 10 messages each month, and their paid subscription is only $5.00 per month with unlimited sends.
You can read Jamie's full blog post on Boomerang here.

What Technology Solutions do You Recommend? 

I am sure I am missing some amazing solutions.  Bring on your recommendations in the comments below and if you really want to give your favorite companies and business partners a shout out, nominate them to get Nice Approved.  Keep reading for the details!

So, What’s it Take to Get Nice Approved?

We want to highlight unique businesses — big and small — that will help you grow your business and live a better life. Nice Approved companies have these qualities ::: – Do things different than all the rest – Stand out in their industry as a leader – Know how to treat a customer right – Create an experience – Working with them is easy peasy lemon squeezy – They have smart business operations — as in they take care of themselves AND their business and create win-win solutions (win for the customer, win for the business)

Nominate Companies You Know + Love to Be Nice Approved 

Follow this link to nominate your favorite companies to be Nice Approved. Feel free to give them a shout and out and share your favorite companies in the comments below.

I can't wait to hear what you think!
Hi, I’m amber!

Eternal optimist, lover of dance parties, here to get more of you in the world and help you grow your dream business.

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