Everyone knows the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but do you know the second fastest way? With tools!

So, here's the perfect Valentine's Day gift. It's not just any tool.  This is like a Swiss Army knife on steroids.

The Mo-Tool (short for more tool) is power-packed with:

• Axe blade
• Hammer head
• Screwdrivers
• Knives
• A can opener
• Wire cutter
• File
• Pliers
• A wrench

It's perfect for camping, the garage, or even as an emergency tool set to keep in your vehicle.   

The Mo-Tool can be found at Amazon for around $40.

Greetings!  

Happy New Year!  We're a couple of weeks into 2012 and I'm wondering...Have you proclaimed (or broken) a resolution yet?  Personal resolutions really aren't my thing, but I do believe in making business-related resolutions.  And, I'm always curious to learn what types of goals other business people are setting this time of year.  Here are a few that inspired me:

1. Prioritize -"Start every day with clarity by spending 10 minutes reviewing one-to-five things you want to achieve this year, what your strategic priorities are for achieving them, and (most importantly) what businesses, activities and opportunities you have decided to say "no" to because they distract you from what is truly important." - Kaihan Krippendorff, Author
    
2. Focus on less -When it comes to focusing your attention, energy and business resources, less is certainly more.  Steve Jobs' approach to management is the best example of this.
    
3. Go social -According to a Pew Internet & American Life study featured in the Wall Street Journal, 65% of all U.S. adults now use social-networking sites, up from just 5% in 2005.  Your customers are out there, having conversations about your business (or your competitors).  It's all up to you to be a part of those conversations, engage your customers and prospects, provide support and share content that matters to them.
    
4. Celebrate your success with your employees - Don't forget to recognize and celebrate each of your milestones. The best part of preparing a plan is knowing that when you've reached a goal, you'll take time to pause and appreciate the accomplishment.
    
5. Give back to your community.  There are all kinds of worthy organizations that make a difference. Find a cause that matters to you, and give what you can.

What are your business resolutions for 2012?  We'd love to hear about them!

The Differences Between Backup, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

If you think that "data backup" is the same as "disaster recovery" and you aren't sure what "business continuity" means, you're not alone.

Many businesses don't know the differences. As a result, they suffer unfortunate consequences when their server crashes, data is lost or the network becomes inaccessible during a storm.

Many others develop a false sense of security because they are backing up their files, but don't realize that it could still take days to become operational again.  Don't learn the hard way! Read on... 

Learn how you can empower all your Dynamics NAV users to create ad-hoc and financial reports -- regardless of their programming skills! 

Attend our January 18th Pivotier webcast.

With Pivotier, any Dynamics NAV customer using the SQL Server database can enjoy rich-content reports without learning any new applications.

During the last few years, many companies have been forced to reduce inventory in order to increase cash flow. But cutting stock is much more complicated than slashing a few items here and there.

There is a science to reducing inventory without impeding your ability to meet product demand and customer satisfaction. Here are 3 places you can start to reduce inventory intelligently.

Whether you love spreadsheets or hate them, Excel has become one of the most widely used business applications across the globe.

Here is a blog post with 20 shortcuts to make your use of Excel a little easier and more productive. 

Vote for your favorite or share an additional tip by leaving a reply at the end of the post.