In today’s business world, personal computers are the center of any workstation and are an absolute requirement to succeed, no matter if you’re a small business owner, large corporation, or a freelance individual. And keeping those PCs running smoothly is a number one priority. Viruses, spyware, and an overall unhealthy PC can bring your business to a screeching halt.

Even if your rig has the fastest processor, highest memory capacity, or biggest hard drive, your PC can still get bogged down with malware and other annoyances. Here are a few quick tips and software solutions to clean out your files, remove malware, and optimize your PC. (Disclaimer: This is a very basic guide for novice Windows computer users. Use these software solutions at your own risk, and backup your files before continuing.)

Cleaning Out The Malware: Seeing a lot of pop-up ads at random? Spyware and other malware critters are lurking all over the internet, and simply navigating down the wrong alley can get you infected. Microsoft’s Windows Defender, which is available for Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Vista, and the brand new Windows 7, has been generally reviewed as a good performer at spyware detection and protection. Another popular detection program is Spybot – Search and Destroy, something I personally use. (Here are some quick guides on how to use Windows Defender and Spybot.)

If you’re looking for an even higher level of protection, you can’t go wrong with a paid software protection platform like the very popular Norton Internet Security 2010.

Adding Virus Protection: If you’re not running some sort of antivirus protection, you’re pretty much a fish in a barrel. Currently, there are two free antivirus software packages that come to mind for home use. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition and avast! Home Edition are both completely free and offer basic antivirus and antispyware protection. Pretty straightforward stuff here – install, scan (and reboot and scan if necessary), and you should be set with protection – check out AVG's free video tutorial if you need some guidance. Again, if you’ve got a few bucks to spend, both AVG and avast! offer paid solutions, and you could also go with a Symantec/Norton security package like the one mentioned above. (I personally am very satisfied with Symantec’s antivirus program.)

We've got just a few more weeks left in our "The New Way To Work" Contest, and the submissions keep rolling in. This week, we’ve got a pair of very compelling blog posts from two very different people both embracing the New Way To Work. First, Gagan Biyani, a full-time consultant and part-time freelance writer from Chicago, had this to share about his experiences in launching a new startup and penetrating Silicon Valley with the help of contract professionals (from blog.udemy.com):

There just isn’t any doubt about it. Things are changing, and Udemy, a startup I’m co-founding, is as good example as any to embody that change. Folks like me don’t just quit their job, take out a loan and start a company anymore. Instead, we spend every free hour – every waking moment – working towards our dream. Success doesn’t just come with the 9-5 anymore, although some can said to a packed room at the Web 2.0 conference, if you want to pursue your passion, there are no excuses. You work 9-5 to support your family and yourself? No problem – “7 to 2 in the morning is plenty of time to do damage.” And here’s a little tidbit from the co-founders at Udemy: if you make a decent wage on your day job, pay someone else to work 9-5 on your dream.

Valerie Walker, a freelance marketing and technical writer, embraces the flip side of the New Way To Work – as a skilled freelance professional, you call the shots as your own boss (from valerie-walker.blogspot.com):

This is a continuation of the Hands-On With The Elance Work System by Matt Katsaros. To read the previous part, follow this link here: Hands-On With The Elance Work System: Part 5.

After spending a little bit of time with amstudio utilizing the tools in the Workroom, the website is done, delivered, and ready to go. Now it’s time to foot the bill and get our provider paid, and Elance has a payment system designed to do exactly that.



One of Elance’s payment features (and one of my personal favorite features of using Elance) is Escrow. The service allows you and your provider both to be protected during the transaction. If you’re a little unfamiliar with how Escrow works, here it is in a nutshell: You and your provider agree to a job, you (the client) put the money in Escrow and leave it to be held by a third party, the provider begins work, and once you’re completely satisfied, the money gets released and your provider gets paid. (For more on Escrow, check out this help topic.)

The need for killer content for businesses and entrepreneurs continues to grow at an amazing pace. Whether it’s a blog post, product description, marketing collateral, or newsletter, the growth in demand for strong, high-quality content is clearly apparent as writing-related skills on the Elance Work Index continue to rise. And if that wasn’t enough to convince you, think about all of the other benefits that online content brings to your site, like search engine optimization, online community building, and more. (Check out a more in-depth look at why you need content here.)

However, there’s one thing that you must know before running off to slap a few words together – in order to reap the full benefits, you’re going to need a steady feed of high-caliber content. Are you suffering from a combination of dull content and Writer’s Block? Here are a few quick tips to add a little zip to your website’s content. Don't have the time? Hire a content creator right here.

1. Keep it fresh: Like food, freshness is key. Keeping your website’s blog (you’ve got a blog for your business, right?), product descriptions, and other pages fresh with new content will give your customers or readers a reason to come back for more.

Additionally, publishing fresh content to your website grabs the attention of search engines like Google and Yahoo!, giving you a little bit of a boost in Search Engine Optimization and search ranking. While you’re at it, don’t write about the same thing over and over – search engines will knock you a few points for duplicate and repeated content. Write high-quality content rich articles with a lot of relevant keywords for the most success.

2. Let your voice shine through: Remember, there are millions and millions of other websites out there on the web. Try to bring something unique to the table that your readers will enjoy. Try writing a bit more conversationally – your readers are people just like you.

Also important: Be sure to evaluate and understand your product and your target demographic and then cater your content and writing style to them. Although you might be noticing that more and more sites on the web today are taking a fun, more casual approach to writing with great success, don’t expect the same results if you write loose, sarcastic content for certain products or industries (for example, computer security.)

3. Get to the point: Your visitors have places to go and people to see online, so don’t bore them with overly-wordy paragraphs and descriptions. Internet surfers have the attention span of a 5-year old, so hitting them quickly with what’s important is key. If they aren’t able to answer the question, “Why is this important to me?” within the first few sentences, you can kiss those visitors goodbye.

Also, write shorter, quicker paragraphs. Succinct segments are far more digestible for the average person to read and retain.

4. Play by the rules:

It’s been a little over 8 weeks since we kicked off our “The New Way To Work” contest back in September, and the world of work is continuing to evolve. We’ve spotted a healthy number of blog posts, articles, videos, and graphic designs on Twitter, Facebook, and Vator.TV expressing and celebrating the new way to work – here are a few special submissions that have really caught our eye.

First, an awesome YouTube clip from Tanika Goudeau, otherwise known as tigi202:

 

And secondly, a powerful story from a Rita Sanghita, based out of Greece. Here’s an excerpt (read the full story here):