I'm testing a new chat application that behaves like a micro-blogging ap similar to Twitter.

It forms a private community on the fly that readers of this blog can test.

It's called Chatterous. Click it and join my group, say hello, ask a question.

What do you think? You can access it from a cell phone or any computer. I'd be interesting in your thoughts on how it could be used in a variety of ways…be creative!

As you build your business, you'll end up hiring staff. Call them outsourcers, freelancers, or virtual assistants. If you're serious, you'll need to find talent.

As you grow, your team grows. Just ask P Diddy or JLO.

I use an online service to communicate with my team. It plugs into skype and also has a stand alone feature. It allows me to have a conference call with my people, and let them see my desktop. I can do online presentations, draw flowcharts, demonstrate software and train my people. I can even make little training videos doing this so I only have to show how to do a task once. Massive leverage!

You can play around with it for free. It's called Yugma. I love it because it's added hours to my week.

The new tools coming out for internet marketing are astounding. Every day my Google Alert gives me new Web 2.0 sites to investigate.

I'm looking at a new service that converts your blog postings into mp3 files so they can be downloaded to an Ipod as a feed.

Check out Odiogo.

I'm testing some new software to hold online meetings. It's called Yugma. You can host a meeting with up to 9 other people. It has a desktop sharing feature so you can do a Powerpoint presentation, or draw on a whiteboard, or even surf the web and have the others watch. If everyone has Skype it is completely free.

Yup. It's a free plugin for Skype. Totally wicked, an office 2.0 ap that is priced for free. Here is where the awesomeness kicks in…let's say you have a virtual assistant that you are training to do a task for you. You show them once using Yugma, and record the screen on your Apple Macbook using IshowU or Camtasia on your PC. Now you have a training video of the task for a reference for your VA!

I have a Google Alert for interesting Web 2.0 aps and sites. I found this one recently.

Vozme

It converts text to audio. I'm playing around with converting articles that have been written by ghostwriters into podcasts to drive traffic into my feeder sites.

Take a peek at it. Can you think up creative ways to use it? Let me know your thoughts, leave a comment.

It's 2 Saturdays to go until Christmas. Can you feel the global anxiety level rising?

I've started to re-read E-Myth Mastery by Michael Gerber again as a primer for 2008. I'm determined to create better systems in my businesses next year and find some talent for my team. I kind of wish I had gone to Eben Pagan's Altitude deal this summer. Does anyone you know have the dvds? If they're done with them maybe they want to trade them to me.

I'm looking for someone extremely skilled in multivariate testing to hire for 5-10 hours to work with me with a project. It can be Google Optimizer, Muvar or an off the shelf solution. It's a fairly simple job, just 2 sites. If you know someone have them leave me a comment and I'll connect with them.

Yesterday I put 5 hours into mind maps for 2008. I have been using a program for my MacBook called FreeMind. There is also a cool online collaboration tool called MindMeister that is a mind map on group steroids. It's amazing to me how the whole online Office 2.0 thing is taking off. Frankly there is no need to have a physical office anymore. If everyone on the team had a MacBook and a wireless card you could have your entire company virtual and never miss the water cooler.

If you're "living on peak" today and are trapped in the mall with the masses, stay cool and relaxed. Find the Salvation Army guy or gal and give them a little something for people less fortunate than you.

You know how Google Adsense works right?

You post a tiny piece of html code on your website that shows a relevant Google ad.

Someone clicks on the ad on your site. You make a few cents, Google makes a few cents, the advertiser gets a visitor. Everyone's happy, right?

What if there was something like that for the telephone?

Now there is. It's called Brring…one of the coolest things I've seen this year. I could have invented this. Dammit!

Here's the overview. You get a phone number from Brring. It's free. You give this new number out to anyone you want to call you. Friends, family, downline, business associates etc. The Brring number plays a short 10 second audio ad, then connects to your real phone line…cell phone, home number, whatever. Totally private and confidential. And free.

Every single time someone calls your Brring line, an ad plays, then connects to whatever phone you want. And you get paid.

Does it work if a friend calls? Yup. An enemy? Yes, you get paid. What about a telemarketer? Now you're getting the picture! What if…you could make a few dollars every time you ran an ad? Self funding lead generation, hello?

You can get a Brring line and post it on your blog if you want. Mine is 1-678-321-8833. Call me. Test it out. Cool, eh?

My advice? Get a Brring line, and have some fun with it. Get creative…and get paid every single time your phone rings!

I called to cancel my VOIP phone line with Vonage today.

I've had the account for 19 months at $49.95 a month unlimited North American calling.

Skype offered me the same thing for $3 a month.

When I called to cancel, I was routed to one of the smoothest save centers I've ever seen. Everything was flow charted and scripted beautifully. The rep offered me the Vonage service for $39 a month. Which ticked me off. Where was he 19 months ago when I was obviously paying too much?

Then he reminded me of how Vonage is rated #1 in customer satisfaction. Then he reminded me of all the free services like caller id that I get with Vonage. I mentioned I used Skype for videoconferencing. He countered with the fact that Vonage will email me my voicemails while Skype can't (which is wrong - they can).

He then offered me the unheard of price of just $24.95. I said "per year?". He paused. "Per month".

Skype is $29 a year, Vonage is $280 for the same service. "But Skype is a fly-by-night operation, remember Sun rocket? And we're #1". I think he strayed from the script at that point.

So I've been overpaying Vonage by 30% for their service for 19 months…nice of them to drop their price too little too late for me.

Commodity-based businesses are cut throat. Doomed. A sinking ship.

Never, ever position yourself to compete on price alone.

Goodbye Vonage. Hello Skype.

I wonder if a Vonage customer service manager has Google Alerts set up to keep abreast of their customer's true feelings in the blogosphere?

How many ways can I count that I use Skype?

Skype has replaced my home phone line.

Skype has replaced my Vonage VOIP line.

I use the Skype plugin with my Facebook account.

I use Skype on my Macbook.

I'm using Skype for my coaching calls with my clients.

I'm using Skype with the Pamela Recorder to make interview podcasts.

I use Skype with my Google Grand Central number.

Skype gives you unlimited long distance for $3 a month. The only lower price point is free!

Do you use Skype? If not, what do you use and why? Leave me a comment below or post a thread in our new discussion forum.