Leader
Unclaimed money
There's a frightening amount of money unclaimed and awaiting collection, about $458 million at last count. Are you one of the 500,000 Australians who’s owed something? Find out here. 
How to write a mission statement
This video by Dan Heath over at Fast Company shows you exactly how the mission statement of a small business goes from tasty to terrible in one brainstorming session.
Just how much are meetings costing you?
This basic, but very effective tool easily gives you the answer. Simply tell it how many people are in attendance, their daily rate and the clock starts ticking. Very, very scary! 
Any procrastinating writers here?
Thought so. This little site is a corker. Select how many words you're trying to write, your deadline and punishment mode and you'll get some pretty sharp reminders if you start to slack off. 
Need a financial health check?
Superannuation advice, budget planners and tips for saving are all on offer at the Understanding Money website. This Government operated site provides real back to basics information on how to, err, understand money. 
Font of all knowledge
Not sure what your default font should be? This site is sure to help. Simply paste in some text, choose from hundreds of different fonts and take your pick! 
Feeling demotivated?
The motivation industry has had its day in the sun. How's this for a contradictory view? Despair.com's demotivators claim to 'increase success by lowering expectations.'
Office pod
We want one. Well half a dozen, actually. These office pods have got to be the coolest little workspaces we’ve seen. They look so yummy in the garden.
18 smokin' hot business cards
If you’re just starting up or looking to redesign your business cards, here is a wealth of inspiration from our friends at Freelance Switch.
Wordle on the street
This cool free tool at www.Wordle.net generates funky looking word clouds based on your website or selected text. You can even try different colour schemes and layouts.
Hot or cold?
Stay up to date with the climate debate on this site. Great for those pro action and sceptics, it lists calls to action and dissenting voices from around the world.
Are you free?
If you struggle getting small groups of people together for a meeting, this little gizmo may help. It certainly saves on the email tennis.
Get help from the crowd
The Flying Solo forums are where you can talk and network freely. If you're looking for help, seeking a referral, or just itching to share some news or knowledge, there's a mob of supporters here.
Someone trying to empty your pockets?
SCAMwatch will help you recognise, report and protect yourself from scams that target you or your small business.
Want to get your articles out there?
ArticlePR features a free list of article submission sites or article banks, to which you can submit your articles in order for them to be distributed far and wide.
Keep it simple, silly
More often than not, a soloist’s life is about multi tasking and coping with complexity. If this sounds like you, our friends at Freelance Switch have some worthwhile tips: 10 Ways to Simplify Your Freelance Life.
Calling all Flying Solo fans!
If you're an active networker or involved in any small business groups, we'd love you to get involved in our snappy little promotional program. Find out more. 
Who's following you?
Twitter fans may like Twittersheep, which tells you which kinds of folk are following you. Give it a go! 
When it all gets too much
When it all gets too much. A big thanks to web developer, Simon for this little gem. Apparently it’s where he heads when clients drive him nuts.
Save (on) your energy
Make It Cheaper provides a free service that helps you ditch and switch energy providers. There’s a handy blog with money saving tips, too.
Have you read our manifesto?
If you've yet to read Flying Solo the book, have a read of the Soloist's Manifesto to get a feel for what it's about. Alternatively, browse some reader reviews.
Anatomy of Australia’s micro business owner
Flying Solo’s Understanding Micro Business, 2010-2011 – Australia’s largest micro business survey takes the pulse of this critical business sector. Download the results now.
Get projects over the line
If you admire 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' (and who wouldn't?) and recognise you need some assistance to get over the finish line, this online goal tracker may well appeal.
Text for dummies
Ever wondered where to find that dummy text used by designers? The answer is here. Given it's a practice that's been around since the 1500s, this may not be the original source!
Impress your TED friends
There's no doubt that TED is a wonderful resource and we love it, but FORA is pretty awesome too. Enjoy a short movie with your morning tea.
Please help us spread the word!
If you enjoy your time on Flying Solo, you may like to tell others. Here are a number of ways you can do just that. The larger we get, the greater the combined wisdom. Thanks!
What say you?
Become a member
Join Flying Solo and start promoting your business in our member directory; post comments on articles and dive into the lively forum discussions. It's quick, free and easy. Join the community now!
Profile | Melissa Norfolk
Melissa Norfolk
Internet expert, Melissa Norfolk, speaks to business, school and community groups about online marketing, email newsletters, effective use of the internet, finding what you need online and internet safety.
She is Founder and Managing Director of innovative internet marketing company the Norfolk Internet Group Pty Ltd. Melissa has grown the company from a single person, sole trader business to a company with two divisions: MN Web Design and MN Technology Presentations. The company provides keynote presentations and workshops on effective use of the internet as well as web design and email marketing advice. Now employing four staff the business has grown rapidly over the past five years.
The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change until we notice - R.D. Laing
Articles by Melissa
Google Analytics: Measuring online marketing
06 Sep 09Melissa NorfolkOne reason online marketing is so great is that it’s measurable. Plenty of other advertising involves spending loads without being able to judge how many people have seen or acted upon your ad. Read more
Comments: 1416 tips for marketing your email newsletter
23 Jul 09Melissa NorfolkIf you write a regular email newsletter, you need to make sure it effectively promotes your business and helps you grow your database. And that people are reading it, of course! Read more
Comments: 5Online marketing tips for local businesses
29 Mar 09Melissa NorfolkOften I hear “my web site doesn’t work because I only service local clients”. Here are online marketing tips for soloists to effectively market their local business on the Internet. Read more
Comments: 12How to make money from business blogging
03 Feb 08Melissa NorfolkBusiness blogging takes a big time commitment, but it could be worthwhile if it generates more customers and dollars. So how do you make money from business blogging? Read more
Comments: 22Should your business sell products online?
11 Dec 07Melissa NorfolkWho is shopping online, when and what for? This review of shopping trends this holiday season will help you decide whether e-commerce is the way to go for your business. Read more
Comments: 18Deliver your message with a podcast
14 Aug 07Melissa NorfolkPodcasts are rapidly growing in popularity and have the potential to provide many benefits to your business including raising your profile and updating clients. Read on to find out whether it is time for you to stop typing and start talking. Read more
Comments: 12Interactive websites: What is Web 2.0?
19 Jul 07Melissa NorfolkWe've all heard of Web 2.0, but what does it mean? I think of it as the Interactive Internet. It encourages collaboration between users and is driving the trend towards more interactive websites. Read more
Comments: 12Business blogs: Can a blog help your solo business?
12 Jun 07Melissa NorfolkMany businesses are now adding business blogs to their website to better communicate with their target market and build traffic to their website. Can a blog help your business? Or is it simply a fad? Read more
Comments: 54Business growth: A home office or commercial office space?
15 May 07Melissa NorfolkWhen you experience business growth, is it better to stay in a home office, or move out? Late last year I moved my business out of home and into commercial office space. It's time to update you on what this has meant for me and for the business. Read more
Comments: 12How to boost website traffic and sales
15 Mar 07Melissa NorfolkThe first step to boost website traffic and sales is to get listed in the search engines. Unsurprisingly, Google dominates this field, and is likely to yield the largest amount of traffic to your site. Read more
Comments: 20How an audio message can improve your website
15 Feb 07Melissa NorfolkAdding an audio message to your website helps your site visitors gain a better understanding of your products or services. Plus audio creates a bond and rapport with your website visitor, which makes them feel more at ease with you and your offering. Read more
Comments: 16How to make visitors stay on your website
05 Dec 06Melissa NorfolkThe problem of how to make visitors stay on website looms large in the solo business community. No matter what your site’s purpose, you need loyal visitors. Capturing and keeping them means ensuring they are so happy nothing can steal them away. Read more
Comments: 12Five reasons to grow your business
02 Nov 06Melissa NorfolkFor the soloist, once business starts to take off, there comes a time you need to decide whether to grow your business or keep it simple. Will you take on staff? Will you remain at home or move to bigger premises? Read more
Comments: 8Tips for a better website
03 Oct 06Melissa NorfolkIf you make reference to your website in your business marketing, perhaps via a Yellow Pages ad, now is the ideal time to spring clean and create a better website. Read more
Comments: 3Email marketing: Making the most of your opt-in email newsletter
05 Sep 06Melissa NorfolkPublishing a simple opt-in email newsletter (or ezine) as little as once a month is guaranteed to help you increase sales. Follow these email marketing tips to maximise the impact of your newsletter. Read more
Comments: 8Website statistics: Digging deeper into your webstats
17 Aug 06Melissa NorfolkIn an earlier article on how to read your website statistics reports we looked at the terminology of website statistics or webstats. In this article, we look at how webstats can give you greater insight into how visitors are using your website. Read more
Comments: 3Seven tips to multiply your online sales
04 Jul 06Melissa NorfolkWhen putting your products onto your website, don't sit back and expect the orders to roll in, instead create an online sales strategy to generate interest in your online offering. Read more
Comments: 2Australian copyright law: How to protect your work
30 May 06Melissa NorfolkWhat would you do if you discovered your work had been reproduced without your permission? Here we look at the basics of Australian copyright law, including how to protect your work and what work can't be protected. Read more
Comments: 5How to read your website statistics report
18 Apr 06Melissa NorfolkDo you know which figures are the most important on your website statistics report? Or perhaps you've never seen a website statistics report and are wondering “what are website statistics?” Read more
Comments: 14Join the community! It’s free.
Flying Solo is Australia’s micro business community, where thousands of business owners connect, support and network. Become a member today and join in the fun!
You’ll get to:
- Learn from 900+ expert articles, updated daily, on topics including startup, marketing, working smarter, living smarter, technology and finance.
- Share your thoughts and experiences by posting comments on articles and getting involved in our forum discussions.
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- Network through our Flying Solo LIVE! events and meetups where you can connect with like-minded independent business people.
Join us today for a Free Membership or find out more about Profile Membership.