Own Your Name and put it to good use…

The “Own Your Name” Initiative was developed to get people online using their most defining feature…their names.  Often, people try desperately to come up with creative domain names.  This is great, especially if you hit just the right length, roll off the tongue feel, and overall likeability correctly.  However, using your own name has its place and a very important one at that.

For example, if you are in a large physicians’ group, you may be Southwest Florida Associates.  However, I guarantee that the majority of your patients will remember “your” name over the “groups” every day of the week.  This is why all physicians should own their name, www.johnsmith.com and/or www.johnsmithmd.com.  I prefer the later for professional purposes, and the former for personal musings.  Once you have your domain name, you do not need to put a website or blog up immediately.  You can simply forward it to your existing site.  Now you have secured your name, and nobody else can buy it.

You may be thinking, no big deal.   Well, it can be a much bigger deal than you think.  Anyone can buy any domain name.  They need not do anything with it, and it is considered real property.  However, let’s just say that the latest porn star now shares your name…I think you are getting the idea.

Protecting your name, your identity, and ultimately your brand are your responsibilities and rights!

If you want to know more, please visit the Own Your Name Initiative website.

If you would like to secure your name, please contact us or visit www.getonlinedomain.com.

In the past, I have used Legal Zoom for setting up my companies.  Recently, I retained a personal lawyer to set up my last company.  Unfortunately, the cost was four times as much as Legal Zoom, and there were no advantages. 

Furthermore, Legal Zoom provides many perks, like a leather bound binder containing the Articles of Organization, Operating Agreement, and Certificates.  Also, they provided a CD with many useful legal documents for the company.

Legal Zoom services:  Business Formation, Incorporation, LLC, DBA (Doing Business As), Intellectual Property, Trademark, Copyright, Patent, Estate Planning/Wills, Living Will, Living Trust, Power of Attorney, Name Change, Divorce, and Small Claims.

While you may not want to use Legal Zoom for all your legal inquiries, it is worth checking them out if you need straight forward legal services.  You can visit their website by clicking here or on any of the links above.

As always, comments and questions are welcome!

Now, back to business.  Has anyone tried the new Kindle 2?!  It is a must have!!!  What an amazing innovation!  The Kindle 2 is the latest generation of Amazon’s new wireless reading device.  Weighing in at 10.2 ounces, it is lighter than most paperbacks.  It is also about 1/3 thinner than a typical magazine.  Most importantly it is very easy on the eyes using the latest electronic-ink technology, so it reads just like printed paper with no glare or backlight. 

So what can the new Kindle 2 do?  Well, with 2 G of internal storage, it can store over 1,500 books!  With its 25% longer battery life, the user can read for days without recharging, and when ready to recharge, no problem.  It can charge via an AC adapter or a USB port on a computer. 

The Kindle 2 has 2 G of internal storage, a longer battery life allowing you to read for days, and a 3 G network that can have books, magazines, newspapers, and blogs delivered to you within seconds! No monthly service plans or Wi-fi!

In addition, what a selection!  There are now over 270,000 books and many U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs that can be downloaded via a 3G wireless network that lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere!  There are no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots!!!  Better yet, the prices are way below shelf price, with a New York bestseller selling for $9.99.

Our Get Online Solutions Blog will be coming to Kindle soon!

Okay, here is the best part!  For all you bloggers out there…not only can you have your favorite blogs delivered to your Kindle, but you can have people subscribe to your blog on Kindle.  All that is required is a simple application process and approval; unfortunately, no advertisements are allowed. 

Let us know what you think!

Kindle 2: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

Our selections have been made.  We will be announcing the recipients of the initiative once the physicians have been contacted, and they accept our complimentary website design.

In the interim, we appreciate your patience and are always accepting suggestions for those who might be in need of our services.

Thank you!

Monday, March 30th is National Doctor’s Day!

A Resolution Commemorating Doctors’ Day was adopted by the United States House of Representatives on March 30, 1958.  Legislation was introduced into the House and Senate in 1990, and on October 30, 1990, President George Bush signed S.J. RES. #366 designating March 30th as “National Doctors’ Day.”

At Get Online Solutions, we would like to say “Thank You!”  to physicians in our great country who serve their communities tirelessly.  In an effort to show our appreciation and advance our initiative to “Get Physicians Online”, we will be giving away 5 free website designs to physicians who currently do not have a website and 5 free website makeovers to physicians who desperately wish to update their outdated websites.

Free website design giveaway to say “Thank You”!

We are asking for your help!!!  Send us your nominations and help show your appreciation as well!  Please contact us, email us at info@getonlinesolutions.com, or leave your comments below.  Please feel free to simply acknowledge a wonderful physician.

Thank you!

An online presence should allow for interactivity.  The key components of interactivity are availability and reliability.

Choices for IT hardware can be overwhelming.  However, do not fret…there are only two names to remember, DELL and BlackBerry – the only names for serious business solutions.  While Apple is a serious competitor, and maybe even better in the graphics and arts industries, DELL and BlackBerry are the only name in town for the business world!

Keep in mind, the stimulus package (yes, I know…) will allow businesses to deduct up to $250,000 for purchases like computers through December 31, 2009.  Now is the time to consult with your accountant to see if you can take advantage of this perk.  View the Forbes article here.

Starting with your computer hardware…what kind of a computer do you need?  How much memory?  RAM?  What kind of driver?  Processor?  Graphics card?  The list is endless.  If you are now asking yourself, what?!  The wrong answer is to go to your local Best Buy and pick up the recommendation of the Geek Squad.  Deciding which components you need is the foundation for getting started.  We all know about foundations!  Build on a solid one!!!  Hence, DELL has everything you need.  When I say “everything”, I am talking about hardware, operating software, and most importantly, support.  No need to guess.  Go to www.dell.com and browse around.  Once you have familiarized yourself with the products, call 1-800-WWW-DELL.  The representative will walk you through your order and will recommend only what you need. 

Keep in mind, what you need today will likely not be what you need two to three years from now.  Leave room for future upgrades.

Do not forget the support package.  Dell Pro Support is without a doubt the best purchase I have made in the last year.  Do you look at your computer and wish it would process faster?  Ever receive errors that do not allow you to use your software properly and continuously?  Do you find that you are always turning off your computer in hopes that it will reset itself and finally work like a dream?  The waiting and wondering is now over!  Within two minutes, literally, of calling Dell Pro Support, a competent computer support specialists, who truly knows computers and how to fix technical problems, will answer your call.  He or she will be physically located in Nashville, Idaho, or Oklahoma.  The support specialist will not be reading an algorithm!  What a novel thought?!  Instead, the specialist will listen to the problem and will fix it!  That’s it – no additional fees, no transferring of calls from one department to another, and no escalation to someone who is qualified to read Book #2 of the algorithm!  What a novel thought.

Dell Pro Support is truly worth its weight in gold!

Now for BlackBerry…Being able to have access to email instantaneously allows for efficiency throughout the day.  No longer do you need to wait until you are seated at your computer to review your emails and finally respond.  Now, you simply respond instantaneously.  Even if you do not respond, at least you will know what awaits you in your Inbox.  There will be no more surprises!  Furthermore, BlackBerry has its own Instant Messenger.  This allows instant text messaging to others using a BlackBerry and allows for group conversations.  There are many additional services and applications at your fingertips.  Are you on Twitter?  Get the TwitterBerry application and post to Twitter directly from your Blackberry.  Are you subscribing to RSS feeds?  Have them delivered directly to your handheld!  This is just the beginning…take a look at all the available applications here!

A surgeon cannot make an incision without a scalpel.  A dull scalpel does not “cut it”. 

Your information technology “tools” are the keys to your online success.  Accessibility and reliability are as good as gold!

Comments or suggestions?  Let us know!

(Disclaimer:  Get Online Solutions, LLC has no affiliation with DELL or BlackBerry.  The above comments are entirely unsolicited.)

How can physicians embrace information technology and add value to their services by implementing many of the “mainstream” applications into their practices and daily activities? Dr. Shelley Binkley has found an answer to this question. Dr. Binkley is an OB/Gyn physician in Colorado who is “trying to improve health awareness through blogging and social media.” Incidentally, I found her on Twitter. Her blog/website can be found at www.HealthEWoman.org.

What has Dr. Binkley achieved via social media? She has chosen an Internet medium that combines both a website and a blog to globally reach women and simply “help” them. She certainly hooked me! On her blog, she does several things.

• Provides free, factual, unbiased medical information that is of interest to women and encourages them to respond with their stories. The page layouts are bright, inviting, and very easy to navigate. Kudos to DIY Themes.

“HealthEWoman is my effort to gather in one web site the collective wisdom in our stories, fuse it with established and cutting-edge medical knowledge, to help us all make better, more informed health-care decisions.” Dr. Binkley explains this in the “How To Use This Site” section.

• Provides her credentials and contact information, securing credibility with readers, while clearly defining her purpose and mission as a physician.

“My ultimate goal is to do the greatest good for the most women world-wide. Whether you’re a client of mine, or someone living on the other side of the globe seeking information about your health, I want to help you.”

• Welcomes patients to her practice, Alpine Women’s Care, where she eloquently reassures patients that they will receive “personal care in a private setting.” A relationship and comfort level is established before the patient ever arrives at the office.

After acknowledging a patient’s time is valuable, she proceeds to say, “Our waiting room is quiet and inviting. Because we structure our patient flow to be efficient, you won’t be waiting long, and during your brief check-in time, you’ll enjoy comfortable seating, soft music, and good reading.”

• Displays her competence and expertise by describing and offering two books that she has authored, Get A Grip On Your Hormones! and DIY Baby: Your Essential Pregnancy Handbook.

Dr. Binkley should be commended for her expertise and compassion as a physician, but also as a pioneer in the medical profession for using information technology to reach women around the globe and simply “help” them.

Until next time, follow me on Twitter!

Here is the scoop…twitter is an online social network that allows people to communicate with others the answer to one simple question, “What are you doing?” I love it! What a great way to let people know the latest without interrupting their day with phone calls, emails, text messages, or instant messages. However, twitter can be linked to your phone’s text messaging system so the “tweets” will be delivered instantaneously if you so choose.

At first glance, this may seem somewhat childish. However, among the twitter-ers are, as I said, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Dr. Kristi Funk, a fellow breast surgeon. We all know Dr. Gupta, and his twitter page can be found here. Dr. Funk is a breast surgeon at the Pink Lotus Breast Center. The organization has a twitter page that announces updates, such as Dr. Funk’s hosting of a special Lifechangers segment on Extra TV, among others. Interestingly, Dr. Funk also has a Facebook page for a breast cancer group that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. I will save Facebook for another day.

Twitter is a great way to connect with friends, family, colleagues, and even potential business leads. Furthermore, it is absolutely free! To start twitter-ing, go to www.twitter.com and sign up. Once you have signed up, let us know; we would love to follow your progress! Oh, and if you would like to follow us, go to our twitter page here or on twitter and click follow!

Until next time, stay happy and healthy! God bless!

In the field of medicine, technology has advanced our ability to care for patients in leaps and bonds over the last century. However, physicians are not catching on to the information technology era. How many physicians out there participate in blog communities and sign up with RSS feeds? Let us take a step back. How many physicians have a phone where they can receive emails, a BlackBerry for example, and actually know how to use it? How many physicians have a website? Of those that have a website, how many are static – meaning, they do not change the information and have no interactive components like blogs, message boards, newsletters, etc.?

As physicians, we have a tremendous responsibility to our patients and communities. It is our duty to not only provide medical care, but to educate. Technology gives us so many avenues to reach out to our communities and across the world. Eventually, our younger generations will push the envelope of information technology. We should not wait for them. On the contrary, we must pave the road and lead our children into an era where they will find their comfort zone and achieve greater heights than we can ever imagine.

Until next time, I challenge you all to surprise your children by sending them an Instant Message when it is bedtime (yes, figuring out what an “Instant Message” is will be part of the challenge), and then go in and give them a warm hug and kiss – something technology will never be able to replace!