What if you developers out there could get qualified, accurate feedback about the software code you write, anytime you need it? It’s possible through a new on demand code review service from Pull Request. It will enable you to add another layer to your quality checks to ensure that the code you’re about to make live is right and works as it should. You can hear about how the service works and the benefits it will add to your workflow - along with Ari and Nick’s thoughts about it and a handful of other new services, on this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource.
In high-competition niches, it’s important to stay abreast of everything your competition is doing. You want to know the changes they are making to their service as soon as possible so that you can pivot your offerings and stay competitive. It’s not a big deal to check out their website from time to time, but it’s also not the best use of your time. That’s why services like BlitApp exist, to automatically take screenshots of websites on a designated schedule. You’ll hear about how BlitApp works and why Ari likes it a bit more than similar services, on this episode.
Whenever you’ve been on a product or services website you’ve likely seen the chat bubbles at the bottom right of the screen that you can use to ask questions. It’s a convenient feature that allows for immediate engagement between service providers and prospects using automation. One of the more powerful of those chat services is called Intercom. On this episode, Ari and Nick discuss how they are using a new feature of Intercom called “Operator” to create a powerful “Q & A” training tool for the Leverage staff that helps new employees or those unfamiliar with a particular process get their questions answered automatically. This one is a great time saver.
You’ve seen laser engravers before, or at least the result of one. But they’ve never been as simple and accessible to the general public as this: Cubio. It’s a cube shaped, ultra-small device that enables you to engrave any design on almost any surface. It connects to a smartphone app and uses pictures you take with your smartphone camera as the template for the patterns you engrave. You’ve got to check this one out - it’s got all kinds of applications.
Most of us are familiar with time tracking apps. But now there’s a solution for teams and agencies that enables managers to easily keep track of their team’s time that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. In fact, it’s entirely free. With Clockify you can manage as many team members, projects, and workspaces as you need. It’s simple to use and very effective. You can learn more about this powerful service on this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource.
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Don’t you just HATE it when earbuds hurt your ears? Now there’s a better way. On this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource Ari tells about the new custom molded earbuds he received from Hello Ear. In short, he loves them. The company uses a picture of your ear to craft a set of earbuds for you that fit perfectly and feel good. Really, they feel good - no more pain when you listen to our podcast! Find out more about getting your own custom molded earbuds on this episode.
Ari and Nick have not had a regular use for traditional bank checks for years. But when they come across the need for one they’ve resorted to going to the bank to get a certified or cashier’s check. Now there’s a new option - Checkbook.io enables you to send checks from your own bank account via their online dashboard, and you can even set it up to send checks for you at regular intervals. Find out how to use it on the off chance you need a bank check by listening to this episode.
Datanannas is a service that enables you to get tweak suggestions for the prospecting and cold emails you write - B2C or B2B. It’s a great tool to provide feedback and make your emails more effective. It gives tips regarding the length of your email, the variables you use, the customization and personalization of your writing, and more. The company has added services to help you dial-in and maximize your marketing campaigns and prospect follow-up.
You may have seen the chat bubble we use on the Leverage website. It’s an integration from a company called Intercom and it enables us to connect directly with prospects who reach out to us through the app. But it has tons of other features we use internally that make our team communication more effective, including sending of private messages to filtered groups and teams within our company. You won’t believe all the stuff this thing can do, so listen to find out more.
Many couples struggle financially, not because they disagree on what should be done with their money but because they forget to communicate about things that are actually done There’s a new app called Honey Due that makes communication about finances effortless. You can hear how it could be used to keep couples “in the know” with each other on this episode of OAO.
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Ari is flying solo on this episode - Nick is once again out of the country, visiting one of the 17 time zones the Leverage team is spread across. But the resources Ari has to share are pretty interesting, nonetheless. He highlights a new service that is essentially an employment board that offers jobs for felons - the 70 million people who have been formerly incarcerated and find it difficult to get a job as a result. He’s also going to introduce you to a service that enables you to get compensated for delayed or canceled flights, and tells you how you can use another free service to track the places in your shared accounts where you might be vulnerable. It’s all on this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource.
It’s a normal thing for employers to be skeptical of hiring people with a criminal record. But many times, though the people in question have served their time and have truly reformed, their past haunts them still. A new service called 70 Million jobs is a job board for those formerly incarcerated and is an opportunity for companies to give offenders a second chance and the ability to change the course of their lives going forward. It’s a great idea and one Ari highlights on this episode.
Anyone who flies routinely has had the experience of a delayed or canceled flight. Airlines are quick to give you the very least they can in order to pacify you - when in reality what is fair is often much more. That’s where “Service” comes in - it’s a service that tracks your flights with an eye toward finding places the airline should have done right by you but didn’t. And they go to work on your behalf. Find out how you can use this service to get compensated for the inconveniences you’ve experienced as you’ve traveled.
With the advent of “social selling” it’s vital that you know as much about your leads as possible before you make contact. The more the person on the other end of the interaction is able to feel that you care about them in a personal way, the more likely it will be that you are able to build the rapport that will fuel a long-term relationship. That’s why Zapier has created its “lead score” integration, a way for you to find out details and history of your leads easily and automatically. It’s a great tool that Ari describes on this episode.
Almost every business online is sharing resources via Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, or some other group sharing service. But did you realize that there are built-in vulnerabilities that are easy to lose track of over time? Marshal is a fast, easy way for companies of any size to uncover sensitive data exposed and unprotected in their cloud. It sifts through your online sharing accounts and within minutes will alert you to exposed Social Security Numbers, credit card numbers, email addresses, and phone numbers — and it will tell you whether those files are being shared or have public links enabled. It’s a free service so everyone should check it out.
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You’ve heard it said that money can’t buy you happiness - and that’s right. But it appears that money can buy time, which in turn can contribute to greater amounts of happiness. On this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource, Ari discusses an article that reveals that those who spend as little as $40 a week buying back the time it takes to do various tasks (picking up dry cleaning, cleaning the house, etc.) are finding their happiness levels rising. Why is that? Ari discusses it on this episode.
One of the problems with fine art is that while the average person may enjoy it, they only get to do so in a museum or through inheriting it from a rich family member. The cost of purchasing fine art is far outside of most people’s budget. That’s where The Depict Frame comes in. It’s a digital frame that provides realistic looking fine art for the average person. A one-time purchase could fill your home with the finest of fine art. You should check it out on this episode.
A difficult aspect of building a digitally based business is keeping a growing team in the know when it comes to activity that’s taking place. It’s imperative that notifications work, and work effectively. There’s a new service called Hall Monitor that enables you to build custom reports of your varied online activities and send that report to Slack channels you designate so everyone on your team knows what’s going on. Brilliant. Find out more on this episode.
There are all kinds of gadgets out there that are trendy and fun. But every now and then one comes along that truly makes sense. Soundbrake is one of those. It’s a noise-cancelling gadget that does much more than block out everything outside your headphones. It actually detects the sounds around you according to your custom settings and pauses your music when something is going on around you that you need to know about. Find out how it works on this episode of OAO.
Every podcast out there is trying to reach its ideal target audience and once that audience is found, the value begins to flow. But does it ever flow back the other way? You have an opportunity to make it happen right now. If you’ll go to iTunes and leave a rating and review for OAO, then send us a message with a screenshot of your review, we’ll give you access to our Leverage Lab for one month, for free - just to say thanks.
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