There is nothing like the reality of running your own business. You have control of your own time, you answer to yourself and at the end of the day, you empty your own garbage bin. It’s not all glamour, I tell you.
The perfect example of this was when we moved into our brand spanking new offices last week and I had to find a chair to sit in.
I had been away on a very well timed vacation (so as to avoid the manual labour involved in the moving process) and arrived into the new space on day one to find my office with a desk but no chair. Next to the desk was a box, and in that box was a chair, or should I say bits and pieces of a chair with screws and an allen key and a diagram showing you how to assemble them. So I opened up the box, took everything out and proceeded to assemble.
An hour later and a few frustrating moments (with allen key being tossed across the room) a chair was born.
I sat down in my new executive office at my new desk, on my new chair and thought “this is what running your own business is all about. If you want a chair to sit on, you better put it together yourself.”
Facebook, it’s all the rage. Even I have a profile. I’m actually pretty popular with 56 friends. I’m also pretty addicted to the part where I can scroll around on people’s profiles and see who their friends are, (something that I am not proud of but willing to admit). I can only imagine that it is quite common practice among other “bookers”. This is just one of the many alarming bits about Facebook that I have not quite come to terms with yet. But before I do, let me be clear that I am not OVER Facebook yet; I simply have two main issues with it and here they are:
Firstly, as a booker, you have the choice of accepting someone as a friend or not. Think about this for a moment. When was the last time someone said to you, “Hey, will you be my friend?” To which you responded, “Wait, I’m not sure, I want to find out who your other friends are first.” On Facebook, this happens. It just screams of bad TV sitcoms and movies about high school where self importance is judged mainly on the number of friends you have and how cool those friends are. Thus my new nickname for Facebook - Virtual High.
Secondly, because our email generation is not used to sharing information with groups, we naturally use the private mail tool within Facebook. Simply put, this is a huge waste of time. Instead of logging in and getting sucked into the Facebook vortex for a simple message, just use regular email to stay in touch with the friends and family who you have actually seen and spoken to in the last ten years.
But alas, we have found some useful and practical applications for Facebook at SavvyMom like networking and forming groups. We have a SavvyMom Group and we are members of the SickKids Believe Group. I am very proud to be members of them and I hope that others will snoop around my profile to check them out.
Just don’t send me a private message, but if you ask me to be your friend, feel free to have a look around my friends’ page. I don’t mind at all.
Facebook is a useful tool for friends and social networking, potential employers, government agencies, and can’t forget those online predators either!
As convienient as it is, Facebook is like swimming in the open waters! THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK!!
Check your settings and options to manage who can see your profile, control how people can search for you and make comments, and learn how to block unwanted access.
DON’T POST ANYTHING YOU"LD SAY ONLY TO A CLOSE FRIEND.
Once it’s posted in cyberspace, it’s there FOREVER! (even if you try to delete or cancel!!)
It may be wise this holiday season, to hand over,not just your car keys, but also your beloved iphone or BBerry to your DD (designated driver!).
Stay safe in Cyberspace this Holiday Season!
Facebook can really suck a lot of time out of one’s life initially. At least, that was the case for me. But, now that the initial “Oh wow! Rachel got married?! Adam is teaching in Africa? Who knew? I thought he’d wind up a drug dealer!” wore off, I simply check in every day or two or three and love the convenience of being able to keep track of 120 people’s lives at a glance!
There’s no way I’d take the time to keep in touch with that many people through email or phone or (laugh) by letter. But since Facebook tells me when someone is having a baby, having a birthday, feeling down, etc. at a glance, whether I knew I wanted to know or not, it encourages me to stay in touch.
In this cold, anonymous virtual world we’ve come to know, I really appreciate the trend towards transparency and personal online identity.
It demands honesty and accountibility. The businesses who don’t get on board will eventually leave people wondering why not? What have they got to hide?
And where a one-line comment in one’s inbox from a friend would appear cold, such a quick message upon their Facebook wall brings a smile. It’s nice to know someone cared enough to read your latest status and comment.
If you can get enough friends to join Facebook, it really is a time saver. As long as you don’t get caught up in the hundred or so silly Facebook applications that really do nothing but entertain. ;-)
Comments
congratulations with your new office!!
So true. But it’s YOUR chair and YOU built it and there is something so gratifying about that. I was 8 months pregnant when I was building shelves in my basement and organizing my new home office. I was totally exhausted, but so excited knowing that I was at a point in my life where I had my OWN clients and I could choose my OWN shelves (not the crappy ones they give you in a cubicle). Only downside is…. now I have not only do the work, but also clean the office too!
Sara
www.yourmomma.ca