Del.icio.us is an excellent system for archiving your favorite information from across the Net, tracking hot topics, and discovering new and useful sites. The power of del.icio.us comes in the form of it’s “collective intelligence”, which is constantly adding, reviewing, and filtering new information.

The community of del.icio.us allows you to find some of the best resources on the Internet without having to trudge through all of the junk.

It also gives you a centralized management system for organizing information from around the Net. However, many people are unaware of it’s complete list of features and valuable add-ons.

Here are 10 ways that you can use del.icio.us to its full potential.

1. Del.icio.us Firefox Extension
Del.icio.us Firefox Extension should be the number-one del.icio.us tool on your list. It allows you to quickly and easily add sites you like to del.icio.us with a bookmarklet. This tool puts a “My del.icio.us” button at the top of your browser, allowing you to view your save pages at the click of a button.

It also adds a “Tag this” button to the top of your browser, which allows you to bookmark websites while you’re browsing the Web.

If you use Internet Explorer, download this Internet Explorer Extension.

This Firefox Extension has saved me tons of keyboard time.

2. Desktop Shortcut for Delicious

Having to visit the del.icio.us website each time you want to access your bookmarks can be a time-consuming process. Why not plug your bookmarks into your desktop for easy access. You can do this with Delwin for Windows and Delibar for the Mac.

3. Increase Your Search Powers.
There are a variety of ways to search del.icio.us.

To view bookmarks tagged with a specific keyword, type in:
http://del.icio.us/tag/keyword

To view bookmarks tagged with two or more keywords, type in:
http://del.icio.us/tag/keyword+keyword

So for example, if I wanted to look for sites about organization and GTD, I would type in:
http://del.icio.us/tag/organization+GTD

If I wanted to narrow the search even further, I could include four terms:
http://del.icio.us/tag/organization+GTD+office+tools

If you are looking for the most popular sites in any category, than simply type in:
http://del.icio.us/rss/popular/TAGNAME

So if you are trying to find the most popular sites related to GTD, you would type in:
http://del.icio.us/rss/popular/GTD

4. Bookmark from Google Reader
If you’re a fan of Google Reader, then you’ll definitely want to start using Google Reader + del.icio.us. This is a Greasemonkey script that puts an “add to del.icio.us” button at the bottom of each post in Google Reader. With a single click, you will be able to transfer interesting posts from Google Reader into your del.icio.us bookmark collection.

5. Bundle Your Tags
Does your tag cloud look like a huge, disorganized mess. Bundle those tags into related categories for easy access. To organize your tags into bundles, click on the “Settings” link in the top right-hand corner.

From this page, click on “bundle tags” under the tags heading and start creating your own bundles.

Of course, if you’re not into the whole bundling idea, then you can always just use the search box in the upper right hand corner of del.icio.us.

If you want to limit your search to specific tags, then use the prefix “tag:”. An example for all you productivity junkies might be “tag:gtd”.

6. Newsmasher

Here’s a cool Greasemonkey script called Newsmasher that places a small “del.icio.us” tag on the upper left corner of your browser. When clicked, a small window appears displaying what del.icio.us users are writing about the page you are viewing.

This is a great way to get some quick feedback on any website you’re visiting. Quickly find out if people are giving it a virtual “thumbs up” or “thumbs down”.

7. Use the Inbox

Navigate to http://del.icio.us/inbox. Here you can subscribe to various tags or specific users. This is an excellent way to discover new sites that you may enjoy. It almost reminds me a bit of StumbleUpon. Based on the preferences you submit, you will be given a flow of new items to check out.

8. A variety of del.icio.us Uses
You can use del.icio.us in a number of exciting and interesting ways. Here are a few examples to get you started:

• Bookmark movies you want to see

• Travel planning

• Bookmark books you want to read

• Bookmark things you want to blog about

• Research

9. Publish Your del.icio.us Bookmarks on Your Website.

In addition to all that, you can also share your latest del.icio.us bookmarks on your websites for all of your readers to enjoy. You can do this using Linkrolls and Tagrolls.

Linkrolls display your latest del.icio.us bookmarks while tagrolls display all of your del.icio.us tags in a tag cloud.

You can see these unique features in action at this blog . His bookmarks are on the left and his tags are on the right.

10. Creative Tagging
My final tip is based on a bit of creative tagging. For my most important tags, I place an “@” in front of them. This moves them up to the very top of my tag list. So, for example, for books that I want to read in the future, I have a tag labeled @books. This simple trick allows me to place my most important tags at the very top of the tag list.

If you know of any other del.icio.us tips, please add them in the comments.

Kim Roach is a productivity junkie who blogs regularly at The Optimized Life.  Read her articles on 50 EssentialGTD Resources, How to Have a 46 Hour Day, Do You Need a Braindump, What They Don’t Teach You in School, and Free Yourself From the Inbox.

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Technology has made starting a successful home business easier than ever. With a computer equipped with Internet access, an email program and an all-in-one fax-printer-copier, you can launch a home business and serve customers located just about anywhere in the world.When choosing a home-business opportunity, ask yourself:

1. Is there a legitimate need for this product or service? Will people buy it?
2. Do I have a genuine interest in this product or service? If you don’t, pick something you love to do, as it may be difficult to motivate yourself when the couch, the refrigerator and the TV set are just feet way.
3. Can I afford the startup costs involved in setting up my home office or buying equipment?

Action Steps The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Familiarize yourself with trade groups that offer home-business opportunities

Some home-business trade, advocacy or networking groups that offer startup tips and deals on services such as marketing and health insurance also list home-business opportunities.
I recommend: Check out the Home Office Association of America, the National Association for the Self-Employed and the Mother’s Home Business Network for tips on starting and running a home business as well as business opportunities. The National Small Business Association is a helpful business advocacy group.

 Be wary of Internet offers promising easy wealth

The Internet is rife with bogus home-business get-rich-quick offers. Three common scams: envelope stuffing, home-assembly and pyramid schemes. Avoid opportunities that ask for substantial up-front money before you can get started.
I recommend: Learn about common home-business Internet scams by accessing this SEC scam page. Also review Internet Fraud Watch and the Scam-Free Zone.

 Research a company before you agree to work for it

Do your due diligence on a company before beginning work. See whether complaints have been lodged against it. Also check to see whether it is a legal entity.
I recommend: Find out what questions to ask to determine whether an opportunity is legitimate at Work At Home Business. Research whether there are complaints lodged against the company at your local Better Business Bureau.

 Read, read, read

Learn about home-business offers and success stories by subscribing to a trade publication or reading a popular book on starting your business at home.
I recommend: Home Business Magazine dispenses advice and lists opportunities. Read the books Start Your Own Home Business in No Time and Work-at-Home Sourcebook, which includes details on more than 1,000 opportunities.

Invest in the right software

The difference between profit and loss can be small in a home business, especially at startup. Once you find the right home-business opportunity, keep track of your expenses and your orders with the proper software, from a mail-order management program to accounting software.
I recommend: Manage mail, Web and phone orders with Mail Order Manager. Handle home-business accounting with 2020 Software or Quicken. Find home-business solutions through NetSuite.

Tips & Tactics Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Designate a particular space in your home for your office — a separate room dedicated exclusively to your business. Not only will it help you be more diligent in your approach; it also makes it easier to meet tax laws governing the deduction of the value of that space.
• Set regular hours for each work day, and make sure you stick to that schedule.
• Be particularly careful in making financial outlays for your new venture. Put off as many business purchases as you can until your customers or clients start paying you.

Technorati Tags: find home business opportunities,  resources for finding the right home business for you, tips for finding the right home business,

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Before you get lost in the daydream of the incredible wealth that owning a home business may bring, you’ll want to sit down and ask yourself if you are ready to operate a home business. Are you willing to put forth the effort into your home business that you would if you worked away from home in an office setting?

Although you can set your own work schedule while working from home, you will still have to make yourself available to your customers when it is convenient for them. If you work from home as a hairdresser, accountant, or any other profession in which you provide products or services to customers, you will not be able to set your own hours. If, however, you do not deal directly with clients, then you may have greater flexibility in your work schedule.

You’ll want to ask yourself if you have the desire to operate a home business. Some people work better under pressure and will perform better in an office environment where they know that they have a set amount of time in order to get their work done. Some people work better if they have someone above them pushing them to get their work done. If you are this type of person, operating a home business could prove to be more difficult for you because you are the only one who controls the success of your business.

If you feel that you are good at prioritizing your work and keeping a good work life balance, then a home business is a desirable way to make a living. If you are willing to devote your efforts to growing your business, you are far more likely to reach your goals. People that are goal-oriented and have a high need for achievement will be the most successful at operating a home business.

Technorati Tags: home business, successful home business, operate a home business, dream of your own home business

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