How often do you say to yourself, as you’re sitting at your computer, “there must be a way to do this” or “there must be a way to do this faster”? Probably a few times a month at least.
But, you probably don’t have a reliable tech person instantly accessible. (Or you do, and they’re too expensive.) So both you and your staff tolerate the knowledge/skill gaps that slow down work flow. Think about the cumulative impact of these gaps on your bottom line over the course of a year. Lower billing, more stress — you get the idea.
So here’s one frequently overlooked solution: YouTube. YouTube is a fantastic resource for how-to videos on a huge range of software and hardware issues. It’s almost like having your own in-house law firm consultant for tech training.
- Want to have your computer start up on a timer to avoid boot-up delay when you get into the office?
- Want to learn how to use track changes more effectively?
- How to mail merge your contact list to easily send that firm announcement you’ve been delaying?
- Want to add an alternate signature to certain emails?
Whatever you’re looking to learn, YouTube can often provide the information or solution you need. Of course, there’s always the time management question of whether you should be spending the time finding the solution or whether you should delegate it to an assistant who can then show it to you. And speaking of your staff, let them in on the YouTube-as-resource idea. It’ll save them time and make them more productive too.
Two tips to find the most helpful videos (since you’re likely to get dozens of hits per search):
- Choose videos with a higher number of views
- Look for videos produced by a company (such as MHelp2U) as opposed to an individual
Like Wikipedia, YouTube is part of the truly profound revolution in knowledge and information referred to as “crowd sourcing.” The sooner you get comfortable tapping its value, the better.
