Have a great idea for a promotional product or giveaway you’d like to share? Leave a comment below.

I first read about TimeBridge on VentureBeat, an online news blog, last week. It’s a two and a half year old startup that just launched their flagship scheduling product on December 11, 2007.

Here’s how it works: The program, which is a small download for Microsoft Outlook users or a web app for Google adherents, syncs with the user’s calendar to show which time slots are open. The user, who we’ll assume is initiating the meeting, can then highlight blocks of time that would be acceptable for a meeting.

Invitations are then sent off to the other participants, who can see all the times the organizer has available and choose their own set of open time slots. Through a process of elimination, the times that other participants can’t make it to a meeting are ruled out, and a confirmation for the best time is sent out to everyone.

I gave it a try for myself and have to say it is quite handy. I really like the tool and others who tested the web application (they didn’t want to download the software quite yet) had good luck with it. In the end, we all received a final confirmation for our meeting. I will definitely continue to use this software, especially for meetings with those outside the company. I end up sending a whole list of times and I’m looking forward to cutting down on the email!

With LinkedIn Answers you can ask a question and get answers from your connections and people in your network. For example, if you’re looking for a event management company to help you plan your next offsite, ask for a recommendation under Administration > Event Services. It’s a great way to get referrals and an “outside” perspective to a question. I say “outside” because the it’s sent to those within your network of associates, but open for all LinkedIn users to answer. An answer from a friend-of-a-friend is more useful than a random website you found online.

Yahoo! Answers covers a wider array of topics than just professional services. Here you can find pet tips and do-it-yourself instructions in addition to business related information.

Ask a question, answer a question and you just might just find what you are looking for. If you have a question that you’d like to see answered on Admins @ Work, please send it me at erin@adminsatwork.com.

What is a Notary Public? A Notary Public is a state appointed official who administers oaths and serves as an impartial witness when important documents are signed.

The process for becoming a Notary Public varies by state and/or jurisdiction, but typically includes the following steps:

• Application. Applicants provide name, address and other contact information, and answer questions as to age, residency, previous Notary commissions held and background during the screening process.
• Fee. An application or commissioning fee is due to the commissioning authority.
• Oath. Applicants then take an oath of office. The oath may be incorporated into the application or filed with a county clerk or other local official after the commission is issued and within a specified period of time.

Additional steps may be required, such as taking an educational course, passing an examination or obtaining a Notary bond. For the specific requirements to obtain a Notary commission in your state, you can visit the National Notary Association.

Talk to your manager to determine if there is a need for Notary services in your organization. Many companies will pay for the training, supplies, insurance and any other fees associated with your commission. In addition, it is an excellent highlight on your resume.

If you are interested in becoming a Notary Public, the best resource for information is the National Notary Association where you will always find the most up-to-date list of requirements.

This post was brought to you by our first Guest Blogger, Maurene.

• Create flexible and powerful online registration forms
• Generate event websites to promote your event
• Accept online payments including credit cards and PayPal
• Run unlimited customizable reports
• Print custom name badges
• Create post-event surveys

Click here to see more sample registrations. I know they look complex and time-consuming to create, but I promise you it is quite simple. If you don’t believe me, they offer a free unlimited trial will full access to the product. You won’t be charged until you decide to go live with your event and start registrations. At that point you can choose your pricing option – either $4.75 per registrant for small events, or $3.50 per registrant plus $150 setup for large events. There are no monthly or annual fees.For your next event give RegOnline a test drive and see how your attendees will be impressed with how professional and organized your event has become. When planning, don’t forget to add in items like meal preferences, dietary restrictions, shirt sizes, product sales, conference CD’s, and surveys straight into the registration process.

The Google home page, or iGoogle, is a dashboard of widgets that you can drag and drop to make a page as creative as you are. The widgets, a graphical user interface that allows 3rd party content to be placed on a web page, are created by both individuals and companies. There are basics such as clock, weather, maps, and multiple news sites. A few of my other favorites are:

• Google Reader – allows me to quickly view the top posts from my RSS reader (read my post on creating an RSS Reader)
• To Do List – keeping personal items on your work computer is difficult and dangerous, since anything you put on your computer is property of the company – keep your to do list right on your home page so you can access it quickly and easily at work or home
• Google Calendar – lets me sync multiple calendars to view on one page, including iCal, Outlook, and Yahoo! Calendar – as with the To Do List, you don’t want to keep personal items on your work computer so sync to Google calendar and you can keep your work and home calendars together
• WikiTravel – links to breaking travel news and destination highlights from their website
• Flight Stats – widget that allows me to quickly check the flight status of any flight by route, flight number, or airport
• Fandango – movie show times at my local theater
• Local Gas Prices – shows the cheapest gas prices by zip code
• Wikipedia – I never have to go to the site directly, I just search straight from my home page

To get started go to www.google.com/ig. You must add the widgets straight from iGoogle, since there are no links from the individual websites linked above. If you already have a Gmail account then log in using that, otherwise, click the link to “Get Started” and follow the instruction. There are thousands of widgets and you can arrange them in any way to like to make browsing and searching more efficient and fun. And, change your theme to suit your mood. Right now, I’m using Hong Kong to get pumped about my upcoming trip next March!

Okay, well not that bad. But, a co-worker of mine just had carpal tunnel surgery on her wrists and it scares to me think what I’ll end up with after 30 more years of rigid typing and strained eyesight. I would have to say on average I spend about 10-12 hours per day at the computer and I’m sure you aren’t much different.

Here are some tips to stay healthy in the office and prevent those aches and pains caused by computer over use.

1. Take a 2 minute stretch break every 45 minutes to 1 hour. Open a new tab in your browser and use this online alarm clock to remember. Start by looking away from your computer, preferably into natural light if you are under fluorescents, for the duration of the break to help you adjust your eyes. Then roll your wrists 5 times clockwise, then counterclockwise. Do the same 3 times with your neck. Roll your shoulders backwards 5 times and then forward 5 times. Repeat set twice.
2. Avoid working on one task, especially repetitive tasks such as filing and typing, for more than an hour. Either change up your work or take a 10 minute stretch break in between. This time be sure to get up from your desk and walk around.
3. Exercise regularly. It’s as simple as taking a 30-minute walk during your lunch hour. Get the blood flowing and stay active. Yoga and Pilates classes are also known to be excellent for improving strength, flexibility, and posture.
4. Drink plenty of fluids and take restroom breaks when needed. Seems pretty obvious, but I can’t tell you how many laughs co-workers and I have had over not taking restroom breaks because we didn’t want to interrupt our work (or go upstairs to use the restroom)!
5. Make sure you arrange your computer, keyboard, mouse, and telephone according to the diagram below. It should take no more than 15 minutes to properly arrange your desk tomorrow, so make it your first priority. If you don’t have the right equipment, then make sure to ask your boss about ordering it for you. Believe me, they would much rather pay a couple hundred dollars for an ergonomic workstation today than disability payments for a year.

Last year, my husband and I decided to give it a go and lined up outside the local Best Buy at 5:00 am as the doors were opening. The line had already reached 300 and it took us nearly 2 hours just to get inside! By then, many of the doorbuster deals were gone. It was definitely a fun experience, but this year we’ve decided to bypass the crowds and shop online.

However you decide to shop this year, be sure to check out BlackFriday.info for the latest ads on all your favorite stores – online and off. Stay tuned to Admins @ Work for future posts on holiday gift ideas for your boss, co-workers, and vendors.

The three leading online meeting tools are WebEx, GoToMeeting, and Microsoft Live Meeting. A few things to think about when selecting your web conferencing solution are: (1) average number of attendees per meeting, (2) average number of monthly meetings, and (3) what features are essential to your business. There are a number of free and discounted tools available, so please leave a comment on this post if you have a recommendation for another solution not listed.

Here is a brief overview:

• WebEx – offers 14 day free trial, allow others to share screen for multiple presenters, record and playback online meetings, pay per use $0.33 per minute, special offer for 5 or more named users at $75 per month, per host, plus $0.05 per minute, per user toll call-in and $0.20 per minute, per user toll-free call-in US/Canada
• GoToMeeting – offers 30 day free trial, monthly rate of $49 and includes unlimited conferences with a maximum of 15 participants per conference, no licensing for attendees, includes toll-based phone number for each meeting at no cost
• Microsoft Live Meeting – offers 60 day free trial, provides meeting reports and interactive white board, minimum of 5 users required with a monthly fee of $4.58 per user per month who can each schedule and manage meetings up to 15 users, plus additional $0.25 per minute (monthly use-it-or-lose-it commitment required)

One final note, be sure to check out The World Clock Meeting Planner to find a convenient time to meet when participants are in multiple time zones.

Microsoft offers free online webinars that are pre-recorded for viewing at any time. The hitch, you have to have a Windows Live ID, but again, this is free. And, if you currently use MSN Messenger, then you probably already have an account. They’ve created a site geared specifically toward Administrative Professionals – click here to check out their site. The other hitch, this is best viewed on a PC in Internet Explorer with Windows Media Player because it uses their proprietary meeting software LiveMeeting.

Both webcasts and podcasts are available for Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Visio, and Word. Despite the drawbacks listed above, this is a great tool to learn the tips and tricks of MS Office. All of the webinars are available for download so you could even forward copies to your Webmaster to post on your company’s intranet.