Okay Google – Top Secret Hidden Resources for Entrepreneurs

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Being an iPhone-type, I don’t take advantage of many of the popular Google apps my fellow entrepreneurs use. Such as Google Docs (I use MS-Word), Google Sheets (I use MS-Excel) though I do use Google Drive and Google Maps.

This got me thinking, what top secret hidden resources does the all-knowing Google have that every entrepreneur should use – including those of us using iPhones, or other non-Android-based tech?

Here are my top secret hidden gems – that every entrepreneur should know about.

Google Trends

Whether you are brainstorming a new product, or starting a new business, if you want to see what is trending on Google (and the Internet for that matter), check out Google Trends. You can see what’s trending locally, nationally, and internationally, in various categories. 

Entrepreneurs searching for a new business idea, or if you want to check and see what is trending in your market or industry – this is the place to go.

Google Correlate

Once you’ve found what’s trending, you can use Google Correlate to get the metrics behind that trending data. You can correlate current trends to actual publicly available data, to see if there are any patterns. For example, you may find that the new product or service you want to launch typically trends in warm, dry summer weather – or that it is popular with balding men under twenty – and many other useful stats which any investor will be wowed by when you go looking for capital.

Google Public Data Explorer

Speaking of using Google to gather data, Google Public Data Explorer is an amazing resource of publicly accessible government and non-government data from around the world. Want to find out the current unemployment rates for your neighborhood? Not only will you get the latest figures, it breaks it down visually, with charts and graphs, so even your five-year-old could understand it. This is a phenomenal tool for any business owner trying to break into a new market, or someone creating a completely new business – and as with all the tools here it’s FREE.

Google Scholar

Once you’ve exhausted the public treasure chest of info, check out what academics from around the world are working on. Chances are, there is a university or college somewhere around the world doing deep thinking on your market, sector or business lines. Google Scholar is a great place for entrepreneurs to track down published academic papers on just about everything. 

You could use this resource to validate a business idea, or if you need a quote from someone with lots of letters after their name to entice customers that your cure for some horrible disease actually has some merit. 

Some of the academic journals restrict their free access to their students and staff, but allow you to pay for a subscription to their journal.

YouTube Trends Dashboard

Quick – what’s the number one search engine in the world? Okay – we all know it is Google, but the second most popular search engine is YouTube, which is also owned by Google. If you’re in the digital world, or want to see what is currently trending on YouTube, check out the YouTube Trends Dashboard. You can see what’s trending on the popular video search site locally, nationally, and internationally.

Google News

Stuck trying to figure out what the next big thing will be? Catch breaking news from around the world on Google News. Google News shows the trending news stories on Google – often these are the top trending items on Google. 

As with all of Google’s trending feeds, you can break this down by local, national and international news trends, or by specific categories, such as business, the environment, technology and politics.

Got a cool hidden Google, or otherwise unknown resource that you think every entrepreneur should know about? Please let me know in the comments below or by tweeting me @jordanhgreen.

How to Get Everything on Your To Do List Done

I'm a big time planner. I even schedule lunches and breaks, otherwise I get so busy with work, I simply forget to eat and rest.

Using my iPhone, I tried out Apple's Reminder's app that comes built-in to my mobile device. I didn't find it all that practical, or useful.

It wasn't very configurable, and it's kind of bland. Which is surprising coming from a company where design is usually so well thought out.

Then I stumbled upon Wunderlist -- an amazing -- repeat -- amazing -- task managing app, available for most mobile devices, and it has a web interface for using on a PC or a Mac.

With Wunderlist, I can create different lists, from everything for daily to-do's, to specific one-off tasks.

Wunderlist On the Desktop

And within each primary task, I can create sub-tasks, so those of you -- like me -- that feel a sense of accomplishment from checking off numerous items will get your reward.

The best thing about Wunderlist, aside from it being a FREE app, is it's simplicity.

Simply open the sliding panel if it isn't already expanded, to display your lists, and those the program creates for you by default -- called "Smart Lists." These Smart Lists automatically populate with the tasks you set by type, for example "Today" shows you all the items you've created that are due today.

You can create your own lists, add tasks to these lists, prioritize them, create due dates, even set reminder alarms via push, email or desktop notification.

My favorite feature is that Wunderlist syncs my lists across all my devices using the cloud, so it doesn't matter if I'm in front of my work or home PC, on the road with my iPhone, or anywhere for that matter -- I'll still get reminded of my to do's and be able to check them off as I complete them.

Wunderlist Mobile App

Wunderlist is clean and very easy to use -- the learning curve for me was less than the time it takes to order a pizza.

You can customize the background, the notifications and the names of the lists, as well, to make it fit your own personal preferences.

If you're like me, and get satisfaction from checking off items from a to do list, Wunderlist is worth a try.

Follow this link to get a FREE month of their Pro version: https://wunderli.st/1ZPL1j