Hi there,

Are you an AppSumo fan? If you are, you know that it's very tempting to take advantage of those "one lifetime payment" deals for software tools. (If you don't know what AppSumo is, take a look here (that's my affiliate link).

The thing is that AppSumo can really feed your Bright Shiny Object habit. I'm here to tell you that 3/4 of what you see you probably don't need at all.

Here's what to expect when you buy:

• Many of the "$59 for life" programs are early launch or light versions of the software. You might have to "stack" several of their "deals" to really get the use of the program you bought.
• You can also expect frequent updates to these software programs, which are launched really just as they come out of Beta often times. The tutorials might be thin, rushed, or missing. If you aren't somewhat software savvy take this into consideration.

Now, there's also the issue of learning curve. Some of these are fairly easy or very similar to what you might already be using. But all of them take some time to get to know. And that's where the rub comes in. I personally know (and have done this myself) dozens of business owners who think, "This sounds good, I might use it sometime." They download it and never open it. Never learn to use it. Forget about it. I'm raising my hand, I'm all kinds of guilty.

So here's the deal. Ask yourself:

• How is this going to help my bottom line in the next 90 days?
• When am I putting this on my calendar to learn to use, enough at least to hand it off to a team member and understand the strategy behind using it.

Having said that, here are a few current AppSumo deals that I either personally use or think they are worth it.

• SendFox if you need a simple, no-nonsense email system that allows you separate lists and gives you a simple, easy to use email system. (This email is written using SendFox.) Also, if your list is less than 5,000 or so and you don't need fifty different kinds of segments and tags.
• Scribe for customized email signature lines. I don't use it personally but I hear many compliments about it (the AppSumo deal might be over by the time you get this, though, click through and look for it).
• Missinglettr Curate for getting more shares of your content on social media, and for sharing other people's curated content that your followers will find useful. (I do use this one myself.)

To find these particular deals use this link and scroll to find the specific one.

If you buy one be sure to make time in your calendar right now for installing it and learning the basics of how to use it. Brainstorm at least 3 ways you can use it to bring more sales in the door for your business, too. That's smart CEO thinking!

One last thing - Remember Bobbi Brown of makeup artist fame? I've recently taken a course from her and learned a lot about how she creates her new businesses over time. Check out her story on my blog right here.

Have a great week! By the way, if you have a "word" for the New Year would you hit reply and share it with me, please? Appreciate it! (Mine is "different.")