New Interactive Elmo Doll

February 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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Am I the only mom in this country that has just never caught on to the Elmo Doll craze?

Don’t get me wrong, we love Elmo just as much as the next toy crazy house, but we don’t go crazy trying to collect all the variations of cute, red monster.

They just recently “unveiled” the latest Elmo Doll at the New York Toy Fair. He sings, dances and tells jokes. Hmmm… is it just me or does that leave little “play” left for imagination??

Want to see this Multi Talented Monster in action? Check out this video.

I get the mailings for the Toy Fair since I’m in the industry- however, my own juvenile product really isn’t a “fit” for the show, but I do enjoy reading about it and seeing the trends.

I’m an old fashioned mom, the one that prefers to sit with my kids and play board games, I SPY books, and of course (not bragging..but) I am the queen of the Legos.

For this reason, I may not be the best at being neutral when it comes to evaluating toys that need $5.00 of batteries and makes more noise then this already loud house.

And I’m also the mom that as other moms at playgroups “are shocked and appalled” at the idea of lead in toys and the fact they are made with such cheap materials, I roll my eyes and keep my mouth shut. What do these moms think? This is a business for these ultra large companies who are more worried about keeping their own costs down and keeping production as cheap as possible no matter what.

But besides that point, I honestly have to say, the more toys I have in my house- and with four kids, we have a good mix of everything, the toys with the most bells and whistles are the LEAST played with!

We have a cartwheel Tiger that my son got for Christmas 2 years ago and I think they have picked up three times. However, Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, Imaginex, Little People - WE LOVE LITTLE PEOPLE (yes, some sets have batteries for the sounds), games- both board and card, Play Dough, Legos, the little plastic army men, all these toys are played daily and they have a great time letting their minds wander and create new play with the toys.

How I got from my dislike of the Elmo craze to here…… hmmm…. anyother rant from the Goddess of Chaos…. must be induced by the need to go clean the playroom!

For more info on the Toy Fair and the latest Trends coming out check out this post in Newsweek online.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Toys

Follow Up to “Do You Squidoo”

February 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I’m obsessed by how many creative people there are on Squidoo. If you haven’t checked it out yet… WHY NOT? This is so easy, it’s free and it’s such a great community of people.

If you missed my earlier post on my own Squidoo Lens creation please check it out here

Here is a program that is super cheap, I mean under $10.00 and can help you get started with your own Squidoo Lens.

Then of course, as always, there are experts in the Squidoo Lens that help you actually make money from this FREE venue. I registered a few weeks ago with the Squidoo Queen, while the Squidoo Queen is around $20.00, I signed up and have been receiving the autoresponder messages and they really contain a great deal of useful information that you can apply off the bat. So I did buy the Squidoo Queen and found it well worth the price.

It’s worth a check out, even if it’s just the free emails, you will by no doubt get some hints of the trade!

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Make Money Online, Squidoo

Need Quick Cash??

February 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Got your attention didn’t I???

We all NEED some quick cash some time. Here is the deal- check this out- I’ll be honest, I’m trying out this system now so either take your own leap and give it a whirl or check back and see what my review is.

Like my Post? Maybe you would like to Buy Mama A Java! It will help to keep me reading, writing and scooping out the info

Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Make Money Online

Making Money Online- Traffic and Content

February 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment

By Nelson Bates, Author Best Website: Simple Steps to Successful Websites

The most important aspect of making money online is also the hardest thing to do. This is creating significant and consistent traffic to your website. To illustrate why traffic is the most important aspect, consider this: when I was running my website appraisal business, we received submissions from some of the most poorly designed websites that were earning $10,000 to $20,000+ per month in profit. The key was that they had a tremendous flow of traffic.

I never saw a single example of a great looking website, with no or low traffic, making lots of money. I did, however, see plenty of bad and mediocre websites making incredible money, simply because they had excellent traffic.

The second main point to making money online is designing a great website. This is split into two parts. The first is the modifications you do to your website to optimize it for the Search Engines. The second is everything else that makes up your website, like graphics, layout, navigation structure, and the sales process.
In the design of your website, you want to create immediate credibility in the eyes of the potential customers and effectively lead them through your website to make a purchase (i.e., the sales process), thus, maximizing the number of buyers you get in relation to the number of visitors you receive.

Also, the people who make the most money online, at the very least, know how either to manage their own website (e.g., being able to update content, add links and graphics), or to build the entire website themselves from scratch using one of the professional design tools like Adobe DreamWeaver or Microsoft Expression Web. There are certainly exceptions to this rule but, in general, this is true.

The reason is because knowing how to manage and/or build your own website allows all your ideas to come to life without having to pay a web designer (who usually can’t ever quite deliver what you intended anyway!).

APlease visit BestWebsite.com for step-by-step instructions to building profitable websites.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Tips & Advice, Work at Home MOM

The Best Website Essential Checklist

February 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

The nine most important things you can do to make your website a profitable success:

1.) Create a Remarkable Website … It is far less expensive to build a remarkable website than it is to advertise an average one. Come up with a remarkable aspect for your product, service, business etc., then incorporate it into your website. Give people a reason to talk about your website and they will do your promotion for you!! (20-40hrs, $500 varies widely)

2.) Proper Keyword Research … Use WordTracker(FreeKeywords.WordTracker.com) and Google Suggest(google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en) to select the proper keywords and begin search engine optimization on your website. (10-15hrs, $59)

3.) Setup a Free Squidoo.com Page … This is an excellent way to boost your search engine rankings by creating links from your Squidoo page back to your website. It is also an excellent way to generate valuable traffic from the Squidoo community. (2-5hrs, FREE)

4.) Create Articles that Provide Useful Information … Start by creating three or four articles that provide useful information related to your product or service, then post them on your website and target the keywords you selected earlier. (5-10hrs, FREE)

5.) Digg, Del.icio.us and StumbleUpon your Articles … Use these free services to let the world know about your articles. These services also provide a dramatic boost in your search rankings. (2-4hrs, FREE)

6.) Purchase a Yahoo Directory Listing … This is a great way to get a link from the #1 website in the world to your website. A Yahoo employee reviews your website, categorizes it and then places a link to you. Both Yahoo and Google check if you have this link and boost your search engine rankings. (1hr, $299/yr)

7.) Press Release with PRWeb.com and Majon.com … This is a fantastic way to be able to choose keywords in your press release that are posted on their top ranked websites that link back to yours. Not only do they significantly enhance your search engine rankings, they also announce your business and products to the media. (3-5hrs, $308)

8.) Laser Targeted Purchased Advertising … Find top websites in your industry and purchase advertising from them. This may be one of the best methods of gaining substantial traffic. Not only do you get traffic from the websites you advertise on, but you can also drastically increase your search engine rankings because important websites in your industry are linking to you. (20hrs research, $100 and up)

9.) Google Analytics and Yahoo Search Submit … The more the search engines know about you, the better. Don’t make them guess. By installing Google Analytics on your web pages and submitting your website to Yahoo Search Submit, you let them gain valuable knowledge about your website and, in turn, they will rank you better! (5-10hrs, Google FREE, Yahoo $59/yr)

Approximate total time and money spent low end — 68 hours, $1,325
Approximate total time and money spent high end — 110 hours, $3,525+

*Check BestWebsite.com/The-Essential-9.htm for updates and to follow the above hyperlinks.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Chaos of Life

The Clinton Campaign Hits First Grade

February 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Setting the stage: I’m waiting for the ever unpredictable bus to come home with my first and second grade cherubs this afternoon. Rain, cold, my frustration with the bus now being 15 minutes later then normal since my house is so far off the road I need to wait on the street with the baby in the front carrier tucked under my husbands oversized coat.

Ahh the bus, little bodies bouncing their backpacks thru the aisle to the stairs of the bus.. distressed faces.. oh no.. I don’t like it when they get off the bus upset.. not a good way to start the afternoon… remain upbeat.. “Hi guys, how was the day?”… this is classic and I hope when this Presidential Campaign is over I will forever remember the distressed faces… READY?

“MOM, Your not going to believe this! There is this woman, Harry Clinton, and she wants to be President, but if she IS, then she’s going to make us all go to school for two more hours longer a day”

(no this isn’t a typo, he called her Harry and the hours longer is not proper english but he was sooo worked up and is only 6).

With this my second grader started in, it appears this version of the campaign trail hit the classroom from the teacher and I ended up with both kids in a full blown tizzy walking up the driveway begging me NOT to vote for “Harry” Clinton..

The funny thing is? We already went to vote and my husband and I made a point of bringing all four kids with us and showed them the process and explained the process and talked about how lucky we were to have the opportunity to vote for our President. But it appears all this was forgotten and shadowed by that one pure threat of school extending another two hours.

Like my Post? Maybe you would like to Buy Mama A Java! It will help to keep me reading, writing and scooping out the info

Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Chaos of Life

Make Money Online Blogging

February 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment

HOT HOT TOPIC right? You see it everywhere, how there really are people making a nice living working “in their underwear” while on typing away on the computer. But HOW? Why not you?

There are several different monetization strategies to make legitimate money online, one method is that of blogging. You may have heard of Blogging for Dollars or Six Figure Blogging- I’m sure the numbers of people that are making six figures blogging are far fewer then you are lead to believe.. .but then again, anything is possible.

For now, I found this great article on one of my favorite blogs about that provides excellent detail and resources that will pay you to make money blogging. Go Ahead check it out and see if you find something that will fit you!

Dosh Dosh Blogging Post

The post has excellent content with great screenshots and details of requirements for each website so you can browse the pros and cons easily and not have to make trip after trip to blind links.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Reviews, Tips & Advice, Work at Home MOM

Personalized Logo Gift

February 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Every business needs a unique gift for a client at one time or another. Putting a little effort into a creative gift can make the difference of a repeat customer or not.

A couple days ago I attended the open house at the Center for Women & Enterprise. I had a table displaying my wares and speaking to Mass State Representatives about the effects of women businesses in the state.

It was during this event that I spoke to a few women that were having wonderful things to say about these “italian cookies to die for” was more like the terminology. So I decided to check it out and offer support to another local women owned business.

The flavors are not your average cookies- mini whoopie pies, lemon filled, chocolate glazed, anise… ohhhh just take a look at the pictures and you know these are made with great care.

A dozen cookies will run you about $18.00 but come wrapped in a nice box with ribbon and personalized gift message. They even offer various cards for special occasions. Take a moment and check out The Italian Cookie for your next gift! I dare you to order one and not get one for yourself!

Like my Post? Maybe you would like to Buy Mama A Java! It will help to keep me reading, writing and scooping out the info

Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Reviews, Work at Home MOM

Moms Business Coach Launched~!

February 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I am excited to announce that my new venture- Moms Business Coach- has officially launched. This web site was created due to the increasing number of women I have that contact me for advice, insight or resource sharing about their own business venture.

I am fortunate that so many wonderful people provided me with mentoring and words of wisdom while starting my business and now it is time for me to return the favor to other women.

I find myself amazed at how much I have learned in my own business journey when I start talking to someone just getting ready to start. For that reason, if I can save another small business time and money from my experiences then it is all worth paying it forward.

Like my Post? Maybe you would like to Buy Mama A Java! It will help to keep me reading, writing and scooping out the info

Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Work at Home MOM

Create Passive Income with eBooks and Special Reports

February 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment

By Stephanie Chandler

Information products are a hot commodity in the online marketplace, transforming traditional entrepreneurs into infopreneurs. Ebooks and special reports are two of the most basic forms of info products. They are relatively easy to create and distribute and best of all, these products can generate passive income—money you make while you sleep.

An ebook is an electronic book that can be downloaded to a reader’s computer or hand-held device. Special reports are similar, but typically shorter in length. Some savvy internet marketers sell special reports ranging in size from two to twenty pages. Ebooks tend to be more comprehensive, with page counts from twenty to three hundred.

If you’ve been thinking about cashing in on this trend, then follow these simple steps to get started.

Establish Your Expertise

Everyone is an expert at something. Whether you are great at writing financial reports, organizing a home or training hamsters, you have something to offer the public. Sure there may be other people out there with similar qualifications, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room in the market for another expert. If you have a unique approach, you can compete with the best of them.

Building your expert status takes some effort. If you have special degrees in your field, a popular website, have published articles, been quoted by the media or given presentations on your topic, you are on the right track. If you don’t yet have these qualifications on your resume, start working on adding as many of these credibility-builders as possible.

Find Your Audience

You could write the most fascinating ebook on the planet, but your parents and friends will not be enough of an audience to make it worth your while. To be successful at selling ebooks and special reports, you must be able to reach a broad group of buyers. The best place to start is with a content-rich website.

For example, if you want to become an expert on dog training, your website should appeal to dog enthusiasts. To attract an audience, offer resources and articles that appeal to the dog-loving community. You can write your own articles or ask others to contribute content to your site. You can also locate articles available for reprint from sites like ezinearticles.com and ideamarketers.com. The key is to offer as much valuable information as possible. When your site visitors find value, they will be more interested in investing in the products you have for sale.

Communicating With Customers

One of the most effective ways to reach potential buyers is with an ezine. By sending a monthly or even weekly electronic newsletter, you accomplish several things at once: you get your name in front of your website visitors, you establish your credibility as someone who provides valuable information, and you can get your products in front of readers repeatedly. Studies show that the average consumer must be exposed to a product six to eight times before making a decision to buy. Your ezine can become a powerful tool for your information product business.

To capture subscribers to your ezine, provide a subscription link on every page of your website. You may want to offer a bonus, such as a complimentary special report or ebook, to entice visitors to sign up.

Create Your Products

Once your website is drawing traffic and your ezine is going out on a regular basis, you’re ready to create your first information product. First you must decide what topic to cover in your ebook or special report. Consider what information your site visitors want to know. Do you receive the same questions over and over? Answering those could be the basis of your first product. You could also survey your customer base to find out what interests them.

Once you know what your subject matter will be, then get to work on writing your first ebook or special report. It would be wise to have your content edited by either a friend or a professional so you can ensure you are delivering the best output possible. Don’t forget to include your website and contact information along with a copyright statement similar to the following:

Once your work is complete, you will want to convert it to a user-friendly format. Adobe PDF Creator software allows you to convert your document to PDF format which can be viewed on personal computers, Macintosh computers, and numerous handheld devices. You can also choose security settings to protect the contents of the document. If you don’t already own this software, you can visit www.adobe.com to convert up to five documents at no charge.

Automate the Sales Process

Once your finished product is ready to go, you will need to automate the sales process. You could add a link to your website and attempt to process payments and deliver your info products manually, but this will only leave you and your customers frustrated. One of the benefits of info products is the instant gratification. When a customer makes a purchase, he wants to access the product immediately instead of waiting for you to check your email and deliver the goods.

There are a variety of online merchant systems available and one such solution is offered by www.payloadz.com. This service manages the sales and delivery of electronic products. You can upload your file to Payloadz and create shopping cart buttons that can be placed on your website. When a customer makes a purchase, Payloadz will handle collecting the payment (which is processed via Paypal), and will send the buyer a link to download the product from their server. All you have to do is sit back and wait for the cash to hit your bank!

Market, Market, Market

Once your product is created and the sales and delivery process automated, your focus should be on marketing. Few businesses can be successful without marketing, and information products are no exception. Here are some ways to market online without breaking the bank:

*Publish articles in related industry publications and websites.

*Publish articles through content sites such as ezinearticles.com.

*Write a book. Being an author is an instant boost to your credibility and a book can open the doors to a variety of opportunities such as media appearances and speaking engagements.

*Form strategic alliances with website owners in your industry. Trade links to each other’s sites, swap ads in your ezines, or partner on a project or event.

*Be everywhere. Participate in teleconferences, internet radio interviews, blogs, and industry-related forums and chat rooms.

As your business grows, continue to evaluate what your customers want to know and develop products to meet those needs. Remember that it’s much easier to fill a need than to create one. And if you can do just two or three things each day to market your business, it shouldn’t be long before your website traffic and product sales exceed your wildest dreams.

About the Author:

Stephanie Chandler is a small business expert and the author of FROM ENTREPRENEUR TO INFOPRENEUR: MAKE MONEY WITH BOOKS, E-BOOKS AND INFORMATION PRODUCTS. She is the founder of www.BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of resources for entrepreneurs and www.ProPublishingServices.com, a custom writing business specializing in electronic newsletters, information marketing, and sales copy for websites and brochures.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Infoproducts