Cool Graphic Design Work

June 9, 2008 | 1 Comment

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Typing Really Fast

I started this post once today, and was interrupted when the electricity went out, I lost my internet connection and lost my post. Tsk tsk on me for writing direct in my blog instead of in a text editor. I was so excited to share the cool new graphic that Domestic Diva, aka Heather made for my website.

New Photo Shoot

My sister in law has a new product photography studio where she specializes in jewelry product photography but has been reaching out into other industries. I packed up the kids and paid her a visit last week to have a few new photos shot of the Tubby Bundle while using my youngest as the model. I was very impressed with her studio set up, the amount of professional photography tools like cameras, stands, lighting and even a cool and VERY large light table. While not new to product photography, she is new to starting her own business and is ready to roll. If you’re looking to have some new shots done drop her a line and see what she can do for you. Need a baby model? I’ve got a blond haired beauty.

She took some great shots and I was so excited when she sent them to me only a couple hours later. Like a kid on Christmas morning I wanted to post them that instant, but they just needed a little extra something. First, I wanted them compressed into one image for end user load time and I wanted to add a little something special, but I wasn’t sure exactly what.

That’s where I made the decision to contact a Graphic Designer. I “met” the Domestic Diva, a fellow mom running a cool blog where else? Twitter!!! As much as I love learning how to do new things I’ve been a bit overwhelmed with other projects so I was more interested in getting the new pictures posted as soon as possible.

A couple Twitter DM’s later, I sent her the raw photos and gave her a jist of what I was looking for and she let her creative juices flow.

Heather offers several different packages of options from blog headers, to cool buttons and even Twitter packages for those that like to bring a little personal bling to their Tweets. And while she didn’t have anything posted like what I was looking for, I asked anyway and she was happy to accommodate, so if you don’t see something, ask!

I would appreciate your comments and let me know what you think of the new graphic, I have it posted on Tubby Bundle now as well.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Small Business Blogging

The Lessons a WAHM learned from the “Internet Marketing Gurus” Part One

April 29, 2008 | 1 Comment

It seemed simple, have a product, make a web page, throw a few banners up, and sit back to collect the money while the orders roll in. Well, okay, that is oversimplified but generally speaking when I started on my mompreneur journey a few years ago I thought that the production of a website was my biggest challenge.

Then the reality hits, you have your website just where you want it, you have the product stocked & ready, you put up your banners and….

wait…for that little web stat to blip and a customer to hit that “BUY NOW” button. Back to the books and forums you go. Read more

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Small Business Blogging, Work at Home MOM

Blog Ping List

April 12, 2008 | 3 Comments

In my post earlier regarding upgrading my Wordpress Blog I mentioned that I lost my ping list….well, I found it! For anyone else that wants an easy copy and past ping list select the links below, enter your Wordpress admin page and paste the list below in the appropriate ping box.

I just ask that you use this list the smart way, like mom always says “it only takes a couple bad apples to ruin the bunch”- please don’t be a ping spammer…. Read more

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 Small Business Blogging

My Secret to a Successful Wordpress Upgrade

April 8, 2008 | 2 Comments

Just when I start to feel “techie”, something has to come along and blow my confidence. I’ve been starting to feel more and more technically savvy lately adding widgets here and code there. Understanding more html and css then ever before and reading the webmaster forums for tips and tricks and not feeling like I was dumped overboard in the middle of the ocean.

However, I have been putting off upgrading my Wordpress blogs because, well, I’m afraid of clicking one wrong button and taking the entire site down. When I worked in Corporate America, I didn’t have these fears, I would just call the IT department and someone would come along, laugh at my dumb mistake and have me up and running again by the time I got back with coffee.

Now, as a home based business, there is no support when something goes wrong. I can sound off to my three year old but he will offer little assistance and my husbands’ extent of computer knowledge is turning it on and that’s it. For this reason, I take my big risks with a bottle of wine to calm my anxiety.

With that said, my worst fear happened, I did it wrong and I took the entire site down. However, I survived, re-traced my steps, didn’t panic and actually fixed it myself within an hour.

For anyone that has not upgraded yet, I think I’m one of the last ones, but for your benefit I’ll tell you the secret I found to help the non-techie me, get the job done.

I started with reading all the Wordpress documents and watched a couple YouTube videos. However, it was hard finding directions that exactly matched my circumstances when it comes to hosting/cpanel/initial installation… and I just got more and more confused. Maybe overwhelmed is the better word. Well, I tried a couple different things, took my site down once or twice, then undid what I did to get it back up again.

After about 4 hours of this and in my desperation, I started my Google searches again and that’s when tada.. my moment of clarity showed and I found this website about an Artist…hmmm…Wordpress Upgrade…Artist…wasn’t sure I should trust this source… but desperation…

I read through all the directions and they were so straightforward and spoken in such a great tone, no techie garbage.. Let me tell you, this was my secret to getting both blogs switched over- no problem, and within a half an hour. Boom!

Thank you Leannes Upgrade Wordpress Post for such a simple set of instructions but one that helped me focus and get the project done. The SmartFTP was a great addition to my tools and made the transfer and upload of files easy.

Now that I have switched over, I have to say that I don’t think I’m all that crazy about the new admin interface. Maybe it’s just because it is so new that it will grow on me.

I like that I can modify my Permalink structure but I really don’t like that I can’t seem to bulk moderate comments like before. It looks easier to add various media content, so I’ll have to test that out in the near future.

One disappointment I had, was I created a huge list of sites for my “ping” list and I should have copied and saved it because that was deleted….I was so proud of that ping list….sadness… anyone want to share?

Overall, it will take me a few days of posting and playing to get everything tweaked to where I know it works again- bear with me

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 Small Business Blogging

5 Easy Steps to Make Your Own Editorial Calender

March 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Most business owners think only print publications create and use editorial calenders. Maybe you have gone through the process of contacting newspapers and magazines for a copy of their editorial calender to plan your public relations or advertising efforts. However, every business, especially now in the world of web 2.0, can benefit from their own editorial calender.

Many online business owners today understand the impact of internet marketing strategies and are working to use various outlets. They are responsible for content on their website, blog, article marketing, and any niche specific blogs or guest blog positions. While outsourcing content is an option, often with the right plan you can do it yourself and still carry out your other business activities.

Creating a plan at the beginning of the month will allow you to focus your efforts into specific keyword rich topics that will provide the highest quality content to your readers. You can then modify that piece to fit the distribution requirements of other publications by re-organizing the content or slightly changing the focus.

5 Easy Steps to Get Started

Step 1
Print a monthly calender template from Outlook or another online calender maker.

Step 2
Choose your keywords using Google, Wordtracker or SEO Tools related to your market. These will be the pillars of your authority posts.

Step 3
Determine your deadlines and schedule. An example might include posting on Blog 1 on Tues/Thurs and Blog 2 on Mon then post 2 articles a week on Friday.

Step 4
Brainstorm or use Mind Mapping methods to create your list of article topics, potential interviews or podcast topics.This method will also help you determine if larger topics should be broken into a “series” of information.

Step 5
Include scheduled time for research, organization and marketing. I have found that I need to schedule my social networking time as well since this can become overwhelming and suck time away from other activities.

While this method will keep you on track, remember that to add in spur of the moment content. That’s what keeps the blogging world so current so don’t be afraid to “sprinkle” on a few smaller posts that maybe build on other another bloggers post that caught your attention.

As an extra bonus, stop by clickbank, share a sale or commission junction and see what affiliate programs may apply to your keywords and include those for an extra income stream.

For an excellent example of an Editorial Calender or you can download a copy from Andy Wibbel of Six Figure Blogging and customize to meet your needs.

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 Small Business Blogging, Web 2.0, Work at Home MOM

Matt Cutts from Google

February 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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 Small Business Blogging, Work at Home MOM

Legitimate Work At Home Jobs Online

February 2, 2008 | 1 Comment

You get bombarded every day with emails or pop ups while browsing the internet with the promise of making money online or “legitimate work at home jobs online”.

As a result I found the following: Affiliate Programs are key to making money on the internet.

You are basically a marketer for a core product and when someone buys from your hoplink you get a little cash.

There are three keys to sucess for affiliate programs.

You need to have a well identified niche and it must me a niche you can leave a mark in.

A large email distribution for that niche market is crucial.

The ability to generate large traffic to your squeeze page- after all, who is going to buy it if noone sees it.

Two of the most popular affiliate programs you generally see are Ebay and Amazon. I’m not counting all the MLM businesses or the clickbank products since I consider those in a catagory themselves.

Ebay- The primary focus of making money with Ebay is for you to sell what you have to make money. While this method has never worked for me personally to make alot of money, it’s okay for a few dollars here and there.

There are some that do it and do it well enough by having hundreds of listings and sourcing products to sell that they make out ok. I found the cost of listing was a bit high, maybe their new price decrease will help encourage sellers to list their products but it looks like you still get hit with steep fees when the product sells.

I also have been turned off by ebay for the pure fact that so many people are “making a living” on ebay that you end up having a hundred of the same exact product listed instead of individual sellers that were selling something they had around the house. I preferred all the little sellers clearing out their house and selling what they don’t use- I just thought that was more fun and community like.

However, Ebay now has an affiliate program and this is of more interest to me. You sign up and get your ebay widget and if someone clicks thru then you get a few cents. It’s automatic… I like automatic. SQUIDOO has an easy pre made affiliate module that allows you to pick ebay products or fill in search terms and they will populate, take seconds to put one up.

The other popular affiliate program that can earn you as much as 10% of each sale is Amazon.com. Now that Amazon sells so much more then just books, it is easier to find products that relate to your posts or articles and link to it or review it and get a quick easy sale.

Not sure how to get started making money on line with affiliate programs? I’m just finishing up a little report that shows you the steps, what to look for and how to evaluate affiliate programs to get the most bang for your buck. Until next time keep searching for legitimate work at home jobs online and leave a post on what works for you!

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 Small Business Blogging, Tips & Advice, Work at Home MOM

Small Business or Not, Do You Know The Rules?

January 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Starting a business is more then just buying a cheap domain, putting up your site and saying “Hey, Buy From Me!”.

The Federal Trade Commission is the primary federal agency that regulates e-commerce activities including commericial email, online advertising and consumer privacy.

They offer a few select resources including e-commerce, marketing, starting a business and internet tools and several tech tools.

I personally found the obstacle of SPAM sticky when I started my newsletter. You don’t want to let those customers slip away, but you don’t want to break the rules either.

The following is an article on SPAM.

Taking a Bite out of Spam; Unsolicited email an obstacle to business

Billions of e-mails offering the skinny on get rich quick schemes, Viagra prescriptions, and pornography infiltrate people’s inboxes every day. Spam costs billions each year in time and resources and threatens to undermine the convenience and security offered by e-commerce.

“The proliferation of bulk, unsolicited commercial e-mail has become more than a nuisance,” said Joe Rubin, the U.S. Chamber’s executive director for technology and e-commerce during testimony before the House Judiciary Committee in July. “Increasingly, consumers are getting bombarded with pornographic and misleading e-mail that overshadows the online communication efforts of legitimate companies.”

Spam adversely affects both consumers and businesses. Consumers may be less likely to buy goods online if they think that including their e-mail addresses will lead to a storm of unwanted commercial e-mail. Further, they often delete bulk e-mail from their inboxes indiscriminately, unable to differentiate between spam and e-mail from legitimate companies. Businesses that communicate with their customers via e-mail risk being mistaken as spammers and then being hit with legal action. They also endure productivity losses when spam contains dangerous viruses that corrupt computer systems. And who can forget all the time it takes to download and delete unwanted messages?

To help address the growing spam epidemic, the Chamber supports the Reduction in Distribution Spam Act of 2003. Not only would the act empower Internet service providers to go after spammers, it would also create greater cooperation between business and government, strengthen the Federal Trade Commission’s enforcement abilities, and create a single, uniform code for e-mail communicators. Such legislation, which is currently awaiting a vote in the House of Representatives, would decrease the harmful impact of spam without stifling the ability of companies to reach their customers, both current and potential.

Source: US Chamber of Commerce

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 Small Business Blogging, Work at Home MOM

The World of Blogging

January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I had a conversation with my sister yesterday and in her normal way, she had critical opinions on the fact that I “blog about me” and “who wants to hear about your kids”. I still can’t help but chuckle at the conversation because I know she doesn’t get it, nor do I care if she gets it. But I asked myself why do I blog?

It is an outlet for me- I do like writing and I’ve spent years trying to write in the kids journals or about what happens in the craziness of life so I’ll remember and well, blogging so far is the only method that lets me record the little things in my life that I appreciate and find funny, sad or mad so I can look back and say oh yeah…

Other moms enjoy reading and feeling that they are not alone and they are not the only one that is trying to pull polly pockets shirt on for a child while they just try to take a shower at one in the aftnoon. Basically- this is real life, not what you see on T.V. and what you “thought” parenthood was about.

It’s a link to my business- yes for those that don’t understand the internet or the technical pieces having fresh blog content that gets “pinged” everyday does make a difference.

Make money- See those GOOGLE adds on the side? Click one for me - it doesn’t cost you a penny but it puts a little bit of change in my bank account and pays all my website fees. Pay it forward- click a whole lot for me :)))) I don’t want to get Google slapped for click fraud, only click if your interested in the ad. wink wink

Affiliate links- sorry to shock you, but yes, I do embed affiliate links in some of my posts so when you buy a product I recommend or click thru another business cuts me a check. SHOCKER! Not really, I know affiliate marketing is a huge piece of “making money online”. However, I do have strong ethics and I will only promote or mention products that add value, I have used and trust or that I am really interested in. I won’t tell you to go buy something just so I get $2.00 in my checking account because then you will think I’m full of malarchy and won’t come back, then my traffic drops, yadda yadda so for the short run check the sidebar for the RESOURCE page and you will find a ton of resources in various areas and see what you can use!

And finally my last point, I don’t care what you think. If you don’t want to read about my “little life in a 10 mile radius where I stay home 12 hours a day with little kids” then don’t but for those that do enjoy having a cup of tea, having a laugh or picking up a little business advice that may save you time or money then go ahead and click below to get a FEED. Either way, I’m going to keep up blogging as my personal self expression but you won’t find me Pushing it on people in every conversation I have (matter of fact I rarely mention it offline), I won’t carry pictures of my blog site, I won’t have my husband or kids re-arrange their schedules to fit my blogging “schedule”.

And if I’m the only “self centered” one then so be it, because like I said, I don’t care what you think anyway.

New Baby,Blogging, and Motherhood
by: Jim DeSantis

Blogging with a new baby sounds a little nuts and is likely to be the last thing on your mind but it may just be the relief valve you need.

I put mothers on a very high pedestal. Even though I am a father and a grandfather, I really have no clue just how tough it is taking care of an infant. I know it’s an almost incredible amount of work, and between changing diapers and keeping the nursery squared away it seems unrealistic to imagine that there would be time left over for any mother to blog. However, a growing number of moms are joining the blogosphere to share their experiences during this exciting and challenging time of life. There are a whole range of benefits that mothers can gain from blogging, and the spectrum covers everything from getting through the night to helping distant relatives feel closer, not to mention maintaining your sanity.

What is a blog and why is blogging such a great idea? A blog is nothing more than a daily journal, diary, if you will, of your thoughts and experiences. You write about them, in your own words, and post them online in your blog. Your readers then can comment and start a communication link with you. Best of all, blogging is free.

I run multiple free blogs and can tell you that blogging is a tremendous way to relieve stress and interact with others. It focuses me away from my daily routine and stresses. See my Author Box below for the link to my blog on Family Life to get an idea of what I am talking about. That blog is free on Blogger.com. There are other sources for free blogs but that’s getting ahead of ourselves for this article.

For a mom dealing with the hassles and triumphs of a baby, blogging about your motherhood is a great way to blow off some steam or just to share some of the joys of motherhood. Your blogging may even help new mothers get through the trials and tribulations of their first infant.

If your baby often has very erratic sleep patterns that leave you up at odd hours of the night, blogging may just be the best way to fill those hours. Many moms turn to television to help them weather these dawn vigils but, by blogging through the night, moms can turn what feels like a somewhat depressing situation into an actively positive and productive one through blogging.

Another reason why moms often find blogging very satisfying is that it helps them to be a part of a community. For moms who are unable to successfully juggle a full social life with the very tough demands of taking care of a new baby, blogging can be a great way to stave off the isolation that sometimes comes during this stage of life.

A baby requires constant attention, and it can be difficult to attend social gatherings or events when you are responsible for an infant. Luckily, the internet is full of other moms in the same situation, and by chatting with them it is possible to overcome

some of the loneliness that many new mothers are surprised to encounter. If you are a new mother, you can learn from experienced mothers. If you are experienced, you can pass along your wisdom to the new mothers. In that process of exchange you all break the patterns of stress and isolation.

Of course, for a mom with an adorable new baby, blogging can be as much about celebration as it is about necessity. Having a blog about living with a new child can give mothers the chance to reflect on how powerful and warm the sensation of motherhood is, and sometimes sharing the triumphs of this unique time can make them even sweeter.

A blog is a great way to keep friends and family updated with news about your baby’s first words or first steps, and with new technology it is easier than ever to make photos and video clips a part of your blog, so you can give far-away relatives the chance to feel much more involved in your child’s life. Many email services now have the ability to email videos. You simply load the video onto your computer, attach it electronically, and your relatives get to see your baby is live action.

Blogging, at first, may seem a bit intimidating. Look for someone, a close relative who is computer savvy, to teach you the ins and outs or spend some time online in those wee hours surfing the internet for information about blogging. There is a ton a free tutorials online that will cut your learning curve and soon you can be a blogging whiz!

Jim DeSantis
Proud father and grandfather

About The Author

Jim DeSantis

For more free tips like this go to Jim’s Family Life blog at http://on-line-tribune-family-life.blogspot.com. For ebooks on this subject, visit Jim’s http://libraryfordummys.jdanswers.com eBooks website!

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, Small Business Blogging

Small Business Marketing Questions of the Day

January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment

A Small Business Marketing Strategy is an essential part of business to compete with the bigger corporations after the same customers. If done correctly, the small business can gain loyal customers from their initial marketing strategy. The statistics are clear that retaining your customer is more cost effective then trying to gain new ones. The questions of the day: