Internet Money Maker

Trying Out New Things

2009-01-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

One of the perks of selling online is that every once in a while you get to try new things, things you probably never would have purchased had you not thought of selling them. That's what happened to me two years ago when I decided to work with a new company. In order to drop ship with this particular company, I had to purchase $500 of their stuff to either review and sell, or keep as part of educational studies. Well, I did buy that stuff and some of it is still in boxes.

However, the other day, I took out my box cutter and opened two of the boxes. I found that I had two very nice wall clocks that I would never have purchased since, one, they cost too much and two, they didn't really fit in with my decor. Anyway, after opening one, I found that it didn't work. Bummer! I'm glad I didn't sell that one. It's too late to return it too. Lesson learned. That's the reason I opened the second box. That clock worked just fine and as I said, it's beautiful.

So, if nothing else, once you get a little profit under your belt, it's nice to benefit from those types of perks.

Detoxing Your Websites

2009-01-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been on a detox program for your health? I mean, for example, that the Orovo detox pill assists in cleansing the system so that it can lose the toxic buildup over a period and thus assist in losing unwanted weight. Have you ever submitted your body to a program of that sort? I have and so has my husband. It does actually work for a time as long as you support it and back it up with proper eating habits that work toward the ultimate goal of the pills to begin with instead of sabotaging it by not changing the way you put toxins in your system.

The reason I mention this is that I find it very helpful for business to go through a toxic products review and then a detox program to get rid of products that don't do your business any good. It's almost like hulling out the bad stuff to make room for new stuff to try out. Oh, would you also call that spring cleaning?

Either way, if you have a website or websites and haven't continuously made changes to keep the toxins away, so to speak, then now is the time to do it. That's my plan for the next week or so after I get my W-2s and 1099s done.

What do you think?

Lot's to do, but no business.

2009-01-23T19:08:00.000-08:00

I can definitely say that my websites are on a serious business diet. It looks like they've taken the best diet pill on the market and left me hanging. The nice thing about being in business during the first quarter of the year is that, since it is slow, I can catch up on some serious organizing. I have so much to do and no motivation. I'm burned out.

Let's see. I have to go through my inventory and update my out of stock list. I have to prepare 1099s for my independent contractors. I have to complete my bookkeeping. I have to organize and file my sales receipts.

In short, I'm drowning in stuff to do, so much so, that I don't want to do any of it. I want to pretend it doesn't exist. However, the fact remains that the work must be done. I'm going to make it a point to make a serious start on Monday. Let's see how I end up at the end of the week.

How to Capitalize on Selling a Popular Product

2009-01-04T04:09:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest ticket items on my car website is the Ferrari. These cars are just awesome. I also have this great Ferrari FXX Go Kart that I love and wish I had one too. Maybe I should start selling Ferrari parts too. Well, when you see that you are selling a particular item or items more than the other items on your site, how do you capitalize on that?

What I have done is made a page that highlights just this product. I have also put a link to that page on my home page and written a blog about it and added a "Best Sellers" list to my home page featuring said product as well. All of this has made selling more of that product more possible. For instance, as it is in more places for customers to see while browsing through your website, the idea of it is presented more often, planting the seed to buy. It is also more easily found by search bots.

I'm no expert and I have said that before, many times, but I can tell you that these little changes have worked for me.

End of the Year and Going on a Diet

2008-12-22T07:15:00.001-08:00

So it's the end of the year and the parties are almost at an end. What are you planning for the New Year? Are you like many considering going on a diet? That's like the most famous New Year's Resolution that I think exists on the planet. I'm no expert, but it's what the media gears towards. You'll see! In the coming weeks, the dieting advertisements in magazines and commercials on t.v. are going to surge. Not only will they encourage you to buy exercise equipment, but pills, lots of pills, pills like Leptovox and Hoodia.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should consult your doctor before starting any new diet regimen, but lots of people don't do that! They just start a diet hoping for the best when it might actually make things worse. Either way, be safe about it, huh! I'd recommend that if you are thinking about taking diet pills you check into diet pill reviews. Speak to friends and neighbors and yes, even your doctor to ask for recommendations. It's the only way to fly!

I Need a Big Break!

2008-12-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

Aren't you ready for a bigggg break. This last quarter has been a bear. It's been fun! It's been busy! and It's been TIRING! I'm exhausted. Where would you go? I mean, I know that family takes precedence at this time of year, but let's say after the holidays, wouldn't you love to make las vegas hotel reservations? OK, well maybe if you don't like Las Vegas, what about New York. Ooooo! How about some place exotic? Of course, this is all in my dreams, LOL! One day I will take a big trip and won't have to worry about the money. So, yeah, what about you?

Holiday Internet Sale Rush Coming to a Close.

2008-12-18T03:02:00.000-08:00

Well, the time for the holiday rush is coming to a close and whatever sales you made this month can start to be counted. I was very surprised by the number of buyers who were unhindered by the economic downturn. Overall, I did read that those who had internet stores would do o.k. considering, but I had only hoped in my case since my stores are still in relatively beginning stages, babies really on the internet scene.

However, they did do enough for me so that I can probably pay myself a little bonus and I am happy about that. I even felt comfortable going to Red Lobster to celebrate. I hope I didn't do that too soon. There are still a few more shipping days left if buyers are willing to pay.

Remember that watch and purse I keep mentioning that I want to get for myself, but haven't dared to spend the money. I found a watch that I really like. It's called a Patek Philippe watch and it has an annual calendar with a brown leather bracelet. Oh Yeah! Maybe someone who knows me and is reading will get this for me. LOL!

So, I start where I began. Having internet stores has saved my family yet again. I hope you really consider building a store or two this coming year. I will never regret doing it myself.

A Step in the Direction of Success

2008-12-11T14:06:00.000-08:00

While you are busy with your business this last few good shipping days before Christmas, I'm busy too. In comparison to last year, I'm not as busy as I was. How about you? Do you notice a definite decline in sales or is it relatively comparable? I'm still in the relatively comparable stage, but am slowly leaning towards the definite decline. We'll see what the next few days brings.

In the meantime, one of the major 2009 issues that I'm in need of making a decision on is getting insurance quotes for my health insurance. I've been covered under my husband's health policy, but I believe my business might be able to handle that bill for me, so I can't believe I'm going to be able to do this, but it looks like I'm actually going to be the one controlling what health insurance I get under my own company.

That is a huge step for me. It means that I've been doing well consistently enough that I can start adding more expenses. It's scary and at the same time exciting. It's scary because I don't really know what the future is going to bring. Anyway, I jumped almost without looking when I started making money online and I have not looked back with regret. Shouldn't I continue to look ahead?

Customer Service at Odd Times

2008-12-07T18:21:00.001-08:00

I just received a call from a disgruntled customer who received a damaged product. I understood her plight and helped her as much as I could until tomorrow. Considering it is late Sunday night, my husband said she was fortunate that I answered the phone. I answered him by saying that I am going to answer the phone for the next two weeks at whatever time it is necessary to get the sale. Is this crazy?

For the most part, throughout the year, I usually answer the phone whenever I'm available. I don't mind this since throughout the day, the phone is nowhere near ringing off the hook. This is a home business. The flexibility is amazing, so I have to be flexible with my customers as well.

Whether you are selling door hardware to handymen or fancy diamonds to superstars, I believe that providing good customer service is key to making sure your customers come back or refer you to their friends. You should believe that too and act accordingly.

Two Good Weeks Left - Holiday Shopping.

2008-12-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well, we have two good weeks of selling left to go before things start to either go haywire or slow all the way down. Are you ready. I remember feeling so stressed last year because as the only person handling all business coming in and going out, I had nothing left to give at the end of such a busy season. My husband helped a lot, but it still wasn't enough. I needed more people.

However, considering the way things have been going economically, I didn't expect this past week to be crazy even though I hoped. So, what did happen? It was awesome as much as it was busy. I might even be able to go out and buy myself some sexy lingerie to celebrate at the end of the year, LOL! I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch as it were, but things are good so far.

Here's my tip. Offer something FREE to your customers. It doesn't have to be something expensive, but everyone loves a free gift. You'll be surprised at how this little change can boost your sales!

Are You Ready For The Next Big One?

2008-12-03T08:33:00.000-08:00

The holidays are almost over and planning has already begun for the next big one, Valentines Day. I know, I'm sure there are other holidays in between, but Valentines Day brings in lots of sales. Are you preparing?

I wonder what having a new president will do to the economy over the next few months. Do you think there will be more weddings, more house buying and more babies? I guess those are things that happen no matter what, but whenever there is a big world event going on, some things seem to increase.

Anyway, men, get your engagement rings ready. Women, make sure you're taking in lots of Folic Acid and Couples, now's the time to buy a home. I wish I had waited four years. The house prices have gone so far down that I know I would've been able to buy one with a low low mortgage. Oh Well! Hind sight is always 20/20 as they say.

Saving Your Business In Sparse Times!

2008-12-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

WOW! It feels like forever since being able to come on here and write to you. I've been so busy. I can't say that I wouldn't like to be busier. I have noticed a significant decrease in sales compared to last year. Even so, I am busy, so I have to thank God for that! I know money is tight and that's why I'm not surprised by the drop in my bottom line. I really expected Cyber Monday to bring in more money. We didn't do too bad over the weekend.

How have things been going with you?

One thing I believe I'd like to pass on to you who are thinking about e-commerce. You must build more than one website. In the sparse times, that is what has always saved me. When one product line isn't doing too hot, the others seem to kick in. The market is so fickle and so you have to be fickle too. When in Rome....

Profit in the Month of November Despite Economic Woes

2008-11-20T20:12:00.001-08:00

I was almost certain after the last few days that my websites had taken some kind of cyber diet pills. I had the visitors like it was going out of style, but my conversion ratio was horrible. I keep going back to last year and comparing the days and sales to see if sales are keeping up with last year or if they're going down the drain with the rest of the economy.

So far, it's still all good. I'm relatively busy although not overly so. I'd like to be busier, but so would everyone else in retail at this time of year. How are things with you? Has November been good to you so far. There are only ten more days left to do what you must to make ends meet and see a little profit for the month of November.

Business is Picking Up!

2008-11-15T04:28:00.000-08:00

I just had to share that business has been picking up over the last day or so. I haven't been as busy as I expected, but it's still not too bad considering. I started to think I wasn't going to be able to give myself a bonus this year. Hopefully, I will be able to. Lord knows I need it. So how have things been on your end?

Business Going Going Gone

2008-11-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

The end of the year is finally here, so where are the sales? As you may know, this is the best time of the year for retail sales. Things are usually hot, pumping, jumping and all the rest. However, economically things aren't sitting too well for lots of us and so spending is on the down low.

I don't know about you, but I've actually been hesitating on when to fill up my gas tank, because I'm hoping for lower prices. I've actually seen $1.99 once in the last few days. I think I was dreaming, because I haven't seen it since. At the time that I saw it, I didn't need it being that I had a full tank of gas.

Anyway, I sell toys, if you didn't know it already and sales are down. I'm wondering if things will get better once black Friday shows up. We'll see. I'm looking forward to it. Now, I'm just working to keep the customers from leaving my store. Once they leave, if they abandon cart, I'm sending them emails and calling to see if there is anything I can do for them. Are you following up on your abandoned cart sales?

I recently got news that I can sell little Harley Davidson diecasts. They are pretty cool too. They don't come with Harley parts, but they're awesome gifts. One of the things I like about selling toys is that there is a great range from babies to adults. You know, some adults just never grow up, LOL! Oh well, I haven't added the little Harleys to my site yet, but I will be doing so before Black Friday.

How are you preparing your website to retain customers and maximize conversions? I'd really like to know.

On Vacation and Still Making Money

2008-10-25T17:56:00.001-07:00

I'm very happy to report that I have had a whole week of vacation and was able to close several deals in the process. I have a laptop and an air card. I have a cell phone and access to an outlet. All and all, I was able to bring my business on vacation with me. It wasn't like I was tied down, but I did get a chance to make several sales. That's why I love being my own boss. Of course, I don't have to tell you that there were many times when I didn't communicate at all with the purchaser. I made the sale just the same. One of the most important things you can do for an online business is to give the customer immediate access to making a payment right when they are interested in a product. Do you have that?

My Bed Broke!

2008-10-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

Oh man, the other day, just before I left on vacation, I woke up to my bed flattening with a crash. I had forgotten that our luggage was holding up the bed on one side, so when I went to sleep that night, I did so with the same expectations as always, that my bed would be just fine in the morning. However, noooo. It was not like that. What a way to wake up. I got one of those adjustable bed frames about a month ago, but procrastination made me have that horrible wake up call. LOL! It was crazy. It happened at a good time though since I was suppose to be waking up early and the alarm had yet to sound.

I Want to Lose More Weight!

2008-10-24T05:56:00.000-07:00

I've been working on my health and fitness now for almost a year and I've lost a good amount of weight, but I want to lose more! I keep hearing this green tea fat burner advertisement on t.v. that is sounding better and better to me. I hear that green tea is an excellent food source for losing weight. Have you tried it? I haven't read up on it, but I wonder what it is in the green tea that makes it good for you. I've heard that black tea is good for stomach ailments, but green tea? It's all over the stores. Maybe I'm just noticing it more, but when I was growing up, I didn't see much about one tea being better than others.

Anyway, the whole point is that I want to Lose more weight. Green tea should help, but more importantly exercise and diet are the key ingredients to losing weight. It'll happen. I'm hoping so anyway. I'm going to make it happen. January is right around the corner. I gotta stop sitting on my rump and get up and out! Gotta run....:-)

I'm on Vacation!

2008-10-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

Are you a workaholic? I don't consider myself one, but having an online business, I must say that it is hard sometimes to separate oneself from work. For the most part, I'm suppose to be on vacation. However, in these hard economic times, when the phone rings, I'm still picking it up. When I get emails asking about products, I'm still answering them. The bottom line is that I'm not really getting a work free vacation. I miss those. I've heard about these "freedom systems" that allow you to have the freedom to do whatever it is you want while your business continues to run. You need workers for that. I'm not there yet, but one day...

Getting a Flat Screen High Definition TV

2008-10-24T05:06:00.000-07:00

You may have been reading my blog and noticed that I recently purchased a flat screen tv. When you buy a flat screen tv with all of the latest and greatest abilities, such as high definition picture and sound, hook ups for HDMI switches and the like, you come to realize that it's not just about the tv, but more likely about what it would take to get the tv to function most effectively. I mean, what's the point of spending all of that money on a new tv with all these functions and at the same time, have no way to use those capabilities. So, when you're buying a high definition tv, remember that you are also going to have to invest a pretty penny every month in other stuff like Directv or Dish Network or cable. That's where you're really going to start spending.

Want To Build a New Website

2008-10-24T05:01:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been thinking about building a new website. Earlier this year, I told myself that I wasn't going to put up a new website for the coming year. I said I'd clean up my already published sites and work on making them work better for my business as a whole. However, one of the manufacturers that I work with has some new products that I think will be easy to sell.

Considering I strictly work with drop shippers, this happens fairly regularly. On the whole, about every six months or so, we have new products that we can sell. They usually are in line with what the company is already selling, so there is no need to start a whole new website for a whole new product line.

So, it's almost the end of the year and a whole new year is coming in which to make my business better, more grand, more user friendly, more everything or start a new website and divide my focus. Hmmmm.... which would you do?

While the Markets Tumble...

2008-10-16T05:22:00.000-07:00

While the markets tumble all over the world, it is imperative that online business stay at the top of their game. How do we do that? We make sure we are communicating to the public in a way that draws them to our products. I have never been big on advertising for many reasons, one being that I'm not educated enough to do it right without needlessly spending a whole lot of money to get little results. It may not be the right way to do things, but I'd rather do little advertising while I'm learning how to advertise because I simply can't afford the losses.

It would be nice if online businesses could just have one of those complete casserole recipes for how to make things work successfully. In fact, I'm sure there are lots of books and software products out there that purport to offer just that. I have lots of those books and software programs myself. They only work if you use them though and who has the time these days to delve into every little instruction on how to make things work. There never seems to be enough time in the day!

However, one thing I have always thought it good to invest in is great text. Why? Because search engines love it. It is almost like free advertising since, with the right amount of text filled with the appropriate amount of keywords and keyword phrases, this will get you on the front page with search engines. Isn't that where you want to be? Every single product should have search engine friendly descriptions specific to that product. I know this works, because the bulk of my business comes from this and I have been consistently paying myself for over a year now.

It is true that a full time income is still just within my grasp, but with the economy being what it is, I am thankful for the knowledge I have gained to stay afloat. I am hoping it will pull me through. We'll see though, right! Either way, one thing is sure, staying on top of the market even in hard economic times is a challenge. We have to meet the challenge fighting tooth and nail.

Great Start to the Last Quarter!

2008-10-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

I am very concerned about how the economy will effect online sales over the last quarter of the year. I've actually scaled down my expectations to allow for a slow quarter even though things are looking up so far this past week and a half. Today was very slow though.

I was just talking to an acquaintance today who said that the best fields to be in right now are the health field and probably the legal field. Speaking of health, I think it's true. I am constantly hearing about dieting, clean living, new medications on the market, etc. I am constantly coming across diet pill reviews and you know there's a pill for just about every ailment out there.

Anyway, I digress, I'd love to know how you're doing so far this quarter. Please leave a comment below.

Thank Goodness for the Little Things!

2008-10-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

We're finally and already in the last quarter of the year. Wow! Not only are my business taxes due, but I have to make sure my home owner insurance premium has been paid. Don't you love paying bills (said completely tongue in cheek)?

Well, what I'd like to say is that, after completing my numbers for the last quarter, I did actually do a little better than last year. Sales were down, but profits were up. I'm very proud of my little online businesses and, if you have an online business that is succeeding in this day and age, then you should be proud too! Thank goodness for the little things. They all add up!

Taking a Hit in These Erratic Economic Times?

2008-10-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

I have a few websites that as a whole make up the majority of my online business. For the most part, I try very hard to pay attention to all of them, but it isn't always easy. Sometimes I feel like two of them are more like step children or like they have some kind of acne that I have to deal with even though I don't want to. I feel badly about treating those websites that way. I'd like to be able to spend more time creating and making them work to their best potential. The only thing to do in a situation like that is to hire someone to help you or to neglect your other websites.

On top of that, I'm thinking of building two more websites. However, in this struggling economy, I'm already seeing a bit of a hit to my bottom line. I'm actually thinking about how to prepare to be satisfied with the minimum potential instead of the maximum potential. I have to face the facts! I sell things. That's the truth. In order to make money, people have to buy the things I sell. If there is no money, there will be no sales and then I will make no money.

So far, I'm not having to actually face that situation, but I do have to prepare for it. It is in no way at the point where that is inevitable and I'm happy for that. I feel like I'm already in a depression. Nah!!! What am I saying. Things are still good. This past year has seen an increase in sales overall and an increase in our bottom line. If I were a bigger corporation, I'd say that I need to adjust my projected bottom line down a little, but one cannot forecast so stringently in these crazy erratic economic times, can one?

How Was Your September Bottom Line?

2008-09-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of September, so how did you do? I compared my sales with last September and find that I didn't have as many customers. Last year it was like spring was in the air all year round and everyone was buying everything. It was like my products has spring plungers attached to them. Everything was selling like hotcakes.

Anyway, regardless of the number of sales, I think my bottom line was at or above last years, so I'm not too upset. I'll find out for sure after I finish the books for September, but I know the profit per sale was a little larger this September.

So, how was your September bottom line?

Are Economic Woes Hurting Your Online Business?

2008-09-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Are economic woes hurting your online business? Have you noticed sales are down or there are not as many visitors to your stores? Well, if so, what can you do to beef things up? I'm no expert, but one thing I know I can do is be sure to have my hand on the pulse of what your target market wants.

For example, we're getting into the winter season. Do you have products that would appeal to people only in the winter time? Feature those products on your Home Page. Are you selling snowmobiles? Don't just stick to snowmobiles, try selling snowmobile parts. Be sure to make your products visible to your customers. I'm not saying to put everything on the front page. That will just be confusing and most likely, your customer will just leave the store.

What I am saying is, look at stores that are succeeding, stores like Target and Walmart. Look at their websites. See how they are marketing. What's on their home pages? You can be sure that they pay lots of money to have their hand on the pulse of their markets. Why pay what they pay? Just pay attention to what they're doing and jump on the bandwagon!

Third Quarter Over - Holidays Here!

2008-09-18T19:36:00.001-07:00

The third quarter is coming to a close and there is so much to do. Holiday season is upon us, not to mention the end of the year. Some of you have only recently finished your taxes for last year, but soon you'll have to focus on this years taxes. Well, talking about internet business and not about taxes, I had a question for you.

Have you ever used voip gateways? I've been considering using some sort of voip service for a while now, but can't get myself to go there. I'm concerned about connection issues and speed. I need fast service and can't afford to have connection issues when customers call. Although, I do hear a lot of good stuff about voip. What feedback can you give me?

Sales are Down - Websites that Aren't Working.

2008-09-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of news in the air lately, from Gustav to the heated tropics, from the elections - republicans vs. democrats, never mind the talk about Palin being on the Republican ticket. All of this news makes me think that something has affected my sales. They're down this past month. I feel secure in the thought that the next months ahead are suppose to bring higher spending for the holiday season. What I'd like to know is how is everyone else doing with their online sales? Maybe you're doing something I'm not.

I know that I've been quite distracted of late and haven't spent as much time on my websites. I've been entertaining family, preparing my son for his first year of school and thinking about what kind of renovations I'd like to do to my bathroom. Those Delta faucets are really neat. Anyway, I know that must be part of what is affecting my sales. I know that I could have had a Labor Day sale and would have certainly upped my bottom line.

Do you notice that when you stop paying attention to your websites, all of a sudden everyone else does too? Well, that's what I've noticed. I can only go so long not doing something on my sites before things really start to slow down. Well, I guess you know what I'll be doing over the next few days and weeks. The holiday season is on the way and I better be ready! Are you?

Republican National Convention

2008-09-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

As I sit here watching the Republican National Convention while former Democratic Nominee Lieberman is speaking, thinking about a really good cup of Starbucks coffee, I have to wonder what this election is going to bring. How is it going to end up? Who is going to be the next president of the US? This has been one of the craziest election runs that I have ever experienced. Change is in the air, but will it be enough? What will it mean for the economy? What will it be for online companies? Things are so up in the air that I just had to share my thoughts on this. I'm sure we'll see the answers to all of my questions come to light in the next two months. What I want to know is what will the future bring to you and me. I know what the Bible says and I have learned that it's all about waiting and seeing for God to act. However, until then......

Is it Already Holiday Time?

2008-08-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

We're nearing the end of the 3rd quarter of 2008. Can you believe it! Have you already noticed stores putting up Halloween decorations and even Christmas Decorations. I'm also getting advertisements for Christmas invitations in the mail. It's crazy. It seems that people are in such a rush for the holiday season to start.

It's true that the bulk of the money made during the year comes from holiday times. I just wish everyone would slow down and stop making me feel older than my years. Enjoy the month of August for goodness sakes!

Looking for Good Insurance is a Hassle!

2008-08-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

I have a frustration I would like to air. Like most people, I am concerned with getting my family the right amount of insurance, homeowners insurance, car insurance, health insurance, you-name-it-insurance. What bothers me is that there are so many ways to go, but it's hard to find anything inexpensive and still worthwhile to invest in. I can't tell you how much I just paid for homeowners insurance.

I live in a townhome, so I didn't even have to pay for insurance for outside of my home. I already pay that through my maintenance fee every month. However, it was ridiculous. I don't even know how I came up with that money. Anyway, I just needed to vent a little, so thank you for reading.

Working Online - Good Feelings.

2008-08-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

This morning I had a great discussion with a mom who wondered what I did for a living. I felt so good that I could tell her that I not only blog and complete surveys for a living, but I also have my own stores online. I told her about how much it took to get where I am at today and that's what I felt good about. I didn't pull any punches about the difficulties I experienced, but had pride in myself and my accomplishments. Do you ever feel that way now that your websites are up and running?

Anyway, that was a good feeling. It's been almost three years and it's only getting better. Some days are good and some are not so good, but overall having an online business is the best way to go when you are trying to work from home while taking care of children.

On that note, take a look this crib bedding website. This is exactly what I'm talking about. As a mom, we are intimately acquainted with baby stuff. We are probably pretty passionate about it (Moms and Dads). We know what works, or what worked for us, and what absolutely did not work. When thinking about your online business, make sure you feel passionate about what you want to sell. These baby products have a large market and the market just keeps growing. You can't deny that people are having babies everyday!

So, what do I sell? I have one website absolutely dedicated to children. It gets good sales and I'm comfortable with it. I know my product and I feel the way parents buying our products feel. So, what are you passionate about? What would you sell?

Selling Health on the Internet

2008-08-10T16:49:00.001-07:00

I'm on a big lifestyle change kick and have been thinking about dieting, exercise, diet pills, all things health related. I actually thought about starting a website completely related to health, but I changed my mind because with all of the millions of websites out there selling health products, I'm sure I could come up with something better to work a website selling.

Is the health industry too saturated for you to work a business around? Probably not. I mean, look at Mary Kay. That business is a cash cow! People continue to sell her products and people continue to buy her products. I was just talking to a Mary Kay consultant the other day who said that she has noticed a change in the way people think these days. Everyone seems to be a little more health conscious, image conscious. It's not a bad thing either, is it!

Anyway, I have just decided that I don't want to tackle the health industry. How about you? Are you currently building a website around health products or something health related? How are sales? Is it all that you expected?

Giving Yourself a Pay Check

2008-08-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

Now that I make a regular income, I've been able to pay myself. I really just started doing that this year even though I've been online for over two years. What did I do with the money I made over the last two years? I reinvested it into my business and paid myself back for the personal funds I put into it. I'm excited with being able to pay myself a paycheck. One of the things I decided to buy with my new regular income is a flat screen t.v. I didn't get the TV wall mount since it seemed superfluous, but I am loving this new t.v. It is absolutely awesome to be your own boss. Sometimes it's difficult and you have to do without, but once things really get going, I can't say enough...

What Do You Do When it's Slow?

2008-08-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

The month of August has been relatively slow for me compared to the last four months. However, based on the last two years, I had figured on July being slow and it wasn't. This month though, it's almost like my websites are on a diet pill or something. Anyway, you can't always have a great month and this month is just beginning. So, what can you do to change a slow month into a great one? You might consider reviewing your website to make it more customer friendly. Perhaps you could add a few "Featured Product" links on the Home Page, take out products that are not working for you, review your SEO techniques and so forth. You see what I'm saying, right? Use your slow time or down time to your benefit. Don't underestimate what a few changes might do for your bottom line.

Sell Anything Online

2008-07-19T17:37:00.001-07:00

Anyone who has made use of the internet to sell stuff knows that you can sell anything online. I even came across a site that focuses on selling small business franchises. When I first came upon the idea of selling online, one of the things I remember hearing about in a seminar is that some famous person sold their gall bladder or some other body part on e-Bay. People even go so far as to have people bid on which name they should choose for their child. Come on people. It's true. This is the age we live in. So, are you going to get on the bandwagon already? Don't hesitate. You're in for a ride you'll never forget.

Return Policy Acknowledged on Checkout Page

2008-07-17T17:48:00.001-07:00

Whether you sell generic Phentermine online or toys, one thing is certain, you must get the pulse of your shoppers to increase your sales. Sometimes though, we can get into a rut and just keep things as they are, because we're afraid if we change something, sales will slow down or business will bust.

That happened to me when I was urged to add an "I Read the Return Policy" check box on my checkout page. I had the return policy page referenced and linked in all of the appropriate places except for this all important "acknowledgment" page. I was certain sales would drop well below zero (I know that's not possible).

The truth of the matter is that it was costing me when customers admitted they had not read the return policy, but still wished to return a non-returnable item. Not having the check box on the checkout page was my downfall. Why? Credit card companies who receive complaints for their customers or charge backs only acknowledge and honor your return policy on shaky ground unless your customer actually acknowledged reading it on the checkout page.

Now, there may be a whole lot more to this, but that's the basic gist of my experience. So, I did finally break down and put that all important check box where it should be and low and behold, my customers kept coming and now I was protected. I am protected. Do the customers really read the policies? I don't know. I believe some do and some don't. My main concern is that I have done all I had to do, and more, to protect myself when crunch time comes. You should to!

I Love My Laptop!

2008-07-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

I came across my first laptop computer through an old boss. I was a little intimidated by the little flat board that you use to control the cursor. I saw this little ball in the middle of the keyboard and felt it might be a little annoying to use that as the mouse. I also felt the keyboard was a little to small. Well, now that I've had my own for a while and have even bought a second one since, I can tell you that I absolutely love my laptop. If you have an online business, believe me, this is one of the first things you should invest in. It will make your life easier, which is definitely the objective, right?

Online Success - Stop Thinking and Start Doing!

2008-07-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

Have you read any good books on online success lately? I've read a few, but I have to tell you. There is nothing like hands on training. What you have to do is stop gathering in all that wonderful information and get moving. You need to go ahead and figure out what you want to do with all of that online success information. Decide.

After you've decided, an even better thing to do would be to act on your decision. I am glad I did. When you stop thinking and start doing, this is the stepping stone to success. I hope you make it. I'm living proof that it works.

Saving Money by Transferring Credit Card Balances

2008-07-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest things you can do for yourself if you have credit card debt and a decent credit rating is to get a 0 balance transfer card, that's right, a 0% balance transfer card. I know this can save you money since the point of this type of credit card is to help you avoid the interest you would be paying on higher interest rate cards in your wallet.

However, there are a few things you must consider before transferring your balances. Make sure you will not be charged for the transfer. Find out how many times you can make transfers and how much you will be allowed to transfer. Find out the terms of the transfer. Will you be allowed to pay it off in a year, 6 months. Find out what will happen after the special 0% rate runs out. How much will it cost you to have your money with that credit card company?

The best thing about this is that you can do all of your due diligence, your research, online. Just use your magical search box on your favorite search engine. Happy hunting and saving!

Selling Vacation Packages Question

2008-07-04T05:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought of selling flight deals online? I have and have also wondered how you start. My husband works for a cruise agency and so I know a little bit about how to get into the business, but where do you get the packages and the pricing from? Do you pay to be a part of the industry? To be a cruise agent, I've seen that it is necessary to pay an upfront fee for training and establishing your business. This can go anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

I'm not interested in that. However, I do know that travel is a lucrative business. Is this an already saturated market? I wonder. If you know, please leave a comment below with how you became an online travel agent. I'd love to hear from you even if you don't have an online business, but work for a travel agency. If you are in the know, then talk to me.

Hurricane Season and Online Business Survival

2008-06-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

If you live down South or on the East Coast, you are very familiar with the season we are in, Hurricane Season. That being said, have you thought about how your online business will survive if the electricity goes off for an extended period of time. What about your DSL or Cable connection? What if the local service companies are hit hard by a storm and won't be up and running for a while? What do you do then?

Have you looked into generators as an optional energy supply? I have. Have you thought about an extra battery back up? You can also look into companies that sell air cards like Verizon Wireless. That way you can still have access through your laptop if you have one. Oh, if you don't have a laptop, I thoroughly recommend one for emergency purposes. It has been a lifesaver to my business. If you don't have the money for one yet, well then don't worry about it now. Once you have gained enough profit, remember to put some of it back into your business by investing in a laptop.

The point is, remember to prepare way in advance, because you never know when a disaster will strike. With hurricanes you only get a few days notice.

The Passport to Happiness

2008-06-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

What is the passport to happiness when it comes to success on the internet? More than likely you'd say that having a website that is bringing in a steady income is a decent bridge to happiness.

Of course, it goes without saying that having your spiritual, emotional, financial and physical needs met will bring happiness, but since this is a blog about making money online, I thought I'd focus on what you might find to be the passport to online internet money making happiness.

After building several websites and blogs and having most of them create a steady income stream for me, I can say that I am still looking for more, thinking of building another website on top of all the other stuff I'm already doing online. Is happiness being satisfied with what you have and not needing more? What do you think?

Selling Online Has Few Barriers

2008-06-19T14:40:00.001-07:00

I have touched on this before, but for those of you who are learning what it means to have an online business, I'm sure you'll agree that this is a worthy topic for repetition. How do you decide what to sell and who to sell to?

For brick and mortar companies and even franchises, one way to determine where they are going to open up a shop is through examining the location and demographics. Is it the same for online stores and businesses? It depends. If you are selling a service that requires face to face interviewing, then you might want to focus on local marketing. However, if you are selling a product that you can ship to anywhere (i.e. natural acne treatment)s or toys, then more than likely, you don't have to focus on your local demographics. The world is your oyster to use a cliche.

Selling online has such a tremendous appeal for this reason. Don't turn you back on it because it's too big for you to grasp. It's not! It does take work, but the time and energy you spend making it work for you will be well worth it when you start seeing the money roll in.

The Best Buy on Your Website

2008-06-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

How do you advertise the best buy on your website? Do you put it prominently on the home page? How does it stand out? One of the things I have learned after two holiday seasons is that you should always list your best buys on your home page. You'll be surprised at how many orders you get for that product even if you have similar products available.

Sometimes your customers just need a little encouragement in the right direction to make the sale. In fact, you may have a new website with very little sales. That's o.k. Just advertise a few of your products as "best buys" and see what happens. Change them up every now and then until your sales become a little more regular.

That's all for now.

Don't Worry Too Much About Competitors

2008-05-31T20:31:00.001-07:00

Do you worry about having too many competitors? Is that how you choose what you will sell online? For example, have you turned away from selling babydolls because too many other websites are selling the same thing? I'd say that there are plenty of people online, so many that competition isn't as fierce as one might think. There are plenty of buyers, more buyers than sellers. That's what online buying has done for small business sellers like you and me. It has put us little people on an even plain with big companies like Target and Walmart. More than likely, you won't get the amount of sales that they get, unless your small business becomes big. However, you will be able to make a nice living while staying at home.

E-commerce Websites - What Works?

2008-05-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

I've thought long and hard about what makes websites work and have gained some experience too? To tell you the truth, it is so many things put together. I'll just give you two things to think about.

One idea that I have long found successful is to have one website that has large priced items for sale such as fitness equipment or patio furniture. The other thought is to have more than one website since the more websites you have the better the possibility for success. Other websites can be for smaller priced products. However, either way, you want sales that will allow you to profit well. If you sell small items, then you will have to do a lot of work to gain a good profit. If you sell large ticket items you can gain a profit much more quickly with less work. Think about it.

Don't Forget Weddings!

2008-05-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day has come and gone and Father's Day is on the way, but what about weddings, something that happens all year round. Have you built your websites with husband's to be and brides to be in mind? What about bridesmaid gifts, have you considered selling products that would appeal to brides who want to give gifts to their bridesmaids? I remember when I got married, I even bought gifts for the ushers.

That's what is so neat about having an e-commerce website. Find your nieche and appeal to your target market. The sales will come. If you don't succeed in one market, don't continue to waist your time. Find a new product and a new target market. You'd be surprised at what sells online!

Success Online - Is it Worth it?

2008-05-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

It seems like fraudsters not only want your product, they sometimes just want to trick you into sending your product somewhere that is completely unknown to them or to you. In this day and age, fraudsters are abundant and their antics are on the rise. It's like they are on progesterone or something!

Well, I've decided I will not dedicate another post to the money grabbers, gold diggers and thieves. I am happy to report that I believe I'm on the verge of having two successful businesses. Out of four websites, three are making money and one is only two months old, so I expect that one will come around soon enough. Is it worth the trouble to build websites, sell stuff online and deal with fraud all while trying to make ends meet?

I'd say that under my circumstances, it is definitely worth it. It's also a learning experience that I never thought I'd have. It's fulfilling in that I am spending the formative years with my children. My son starts elementary school this fall. My daughter has one more year before she will start any kind of outside schooling. I'm amazed at the success.

Listening to Your Insticts

2008-05-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how many times I have experienced regret for not listening to my instincts when it came to finalizing a sale. This weekend, I am experiencing regret yet again. I received a sale that was over the amount I'd like to just let pass without making contact with the customer over the phone. I attempted to contact the customer and could not get in touch with them. After leaving several messages letting them know that I would not continue to process their order unless we spoke over the phone, I was contacted via email. The customer explained that they had been having problems with their phone, but that they could be reached by email. I didn't feel great about this, but I did get the response I was looking for albeit it wasn't over the phone, so I processed the order.

A month has passed and I find out that the customer was never at the shipping location to receive the package. Federal Express made several attempts to deliver the package, but it could not be delivered. What does this mean? I have to refund the credit card. That is not a problem usually. In this case, however, I was told by the warehouse that the package came back damaged and therefore, I would not receive a refund. I have no recourse with the customer because my site policy is missing the "if you refuse the package" clause.

So, the lesson is, whether you sell phones, faucets, clocks, lights, toys or what have you, make sure you have your policies clearly delineated on your site in a place where the customer has to read them before finalizing their order. For a small business, the kinds of experiences I have been having are enough to make me want to call it quits. I won't though, NOT YET! :-)

Return Policy - Stick to it of Bend the Rules?

2008-05-17T03:39:00.000-07:00

I just had an experience yesterday that I'd like to share with you all. I'm sure that if you have a store, whether brick and mortar or e-commerce, you have dealt with the question of returns. I have had to several times in the past few years that I've been in business.

Well, what do you do when you really feel sorry for the customer, but you just don't think it would be a good business decision to bend the rules of your return policy? I ended up telling the customer that I was really sorry for their situation, but that in the end I would come up losing, so I could not accept the return.

You can stand your ground in situations like this if the customer paid cash, but if they paid with a credit card, your return policy better be in a clear spot to be read before they make their purchase, or you won't stand a chance when the customer performs a charge back.

If you have an e-commerce website, your return policy should be clearly seen on your checkout page. It would be best if there was a check box that a customer had to check which, when checked indicated that they read the return policy beforehand.

I'd love to hear your experiences in this regard. What would you have done in my situation above?

On a side note, looks like my hubby and I won't be going to a wedding in NY after all this coming September, so I won't be needing that new luggage I wanted to buy. Well, we do have another trip coming up at the end of the year, so I'll wait to get it when I really need it.

Shipping Costs on the Rise!

2008-05-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

In every avenue of your life, I am sure you are noticing the effect that rising gas prices are having on your budget. Well, if you haven't noticed yet, they are also having a profound effect on the cost of goods sold online as well. I have around 20 suppliers for the products I sell for my online stores and all of them have raised prices not just due to inflation, but due to shipping cost increases as well.

At one time or another, I allowed free shipping on all of my products, but in order to stay in business, that just can't be done. I have worked the price of shipping into the retail cost. It must be done in order to survive the supplier price increases! Have you noticed this change? I think it's still bound to get worse before it gets better. Fortunately, my sales are still on the rise even with the price increases, so I can't complain too much. Either way though, make sure you keep up to date with supplier announcements and changes.

On a side note, you may or may not know that I'm on a diet. Who isn't? Well, I came across a great website called Consumer Price Watch that you should check out if you are looking for Phentermine no prescription weight loss pills. It's a pretty interesting site if you are in the business of losing weight.

Orange Envelopes in My Mailbox

2008-05-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

Now that I've been "defrauded" a couple of times now in the two years since I've been in business, I've become wary of going to my mailbox. I'm afraid of the big orange envelopes that signify I've been defrauded yet again. It is really discouraging to an entrepreneur who is just trying to make a living. It's an absolute shame that there are people out there who care nothing about what their actions will do to another person. There are really sick people out there.

Through hard learning, I've come to the conclusion that there are lots of ways to protect yourself, but no matter what, there will always be those who know how to slip through the cracks. It's not the end of the world, but for small businesses, being on the receiving end of fraud can break a business that's struggling.

If you are still on the small end of your business, meaning your business still has a long way to grow to become BIG, do like I do and check every transaction. When you are receiving credit card information, make sure that everything matches to the credit card bank's records. Perhaps fraudsters will have submitted everything right. Since that can be the case, especially on larger purchases, contact the purchaser directly.

Be sure that they actually intended to make that purchase. You don't have to use the phone number or email address submitted with the transaction. You can check white pages and punch in the address to see what phone number comes up. If it is not the same, that doesn't necessarily mean fraud. It just means that, perhaps a business phone number or cell number was used. Either way, contact the phone number listed in the white pages. Leave a message. Explain that you want to thank the customer for their purchase and would like to go over it with them. You'd be surprised at what you might find out.

Not everyone is out to defraud you. In fact, the majority of the time the transactions are legitimate, but every now and then you will come across someone who was completely unaware that their card was used. That's when you've protected yourself.

On another topic, anyone know where I can get a good video card? I had to buy another monitor the other day and I might need a new card to upgrade my graphics. Until next time.

Keep An Eye On Your Suppliers!

2008-05-03T16:18:00.001-07:00

I don't think I'm going out on a limb here and when I say that if you have an online store, you'd better be on top of all of the changes that your suppliers make. They make them constantly and throughout the year. Adding new products, taking off discontinued products, price changes and lots of other factors determines how well you do in your online business.

For example, I've been on vacation for a few weeks, technically speaking for about a month now. In the month of April, several of my suppliers upped their shipping prices. Several of my suppliers discontinued products and added new items. I am sure that I have not kept up to date with all of this and yesterday, I almost lost money because of it. I'm a one man crew (well, my hubby helps every now and then), so when I don't have someone backing me up and keeping on top of things, I have to pay attention to my emails. Thankfully, my supplier understood my dilemma and made concessions to help me out, so the deal was sealed and I did make some money.

It's not always easy to get out of a fix like that. Just keep in mind that automation will happen, but not overnight. The store will still be open, but you have to keep your stuff up to date. By the way, does anyone know where I could find a tankless water heater? I need to cut down on my electric and water bill and I heard that might do the trick.

Working on Automatic

2008-04-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

I have such a coca cola withdrawal headache. I wonder if they have alcohol rehabs for coca cola addicts. They probably do somewhere in the world. At any rate, I just wanted to update you on a few things going on. I have been on a semi vacation this entire month. My in-laws came by and now my brother and his little family are visiting, so I haven't been able to do much online. It hasn't hampered my sales though. I can say that I am kinda sorta working on automatic. I love having an online business.

High Definition TV

2008-04-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

Have you come into the High Definition TV age? My husband is dying to buy one of those TVs, but I keep telling him that the TV we have is fine. I just don't know why one would pay for all of that extra visually pleasing screen play when the tv they currently have is working just fine. It's just not practical!

I mean think about it, you not only have to have the HDTV, you have to get the hdmi cables, pay for either directv, cable tv or some other high definition supported programing. You would have to get high definition dvds and all of that. What about all of the old stuff? Is that stuff suddenly no good anymore? I mean, what about the VCR? I'm just not convinced it's worth it yet. On the other hand, if I think about what he wants, maybe I'll save for our anniversary and get it for him then. I know he'd be on top of the world!

Credit Card Verifications - What is Your Policy?

2008-04-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Before I get on this topic, I've had dieting on my mind of late and have been tempted to try diet pills. I see them advertised all the time in the store. I'm just too afraid to try them, even the so called, "natural" or "organic" diet pills. Even pills like Orovo have passed my mind. What do you think of diet pills?

OK, now back to the title of this post...Verifying credit cards are being used by their proper owners is difficult, to say the least, when you are in e-commerce. Your rarely get to compare personal identification and signatures with the credit cards submitted. However, there are certain things in place that can help. I use a credit card verification processor that makes sure the address, zip code and cvv code provided by the credit card bank holder match with what is submitted.

On the other hand, even that is sometimes not enough to protect you from fraud. You also have to make it a policy to make contact with the purchasers if their purchase is over a certain amount of money. You have to decide what is comfortable for you in the event of fraud. For example, I sell children's toys and some are quite expensive. I have decided that if the purchase is over $300, I am going to personally try to make contact with the purchaser to verify their information.

The reason this extra step is helpful to a small business is that you are able to touch base with someone. Sometimes, just that phone call will help you determine if their purchase was fraudulent or not. Some fraudsters are very savvy and will even pass this process, but every attempt to make contact is necessary. You may find that the person on the other end has no idea they made a purchase. That will save you the headache of losing the money, the product and the shipping expenses. Believe me, it's worth it.

Having a Savings Account

2008-04-17T21:40:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I've had a savings account that I almost don't know how to go about saving anymore. Have you noticed that about yourself. The financial adviser gurus of the world always say "pay yourself first" but in this day and age...HOW?

All my money goes towards bills, bills and more bills and then, of course, the necessary stuff like food, clothing and shelter. How are you going about saving with the economy the way it is. I can't seem to get ahead even when I'm feeling comfortable with my income. I have never thought that I'd live above my means, but lately, it seems that that is exactly what I'm doing.

Anyway, I have decided that I will start a savings account next month. I don't know how long I'll have it or how often I'll contribute, but the fact that it is there will encourage me.

Lots of Babies --- Another Baby Boom?

2008-04-12T18:19:00.001-07:00

There are some constants in life and one of those is that there will never be a shortage of babies as long as humans enjoy procreating! That is why having an online store that sells toys is NOT a saturated business plan or a bad business decision. You can make money selling toys. I do. In fact, it is a big part of my income and it's also fun.

I have two little ones of my own and they are enchanted with what I sell, so it brings me great joy. Toys are awesome baby gifts too. Many parents don't wait until their children are the appropriate age for the toys they buy either, so don't worry if you think you're going to miss out on a certain age group.

All that being said, if you're not sure where you should direct your efforts online or don't know what you should sell, think about selling kids stuff. There are so many people that love to buy stuff for their favorite little ones.

Security Issues and Credit Card Fraud

2008-04-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

A few months back, I had an issue with a customer who paid for her order with a stolen credit card. Since then, happily, she is in jail, but I am still out the product and the funds that I had to eat to pay back the credit card customer whose card was stolen. Well, I thought I learned then how to avoid this sort of thing in the future, but I have also learned that this happens so often that companies have actually put a line on their profit & loss statement just for these types of losses.

Credit card fraud may not cause much harm to large companies, but it is a headache and a half for small businesses. When most of your month's income is eaten by someone who just took a fancy to your website and decided to victimize you, how do you handle it?

I thought it would be a good idea to come up with a standardized policy for all credit card transactions so that less fraudsters will slip through the cracks. However, thinking about all that I have lost has made me feel down in the dumps. It's almost like someone wants to take away your livelihood. It's just not right! Makes me want to find one of those beautiful Branson lots and disappear from the world.

Anyway, I have worked on this policy, but definitely need to tweak it a bit since I almost got defrauded again. I'll try to create this policy and then post it here when I'm done.

A New Way to Make Money Online

2008-03-28T05:22:00.000-07:00

I need to look for some new bathroom faucets since my faucets are out of wack. The water is coming out all funny. Maybe I just need to change the washer on one of them where the water comes out, but it's completely annoying. I will be having visitors soon, so I better get moving.

But back to making money online, do you know that there is a new program out there created by Blogitive.com known as LinkNerve? It's still only for member's who have been Blogitive writers, but after coming out of their testing phase, or BETA phase, if you will, I understand they will be offering this opportunity to other bloggers. Keep an eye out for this.

I haven't written for Blogitive for almost a year now, but since I'm still in their pipeline, they've sent me some work. It's super easy and interesting too. If you've received assignment from LinkNerve let me know what you think.

Cleaning the Air in Your Home - What do you do?

2008-03-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've been sick all week, so I've been thinking about ways to make myself feel better other than taking medication. One of the things I thought about was that the air in my home must be circulating a lot of germs since I've been coughing and sneezing so much. It's no wonder my daughter and son also have this same cold.

I change my a/c filter at least once every two months, but my house has high ceilings, so maybe I need to do that more often, maybe once a month. I was also thinking about getting one of those air purifiers since I hear they are great at taking out airborne contaminants. It's a wonder my little family is not sick more often. What do you do?

Anyway, that's what I've been dealing with all week, so I really haven't had a chance to update my websites much. I've been working on adding content to my newest website and I've changed the banner on all three of my other websites. I've seen an increase in purchases this past week and I have a feeling it has to do with those slight changes. Remember, even slight changes can make all the difference to your landing pages. Be sure to constantly test test test.

Budgeting - Is it Really a Mystery?

2008-03-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

I thought you would appreciate an email reference I received today from NoloBriefs. This is an excellent website to obtain tips and tricks on finance for home and business. Please take a look at this article if you are having trouble establishing a budget:

How to Make a Budget and Stick to It

Getting Completely Out of Debt - Even Having No Mortgage Payment!

2008-03-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about spring cleaning the other day and thought about my bills. I have bills with companies who I have been dealing with a long time. For example, instead of getting new car insurance online, I would not dream of leaving Statefarm for another company. Also, I have two credit cards that I've had forever. I don't need any others. I don't want to save 10% and drown in more credit card debt. I read an article the other day that spoke about cleaning up your budget. The first thing it mentioned was cleaning up your debt, paying off your higher rate credit cards first and then even thinking about getting away from paying a mortgage. Can you imagine that - Life without a mortgage payment?

Most people have car payments, credit card payments and mortgage payments. It's almost like the standard American Way. Do you think you'll ever get out of debt. Well, I know it will take some sacrifice on my part and on the part of my family, but I know it's going to happen and before I am 50. How about that! I'm on my way to 35, so that gives me just 15 years. I think having this home business will do that for me. Do you have that kind of confidence? Believe in yourself and get started today. Create an internet business and see it work for you!

Stop Eating at Your Desk!

2008-03-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have been dieting lately and trying to fit exercise into an already tight schedule. While my business has been growing, somehow I started to grow too...not more tall, but more wide. They say that sitting in an office chair for long periods of time tends to do that to you. Have you noticed yourself gaining weight since you started working from home?

I can even tell you how it happened to me. About three years back, I bought a treadmill, but I stopped using it, or I started using it less consistently, sort of like a hit or miss. I also started eating more and snacking while at my desk, practices that should be NO Nos to working from home. Before I knew it, there it was, the extra weight, the bloated feeling and the bad skin.

Now that I've started to lose weight again, I have noticed more energy and more focus towards my tasks. So, my advice, stop eating at the desk. I'm sure that will shave some pounds off of you.

Hard Working Mom

2008-03-15T19:37:00.001-07:00

If you were to give yourself an award for all of your hard work, what would it be? For example, say you wanted to receive some recognition and you thought engraved plaques of some kind would do the trick. What would the engraved plaque say? Would it say "great listener" or "Super Mom" or "Thank You for ALL That You DO?"

I was thinking about that just now since I am feeling a little under appreciated and I came up with something simple, "Hard Working Mom." I get up early, I cook, I clean, I own and operate a home business with several divisions, I handle most of the financial recording, I give lots of loving to my very beautiful children and husband. It's hard having all of these hats! As my mom would say, That's What Being a Mom and Wife is all about!

I guess....

Search Engine Rankings

2008-03-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I'm working on my model ship site and that I have decided to try out Yahoo Sponsored Search Marketing to see if it will boost my sales? Maybe not, but that's one of the things I'm doing to see if I can improve my conversion ratio. The amount of visitors that come to my site has steadily increased since I published the site last year. However, it's been a tough climb.

The reason I like this site so much is because I really like the products. They are so neat. I mean, I like other types of products, like truck accessories or Hella products, but I can't see myself having a passion for those products. My heart wouldn't be into it. On the other hand, selling model ships is a really neat thing to do. Sales haven't really increased much since last year, but the site does hold its own. I have already made enough with that site to be in profit even with the Yahoo Search Marketing plan in place.

As far as that goes, I'm still not really happy with the results, but it hasn't even been a week in yet. My partner says I have to give it at least a month to see whether it will work for me or not. Do you have experience with PPC campaigns and have you been successful? Please let me know. I'd like lots of comments on this.

Fitting Everything into 24 Hours

2008-03-12T14:39:00.001-07:00

I have been seriously working on trying to fit everything I have to do into 24 hours a day, seven days a week. How did I ever think I could have as many websites and blogs as I have. It's crazy! On top of that, I've been working on this new weight loss blog, I've been working on corporate and personal income taxes, I've been completing a 3 hour/day intern program on internet marketing. Do you think my plate is full?

All of this is work related, but then there is the fact that I have a household to maintain, clothes to wash, dishes to clean, babies to clean and keep fed and well loved, a husband who isn't very demanding, but still. It's enough to burn myself out, right?

Well, I'm doing it until I can't anymore. That's my attitude. All it takes is good scheduling and that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to get a schedule together and try my best to stick to it. Otherwise, I think I'll go crazy!

Finally Published New Website

2008-03-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

I finally published that new website I have been mentioning for the last year. It's amazing that almost a whole year has gone by since I started working on it, but it's now online and I am feeling very positive about the new addition to our family business. The new site still needs a lot of work, SEO, context, etc., but the fact that it's live will now allow me to work with it in a more productive way.

Now what should my next site feature? Well, I have been hearing a lot of people going into the health industry, selling health and beauty products, mineral makeup, bath and body stuff, but I've always feared selling something that someone is allergic to and then being sued. I'm not that daring.

Anyway, I wanted to report the news. Lots of work ahead on this new site and on the ones I already have up and running. I remember when I first started this blog. I had no real direction and didn't clearly understand how I could make a living by having an online presence. Now I am a full fledge business woman and I'm proud to share the fact that if I can do it, so can you!

My Router is Cracking Up!

2008-03-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

I recently subscribed to the highest DSL speed that my phone carrier had to offer and along with that subscription came this very cool modem/router. I had a separate modem and a Linksys router and they worked beautifully together most of the time, but I was guaranteed that this new one would work better and afford me more networking capabilities. So I agreed to get the new equipment and had it installed. Guess what!

It worked momentarily and, in fact, still works. The problem is that it keeps shutting down and resetting. It's like it has a mind of its own. Well, I called to complain about this on at least three occasions. Considering that my entire entrepreneurial situation is online, I cannot afford to have a modem/router that keeps shutting down.

Solution? They were nice enough to send me another one, so that's what I will be doing tomorrow. I just got the new modem/router and tomorrow I will make an attempt to install it without my hubby. On the other hand, tomorrow is Friday, so maybe I'll wait for the weekend. Now all I need is a mobile router. Any recommendations?

My Refrigerator Broke

2008-03-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

I don't know how it happened or when, but my refrigerator broke from one day to the next. I had my family over for dinner this past weekend and we just had a great time. The refrigerator was working. I know it was, because we cooked for the better part of the day and then ate. Afterwards, the left overs were placed, as usual, in the fridge. What happened from Saturday night to Sunday morning, I don't know, but I woke up and feared that all of my food was going to spoil if I didn't keep the doors closed.

I had to wait until Monday to get it serviced. What did I really want to do besides worry? I wanted to go away, like in that commercial where the lady says, "Calgon, take me away!" Well, happily, my refrigerator eventually got fixed, but in the meantime, I was looking into places like Costa Rica or some other far away place that would do the Calgon thing for me. I thought about visiting that new hotel in Vegas that I heard about. The name is something like Tahiti Oasis or some other name that is suppose to make you feel like you are being taken away from it all.

Anyway, getting to making money online, don't you feel like that sometimes? Don't you fell like you've been typing away, SEOing away, blogging away, whatever... and you just want to take a break and get away from it all? Well, I'm going to post a Billy Joel song that I know you will enjoy in my next blog. I'm not posting it here, because I have to look through my notes to make sure I get the right song. Anyway, stay tunned!

Movie Night - First Knight

2008-03-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

I just finished watching two really great movies, one of the Superman movies with Christopher Reeves and a Richard Gere flick called First Knight. Watching movies like those are like being in a wine of the month club. They're old enough and just right for pulling out of the cellar when you want to see a really great film with an old twist to it.

Since I knew the ending of both movies, I figured I wouldn't really be intrigued, but like with any great film, no matter how many times you watch them, they still move you in some way. That's how I felt about First Knight. I was saddened by the betrayal of King Arthur. I was excited when Lancelot would try to pull in Guinevere. The taste of the movie, like a fine wine, was exquisite!

Painting a Home is Exhausting!

2008-02-23T20:25:00.001-08:00

I feel like my arm has been on an elliptical machine. It's been overworked and underpaid. I just painted my entire home and although it's beautiful, I just can't appreciate it. I've been painting since this morning. I will be better in the morning, but for now, my hands can barely type and I am exhausted. I have absolutely done my exercise for the day - for the week. At least my arm muscles have been worked out to completion. Sadly, because I needed some comfort food, I broke my diet restrictions today. I'll do better tomorrow. Until then...

On the Verge of a New Website

2008-02-23T20:21:00.001-08:00

Have you ever worked so hard on a website, but it just wasn't ready to publish even though you want to publish it really badly? That's where I'm at now with a new website that I've been trying to complete for about a year now. Instead of working on the finishing touches, my brain is so fried that all I can do is look for Kohls coupons online. Well, not only am I planning on completing the finishing touches this weekend. I'm also going to publish it. Omg! Is it really going to happen? I know this is not my typical post, but I'm too delirious for words! I'll be going to sleep now. Bye!

Winter Still Here - Can't Wait for Spring!

2008-02-17T18:45:00.000-08:00

Winter is still here, although it's seems to be getting a little warmer in some parts of the country. I talk about this because I have family in the North even though I live here in Sunny South Florida. I actually lived up north for over six years. I'm talking about this because at the beginning of this month, things really were looking up for my internet business, but this past week was the pits, so I'm feeling like talking about something other than making money online! I mean, I could talk about Emu Australia and these really cool winter boots I saw that I think I'd buy if I were living in some winter place. Did you notice a dip in your internet sales last week?

I don't know if it's just lack of marketing or what, but I certainly did much better this same time last year. I hear that the economy is really stinking lately and that for even the bigger companies, sales are down. Do I have to like it. NO WAY! I'm going to resolve from this week coming forward to really buckle down and get my fourth website up and running. I also have in mind to revamp two of my three current website. It's always good to take off the products that are not working for you and trying for something fresh and new.

Are you too going to do some spring cleaning?

I need Peace!

2008-02-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

A few posts ago, I said that February was looking up and it still is! Business is doing exactly what I expected for the month of February. It could always do better, but I could always do more to get it to do better too! Do you feel like you're in a rat race all the time? Do you notice how no matter how much you organize your day, the hours seem to slip away anyway. That's the way I feel sometimes.

It's like I just can't get enough done to where I feel satisfied and, on top of that, something always seems to come up that makes you veer off your plan. I like being spontaneous just as much as the next person, but being organized is what gives me the most peace of mind. That being said, I've been attempting to get so much done, but time is escaping me. I plan on building a new website, entering new products into my current websites, and updating inventory stats on out of stock products and back in stock stuff. That last one is a never ending "to-do" on my to-do list.

Oh, I hear it now...taking a trip to visit one of those beautiful Branson rentals in Missouri. It is just gorgeous over there. I've never been there, but every now and then, when I want to escape, I go looking for different places that I'd like to visit if I ever had the time or money. Missouri is one of those places. Why? Because it's a place where I'm not right now and, as I said, have you seen how beautiful that State is?

Maybe if I hire someone, things will be a little more tranquil and I can take myself up on these imaginary vacation plans. As it is though, I haven't given hiring someone much thought, because I'm afraid that one day I might not be able to pay them. I know that's a negative way of looking at my future online, but for now, things do look very nice. Maybe I should just go ahead and jump...officially become an employer. Hmmmm!!!!

Taxes and Deductions

2008-02-04T12:22:00.001-08:00

I know that tax season is on everyone's mind now that we're in the month of February. My accountant is saying that I need to have all my paperwork in by the end of this month so that they can meet the deadlines imposed on us by the Big Guys. So, are your ducks in a row? Are your T's crossed and your I's dotted? I am almost all set, but I'm working on my business expenses and other deductions.

I have decided that I'm going to keep a running tally on a daily or weekly basis from now on so that I don't have to go back and figure things out at the end of the year. I'm not saying I don't use a good accounting program, but I'm talking about all those little things like mileage and charity donations to places like the Good Will.

Speaking of which, did you know you could donate car and it could be tax deductible? If you didn't know that and you've donated a car, make sure to look into that. It could be a hefty deduction for some. Not only are these types of donations good for your tax deductions, but companies like Car Angel (www.carangel.com) use your donations, cars and other types of donations, to make videos for kids and teens and have given away over 2.4 million videos? Check out this Video: Money raised is used to make the videos!

But I digress, going back to keeping an eye on my spending, just keeping a running tally will make this receipt headache so much better. I have started an excel sheet for all of my receipts. I have decided to break it up by month since I still don't do a lot of spending. I mean, I have an online business with no inventory, so I can't justify too much spending in terms of office supplies/office equipment, etc. The point is that before I put my receipt in my receipt box, I'm going to jot the information down on my excel sheet. That way I won't have to go through my box next year. I don't know why I didn't think of this before. I guess I'll just chalk it up to lack of experience and being too busy.

How do you keep your finances organized?

January Slump - February Looking Up!

2008-02-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

January was pretty much a slump month in sales. The quantity was good, but the quality, meaning profit margin per sale was not like last January, so I'm pretty much in the red for this month, but February is looking up. I think I'm going to have to hold off on buying that outdoor furniture I was looking at a Home Depot.

Well, I have to do some spring cleaning anyway and buying more furniture is just going to add to the clutter. Make your February count. Do all you can to promote your sites. I'm planning on adding a new product line and a new website to my multiple income stream. What's in your plans?

Preparing for Another Busy Month

2008-01-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

By now, you should have already prepared for Valentine's Day and are now preparing for the following special day of the year. It's a given that companies who prepare in advance usually come out on top as opposed to those companies who seem to float along waiting for their next big sale. Are you of the first variety or the second.

During the month of January I took some time to recover from fourth quarter of 2007. I was truly burned out and didn't even want to think about websites and sales and money. Yup, even money. That's how burned out I was. Now that I'm refreshed, I'm back in the game, but I know my February isn't going to be the great month it should be because I'm the only one in my small business, so if I'm down, then the business just has to float until I can get back up.

The nice thing about it though is that I did make money this month and I did reach my goal on the number of sales I expected to make compared to last year January. That's the beauty of having an online store. So, I continue to urge you to make money online by creating an e-commerce website. Find out all you can about what that entails and go for it! You can do it. You can sell cufflinks or shoes. It doesn't matter. Just open your store and work hard to get the money flowing. You won't regret it.

Taking that Business Trip

2008-01-26T08:26:00.001-08:00

I mentioned in a previous post that I was planning a business trip to mover NYC so that I could take advantage of some of the miles I've accumulated on my business credit card, but it's not going to happen. December was so stressful and January, with preparing for the tax season, has been just as stressful. If I add a trip in February to all that stress, even if I am going to the Toy Fair or one of these other expos, it's just going to be too much. So, I think I'll put it off for sometime in the middle of the year when I'm a little more sane.

Maybe I have to have this more planned out. I've never really taken a business trip before. January '08 has been just as slow as I predicted, maybe even slower. I'll have to see after crunching all of the numbers. I don't think I should spend the money. Yep. I'm good with postponing the business trip.

Tax Returns, Lions and Bears - Oh My!

2008-01-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to prepare your tax returns yet? It seems like I've been working on organizing my paperwork, I mean really organizing it, since December. It's almost the end of January already and I know I'm still not done. The major stuff is done, like bank reconciliations and data entry for all expenses, etc., but there are a few straggling numbers that I have to get out of my head and into the books.

Preparing for this year's tax season, I read that you could actually get a tax right off on certain green products. Did you know that? I guess I should be more conscious about how eco-friendly the products I use are, but I just am not. I know that I buy printer paper that is sometimes recycled paper, but that's about it. Maybe that should be another New Year's resolution of mine.

So, going back to taxes, are you ready?

Home Networking Dilemma

2008-01-20T16:19:00.000-08:00

The last month and a half has been a big headache. Our home networking system has always worked just so so. The DSL line is wonderful while I'm using my desktop and has given me relatively little problems since I signed up for DSL over two years ago.

However, after purchasing a laptop last year along with a router so that I could jump on my DSL line while using my laptop, the connection has been a little hit or miss. For the most part, I can use my laptop just about anywhere in my home, no problem. It's just that it's not smooth. Sometimes it works great and sometimes it doesn't. With an online business and especially during the past busy quarter, it was frustrating to say the least.

I'm not talking about needing some specialized Cat 5 cable, but I would like to have a home networking system that won't skip out on me when I'm trying to watch the kids and work at the same time. The best thing about a laptop for me is that I can use it in the living room, in the baby room, anywhere, but if I can't get online, there's just no point to having it. Well, after talking to the phone company about this problem, I just found out that I'm due for an upgraded modem that has a router built into it.

Over the past week, I've been using this new modem and I'm pretty happy with it so far. Well, that's one of the many dilemmas I have plans to fix over the next coming days and weeks.

Hard to Get Back to the Grind!

2008-01-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

I haven't been getting the benefit of sleeping on my own mattress for about two weeks now. My daughter has a bed in her room that is relatively comfortable, but it's just not like my own bed. My bones know about this change since they've been creaking and aching more than usual. That could also be because I haven't started my diet yet. I've been pigging out knowing that once all the family is gone, I'll be leaving all the rich foods behind. Oh well, that's Life, right?

Anyway, I've also put working on my websites off for another week or so. I can't wait to get back to the grind, but since my dad is a CPA and he's been visiting, I've got to take advantage of his expertise so I've been working on my taxes, can you believe it? I know I'll be one step ahead of the rest come February. I guess that's the hardest part of being a stay at home mom/business owner. You just can't be everything at every time. There are always too many hats to wear. The time will come though, when things will be more automated and I will not have to wear so many hats. Mark My Words!

Investing - Part of Your Multiple Income Stream

2008-01-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

I'm once again on a mission to create another website to add to my already growing empire of websites. Yes, o.k. three websites isn't exactly an empire, but four is one more website closer to one. I think I've decided on what I will be selling and I even have suppliers. Now it's just a matter of time before I have an additional income stream.

At one point, I had considered, just briefly, coming off line and focusing on something like rental property investment, but having an e-commerce store just seems so much easier to handle, don't you think? So, what are your plans for adding to your income stream?

Promotions and Sales

2007-12-29T04:52:00.000-08:00

What are some of the things you learned about having your website up during the holiday season? Did you have a good run? One of the things I learned was that people love getting something for free. The promotion that I ran last holiday season was such a success that I tried it again this year and was extremely happy with the results. I ran a "Free Gift" giveaway for everyone who purchased over $50 in merchandise. On my websites that is so easy to do it almost goes without saying.

What was the "free gift?" I gave away custom printed calendars along with a few other things depending on which website they patronized. These calendars have our company information along with a "thank you" and I believe that goes a long way to getting some word of mouth advertising in the near future, if not for next year.

So, I did give away some of our profit in running this campaign, but I gained so many more customers that it was well worth it. On that note, what promotions or sales did you run? And what were the benefits to your business?

Three and Half More Days Left of 2007

2007-12-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you are of the same mind as I am on starting your diet, but I'm looking at the last three days of 2007 as the end of my eating craze. On January 1st, I'm going to try my utmost to become a better eater, better drinker (more water, less juice) and more healthy person all around. How about you? Yes, yes! I know! This is a promise we make to ourselves every New Year. Well, so what! Why not try to stick to your guns this year?

On that note, as you must know, there are a whole bunch of dieting methods from the Atkins diet to the South Beach diet, to taking diet pills, hydroxycut, etc. etc. etc. Whatever you choose to do, be sure to visit your doctor. It is even recommended that you see your doctor before exercising too. The whole point is to stay healthy or become healthier. Don't kill yourself!

Happy dieting and before January 1st, happy eating! :-)

New Year - New Hobby

2007-12-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

Now that the Christmas rush is pretty much over, I have had a little time to think on some of the things I'd like to do this coming year. It's nice to think of the new year as a way to start off fresh and to become a better person, wife, husband, lover, environmentalist, etc. What have you, you can start as if yesterday is definitely the past and tomorrow is what you will make of it now.

For example, the other day I was walking around a store and came upon a whole bunch of bird feeders. I thought, hmmm...that might be a nice hobby, bird feeding, even taking out a moment or two to watch the birds. I don't have a really big place, so I don't know how appropriate a hobby like bird watching/feeding is, but where there's a will, there's a way, right?

So, on that note, what will you be focusing on this coming year, besides business, making money and the like?

Take a Break! Holiday Rush Almost Over!

2007-12-20T03:40:00.000-08:00

So the holiday rush is just about over. It's Thursday, December 20th and if a person is not willing to pay for expedited shipping, then they won't be able to buy online unless the product they are looking for is being shipped from the State they live in or there abouts. WOW! That was a full sentence. It's been one hectic month and I am ready to just lounge! Aren't you?

So, on the note of lounging, I have this great lay back recliner that, to me is better than the best of home theater chairs. It's almost like laying down in a bed while watching t.v. Now I know that doesn't help towards the lose weight goals I have in mind, but I think I deserve to just sit and veg out, if you will, while sitting in my favorite chair. My son and daughter call it the "thinking chair" since it reminds them of the chair in Blues Clues. It's better than the thinking chair though. Anyway, what are you going to be doing over the next two weeks? Are you taking a break?

Exercise Equipment

2007-12-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

How many of you are thinking about buying new exercise equipment to follow up on one of your New Year's Resolutions? I've done it too many times over and end up having more equipment and more fat at the end of the year. What do you say we make a pact. You and I will actually use the equipment we already have, the diet books we've already purchased and the running shoes we never wear starting January 1st...o.k. January 2nd. Is it a deal? I'm so ready to lose weight.

I get disgusted with having more than one chin and it seems like more than one belly. I know what I want to look like. I just gotta get up off of my lazy butt and do something about it. Remember to visit your doctor to get a complete physical before you start any exercise program. You don't want to become sick or anything. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors!

Last Shipping Day Coming Up.

2007-12-15T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well, we're at the mid-mark of December and at the absolute peak of the online shopping season. I say peak since shipping determines peoples' willingness to buy in order to receive purchases by Christmas. UPS, Fedex and DHL all seem to be open on Christmas Eve, so Monday might be the last day for shipping via ground shipping. If you have been busy up to this point this month and this entire holiday buying season, then you are sure to be busy this coming Monday, December 17th. Shipments from West to East Coast are still possible by Christmas Eve.

That being said, if you have a real estate franchise or other type of service oriented business, then that's a different story. So, have you been busy? I certainly have and I'm actually looking to slowing down a little. I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I don't welcome the business. It's just that I'm basically the only one running my little home business. My husband helps, but I do all the ordering, shipping, organizing, bookkeeping, communicating with customers. I'm a one-woman show and I've just about worn my candle out on both ends. On the other hand, I expected business to pick up at this time of year, so I am grateful it's been good thanks to online shopping!

Until next time....

Dealing with Fraud

2007-12-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

There are always fraudsters around looking for a weak spot or someone to take advantage of. In fact, at this time of the year, fraudsters are out in full swing. I should know since I have been hoodwinked. I can't say that I wasn't warned, but it had never happened to me before, so I wasn't watching for the signs. I was so upset about it that I actually considered closing up shop and moving somewhere, like maybe buying some Wilmington NC real estate or maybe going to Mars. Speaking of signs, what are they?

One of the things I have learned in having a merchant account is that if your customer is shipping to a different address other than the billing address on their credit card, you are not protected as a merchant if they decide to do a charge back. That in itself is a bummer since practically 60-70% of online purchases are sent as a gift to someone other than the purchaser. What I have been trying to find out is whether merchants can get some type of insurance for credit card fraud, something to protect the merchant.

So, speaking of different billing/shipping addresses, it has been suggested that three things match when verifying a credit card. You should make sure the address matches, the zip code matches and the 3-digit verification code on the back of Visa, Master Card and Discover cards match. For American Express, the CVV code is the four digits on the front of the card above the actual credit card number.

If any of these three qualifiers does not match, then it is time to find out why. It may be something as small as the customer putting in a typo, but it could also be fraud. One thing a small business, especially a small business that is just getting off the ground, wants to avoid is having to take a loss for fraudulent transactions. It is a real bummer. Not only are you losing out on the charge back, you will more than likely be charged a fee from the merchant company that provides you the privilege of processing credit cards. You will also have lost out on the actual product. It will have been sent to the shipping address and the person on the receiving end may or may not be a part of the scam.

In my case, the receiver seems to be part of the scam, but there is no proof. The police are still investigating and the verdict is not in yet. In the meantime, I have a black mark on my merchant account now.

So, keep these few things in mind when accepting credit cards. There is a lot of education on the internet about this. Look before you leap. Get to know your rights as a merchant and protect yourself, sometimes even at the cost of losing a sale. In the long run, it's better to make money than to have fraudsters use you and your website as their playground.

Cell Phones and Business Lines

2007-12-07T06:28:00.000-08:00

I have been using my cell phone as a business line for my websites since it seems to be the most cost effective. However, I've been wondering whether there is a better solution to the need for a phone number for my business calls. For example, one of the things that I notice happens all the time with my cell phone is that if I'm sitting next to my computer, the call will just disconnect right in the middle of taking an order. That's a total bummer. Sometimes I can get away with it since the customer was using their cell phone and they think it's their line that was disconnected. Other times, I have to call them right back on my land line, but that just interrupts the whole flow of the order taking.

So, I've been thinking of looking into getting a phone number through the phone company, just for business calls. What have you done? Now that the business has picked up, I think we can afford a business phone number, but I hate thinking that I could just as well go on using the cell phone. In fact, I get many business calls when I'm out of the office, so having the cell phone is a good thing. Maybe my issue is more related to fiber optic cables and their relation to having smooth phone service. Anyway, now that we're at the peak of the holiday buying season, I'm thinking of next year and some of the ways that I can improve my way of doing business.

What would you recommend?

Crazy Week!

2007-12-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

I've been extremely busy over the last few days and weeks and I'm happy for it. On the other hand, I think I'm getting addicted to getting as many sales as I have been getting these past few months. When January comes around and sales go down, I think I'm going to need addiction treatment. Last year at this time, I wasn't prepared for the amount of sales I generated, but this year I'm ready!

So, how have you been doing? How did you prepare for the holiday season crunch? What would you do differently next time around?

Going to Fairs Related to Your Industry

2007-11-29T11:26:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about going to the Toy Fair in movers New York next year. I'm in the toy business and it seems like a write off I can justify. It also seems like it would be a new and exciting experience. Have you ever thought of going to an industry related fair or seminar? Well, if not, it might be a good thing to do. It's good in the sense that you can educated yourself and on your business' dollar. You can build some social networking skills and maybe even make some connections to drum up even more business. The way I see it, it's great business sense for everyone involved. So what do you think?

Company Fringe Benefits

2007-11-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

So I think I mentioned that my husband wants me to think about adding him as an employee of our company so that he can get benefits. He feels it is a good idea just in case he decides to change jobs. What benefits can we afford right now? Relatively none, but we were thinking about looking into health insurance. I don't think we could afford to get a term life insurance quote, but perhaps health insurance is doable.

That's the beauty of owning your own company. You can decide how to spend the profits. It's not all about paying yourself monetarily, but benefits wise too. On top of that, I believe your benefits are tax deductible. How about that!

Best Time of Year!

2007-11-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

Isn't this just the best time of year! It's great for retailers and e-tailers, because the money is steadily flowing in. I'm not trying to be focussed only on money, but that was the reason for this post. Business is just booming! It can always be better, but I am satisfied. How about you?

I remember once when I went to this Arizona bed and breakfast with my uncle, who lives in Arizona. It was up near Lemon mountain. I think that was the name of the mountain. The trees were just gorgeous and the streams flowing through the mountain were enough to make you want to remember your maker. I mention this experience, because that was when I was eleven and life was so much more simple. Now, I have to worry about where the money is going to come from to pay for bills and necessities. I can't take for granted the blessings I am experiencing since opening up my online shops.

It's amazing what a year can bring with a little bit of effort and a whole lot of motivation. So, I'm here to say that you can DO it! I did!

Are You Busy?

2007-11-21T07:08:00.001-08:00

So, are you busy? Is having a business online bringing you lots of surprises this gift giving season? I remember my first holiday season being in business. That was only last year. I can tell you that things were rather crazy, but my husband and I were ecstatic about the results. The business we received was somewhat unexpected since we were our one website had only been live for a few months. I mean, I guess we weren't as busy as the big fortune 500 companies, but for a start up business, I'd say we made most of the money we invested in the company back in the first year.

So, what do you sell? Is it a very popular item or somewhat nichey? Do you sell watches like the famous D&G watch? Or are you more of a pedal car person like myself. I find that things that aren't usually attractive throughout the year sell pretty nicely at this time of year. This is the time when people buy things just to buy them. Some people really put a lot of thought into the gifts they give, but many people don't. Do you find that to be true?

Anyway, I hope you are busy with your online busienss. Just remember to give yourself a break every now and again.

Return Policy

2007-11-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

I have been in business for going on two years now and have come across many different kinds of products, good and not so good. What do I mean? Well, sometimes customers call you about their great experience with something they purchased from you and other times they call about something they bought from you that turned out to be a total disappointment. When that happens what do you do?

It is extremely important to have a well thought out, covering all basis, return policy. It is also extremely important that you be clear on where you stand when an item is damaged or simply not to the customer's liking. It's not like when customers pay for beach weddings or funerals. I mean, I'm talking about minor things like, the color is just not what I expected or I've changed my mind.

So what kind of return policy do you have? Is it manufacturer based or have you built a policy from scratch to cover all basis?

Weight Watching

2007-11-17T05:22:00.000-08:00

So what are you doing to watch your weight these holidays? Is it a struggle as usual, what with all the holiday parties and family gatherings already in full swing? I need to get out my treadmill and do some serious walking. It usually does the trick for me, but lately, I've been thinking about getting one of those elliptical things. Either way, I must do something. Watching what I put in my mouth would be ideal, but it just seems impossible these days. Right! Right! Nothing is impossible, especially if you put your mind to the thing, mind over matter, if you will. Anyway, as usual, exercise is on the menu for my future. What about you?