EveryJoe » eBusiness

Free Resource for Boosting Your eBay Profits

Kristen King — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:36:44 +0000

(www.bizchicksrule.com) — Suzanne over at eShopOwner.com is a powerseller with more than 15,000 eBay sales to her name. Here at Biz Chicks Rule, we had a great guest post from her back in May as part of Bridget’s regular Fri-Deas feature. In June, we welcomed her to the b5media family. And now, Suzanne is giving away a free e-book on what to buy at thrift stores to make a tidy profit on eBay. All you have to do to get a copy is follow this link and leave a comment on that post. Bing, bam, boom, Suzanne will send you the book!

Do you sell your products on eBay? How has it worked for you?

(image: Newscom)

Tags: womens business blog, women, woman, business, suzanne wells, eshopowner, powerseller, ebay, thrift store, profit, make money online, ebook, free, resource, how to, biz chicks rule, kristen king

Post from: EveryJoe

Free Resource for Boosting Your eBay Profits

The Why Business Question

Bridget Wright — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:18:33 +0000

Shai over at Just Make Money Online today poses a business question that we’ve all asked ourselves a time or two. Or, perhaps we should consider the question if we’re online business owners.

Why Do You Want To Make Money Online?

Today is Open Mic Monday, so head on over there and give us your reasons why you do this thing called Internet Business. See you over there!

Post from: EveryJoe

The Why Business Question

Why I Love Homestead for My Business Website

Kristen King — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:54:56 +0000

I’ve noticed that Homestead ads are now running on this here blog, and I wanted to just throw out my two cents about this fine company. I’ve been using Homestead for my freelance writing business website since 2004, and they are hands down the best and easiest website solution I’ve found. They are not, however, the cheapest, but I have found the quality to be well worth the extra couple of bucks a month it costs over, say, a pre-packaged template that comes with your computer or (heaven forbid) a free Tripod website.

Here’s what I like about Homestead:

You don’t need to know any HTML/CSS/etc. to make a killer website.
Everything is drag and drop.
It’s very intuitive.
Their support is super responsive.
They offer a variety of pricing plans and design options (ie, they will let you do it yourself or you can pay them to do it for you.)
They give you a 30-day free trial.
They have a great affiliate program, to which I do belong.

Here’s what I don’t like about Homestead:

They don’t work with my Mac.
They don’t currently support Wordpress.
That’s it.

My recommendation? If your business needs a website, and YES, your business NEEDS a website, check out the 30-day free trial. You literally have nothing to lose. Seriously. Check it out.

Tags: women and business, women in business, small business website, website providers, homestead reviews, should i use homestead, are free websites good, how do i make a business website, what should i use for my website, biz chicks rule, kristen king

Post from: EveryJoe

Why I Love Homestead for My Business Website

Thoroughly Modern Thursday: Online Image for Women in Business, Redux

Kristen King — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 04:28:32 +0000

Earlier this year, we talked about the importance of having a strong Internet persona when you’re looking for a job. After all, in our perpetually connected society, chances are good that someone will be Googling you in the near future. Perhaps you’re being Googled right now! (Oooo, spooky…)

Blogging and Business posted last week on managing your online reputation with some great tips from an online reputation manager. Who knew there was such a thing? Here are some of the suggestions:

Use your own name — URLs, user names, etc. — so no one else can.
Write about yourself in the third person for better search engine rankings.
Don’t say things you might regret in an online environment.

Read more at Business and Blogging, and leave your tips in the comments right here at Biz Chicks Rule!

(photo via SXC.hu)

Tags: women in business, woman, business, advice for businesswomen, career advice for women, improve your online reputation, internet image, online branding

Post from: EveryJoe

Thoroughly Modern Thursday: Online Image for Women in Business, Redux

A Must-Read: What Men Don’t Tell Women About Business

Bridget Wright — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:23:02 +0000

My husband and I tried to start a business together many, many years ago. When computers were new and all the rage and the internet was making its debut, he and I decided to custom build, sell and design computers for consumers. I would handle the administrative side of the business and he would handle the technical and physical side. We layed out a business plan, developed short and long-term goals for the business in addition to other things and we were set for business.

Only thing, was that my darling husband and I simply could not get along. He didn’t accept my ideas, I didn’t accept his. We could not agree on anything; supplies, office furniture, not even what color to paint the walls. So, not only did we nix our husband-wife team business, but he went on to start a separate business in computer consulting that turned out to be quite successful. Why couldn’t we make beautiful business together?

I found this post on Susan’s site at Women on Business and thought it quite interesting. Here are some things the book will tell you:

To some extent, business is still a man’s world; here’s how to play the game by their rules-and win:

1. Know what the average Alpha Male is thinking

2. Learn 10 things you need to know about men in business

3. Force men to take you seriously

4. Stop self-sabotage with male colleagues

5. Get all the credit you deserve

6. Be more confident and effective

7. Learn to take charge and lead

8. Never make excuses for failures

9. Keep secrets-it’s vital

10. Never bring personal issues to the office

11. Gain credibility and trust with Alphas

12. Never look for affirmation openly

13. Effectively deal with condescending or disrespectful men

14. Understand why being “nice” gets you nowhere

I think I’ll order this book today and add it to my library immediately. Maybe my husband and I can re-think this business partnership and make it work. I’ll let you know.

Post from: EveryJoe

A Must-Read: What Men Don’t Tell Women About Business

Relaxed Grammar – Using Correct Grammatical Usage In Business Meetings

Bridget Wright — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:08:34 +0000

Was that title right?

When we are in business meetings, either online or offline, it’s important to be grammatically correct. Is it correct to say I’ve got or is it I have got?. What about kind of…is that acceptable? What do you think of somewhere up here? That was what a team leader really said during a business meeting when referring to a flow chart!

Correct grammatical usage of words during a meeting and in our everyday lives can a challenge. Especially for those who perhaps do not have a “business” job or are in a relaxed environment so slang or poor grammar are “acceptable.”

What do you think about relaxed grammar? Is it acceptable online? Should we take note of it at ALL TIMES?

I just ordered the “For Dummies” series on grammar. I’ll read it and letcha…I mean let…you know.

Post from: EveryJoe

Relaxed Grammar – Using Correct Grammatical Usage In Business Meetings

Predictions for 2008’s Top Technologies

Kristen King — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:30:21 +0000

The votes are in, and BBC News reports that the top 5 technologies predicted to go big in 2008 are…

The web to go – Ubiquitous, mobile Internet connectivity
Ultra mobile PCs – The power of a PC in the convenience of a PDA-size device, or close to it
IPTV – Internet protocol (IP) television, rather than cable or satellite, for instance
Wimax – High-speed broadband Internet delivered over a large distance
Mobile VoIP – Mobile Internet phone service, like Vonage for a cell phone

Would any of these technologies have an impact on your company or your career? How? Which are you most excited about? Leave a comment

Tags: women and business, woman, business, top technologies, web to go, ultra mobile PC, iptv, wimax, mobile voip!

Post from: EveryJoe

Predictions for 2008’s Top Technologies

Your Internet Image: Smoothing the Rough Spots and Creating a Positive Online Persona

Kristen King — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:30:27 +0000

When is the last time you Googled yourself? It sounds a little silly, but try it. Google your name. I’ll wait here.

Okay, I can see that you’re back now. What did you find? Are you listed at previous places of employment? Do you see activities and affliations from college? Maybe a few professional organizations? These are all good things.

But what else came up? One writing colleage confessed to me that she shares a name with an erotic writer whose website borders on pornographic. A design colleague revealed on his blog that someone with his same name was attemtping to piggyback on his search engine rankings. Others have been maligned by former coworkers and schoolmates, and some have been targeted by strangers.

Some folks make their own troubles online by posting inappropriate photos, tons of personal information (fights with your mom, your reproductive issues, a rant about that stupid boss of yours), or just not being online at all.

How can you start the new year off with a clean slate in the online world? It may not be possible to eradicate every piece of negative information about you online, but you can make a big difference with these 5 easy steps.

Delete your own content. That “secret” blog of yours probably isn’t as secret as you think. If you’re just using it to vent, switch to a paper journal, or something stored locally on your computer rather than online for all the world to see.
Remove incriminating photos. Yes, I’m sorry, but that shot of you stealing the office copier has to go. So do drunk photos, wild party photos, and and crazy make-out photos.
Say goodbye to MySpace. Even if your page is pristine, you can’t control what your friends are doing, and a great judge of a gal’s character is the company she keeps. Stay connected via e-mail, not comments, “friend”ships, and bulletins. (Others disagree with me, but I stand firm on this one.)
Request that your stuff be taken down. If you have content or photos that are potentially negative on a site you don’t control, contact the webmaster and ask that they remove it. Be sure to specify the exact conten and its location, and be very, very polite.
Set up a Google Alert for your name. Google will give you a free e-mail notification every time your name or your busines name appears online.

Keeping your ‘net nose clean is a good idea for both the self-employed and those working for others. Your potential clients and employers will inevitably check you out. Make sure they’re seeing what you want them to see!

If the results of your Google search were woefully slim, consider joining a professional networking site such as LinkedIn to get some career background information about yourself out there for the finding. You may also want to join an online forum or bulletin board in your area of expertise and post some helpful comments on a regular basis. Use your full name in your post signature line for best results. Just be cautious about engaging in harsh debates. What may seem witty when you first say it may turn into a head-slapper a few months down the line.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever found in your online image? Anonymous comments are completely acceptable for this one!!!

Addendum: Great minds think alike!

(photo via SXC.hu)

Tags: women and business, woman, business, online image, networking, career search, professionalism, myspace, linkedin, google

Post from: EveryJoe

Your Internet Image: Smoothing the Rough Spots and Creating a Positive Online Persona

Even the Queen of England Likes YouTube for Self-Promotion

Kristen King — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:07:12 +0000

I just had to laugh at this news headline:

Queen launches YouTube channel

Or course my first thought was the band, but turns out that they’re talking about Her Majesty the Queen of England. Who knew?

I can just imagine the lineup: 1, Queen waves that bizarre wave for 90 seconds; 2, Queen sits in throne and stares at camera for 90 seconds; 3, Queen kisses babies for 90 seconds… Actually, they’ll be broadcasting her annual speech as well as historical and current news footage on the channel, but still…

Am I the only one who thinks this is hilarious?

(photo via SXC.hu)

Tags: women and business, business, woman, queen of england, youtube

Post from: EveryJoe

Even the Queen of England Likes YouTube for Self-Promotion

Netscape No More

Kristen King — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 08:13:15 +0000

AOL is pulling the plug on development of Netscape Navigator, one of the original icons of the Web. It may not be specifically woman-related, but this is going to have an impact on businesses throughout the country and around the world as the Netscape holdouts have to change to another option and some businesses adjust their models to accommodate the shift.

Which Web browser do you use? Leave a comment.

Tags: women and business, woman, business, netscape, netscape navigator

Post from: EveryJoe

Netscape No More