Call For Submissions: Customer Service Carnivale!

Awhile back I started the Customer Service Carnivale which is often hosted at my customer service blog, Customers Are Always. Well, I thought I'd spice things up a bit by hosting the carnivale here next week. Just for a change in scenery ;) Do you have a customer service tip, story, or news to share with others? Heaven knows we could all use some help in the customer service department! Submit a post or article! Deadline for submissions is this Saturday, December 1st. You can submit anytime until midnight. Subscribe to Online Business Resources!

How BlogWorld Inspired Me

I realized that I never did a follow-up post on my trip to BlogWorld here, however, I did share some of my experiences over at Customers Are Always and The Runway Scoop. The big takeaway from that trip was the energy and inspiration that I got from other fellow bloggers. It's one thing to connect online via email, MySpace, Facebook, or whatnot, but it's another thing to connect face-to-face with someone. This is hard to do when you do have an online business and your customers are everywhere and around the world, but that's why you blog for business - so that you can connect on a more personal level. Michael Mattis of the Yahoo! blog shares some of the things he learned at BlogWorld. I would wholeheartedly agree that blogging has gone into prime time. What about you? Have you made it into prime time yet? Are you connecting with your customers with a blog? Subscribe to Online Business Resources!

Online Business: Easy and Less is Always More

Many apologies for the lack of posts here this month! I think I'm turning into one of those online business people that believes "less is more". After reading Leo Babauta's post, Haiku Blogging, over at Problogger, I know that my entrepreneurial life is evolving into a 4-day work week. It's an inspiring post and a recommended read if you feel overwhelmed by blogging! However, I do find that writing is thrilling again, so I felt compelled to post here to share some of my creative energy with y'all! During this time of year I usually start to feel that pressure to do more - especially since one of my online businesses is a retail business (jewelry, greeting cards, and gift items). This is supposedly the biggest quarter of the year in terms of sales and I like to have a decent-size inventory and selection. However, I'm learning that I don't have to work so hard or struggle to make those sales. No, this year I'm going with the easy button. How about you? What are your thoughts on "less is more" and the "easy button"? Discuss this post in the forum... Subscribe to Online Business Resources!

Business Week's "America's Best Young Entrepreneurs" Winners

Here's some weekend inspiration... I just came across this article at Business Week that features the winners of their third annual search for America's best young entrepreneurs. Who knew you could start a business that sells restaurant reservations?!?

How I Make Money By Blogging

One of the most common questions I get asked is, "How much do you make from blogging?" Well, I've always been taught not to talk about how much money I make. Besides, the figure is not so much important as that it pays the bills and I'm happy doing something that I love! That said, I would like to follow Darren Rowse's model of sharing with you my top blogging money-makers by rank. I will say that I reached an all-time high in October in terms of income and blog traffic. Hopefully this will keep you inspired and motivate you to keep blogging away ;) 1. Private Ad Sales - Lately many people have been finding my blogs through the search engines and are contacting me. These private ads are in the form of text link ads. 2. Blogging for Know More Media - This blog network pays me per post plus a portion of ad revenue. Would you like to blog for them too? Let me know and I'll put you in touch with the right person! 3. Google Adsense - As much as I complain about Google sometimes, I am thankful for Adsense ;) I have Adsense on all my blogs except for this one (testing BidVertiser). My income from this program continues to increase at least 10-20% each month 4. Ghost-blogging - I write blog posts for a lawyer from time to time. 5. Linkworth - I sell text link ads and sometimes do sponsored posts. They take 50% of my earnings, but that's ok because I don't have to use up my time searching for advertisers. 6. PayPerPost - Once in awhile I'll find an opportunity that will fit well with one of my blogs. The company is making strides to gain credibility in the arena of sponsored posts, so I'll probably stick around. 7. Amazon - There are so many ways I could integrate Amazon into my blogs and make more money. Their affiliate program has all these new, fun tools you can use to promote products. I just need to set aside some time to do it! 8. Misc. Affiliate Programs - I'm a member of many affiliate programs through Commission Junction, Linkshare, and others. If you liked this post, please consider making a donation... Discuss this post in the forum... Subscribe to Online Business Resources!

BlogWorld Expo 2007: Tired and Inspired

I literally just got back from Las Vegas where the first BlogWorld Expo took place, so please excuse the lack of posts the past week. I left the computer at home so I could just enjoy the expo! This was my first blog-related conference, so it was more about making connections and talking to people face to face versus sitting in front of a computer. Let me tell you, it took a great deal of will power not to take the computer. You know how Linus of Charlie Brown used to always lug that blanket around? That's how I used to be with my computer! There's so much to talk about regarding BlogWorld. The people, the scene, the rumors, the big announcements, fun, and inspiration! However, I'm about to fall over from lack of sleep, so all the scoop will have to wait until the next post! In the meantime, check out this funny video of Curb Stevens asking people on the streets of Vegas if they know what a blog is....

How To Be Truly Successful With Your Online Business

I love this post by Terry Dean titled 3 Characteristics of Winners. [via Working at Home on the Internet] The second characteristic Terry mentions that a successful online entrepreneur has - or anyone in business for that matter - is the ability to take action. Many people talk about starting a business, but very few actually follow through on their plans and actually take action. What are you doing right now - today - to get that much closer to starting that business? If you're still working full-time at your "day job", I know that it can be a challenge to take action. You get home from work and all you want to do is just relax and sit in front of the TV. However, if you even just took 30 minutes every day after work (or even before work like I used to!) and took one small step towards your goals, you would that much closer to being a successful online business owner instead of just being that someone Terry Dean mentions who is "working on their business". Terry wrote a follow-up post to the 3 Characteristics of Winners where he says: Take Action TODAY! I recall staying up until early morning to work on my online business when I still had my full-time job. I was so driven to leave that job that I did sacrifice a ton of sleep and weekend partying at the clubs - which was hard because I lived in the heart of downtown San Diego at the time! But I'm making up for all those sleepless nights because now I can sleep in everyday! Isn't that what you want to do? Tip: Hang up post-its around the house to remind you to take action! Affirmation: I take action towards my successful online business Related Posts: The One Thing Right Now You Can Do To Make Money Online Put Down That Remote! If you liked this post, please consider making a donation... Discuss this post in the forum... Subscribe to Online Business Resources!