I’ve been quite busy with a few things lately. Being a dad (trying to be a good one!) is certainly one thing that tops my list and no matter what will remain my number 1 priority!

There’s also a couple of projects that have taken so so much of my time in January, February, March and April. But I have made quite a bit of progress developing an idea that I’ve always had for an online business that would mostly cater to a local market.

Time is always one of my biggest challenges!

Something that’s been eating at me alot is the  fact that I’d been sitting on this idea for this particular online business for a long time. For a few years actually. There was a couple of times that I just dove into putting it together, but I always seemed to get bogged down in certain aspects of it.

At one point, I remember getting bogged down in the technical aspect. What would I use? There was functionality that I wanted to included and figured that maybe building it all myself would be the way to go because I could then make everything work exactly as I wanted. But then the “time factor” would come into play and I’d realize that I just don’t have time to code it myself.

I’d ponder what CMS I should use? Wordpress? Drupal?

Then I’d get all bogged down in thinking about learning how the code is structured…. using PHP alot more (which I was not quite proficient with at the time) and figured it would lead to the same equation…

There was another time I’d jumped in to this project and got bogged down in just how to organize the information. How to properly categorize. How to market and promote…

Again, listening to my own thoughts, the door was shut and the possibility that this business could bring was shut out by discouragement.

A different approach!

In an effort to not repeat past mistakes and/or past mistakes I made some realizations and also some changes to my approach.

I’d been meeting with a local business person whom I had done some work for. Through some brain storming sessions we had come up with an online business idea. This particular idea we had at first was not for a local market but something we could possibly develop as a world wide resource. The idea was good but there were many challenges. One aspect that seemed a bit challenging was making sure we could come up with enough good content to make it work and give people value on the site.

But it was an area that I was not quite knowledgeable in and one problem or challenge that I  saw was that we may struggle finding enough content. We had thought about getting local experts in the field to write some material, but then the immediate problem was how to properly compensate them starting up.

After a couple of discussions, I thought maybe I would invite this person in on my idea. As a partnership. I’d known him for a while and he had been in business for many years.

Thinking about it more…. we also had a varied skill set. I was and am much more “techy” and he seemed much better at steering the ship with getting the word out, marketing…etc.

When we chatted about it, he accepted and understood the concept. We both started getting pumped about getting this thing going.

So I’ve been making time for this project over the last few weeks. Wordpress was chosen as the platform to develop on and it the timing seemed right as so far in 2010 I’ve been in PHP full time.

The idea to go into this project with 2 heads instead of 1 was definitely the way to go and when we’ve met the few times we have to get ideas it’s moved along quite well. We’ve chosen tasks, we’ve both had ideas when it comes to marketing

Creating a website that generates an income source…. well, you can read a whole lot of stuff online about buying content generators and all that crap. But really, if you can make any money, it’s a fly by night affair. Building something, building something useful, that people will come to over and over again requires alot of work. Alot of planning.

It’s not any different than building a business of any other type. You’ve got to plan. You’ve got to spend hours thinking about your idea, evaluating your idea and refining it. And how your going to promote your idea…. and how exactly it will function! What’s your business model????

There are really very few instances where you can cut corners and create an income stream. If it were the case anyone could half heartedly do something and create wealth.

I’m working hard. Hope you are too!

If you’ve got an idea for an online business eating at you, take the chance to work towards realizing it. Otherwise, something you’ll sitting somewhere thinking about that idea.. and all the “what ifs”. Time waits for no one.

Peace.

I just finished upgrading this blog to the latest Wordpress release (2.9.1).

I usually do a little research just to see if anyone has any problems with their upgrades and while I certainly appreciate the automatic upgrade options for the Wordpress core and plugins I tend to be a little too paranoid to click the upgrade button.

I have before for very small plugins but I generally like being a bit more cautious because I have read about the odd person’s tale of woe… loosing a database or getting an internal server error message….etc.

My approach is usually what is reckomended.

1. Backup all your site’s files!
2. Backup your database!
3. I sometimes upload the wp-admin and wp-includes folders in temp spaces… and rename them when ready..
4. I disable all plugins
5. I check the config.php file to see if there are changes to make (very rarely does it need anything)
6. I then upload all root files (index.php etc..)
7. I rename the wp-includes and wp-admin folders..
8. Login to the admin…
9. Click to upgrade the DB as required
10. enable each plugin…. upgrade if required…

Voila!

I’ve rarely had a problem.

But I have made mistakes… and a few times I forgot one of the steps, like disabling the plugins. So in my debugging I found some helpful ressources, like this blog article on how to manually disable WordPress plugins using SQL. It may not be something that you want to try if you don’t have any experience in web development, SQL..etc.

The article is called “Quickly Disable or Enable All WordPress Plugins via the Database“

While it’s been a while since I’ve posted here it’s not because I haven’t been writing or following other blogs. I’ve had a few things happen in my personal life which took alot of my time away from this blog as well as others I currently have.

But I have managed to keep writing on a couple of them.

I thought I’d write a little piece on here about some more helpful ressources I’ve always found useful and enjoy.

One blog I’ve been following for some time has been Serradinho Blog which covers topics related to blogging… lot’s of stuff on Wordpress. The blog’s author George Serradinho also has lot’s of great free E-Books on affiliate marketing for download as well as a long list of Wordpress plugins.

I’ve also been enjoying the Blogussion site that focuses on Blogging. I’ve always found great tips on writing and blogging on that site. Lot’s of stuff on growing your blog and ultimately learning to become a better blogger.

Just thought I’d share a couple of things.

Something that I need to do is set a few goals and topics for this blog. It fell by the way side as I’ve been focused on my personal life and also writing on a couple of other blogs.

I’m convicted of that by simply writing this article…. time, effort and goals… all essential ingredients in developping a site. Part of my learning experience!!

Hope you are well!

Very recently I had been considering 2 different ad networks to see exactly what it was all about. One of those ad networks is Google Adwords and although I’ve read many articles about Adwords I’d never used any myself. So I thought it was a good time to jump in and try it out.

First off I’ve created one campaign for one blog. I used Google’s Keyword tool to help me with choosing a bunch of relevant keywords that were directly related to the blog’s topic.

After choosing numerous keywords, I found the steps to actually getting the ad campaign going were quite easy. I won’t go in detail about the steps to create an adwords campaign but will just say that it was very straight forward.

So far my ad has just been running for a couple of days and I’m just starting to look at the reports generated. I’ve found many of Google’s tools have become very valuable in different ways. Adwords seems like another one of those valued tools. Although I’m very new to Adwords I find the reports generated are pretty good.

My ad is simply a text based but I’m tempted to try a visual banner ad…

I also found this video that shows how you can use their templates. This video makes me want to try it out! Enjoy.

I’ve wondered this same thing.

Does the size of my website affect it Google rank? If I have 10000 pages vs 100 pages, will I rank higher?

Here’s a clip by Google Webmaster Central to give us an answer.

And of course, I would have to add that if you have 10000 pages and your blog has a regular readership then of course your chances of ranking higher are greater. Simply having a ton of content really means nothing in Google’s eyes. And thank God it is that way. Just imagine find a bunch of websites that are made simply to echo keywords. It would render search engines such as Google literally useless.

Seems like there’s always lots going on for me both in my personal life, work life and blogging life.

Been learning alot about the “ins and outs” of blogging, internet marketing, writing and also time management which is another challenge at times.

There are 3 areas I’ve been putting alot of effort into recently.

1. Writing on “my favorite blog”

I’ve started a couple of different blogs with various subjects that both interest me and that I know something about. One blog in particular has been much “easier” to write.

Although I love and am passionate about the topics of each of my blogs this one in particular I started about a year ago and just got serious about writing on it through the summer when I decided to learn more about blogging and how to develop them (blogs).

Some interesting doors have opened with this blog resulting in some very neat exposure. That may be another reason why motivation is quite high to keep writing on this one….

2. Still spending time reading

Some of my spare time (which I really haven’t had alot of) has been spent on research. I’m still following many blogs of various topics relating to blogging. From affiliate marketing to writing skills, the blog topics I’ve been following have been very beneficial.

I had also signed up for ShoeMoney’s 12 week Extreme Internet Marketing Program. It’s packed with tons of great information for anyone who has interest in internet marketing.

3. Building relationships with people who share these interests

I’ve been spending some time with people who share my interests both online and in person.

Building relationships with people, I’ve been learning alot. And there may be some great partnerships ahead.

Had a couple of brainstorming sessions with 2 different people about creating a few different sites of topics that we share interest and knowledge in. In some cases 2 or 3 heads can be better then 1!

Yesterday I read this great article by Yaro Starak’s blog “Entrepreneurs-Journey”.

I’ve been following Yaro’s blog for a couple of months now… really since I decided I wanted to learn about generating income online and how to develop websites/blogs.

There’s always a wealth of information on his website.

In this article “How Can You Make Passive Income Online?” he shares insight on a few important subjects.

One thing that I always get out of reading some of his articles is the importance on defining what it is that you want to develop. Like a business plan really. I had never thought of blogging that way before. On my personal blog I would often write about anything at all but since trying to do some of the things suggested by Yaro and others… I’ve created a more focused blog.

A big point in this article too is that I believe it to be of the soundest advice!

There’s no “make quick money”, “money for nothing”, “it’s so simple and easy”….

It’s important to be realistic about the internet.

Your audience can be HUGE online
- That doesn’t mean it’s a sure bet
- That doesn’t mean you’re not gonna have to learn
- That doesn’t mean you’re not not gonna have to spend hours working on your project
- That doesn’t mean that you’ll make millions

But at the same time, you very well succeed and make millions. Many do.

It’s important to be realistic

I’ve been self-employed and a small business owner for 3 years out of the last 5 and have had some success, at times it loooked VERY promising, at times it looked totally like it was gonna flop. I’ve had highs and lows both in business and my personal life in this time.

An online venture is no different.

My favorite quote from the article may sound bleak to some, but I take it as realist. And there’s a positive.

“Failure As A Path To Success”

To generate income online is much like creating a business and there’s a pretty high chance that it will require lot’s of time, thought, patience, effort, love, persistence…. and accepting failure or challenges as a learning experience.

Head up. So far in a couple of short months while I haven’t seen any real financial rewards for my efforts some very encouraging doors have opened for me… with the possibility of being a guest writer for a few other reputable blogs in certain “niches” and one of my blogs was recently mentioned on a radio show.

So following the simple steps I’ve learned from Yaro and others, doors have opened for me. This is still a hobby for me but I see that with work, time and effort…. anything is possible.

You can read Yaro Starak’s article “How Can You Make Passive Income Online?” here.
(Well worth the read!)

Since I started this blog which is about my experience in learning to be a better blogger and also learn to generate income online, I think I’ve come to a couple of conclusions.

1. I believe more then ever that creating a successful blog where you build a readership takes serious time and effort.

2. Starting with 1 may be a good idea

I picked 2 topics that I’m passionate about one of which I had begun writing about 10 months ago… so the idea was to try and better develop what I had started. After that it was work on my second blog.

As I started working on my second blog it came quite clear that to do each site justice requires time.

Writing material that’s worth reading takes effort and trying to get out there and participate in the blogging community also takes effort…. and a great deal of time.

So I’ve probably taken on a bit much to start with. Really, to be honest, sometimes I envision in my mind that things will happen much easier then they sometimes do… that might be a touch of nievity but it’s also a touch of inexperience when it comes to writing lots of content and connecting with people. Building my readership…. as I participate in readership on other people’s blogs.

My goal first and foremost is to develop these 2 particular blogs…. building readership and as mentioned participate in readership among other bloggers.

Would I love to generate income from this?

Yes. Of course.

As tempting as all those “wonderful” programs out there that automatically spew out content sound… because it makes it sound as though you’ll prosper for nothing… building a readership is connecting with people. I don’t believe people will or can connect to a site built with robot blurbs.

At least, that’s what I think.

Have I jumped ahead too much taking the task of developping 2 blogs?? Possibly. Hindsight will tell.

There’s a ton of web hosts out there. Some have huge data centers and some are the mom and pop type. I personally lease a server for various projects but when I was thinking about webhosting for the blogs I wanted to start in my trek to learn how to develop blogs and income online… I decided to go with another hosting solution. And found a great deal.

A few days ago I started looking at hosting packages suggested on various sites and from the Wordpress site. Since I was going to use Wordpress as my blogging platform I thought looking over there made sense.

I happened to stumble upon another hosting company that wasn’t mentioned on the Wordpress site (at least I don’t recall that they were) and saw a deal I couldn’t pass up.

1&1 have quite a package. It’s called the 1&1 Home package, 2 domains and 1 year free hosting for $4.99 per month. You pay for the first month and have the year free. This package comes with a 2 year term, so the second year you’re paying the monthly fees. But with the storage, the domains and the extras that are included in the package… it’s well worth it!

I’ve transfered a blogger.com site over to my new 1&1 account and I have to say that Wordpress runs very well on that account. I have no complaint at all.

If anyone is currently looking for a hosting package for a Wordpress blog check it out. There’s only 6 days left on this deal.

Ever want to build a new business? Ever have ideas on how you would do things a bit differently and get excited about it? Ever day dream about what “the results” would be? I have!

Only problem is that wanting to do something, ideas about something, excitement about something and foreseeing what the possible results would be are only a starting point. At least that’s what I’ve found out.

If your dream is to build a new business or create that great blog or website that’s going to generate passive income then all those elements mentioned above are great assets. Good ideas, excitement, the dream…. they’re all important ingredients.

But along the way some things will surely happen as you’re “trudging the road of happy destiny”….

Personal challenges

You may come across situations where someone in your life is not supportive of your idea or your dream and may try to shoot it down. Ridicule you and you’re idea… It becomes very hard to focus and to believe! And believing is certainly vital to any successful venture.

I’ve come across MANY personal challenges in my small business. Currently going through personal challenges!

But speaking with other entrepreneurs and reading about others experiences has always inspired me and show me that others have gone through some of the same trials.

Remember the “Pet rock”?? Some of you might, some might not…. I personally wouldn’t have thought of it as a great idea at all… but someone did and believed… and sold a great many!

Financial challenges

Quitting a job and trying self-employment can be scary. It seems like jumping into the unknown at times. And many options like getting financial credit for cards or a house may not be easy for a while.

Being challenged with the finances is something that I’ve been faced with quite a few times. I’ve been fully self-employed on and off since early 2004. At times it seems as though everything is coming together… coming together quickly… and then boom… everything slows… money is tight.. etc.

Through those times it’s very hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel. This I know from experience.

One of the most encouraging things that I’ve ever done is speak with others (again!) who have small businesses or have been there.

I remember speaking with a man who runs an insurance company and I started asking him questions while I was there on business. Eventually we got on the topic of starting up a small business and the financial ups and downs. He went on to tell me some stories about himself, about some of the very things I had gone through and yet here he was running this stable company employing several people.

I’ve always found encouragement speaking to others who’ve walked the path before me. Even if their business was different then mine there can be many similarities.

Reading blogs is very inspiring for me… in learning to create different types of websites.

Starting up any new venture takes persistence… takes time.. and you gotta believe! Gotta want it. Gotta do it. Then you can make it happen.

At least that’s what I think.