While every major cell phone company wants to be able to sell the iPhone due to its amazing popularity, it may not always be the best option for some companies.

Sprint, which recently started selling the iPhone on its network, reported its largest quarterly loss in three years last quarter.

This is attributed by many to be because of the subsidizing of the cost of the phone to new customers.

That is, of course, in addition to the $15.5 Billion dollar commitment to Apple to buy phones over the next four years.

The news is not all bad for sprint though, they signed up 161,000 new customers which they hope will help them return to profitability in the coming years.

Read more about the situation here.

List Of 12 Greenest Cars of 2012 Released

The top 12 “green cars” of 2012 has been released by the American Council for and Energy Efficient Economy.

Most of these cars are relying not only on their small size but also the rapidly advancing technological improvements of both the batteries and many other advancements.

Whether they are hybrids, pure electric cars or even running on natural gas – these 12 cars promise to give great insight into the future of green transportation.

One surprise is that the Chevy Volt is not anywhere on the list despite its popularity and virtually zero emissions.

More information, including the full list, can be found here.

Adam is a freelance writer and R&D Engineer that produces compelling and persuasive content for websites, white papers, technical reports, press releases, promotional material, magazines and more.

Many of us have dreams of earning a living by doing something that we are passionate about.

Something that makes us want to get out of bed in the morning; something that really makes us tick.

If writing is your passion then there is no reason why you cannot go ahead and earn a living from it.

Sure, earning your living by writing best selling novels is going to be extremely challenging and you could be setting yourself up for a fall if this is your only goal.

Whilst that can be the end goal (and it should be if it is what you want to do), you should also be aware that there are many ways of making money from your writing that does not require becoming a New York Times Bestseller.

A good place to start is to write for other people…

Writing for blogs and websites

The easiest way to make money from writing (or to make money online for that matter) is to write for other people as a freelance writer.

There are thousands of blogs and websites on the internet, and they all need content – and lots of it.

Many of these website owners are prepared to pay good money to have regular, quality content written for their site.

If you think that you can write engaging and informative content for the web then there is likely to be online writing jobs out there for you.

The quickest way to land your first gig would be to directly contact blogs and websites in areas that you are already knowledgeable and passionate about.

Send website owners a well thought out cover letter telling them about yourself and what you can offer their site. Also give them a link to some samples of your writing.

If they like your approach then there is a good chance they will give you a chance to write an article for them.

This is your chance to really impress them and try and land a regular, paid blogging gig.

Writing for yourself

Now this is more challenging, but has the potential to be much more lucrative.

Instead of writing for someone else and receiving a one-off payment for your work, you can make money from your articles over and over again.

This is known as having a residual income, and is done via affiliate marketing.

You basically set up your own blog on a subject that you are passionate about, write interesting posts on a regular basis, and start to build up a following of readers. As you start to receive more and more traffic to your website you can start to monetize it.

The easiest way to do this is to promote an affiliate product on your blog.

So if, for example, you have a blog about writing, then you could recommend that your readers purchase a writing guide eBook that you have used yourself, and found really helpful. Then if people go on to purchase the eBook as a result of your recommendation, you will receive a commission for the sale.

By writing your own articles for your own website and by using your writing to help drive traffic to your website, you are effectively building up your own online business where your writing can earn you a nice residual income.

Having a residual income, from which you can live off, frees you up to follow any other passions you may have, such as getting that novel done.

But earning a residual income from your own writing is a gradual process, so it is recommended that you start off by writing for other people first to earn a guaranteed base income, whilst you work on your own projects at the same time.

Writing for other people is also a great way to learn about marketing so that you can apply to techniques to your own blogs in the future.

The world is your oyster

This post has just scratched the surface in terms of the methods available to make money from your writing, but hopefully it has got some exciting ideas floating about in your mind.

In addition to approaching blogs and websites, you can see if local businesses in your area are in need of a freelance writer, you can submit your articles to magazines, or even write and sell your own digital product.

Writers often have the stereotypical stigma of being “starving artists” and many people believe that it is impossible to earn a living from writing…but that is simply not the case.

The opportunities are endless.

There is a lot of writing work out there for the taking, it just takes a bit of determination and persistence to go and get it.

Life offers many tough challenges and perhaps one of the toughest is to stay motivated.

Many times, even the most motivated of us tend to slack somewhere.

So how do you stay motivated forever without giving yourself that excuse to not do so?

Here are five effective ways that will help you stay motivated forever.

1. Visualize your Goal

It begins with the understanding of what you really want.

Once that item is taken care of, it is important to visualize the ultimate goal that you are trying to achieve.

When you create a vision of the thing that you aim to achieve, it creates a powerful gravitating force that makes you want to strive for. This vision leads to an inspiration, which in turn propels you to keep yourself motivated.

For example, if weight loss is your goal, see a healthier, slimmer you in that outfit you always wanted to fit into.

No matter what your goal, this works like magic.

2. Postpone Laziness

Procrastination or laziness is a major inhibitor for motivation.

Every time you put something off for later, you move one step down from your goal. Therefore, it is important to stop making excuses and go for it.

If you are preparing for an examination that could change your life for better and you don’t feel like picking up that book to study, postpone that thought; and get started.

Every time that you think of postponing a task in hand that will help you achieve your goal, postpone your excuses/laziness instead of postponing the actual task.

The bottom line: The time is now!

3. Positive In, Negative Out

Negativity in any form hampers your approach towards goals.

The mind allows negativity to seep in quite often; it is important to eliminate these negative thoughts to keep yourself motivated.

Think of all the negative thoughts that cross your mind: some common ones are, “I never knew this task could be so tough, Oh I can’t do this, I don’t think I am cut out for this.”

Instead replace these thoughts with “I can do it, If he/she can, so can I, This is what I have wanted to do always, now is the time.”

Positive thoughts can significantly impact the way you deal with the task at hand, which eventually yields desirable results.

Always approach your goal/task with a “can do” attitude; this is a certain way to keep yourself motivated for tougher challenges.

Besides positive thoughts, it is also essential to avoid negative people who can do or say things to bring your motivation levels down.

Criticism and compliments are both important components of staying motivated.

However, with positive people you are sure to get less criticism and more support, which plays a pivotal role in keeping you even more motivated.

4. One Day at a Time

While a long-term vision to your goal is crucial, it is equally important to take small steps.

Set yourself small milestones that finally lead to your main goal.

By taking these baby steps, you enjoy small successes that help you stay motivated.

After a few days/months, you will start to notice that you have progressed well, and want to keep going for more.

5. Don’t Give Up

You can’t control all things about your life.

If you experience a little lull in your motivation levels, don’t give up.

You still have the big goal that still remains to be achieved.

If you experience a slowdown, don’t let it get to you.

It is probably just one of those days when you are really not up to it.

Take it easy; however, don’t lose sight of the long-term goal and how badly you need to achieve it.

Motivation, like learning, never ceases and is a lot of hard work.

With a little effort and a never-give-up-attitude, you are going to keep your motivation levels at an all-time high.

I wrote this post in an effort to show myself that motivation can and will be accomplished in my life forever. And how? If I make a choice. Why have you made the choice to stay motivated? What motivates you? Do you experience lulls in your motivation, or are you motivated forever?

Many people remember in mid January when Wikipedia and other major sites were “turned off” in protest of the anti-piracy bills which were being considered by the US Congress.

In fact, it feels like it happened just yesterday.

Well, these bills were effectively killed but the fight is not finished.

Another threat to the freedoms of the internet is quickly gaining attention in tech circles, and another protest (though likely much smaller) is beginning to form.

ACTA, or Anti-Counterfeiting Trademark Agreement,  is considered by many to be more invasive than either SOPA or PIPA in its reach to control the internet.  This is a European bill but could have global effects.

Many groups are pushing for a February 11^th protest to raise awareness of this bill.

More info about the protest can be found here.

CES 2012 Delivered Little This Year

The Consumer Electronics Show 2012 opened with little fanfare compared with past years since there were no major announcements from Microsoft, Apple or any of the three major gaming console companies (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo).

Some people expected Microsoft to announce a release date for Windows 8 but they only said that it should be available later this year, and that it would work on any computer which can run Windows 7. This often means there will be few major enhancements.

Microsoft also announced they won’t be participating in future CES events and that the Kinect now officially works on PCs as well as the X-Box.

While there were some cool new computers and mobile phones, there was nothing to spur the excitement which the CES is known for.

More info about CES 2012 can be found here.

Now I’ wondering what’s next. What will the next version of Windows look like? Will I wait to purchase an iPad until the iPad 3 comes to market? Is CES beginning to fall apart? What does its future hold?

Holding degrees in both Post-Secondary Education and Communication, Ellen Bremen is a 10+ year, award-winning educator at Highline Community College outside of Seattle, Washington.  Ellen is an award-winning speaker, a competitively selected instructional designer for the Gates Foundation’s Open Course Library grant, and often serves as a subject matter expert in communication for nearly every major academic publisher. She can be found on Twitter @ChattyProf.

Why did you become a Professor of Communication Studies?

Completely by accident, but the most meaningful accident I could have ever imagined.

I started teaching part-time for my local community college in my former field of healthcare. I owned a successful business in medical transcription for seven years; the college needed an emergency hire for some night classes.

The second I stepped into the classroom, I was hooked! I loved the intellectual energy and the students.

Unfortunately, a full-time teaching career was far, far out of my reach: I needed a Master’s degree, at least, and I didn’t even have an Associate’s! I went back to school as a non-traditional student, took 20+ credits at a time, and finished a Bachelor’s degree in Post-Secondary Education.

I immediately applied to grad school, but knew I could not teach medical transcription the rest of my life. I was a member of Toastmasters International during my business years. I loved public speaking; I relished in the art of communication.

Teaching communication was my true passion.

It’s been 13 years and I’ve never looked back.

How has blogging benefitted yourself as a professor, as well as your students?

I started blogging as a prelude to a book I’m finishing called “Say This, NOT That to Your Professor:  42 Talking Tips for College Success.”

The goal of my blog and my book is to give students the right words to say to deal with common challenging class-related situations.

I teach interpersonal communication theory and public speaking in my day-to-day life, but I don’t teach these subjects in relationship to college success – odd as that sounds. Of course, college success comes up in discussion, but the topic, in and of itself, isn’t a primary focus.

The blog enables me to share interpersonal communication tips that solely relate to the professor-student relationship.

Likewise, I can reach not only my own students, but students everywhere.

Do you believe blogging makes you a better professor? What benefits have you seen from blogging?

I believe blogging will make me a better professor when I go back in the classroom next year.

Right now, I’m on my first sabbatical to finish my book, and that is a tremendous honor. Blogging has given me incredible access to students, faculty, staff, career experts, and other bloggers.

Due to the relationships I’ve built, I am far more relevant and updated in my own knowledge about communication, career trends, etc. I have so much more to share with my students in my daily instruction and I can’t wait to do it!

What do you hope to gain from blogging?

First and foremost, I wanted to blog to build a platform for my student-professor communication message, and I believe that’s happening.

I have been blogging for just about six months and the buzz has been very positive.

I’m receiving some comments and even questions.

My hope is to have more students regularly writing in with class-related challenges.

Too many students silently suffer in classes and don’t reach their goals because they are too embarrassed or frustrated to approach the prof – and they don’t really know what to say, anyway.

Unfortunately, lots of students also say the absolute wrong thing to their professors, and they don’t know how their words hinder their success.

I want to give students an inside peek of their college education.

For example, students have the right to know the intricacies of grading, what it means if a prof is never available during office hours, little known options available to students if a life tragedy happens while in school, and how absences really impact grades.

I believe that in the midst of all the texting, Facebooking, and tweeting, students are struggling with the foundation of real connection.

Many students choose technologically mediated communication in their personal lives, but put them on a college campus, and you can’t Facebook or text with a professor.

Students have to deal with issues face-to-face.

I want my blog to give students the confidence to have those tough conversations and strengthen their grades/relationships with their professors.

Ultimately, students can use these interactions as examples to impress interviewers, and later, to interpersonally excel in relationships with superiors/coworkers.

Share with us some of your passions. What do you believe in?

Obviously, I’m very passionate about education and communication.

With communication, I’m a lover of real communication.

I’m a habitual telephone user, even though that seems to be very old school these days. I’m the friend who will call up just to catch up.

I refuse to let technology replace those precious interactions – or the richness of verbal inflection!

I believe that every student has the right to excel in college, but more specifically, every student has the right to know how they are graded and why they receive the grades they do.

I believe that, where necessary, students need to learn to take ownership of undesirable grades, look in the mirror and ask themselves what they could have done differently, whether it’s studying harder, getting help earlier, or working smarter.

What do you hope to accomplish?

I’m really lucky and have earned high recognition for my teaching – four national teaching awards to date! However, I’ve always dreamed of becoming a published author.

Before landing in medical transcription (Yes, that was an accident, too! I could type 110 WPM in high school, and it was easy to find and get sucked into well-paying work, rather than going to school!), I wanted to be a journalism major.

Writing fills my soul.

I like to think I’m a confident person, but I’ve spent a large part of my career contributing to other academics’ books. This is the first time that I’m putting every morsel of energy into my message – this message that represents my whole head and heart.

Through the blog and the book, I have a prime opportunity to use the subject that I teach to help students advocate and empower themselves…and possibly change their lives with their words.

The ability to share this information far and wide will feel like the next “accomplishment layer” for me.

So, maybe it’s rare, but you have an hour of spare time. What do you do?

With two young kids (8 and 3) and a very full-time career, I force an hour of “spare” time every day to exercise.

It’s absolute survival for me.

I’ve lost 90 lbs over the past decade-plus, and I know I can’t keep my weight off…or keep my sanity…without refueling myself through running or Zumba.

I am usually training for a 1/2 marathon to force my commitment, so the hour is necessary. I call it “physical therapy“!

Any other hours of spare time are spent in some form or fashion with my kids: I go to an indoor playground with my son (Seattle = icky weather!); I do Zumba with my daughter. We often bring others into the mix to have those important connections.

Downtime is spent with Thomas the Train or something Pixar/Disney-related.

Holding degrees in both Post-Secondary Education and Communication, Ellen Bremen is a 10+ year, award-winning educator at Highline Community College outside of Seattle, Washington.  Ellen is an award-winning speaker, a competitively selected instructional designer for the Gates Foundation’s Open Course Library grant, and often serves as a subject matter expert in communication for nearly every major academic publisher. She can be found on Twitter @ChattyProf.

Recently UPrinting sponsored a giveaway of 250 business cards for 3 lucky winners here on the Smart Boy Designs blog.

After receiving the entries (blog comments) for the giveaway, I used a random number generator to choose the three lucky winners. A number was generated, matched to its matching blog post comment & the owner awarded winning status.

Without further adieu, the three winners are:

1. Jeevan Jacob John
2. Suzie Cunliffe
3. Nicole Hillstead

Congratulations!

What fun to see all three of these fantastic people win a set of 250 business cards. I’m rather excited to see their finished products.

Thank you to all those who participated.

Stay tuned for more fun and giveaways here on the blog. More in store for the year 2012!

This guest post was written by Ella Davidson of Coupons.org. Coupons is a charitable couponing site that stresses the importance of incorporating frugality into day-to-day living.

Sustainability is gaining national attention.

Affecting many industries, businesses are seeing the advantages to moving into the green approach.

From individual employee responses, to structural and operational alternatives, business can learn to help their finances and the environment through considering changes like these ten ideas.

1. More Natural Light

A cost efficient way to green the workspace is through replacing older light bulbs with more energy efficient halogen or LED bulbs.

While these lights may cost more initially, the energy conserved results in money being saved down the road.

Another great advantage to changing the bulbs is the brighter setting emitted.

If light bulbs are not considered, skylights or additional windows allow for a free natural light source.

2. Transportation Incentives

Transportation incentives can be a fantastic technique for reducing the amount of fuel used by employees in travelling to work.

Whether incentives include reduced bus fares or motivations to purchase hybrids, any removal of the number of cars on the road will result in a greener company.

Furthermore, businesses can lead the way for their employees in the electric vehicle charge by transitioning company cars to hybrids.

3. Employee Attire

In attempting to preserve the environment as completely as possible, something as rudimentary as employee attire can make all the difference.

Consider this; encouraging employees to wear lighter clothing in the summer and warmer clothing in the winter would allow for less energy to be consumed in cooling and heating the building.

4. Videoconferencing

With the growing ease and availability of videoconferencing, the workday should come under close scrutiny.

The typical American spends an average of 25.3 minutes commuting to work every day.

Not only is this driving period harmful to the environment, but it also takes valuable time out of the work day.

By incorporating telecommuting into the routine, a significant amount of pollution would be eliminated and financially benefit the company in the process.

5. Living Roofs

Larger cities suffer from a consequence called the “heat island effect,” due to mass infrastructure.

To help counteract this issue, planting a living roof of grasses and plants on the top of buildings will help to eliminate pollutants, provide better insulation, and convert carbon dioxide from the air into oxygen.

The transition to a greener roof will make good use of a largely underdeveloped area.

6. Green Budget

An easily overlooked component of transitioning into the sphere of green businesses is the creation of a budget directed for the purpose of going green.

A great initial step is to have an energy audit inspection conducted.

The audit is priceless since it prioritizes the energy uses according to the most effective opportunities for energy savings.

This efficient method allows for a reduction in energy consumption while improving the employee comfort level.

7. Shutting Down

At the end of the night turning off the lights and shutting down the computers will save a noticeable amount of energy.

While the type of light bulb does affect the amount of energy it costs to turn the lights on and off, the overnight stretch of keeping the lights and computers off far outweighs the alternative.

Simply by eliminating unnecessary usage, your business can conserve a great amount of energy.

8. Clearly marked bins

With the amount of paper materials being shuffled around during the workday, clearly marked recycling receptacles can help to diminish needless waste.

Although this idea has been repeated constantly in the green discussion, the significant benefit for the amount of effort necessary to implement the procedure is noticeable.

9. Packaging

Tons of solid waste is discarded every year into landfills.

Businesses have begun to actively engage in a sort of packaging revolution by largely reducing the amount of material going into manufactured items and using recycled, instead of raw, materials. Recently, Wal-Mart has made a push in the packaging arena and has dedicated itself to reducing packaging waste by five percent by 2013 and eliminating all waste by 2025.

The individual waste of one package may not amount to much, but when multiplied by every product the impact is enormous.

10. Online Advertising

Traditional means of advertising are largely getting replaced by online sources.

Websites, blogs, and social networking sites are playing an ever increasing role in expanding the reach to customers.

From updating company information in real time, to advertising information unhindered by geography, the online, green expansion provides a unique chance to help the environment.

Instead of consuming huge amounts of paper and other resources in traditional advertising, online methods allot for a greener opportunity.

Conclusion

Initializing changes, no matter the size of the modification or immediate financial cost, are a step towards a greener company.

Through dedicating time and a budget to sustainability and making the necessary changes, a greener business can be realized.

References:

Border, Mark, and Jeff Chu. “50 Ways to Green Your Business.” Fast Company. N.p., 01 NOV 2007. Web. 2 Feb 2012.

Connors , Jill. “Light Bulb Types.” HGTV Remodels. HGTV, n.d. Web. 2 Feb 2012.

. “Eco Friendly Packaging Solutions .” ITW Packaging Solutions. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Feb 2012. <http://www.itwpackagingsolutions.com/GreenPackaging/tabid/1676/Default.asp&xgt;.

Li, Lorna. “Four Effective Ways that Your Company Can “Go Green”.” Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit. N.p., 07 APR 2011. Web. 2 Feb 2012.

U.S. Census Bureau, . United States. U.S. Census Bureau . MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION TO WORK BY SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS . 2010. Web. <http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_1YR_S0802&prodType=table>.

“What is a Green roof?.” Seattle Tilth: Learn, Grow, Eat. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Feb 2012. <http://seattletilth.org/learn/resources-1/sustainable-landscapes/Green roof>.

VeriSign filed reports to the SEC yesterday which included information about the company getting hacked several times in 2010 where the hackers were able to get information about several large companies.

VeriSign is the company that is responsible for sending all traffic to the right places for .com and .net web addresses.

Many people are concerned about the fact that it took over a year to report these breaches and that they were not immediately reported to the affected companies.

Fortunately the DNS servers were not breached, which could have resulted in significantly more data being stolen.

Does this situation make you fearful in regards to internet security? Do you feel helpless? What do you believe companies like VeriSign need to be doing in order to protect against future security problems and weaknesses?

Privacy & Phones Scare Facebook

Since Facebook recently filed for their IPO – a lot of reports and paperwork have gone public about the company.

In high interest, is what high level Facebook management fears about the future of the company.

Some were not surprising at all – such as how to balance privacy with ease of use for the users.

Some concerns were not as well known such as the fear that if users stop using PCs (or MACs) as their primary internet browsing and switch to phones and tablets it will be harder to profit from the advertising.

There is no shortage of information on this company being released in the last few days and more details can be found here.

Can you “get rich quick” from building mobile apps?

A new instructional report was released from Mashable which shows some concerns new app designers have going forward.

With the explosion of new apps for the apple or android devices, a huge new industry has been built but it is not the get rich quick scheme many hoped it would be.

Learn about potential problems and pitfalls with mobile app design here.

Eugene Farber (@EugeneFarber) is a writer, entrepreneur and founder of Content Strategy Hub. He has created the Strategic Content Launch Pad to help businesses create a successful online presence through the strategic use of content. You can also visit Eugene at his blog, Reality Burst.

Strategic Content Launch Pad was recently unveiled. Tell us about the product.

Strategic Content Launch Pad is really a strategy guide.

There are some pretty crazy statistics on the sales page from a recent study by the content marketing institute. It shows that the vast majority of marketers know that they should be creating content for marketing, but most of them don’t have a strategy!

I was one of those people for over a year until I decided to have a focus, and act strategically. When I decided to do that, I reached thousands of visitors, hundreds of subscribers and a Google PR4 within a month of launching from scratch.

And it didn’t take long to begin receiving consulting inquiries.

This guide shows how to create authoritative content that puts you on the map fast.

Why do so many fail in growing their businesses online?

I think it’s because of that statistic I just mentioned – lack of strategy.

It’s pretty common knowledge at this point that you need to be creating fresh new content to be successful.

But it’s not as clear about what kind of content you should be creating or why.

It is very difficult to get a certain result if you don’t have one in mind to begin with.

At least that is what I have found from personal experience.

What edge does the Strategic Content Launch Pad package give new businesses?

With the majority of marketers not actually having a content marketing strategy in place, this guide will give you a competitive advantage because it gives you what the other guys are missing.

But, to be clear, just having any old strategy doesn’t guarantee anything.

These are strategies that are proven to work. I’ve either used them myself or participated a process where someone else was using one.

But I’m really hoping the real edge SCLP gives business owners seeking to build an online presence is a shift of mind set.

Teach a man to fish…

Some would say they’re able to obtain all the free information they need to grow their business online. A simply search suffices. What’s your response?

My response is “you are absolutely right.”

We live in a world where information is pretty free flowing and you can get your hands on most of what you need.

The question you really need to ask yourself is “how much time do I want to spend?”

Like I said, I used to be in those shoes. I spent over a year with no focus, no strategy and looking for free information.

The funny thing is I went through that same mind set change I hope readers of SCLP go through. I have actually purchased more products since creating my own than I have ever before.

To me it just makes more sense to purchase something in a nice package than spend a day or more looking for that same information for free. I could be spending that time doing something way more productive.

Plus, a good product will infuse the author’s personal experiences into the information. That’s something you can’t necessarily just get anywhere.

Should businesses and entrepreneurs consider hiring a coach or consultant to guide their online journey?

A coach is really the next [big] step up after a paid product. If you want to waste time trying to figure everything out on your own you can do that. A paid product will get you there faster. But a good coach will get you there the fastest.

So if someone is looking to build up a Twitter following, I think coaching from someone like you (@SmartBoyDesigns) who has over 150k followers, would be a good idea.

The added benefit of hiring a coach is the feeling that you have someone there by your side.

Trying to build up a business alone can be pretty tough emotionally on top of everything else.

What are your online marketing credits and expertise? How do you know what you know?

I decided that content marketing is something universal that can help any business in any industry…and I want to help.

Online marketing is really a passion for me.

I actually went to school for accounting (Bachelor’s degree…Master’s degree…the works). But after a few years of working in the field I decided it wasn’t for me.

I decided to jump into internet marketing and absorbed as much information as I possibly could.

I’ve tried it all…building niche sites, ghost writing for some pretty big marketers, etc.

And my journey has landed me here.

I decided that content marketing is something universal that can help any business in any industry…and I want to help.

I am now an Inbound Marketing Certified Professional w/ Honors Distinction, and have been helping people achieve their desired online business presence.

In such a changing landscape, how can business owners stay current on trends and best-practices?

We live in a world where businesses increasingly have to think like publishers. And the best way to publish great content is to create content that is new and up to date.

The best bet is to find individuals and companies you trust and see what they are saying. Read their blogs and follows them on social media channels.

Of course another good way to see what’s current is to see what other companies are doing and what’s working for them.

Reverse engineering can always be a fun exercise.

Are you a sports fan?

Absolutely!

I played basketball throughout high school and I continue to play as many sports as I can as often as I can.

Basketball…soccer…football…golf…you name it.

But really I am just a fan of competition in general.

I’ve been known to catch a curling match during the Winter Olympics.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Watching movies, going out to eat, the usual.

I like to spend time with my girlfriend. She’s pretty good about letting me stare at the computer all day, so just relaxing with her is always a nice change of pace (although it’s hard to pull myself away from the computer).

I moved to NYC not too long ago so just going sight-seeing all over is always a good way to spend time.

What do you “visualize” for Strategic Content Launch Pad?

The more successful your online business is, the less time you have to work with people one-on-one.

So I am hoping to provide extremely valuable information to business owners in a more scalable way.

This is my attempt to help as many businesses as I can by teaching them what I have learned through my experiences. I’ve seen a few products that charge in the thousands that provide less information. And I think that’s a shame.

And of course you can get a copy, risk free. I genuinely want the information to bring business owners to the next level online.

If it doesn’t help, you don’t pay.

Eugene Farber (@EugeneFarber) is a writer, entrepreneur and founder of Content Strategy Hub. He has created the Strategic Content Launch Pad to help businesses create a successful online presence through the strategic use of content. You can also visit Eugene at his blog, Reality Burst.

This guest post is by Mandy Kilinskis of Quality Logo Products.

I see them every day when I log on to Twitter or check my inbox: articles all with titles of “How to Go Viral on Twitter!” or “Craft a Headline Sure to Go Viral.” And while many of them do offer great tips on how to make your content, headlines, and tweets more compelling, I’m getting overwhelmed.

The phrase “go viral” has become the new “synergy.”

Powerful, but nobody can really define it.

It’s tossed around like glitter at a Ke$ha concert: it’s everywhere, you can’t avoid it, and it’s impossible to shake off.

I despise the term “go viral” because…

Going Viral is Impossible to Validate

There is no data-driven definition of going viral. Yes, I understand that there’s the loose definition of “circulating quickly from person to person.” But there’s no base value of Facebook shares or Twitter retweets that determines something to be “viral.”

Is viral definitive?

We all know that viral videos get over a million shares, but what about blog posts? Is three hundred retweets viral, or is one thousand retweets a more accurate number?

Or maybe viral is subjective. If your blog only has fifty e-mail subscribers but one of your posts gets over two hundred Facebook shares, that must be viral, right?

I don’t know!

Once your post goes “viral” how does everyone else know that it’s gone viral? Is there a special fairy that flutters down to deem something viral? Is it when YouTube starts asking if you’d like to collect money from your videos? Maybe you achieve viral status once your content is seen and retweeted by Alyssa Milano.

Hopefully people are sharing posts because they find some value in it. And yet, in many articles that I’ve read…

Going Viral Outweighs Good Content

I’m not making the claim that all content that has “gone viral” is bad content.

On the contrary, a lot of it is useful, relevant, or downright funny. But I’ve read an unreal amount of articles where the excitement of the title didn’t match the quality of the content.

You know the kinds of titles I’m talking about. Ones like: “How Sex Made Me a Better Writer” or “Pancakes Taught Me Twitter Etiquette.” But once you click the link, you just find some rehashed information that you have already read dozens of times over. The title is misleading. And now you’re mad.

If authors like that would take the same amount of time they take brainstorming catchy headlines and pour it into crafting unique and exciting content, then they’d really have something brilliant enough to go viral.

But above all, I think that people need to understand that…

Not Everything Needs to Go Viral

Even if you do produce that brilliant piece of content and it’s shared all over the internet, it doesn’t mean that you need to take a quick nap and do it all over again.

The goal, as I understand it, of “viral” content is to increase readers, shares, and conversions. So your next step should be to retain new readers and foster those conversions. Does that mean interesting titles and compelling content to sustain their interest? Yes. Does that mean padding trigger words into your title in an attempt to send it zooming around the internet again? No.

If you deliver a constant stream of amazing blog posts and/or videos, your audience will share your content. They’ll retweet it. They’ll watch it ten times and post it to their friend’s Facebook wall. And eventually, you’re not trying to make something “viral;” your content is naturally being shared.

And doesn’t a “community of sharing” sound much better than “going viral?”

Mandy Kilinskis is a content developer for Quality Logo Products, a leading distributor of branded products, and is a frequent contributor to their promo marketing blog. She loves reading and writing about social media, marketing, and all things geek.

Today’s tech news was dominated by one thing above all, Facebook filing the paperwork for their IPO.

In what may be a record breaking IPO the tech company is looking to raise about five billion dollars to fund the future of the social media giant.

Many Facebook lovers are concerned that this IPO will mean the end of the innovation in social media that facebook has been so well known for.

There has not been a date set yet for when the Facebook shares will go on sale but it is being eagerly anticipated by investors and Facebook lovers alike.

American Airlines cutting 13,000 jobs

In other business news, American Airlines announced that it will cut up to 13,000 jobs over the next year in attempt to save about two billion dollars as it comes out of bankruptcy.

In addition to the job cuts they will be cutting costs by grounding less profitable and older planes, eliminating some flight routes and cutting expenses in other areas as well.

For a more detailed list of where American Airlines intends to cut, and what prompted the cuts, click here.

In Memory of Don Cornelius

Finally in some somber news, the pope of soul, Don Cornelius, died today of a self inflicted gunshot wound.

Don is most famous for starting the television show “The Soul Train.”

This show innovated television by dedicating the entire show to music and dancing, decades before MTV or VH1.

Many people credit “The Soul Train” for helping bring what was traditionally black music and dancing to white communities and bringing them together in a way which never happened before.

Those close to me know January was a tough month.

College started, I was officially diagnosed with Lyme disease after receiving a second confirming test, forging ahead with a few stressful reputation management campaigns for clients I work with & generally feeling a sense of discouragement.

This depressive spirit isn’t the natural habitat my inner-self likes to dwell in.

In an effort to jump out of this cesspool, I decided to compile a list of some of my favorite “when the going gets tough” quotes.

Quotes shed positive light on many situations.

I hope they lift you as much as they did for me.

1. “My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” – Oprah Winfrey
2. “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” - Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
3. “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.” – William James
4. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas Edison
5. “There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.” – Christopher Morley
6. “He deserves Paradise who makes his companions laugh.” – Koran
7. “Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.” – W.H. Auden
8. “Every artist was first an amateur.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
9. “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.” – Charles W. Eliot
10. “We need men who can dream of things that never were.” – John F. Kennedy
11. “Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” – Henry David Thoreau
12. “Friendship make prosperity more shining and lessens adversity by dividing and sharing it.” – Cicero
13. “Man is the artificer of his own happiness.” – Henry David Thoreau
14. “We can draw lessons from the past, but we cannot live in it.” – Lyndon B. Johnson
15. “Man is distinguished from all other creatures by the faculty of laughter.” – Joseph Addison
16. “I have given up reading books; I find it takes my mind off myself.” – Oscar Levant
17. “Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.” – M.L. Mencken
18. “Laugh at yourself first, before anyone else can.” – Elsa Maxwell
19. “Knowledge is power.” – Sir Francis Bacon
20. “Curiosity killed the cat, but for awhile I was a suspect.” – Steven Wright
21. “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world. You impoverish yourself if you forget this errand.” – Woodrow Wilson
22. “Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.” – Marian Evans
23. “A ship in harbor is safe— but that is not what ships are for.” – John A. Shedd
24. “Courage is being scared to death – but saddling up anyway.” – John Wayne
25. “Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.” – David McCullough

I hope these “when the going gets tough” quotes cured your soul; as they did mine.

Sunset photo by Lozula. There’s something magical about the images this man gathers. He captures the world – and his work captures my heart.

By an Anonymous guest blogger.

In the past five years social media websites have become increasingly popular, and many business owners have begun showing interest in using social media marketing to promote their business.

These social media sites aren’t just helping when it comes to expanding a business, but can also be effective tools for informing and educating potential clients regarding the product or service being sold.

But before designing a marketing campaign on any social media site; you need to figure out what your ultimate goal is.

We all know that social media is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, but it can also be useful for driving noteworthy business results as well. If you are unfamiliar with this new marketing strategy you need to become acquainted with the following factors that go hand in hand with successful social media marketing.

• Traffic – Effectual social media networking will drive up the traffic to your website significantly.
• Leads – Make sure that your site has a contact form so that every visitor has a way to contact you, including your various social networking sites, such as Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin if appropriate.
• Buzz – Online publicity can be a huge boon to your success.
• Client Support – Regardless of your overall strategy, your first and foremost goal must be to deliver support to your existing and potential clientele. It is the most effectual way to get new customers and satisfy the ones you have.
• Reach – The more reach you have, the higher your website’s traffic will be.

The more you understand about the inner workings of the various popular social media sites, the better you will be at using them to market your business.

The most important thing is to get out there and be seen; potential customers want to check you out on whatever social networking site they use.

Nowadays people can’t seem to get enough information.

Being accessible is vital if you are going to succeed in this new social environment.

If you have clients and potential prospects opting out of your email list at about the identical rate new subscribers are signing up; your list has hit a glass ceiling.

The good thing is, there are elements you can correct that will raise the glass ceiling and ultimately remove it.

Everyone in the marketing business appreciates the fact that it’s easier (and more cost-effective) to hold on to an existing client(s) than to get new ones.

Following are three tactics that will enable you to keep more subscribers on your mailing list.

1. Establish Expectations

I cannot emphasize the importance of setting expectations for your subscribers enough.

The bottom line – it works.

Examine campaigns of large numbers of loyal subscribers and you will find common principles.

A critical foundation to lay from the start is to explain in a clear, easy-to-understand, yet detailed manner exactly what they will be getting from you.

When they understand what is going on, what to expect and the value of what you will provide in your email campaign they will be less likely to select to opt-out or complain.

Tell them why they should trust you…

• Your web form or opt-in box should clearly identify what the potential subscriber will get for trusting you with the key to access them (and their wallets) – their email. Tell them upfront what you will be delivering to their inbox and how often they should look forward to receiving valuable messages from you.
• Require your subscribers to confirm and reply to the confirmation message after they submit their email information. You will lose a percentage of your opt-ins in this additional step, but the ones you keep will not hit the spam button at the first sight of your email. You should personalize the confirmation message. Let the subscriber know what to expect, what the next action step is, and thank them for taking the action to confirm.
• Make your subscribers feel like they are welcomed and appreciated for signing up and confirming. Again, remind them what they’ve signed up for – some people are in information overload, distracted or just plain forgetful of what they sign up for. Even within a few minutes. Reiterate exactly what you’ll be e-mailing them, how frequently you will e-mail them and how they can opt-out of receiving your messages.
• Constantly test and re-test the results you get from your campaign. Segment you list, analyze the open rates, opt-out rates, response to your request of asking them to take action of clicking on the link enclosed in the email.

Over deliver on value and you will continue to keep the your subscribers hooked.

2. Generate Brand Loyalty

When people start to correlate your brand with good things, you will be able to leverage marketing magnetism.

You will attract and keep people engaged and wanting more of what you have to offer them.

Remember that any time you communicate with subscribers and customers, you’ll be generating opinions and ideas about your brand.

One way to build buzz is to strive to offer superior customer service.

3. Focus Attention On Subscriber Behavior

If a person buys a product or service from you, they are much more inclined to purchase from you again.

Remember, it’s more profitable to hold on to existing clients and prospective clients than to have a constant revolving door of “out with the old and in with the new ones.”

Constantly analyze who’s opening your messages and who’s clicking on your links.

Use this analytical information to send more personalized messages to segments of your list.

Make it easy for your subscribers to share their preferences with you and enter more detailed information about who they are and what type of information they are interested in receiving from you.

Remove the Glass Ceiling from Your Email Campaign

It’s not difficult to pull ahead and outsell your competitors, and substantially improve your business, when you create and put into practice strategic email marketing tactics designed for maximum retention.

This is particularly true in a sluggish economy when many of your opponents are reducing, down-sizing and giving up.

Do the complete opposite, and you’ll expand and prosper.

Kim Peek was a famous savant in America.

Having the magnificent capability of remembering everything he ever read, he was literally a walking encyclopedia. Nearing the end of his life he could easily recall the information from any of the 10,000+ books he had read.

Due to his phenomenal abilities, the movie “Rain man” was even created based on his life.

I remember watching that movie for the first time and being utterly amazed at what the mind is capable of doing. It stores memories. That alone, is a miracle. The brain is able to store, assimilate and recall thoughts, words, smells, sights and more.

To me, the brain is fascinating.

If Kim Peek were still alive today, I believe the following might be some of the advice he’d give in regards to crafting endless blog content.

“Christian, I don’t have anything to write about. Where can I get blog content ideas?“

I’m asked this question over and over again.

For quite some time, I really didn’t have a specific answer. In my mind it was a foreign thought to think there wasn’t enough to write about. Isn’t endless blog content everywhere we look?

If you ever get a sneak peak of my blog’s dashboard you’ll see I have almost 300 draft posts. My Evernote is filled to the brim with hundreds upon hundreds of songs, notes, blog post ideas, thoughts, opinions, worries, inventions & beliefs. Anyone who knows me personally will notice I keep a spiral bound notebook with me almost everywhere I go. Journals litter bookshelves.

So, the question remains. Where do I find my endless supply of blog content?

Let me tell you.

Let’s get a list going. Let’s make it endless.

To paint a better story of where I find blog content, I thought it might help to give you a list of examples.

Visual examples through words are one of my favorite ways to understand abstract concepts.

• Your blog niche is gardening. Let’s follow the example of Kim Peek and go read a book; the first place I’d check is the library. Once you get to the library find every book related to your niche. Bring those puppies home and read, read, read. Write notes. Think. Analyze. Without plagiarizing, use your new information and skills to compile more blog posts.
• Sometimes when the sun is about to set, I’ll take a moment to find a spot where I can watch it. Thoughts and ideas usually flood to my mind during a setting like this. I never forget to have my notebook with me.
• Remember that often, you won’t have the same spark of genius twice; so write everything down.
• Read other blogs. You’d be amazed at how much you learn by becoming involved in your niche.
• On the same front, be sure to comment on other blogs. When you post a blog comment, you’re helping your brain to remember what you’ve learned. As you ponder and process the blog post you’ll also have many more thoughts and ideas come to your mind.
• Use Amazon. I love buying books and after I finish each one I write a book review blog post. Bam! Another piece of content.
• Don’t forget to use your friends and family as a resource. Ask them to help write for you. Maybe you could create an interview with them that you’d feature on your blog? Ask them, “What’s it like living with a blogger? How do you feel about this hobby of mine?” The question possibilities are endless.
• At the moment I’m taking some college courses. It’s a great way to refresh some of my web development skills, while also gathering an ample supply of notes upon which to draw blog content from. There are many blog niches, of which have a matching course to take at a local community college. For example, if you write about art – have you considered taking a class in a medium you’ve never worked with?
• Be sure to have lots of desk toys. Every 25 minutes I try and take a few minute break. If you know me well, you know I have lots of desk toys. Squishy things, putty, NeoCube and more. Get your hands working with something and often the blog content will flow naturally.
• It sounds a little counter-intuitive, but you’d be surprised how often blog post ideas come to me while watching TV. It happens. A lot. Just don’t make this your excuse the next time your husband or wife comments on how much TV you’re watching. “It’s okay, sweety, Christian told me it would be good for my blog project!“
• Browsing through the daily news pertaining to your blog’s niche is a great way to “spark” the mind with new blog content ideas.
• Have patience. Some days you’ll have no ideas, while other days you’ll pump out ten posts. Just as the seas ebbs and flows, so are minds do too.
• Hit up Google Images. Enter your niche as the search term and become inspired by the photos that pop up.

Now, here’s the “takeaway” secret that comes after you start using all these blog content ideas:

If you start compiling a list of draft posts, notes & thoughts – you’ll have the comfort in knowing you’ll never be without blog posts. Have the urge to publish a post? Pull up one of those drafts you’ve been saving, spend 15 minutes editing the content, and you have a great post in a jiffy!

Some Parting Thoughts

The brilliant part of putting these practices to work, is something I cannot teach through blog post.

You’ll learn. You’ll grow. You’ll think. You’ll write.

By continually searching for new blog content ideas, you’ll really start to see the endless pit.

There are ideas everywhere.

They’re contained within books, our hearts, thoughts, friends, family, television, theater, movies, poems, ballads, songs & the internet.

So get out there and start writing!

Where do you find blog content ideas? Do you believe the blog content “pit” is endless? If you’re struggling to come up with post ideas, share your concerns in the comments – and myself and others would be happy to give you some feedback and thoughts.

This is a “guest interview” with Val Curtis of the food blog Mental Chew. There she works to bring seasonal gardening, food and fun to her island-style family (and the world).

How did you decide on the blog name, Mental Chew?

Originally, I liked the idea “Food for Thought” but, of course, it was taken.

I wanted something that would capture the idea of “think before you eat” since, as consumers, we really do drive the market.

I had been reading through various options in a thesaurus and making combinations and finally landed on it. I think subconsciously I had “Mental Floss” buried from the magazine a friend had given me a couple of years before my blog came into being.

It is so important to keep thinking about your thinking!

Where did your love for gardening and food start?

When I moved to San Juan Island the type of food, the quality of food and the community aspect of food created a shift for me.

Potlucks were 2-3 times a week during the summer.

Fresh caught salmon, oysters, crab, scallops, lingcod, prawns, homemade breads, salads and sides from personal gardens, friends who were like family gathering around fire pits with great wine, laughter.

It was addictive and why my “summer stay” in ’97 turned into a permanent move.

How do you generate traffic to your blog?

Currently I use Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon and several sites for moms who blog.

What’s been the most difficult part of blogging?

Finding my audience and staying focused have presented the biggest challenges for me.

I am an ideas person.

As a teacher, I thrived on creating new units that would fit my current students’ needs and personalities. With my blog, I can have variety, but I understand that there has to be a little predictability in order to bring people back.

Do you think photos are important within blog posts?

I believe that we are drawn to visuals over text.

It is why we use icons on our computer desktops and why my students would scan a page on a website and think the answer wasn’t there (because the question wasn’t about one of the graphics).

One of my greatest pet peeves on blogs is when authors use graphics and do not credit their source when it is not one of their own originals. Perhaps this strikes a chord with me because I shoot all of my own photos and I have quite a few posts I never published because the photos I took were not worth posting.

When it comes to writing about food and gardening, a picture can be a wonderful expression of what my words cannot bring to the screen.

When it comes to my kids, there are moments that my words could never do justice. There is a moment, a feeling, an image.

What advice would you give to a frustrated gardener?

Think of each year as an experiment.

You try something out, there may be success or failure, a combination or surprising outcomes. Whether the weather, a mold, a raccoon or Towhee throw a wrench into your “plan”, it is all part of the experiment.

You learn, you alter.

I would also advise to start small, have some success and then build on your successes. Herbs will grow. Start there.

How do you stay motivated and driven?

Blogging is my mental release as a stay at home mom

It is where I can complete my thoughts and complete a task. My days are filled with 100s of incomplete tasks and with blogging I click on “Publish” and I am done!

Gardening is an important past time for our family.

It starts in the winter when all of our seed catalogs come in and we decide what we are going to grow and when. This is followed by planting starts and tending them, readying the soil, new projects and eventually our spring planting. Then it is all about tending, harvesting and preserving until October.

Watching my kids pick peas off the vine for their snacks and strawberries for their pancakes is incredible motivation. Knowing where their food comes from and what was or was not used to promote its growth is reason enough.

I do fear I am raising veggie snobs though. My four year old turns his nose up to “less than fresh” produce.

Where’s the best place you’ve ever traveled to?

We have an incredible love for Costa Rica.

It’s incredible biodiversity and the warm, welcoming friends we have there make us yearn to return.

I really want to go to Italy to experience agriturismo. The concept is close to my heart.

Perhaps the best trip overall, is the one that brought me to San Juan Island, home.

About Val Curtis

I grew up “behind the Orange Curtain” of the OC and now I have been living life on an island in the Pacific Northwest for the last 14 years.

Over the years, different avenues have allowed me to wear many hats, (Preschool teacher, SCUBA field researcher, marine biology camp instructor, legal secretary, grad student, tech geek, liveaboard, middle school science teacher) however; now I am blessed to be a Stay at Home Mom. said with pride and a sense of thanks.

Growing up, I was removed from my food and now I am in it.

Gardening and buying local meats is how we are creating meals these days.

I am not afraid of butter, but margarine makes me cringe. I am mindful of how much sugar we use, and refuse to open a packet of anything identified as a sweetener. I believe in healthy meals, real desserts and giving in to rib-sticking goodness occasionally (although those are the most fun to write about!).

Meal planning starts with produce in our house and at least two days a week, we have veggie-only meals. My blog, Mental Chew, is about appreciating seasonal gardening, food and fun for my island-style family.

In addition, my camera is frequently in front of my face, so I have a little fun posting pics there as well.

Overall, I am concerned about what is happening to our food source and through my writing, I hope to inspire moms and dads to get their kids outside, make great food from scratch with their families and get their hands in the dirt.

You can visit Val online at Mental Chew, WikiMommy (Contributor) and SJI Mamas and Papas (founder and facilitator).

There are only two types of people in this world. Those who fall to never get up, and those who rise once more.

When others tell you to lay low. Charge.

Drowning in tears is not a slow death; it’s simply an opportunity for revival.

Born three weeks premature and with a sever case of Jaundice, I had a slim chance of survival. Against all odds I was blessed with a one month birthday, and on.

If there’s belief, never take no for an answer.

Do not be afraid to talk. You have words within that will change the course of forever.

A stone to stumble upon is simply fun while falling.

Beating hearts are the body’s way of smiling.

It’s okay to be afraid. But realize that which is feared is often important.

Rise. Charge. Revival. Survival. Belief. Change. Fun. Smiling. Important.

Sunset photo by Lozula.

By Ahmed Kidwai

Growing up I have been kicked, pushed, sworn at and much more.

The thing that sets me apart though is that I get back up. Not only that but I get back up and use these negatives as a fire to succeed. This typically happened in school, in terms of academics.

Growing up I was always fascinated and exceled at Science, Math, P.E but nothing really artsy – however my teachers always looked at this as a negative. Constantly being put down because I used both hands to write, I could barely read, and my French was not good (they teach French as a complementary to English where I am from).

When I hit 3rd grade I just couldn’t take it anymore.

In 3rd grade they decided they’d split up the class into groups to work during free time. One group was the “smart kids” the other was the kids who were a little slower. I was so offended by this even in third grade that I exploded.

I told myself I’d do anything and everything to become the best and from then on I’ve been on cruise control to success.

Believe in yourself!

“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” - David Brinkley

So many times I see people giving up because someone else has told them, “You aren’t good enough.”

Who cares what anyone else says!

It is your life.

Make it the best you can, push yourself to the farthest limits and at the end of the day you can at least know you worked harder than anyone who told you that you could not do it!

To me it takes more to do something then say something.

An example of this was when I was talking to a former high school teacher and I was telling them my aspiration to go into medicine. They looked at me a little strange and said “hope you’re smart enough.” I smiled and prompted to respond politely, but in my mind I took it offensive. That night I studied as hard as I could for my upcoming finals, negative comments just drive me to do better.

Stay organized!

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” - Pablo Picasso

I don’t even know where to start about organization!

It is absolutely necessary to do well in whatever you want to succeed in! You need to remember important dates, papers you need for a meeting, maybe a pencil for class and so much more.

You need to be on the ball.

How exactly do you think things will work if you are spending hours trying to find the date of a dentist appointment when you have to write a business plan, or make notes for class!? These sorts of things cut into YOUR valuable time.

Optimize the 24 hours you have in a day by staying organized!

An example of this that has happened to me recently is trying to locate my physics notes to study for my Physics final. I was very careless about keeping my notes together and now I am missing key things. Going back to my textbook to make notes is so tedious and time consuming! I honestly believe I’d have been better off keeping my notes in order.

As of now I will never make this sort of mistake again, it is so costly!

Concluding, I can not reiterate more: believe and stay organized and not only will you succeed but you will be more than satisfied with your life!

Due to the generosity of UPrinting, I’m giving away free 250 business card printing packages to 3 lucky winners.

UPrinting produces beautiful business cards.

After designing and ordering my own cards from the company, you’ll see from the photo on the right that they’re printed with detail, quality and a dash of sparkle.

I’ve been handing these cards to everyone I meet. I love the ability to choose rounded edges and custom card shapes. The cardstock material is also heavy duty.

In short, they last.

And that’s why I’m so excited to give three of you the same opportunity to have these cards…

…free!

Some Thoughts From UPrinting…

1. What separates UPrinting from other printers?

Our customer service and prepress is way ahead of our competitors, easy-to-use upload interface, website and design tool.

We also make sure that they get free services that could help them with their printing projects (like free file review, free easy design tool, free sample kit, and 24-hour customer support).

2. In a digital world, what makes printed material continually beneficial?

Printed materials still have much better customer recall and are still very effective. For example, even though people keep trying to develop a digital equivalent to business cards and flyers,  there are no practical digital alternatives to them. This also applies to almost all our products. The very existence of a print product subconsciously gives a sense of reality, and often credibility- both of which are very important for anyone who wants to spread a message.

3. For bloggers, what would you consider your most valuable product?

Business cards.

4. Are your prices competitive?

ONLY if you consider value for money. For the quality and customer service, yes we are.  We deliver quality products at affordable prices.

5. When was UPrinting started?

UPrinting has been online since year 2000.

6. What’s UPrinting’s mission and goal in business?

UPrinting is a tech company that aims for growth – with a conscience.

We try to be an indispensable tool for small enterprises of kinds, especially those with progressive ideas.

How do you enter the giveaway?

Remember, three separate individuals will win a set of 250 business cards. If chosen, you will provide a business card design (or use UPrinting’s online business card creation tools) & then receive your 250 illustrious business cards to pass out to friends, potential clients and those interested in what you do online. Isn’t that fun?!

The steps to enter the giveaway are simple…

1. Tweet the giveaway! Use the Tweet button below this post, or craft your own. Your tweet must contain @SmartBoyDesigns, @UPrinting and a link to this post to be counted.
2. Leave a comment! After you’ve tweeted the giveaway, leave a comment here on this post mentioning your completion of the task. If you really want to get involved, share with us your reasons for desiring new business cards. The stories are what make social media fun.

On February 1st, three random winners will be selected.

If you’re selected, you’ll receive an email from myself and one of UPrinting’s customer service employees – guiding you through the ordering process. Shipping is on UPrinting for winners in the USA while those outside the USA will have to pay shipping charges.

I’d like to give a big, public thank you to UPrinting for supporting the small business community. Their efforts in providing valuable services, with quality interwoeven, is beyond priceless.

Thank you UPrinting.

Jeevan Jacob John is a young blogger who blogs about networking, marketing, social media and traffic generation. He tries to come up with new analogies and perspectives to make it easier for others to understand and apply. Find him at his blog – Blog Networking 101.

We hear the word Creativity a lot of times. But, most times, the word is misinterpreted. Let me ask you: What is creativity?

As I understand, Creativity is just a simple act of looking at the familiar in unfamiliar ways. Everyone in this world is creative, whether they agree with it or not.

We use creativity in our day to day life. But, each of us use it in different measures. Some, like artists use it to express themselves through different colors and shapes. Others like writers (like me and you) use words to express our thoughts (are we really expressing our thoughts?).

The extent to which we use it is what matters.

We should try to use “more” of our creativity; be more creative.

I mean, you don’t have to take paint brush to paint or read books or write more articles or whatever.

All you have to do is “do things differently“.

For instance: Try using your hand to brush your teeth instead of your tooth brush. Yup, that’s creativity

As I mentioned before, Creativity is the act of approaching things different. Let’s say that you are going to check Facebook. Instead of doing your daily activities, do something different. For example: If you daily activity is to comment on your Friends’ wall, then stop yourself from doing that. And interact with your fans on Facebook Page (As a blogger, that would be a great thing to do ).

The Apple.

Last week, my Art professor asked all students to draw an apple – from our mind. All of us drew a nice little rounded apple – red in color (We didn’t color it; but if we were to, it would be red).

She gave us some time to work on it (say like 2 minutes). And then she told us to stop drawing and to compare our apple to the apple she drew. And yes, our apples looked similar.

After that, she took out an apple, that she brought along with her, and told us to compare our apples with the real one.

Of course, we noticed lots of differences – the real apple is not perfect in shape, not fully red in color – it had some green and yellow, didn’t have a petal of leaf and many others differences like in texture.

And then came the important part. She told us that what we drew were our mind’s “concepts of apple“. Our mind constructs a concept for every little thing that we see. And when we are asked to think or draw it, we usually think of that concept.

The reason why I gave you this example is to signify the importance of mind’s concepts (and to allow myself to be creative – it has been a long time since I have included a personal story in one of my blog posts ). We usually do things based on these concepts. Whether we are blogging, painting, cooking or even knitting.

Let me explain what we can do, as bloggers:

Spend more time doing things that you aren’t used to doing.

For the past week or so, I have been spending a lot of time on reading and commenting blogs (Usually, I don’t do much commenting). Well, I did that for a couple of reasons:

• To Be More Creative
• To Get More Blog Post Ideas
• To Engage With Other Bloggers
• To Get More Link backs
• To Get More Traffic
• To Motivate Myself to Guest Post on those Sites

The list goes on (the longer the list, the stronger my motivation, the easier I can keep up with it).

I have also been writing every day for the last few days (The first time I am doing that for blogging).

What things do you do usually for blogging? Writing? Commenting? Reading Blogs?

There are a lot of things you can do instead:

• Write for your subscribers – Write tips for your subscribers only.
• Interact with your subscribers
• Engage on Twitter and/or G+
• Etc.

Well, it depends on who you are on and what you do every day.

You could so something new or do the same thing that you do in a different way.

For example: If you are going to write for your blog, stop that, and guest post. Or you could write on a topic that you haven’t written for a long time.

Or start a personal blog and write on a different niche.

Or write a blog post without any planning.

If you are going to comment, stop that and engage with people who commented on your latest posts (via Twitter, G+ or Facebook).

The possibilities are endless. You just have to choose one that helps your blog in a beneficial way.

Do things creatively.

Do things differently.

Do the things that you do in a different way.

Be a Creative Blogger!

P.S. I think I have been creative with this blog post too. Because usually I don’t like this. A change is good. Isn’t it?

P.P.S Like the article? Will ya help me out by writing your thoughts or marketing it to the world? Thanks a lot!