CONTEST Jumpstart Your Business CONTEST

September 3, 2007 by Liz

People often forget that Successful blog is a proud member of the b5media family. But I’m here to tell you that I’ve been part of the fold for long enough to know that I like the folks, especially as I meet more and more of them in person. So, it gives great pleasure to announce a contest that is sponsored by the b5 business channel of blogs.

The Prizes Are Fabulous!

A Package Valued at Over $2K for the Winner!

Are you a small business ready to soar?

Don’t just sit there! Enter and win!!

Here’s how you enter (rules and requirements follow).

To Enter

To enter, send us your abbreviated business plan for a your new or fledgling business with the following information:
1. Whatâ€™s your business idea?
2. Who is on your business team – in other words, who is going to make this idea work?
3. When did you start your business? Or when do you plan to start your business? What is your time frame for success?
4. Why is this business going to be a success?
5. Why should we pick you as the winner?
Your abbreviated business plan should be no longer than 1000 words.

Rules

Entries:
Entries must be sent via email with â€œJump Start Your Businessâ€ in the subject line to businesscontest@mac.com by 11:59 PM EST on September 25, 2007.

Requirements:

Plain Text or PDF Only. No other attachments or formats will be accepted.

You must be at least 18 years old to participate.

Contest is open to new businesses or fledgling businesses which have been in existence for less than one year.

By entering the contest, you agree that b5media may post any part or all of your submission, as a part of the contest announcements or promotions, with the exception of your email address.

To be considered, entries must also include the following:

1. Name of applicant (either team or individual)
2. Where you live (city and state or country is sufficient)
3. Email address. We wonâ€™t publish your email address, but we do need contact information for the winning entries. We respect your privacy, and we will not send you anything unrelated to your entry in this contest.

Our Disclaimers

The winning entries will be determined by a panel of judges from b5media at our sole discretion. Our decision is final. Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash or cash equivalent. Donated prizes cannot be guaranteed; we reserve the right to make substitutions of equal or greater value if necessary.

Jumpstart Your Business Prizes

The Grand Prize winner receives a Prize Package that includes:

A subscription to Entrepreneur magazine, courtesy of Entrepreneur.com
A Web Developer host package for one year (consists of 5 domains, 600 subdomains and 200 host external domains; 300 GB web space 3,000 monthly transfer volume and 50 ftp accounts; 4,000 email accounts and 2 GB mailbox space; $475 of vouchers to get you started with Microsoft adCenter, Google AdWords, Yahoo Search marketing and Citisearch; 10 free blogs and more), courtesy of 1and1.com
A Private Jet billing package for one year (up to 500 clients, unlimited invoicing and customer support), courtesy of Freshbooks.com
A b5media tee shirt, courtesy of b5media
*Your choice of a taxgirl organic tee or long sleeve tee and $25 gift card to amazon.com, courtesy of taxgirl.com
Wireless mouse, wireless keyboard and keyboard riser, courtesy of InterviewChatter.com
A twelve month subscription to the Sales Leadership Zone, a place where sales leaders and small business owners can find everything they need to increase sales and drive business, courtesy of thesalespractitioners.com
A copy of the book, 10 Ways to Make it Great, courtesy of SlackerManager.com
$50 in Pecunix Digital Gold Currency, courtesy of digitalmoneyworld.com
Jason Albaâ€™s new book, â€œIâ€™m on LinkedInâ€¦Now What???â€, courtesy of LinkedIntelligence.com
Over $1000 of free business advice (in the form of email, phone or Skype) from our experts to get you started!

The first runner up will receive:

A subscription to Entrepreneur magazine, courtesy of Entrepreneur.com
A Business Developer host package for one year (consists of 3 domains, 200 subdomains and 100 host external domains; 250 GB web space 2,500 monthly transfer volume and 25 ftp accounts; 2,500 email accounts and 2 GB mailbox space; $250 of vouchers to get you started with Microsoft adCenter, Google AdWords, Yahoo Search marketing and Citisearch; 10 free blogs and more), courtesy of 1and1.com
A Shuttle Jet billing package for six months (up to 25 clients, unlimited invoicing and customer support), courtesy of Freshbooks.com
A copy of the book, 10 Ways to Make it Great, courtesy of SlackerManager.com
and free consulting advice from two of our experts of your choosing.

The second runner up will receive:

A subscription to Entrepreneur magazine, courtesy of Entrepreneur.com
*A Business Developer host package for one year (consists of 3 domains, 200 subdomains and 100 host external domains; 250 GB web space 2,500 monthly transfer volume and 25 ftp accounts; 2,500 email accounts and 2 GB mailbox space; $250 of vouchers to get you started with Microsoft adCenter, Google AdWords, Yahoo Search marketing and Citisearch; 10 free blogs and more), courtesy of 1and1.com
A copy of the book, 10 Ways to Make it Great, courtesy of SlackerManager.com
and free consulting advice from two of our experts of your choosing.

Our Experts

Tax tips from Kelly Phillips Erb of taxgirl.com
Consulting and marketing advice from Jim Norton of smallbusinessboomers.com

Marketing direction from Rico Masterson of contract-worker.com
Personal finance and blogging information from Miranda Marquit of yieldingwealth.com

Using a range of social media tools in marketing and connecting with a community from Rachel Clarke of behindthebuzz.com
Hiring practices and creating core competencies for positions from Darlene McDaniel of interviewchatter.com

Identifying business purpose and strategy for a blog from Des Walsh of deswalsh.com
Coaching from Miki Saxon, courtesy of rampupsolutions.com

Linked In makeover from Scott Allen of LinkedIntelligence.com
Marketing and brand identity critique from Sean Kelly of franchisepick.com

Copywriting tips from Brian Clark of copyblogger.com
Home business advice from Mary Emma Allen of homebiznotes.com

Copy editing, writing, or website usability advice from Eric Eggertson of CommonsensePR.com
Customer service and community relations advice from Douglas Hanna of ServiceUntitled.com
Tech marketing advice from Sunir Shah of Freshbooks, Inc.

Our Sponsors

A big THANK YOU to our sponsors! Please let them know that they are appreciated!

1 & 1 Internet, Inc.
Entrepreneur Magazine
Freshbooks, Inc.
The entire B5media Business Channel community:

Behind the Buzz
Brandcurve
Business and Blogging
Buzz Networker
Common Sense PR
Contract Worker
Copyblogger
Digital Money World
Franchise Pick
Home Biz Notes
Interview Chatter
Just Make Money Online
Leadership Turn
Life Dev
Linked Intelligence
Pimp Your Work
Property Crossroads
Slacker Manager
Small Business Boomers
Start Up Spark
Successful Blog
Taxgirl
Work Boxers
Yielding Wealth

Special Thanks to Don at Archetype Digital Solutions for designing our promotional badge!

How silly would you have to be to pass this up? Only 1000 words to tell your story . . . what have you got to lose?

C’mon go for it! This is just what we’ve been working for. Are you going to do it?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Happy Belated blogDay 3, August 31 [blush]

September 3, 2007 by Liz

BlogDay2007

Nir Ofir started blogDay three years ago for a darn good reason. As he says:

I initiated the blogDay in 2005 with the belief that bloggers should have one day which will be dedicated to discover new blogs and expose them to the world.

I was all psyched to take part. . . . But that “living in the moment thing” got the best of me. blogDay 3 was August 31. I woke up today, and the world is on September 3rd. Even now I’d still be clueless without help from a hero down the road.

So, I’m saying . . . at least I remembered I forgot. Sorry.

Happy Belated blogDay3

I celebrated a bit on August 5th, by answering Jeff Pulver’s tag. Still my plan was to celebrate with the world, so I use the word “belated,” in hopes I still can. May I introduce you to some blogs from around the world?

From Melbourne, Australia: Craig Harper, Motivational Speaker. Craig is an expert on self-improvement and personal development. Craig calls it “kind of like Craig’s classroom; random thoughts, observations and life lessons. It is an educational and inspirational resource for people who are serious about creating their best life.”
One post I recommend is Head in the sand it is the new epidemic.
From Hungary and the US: Pearl, writer, with a degree in self-improvement. Pearl is a much respected writer, blogger with a loyal community. She speaks of her blog this way, ” I sometimes talk about various aspects of blogging in general but my main focus is on self-improvement. I find blogging to be the best medium to learn as well as share my knowledge and experiences with you all.”
One post I recommend is Creating Content from Everyday Life
A Canadian from England: Chris Garrett, online media consultant. Chris blogs daily about the business of new media, blogging and how to connect with an audience authentically. Chris says, “The aim is to teach you ways you can create compelling resources, provide your audience more value, build trust and loyalty, and generate more rewards for yourself.”
One Post I recommend is Better Blog Branding: Whatâ€™s In a Name?
From London, England: Eye on DNA by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei Hsien Lei is highly respected and well-known health and science writer and blogger, whose passion is to make the world a better, healthier place. Hsien says, “Everyone needs to understand how our bodies work and how our genes plus the environment affect us.”
One post I recommend is 7 Things I Love About DNA
From Cornwall County, England: Lyndon Antcliff, SEO specialist. Lyndoman is currently focusing on Social Media marketing and doing interesting things with linkbait. He explains, “I have developed a good deal of knowledge regarding getting the right people in the right amount of numbers to websites, otherwise known as search engine optimisation or SEO.”
One post I recommend is 5-characteristics-of-successful-linkbait
From Riga, Latvia: Himalaya is a most interesting guy. He speaks mostly in quotes and pictures. I recommend you check out his blog. I suspect you be there for hours. I’m sure you’ll find many posts to recommend.
From Hawaii, USA: Kuanyin has six blogs. One of my favorites is Blog Blond.
One post I recommend is Three Things You Can Learn From Puppies
From all over the world: Ilker Yoldas, Freelance Graphic Designer and Thinker. Ilker originated the Thinking Blogger award which carries a past logo of The Thinking Blog. As Ilker puts it, “Here I write about many of the topics that make me think, in a world where most are too busy to stop and take some time out to reflect. I hope it will keep you thinking too.”
One post I recommend is Scrabble + Dominos = Monopoly Loads of Fun!
From Jerusalem, Israel: Yoav Ezer, marketing genius and .pdf expert Yoav is a programmer/consultant. You’ll find Yoav at his blog Codswallop, talking about information retrieval. Yoav says, “Here at Codswallop we discuss how technology can be used to increase productivity.”
One post I recommend is Why you should publish your PDF with a Creative Commons License, which just happens to be a .pdf.
From Sydney, Australia: Meg is a entrepreneur, who blogs from a refreshingly Australian perspective. I think of Meg as a real blogger’s blogger and a real business person’s business person. In other words, she’s a fine human. As Meg says, “More than likely what you wonâ€™t read about here is religion, economics, politics, shopping, cooking, fashion, make-up or pets – as I have little desire to write about these topics.”
One post I recommend is Heaps of Clicks â€“ Anagram for Blogging Success

Sorry I was late, but I brought twice as many. Hope you have as much fun checking them out as I did putting this list together.

Do you want to add a blog to the list? That’s what the comment box is for! Be sure, if you do, to include a few words about the blogger and why you’re passing the link along. Thanks!

Happy Belated blogDay3!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

The Blog Herald: Rock Star Bloggers, Do You Chase Readers Away?

August 21, 2007 by Liz

It’s as Easy as 1,2,3

I’ve noticed something about bloggers. We’re all rock stars. It’s true and there’s nothing wrong with that. You don’t have to have 1000 readers to be a rock star. You only need one loyal fan.

The problem is that, over the long haul, we sometimes change the way we blog. Like rock stars, some of us peak too early. Some of us get better as time goes by. Some of us get tired of the daily grind, and some buy into our own PR.

Read the whole feature in today’s Blog Herald by clicking the logo.

It’s about blogging and real life.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
At the Blog Herald, I write about books, information, and relationships, making connections from the patterns she sees. I consider these keystone articles.
Authenticity and Transparency in the Real World
In the Real World â€” The Half-Full, Half-Empty Glass
The Universe of People, Black Holes, and Stars
Connectors and Mavens on the Tipping Point
The Writerâ€™s Dilemma and the Bloggerâ€™s Secret
The Two Webs: Information or Relationships?
Social Networking: Am I Person Or an Item?

Blog Action Day: October 15, 2007

August 18, 2007 by Liz

Imagine the Power

Do you know about Blog Action Day?
The countdown has begun to October 15. On that day every blogger who participates will be writing something related the environment and keeping it safe. Each blogger will address the topic in his or her own way within the context of his or her own blog.

The cool part is everyone will be posting on the same day . . . October 15th!

To quote the organizers

Blog Action Day is about MASS participation. That means we need you! Here are 3 ways to participate:

Post on your blog relating to the environment on Blog Action Day

Donate your dayâ€™s earnings to an environmental charity

Promote Blog Action Day around the web

. . . . What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day? One issue. One day. Thousands of voices.

Click the logo above to get more information.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

And Don’t Forget BlogDay3 2007

The Mic Is On: We're Talking with Becky about Beer . . .

August 14, 2007 by Liz

It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

. . . Wine, and Whiskey – and a Liquor Store in Oklahoma

And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey.

Oh, and bring related links about to share!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: Becky McCray Is Guest Host!

August 14, 2007 by Liz

Yes the Mic Will Be on Tonight
Becky McCray Will Be Our Guest Host!

We’re talking about fine alcoholic beverages.

We can talk about beer, wine, whiskey, scotch, cognac, brandy, bars, saloons, taverns, liquor stores in Oklahoma, and whatever else comes up.

Oh, and bring related links to share!

The rules are simple — be nice.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

The Prizes Are Fabulous!

A Package Valued at Over $2K for the Winner!

Are you a small business ready to soar?

Don’t just sit there! Enter and win!!

To Enter

Rules

Jumpstart Your Business Prizes

Our Experts

Our Sponsors

BlogDay2007

Happy Belated blogDay3

It’s as Easy as 1,2,3

Imagine the Power

And Don’t Forget BlogDay3 2007

It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

. . . Wine, and Whiskey – and a Liquor Store in Oklahoma

Oh, and bring related links about to share!

Yes the Mic Will Be on Tonight Becky McCray Will Be Our Guest Host!

We’re talking about fine alcoholic beverages.

Oh, and bring related links to share!

The rules are simple — be nice.

Yes the Mic Will Be on Tonight
Becky McCray Will Be Our Guest Host!