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@Kaya I'm using HelpStudio 3. It's kind of expensive but you can do a lot with it. I wrote this tutorial with it: http://www.acornhost.com/articles.html?article=5

It does the little drop down widgets and whatnot for you.

@Kaya I'm using HelpStudio 3. It's kind of expensive but you can do a lot with it. I wrote this tutorial with it: http://www.acornhost.com/articles.html?article=5

It does the little drop down widgets and whatnot for you.

Oh and I'm doing my taxes today too! I'm using a help authoring tool to document all my procedures so next year will be easier. =)

I put an ad on Craigslist to find a tutor for learning PHP (programming language for building websites). I had been teaching myself, but was running into stuff that I didn't understand and wasn't sure I was doing right. I needed a guide and someone to ask questions when I got stuck etc. I found the perfect person and am meeting with him once a week at a coffeeshop. I feel so much better and am moving forward on projects that have been languishing while I decided what to do. (I had thought about hiring it out, had been trying to teach myself, etc, but wasn't getting anywhere). I finally decided I wanted to do it myself (at least at this point) but didn't know how and needed help to learn, not help to do it. Even if I hire someone at some point, I want to know enough to know what they are doing, and that the project is well-designed. So finding a tutor was a perfect solution!

It's not always true that you "get what you pay for". I think this phrase is overused.

Sometimes you can pay a lot for "team" to develop a shiny hip website that may be more or different than what you need. On the other hand, you could find a reliable freelancer who understands the business and has integrity and will give you just what you need. Or, you could be at a stage where a solution like shopify.com or etsy.com works just fine.

You can make just as big a mistake paying too much as paying too little. Paying a lot doesn't mean you are getting what you need.

The same is true of hosting--for most people there is no need to pay for a marked-up "e-commerce" hosting package. Regular hosting packages these days nearly always includes all the functionality you need to run an e-commerce store - there really isn't "e-commerce hosting" unless you are talking about a hosted shopping cart. And because of the competitiveness of the hosting field, low prices doesn't mean bad quality - you can pay a lot and have bad quality too. In fact what I think is more true, on the web, than "you get what you pay for" is "pricing is all over the map". It's a new field. Be prepared to research and learn to make sure you are getting what you need.

What matters is that you check out the company, not make a judgment solely based on price. Most hosting companies (and I speak as the owner of one) can run most e-commerce software and it really doesn't put that much demand on the server unless you are doing a heck of a lot of traffic - and that's the case with any site that uses a script. It's not really different than any other database-driven site like a blog or a forum. There's nothing "special" about an "E-commerce engine" - which really just means a script like Zen Cart or Magento. And if you have a small site that's using that many resources, it's probably a badly written cart, like X-cart or LiteCommerce (this is my opinion having used them). This isn't your host's fault.

The biggest cost is if your cart requires Windows hosting which tends to be more expensive.

Most hosts will not support your cart itself programming-wise. You need to hire a programmer and have them available to you if something goes wrong - do NOT rely on your host for this. Not because they are not a good host, but because it is not their job. An analogy is that if your phone doesn't work, it's not your phone company's fault - as long as the phone line works.

The host is responsible for the server, not your software.

You can get hosting that includes both, but do a cost-benefit analysis. I've seen e-commerce hosts that are great at the e-commerce part but aren't great hosts. It's kind of like buying a combo TV-VCR - make sure both components are quality. Sometimes it's a better idea to hire a host who is great at hosting and a programmer who knows your shopping cart inside and out. A good programmer will also be able to interface with your hosting provider and discuss the server requirements with them.

Regarding hiring a programmer, I think the most important thing to look for is if the person you are hiring feels like someone you can trust as an adviser - someone who can explain the field you are operating in, explain your options, and give you feedback. A good indicator of this is if they are willing to refer you to someone else if you aren't a good fit for their services. Try asking them up front if that is the case. If they say "absolutely" and don't blink an eye, or say something like "I only want to work for you if I'm the right person for you", that's good. If they stammer or start over-talking, they might be all about the sale and not about your best interests.

At the very least, even if you want to go with a Yahoo store or the like, do your research. www.practicalecommerce.com is a good place to start. There are a lot of considerations - for instance with Yahoo, they have a proprietary format. Will you be able to get your data out if you want to upgrade? Consider hiring a web designer that specializes in e-commerce for a few hours of consulting to talk over your options.

Matt, Terra: I know I come across as confrontational. This seems to be my style although I've tried to change it. I am genuinely interested in catalyzing change in people's consciousness. I know it makes people uncomfortable sometimes especially if they have histories where conflict always equalled violence. I don't believe it has to. I am not sure how to help that while still being authentic and honest. I truly believe that in getting uncomfortable topics on the table and telling our truth about them, we all grow in consciousness and get a bigger part of the truth which helps each of us evolve and humanity evolve as a whole. So that's my larger goal. I hope this helps explain where I'm coming from and relieve your possible concern about this suddenly erupting into upset and bad feelings. I tend to jump in.

Cindy: you write "both sides" - yes, this is the heart of what I'm trying to bring awareness to. It sounds to me like you are setting up two sides - a "good" side with compassion on it and a "bad" side with money on it.

I believe that setting up a "good side" and a "bad side" necessarily is attacking someone. It's a judgment - which is a form of violence. I'm aiming for a nonviolent world, and I want to start with my own judgments.

And by saying that, in response to what I wrote, it was hard for me not to conclude that you are putting me on the "bad" side. What I heard was a judgment of me personally. Can you respond to my question - had you concluded that I am indifferent to the suffering of others because I enjoy business and creating/using money? I would like to know because if so I need to adjust how I talk about what I'm saying.

What I feel most frustrated about is that it seems like my point was lost. My point was about going beyond the "good money" and "bad money" to understanding money as something more mystical and fundamental. Would you be willing to tell me what comes up for you when I use the words money and mystical together?

Emma

Cindy,

I hear that the pain of the world is deeply troubling to you and you are frustrated and angry about it.

At the same time I feel frustrated and sad because when I read your writing what comes through most to me are ideas and criticisms about people that seem like they are about me and feel like indirect attacks.

What I mean by that is, I wonder if you have concluded that I'm willfully ignoring the suffering of others - or happy or indifferent that our culture is violent - or keep myself sheltered from seeing the pain of our world because I prefer to live in a rosy bubble rather than sit with the truth? Do you think that because I work and advocate for joy and clarity and wisdom around money that I'm unaware of the suffering or economic disparities that currently exist in the world?

I want to be seen for who I am and given the benefit of the doubt. I wonder if you are making assumptions about me based on your experience with other people or other groups, or your beliefs about certain people. I'd like not to be judged based on the actions of others or based on ideas you've formed without getting to know me. I'd like assumptions not to be made about my character, my authenticity, or my willingness to be present to reality.

It's not so fun for me to have a conversation where I feel like I'm being judged, so I'd like to get that out in the open if it is true. If not, then please let me know that as well. I'm not trying to accuse you of something - I'm trying to clear the air because I'm getting increasingly frustrated with this dialog as it has been going.

Thanks, Emma

Wow, I'm sensing you have some pretty negative associations with money. I'm sorry if you've had some painful experiences with money or the lack of it.

I'm not sure that alcoholics enjoy drinking at all once they get to the stage that it is out of their control--the feeling of being unable to stop yourself from harming yourself or others is one of the worst of the human experience (IMHO). To say it is "fun" is probably wanting to appear like they are in control of it when they are not. Being an addict of any kind is a gut-wrenching, awful experience to go through and recover from. It's not fun - and usually addicts are painfully aware of the who they are harming and do a dance of denial and guilt and remorse that fuels more drinking to cope--until they get help. Addictions aren't fun. At all.

So I don't agree with the analogy, partly because it minimizes the struggle of addiction, and partly because I am quite clear that I enjoy a happy and engaging relationship with money, not a painful, agonizing, shame-filled one. =)

Would you be willing to open your mind to the possibility that I could genuinely enjoy my relationship with money, use it creatively and compassionately, and harm no-one in the process - but actually help people by providing needed services for a fair exchange of energy (money)?

I know it is a leap, but consider that your ideas about money may come from internal beliefs - and there are other perspectives that you might try on that would serve you better. Just a suggestion.

I grew up in a house where money was evil and anyone who had any was corrupt. Not surprisingly, my parents had no money. However, my home wasn't any more loving, compassionate, or creative than homes of people with money. Love is what matters, and love can be transmitted through money just as well as any other conduit. It depends on the mindset of those using the money. So the real work is not to get rid of money. It's to question our internal assumptions and where we come from.

I guarantee that in every situation where people are using money in a "bad" way - if they did internal work and had an awakening and became aware and compassionate people, they would and could use the same money in a "good" way. For instance with innovative programs like microloans in developing countries - people with money using their money to help people without money - by helping them understand and use money to generate more money - and along with that, more resources, self-respect, and a sense of personal power and accomplishment. All of that, money can do too.

It's the people, it's ourselves -> that's where the work is. Holding money as an object of contempt is letting money have more power than it has - and denying our own power in the process, which blocks the healing the world so desperately needs around money. Money is innocent - it didn't create the problems. People created the problems, and people can solve them. And many if not all of those solutions will involve the movement of money in some capacity - and it's the people who can change how they think about money who will be able to use it as a transformational tool.

We can't change the existence of money - but we can change how we approach people with money who are using it in ways we don't like. We can change how we talk about money, how we use money, what power we give money, what responsibility we take around money, and how we approach ourselves around how much money we have. There are so many transformational opportunities in looking at the consciousness we have around money - and how that affects how money moves in our lives. Not just so we can create abundance for ourselves, but so we can use it in ways that further our Divine purpose in the world.

I don't know about that. When you do something for someone else, yes, you are constrained by their needs. But that would (should) be the case even if you were doing the project for free. You are in essence being of service to the other person. If you just do whatever you want without regard to their needs, then you aren't really helping them you are just goofing off.

Perhaps some clients want you to just please them and they pay you more for that. But most clients (good ones) respect your opinion and if you push back they listen. They don't want your subserviance or compliance, they want your expertise and creative insights. So, it's a collaboration.

"Pursuing your creativity to the fullest" may be fine for fine art - but there are lots of creative endeavors that are a collaboration between the requester and the creator - design for instance. It's no less creative - in fact, the constraints posed by the client's needs serve the same function as the size of the canvas does - constraint fuels creativity by giving it a container that it has to work inside.

Some companies and corporations may be "driven by profit". I would challenge the idea that all are. Cashflow is the lifeblood of any business - business need to generate capital and reinvest it to run, that is their form - however many businesses, even corporations, are driven by a mission, not by profit. Profit is necessary to keep the business nourished - it is very much like water or food (stored energy). But a business driven by accumulation of money is the same as a person driven by accumulation of food or other resources - they've lost their way. That doesn't mean every business has lost its way. You are generalizing from the specific which is a logical error. Every statement you make about "companies" is a generalization - it applies to some companies, but not to all. Many people, including me and others in this thread, are part of a great shift in business - helping business find its way again. From the bottom up, from the inside out.

I support the idea of a guaranteed income, which I think is what you are talking about. I do think it would immediately start a shift out of scarcity-thinking that would rock our world. However, barring that, we can all start to do that shift ourselves by becoming aware of the grand abundance of life and sharing that idea with others. We can promote the idea that even in the landscape we see, each of us can still make choices. Each of us can find our own path toward financial freedom, and it starts with a willingness to see that as possible for ourselves. Looking at the evidence of how others are trapped and saying that it is inevitable creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. Seeing what others have done to become free and saying "I can do that" creates the momentum to change our own lives.

I am not sure there is an economy of scale to things like barter and doing favors for "loved ones". As nice as that idea sounds, money was invented because it's a lot more efficient and makes larger and more complex transactions possible. When I do favors for my friends and family, it's because there is a basic understanding of reciprocity - they would do the same for me if the situation were different. Sure, you can expand that a little, but it's not ever going to be a basis on which to run an international monetary system. There are just too many people in the world. We don't live in villages anymore. (Not that there is anything wrong with living in a village.) While I went through my requisite phase of pining for the idyllic days of hunter-gatherers where there was no money and we all lived in tribes - now I find it a lot more exciting to think of all the possibilities of the world we've created right now. Money to me is an amazing, awe-inspiring tool. It flows in ways that boggle the mind - in the same way that the workings of the brain and neurons boggle the mind.

I believe the Universe has a fractal nature. The money system operates like an organic system. I know that is a leap for some people, because there has been such a disconnect between money and life for many people. But we created it, and it seems to operate with a life of its own now - this idea occured to me while investigating the stock market. It's a mechanical system - but so is every organic system, at its root. At a higher, more complex level, its movements seem better explained by chaos theory than by Newtonian physics.

This is probably way out there for most people, but I wanted to suggest that if you can put aside the negative feelings associated with money due to the pain and struggle of so many, money itself is a fascinating and even beautiful thing. And then you realize that money itself is not at fault. And we can use this amazing tool for good. And that is a powerful thought.

I think "for free" misses the point. I think the issue is whether your work is voluntary and you are doing it out of joy, or you are doing it out of economic necessity.

I don't "have" to do most of what I do. I could survive on less income - and I grow my business because it's fun and I like it, not because I "need" the money. Of course I like to have access to use the money I earn, but I also know that I wouldn't keep working above subsistence if I didn't also enjoy it. Joy is the only motivator that really has sticking power to me.

But would I do my work for free? No. For two reasons - because I value my time and energy and want others to as well. And because having a business is part of what I love to do. And generating capital and reinvesting it is how a business works.

Of course, I do work for free on occasion - for friends and family who I know couldn't afford my services but I want to see them succeed.

I don't think it's at all unfortunate that we have money. Because I love the money game, it's fun. =)

There's a reason we die - it makes life precious. Money is the same way - it makes our energy precious.

If I had piles of money...I'd make my business even more awesome. And start lots of other awesome businesses. Seriously, I love it. I think businesses are a huge vehicle for change and can change the world for the better, and are doing so.

I think of money differently than a lot of people though. I think money is energy - and energy is love. Love is an exchange of energy - and so is money. So business is about creating systems and opportunities for the exchange of love/energy/money. It's all part of the same flow.

When you come from that point of view, there really isn't a separation between money and the rest of your world/life. It's all just a flow of creative energy, and money is just a means to make it more efficient. Could you imagine bartering for web hosting? Money liberates us. That's why we created it. It's a tool - it's our tool - it has no power of its own - but we can use it as a powerful tool to create good - to create more life-energy, creativity, and joy. And to me, that's very exciting and something I want to be a part of.

@Peter I think you've hit on something with the combination of online and in-person leading to a tighter community. It lets people mix and max levels of investment. If I can communicate with my business buddies in low-investment ways online through a discussion forum, or Twitter, etc, etc - then I can develop the relationship in between in-person events. And vice versa - if I meet someone in person who I've met online, I get a lot more depth to the relationship. It adds depth both directions, in different ways. Who you see of someone online and offline is often different - with access to both you get a richer picture of someone and more aspects to potentially relate to.

Online, people can comment to greater depth, develop their thoughts through writing - sometimes you get more direct access to their mind, especially with blogging. In person, you can shake their hand, see their smile, hear their laugh - you get more direct access to their energy. But there's no point in doing either or - both is best!

I've been on a mass-media fast from around 1998 - soon after I left home for college. I got a mega-dose of NPR growing up that contributed to a lot of my depression as a teenager. I think news is completely skewed and it scares me how people who are in Washington leading the country live in an artificial news bubble - I wonder what effect it has on our policy.

Lately though I've become semi-interested and inspired just because of Obama - finally someone who is an inspiring leader! I have watched him speak a few times. But besides that, I mostly get my news from The Daily Show and Twitter. =)

Ondine, you might check out Yes! magazine for a positive news source.

Nice, and great story about re-investing in your biz. I think "in these times", spiritual leadership is more called for than ever. Thanks for the reminder about sacred space. I have an altar, but not in my office - time to add some items there as well.

To me Biznik is about being indie - the Chamber of Commerce is about being normal. That's why I'm here. =)

Ooh, I like the office cleaning idea. The question "what do I not want to take into 2009" is a great way to frame it.

Hi, Which Pepino's?

sure, $2 sounds good. maybe the title should be different now too =)

Wait, so does that mean it's not happening?

I was a "maybe", but there isn't an RSVP for that I don't think.

I think all of what you say is important, but I also think loving your logo is important to someone. For a solo-preneur, someone who pours their heart and soul into their business - seeing something every day that they don't really love, but is the very symbol of their business - I would think it could really drive someone crazy and drain a lot of energy. OR it could be really inspiring and create a lot of energy. It depends on how visually focused someone is. I think if it's a really good logo, and really speaks what your business is in a appealing way, then you would love it. And if you don't love it - there's probably a good reason worth looking into. Maybe it doesn't really speak what it needs to speak.

I have a question - are people deducting these donations as a business expense? My understanding is that only C corporations can deduct charitable contributions - but I'm wondering if you make it part of your marketing (i.e. we donate 3% of our profits to these charities..), then would it be deductible as a marketing expense? Otherwise, if you are an LLC like most of here probably are, you can only deduct it on your personal tax return and then only if you itemize deductions.

Heya,

What is the topic going to be this time around?

Emma

Aja, I think that comes across - personal with business thrown in. I think maybe what people were encouraging was to look at why you would make a page that just throws business in, if you have an overall goal to get more business. And if you don't, then why put the business stuff on there at all?

Other than that, it looks very stylish and cool. =)

I guess if it were me, I'd do something like this: move the 'Services' and 'Design Samples' to a dedicated business site, and then link to it from this site - so people could go there and get the full business treatment. Then this would stay as your personal status page since it is excellent for that.

Although, it also depends on how you get new business. If you mostly get it through personal connections, then SEO and making it get-in-7-seconds doesn't matter b/c people will already have met you when they see it. However...that would be limiting potential new customers greatly since it wouldn't be taking advantage of online marketing.

@Amy IMHO green/brown "recycled paper" look targets a specific green market, i.e. the older/"hippy" green market.

If you are going for more urban/hip/young/professional, you might want to go with green and blue or something more modern.

Hi Jessie,

I liked your article on your site about using glass bottles because they are a lot more efficient to recycle. I never considered that but it makes sense.

I run a web hosting company called Acorn Host at www.acornhost.com - we buy renewable energy certificates to cover our energy usage (it pays for wind and solar energy to be put into the grid on our behalf).

I encourage people to buy them b/c it's a really easy way to make any business green-friendly. You can buy them here: http://www.3degreesinc.com/knowledge/rec/

Emma