Baby, It's Cold Outside

How about this weather? 

I've been cooking and baking and stocking up for this lovely little winter storm.  I kind of hope our power does go out as warned because then the treadmill wouldn't work.

Today's blog is actually not on the weather...cheer up.  No it's going to be some links to some pretty amazing business articles.  If you don't have a business or never plan on it, these tips can still help you at your own job and with life in general.  Reading stories on how a little known business rose to the occassion and conquered - what person doesn't benefit from an underdog story? 

First up, an article from Entrepreneur.com - perfect story on knowing your audience.  Foiled Cupcakes based in the Chicago area investigated and sought out their target audience:
Rise of the Cupcakes Article

Second, and of course this one strikes a chord with me, a woman who builds and creates her own website that has become very successful - her interview:
Successful Website

And last, but certainly not least - an article on MOTIVATION from Matthew Weller from the Los Angeles Business Journal.  This article is directed more toward teachers of younger students, but applies to ourselves personally and possibly useful when dealing with some employees. 
Motivation Article


Happy Winter!

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Nothing to Say

I seriously have nothing to say this week.  I wouldn't exactly call it writer's block since I don't really write on this blog - I just journal. 

Nothing that interesting has happened by way of the business. 

I did get a business card made up for the Small Goalz blog.  I'm not heavily advertising this thing, but saving all my pennies for advertising the completed site. 
I am currently working on the marketing plan and doing a few improvements to the office including putting up those curtains instead of the sheet ha ha.  See what I'm talking about here: http://smallgoalz.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-messy-office.html

And the only personal note worth mentioning at this point is amidst the marketing books, I read Sharon Osbourne's autobiography and just loved it.  I would have stayed up and read it all in one night, but had an appointment early the next morning so I ended up finishing it in two nights.  It is very personal and entertaining.  It's basically all the craziness I love about the Osbournes.

I am loving my kindle still.  Long battery life and it is not backlit.  I understand people wanting the full color display of the ipad.  Some books call for that - I mean you can get picture books and not miss out on the colors.  But I could never read a book to a kid from a computer device and I don't read many books with pictures so I haven't found it to be a problem so far.  I enjoy the fact that the kindle is a digital book and reads like it is paper and not like you are reading a book from a computer screen. 

The next steps for the site are really still the same - design design design, program program program.  As soon as I get a working product, I'll be looking for beta testers.  Granted, I know it is nowhere near as exciting as being asked to beta test Cataclysm, but I'm sure there will be a free gifts involved for those who take time to test and give feedback.   



Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Slogan Revealed

The time for getting business cards designed is upon me (not to mention the site itself), so it was high time for a slogan to materialize.  An ideal slogan is catchy, memorable, sensational, and describes the action of the business or service as concisely as possible, creating intrigue. 

Many options have gone through my head.  It cannot sway too far into the sensational, making huge promises.  It cannot dip too far into the mundane, boring and forgettable.  For me, it had to take the path of the buddha, if you will, straight down the middle.  Calm, curious, aware....and yet still describes the business concisely.  This one slogan will be on the business cards, the ads, and the website itself. 

Drumroll please......

Reclaim your true self

one small goal at a time

I can see 'Reclaim your true self ' as becoming the slogan in the future, but for now, this being very new - it needs a certain description.

I worked on the site design more on Saturday and I am down to the final sketch which is very exciting.  I'll get a color sketch up and running next.  I never really did long sessions of sketching for a site before.  I normally just jump in and make changes as I go.

However, considering the fact I constantly changed the designs of past sites when the mood hit, this one needs to satisfy a vision and not change every few days.  All of the past designs and endeavors were all learning experiences to this point.  And this moment is the learning process for the next.  Any mistakes or successes are coming to a head in this project for me. 

This one will be a success because I've already thought of it as such.  I believe in it and if I'm the only one that uses it and benefits from it - it's still a success.  Of course, I won't let it fall by the wayside - I'll get at least two other people using it regularly ha ha. 

Special thanks to friends and family who gave their opinions and feedback.  Thank you all!

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Social Networking...Good Marketing or Bad for Business?

When one creates a facebook or myspace page, they may have the thought of keeping in touch with friends and family.  They may also just be bored, want to brag, share thoughts and feelings, nose into other people's business, or contact businesses or celebrities. 

People tend to get cranky on the internet and most aren't shy.  The anonymity that the web has given us has made us brave, but oh wait...social networking sites take away the anonymous part.  Now what?  Are you getting honest feedback with those public comments?  Or are people trying to be cool in front of their friends?  Can you trust a general opinion or is the criticism coming from people looking for someone to blame for any little wrong thing, whether they truly believe in the matter or not?  I think those questions are the same online and in real life.

Most official business running social networking pages are looking to become more involved with their customers.  They are looking to be trendy and who can pass up free marketing?  But when things go wrong....now there is a place where everyone can go and feel like they are being heard...and everyone else is reading their complaints and becoming riled as well.  The ones who feel like victims are rallied together with a common cause and plenty of people to bolster defences.  It's a modern mob a la Frankenstein. 

Having a page on one of these sites is a must for a modern day business.  But don't take it on if you can't devote the time to it.  If you can't answer the questions the public may have for you in a timely manner - say a day or two - either wait til you can or hire someone to do it.

Time is a major reason to hire someone.  Their time is devoted to establishing your business web presence, freeing you to do other things.   In other words, where you might have time to create a linkedin page and nothing more, this person can create a facebook, a myspace, deal with a google adsense account, post a twitter everyday, and maybe even write up a blog for your company.  Be clear up front on what you want and how you want to be portrayed. 

If you're the one setting these things up for people, why not get paid to do so?  Decide how long all of this takes - the startup and upkeep and what your time is worth.  Mark down your rates and advertise.  What a fun way to make some extra money. 

Don't forget to research the best ways for businesses to advertise on the web.  If you are going to be an authority on this subject, you will need to know everything there is to know so you can best advise your clients.

So in closing, social networking is most definitely good marketing.  It's free and even if you get bad mouthed a bit - as the saying goes bad publicity is good publicity.  And as long as you are able to respond quickly to matters that could have harmful effects if not put in check, you are golden. 

Happy blogging and networking :)

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole

Stop the Insanity

Today I am placing both of my laptops and all my other books and gadgets in the office to stay.  Using them in the living room puts me out of reach of resources I need in my office and things are going undone when I think of them.  Everything at hand is a much better way to be.  Distraction is not permissable in these next few months ha ha.  But since nothing truly exciting is going on today, I wanted to mention some insanity that needs to be stopped.

People drinking bottled water.  I don't think you all realize the problems with this.  Bottled water is a HUGE moneymaker for businesses because you buy it.  They buy land in rural areas then pump the water for practically nothing and sell it back to those areas so you can drink out of a cancer causing, environmentally harmful plastic bottle.  Congratulations on the stupidity.  What do you think happens when businesses find an amazing way to make money?  They buy it all up.  They are buying all the water up.  75% of our Earth is covered in water and only 1% is drinkable.  By 2030 - no matter where you live - there will be a struggle to find clean drinking water UNLESS you buy it in plastic containers.  Congratulations once again.  You buy this water because of its convenience (and you think it tastes better).  Your kids, nieces, nephews will pay dearly.  I have not yet converted my entire family and I can't control what they do.  But I can control my actions and I will choose to fill my own bottle, drink from my own glass, my own filtered tap water.  Please do the same. 

An interesting documentary on this subject:  Tapped

According to this documentary, Nestle has had town water supplies - like natural springs - rerouted so the town's water would be different and they would get the spring.  When towns go without water for however long - Nestle never stops pumping.  If I ever go without water everyone who keeps buying bottled water will be to blame and you will hear about and possibly get sued by me.  Ha - kinda funny - not really.  Stop being an idiot.  Americans spent nearly BILLIONS OF DOLLARS on bottled water in a year when they have tap water and filters readily available at a moment's notice.  Seriously?  Holy crap.  They pump it for free and sell it back to us at 1900 times the amount of tap water!  Of course they'll never stop til our supply has gone dry - it's pure profit.  They are fighting for the right in courts now for their right to pump our water.  And all because you couldn't walk to the sink and wash a bottle.  Again - congratulations.  I used to get bottled water at restaurants, but now I would rather go without a drink til I get home than pump more money into that system.  And its not just Nestle - Coke and Pepsi are to blame as well. 

And as everyone as pointed out - Evian (bottled water brand) is Naive backwards.  From wikipedia.org: 
Naïve is a French loanword (adjective, form of naïf) indicating having or showing a lack of experience, understanding or sophistication; in early use, it meant natural or innocent, and did not connote ineptitude. The dots above the I are called a diaeresis (see also Ï); the alternative spelling, naive, is also typically correct.

Some people may need this water in their areas - well leave it to them.  Stop buying it at gas stations or anywhere for that matter.  Stop wasting money, killing the environment, and making our country look completely stupid. 


Two other interesting documentaries I have seen lately -  one I have mentioned before, but is worth repeating - A Beautiful Truth and Darkon.

A Beautiful Truth is about a natural cure for cancer and how chemical companies are in charge of chemotherapy of course.  But it's just an interesting homemade style documentary.

As for Darkon - it is completely off the subject of big business unless you count it as a drastic escape from such things.  It's about a group of people who have created a community of Live Action Role Players or Larpers.  That term is not really used in the film as they have created more of an alternate realm they go into on the weekends.  It would totally be fun to slip off into an alternate reality, but as the documentary shows - there's no escaping emotions, feeling left out, ignored, and betrayed - all the problems of real life.  The only difference I see is that people who are physically hurt - rez in 16 minutes and people who aren't leaders in business and real life can be and are in Darkon.

Happy watching and FILTERED AND/OR FRESH WATER FOR ALL!!!!!!!!



Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole





Filtered pitchers:
















Portable water bottles:

Happy Holidays!

Oh the time of resolutions soon to be broken.  Instead of creating a resolution for 2011, how about just creating a general life list.  Of course I want to be my goal weight.  Of course I want to budget and make more money and yada yada.  But I was thinking on the way home from my parents' house - I really want to learn to skate well.  I would like to begin my lessons for learning a new language soon too.

I have attempted to create many life lists, but I always end up losing it or filling it up with stuff I don't really care that much about, but think that I should care about.  Your life list is personal.  Only put on it things you feel strongly about for yourself.  Don't put down 'I will attend church regularly' if you don't feel the conviction.  You'll never stick with it and you're already setting yourself up to fail.  Put things, events, and experiences on this list that resonate within your own spirit.  Something that seems so trivial like skating - for me - if I finally learned to skate really well - it would be a spiritual experience.

And please don't put on this list - a bunch of stuff about being healthier and losing weight.  It's been done.  By you, by everyone...to no victorious end.  Perhaps instead of listing 'cut back on sweets'  - say something like 'eat more mangos'.  Some amazingly yummy fruit or veggie that you enjoy - some type of food that is so good for you - make a goal to eat more of that.  Do you actually enjoy salads?  Just put down that you are going to eat more salads.  Stop concentrating on what you are going to cut out of your life.  Study more on what you will add to it.

~Stop concentrating on what you are going to cut out of your life.  Study more on what you will add to it.~

We have to break this insane cycle of torture.  No more deprivation.  Concentrate on the good and create your life list.  Whether you believe in the divine or not - a life list or bucket list is just a collection of experiences you would like in your life before you pass from this world.  And writing them down keeps them in the forefront of your conscious as well as your subconscious mind. 

For those who think more along the spiritual lines - writing these down and feeling the excitement in your spirit as you write them - sends the request out to the universe and the universe is set in motion to respond with what you have asked for.

Be happy and filled with hope, cheer, and love.  Be victorious!  Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Love & Gratitude,

Erica Nicole

Someday One of These Posts Will Be Called: Dreamz....Achieved

Happy Tuesday!  The web address is now hosted!  WOOOOO HOOOO! 

Now hold back some excitement.  I haven't actually put anything on it.  You know how it goes - I'll make that lovely front page with the 'Under Construction' message in some form or another.  And will be working on the rest of the content all secretly.  I have gone through several design ops in my head, but when I actually get to it, it always changes a bit.

My next steps are

(1).  Cleaning out my email accounts so they can all be forwarded to one account smoothly and easily
(2).  Outlining my PHP texts and figuring how what code I need to use to make this vision work.

I realize I have been talking about figuring out this code for a while now.  It isn't the code that is hard to figure out - it's the fact that this is all original IP (intellectual property) from me.  So it's not like I can just use someone's model.  I have to piece this stuff together and I don't know what that is going to entail just yet.  I haven't gotten that far.  But...I seem to be at that point now lol.  No more saying 'I'm gonna'.  It's do or die at this point ;-)

Now as for giving another more revealing hint as to what this site is all about......  The work I am doing currently is about our happiness.  I feel that happiness is as complicated or as simple as we tend to make it at the time.  Will this be a cure all?  A website that will solve all life's complications?  Of course not.  But if it helps point people in the right direction...toward their goals and dreams - then it is life-changing.  It is meaningful.  And as the cliche goes, if it helps one person - then it's all worth it. 

The most I can give right now is that this site addresses every aspect of our happiness by keeping things small, simple, and direct.  At first glance, it may just seem like a web toy.  And it is fun.  It has to be...or you wouldn't be happy using it.
I realize it is still all a bit cryptic, but this is more than I have revealed before and many of my closest friends and relatives still do not know all the details.

I was always scared of starting anything and following through with my many plans and ideas because I knew there just had to be someone out there who either had already done it or would do it better than me.  But this one...well I realized that even though there may be something out there that is similar...no one will do it just like me.  Which is essentially, the only thing that makes us all useful - our differences.

Okay - enough babbling - I have to get back to work.

Love & Gratitude,
Erica Nicole