Blogging My Own Business

Sales Numbers for my first non fiction ebook

2011-11-28T08:10:00.000-08:00

So, it has been a few weeks since I put up my first ebook for sale on Barnes and Noble and Amazon. According to the numbers on my sales reports I've only sold 3 total so far. Kinda sad, but I have hope. I've gotten really good feedback on the actual content of my book, so I am considering taking a leap (of faith and money) and redoing the cover. Since it is the first thing people will see I am thinking that a more colorful and fun cover might help me with sales. I'll be working on that this week. Here's to hoping that it works, or I'll never get out of my 8-5. whaaaaaaa!

So, anyone else out there in Cyber Land trying their hand at selling their non fiction books as ebooks? I'd love to hear from you :)

Until next time.

Working the Kinks out of posting my ebook on PubIt and Kindle

2011-11-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

It's done. My book is now officially available for sale on both Amazon.com and Barnes and Nobl e. After the upload I realized that there were a few mistakes that I needed to change and I found out that fixing them takes a while.

I uploaded the proper file to Barnes and Noble but not to Amazon, dag-na-bit! The result is that if anyone buys the Amazon copy today there will be two chapter 11 headings in the index and though there is a chapter 7 it got skewed in the conversion which makes it look like a mere continuation of Chapter 6. I have gone in and replaced that version with the correct file. But like I said, it takes a while...24 hours is what the Kindle site is saying.*

*Update; the correct version is now live and for sale replacing my flawed first try:) Kudos to Amazon's Kindle program, it was no where near 24 hours more like 5 hours.

But aside from this hiccup I have to tell you how wonderful it feels to have finished and posted my book for sale so soon after changing my business focus.

I've also decided to have this first book be part of a series, the "Broke Single Mom" series. And I am already researching and working on my next book.

I am new to all of this in the self publishing ebook world, but I am willing to learn and if you are thinking of testing the water, I say jump in! So we make mistakes, at least we're trying. and those can always be rectified :)

Ebook writing for the Kindle and the Nook - Starting Over

2011-09-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

Okay so here is the sitch people. I have tried my hand at many businesses over the years because ever since I was 16 years old and pregnant with my daughter I have wanted a very Emma Harte type of existence. And while our lives do mirror each other when it comes to the tragedy and hardship part on so many levels its scary, they absolutely DO NOT on the success in business area, sadly for me.

The biggest difference is that well I am a real person while Ms. Emma Harte is fictional. But she has always been so real to me, such an inspiration. I have read that book over 20 times in the last 21 years and I own 3 different copies of it as well as the DVD. Yes I am a fan lol. If you have ever read it you know, and if you choose to read it then you will know.

Why would a 37 year old woman continue to strive for though never achieve any real success and yet still feel like this fictional character is someone to be looked up to? Partly because like all of us, I still view the heroine of "A Woman of Substance" through the eyes of a pregnant 16 years old that felt alone in this world when her daughters father died. Also because like almost everyone else as well, I want the American dream. I want to be able to work for and build a legacy for my children and grand children and I pray that I can have fun along the way.

But how can I when I have spent the past 9 years of my life on hold? I have changed from the person I once was and I hate it. Today I can say that I am so tired or being sick and tired of my life. My house is always in a shambles, I have gained 90 EFFING pounds - bleh, I have not dated since my last horrific relationship ended and my kids are crazy and disrespectful. I have no social life, I only see my friends when we vacation every year and though I love (most of) the people I work with I hate my job.

What do I think I need to start changing these things?

-God
-Church
-New business shift
-Ability to stop being passive/agressive and stand my ground with my children
-Actually riding the bike I was gifted by my mom
-Deciding that I am important again

Sooooo......

God and church - I will start reading my bible each night again. And I will try the church I visited a few times last year.

New Business Shift - I have tried for years to start an ebook publishing business. Well I took certain steps to do this but never really followed through. My old counselor says I am scared of success, how twisted is that? Anyway, now, instead of looking for people who have done the deed with AIS (ass in seat) and written books, so that I could publish and market for them, I have decided to "put up or shut up'. I have written my first non fiction book and I am in the process of editing it.

Passive/Agressiveness - I'm sure its from my upbringing but I have a difficult time calling someone out, now I do get to a point where I've bottled it up for so long that I let people have it and it can and has, gotten VERY ugly and scary. It's like I am a different person. This is unhealthy and I want to erase that out of the way that I handle my children and all of their young adult and teenage angst. All it does is stress me further and not solve the initial problem

Riding my bike - Simple, Get off my ass and get on my bike, ugh! But seriously I went from a size 3/4 to an 18 - how sad :(

I am Important - I am ! I just have to constantly remind myself that I am and that all of the hard work and sacrifice I am planning to under take is doable because I am important enough to work for, as are my children.

Until next time, I leave you with a quote that I likey :) "Setting a goal doesn't guarantee success; it just gives you a target. You still have to work your tail off to hit it. —Dave Ramsey

Here goes nothin'

Madam C.J. Walker, America's First Self Made Millionairess

2010-10-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll just say it.

I heart The Black Rose. It is the "based on fact with a lil fiction thrown in" story of the infamous and in my opinion, FABULOUS Madam C.J. Walker.

Mrs. Walker is a true inspiration to any woman thinking that her time has passed to go after her dream of starting her business. She was born to slave parents in a small town and was poverty stricken most of her life. She was a washer woman up through and a little beyond the time she decided to change her station in life, and oh yeah, she was 37 years old.

Yep, you read that right. She was 37 years old when she started what would propel her to the title of the first American self made female millionaire. Some say she was the first black female millionaire, but she was actually the first female millionaire period to have made her own fortune and not married into or inherited her wealth. And I believe that if it wasn't too late for her then it isn't too late for any of us!

She started a hair care business geared toward the black community at a time where most black women tried hard to keep out of harms way and simply survive. Her company was the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company.

There are other books based on her personal life as well as business ventures, a few written by her grand daughter. And while the facts stated were interesting I love the spin of the Novel based on her life much better. It was a lovely, inspiring and oh too fast read. I couldn't put it down. And I walked away from that book invigorated and ready to own my future.

Madam C.J. Walker was a visionary, she was daring and bold and she is my new hero.

If you are in need of inspiration, please check this book out. You can read it gratis from your local library or grab a copy on Amazon for about $2.

Looking for fellow Bloggers with a book idea

2010-10-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have been following my blog you know that I have been trying to get my E-book publishing business off the ground for quite a while. Honestly, it has been a lot more difficult than others make it seem. Why am I being so honest? Am I afraid that it will make me and my business look like a failure? NO!

Why? Well, because it's the truth and also because I believe my trials and mistakes can help others in their own small business endeavors.

I think that some of the reasons I have found it difficult to get started and go full force are:

Medical reasons which I am determined not to let control my life anymore

Lack of authors

Lack of motivation since as I mentioned above, I have no authors

For a small publishing house, either traditional or E-book, to create a niche and grow, it needs content. Content by quality writers. And this is where I have been stumped. I was mistakenly under the impression that I could "build it and they will come". Alas, this was not what happened.

The reason I believed this is because I when I was the Editor at Duffie Books (now defunct), the owner, Theresa Carnduff was literally batting them away, the authors I mean. I did the same things she did, I posted an open call for submission on my website, I contacted websites that list publishing houses looking for new authors and I even personally contacted people I thought would be a good match for my company.

To date the only viable submission I got was one I had to turn down due to a medical crisis at the time.

So what is different this time? Well, I sat down and thought about ways to build my business and my brand as the go to online publisher for women that want to start a business as well as for women that want to do fabulous things in their lives but are limited by the restraints of very real shoestring budgets. Things like travel and home makeovers and Shopping outside of local thrift stores for Christmas gifts.

Then I brainstormed and realized that there is a literal goldmine of quality content creators at my fingertips every time I log on to the Internet, writers that are not only experts in their chosen niche but also have a solid readership that can translate into sales. Who are these mystery women?

Blogger's of course!

Why didn't I think of this sooner? Well, I thought of it now. And so I am putting this out to all the wonderful blogger's of the world wide web. If you have quality content on your blog and are interested in writing a book, I would love to hear from you. You can visit my website, Boutique Publications to submit your idea, proposal or manuscript. You can also read more about me as well as read our FAQ and submission page.

And if you yourself are not a blogger but know someone who is, please feel free to send them the link to this post.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

How Can I Start a Business Online If I Have no Start Up Money?

2010-09-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

A lot of people, especially in this economy, are looking for ways to create or supplement their income with little to no investment on their part. This post is for you if for any reason you have now decided you need to bring in extra cash, these are actual sites that require no money on your part to start a small business. And if you are counting pennies and trying to squeeze every dollar til' it hurts in your budget, there is no way to realistically use money that is precious at this time, to start a business anyway.

There are a lot and I mean, A LOT, of scams on the Internet. Luckily there are just as many blogs and articles dedicated to bringing these scams to light, so please do your due diligence and research any and all opportunities you are considering as a way to make money online.

Through personal experience and through friends that have tried different methods, here is a short list of websites where you can start to make money with no financial investment. Sweat equity is another story. Yes, there are sites you can build a business with for free, but you have to put the time in to realize any success. If you are willing to do this then please read on.

Freelance Writing Business

Associated Content is a site I have used on and off for the past two years. I've recently submitted a few more articles that are awaiting review and payment offers, I am fattening up my Christmas account so I will be submitting more articles as I find the time.

You set up a free account and submit articles on any subject you want to write about, they in turn review it and offer you payment for the right to publish your article, you can accept or deny the offer which is usually in the $3-$20 range. You can submit it as exclusive (selling your rights) or non-exclusive (They will publish it and you may also re-sell to other sites if you wish). Not every article gets an offer but most do.

If you aren't being offered a payment for a submitted article or you have pieces you have previously written for a now defunct blog perhaps or just articles you may have written and never sent off to anyone, you can use these to still make money on Associated Content. They can be posted as "Display Only". You won't get any up front payment but you will be paid for your page views. Why?

Becuase another way you make money with them is through page views. Not much, but hey, every little bit counts. Unless you are a top level contributor you will get $1.50 for every 1,000 page views, so in essence you get paid every time someone reads one of your articles.

How you make money

Let's say in the first month you write 50 articles. And pessimistically, only 35 of the articles come back after review with an offer. And again on the low side of the spectrum, the offers are $3.00 each. That is an extra $150 plus whatever else you make for the life of those articles (plus the other 15 articles should you decide to publish them as Display Only), through page view payments. Payments go to your paypal account.

Now, if you'd like to help me add to my Christmas Gift Account by reading some of my articles (pretty please:) you can find them here!

Retail online

Cafe Press is a site that allows you to create a shop for free and upload graphics, paintings, or rants that you have created and attach them to the pre-existing merchandise they have listed, you can sell t-shirts, hats, baby clothes and even frocks for Fido.

How you make money

They have each item listed at a base price, say $9.99 for a white t-shirt. You then upload your design and price the t-shirt. If you price it at $16.99, then every time a t-shirt is sold they keep $9.99 and you get $7.00. Once an item is ordered they will create it using your uploads, they will handle payment and they will also pack and ship the item as well. How sweet is that!?

There are thousands of shops on the Cafe Press website, so in order to make any money you have to stand out. You can create a blog and while you are entertaining people about the cutest things the kids in your family have said over the last 20 years you can direct them to your shop to buy a shirt or a bib with one of those sayings. You can also list it on your face book, but no matter what topic you choose, remember to: promote, promote, promote. There are hundreds of articles online for how to promote your online retail shops for free, the key is to get the word out there.

Sell other people's products

Click Bank

I am usually not one for affiliate programs but my friend Theresa who was the owner of Duffie Books used clickbank to help her sell her authors ebooks, the author or publisher designates how much of a commission the affiliate gets up to 75%, I believe she used 20%, So I know that you really do get a commission on each sale.. Either way I would suggest you read through the site carefully, then Google and see how much other people, real people, have made with them. Another suggestion is that you only promote books that are relevant to your website or blog. And if you don't yet have a blog? Then write down at least five things you love to talk about and research, then look and see if there are enough ebooks on clickbank for you to promote on your new blog and decide if its something you can see yourself doing.

I hope I've helped offer you and your family a few ways to earn the extra money you are seeking. Thanks for stopping by!

Update I have signed up for Click Bank and am promoting a few ebooks that look interesting, see upper right. I will let you know what happens!

New Direction for my Blog

2009-07-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

Hey there all,

I was thinking about something a writing teacher once told us. It was "the best way to learn something is by teaching someone else". Couple that with the fact that friends, family and readers of this blog like to ask my opinion and advice on home and small business matters, I made a decision.

Now I do not pretend to be anything more than I am, I am not an expert. However like most everyone else, I have the ability to look in from the outside and give my advice or suggestion with a clarity that comes from a fresh perspective.

And so I have decided that I will go through emails and answer them directly on my blog. I hope to provide a different spin and helpful suggestions and learn a few things myself along the way.

If you have any of your own questions or dillemas that you would like my take on, feel free to email me or leave a comment.

Have a great one!

Bye Bye Ms. Canadian Pie

2009-06-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

My time at Duffie Books is officially over. Actually though, I had taken a medical sabbatical starting just before the 2008 holidays. However, I was planning on returning this summer. But my dear friend Theresa has found it too expensive to keep the doors at Duffie Books open any longer.

I feel badly for the authors, though they are a very talented group of women and I know they will all be fine. I feel badly for myself because I was ready to get back in there and really soak up the learning experiences that I would then use in my own publishing house. But I mostly feel badly for Theresa. She has had to give up her dream, and she doesn't believe she will attempt another business again.

Does this make me scared in reference to my own business? At first it did, for sure. Now, not so much. There are businesses that open and close every day, I believe that Theresa would have been successful sooner rather than later if she could have cashed flowed it a while longer. Also if she and I could have come up with that great publicity sitch to get and her authors on the map.

I believe in my niche concept, so I don't have tales of doom dancing in my head. And I am planning on 2 years from my "live" date to start to see any real profits. With that in mind, I am still VERY excited about listing my first e-book for sale in just a few short months :)

So adios Duffie Books, thanks for the memories.

Where can I go to network with other small and home business owners?

2008-10-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

There are a slew of forums that cater to the small and home based business person. My personal favorite is Business Owners Idea Cafe. I have had so many great responses to questions I've posted. It also feels good when I am able to help out a fellow member.

They're best attribute in my opinion is the "cyber Shmooze" section. Here they have specific forums to better guide you in your startup and growth phases. Some are:

Start Up Stew

Biz Ideas

Working From Home

E-Commerce

Marketing Mix

And quite a few more. The people on this forum are real people with home and small based businesses and are eager and willing to take you into the fold and help in any way they can.

The also offer small business grants throughout the year. They grants are usually for $1,000 and the current grant is called the "Idea Cafe's Innovation and Originality Grant". You can also read about past winners and how they have put the grant money to use in their businesses.

You must be a member to ask or answer questions as well as to enter for the grants. It's easy and painless though.

So visit them over at Idea Cafe and start asking those questions you can't seem to find an answer for anywhere else.

Happy Business!

Win a free pendant and earring set!

2008-10-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

As you know, I am working with my friend Theresa at her awesome Travel Guide Publishing House, Duffie Books, and this month is the 1st official free draw. You can enter to win a great 925 silver infused glass pendant and earring set, enter now and spead the word! Just visit the site and click on the link that says "FREE DRAW".

Good Luck!

Why should I have a set schedule for my internet/home business?

2008-10-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

Schedules are our friends. I admit that up until recently I hadn't thought about a schedule in terms of my company.

Like you, one of the main gripes I have about working a Mon - Fri for someone else is "set hours". I want to be free, free to work when I'm in the mood, so that my work will be at it's best, not when I'm groggy and the end result will suck, blah!

But what I've learned after taking a look back at the last year was that NOT having a schedule has been detrimental to my business. I believe it's one of the main reasons that I have not officially launched my site yet.

On the other hand, I am not saying that I (or you) should continue with a daily grind of 8 - 5 or 9 - 5 either.

You should take an honest look at your personality traits, daily errands, children's schedules (sports, dance etc) and come up with a plan to fit your lifestyle and not the other way around.

Personally I am NOT a morning person and do my best, most creative thinking after 5 pm. So it's natural for me to use my nocturnal hours for projects like writing, creating publicity and marketing plans and networking.

Day hours for emailing, editing and sending out press releases (releases that I create the evening before of course :)

So when I take all of the above into consideration, my schedule (and remember that I am still at my day job until I launch my site officially) looks like this:

Monday
Email Authors

Tuesday
Marketing
Answer Emails

Wednesday
Writing (articles and Blog entries – While dinner is cooking and 9 pm - 10 pm)

Thursday
Input Blog Entries and submit articles (lunch hour)
Marketing

Friday
Email authors
Family Nite

Saturday
10 am – 1 pm and 10 pm to 11 pm
Editing for the wonderful women of Duffie Books

Sunday
Writing 5 pm – 7 pm
Family Nite

I truly believe I will be a lot more productive this way, and I suggest you reign in your wild child and create a schedule as well :)

Happy Business to you all!

Should I spend money on a website designer for my new Business?

2008-10-03T14:57:00.001-07:00

NO!

Well, unless you have buckets of cash to throw at your business, please don't make the same mistake I made. Now don't get me wrong, I like my site, I like it a lot actually. However it's been a money drain, it was $500 to get a designer to create it (though the process was fun!) and another total of almost $200 for the domain name and hosting for 2 years.

I was so excited after I made my decision to go into business for myself that I didn't do things in the proper order. I had no product for my site to sell, so really, it's been a pretty advertisement of nothingness. And it will continue to be just that until I find authors and publish their work.

So if you are starting your business on a shoe string budget, find a host that gives you pre-made choices for website designs and layouts. Choose one, you can then make it unique with your content and photos and products. Later on down the line should you decide to upgrade, feel free, but only if you can afford it.

I put the cart before the horse and I'm paying for it. Learn from my mistake, get everything else you need to have to launch your business in order BEFORE you create a website.

I will say this though, you should purchase your domain name as soon as possible, if it's available. Then wait on the site and hosting.

It's your best bet!

Good Luck All

Your call is important to us, Please continue to hold :)

2008-09-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone,

I'm back! So, what have I been doing for the last year or so? Attending to life. I was very excited to start on my own version of the American Dream last year, but family health and personal issues had to be addressed. And when I was blessed to catch my breath from all of that, well, I just lost my mojo, and have only just recently found it.

A publishing buddy of mine emailed me with a proposal. She started her own Press, Duffie Books and was swamped with all aspects of her small business. She invited me to come on board as their Editor and Marketing Manager. And I am just SO glad that I accepted, even though I had never done either before! Well, at least not professionally.

I have learned so much about the small publishing house business in this last month working with Theresa. And I am bound to learn more, I'm sure. I also realized that trying to simultaneously start two businesses was virtually impossible for me. I would say, if you are low on funds, don’t try to stretch those dollars to thin. I have decided to start my Publishing Company and focus all of my energy and available money on that.

As for Theresa, she knows that I have my own niche, hers is traveling the world for single women, and so we came to an agreement. I plan to go live with my website in 2009, probably Spring. I am also looking at how to connect my blog to my site, but being technologically disadvantaged, it's taking a while :)

Baby Steps

I am also looking at new formats and ideas for my blog. I'll be posting again soon.

So please be patient and try your call again later :)

Small business, it's like, hard and stuff.

2007-10-11T06:21:00.000-07:00

So I have been working on both my businesses simultaneously and it’s been hard.

Honesty moment: When I had my “aha” moment I thought it would be a lot easier. I figured I do my research and follow the “build it and they will come” mantra. Um, not so much.

It’s been months and I’m still not up and running, and it’s very frustrating. Don’t get me wrong I love it. The hours I’ve spent reading and researching have been great. In the past few months I’ve been more stimulated, creative and happy than ever, I’ve also been quite exhausted. I hold down an 8-5 and I have children with after school activities. So it can literally be 10pm before I get time to myself and it aint easy working till 2 am to get up at 6:45 and start all over again.

Is it worth it? I hope so. I believe it will be, even though I have nothing tangible to show for it yet, well, unless you count a rapidly decreasing savings account, hmmm.

About 3 weeks ago, I put an ad out for an artist and was surprised by the amount of responses I received. All very talented people, if you are in need of an artist for anything drop me a line, I kept all of their email addresses and portfolio links.

I finally narrowed it down to 6 artists and 2 days ago made my first official business decision and choose the two artists that I will be using for my project. It felt good :)

So onward and upward with the small details like finding an envelope supplier and trying to decide if I need an 800 number or not.

Marketing:

Let’s remember that a sistah is broke and every penny counts. My best friend has been the Shel Horowitz book, Marketing without Megabucks: How to sell anything on a Shoestring and the archives on his website on frugal marketing. Some of the ideas are out dated, however some are not only timeless but quirky and fun.

And you know I am all about quirky and fun, I mean I am the Brown Eyed Girl C.E.O.

That’s about it for today, I have to hunt down authors after all.

Also, I added a list of movies and books that revolve around starting a business, so enjoy.

I have a crush and his name is Donny Deutsch!

2007-10-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

I was watching The Big Idea last night like usual. And the sandy haired business hottie host was interviewing entrepreneurs when I realized that I have a little bit of a crush :)

To me, he is the George Clooney of the business world. The complete name of his show on CNBC is "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsh" and you can catch it 5 times a week.

He interviews everyone, from Donald Trump to Tina Aldatz Norris, the creator of Foot Petals. She is helping high heel wearing women find comfort, thank goodness.

If you are down in the dumps or strapped for cash wondering if you should chuck your own idea and stick to the daily 9-5 grind, this is the show for you.

Some segments are:

There's got to be a better way

Start your business with under $500

The Aha moment

They said I'd never make it

Keep up the great job Donny and the hottie status :)

It's been too long! Baby Boom

2007-10-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

I've been gone for way too long, I let life happen. Though I am passionate about small and home business and love blogging, I got too busy to give myself some "me" time.

Water under the bridge, I hope.

On to the wonderful Ms. Keaton in Baby Boom, I love this movie, it's just too friggin' adorable.

So anyway, her character, J.C. Wyatt, starts as a high powered advertising executive living the life most New Yorkers that are not Manhattanites desire. Beautiful apartment on the island (Manhattan), successful career, and a relationship with the male version of herself.

Then it all starts to crumble ( I mean it is a movie) when she inherits her cousins child. Don't want to give all the funny and at times sad details that help make the movie, but basically her relationship ends as does her career. Instead of being demoted (the big wigs said she couldn't handle the big accounts while mothering, one or the other basically, one guess if she was shut out by men or women), she resigns and she moves to a small town in Vermont, taking control of her life.

Let's just say that things are not what she expected in the picturesque little village. From practically running an entire New York City Advertising firm to sitting at home all day twiddling her thumbs, well, surprise surprise,she get's bored. Trying to escape her daily ride on the train to boredom-ville she started making homemade applesauce for the baby. And then one day she turned around and her entire kitchen was flooded with jars of baby food.

And a la magic of movies, she decides to take some down to her local store. In walks 2 couples from New York City, of all places, and they are patronizingly admiring the "quaint" products the little store carries. They happen upon her jarred baby food and after offering them a ridiculous price, the light bulb goes on.

GOURMET BABY FOOD!!

You really should see the movie for all she goes through to get her company off and running, but the end result is a dream come true to many of us.

She becomes a success, far exceeding her own expectations and all while working from home. She befriends the town vet, employs some neighbors, so she is giving back to the local economy and her office is in her home.

You just can't beat that.

Morals of this story:

A Business idea can be born out of boredom

Once in a while you get to stick it to "the man"

Romance comes when you least expect it

I made, I mean requested, of course - lol, my 16 year old daughter watch this movie with me and she actually liked it and was asking questions about capital, manufacturing and choosing products. We got into a discussion of J.C.'s advertising and sales gimmicks and her luck to happen upon an untapped market.

Books and movies are influential to us as well as our children so I use what I can. They are a generation that loves to be entertained, I just figure, why not be entertained by something that inspires and evokes new thoughts, can't hurt right?

Hope you all enjoy the movie as much as I did.

SaveKaryn.com : My Review

2007-05-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

Since I use Netflix and have to wait for "Baby Boom" to arrive, I thought I would introduce you all to a woman that is, quite frankly, my hero. Okay perhaps hero is a little strong, but seriously, this chick had all of us thinking, "WHY? Why didn’t I think of it first?" And just so ya know, I always give props when they are due.

If you’ve never heard of Karyn Bosnack, well then, you’ve been deprived.

Karyn was over $20,000 in credit card debt, living the high life in New York City. After getting tired of debt collectors and living above her means, she was laying in bed one night and thought "humph, if only I could get 20,000 people to each give me a dollar". And the rest, as they say, is herstory. She created a website that you can check out here http://www.savekaryn-originalsite.com/ and would basically Blog every day or so, she is the grand-mama of Cyber-Begging. She asked people to donate to her "cause" by paypal and pretty quickly became a cyber celeb. I totally voted for her this year on VH1 for whatever the category was for Cyber Celebrities. Her original site was so cheesy, it was awesome, she had a "Grand Debt Tally which let you track how much she had paid down every week on her debt with donations and her own money, check it:

These were the first 2 weeks
"Watch my debt shrink with every donation!(updated weekly)

$20,221.40 TOTAL DEBT June 23, 2002

- $90.35 my money
- $5.22 your money
- $68.47 eBay sales
$20,057.36 TOTAL DEBT June 30, 2002 - WEEK 1

- $113.45 my money
- $124.55 your money
- $0.00 eBay sales
$19,819.36 TOTAL DEBT July 7, 2002 - WEEK 2

And the last 2 weeks
-$100.00 my money
-$220.82 your money
-$19.65 eBay sales
$389.56 TOTAL DEBT November 3, 2002 - WEEK 19

-$114.16 my money
-$136.60 your money
-$138.80 eBay sales
$0.00 TOTAL DEBT November 10, 2002 - WEEK 20

TOTAL MONEY RECEIVED FROM NICE PEOPLE: $13,323.08"

Now tell me this girl is not a genius? She made my hit list for review because she essentially now works for herself. She is now a thrice-published author thanks to a late night idea to cyber-beg her way out of debt. I read her book, and highly recommend it; it’s hilarious to say the least. You can check her new site out at http://savekaryn.com/ , there is a link to her blog as well as to her book "Save Karyn". Until next time all.

Toodles Everyone,

Hey There - Keeping you in the loop!

2007-05-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

So I was scanning the channels the other day and Oprah Winfrey's channel was giving "Baby Boom" starring Ms. Diane Keaton. I love her, she's so classy. Anywho, I decided that this was going to be my next review. Yes, I know it's set in the 80's but still, she had such gumption in the movie that it became a must have for my blog :) I will try and catch it this weekend and if I can't, then rent it I will! Because seriously, there is nothing greater than watching a woman build a business from scratch and all the funny stuff that happens along the way. Ahh, I love my work, toodles.

Until next time my friends, and remember to leave a comment of any movies you think I should review.

"Sliding Doors" Starring Gwyneth Paltrow

2007-05-14T06:03:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I dug through my boxes last night (just moved) and found my well worn copy of Sliding Doors, hunkered down and had my one person viewing.

Short Version:

The movie follows Helen Quilley (Gwyneth Paltrow), during two courses her life could take. She gets fired, leaves her boyfriend, meets a new guy, who in turn whispers in her ear about starting her own business, she takes his advice and without spoiling the end, there are twist and turns and ups and downs. Every one worth watching.

Long Version (spoiler alert):

Sliding Doors is a chronicle of Helen Quilley's (Gwyneth Paltrow) life in alternate sequences. The first, if she catches the "tube" (train) and the second if she misses it. Helen is in P.R. and gets fired (why you ask, watch the movie, I say...lol), she leaves her former work place and goes to catch the tube. Helen misses the tube in one instance because of a little girl on the stairs, then the station announces that everyone should find alternate transportation because they are having mechanical problems. She goes to find a taxi and gets mugged in the meantime. She spends a few hours in the E.R. and gets home just as her boyfriend, Gerry, (John Lynch) jumps in the shower after sleeping with his ex-girlfriend Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn).

The other instance is where she does catch the train and meets a yummy guy, James, (John Hannah), actually that's what I'll call him from here on out "Yummy Guy", anyway, she gets home on time and catches her man "in the act". She then moves in with her best friend and get a fantabulous (It's a real word, seriously, ask my sister) makeover. Though she looks great both ways, I mean Hello!! it's Gwyneth. She then starts hanging out with Yummy Guy to keep her mind off of cheater guy.

In the first instance she can't seem to find another job in P.R. and takes a waitressing as well as a delivery person position to make ends meet, because her boyfriend is a novelist who leeches off of her (there is a line he says to his best friend that makes you realize this). In the second, Yummy Guy, encourages her to start her own P.R. firm.

The Starting a Business part of the movie goes rather quickly and they do make it seem quite easy, however it does show the appropriate steps and leaves you feeling inspired. What basically goes down is that she:

Gets the suggestion to start her own public relations company
Fills out a business loan application
Gets approved for said loan
Finds a rental space
Hires an assistant
Then BAM! she is in business :)

They show her and her assistant taking calls and handling other "office duties" but you never see any clients, save for her first big client. Who is, yep, you guessed it, Yummy Guys friend, who happens to be opening a restaurant

I feel I must mention that our miss Paltrow does a brilliant English accent and that Yummy Guy does throw her a wallop of a curve ball about half way through.

I won't detail the ending bits, but I will say that you should see this movie if you already haven't.

All in all, for me anyway, feel good, inspirational movies are a must see. And this is one of them. You root for her all the way through and it makes you feel good to know that something (getting fired) that could have turned into part time waitressing gigs she never really wanted to take instead leads her to a more fulfilling life.

Until next time all. And please leave me a comment if you have any movies you think I should review, always looking for new inspirations. Have a great day all.

Keeping you in the loop...

2007-05-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

I've decided to use the movie "Sliding Doors" with Gwyneth Paltrow for my first review. I will be watching it again this weekend to refresh my memory, but I must say I liked this movie so much that I bought it. And though most of the story focuses on her relationships, she does start her own business after getting fired from her Good Old Boys Club P.R. firm. Those boys, I tell ya!

Anyhow, like I said, I will watch it and post my review over the weekend.

And again, feel free to leave me a comment.

Have a fabulously great weekend!!

Hello, Hello, Hello!

2007-05-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

So, Welcome to Blogging My Own Business. I am an avid chick lit reader ( seriously I devour 1-3 books a week when things are slow at home). Not as much lately because #1 it's baseball season for my son and #2 I am in the throws of opening my own business all whilst raising my gorgeous children and holding down a glamorous full time television job, NOT! Okay, the Television job part is true but the "glamorous", not so much.

This Blog will be dedicated to my passion, my love, my obsession really, with any and all "underdog comes out on top" books and movies. Especially ones where the heroine is starting her own business, a la ME!

I will review and share my thoughts and opinions on these types of books and movies as well as some on fabulous physical and emotional transformations. I am what my mom lovingly refers to as "pleasantly plump" and what I refer to as, bigger than I should be! (I'm working on it - geesh! LOL) And so when I read about some woman that was mistreated or slighted because of her weight, whether she loses weight or just learns to love herself, I get very excited :) And when a woman gets through all the obstacles that I am now coming to realize are very frustrating, and overcomes them to not only start, but become a success in her own business, well, I jump for joy!

Unfortunately there aren't as many of these books and movies as I would like to see (and read). So I decided to stop complaining and do something about it. Hence my new business, Boutique Publications, we will be be going live soon, I hope. I will post a link eventually and if you or anyone you know is a writer, they can click on and submit any fiction and non-fiction they believe will fit our criteria (the list of what we are looking for will be on our submissions page). More details at a later date.

I will be posting again soon and hope to hear from you, leave me a comment on any books or movies you think I should review. Or on your own pursuit of a small or home based business.

Ciao my bellas...