DAY 37 Update: Friday, 11-Mar-2005 9:02 AM
I started the morning off with the usual steps... Kids to school, secured the large STARBUCKS cup --with tea! Nice and warm to get things going. Of course I say that, but already I have walked about a mile and half dropping the kids off.
Then
I hop over to CNN.com and see what kind
of events have taken place as all those
North American go off to sleep. Not much
happened. However the below item caught
my eye. I think it's an excellent article
from CNN/Money Magazine about taxes,
investing, etc. and has further links
to resources. Here it is: http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/08/
pf/expert/ask_expert/index.htm
While making your own Financial Success Plan I would do all the research that you can possibly do, and I'll try to point to resources time and time to help out.
Anyway, what's in the cards today? More key word work. I think it's time to wrestle up those "META TAGS" -- I have made some and they are working. However, I want to re-visit the issue and see what I can do to fine tune them.
I was also thinking about organizing the site better. Perhaps, all of this can be considered at the same time. "Mr. Cool" I met over for lunch yesterday suggested that I present the latest blog update first in the page. I am not sure about that. I like it the way it is now... I think the way it is now is more akin to reading a newspaper. Don't you? The story goes from chronological order from top to bottom and at the bottom the reader can go to the next page. If there is one.
I think the order is fine. It was a good suggestion and made me think of the logic behind my setup, but I have now considered it and feel comfortable with what I have. Ok, that is settled.
Back to the page number thoughts. My writing seems to have increased. I suppose that I am more comfortable sitting here and typing away. It could be the new wireless keyboard as well. It took some time to get used to it but now I am flying with it. Nice setup. The only problem is that when I am entering sensitive usernames and passwords I have to be careful about what I type. Often the key 'run' and type somethinggggggg like that. Other than that it works great.
However, I feel that is not the reason that I am plugging away merrily at this stage. I think it's because I feel that after a few months of "stagnation" in the building of the STEPS, I feel that I am ever closer to a major jump in the action! I feel it!
And I think that is the motivation, the energy that is driving me at this point. Anyway, here I am and moving along...
So, back to the page idea. The issue is this: If I am typing around 2 to 5 pages per day and I am doing that 5 or 6 days a week there is the potential that I will amass 500 to 1500 pages of text in the course of a year. I think more realistically it's going to be around 600 to 700 pages. I need a good way to manage all of that. Once I had a thought of doing it with a calendar. Just showing the month and then day by day and linking day by day as well.
Hummm... Sounds like a lot of work, but I think it can fly. I picture it already: JAN - 31 days and links to each day. Gray out the days that I don't write. Make it fun looking. Yes, I see the picture. I think that is a bit better than the dull 'blogindex' page that I have setup now.
Well, then here is another great idea. What if I just leave the pages alone as they are but just update the 'blogindex' page with this setup? By doing that I don't have to mess with the individual blog pages. I can leave them in the weekly format that I have now. However, what I can do is have a 'hotlink' (I think that is what its called) to the exact date, but leave the blog in the setup I have now.
Ok, that is what I'll end up doing. Just updating the blogindex page to a CALANDER FORMAT and then linking from the days to the blog, while leaving the individual weekly blog pages intact. Great idea to clear up the clutter.
What else. Well my major project of the week got done. The Maxsimo.com marketing plan is done. Now I will be discussing it with the programmers and with myself for a few days before the programming will begin. I think it will be very successful and achieve the ultimate goal: To find about 5,000 Affiliates worldwide who will work with the network full time to build their own business.
As early as the first week of April I will be introducing this setup to all my readers and from the forum that I will also launch, I'll seek the opinions of the visitors to the worlds' first global discount card.
Once again, I'll end my thoughts here. Hope you and yours will enjoy a very happy weekend! Take care. Sam
Then I didn't proceed to what I was suppose to do --read my daily paper.
Instead I ended up exploring an idea that I had a while back. I sort of put it on the shelf...
UPDATE: Friday, 11-Mar-2005 11:57 AM
The idea was to build traffic to the site and get a few sponsors. Well I had sent some emails to potential sponsors, but after that I don't do much of anything on that.
Then a bit of a spark: I remember a long time ago watching a program about a very success entrepreneur in the Caribbean. This guy had an island and on that island he was selling lots. There were signs up on the 20 lots he had for sale and for a long time visitors dropped by but none of them bought any lots.
So, what he did was put SOLD signs on about 19 or so of the lots and one sign that said "FOR SALE" on just one lot. The next potential buyer to visit was told that "Sir, you are just in luck. I have one lot left and if you buy it now, I can guarantee this great price." The visitor bought the lot on sight.
Then the seller took down the "For sale" sign and placed one of the SOLD signs from another lot, putting that lot up for sale! NOW, the signs read 1 lot for sale and 19 others sold, but in reality one was sold and 19 more to go... This continued 'til all the lots were sold in no time! B>)
Anyway, the lesson from the story is that I need to create a BUZZ. If I just sit here and talk and talk and type and type, nothing much is going to happen. I need to go out and grab people by the throat and get them to listen to my 5 minute speech and guy the ad space that I am offering.
After the thought I got my hands on a great script that will manage the banner ad rotation on the site and in 15 min. had the program installed and up and going. Now I am formulating my plan of "ATTACK" to find the right advertisers for the site. As my focus is small business, start up businesses, online businesses, stock trading, financial management, etc. etc. I think I will stick to this focus and work on getting advertisers in these categories. While I do that I'll need to create a SPONSOR page and list potential sponsors the rules and services that I plan to offer as part of the benefits to site sponsors.
Anyway, the mini-project got underway shortly after 9AM and before I knew it it was lunch time. I then took a 10 min lunch just to re-claim part of my day and more tea. Now back to the regular routine. Anyway, lots of notes and a great escape to think of the possibilities that I can accomplish with about 10 Sponsors for the site.
I am sure that you see where things are going and my new found voracity for writing. Back with you on Sat. I'll sneak some time and talk about the sponsor setup. I am to finish the entire setup by monday! Out 'til then...
