Michelle's Musings
Last week a family member died and it really threw my family and I off balance. We knew our aunt had recently been diagnosed with stomach cancer (only a month or two ago) and were shocked at the time we heard that news. She was mostly a vegetarian, led a very holistic lifestyle and was also extremely spiritual. To learn that she had stomach cancer even at the age of 74 (or so), was so unbelievable because of how she lived her life...so full, rich and healthy. Only a week before her death she said she wasn't ready to go and wanted to fight this cancer using holistic methods.
My youngest daughter who is only twelve years old was extremely upset at the thought of going to sleep at night for fear of not waking up and dying herself. She is a very tender-hearted, sensitive individual and this news was deeply unsettling. I spent extra time with her. We talked about death and specific questions she had about our beloved aunt, but it was still really hard for her to understand that someone can be here on this planet one day with a living, breathing, learning mind and body and then the next day cease to be alive.
A friend also died a few months ago but instead of stomach cancer, she died of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Again, it was a shock to hear of her sudden death.
I am the kind of person who wants to learn from every situation. Sometimes, I don't listen or I forget to listen, but I continue to remind myself that life is a journey and I want to learn as I go through life, not when I 'arrive.' Life is so much richer when the journey is full and exciting. Lately, I have done a lot of reflecting over these two wonderful and caring women, their lives and their passing. Some questions I have asked myself are:
- What is the universe trying to tell me?
- What am I supposed to learn from these women even though they are no longer physically present?
- How can I best pay tribute to their life's journey and keep them alive in my heart?
- What do I want to be remembered for after I am gone?
I believe the universe is telling me to slow down, take more time for me and my family. I also think that I am supposed to live my passions as my aunt and friend both did. Don't let others bring you down when you have dreams. I can pay tribute to their lives by continuing to learn from my own mistakes and everyone around me. One saying that comes to mind is, "Be present in the present!"
Lastly, I have thought of my own mortality and how I want to be remembered when I am gone. I want to be remembered as someone who is willing to share my heart, knowledge and endless resources. I want others to remember me as a very giving woman who helps others and also took extreme care for myself and family.
How do you want to be remembered? I would love to hear your stories! Send me an email to michelle@thevirtualnation.com.
Here's to your success!
With Gratitude,
Michelle Ulrich
What's Up with TVN?
Check out our great selection of products. In fact, we are already creating two new directories that will help you and your clients in your day-to-day operations and to also gain more exposure!
Tell us what products you are looking for; we will find them and post the links in our next ezine, blog and/or website. We are constantly creating new products, so we might already be working on a directory or product you need to help you be more efficient and simplify your time! Send us an email to info@thevirtualnation.com for suggested products and/or services.
return to the top....
Featured Article: eCommerce on a Shoestring Budget - Part 1
By Michelle Ulrich
Several months ago I decided to write this article, "eCommerce on a Shoestring Budget." This is one more way for me to give back to my industry; countless people stepped up to the task of helping me start my journey into becoming a business owner and I want to pay it forward by bringing you this article.
Most people starting up a sole proprietorship form of business today are overwhelmed. They have no idea where to start in setting up their businesses. I was in the same place about five years ago. I knew I wanted to help others in a supportive, collaborative relationship and I was highly skilled in a variety of office administrative applications and methodologies, but I lacked business ownership know-how.
To start any business you need to start somewhere. You can start with Step 1 and work your way through each step to get on the right track. If you are starting a business in the state of California, you can go here to find more details on starting a variety of businesses.
Step 1: You'll need to think of a name for your business. This can be very hard since you want to stand out from your competition, convey your service or product clearly so it isn't vague or confusing, and be catchy enough for people to remember, but not cutesy either. My original business name, Reflections of You, was different, but it didn't convey my service or product. In fact, I was often mistaken for a photography studio. There is a photographer in my area with the same business name and we're both named Michelle...go figure! I am not sure how that even happened.
Step 2: If you use your name in your business name such as, Michelle Ulrich & Company, you do not have to obtain a Fictitious Name Statement. It only cost me about $20 for 5 years for the name, The Virtual Nation. It's not very expensive, but if you don't like it or want to change it down the road the fees add up quickly.
Step 3: You'll also want to do a Google search for the business name you have in mind. If you want to stand out from your competition, be sure the domain name is available. It will matter more when you want clients to find you! If you find the name is not taken, you can go to my favorite webhost, GoDaddy and purchase it for about $9/yr.
Step 4: Obtain a business license. They can run approximately $50/yr for the first year, less if you purchase a longer timeframe. You usually get a business license through your city or county.
Now that you've settled on a business name, obtained your business license and your domain name, it's time to work on your company collateral (i.e. business cards, website, etc.).
-
Website: Go Daddy has a website builder for the newbie that will run about $4.95/month; it's not the best site builder around, but it will help you get your web presence out there in a short period of time with the price of a Starbuck's mocha.
-
Website: You can also mosey on over to Microsoft's Office Live website builder and get a domain name, website host account, 25 business branded email addresses and traffic reporting features at ZERO dollars!
- Blog instead of a website
- Blogger.com – Fr@e
- WordPress.com – Fr@e
- TypePad.com – Basic Level is Fr@e
- With TypePad Basic you’ll be blogging in minutes. Choose your design from dozens of professional templates. TypePad makes it easy to include pictures and links, manage comments, and categorize your posts. Includes 100MB of storage and 2GB of bandwidth per month.
- $4.95 per month for higher level of service (more storage space, etc.)
Benefits of a blog versus a website
- No web designer needed
- Pick a template and start adding content
- Useful for selling one product (i.e. a book, ebook, info product, etc.)
- Useful for selling a relationship with potential clients
- Useful for opinion writing – be careful what you put out there; people read blogs!
- Hone writing skills - you'll need to be sure there are no typos or other grammatical errors as anyone can read your blog, including potential clients!
- Post at a minimum of 3x/wk for higher traffic to your site, thus higher Google rankings
- Can also be a link from a website, which also increases traffic to your website
-
List capture form on your website with ezine delivery: Be sure you sign up for an electronic newsletter provider to capture email addresses from people interested in your service and/or products. Some inexpensive ones are www.iContact.com for a starter account with email, auto responders and survey capabilities for $9.95/month. You can even try www.CampaignMonitor.com for $5/mo and one penny per email recipient.
-
Business cards: Try Vista Print for low-cost business cards that you can choose or upload your own designs created with Microsoft Publisher or other creative programs.
- Shopping carts: E-Junkie.com
- FREE 1-week trial
- $5/mo for 10 products/50 MB storage space; rates go up to $125 incrementally based on the number of products
- Product storage and delivery
- Easy to use, pop-up free, installation free
- Shipping and postage calculations
- Sales tax and VAT calculations
- Inventory management
- Product promotion
- Discount codes
- Affiliate management
- Customization (even works with an existing cart for digital downloads)
- Tracking, logging and notifications
- Global acceptance
- Download page and email in language of your choice
- Extras
- send out free expirable download links
- Works with eBay and MySpace, too!
So, now let's add up our costs to start up our business so far:
- Business license - $50
- Business checking account - no fees to set up usually but possibly $50 for initial deposit
- Website using Office Live service: domain name, hosting account, email addresses, etc. - $0
- List capture and email system using CampaignMonitor.com - $5
- Business cards using Vista print - $0 for 250, plus shipping, so really around $10
- Shopping cart to sell products - you can wait on this unless you already have products, so we'll say you have products for now - $5
That's a total of $120 to start up your business. This doesn't include software or other products you may need to help you actually DO the work.
Stay tuned for our next edition of The Vision for products to help you in your day-to-day operations that are low-cost or no-cost.
return to the top...
Upcoming Events
The Virtual Nation Expert Teleclass Series
Presents...
"Cure EADD: Entrepreneurial Attention Deficit Disorder™"
with Matthew Best, Business Coach of Someday Island
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
10:00 am ~ 11:00 am Pacific
Michelle Ulrich,
Chief Villager & Founder of
The Virtual Nation™
Matthew Best, Business Coach
|
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 16, 2007, 10:00 am - 11:00 am Pacific; to check your time zone, click here.
Who Should Attend? Coaches, Sales Professionals, Solopreneurs, and Virtual Professionals
What You Will Learn:
EADD is a term that Matthew Best coined to describe the symptoms that many of his clients suffer from when they first begin working with him. It stands for Entrepreneurial Attention Deficit Disorder.
Topics we'll explore:
- Create and maintain focus on what’s really important, not just what is urgent.
- Develop the effective attitudes needed to accomplish goals.
- Develop time strategies that work for each client so that you can be more productive.
- Identify purpose and meaning in both a client’s personal life as well as their professional life.
- Focus business direction.
- Improve sales.
- A sense of personal and professional balance in your life.
- Control time management.
- Continuous achievement of goals.
- Clarity of what you should be doing next.
Format: Teleclass Format: Michelle Ulrich, founder of The Virtual Nation™ will host a discussion with Business Coach Matthew Best. For more information about Matthew, you can check out his website at http://somedayisland.com.
|
Registration: This is a Complimentary Teleclass - Just click on the button below and fill out the form; that's all you have to do! We'll email you the teleclass telephone and pin number. We'll send a reminder a few days before the call. If you do not receive this information, please email us at info@thevirtualnation.com.
Please visit: upcoming teleclasses to check out our line up for the remainder of the year. |
|
return to the top..
Marketplace
Planet Teleclass
At www.PlanetTeleclass.com you can
take a class or list your teleclass at
The Net's Largest Teleclass Community!
Would you like to have a banner ad or classified (text only) ad in our ezine? You can have up to a 50-word ad with live links.
Check out our full line of advertising options.
return to the top..
Resources
TVN has a lot of other incredible resources to choose from. If you are in need of forms, templates, information on starting a business in California, where to go to find great books, printers, and more, it's all on the website. Click here to have a look.
return to the top..
Advertising Disclaimer:
The Virtual NationT does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the paid advertisements above or the quality of any products, information, or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any ad. You are responsible for handling your own due diligence before purchasing any product or service.
Thank You for Joining Me!
**IMPORTANT**
You are receiving this ezine because you subscribed on our website or purchased one of our products or services. If you've received this ezine from a friend, don't forget to sign up for this ezine on our website. We changed ezine delivery company several months ago, so you may need to sign up again at http://www.profcs.com/app/join.asp?merchantid=96717
With Gratitude,
Michelle Ulrich
Want to share your gratitude? Mosey on over to the Gratitude Club and check it out. |
