Wednesday, September 20, 2023
I continue to research a new business idea, WiredCreators. Earlier this year I registered the domain wiredcreators.com, created Facebook and Instagram accounts using the same name and began thinking about how to make the idea unique.
I continue to think MarylandBloggers.com should have worked, however decided the naming convention may have been limiting and not reflective of the type of content now being created. I wanted content creators from Maryland not just bloggers.
How am I trying to make WiredCreators unique? The business areas my plan covers.
- Promotion
- Creators
- Related Service Areas
- Service Areas Include
- Video Production
- Photography
- Writers
- Digital Editing Experts (Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, Lightroom, Active Presenter, etc.)
- Unique Content Ideas For Specific Clients
- Worldwide Base
This evening I was playing around with PowerPoint and put together a draft business plan for WiredCreators. I exported the plan as an animated gif.
I am looking at the numbers and researching quite a bit for this project. I think I have a plan that can work. I need to find experts and professionals in some of these areas however, I do tend to generate a lot of notice.
Areas I can cover, software for a searchable database of service related experts. Competent individuals that can really go in and look at what makes a client unique and marketable, seems a little hard right now. Sometimes it seems people are being told who they are. This business needs to ask who you are. What makes you different? Does anyone do that anymore?
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
In the last post, I discussed Youtube rules related to eligibility for monetization. I watched a Youtube video of someone discussing new monetization rules and checked my Youtube Studio page for more information. Sure enough there was a new section on my page which I highlighted in the following illustration.
The new section refers to access to useful tools and forums and connecting to your fans. It appears I need 500 subscribers to be able to do this.
Earn income by connecting with your fans and gain access to support forums and creator tools
I did not read the fine print carefully after watching the Youtube video. Nevertheless, I stand by my original giggle. My Youtube subscribe button does not work, no matter the requirement for 500 or 1000 subscribers.
DOJ you can take me seriously.
Sunday, August 06, 2023
It has been hot and humid in the Baltimore/Washington area and I am thankful I can do most things from the comfort of home. That said, on Wednesday of last week, on my way to Costco- I ran into a problem with a dead car battery.
I so seldom go out, that when things like this happen I am momentarily thrown off my game and cannot seem to understand how a dead battery could happen on a car I rarely use and continue to recondition with a battery amp charger/meter.
In this case, it appears the battery simply could no longer be reconditioned and on a hot summer day- I was happy to have another car I could use to both pick up needed supplies from Costco and to purchase a new battery from Autozone.
The car started right away after putting the new battery in. I would have taken the car to the repair shop to replace the battery, however the battery was completely dead and could not be jump started.
The other project I have been working is going well and getting only good reports.
I am losing weight (project requires a lot of physical activity), and I think that is showing my age. Lately though, I have started to eat more of the foods I used to eat, however, not because I want a rounder less lined face. More because I am getting back into the sync of things.
Other recent purchases I am pleased about are shown below.
In my spare time, I continue to research content creators for a new venture I am thinking about (wiredcreators.com).
Discussed in this post...
Friday, August 04, 2023
On May 13, 2023, I posted about a new business project which relates to the online world of content creation.
In the earlier post, I discussed some of the content creators I follow and provided channel subscriber numbers and annual income data for their channels.
I updated the following table to show the May 13, 2023 number of subscribers for each channel versus the number of subscribers as of today. The estimated yearly revenue of the channel according to noxinfluencer.com or Starstat.yt is also provided however are the same numbers from May 13, 2023. Why? Though I did find differences as related to income for two or three of the channels, most of the revenue reports remained the same. Note, Google provides a Youtube channel revenue API for developers who may wish to explore this data, however I am not sure how often the data is updated.
| Channel | Description | Subs (05/13/23) | Subs (08/4/23) | Annual Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Baldwin | YouTuber & Entrepreneur | 73.2K | 73.2K | $21,6352 |
| Athan Wright | Living life at Duke University | 1.68K | 1.78K | $2622 |
| Cherissa Lindsay | Lifestyle / College / Fashion / Travel | 2.04K | 2.06K | $3392 |
| DominiqueSachse | YouTuber / Author | 1.84M | 1.84M | $248,7812 |
| Erin Byrd | Real Estate / Lifestyle / Education | 287 | 311 | $ 25.551 |
| Hannah Elise | 24 Y/O College Grad Living in NYC | 758K | 769K | $99,9542 |
| Leah Megan | Video Diary / Final Year at University | 36.1K | 37.1K | $4,339.851 |
| LetsTurnItUpWorld | Tanya and Dave from ‘Turn It Up World’ | 62.7K | 72.6K | $61,2632 |
| Life Uncontained | Texas Dream Build Debt-Free Off Grid Shipping Container Home | 1.37M | 1.42M | $407,4792 |
| LivinFearless | Fashion / Lifestyle / Travel | 111K | 114K | $6,522.551 |
| Marcos Rico Peng | Cal Men's Swimming Team. Recent Grad. Now Software Engineer in NYC | 61.2K | 74.2K | $12,541.41 |
| Ox In The Shop | Drew & Woodworking | 16.5K | 16.7K | $1,9772 |
| ROSA GOLD | Mobile Home / Tiny Home Renovation / Online Shop 📍Germany | 30.3K | 38.6K | $18,874.151 |
| Scout The City | Fashion Content Creator | 51.9K | 52.6K | $14,2282 |
| Shealyn Ari'el | Home / Lifestyle / Self Care | 1.1K | 1.83K | $94.91 |
| Simply Nikki | Lifestyle / Beauty / Decor / Mum Life | 529K | 529K | $30,3972 |
| Tech Mentor Maria | Tech, Career, Personal Finance, Healthy Habits, Travel 📍NYC | 6.85K | 8.87K | $1,887.051 |
| Young Lady Business | Lifestyle Vlogs / Decorating | 155K | 158K | $56,4602 |
| 1noxinfluencer.com | ||||
| 2StarStat.yt | ||||
Earlier this year, I setup a new site- MarylandBloggers.com. Though, I have not promoted the site as much as I wanted, my stats indicate it is noticed.
In April 2023, I registered two more domains; WiredCreators.com and MarylandCreators.com. I think I am going to release the MarylandCreators.com domain and concentrate on a business plan for WiredCreators.com. What will make my efforts different than other influencer sites? The sites I want to promote.
Saturday, May 13, 2023
I am looking into a new business venture, so I have continued research into the online world of content creation.
I have to say, it is not that I think others have not thought of these ideas- they have, its more that sometimes content is hard to find or lost and I am researching in an attempt to find a unique solution.
For instance- I often search Youtube for terms like:
Day in the life of a...
and mostly surprised by the results of my search.
The following table shows Youtube sites I visit on a regular basis. The data includes the number of subscribers, and the estimated yearly revenue of the channel according to noxinfluencer.com or Starstat.yt.
| Channel | Description | Subs | Annual Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Baldwin | YouTuber & Entrepreneur | 73.2K | $21,6352 |
| Athan Wright | Living life at Duke University | 1.68K | $2622 |
| Cherissa Lindsay | Lifestyle / College / Fashion / Travel | 2.04K | $3392 |
| DominiqueSachse | YouTuber / Author | 1.84M | $248,7812 |
| Erin Byrd | Real Estate / Lifestyle / Education | 287 | $ 25.551 |
| Hannah Elise | 24 Y/O College Grad Living in NYC | 758K | $99,9542 |
| Leah Megan | Video Diary / Final Year at University | 36.1K | $4,339.851 |
| LetsTurnItUpWorld | Tanya and Dave from ‘Turn It Up World’ | 62.7K | $61,2632 |
| Life Uncontained | Texas Dream Build Debt-Free Off Grid Shipping Container Home | 1.37M | $407,4792 |
| LivinFearless | Fashion / Lifestyle / Travel | 111K | $6,522.551 |
| Marcos Rico Peng | Cal Men's Swimming Team. Recent Grad. Now Software Engineer in NYC | 61.2K | $12,541.41 |
| Ox In The Shop | Drew & Woodworking | 16.5K | $1,9772 |
| ROSA GOLD | Mobile Home / Tiny Home Renovation / Online Shop 📍Germany | 30.3K | $18,874.151 |
| Scout The City | Fashion Content Creator | 51.9K | $14,2282 |
| Shealyn Ari'el | Home / Lifestyle / Self Care | 1.1K | $94.91 |
| Simply Nikki | Lifestyle / Beauty / Decor / Mum Life | 529K | $30,3972 |
| Tech Mentor Maria | Tech, Career, Personal Finance, Healthy Habits, Travel 📍NYC | 6.85K | $1,887.051 |
| Young Lady Business | Lifestyle Vlogs / Decorating | 155K | $56,4602 |
| 1noxinfluencer.com | |||
| 2StarStat.yt | |||
Of the Youtube sites I visit on a regular basis, you may notice- I tend to love watching creators who film the process of building on or updating their living conditions. I also like college students discussing their studies and small business owners discussing all things related to running their businesses.
The other area I am concerned about- the amount of effort to create content for online consumption and the relatively low ROI- both in terms of time and the cost to own the equipment for these efforts.
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Lately, I have been preoccupied with personal and home security projects, so in addition to holiday meal preparation, my short term goals through last weekend included those efforts.
This morning, with most of my short term goals in place (have one or two remaining issues with the security projects) I refocused my attention on business efforts.
I have done a lot of research into online content creation resources, income potential, and those currently working in this area.
Though my research provides you probably should not give up your day job to become an online content creator- there is the potential for side income if you have the time.
That said, in my opinion part of the problem lies in how search engines find your content. Bloggers and other content creators used to use online forums and backlinks to create their web presence. Now it is more social media links and the number of likes.
The problem with someone like me? I do not chase social media likes nor posts.
I prefer backlinks and directories. For example, one of the Facebook groups to which I belong- provides membership for regional content creators. When I posted a question to the group searching for a post with a list of links for our members' content- the admin for the group responded that there was an old post somewhere. Upon further research, I discovered Facebook had deleted the post.
When I developed the Blogger Calendar Java application in 2004 for the blogger.com platform, I created a blog post titled, "Dating Your Blog" using "Blogger Calendar" as a keyword.
I then posted to a great many online forums about my new application. Web directories and the older forums services (e.g., BBS) do not delete old forum threads with links.
When using Google, Yahoo, etc. to search for the term "Blogger Calendar" there were many returned references all pointing to one of my forum posts or the blog post itself. And my results were always at the top.
Content creators do not have as many backlinks to their content, instead a person on Facebook or Youtube liked your post. This does not provide the same backlink coverage the old forum posts and directories used to provide.
Of course you can always purchase the top of the search results list. How is that done today? In the past it was the backlinks from forum posts and online directories. I am no sure how Google creates backlinks today or if they are even needed to reach the top of their search results lists.
Social media 'likes' do not create backlinks.
When the Facebook admin responded to my query, I started thinking about how creators might be found without sinking entire budgets into advertising to get top search engine results. That is why I registered MarylandBloggers.com in late February 2023.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) used to mean- those offering those services went out and did what I did when I developed the Blogger Calendar app, post to a lot of different forums to get top ranking in search engines.
Forums have gone mostly by the wayside, so today I am unsure as to how those providing those services obtain top results in search engine rankings. Backlinks are important. Someone liked your page? Does that get you a backlink? That may get Instagram a backlink.
Because I have created my own online content, I know videos are especially time consuming and you need the right equipment. I use starstat.yt to provide income data for Youtube channels. Given the number of subscribers and the work effort to create some of those videos, I find it a little shocking as to the dollar amounts those creators are generating. Virtually nothing. Can you buy subscribers? It seems the subscribers are not returning.
Someone is making money. I am not sure if it is the creators. I get hits. I do not get credit. I have asked DOJ to investigate.
How do I know I get hits? One, I have to restart my private Tomcat servers on both my hosts too often which tends to show it is not only me visiting my sites. Two, there is other evidence, however a little harder for me to prove. Three, I am the sole admin for my high school alumni group of 6K members. I am sure they are curious about who I am. Why? I always get hits on an external alumni group I belong to. Though the Facebook group is active my business/personal site analytics do not reflect any traffic from this rather large group.
Last year, a large power admins group on Facebook invited me to join because of the high school alumni group. My group is considered clean and rates high on Facebook. Why are those members (Facebook high school alumni group) not curious about who I am- and those on the external alumni group seem to be? The external sites sends email messages about profile hits.
I do not think I am the only content provider not getting credit. What am I trying to do? Old School. Provide a way to have links found.
Sources suggest hits from this blog and other sites I offer do provide audience for links I include in my posts. I registered two new domains this morning- MarylandCreators.com and WiredCreators.com at $10.74 per year for each.
Can I get you hits? I think so.
Saturday, April 01, 2023
It was a long March. Seemed as if upon resolution of one problem, another turned up. Summary of the issues:
- Auto problems with another of the vehicles.
- Research into a tax question that I had not expected. Dealt with an IRA account.
- Web hosting issues with both of the services I use to host my sites.
- Issues with Amazon Native Ads.
- After years of being a verified business on Facebook- QiSoftware is no longer verified. I have been working this problem on and off since June 2022. Looked at it again in March. Business bank statements, domain specification, business phone, and state records. Nothing seems to work. Not sure why my business was declassified on Facebook. Anything to do with layoffs at Meta? Not sure.
Accomplishments for the month of March...
- Business bank appointment to update business related information. This went so smoothly I was on cloud nine. These days changing anything related to my business seems difficult.
- Filed all of the tax returns I needed to take care of.
- Minor updates to my new site- Maryland Bloggers
- Updates to my Amazon Stores (see upper sidebar)
- Work on a new video short that I hope to release next week.
- Opened another HYSA with CIT.
- Installed software on the new laptop.
March was mostly about taxes and business related issues. I have to say, I am happy all of that is behind me.
Friday, March 03, 2023
One of the subtasks involved creating an Excel spreadsheet, which once completed, I wanted to print to an older Brother Monochrome Fax/Laser printer.
I plugged in the USB cable from the printer to the new Windows 11 system and noticed it recognized the printer, however the print driver was unavailable.
Plug & Play was not available for either of my older printers while connected to the new Windows 11 system. My older printers include a Brother 2820 Monochrome Fax/Laser Printer and one of two- Konica Minolta Magicolor 1600W Laser Printers.
How did I resolve this dilemma?
I used the CD disc that came with the Konica Minolta Magicolor 1600W Laser Printer to install the driver and for the Brother 2820 Monochrome Fax/Laser Printer, I downloaded the driver for the Windows 7 platform.
The manufacturer, Brother claimed the Windows 10 operating system came with a built in driver for the fax/laser printer, the reason I had no option but to download the Windows 7 version. Windows 11 is so new (and probably the printer is so old), Brother did not offer a Windows 11 download version for the printer.
Both drivers installed correctly on the Windows 11 laptop.
Why not purchase a color wireless laser printer? Do not use hardcopy print enough to warrant a new printer, however did consider this printer.
Friday, February 24, 2023
Yesterday, I installed a more robust version of the new site, MarylandBloggers.com.
This evening as I was finishing up, I decided to make a short video of the major update (first element listed below), I added today.
- Added a JQuery Hamburger Menu to the top left area of the site.
- Several minor issues with design and spacing.
- Researching promotion avenues.
- Created one or two new graphics.
Why is the Jquery Hamburger element a big deal? Well it took most of the day for me to customize it, and have it work with my custom site design.
You may have noticed my real estate site, uses a hamburger menu and yes, I installed the site.
That said, the menu for that site came with the template I decided to incorporate, and though I did not have to rework the hamburger menu, I did have to rework several other areas on the real estate template I found.
Initially, I planned to develop a new online MySQL database for marylandbloggers.com, however decided some of the feedback suggested I needed a more secure way of storing data for the site.
Thingamablog has a robust database that for the time being- will suit my security issues. I like Thingamablog because the entire master copy of the database sits on my hard drive along with external backup drives.
Friday, February 10, 2023
Recently, when the admin for the Facebook group, MarylandBloggers polled members about blogging and other content creation activities, I noted of the 15 or so respondents- only 23% were still blogging.
That said, most indicated they were using Instagram more (29%), while a smaller percentage were creating content for TikTok and Youtube.
I have been researching Youtube bloggers, which are also known as vloggers. I have to say, that my research provides if you do not have a paid sponsor for each video, the Adsense revenue alone is probably not going to offset the cost of the equipment, software used for editing, and time required for this content creation activity.
So why did I register a new domain, marylandbloggers.com? Mainly because it was only $10.74 a year and I wanted to see if I could come up with a business plan.
I am actually looking to promote both bloggers and vloggers from Maryland. I feel effective use of promotional tools can help with other business areas, and I would like to assist other small business owners in this area.
The morning (February 8, 2023), I registered the new domain (actually renewing my real estate site when I checked to see if "marylandbloggers.com" was available), and roughed out the database schema, using MS Excel. The final version will be used for the online database which will provide a directory of Maryland content creators.
Also playing around with graphics and slogans for the new site.
This project is not a high priority for me, however I do feel that with the current state of employment issues, anything anyone can do to help the communities they are a part of, might be useful.
Tuesday, February 07, 2023
Yesterday, Maryland updated their records reflecting the change of address for my business (QiSoftware). See this Business Blog Remix post for how to search Maryland's records for current business related information.
The comptroller's office updated the records in November 2022, however, the Trade Name Program with the Maryland State Department of Assessments & Taxation took a little longer.
Though the old address will be available for a limited time, on
Monday, January 30, 2023 I stopped by the post office to submit the permanent
forwarding address.
I have held the same business address since 2004 when I setup shop. The
many updates I have to make reflecting the new address is staggering. Shown
below, just some of the updates I have started to make.
I started the update process in November 2022, and continue to find services affiliated with my business that I need to update.
That said, I am happy the Maryland update is now official, in that my business bank required the state to update their records before they (the bank) would update theirs. I will set up an in person appointment for the bank update.
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Every morning, I check my sites, various site analytics, and my current financial picture.
As I have discussed in recent posts; CD Shopping Update and mid December 2022 post, I have been tracking annual percentage yields (APYs) for 5 year CDs offered by two of my banks hoping to take advantage of rates in the 4.2-4.5% range.
Tomorrow, February 1, 2023- no matter where the rates, I planned to open the
new CD. This morning I was a little more than surprised to learn that APY rates
were down with American Express, the bank I wanted to use. I am not sure
exactly when the rate dropped, but it went from 4.25% to 3.75%.
I was so busy Monday (January 30, 2023) morning, three trips to different area markets, Columbia, MD to my business address, and then the post office to submit a permanent forwarding address for my business- that I may have missed an update on APY rates later in the day.
In addition, in the afternoon (Monday), I had several calls to Maryland taxing agencies concerning business mail I picked up earlier in the day.
On Friday (January 27, 2023), the van I use to do most of the chores would not start. Yes, I do have other vehicles available, however I allowed the van that would not start to annoy me.
Lucky for me, I noticed a charger my brother used once and I purchased something similar not long after. I used the charger to start the van, and then reconditioned the battery (button on the charger), however did not do any of the shopping I planned for Friday. I waited until Monday. I was so happy I could get to all of my shopping and Columbia that I was not going to do anything but handle issues that came up.
Translated, the (AMEX) bank CD rates going down did not jump up and scream like all of the mail from my business address.
This morning, wide awake and happy most of my business issues were resolved, I got back on track and discovered I missed the CD American Express bank rate change that was lower.
Before eight this morning, I opened the new CD with Synchrony for 5 years at 4.30% and directly set up an external transfer from the American Express savings account to the new Synchrony CD account.
I decided not to bore you with some of the details, however to change a business address in Maryland seems so hard I believe they want me to ask an attorney to do it. I set up the business, I am not sure why I need an attorney to change the address. That said the Comptroller of Maryland (taxing authority) had no problem updating the address when I sent Form 109-B MARYLAND CHANGE OF ADDRESS FOR BUSINESSES in October 2022. One of my calls on today- spoke with Brittany. I also registered with bFile the interactive business tax filing service even though I have had no sales since setting up my ecommerce shop. I file something known as a ZERO Return each quarter.
When I check the APY rates tomorrow morning, I am not going to scream if Synchrony's rates are higher.
By the way, I think all girls with vehicles should have automotive accessories in their garage similar to these in my garage.
Saturday, January 28, 2023
First of all let's define ROI. Return On Investment.
In August 2020, I received my EMV Chip & Swipe Card Reader, so I count that as my first ecommerce business tool. Since then I have added quite a few devices to my collection at what I consider to be substantial savings.
Most of you realize that I have been online for quite a number of years, so you maybe asking yourselves, why the acquisition of that first device was that recent?
First of all, I am a software developer and a business owner. So in my case- other than an online method to send invoices and accept payments, I really did not need anything other than a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone to conduct business.
Though my business bank offers payment solutions, I have always used my PayPal business account to handle all of my business payment needs. The reason for this? It is simply not cost effective for me to have recurring monthly fees to maintain a business payment solution.
In 2012 or so, PayPal and others began contacting me about free card readers for point of sale payment solutions, however, I routinely passed on these offers.
In 2020, I finally decided to accept PayPal's offer of a free EMV Chip & Swipe Card Reader. I began reading about pop-up shops and wanted to learn more. I began thinking of things I could do with a free card reader. Yard sales, business meetings where I could accept development consultation fees on the spot, etc.
Then in 2021, after taking my real estate course, I was kind of concerned about the logistics of taking the state and national exams for the real estate license. I contacted the testing authority about my concerns and they would not respond. So I continued to push the test date back hoping to hear from them.
In the meantime, I decided to play with the OpenCart software offered by cpanel via my web host and then setup my own ecommerce shop- for what is now WiredShops.
I worked quite a bit setting up the shop, researching products, learning about digital commerce laws, drop shipping, registering for a Maryland State Tax Number, etc. however never had any sales.
Still this idea was fascinating to me, however in late December 2021, I decided I wanted to take the real estate exam, and time was running out. Once you take the course and pass, you have a year to take the state and national exams. So I began studying again, and scheduled the exams for late February 2022. After passing, finding a broker, and putting up my realty studio site, I began researching ecommerce. Real estate sales were down across the board and interest rates going up. So I have continued to study real estate options however have also focused on my ecommerce efforts.
So this brings me up to date and where I stand with my business efforts.
Today, I received another device which I will use for commerce that I want to discuss. Before I provide more details about my new device, lets look at all of the
business commerce tools I have acquired since August 2020.
| eCommerce Device | Cost To Own | Retail Price | Date Acquired |
|---|---|---|---|
  PayPal Here EMV Chip & Swipe Card Reader | $0.00 | $24.95 | August 2020 |
 Thermal Receipt Printer | $49.99 | $49.99 | August 2020 |
 PayPal Zettle Card Reader | $24.95 | $24.95 | July 2021 |
  Accuteck Gold 86Lbs Digital Shipping Postal Scale with Batteries and AC Adapter | $22.85 | $35.99 | November 2021 |
  Tordorday Bluetooth Thermal Label Printer 4×6 | $0.00* | $94.99 | November 2022 |
  GlocalMe DuoTurbo 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot | $84.00* | $179.99 | January 2023 |
* Credit Card Application Approvals/Online Surveys
Ecommerce business tools I would like to own, however cannot yet justify the cost include the following...
My thought was to create my own brand using the WiredShops logo, and justifying the cost by offering sublimation products to offset the cost of the branding equipment shown above. I am going to have to find some really good deals on that equipment before I can even think about it.
Check out the following video to see how this video blogger has custom branded her line.
I have collected some nice tools and devices and along the way learned a lot about ecommerce. If and when I join the ecommerce game, I think I will be ready. Even if I cannot move forward with this endeavor the cost to own the devices and tools I have acquired, is a cost I can afford.
Saturday, December 24, 2022
Lately, most of my purchases are for business, necessities, or gifts. That said, in September (2022), I did purchase four pairs of shoes that can only be described as a splurge.
This post is about purchases since early November (2022), that are a mix of either business, necessity, or splurge. As in the case with the purchase of the shoes in September, I consider the price to own, the most important factor in acquiring the new items.
Let's start with my new hair pins. The hair pins were a necessity. As noted in the order information provided below, I paid $5.84 for the four hair pins that I simply love. (Mother sent the photo via her phone).
Why is this a great price? My ecommerce shop- WiredShops provides access to wholesale prices for a wide range of goods. I was able to find the wholesale price I would pay to stock the hair pins and was quite frankly a little surprised. Depending on when the Amazon seller I purchased from acquired the inventory, he may have taken a loss. I am not sure.
My new thermal label printer is categorized as a business expense. I have been researching thermal label printers since my online shop went live (October 2021). Though I really could not justify acquiring the new printer (not really shipping enough product), the price to acquire because of Amazon gift cards and the right printer went on sale- was simply to attractive to pass on.
The printer driver that came with the printer on a flash drive supports most of my desktops, mini pcs, and tablets, including an older Windows XP Desktop and my iPad Mini. For my needs, this was a good choice.
The last purchase, a pair of black velvet jeans by a brand "Well Worn" that I had previously not heard of, was a splurge.
Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, I was in Costco, picking up things like paper towels and the normal staples purchased from this club warehouse when I happened on the jeans. There were several color options, but of course I had to have black. When I arrived home I checked online and found I paid between $30-$8 less than most places selling the same item.
Today, is December 24, 2022 and I am happy I did not have to go anywhere. It has been cold and wet, and yesterday a relative called to say they lost power.
I think I am ready for tomorrow. Hope you are enjoying your holidays.
Saturday, November 26, 2022
Currently, I handle all of the advertising management efforts for QiSoftware sites:
- qisoftware.com (main business site)
- hosting-q.com (hosts many of my applications to alleviate resource burdens on qisoftware.com)
- reginadenisethomas.com (resume site)
- reginathomas.studio (real estate site)
- wired-shops.com (e-commerce site)
A brief discussion about advertising resources I use with my sites is provided in this blog post - QiSoftware Advertising & Utilization of sellers.guide.
Allow me to step back for a moment and discuss an old advertising management resource aptly named BlogAds. Years ago, I used BlogAds to handle advertising for the blogs I maintained on qisoftware.com.
Today, I use any number of resources to handle advertising for all areas of my sites, not just the blogs. Is this complicated? In my opinion, yes and I understand why most businesses and bloggers use advertising management services to handle their advertising needs.
Did I say complicated? Some of the advertising resources I use:
- Header bidding for all areas of qisoftware.com (the only, of my sites accepted by the service I use)
- Google Adsense all sites and areas (reginathomas.studio was initially rejected earlier this year however has since been accepted)
- Google Ad Manager (also a requirement of the header bidding service I use)
- Various affiliate marketing partnerships (I develop applications for my affiliates using their API resources, e.g. Amazon's Product Adverting API, CJ's API using GraphQL, and Best Buy's API)
- Google Analytics
- Social Media
Let's start with a less complicated advertising management effort. For years I have been an Amazon Affiliate and I purchase a lot from Amazon. That said, only recently have I started providing feedback in the form of product reviews. So I decided to provide my Amazon customer profile link.
I research quite a bit, and try to provide feedback for the cost conscious consumer. I also purchase a lot as a small business owner. It might be worth your time to follow me as an Amazon customer. Does this assist with my advertising efforts? Yes.
Another less complicated advertising management effort involves Google Adsense and something called Brand Safety. I recently researched this area, made some changes, and have noticed a slight increase in my Adsense revenue.
Now let's discuss a more complicated advertising management effort. Header bidding. I started integrating header bidding into qisoftware.com site areas in October 2018.
I continue to learn new things about online advertising management, and new features are coming online daily. In 2018, when I first started using header bidding, sellers.json and Floors were terms not used. If you decide to manage advertising for your sites, you have to stay on top of the new technologies and features. Any number of variables can affect ad revenue.
This is not meant to be a tutorial. Recently, I have been tweaking a lot of variables in all areas of my advertising game with some positive results. I have to admit, it is rather complicated. That said, it may have been the route I chose to integrate the features I wanted to experiment with for publisher advertising.
Saturday, November 12, 2022
I am always looking for cost cutting business moves, so last month when I decided to move my business address from Columbia, MD to Hanover, MD I knew I had several tasks to complete- in preparation for this change. Cost cutting? Since I reside in Hanover, MD I am making the trip to my business address much shorter.
My original attempt to notify the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation of the address change failed because I used the wrong form and did not remit a $25.00 payment to have the amendment recorded. The check was debited from my business checking account on November 10, 2022.
Another of my business cost cutting moves? In July 2016, I decided because I seldom write checks, to start printing my own for both my business and personal checking accounts. I discuss my custom check templates in this July 2016 blog post. See the image below for more on the blank checks I ordered.
Recently, I mentioned the keyboard on my Acer Windows XP Netbook is malfunctioning, so I am moving tools to other platforms. I developed the custom check templates using the Publisher version that came with Microsoft Office 2000 Professional version. Happy to report, had no problems converting the custom check templates from Office 2000 Publisher to Microsoft Office 365's Publisher version. See the illustration below.
In the above referenced blog post, I mention I use the Sunset version of Microsoft Money for Business (no longer available online for download). I used GNUCash for many years, however had too many issues so decided to use Microsoft Money for Business instead.
I mention this because I have been researching Quickbooks both as a developer and for use with my business, and believe I have the most cost effective solution for my business and personal finances.
One of the big advantages of Quickbooks over Microsoft Money for Business, is its ability to interactively communicate online with all of your banks to ensure account synchronization. I use both the Net Worth service offered by my personal primary bank (Bank of America) and my online Mint account to ensure all of my banks align with my offline copy of Microsoft Money for Business.
At this time, I do not mind I have to input some of the data to MS Money. Recurring debits, transfers, and deposits are automated, however a lot of the data is not. Bank of America and Mint use automated processes or aggregators to access real-time account balances from external account references.
I also use the non-business Sunset version of Microsoft Money to maintain financial and tax information for someone close.
I have to say, without Microsoft Money the cost to maintain these financial records would be a lot. I have cash assets that I need to be able to move quickly, especially now with the Fed's moves on interest rates. I am able to maintain this financial data effectively and efficiently with the Sunset versions of Microsoft Money.
Below, an illustration of some of the accounts and features I use with my version of the Sunset version of Microsoft Money for Business.
When will the business address change go into effect? The state has not updated the online business information, however I have begun to add the new address to some of the many areas I will need to update.
Monday, October 31, 2022
I am spending more time in online meetings and courses, so I have been trying to find affordable solutions to update the office. The last post showed some of the latest additions and included a photo of the old 13" television used to keep up with breaking news and business headlines.
I have wanted to replace the television for awhile, however could not justify the cost in that I rarely used the office before my real estate course and the onset of the pandemic.
In early October 2022, Verizon required upgrades to all of the set top boxes and the WiFi Gateway because the equipment was obsolete. There were two televisions that were not HDMI ready, so with the upgrade- HDMI channels were now accessible via the new set top boxes. One of the old televisions was in the office.
Allow me to digress for a moment. How is the cost of Verizon FiOS justified? I use FiOS for business and rarely go out for entertainment. The cost of the FiOS service is about $240.00 a month, however includes two land lines, internet, and television (6 set top boxes). There are several discounts applied because of customer loyalty and bundle selection.
Last week when I decided to get a new television for the office, I determined I could spend no more than $200.00. Initially, I selected a 24" Vizio.
After thinking about it, I decided to go with the smallest monitor I could find and use the existing RCA hookups from the set top box to the bookshelf stereo system for the audio. I thought the 24" Vizio, simply too large for the space and I did not want to mount it on the wall. There is a daybed in the room (behind the desk), however the wall is simply too close and would have made watching while sitting at the desk too awkward.
Shown below, the before and after photos of the old television versus the new monitor now being used as an HDMI television.
Below the invoice for the new monitor.
I had to adjust several settings on the monitor and the video sharpness level on the set top box to achieve optimal display results. I am pretty happy with the outcome of this project.
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Lately, I have been using my office more- mainly because I am not currently working software development projects. I seldom work in my office when developing software- instead preferring to setup my workspace in my bedroom, where I can sleep when I like.
I have several projects I am currently working, including updating my business address and contacting the proper Maryland agencies to ensure the changes are properly recorded.
I also use my office for Zoom meetings and classes. It is also where I maintain my printers and the fax machine. It is simply easier to handle "running the business" issues in the office.
That said, I have been making minor adjustments to the office ever since my real estate course. Why not a more modern look with an electric desk that lifts with the touch of a button? I like my office space, the scene from the window, and I would rather keep the smaller furniture pieces, in that the room is rather small.
Recently, I purchased a new 2K monitor (see link below) for the office, so I would not have to use the smaller 2K monitor used with my software development mini pc. If I had a meeting, I had to unplug the other system (software development platform) to use the monitor. I have a large 24 inch monitor however, it is only a 1080 HD monitor and when Zooming I like ensuring I see what others see. I needed a higher resolution monitor in my office.
I was using the mini PC boxes and a software reference manual to lift the display (shown below), however finally found a monitor stand I thought would work. I am happy with the outcome.
I have a bookshelf stereo system, an older television hooked up to a Verizon FiOs set top box, and an Alexa Echo Input to round out the perfect office environment.
I need more artwork, one of the walls has my diplomas,
certificates, and awards and the others are next on my list. The problem, I
need a good backdrop for the Zoom meetings. I am still working all of
this.
Monday, October 17, 2022
This blog (It's Personal) has been around since December 2011 and
there are about 783 posts (excluding this post). I started the blog to
replace Q's Wire a Wordpress blog, that is no longer published. For
added security, I decided to use the Thingamablog content management
system (CMS) to maintain the blog in a local environment.
What does this mean really? The entire blog (master copy) is maintained on a PC hard drive and new posts/images/videos are SFTP/FTP'd to my online server when the application's post publish button is used.
About six months ago, I began having problems with the keyboard on my 2010 Windows XP Acer Netbook, shown below.
In addition, most online services no longer supported the browsers and email clients available for the older Windows XP system, so I knew I had to move on.
About a week ago, I decided to move this blog to the Guzila Mini PC I purchased for my real estate class. Since the completion of the class, I have added three elements to the system; a 500GB internal hard drive, a 1920x1080 24 inch monitor (doubles as a streaming device when the system is connected in my bedroom) and a 13.3 inch 2K portable monitor for my office (zoom meetings, high resolution detail video editing and other efforts).
Although this was not the only task, i.e., moving this blog- I had on
tap for the week, it was the most time consuming and tedious. Why?
I have more work to do insofar as checking links across all of my sites, however, I think most of the work is done. What about my Google Juice (old links that are now dead)? I knew the risks when I decided to make this move and if I ever have to move the blog again, I will not have to update the links.
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Yesterday, my brokerage office sent over a copy of the PDF file, the Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC) issued to my broker, providing a copy of my license and pocket card.
