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Handcrafted Artists and Art groups

I feature handcrafted Artists on my wirequeen blog on Mondays and art groups on Wednesdays. I have viewers from all over the US and around the world.

 

If you are an artist (you own work only) or have an artist group dealing with adults and especially kids please contact me on my page here so I can consider featuring you. This is a great way to spread the world about your craft or organization. There is no charge but I do like to have very good photos of your art or activites and I put a link to your site.

 

Thanks,

 

Michelle

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10744045868?profile=originalOne of the best ways that I have learned to overcome obstacles is to face each challenge head on. What I mean by that is not running away from or becoming overwhelmed by issues that seem bigger than life. I realize that many work at home mothers are handling a lot of the day-to-day details of holding up the household and juggling business tasks at the same time. It can be a bit much to handle but here are some of the ways that I have been able to manage it all.

  1. It starts with remembering to take a few deep breaths. Really. Take some time to quiet yourself and breathe. I have what I call a quiet area which is really just a space that I have set aside for focus. This place could be anywhere you feel comfortable. I use a corner of my bedroom that has a nice comfy chair. I sit there and close my eyes a few moments each day to pause and see each challenge for what it really is – an opportunity to learn something new.
  2. Next, I accept that every problem has a solution. That's when I can begin the next phase of working things out. There is a saying used in Step Programs that goes something like this, “You can only begin solving a problem when you admit that you have one.” When you ignore challenges in business they will continue getting bigger. Eliminate the snowball effect by playing an active part in the process. Face the issue by writing it down or speaking it aloud. Then get ready to get in action.
  3. Finally, moving forward requires you to list out what you need and figuring out how best to get there. Some solutions require connecting with others. If you are working from home and unable to get out and about try reaching out to others in business by visiting their blog and participating in forums. I am a big fan of mastermind groups and you might find it useful to join one or start one of your own. This will help you get a fresh point of view from like-minded entrepreneurs who are serious about attaining next level success just like you.

With the abundance of information and resources available on the internet today moving past unstuck quickly is more doable than ever. And if cash flow is one of the challenges that you are facing in your business I invite you to sign up for my newsletter at www.tbsusa.com to get solutions for managing and growing your business.

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How to Market Your Business on Facebook

We all used to think Facebook1 was for kids; I'm with you I used to think the same thing as well, but it's time to change our thinking. There are many companies using Facebook to market and seeing success in doing so.

Consider the following statistics provided by O’Reilly Media. Between September 2008 and February 2009...

 

  • The number of Facebook users between the ages of 35 and 44 increased by 51%
  • Facebook users among the ages 45-54 grew by 47%
  • Facebook users ages 26-34 increased by 26%
  • More than half of the 140 million Facebook users are out of college

As you can see Facebook is no longer for just college students. Why should you use Facebook as a marketing tool? The answer is easy; you can use Facebook to gain new clients, stay in touch with current clients and promote new products and sales offers. You can also use it to create buzz and PR that is specific about your business.

How do you do this? Facebook offers you many tools, to be successful in marketing your business you must have an understanding of these tools. In this article we will look at two in particular:

 

  • Facebook Pages
  • Facebook Groups

Facebook Pages

Facebook Offers you Facebook Pages2. What does that mean? You can use Facebook Pages to create and give your business their own profile on Facebook; the best thing is right now they are free. These pages give your business an identity on Facebook which strengthens your brand. Current customers or even potential customers can become fans of your page and by doing so this allows them to follow you and receive any updates that you post to your page.

 

The great thing about Facebook Pages is that every time someone becomes a fan of your page all of their friends see that they have become a "fan." This often attracts other followers as well as creates a buzz regarding your business and of course your Facebook Page.

 

You can use your Facebook Page to not only share your company information, but you can also use it to post photos, videos, applications and messages. Any activity that you perform on your Facebook Page is then broadcast into the mini-feeds of your followers.

 

When creating your Facebook Page, there are things to keep in mind. You will be given a choice of three options when you start out. You will be asked whether your page is about:

 

  • A Local Business
  • A Brand or a Product
  • An Artist, Band or a Public Figure

Which are you? Good question. This depends on what you want to promote. Do you want to promote your business locally, do you want to promote your brand or a product or are you working to promote an artist, band or public figure?

 

Each of these categories will provide you with an opportunity to complete your "basic information", "detailed information" or your "contact information." Each option will provide you with a page that enables you to provide different ways of showing your information. It's important to realize that you cannot edit your page type once you select it, and also remember that the page type that you select will categorize your page with other like pages in that category; this is why you want to make sure you select the correct category to be displayed in.

 

Your Facebook Page, when done correctly can be used to bring in new customers as well as to help you maintain current customer relationships.

 

Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups, carry a similarity to Facebook Pages, the difference is they are built around a group of people rather than your business or your brand. You must be a member of Facebook to create a Facebook Group. In order to create a group just login to Facebook and then click on the Groups link in the main menu on the left hand side of the page.

 

You can use Facebook Groups to create awareness, but they do not have the feature that allows users to become fans, they only become members. The downfall of this is it will not share as much information with friends of "group" members as they interact with the group.

 

Which One is Right for You?

The question I hear most when it comes to marketing on Facebook is "Laura, do I need a page or a group?"

 

The answer depends on the goal you want to achieve with marketing on Facebook. The truth is you will gain more exposure from a Facebook Page, because it can be seen by unregistered users, but a group page can only be seen by registered Facebook users.

 

Now, that feature alone should make it easy to decide, right? Wrong. You must also consider that when you send a message to Facebook Page members, they will only receive an update notification.

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Individuals have varying requirements a company must meet before they decide to become a customer. In order for companies to be successful, they must be able to identify these requirements (conducting market research enables companies to get these answers). Businesses are often chided for not listening to their customers. Of course it is the organization’s responsibility to start a dialogue with their target market, but as a consumer are you doing your part to keep the conversation alive?More than ever companies are trying their best to connect with consumers and are sometimes greeted with deafening silence. For example, have you ever been asked to complete a customer satisfaction survey? I am sure the answer to this question is a resounding, “Yes!” Now how many times have you answered a survey? Despite the number of pleas, I am sure many people have not taken the time to answer these surveys (yes, as much as I hate to admit it I am guilty of this too). One of the most quoted reasons for not answering these surveys is, “Sorry, I don’t have time.”Sure we all have time constraints, but the only way companies can improve their services or fulfill needs that are not currently being met within the industry is if you share your thoughts with them. It is not fair for consumers to complain about receiving bad service or inferior products and then neglect to fill out a survey or turn down the opportunity to participate in a focus group. Now more than ever, due to the increase in competition, companies are trying to entice individuals into talking with them by compensating them with money, prizes, etc.The mere fact that companies are starting to “invade” social networking sites demonstrates that they are trying to talk to consumers on a platform that is convenient for them. I realize that there are some companies that still have a lot to learn when it comes to the social media arena, but I applaud them in their efforts to do so. They are finally acknowledging the fact that consumers are more apt to purchase products from those who they trust and making a concerted effort build a relationship. Companies are increasingly becoming more attentive and seeking ways to engage consumers into speaking with them–so what are you going to say?
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Emancipation from public education

As parents we must make tough decisions in regards to our kids. The decisions we make will impact their lives even after they are all grown up. Just imagine for one moment that a decision that you made ruined or deeply impacted your child’s life in a negative way. How will you deal with knowing that your decisions may have harmed your child.Well, believe it or not the decision to send children to public school has proven to have some major negative ramifications. Many children pick up some very bad habits and ways from being in public school. Many of our young people are exposed to drugs, alcohol, sex, homosexuality, violence and more just from going to public school. Some children face the pressures of bullying and not being able to keep up among other things. All of this is the result of being in an unstable and hostile environment.When a child is in a hostile environment they are unable to function properly. There is no such thing as telling your child to merely concentrate and ignore what‘s happening around them. A statement such as that , suggest that you don’t have an answer for your child and therefore can only put the situation on the back burner. Many parents find out the hard way that this decision may ultimately harm their child’s future. The instability in the public school environment has helped lead to the rapid decline in academic achievement in our schools. This is why there is such a huge increase in home education. The public school system has failed our children.Home education has such a rapid increase, especially amongst African Americans, which is primarily due to the insufficient educational process of the public school. It is estimated that more than 2,000,000 American children are home schooled. This number will continue to increase as parents awareness is sparked. More and more parents are taking the plunge into home schooling as they realize that they can better educate their children.Black home schoolers are especially motivated to take on the role as parent-teacher seeing that African American children have a higher dropout rate than any other race. The only way to protect your child from becoming a part of this dropout statistic is to become and early dropout through emancipating yourselves from the state institutional education. Please understand that I’m referring to having your child drop out of a failed institution and reviving their learning through home education. We here at The Black Home Schoolers Association would like to help in every way we can. Please feel free to contact us or visit our website at: www.BlackHomeschoolers.com
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