Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing. Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

A great man stands on God. A small man stands on a great man.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here I am, sitting and staring at this white box with the blinking cursor... what to write about today... hmmm... Well, for starters, I found a really and truly interesting blog of note today: www(dot)thinkinghomebusiness(dot)com.

If you are working from home, running your own business or are just thinking about one of the above, this is a must-read. The author, Des Walsh, has a no-nonsense style of writing that really spoke to me. I hope it will speak to you, as well.

Perhaps his blog-appeal comes from his Aussie-ness. (Are either one of those a real word?) Australians seem to share our American love of individuality and independence. Our two countries have a rich history of standing up for what they believe in and telling it like it is. As you read his posts, I think you'll see what I mean! He's a very prolific blogger. It's a treat to read something honest, concise and well-written on the internet these days. There is a little too much "garbaggio" out there, if you get my meaning. His blog was refreshing.

As a small-business owner in rural Texas, it has occurred to me that in order to attract and keep clients and customers, we have to have that same no-nonsense approach. We must be honest, forthright, sensible and courageous in our business dealings. And we have to go national, if not global, in our appeal to our customer base.

Our online presence is practically our only "face" these days. Making that face look good is our primary goal. Who wants to order something from a bland, plain website or a never ending page of data? You don't have to purchase fancy software or pay thousands of dollars to a web designer to make something look nice. With a little effort, you can create a blog or website with personality without breaking the bank.

Yahoo and Google offer a very nice (and cheap) web hosting plan for those not looking to open an actual store. For some, the website is free. You do have to register your domain name for something like $11.00 a year. That's small change to gain a presence on the web. And, although it took a while to get the hang of it, we managed to put together a pretty nice site... I think.

You be the judge:  www(dot)NeeNeesSoapShop(dot)com.  Check it out and come back here to comment and tell me what you really think.

We started out trying to have a web "store," but quickly deduced that it's cheaper to pay eBay, Etsy, PayPal and Bonanzle a little bit on the end of each sale in order to keep our overhead lower. I've found that they do an excellent job of promoting themselves, thereby promoting your items or booth in the process. And they are up and running 24/7. That's something you simply cannot do in a brick and mortar location. Unless you are Taco Bell.

But, I digress. I've written already about clicking and linking. You can click and link all you like, but there still has to be someone out there clicking and linking back. Darn all the luck, it really does take a lot of work to be "seen" on the web!! Blogging is no different. Someone has to READ the blog that you spend all your time writing. Otherwise, what's the point?

Therefore, I am now in the process of blogging my heart out and, hopefully, it will pay off as increased sales. Or at least entertaining and adding a few avid readers. :-)

One of my best pieces of advice to those trying to get their blog out into the 'net, is do not spam other blogs with "Nice Post" in the hopes of generating clicks to your own blog. If you're going to take the time to find a blog that interests you or the people you sell to, at least make an effort to type something meaningful and meaty in the comment section. You owe the author of the blog at least that much.

I blog here and on eBay, trying to keep my content fresh. You can even blog on eBay, tweet on Twitter, post on Facebook some, write a few eBay guides and you are well on your way to promoting your brand and your business online. It takes a lot of work to do all that, especially if you are like my husband and I: still working full-time outside the home.

Our home-based business(es) are still important and take most of our evenings and weekends to keep fresh. It's a lot of hard work but, yet, we still do it. Every day we post, link, blog or click to keep our name alive. That's because we care about our products and our customers. Sending out newsletters and posting online is almost our only way to communicate with our client base these days. Trade shows are few and far between (and expensive!), so we hope that our web presence will expand and grow.

Blogging is more than just rambling thoughts on a screen. It's more than just an attempt at advertising. For most, blogging is an important part of their everyday business operations.

Do you have any ideas for new posts for our blog here?

If you do, comment here with your ideas or drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you, but please, say something more than "nice post." :-) God Bless.