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Keeping In Touch With My Online Family
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The significant challenges that we face today cannot be
resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.
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Issue #40: March 19th, 2002
Hi {FIRSTNAME},
Here's What We Have For YOU Today:
~ Publisher's Corner
~ Notes and Quotes
~ Feature Articles
~ Ezine ADventure
~ Helpful Hints
~ Readers' Comments/Suggestions
~ Ad Swaps
~~~Publisher's Corner~~~
Welcome everyone to today's Keeping In Touch with a special
greeting to our new subscribers. You've joined the ranks of
caring, sharing people.
There are a couple of things I need to clear up before we move
on. I shared a terrific little resource called MailWasher and
gave you the incorrect URL -- I do apologize and thank you
Jonathan for pointing that out to me. The correct URL is:
http://www.mailwasher.net
Another point that was brought to my attention previously was
the EZ Vote link. In fact, Mary had mentioned this before
and when I checked out the link, it took me to the correct page
and I assumed that everything was alright -- just a glitch in
the system that day. Since I'm not voting for myself, I didn't
understand that the problem was in the next step. I've been in
contact with Ian at ItsAWorld and he advised they are setting
up a new system for the EZ Vote. I do appreciate your votes of
confidence and thank you again for reaching out to me to let
me know of the problem.
Are you clear about what you are trying to accomplish in your
marketing, your advertising and on your website? I'm not
talking about having a vague idea or concept for your business.
This is about who you are, who you are trying to reach and
what your ultimate goal is. Why are you doing 'this'?
Looking back to where I started from as a floundering
newbie;
then processing the transition I've gone through since first
starting online; now fast forwarding to the present has given me
a much better understanding of what it took to get here.
It didn't happen over night and I have had tremendous help
along the way. It takes work, commitment and discipline to
name a few things. Over the past nine months I have worked
exclusively with a coach and I think it's time to share some
of the benefits that I have received from this wonderful
resource.
- coaching helped me to set boundaries for myself and more
important, implement the boundaries I set
- coaching helped me to reach inside myself to determine
what I truly wanted -- find out what is important
- coaching provided me with an objective partner who was
there to assist in problem solving in both personal issues
as well as business issues
- coaching has helped me to realize the strength that I do
have to keep moving forward
- coaching has helped me to be clear on who I am and what
I want to and will accomplish
There are so many other things but I'll save that for an
article. <grin> Once you are clear about what you are trying
to accomplish everything else falls into place.
My coach, Monty Sharp, has made an exclusive offer to KIT
subscribers. He's offering to set up an 'Action Learning'
call for those who are interested. It's a team effort where
everyone can participate. You have less than two weeks to sign
up and only 4 spaces are left. Monty has offered his services
at a 50% discount for KIT subscribers only.
Here's your chance to brain storm with an select group of
people who are totally focused. We are looking at three times
per month and the sessions would run between four and six
months. This is a chance to work with a TEAM of people who are
committed to each other's success. If you want to get in on the
calls, please let me know you are interested and we'll keep you
posted.
mailto:lois@home-for-success.com?Subject=HomeBasedMindset
I was reading his ezine Success Steps and took the following
extract:
Very early in the morning - about 3:30 AM to be exact - I sat in
my back yard in eager expectation of witnessing the reentry of
the Space Shuttle. I have seen this once before and it is
spectacular. The trail of fire left behind as the Shuttle
streaks from west to east across the sky lights the night almost
like noonday.
Here is the really wonderful thing about this experience: As
amazingly complicated and remarkable as space travel is, I was
able to view the spectacular display simply because someone
believed space travel was possible. What remarkable things
could happen for you if you only believed they were possible?
This last sentence really hit home for me and perhaps it will
for you. What remarkable things could happen for YOU if YOU
only 'believed' they were possible? Would you like to find
out? We'd love to have you participate. Be sure to let me
know by sending an e-mail to:
mailto:lois@home-for-success.com?Subject=HomeBasedMindset
Our first Feature Article today is by Richard Lowe, Jr. change
Your Colors is about communication -- whether one on one or
through your website. What makes you unique?
Our second Feature is brought to us by Dr. Roberta
Shaler, PhD.
Be Consistent To Be Successful will help you to understand the
importance of self-care in the whole process of our success.
Be sure to glance through the Readers' Comments and Suggestions.
This is your spot to reach out and share comments you may have
or suggestions for what you would like to see in KIT. This is
also where your link appears for submitting your subscriber ad.
Okay, let's get on with today's ezine. Have a great day and
keep on smiling!
Lois M. Jeary
Publisher, KIT and KIT Klassifieds
mailto:lois@home-for-success.com
http://www.home4success.com
Helping you build your own successful
home-based business, one step at a time.
~~~Notes and Quotes~~~
Inadvertently I missed putting in 'Hi, My Name Is' in Saturday's
issue of KIT Klassifieds. Be sure to tune in to our next
subscriber story in the next issue. We've been featuring
subscribers who want to share their story about their reasons
for chosing an online business.
We want to know who you are; why you've chosen to work online;
something about what you are involved in and how this would
benefit others. Just send your story to:
mailto:lois@home-for-success.com?Subject=Hi_My_Name_Is
~***~~***~
"None of us has gotten where we are solely by pulling
ourselves up from our own bootstraps. We got here
because somebody bent down and helped us."
Thurgood Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court Justice
~***~~***~
Anyone can create their own fantastic e-book covers using
eCover Generator. Choose your cover, add the text and let the
program put together your own dynamite cover.
http://www.ecovergenerator.com/x.cgi?adminid=814&id=23056
~***~~***~
"I've gone through life believing in the strength and
competence of others; never in my own. Now, dazzled, I
discover that my capacities are real. It's like finding a
fortune in the lining of an old coat."
Joan Mills
~~~Feature Articles~~~
Change Your Colors
Author: Richard Lowe, Jr.
Recently I received a short, anonymous entry in my guestbook
on Internet Tips and Secrets. It simply said "Change your
colors". Short, to the point, and extraordinarily rude. I
quickly deleted the entry from my guestbook as it was not
appropriate and did not fit well into the context. I don't
mind an occasional politely negative but helpful comment, but
those which are stupid (as this one was) or blatantly abusive
are not necessary.
As I deleted the guestbook entry I thought of the gall of the
person who left it (besides the cowardice of leaving a message
with no return email address). This is my creation, my web
site - who has the right to tell me what colors or navigation
scheme or for that matter, anything else (unsolicited).
I believe that many web sites (especially professional ones)
have become exceptionally boring and uninteresting. They
are cookie-cut from a common mold based upon "user testing".
Perhaps you've seen these tests, perhaps not.
What they say is a person's eye wanders from the upper left
down to the center of the screen. So the most important thing
needs to be in the upper left, and the navigation should be
down the left. Colors need to be bland and uninteresting - black
on white is best. And blah blah blah. Ho hum, it all looks
the same.
People are not created the same. Every single one of us is an
individual, with our own unique desires, needs, likes, dislikes,
viewpoints, or whatever else you want to call it. Why should our
web sites all be the same?
Perhaps it makes sense in the world of business for all web
sites to look like Amazon or Yahoo, but if you widen your
horizons does it really make sense anywhere else? Is your home
page describing your personal life and your cat any better if
it looks like someone else's site? Did that make it better
somehow?
Are web sites really better if they include the same collection
of links? The same news headlines and the same guestbook styles?
The same bland colors, the navigation bars in the same place and
a few select fonts? Is this good? Is this what we really want
from the web?
Even with your standard small business sites, do you really
think that someone wants to surf to your site to find that it
looks just like all other sites? Does this make them care about
your product any more?
So what should you do when you create a web site? If you want to
win most of the awards offered by such places as
"awardsites.com", then you probably want to create a bland site
with perfect HTML, excellent navigation, pages that all match
wonderfully and consistently from page to page. You want to
spend your time making sure your site matches the common idea of
"good", and if you can do that you can win the awards. Your site
will look like any other site (bland and uninteresting), but you
will win awards.
On the other hand, if you are an individual with your own brain,
your own artistic sense and your own strength of character and
will, then perhaps you want to create something that YOU like,
something that your visitors may also enjoy. Anyone can create a
site that wins awards (it's actually very easy, just follow the
instructions in your coloring book and remember to draw
perfectly within the lines) - only a true artist or simply an
individual can create a site which tells a story using their own
interesting and unique style.
First and foremost, keep your end user in mind and make it work
for them. In other words, make sure it works in their browsers,
that they can navigate from place to place easily and, if you
sell something, they can purchase it as easily as possible. You
are indeed creating something that you would like to be
understandable to other people, so be sure and make it
understandable.
On the other hand, include a bit of individuality in your site.
Make it stand out from the norm - otherwise, your site will just
blend in with every other site and will not be remembered for
anything.
Use whatever color scheme you want, as long as the text can be
easily distinguished from the background. And guess what, your
pages don't need to match each other - in fact, you can make
every single page different if you want. This is especially true
for personal web sites - don't worry about conforming.
Sites don't need to be symmetrical, they don't need to balance
and they don't need to match anyone else's criteria of "good".
All they need to do is communicate something. Most of the time
(since by far most web sites are personal home pages of some
kind) they are communicating something about an individual or
group.
Black text on white backgrounds are for sissies; Try dozens of
different colors until your site looks exactly like you want.
Having a perfectly proportioned navigation system exactly the
same on every page is boring. Come up with something that gets
your users from place to place without being the same as
everyone else's system.
Use image maps all over the place - these are great ways to
visually show your user how to get around without the same old
boring links. Use graphics as you see fit to make your pages
shine. Yes, you should worry about image size, but don't worry
that much. A few extra seconds of load time is fine (just don't
go overboard); people will wait if they feel excited about a
site. They will not wait if the site is bland and boring.
Don't even try and add all of those extra doo-dads that so
many sites seem to be using these days. Believe me, your site
does not need a news feed - every one else already has one and
you will not attract any new visitors with them. You don't need
to include the cute little quote-of-the-day buttons or the
ticker or the weather map. These just tend to make your site
look cheap.
Spend your time writing your content, designing your site and
working on your graphics. If you do include plug-ins,
concentrate on those that build a community such as forms,
guestbooks, message boards and even online games. These are
the things that attract people - being able to communicate
with other people.
And a note to those who judge awards - please take off the
blinders. There are many wonderful sites which communicate
exceptionally well which deserve gold 5.0+ awards, even though
they do not have perfect HTML, even though every page does not
match every other page and in spite of a glaring color scheme. I
have seen site after site loose major awards simply because some
robot is sitting in the judges booth, matching the site against
a fixed set of criteria (a way of turning off a judge's brain)
instead of really looking at what's important - is the site
communicating effectively?
My advice is simple: create a web site which YOU like and don't
worry about the awards. If your site communicates something of
value to your visitors, then you have succeeded. If not, then
regardless of how many awards you've won, you've failed.
To see a list of article available for reprint, you can send an
email to:
mailto:article-list@internet-tips.net?subject=send_article_list
or visit
http://internet-tips.net/requestarticles.htm
----------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets
at http://www.internet-tips.net
- Visit our website any time to
read over 1,000 complete FREE articles about how to improve your
internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.
*~~~**~~~*
FREE Report "The Art of Advertising"
Break that Marketing Mountain down
into a Manageable Mole Hill!
Click Here For Free Report...
http://hop.clickbank.net/?loismj/review
*~~~**~~~*
BE CONSISTENT TO BE SUCCESSFUL!
© Rhoberta Shaler, PhD
When you take a moment to think about your self-esteem, what
comes to mind? STOP READING NOW! Take that moment...what does
come to mind? <G>
Do you immediately tell yourself what you do well? Do you
remember all the good that you do? Terrific! Many folks have a
tendency to first notice the places they have failed or are not
doing enough. They think about what they have not done rather
than what they have accomplished. They see their personal cups
half-empty, rather than half-full.
How about you? If your first thoughts are positive, you have
self-confidence. Want some more? There's a secret! Keep your
promises to yourself. Yes, when you say that you will spend an
hour alone, do it! When you decide on a food program, follow
it! When you determine the best exercise for you, do it!
Recently I spoke with a woman who told me how well she felt
after three weeks of paying attention to her health. She was
thoughtful about her food choices, slept well and made time for
her exercise of choice. She said that it made her feel good
about herself. Of course it did!
When I asked her if she was continuing with that program, she
said no. Why not? Somehow her overwhelming desire to keep
millions of balls in the air and run herself ragged seemed more
attractive. Isn't that an interesting conundrum?
This is an issue of self-esteem. You have to feel that you
deserve to feel good in order to do what it takes. Sure, there
are times when work or family need all your attention, however,
once the crisis is over, return to taking care of yourself. If
the crisis is too long, you'll run out of energy and begin to
deplete all your reserves. This won't help your work or family,
will it? It is also likely to cause you to resent the work,
the demands or the people. Then, you might beat yourself up for
feeling that when, actually, resentment is simply a sign that
you are not giving yourself what you are giving to others.
Notice this and take better care of yourself.
Be consistent with your self-care. This doesn't mean
creating a rigid schedule. That only causes resistance. Be
gentle, yet firm, with yourself. Exercise for thirty minutes
three times a week. That's a great start...and it's do-able.
Once you get that established, you'll probably feel like adding
to it, so, take a walk, play a game or go for a swim. Set
yourself up to win and enjoy it! You deserve it.
Consistency creates self-confidence. Go for it!
© Rhoberta Shaler, PhD All rights reserved worldwide.
=============================
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Corporate TeamBuilder and
Executive Coach from San Diego, CA, Rhoberta is the creator of
The Consociate Way™: Promoting Performance & Peace in Your
Workplace. Improve Your Workplace Relationships with People
Skills for Sustainable Success! Visit:
http://www.SpeakingAboutWork.com
For reprint permission - mailto:Reprint@SpeakingAboutWork.com
==============================
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ezine ADventure
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~~~Helpful Hints~~~
'Time Message'
This JavaScript is pretty interesting. It will dynamically
write to the screen a message that depends on the time
of the visitor's clock when they load the page. We're
almost positive you've seen it before. Now, get it on
your page!
http://www.resource-a-day.net/resources2/tmes/
<a href=http://www.resource-a-day.net/resources2/tmes/> AOL users click here </a>
<---><--->
Always be diligent about checking opportunities that sound
too good to be true -- they usually are. If you need help
to check out something you think might be a scam, please use
these resources.
http://www.scambusters.com/
http://www.worldwidescam.com
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Here are the ABCs for how to set up your own set of accounting
records from start to finish. Jaye does a great job of walking
you through the process. Just click on this link and they'll
be delivered to your Inbox.
mailto:bookkeeping@home4success.com?subject=TRA003
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All Business
http://home4success.com/go/to.cgi?l=allbiz
Resources
http://home4success.com/go/to.cgi?l=resources
Articles
http://home4success.com/go/to.cgi?l=articles
Archives
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Tools
http://home4success.com/go/to.cgi?l=tools
Tips
http://home4success.com/go/to.cgi?l=tips
~~~Readers' Comments/Suggestions~~~
I sent Jonathan a note thanking him for catching this error.
As I told him, I get so used to putting '.com' and I goofed.
The correct URL for MailWasher is: http://www.mailwasher.net
.
This is a great little tool and I believe it's going to be a
great help in lessening the spam.
Hello Lois,
I received another KIT with this URL
that is not valid. Please check it out
this is the second time.
http://www.mailwasher.com
sincerely,
Jonathan Dune~
~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Lois,
Just a note to tell you I still get the following message
when trying to vote for your ezine (itsaworld).
Mary
~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Lois,
Really look forward to your issues. They always
have such good info in them!
I especially enjoy Craig Locke and today's article
was great!
Thanks,
Peg Bastin
nana249@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~
Free subscriber ads can be submitted to this link only:
mailto:lois@home-for-success.com?Subject=KIT_K_Mar_23rd,_2002
Reminder: One ad/per subscriber - First 20 are in
5 lines, 60 characters per line
If you need help to format an ad, please use this great little
program:
http://www.jbmckee.com/formatit/reformatit.html
To submit an Article:
Please format your articles as well. (65 characters per line max)
mailto:lois@home-for-success.com?Subject=KIT_Article_Submit
To share Tools or Tips:
mailto:lois@home-for-success.com?Subject=KIT_Tips_Tools
To make comments or suggestions:
mailto:lois@home-for-success.com?Subject=I_Have_A_Comment
Some of My Favorite Zines:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN "ALMOST" THERE? Does YOUR
marketing contain STRATEGIC Initiatives? Use OUR skills
pay your bills. Awesome details of unique ways to promote
yourself and your business. YOUR success IS my business!
http://start-smartz.com
or
mailto:webmistress@start-smartz.com?subject=subscribe_KIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Success Steps
A publication of Success Synergies
Personal & Business Coaching
http://www.success-synergies.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Que Sera Sera - A weekly Motivational and
inspirational ezine designed to get you
right back in the game of living life as
you would like it to be lived.
E-mail Newsletter Signup:
que_sera_sera-subscribe@topica.com
Newsletter Web Signup:
http://www.djstoddard.net/newsletter.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Sizzling Edge
Turning chance into your richest resource. Published
by Charles Burke, the author of Command More Luck and
Inside The Minds of Winners.
Subscribe: mailto:sizzling-on@sizzlingedge.com
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
KIT Memberships include:
~ Honorary membership in C.O.B.R.A.
Council of Online Business Relations Advocates
http://www.homesourcearena.com/cobra.htm
~ Ezine Publishers Association International
http://www.EzinePublisher.org
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
Here's your chance to tell others what you think of this
ezine. Cast your vote here:
EzVOTE
At last you can give something back to a great ezine!
Submit ONE monthly vote using this 10 second form:
http://www.itsaworld.net/ezvote/kit.htm
EzVote Winners: http://www.itsaworld.net/ezvote_results.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer:
~~~~~~~~~~~
All advertising in KIT is accepted in good
faith and is offered as a service to our readers.
Publication of the ad should not be construed as an
endorsement of the product, business opportunity or
service being offered. Please refer to the contact
details in the ad for more information about product
or service offered. Use due diligence for all offers.
Free At Last Enterprises reserves the right to exclude
any ad pertaining to hate, race, discrimination or
deemed inappropriate for all readers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Home For Success Links:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Terrific traffic generator and it's free and
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Privacy Policy: Keeping in Touch respects your privacy.
Your e-mail address or personal information will NEVER be
sold, traded or disclosed to any third party member.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact Information:
Keeping in Touch With My Online Family is published by:
Free At Last Enterprises
Lois M. Jeary, Publisher
P. O. Box 88
Elie, Manitoba
R0H 0H0
Canada
Phone: (204) 353-4096
Fax: (204) 353-2248
E-Mail: lois@home-for-success.com
Website: http://www.home4success.com
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