Funny thing about my blog.....?

Maybe its just my computer but I have had this problem before.  It seems as though my entries are at the bottom of the blog instead of in a frame-like format with the index on the left and my entries on the right.  If I use a rss feed program it looks just fine but when viewing it on a browser the format is wrong.  Like I said I have had this problem before and it just returned to its regular way after a few days - so I'm hoping that the problem will solve itself.

Latest Grant Project In Progress

My latest client is a woman who is a single mother who is interested in finding funding for operating a daycare service in her home.  Since she has young children of her own she thought that this would be a good business for her to start.  There are some problems though with her specific case because of her location and only in that she is open to almost any location.  So instead of finding local funding programs that she can apply for I'll concentrate more on finding the more national programs.

Grant Myth #1 - There are no grants to pay bills. WRONG!

The best example of this would be utility bills - especially heating bills!  Did you know that just a few days ago I was listening to a local radio program and the guest was a represenative of a organization that helps people with helping to pay their utility bills.  There was no advertising for this program, no announcements, flyers, etc.,....I just happened to be listening when it was announced that they would be one in a few minutes.  The thing that stood out the most about this guest was their genuine interest in people contacting them to find out what kinds of programs were available to them.  What were some of the programs?  Well one program totally forgives the back balance of your heating bill PROVIDED pay a monthly amount for a period of months!  And that was just one of the programs they mentioned!  There is an actual program that will provide an assessment of your home's status as far as making it more heating efficient.  This program also includes repairs and even replacement of your heating system at no cost to you.  That includes the cost of the system and installation!  Again at no cost to you.  This is not just a local program because it is available in many areas!  And again this is just but one example of this kind of program.  Last year alone in my own area over 5,000 people were able to use this program!  There are also funding programs that help with other utility-related bills such as phone and water.

So if you don't think that these kinds of programs exist just tell that to the people that have already used this program!

A Contest that awards over $7,000.00 in scholarship awards!

As much as I talk about grants there are also other avenues of raising funds and one of these are contests!  I list a few of them on my grants page at:

http://members.aol.com/Roseb441702/grelated.com

I have now come across another contest that is aimed at high school seniors.  THE DEADLINE IS MARCH 3RD, 2006!  So that means that you still have time to apply.  What do you have to do?  Write a 75 word essay!  That's it!  They even have a website where you can find out EXACTLY what the requirements are to apply! 

Getting Discouraged?

One of my interests is astrology.  I can read and prepare charts and have done so for myself and others.  I also participate in some of the online discussion groups and mailing lists.  One particular message got my attention because it was from a woman who was seeking advice about astrology as a career.  I was surprised by the number of responses that told her to essentially "forget about it".  It made me kind of angry because they were basically telling her that she should forget about pursuing something that she really likes to do.

So what I did was to find some astrologers who were online and who were (more importantly) making money from their astrology business.  I found quite a few of them and sent out emails explaining the situation and basically asking for encouraging words for this woman.  I got a lot of great information and advice sent back to me.  One astrologer said her business works because she MAKES her business work!

I have also read about a woman that has an astrology reading business because she does reading for people's pets!  Another astrologer got a grant to compose astrological charts of serial killers! 

Lets say you wanted to start your own astrology business.  Number one you will have to have customers.  One of the best way to get customers is to show them that you know what you are doing.  How do you do that?  How about making yourself your first customer?  Do readings on yourself and post your results on your website.  You can also do an offline version of this and put it in the form of a newsletter or flyer. 

There is also related work that you can do.  For example you can write articles for an astrology magazine or publication.  Heck, you can start one of your own and accept advertising from others.  You can design astrology-related art, poetry, stories.........There are just so many income-producing possibilities that you can do!

So don't get discourage - get going!

There have been many devastating disasters....

Unfortunately Katrina and Rita were not the only disasters that have occurred.  In Texas there have been wildfires so severe enough that the President has declared certain areas in Texas as disaster areas.  If your home or business was affected by these wildfires you may qualify for individual assistance in the form(s) of home repairs and temporary housing.

Low-cost loans are also available to cover uninsured property losses.

You can either apply online or call the telephone number that is listed.

"Where can I go to find grant information?"

hey my name is j~ and im from alabama and i had and apointment one time too go see about getting me a grant at the local chamber of commerce and the women told me right off that grants dont exist and i laughed at her and jus told her she was wrong cuzz i felt like she was i know ppl thats got grants and all that stuff soo all im askin is were can i go in north alabama too get a grant ive looked every ware and really dont know were to look can u tell me?

Thank you for your email.

Since researching and finding grants is what I do I can tell you that they do definitely exist and I have noted more than one example of grant recipients on my page.

However the problem with your email is that you don't specify what type of grant you are looking for and you don't even say what the grant is for.  To give you a good example my latest client is a single mother that wants to start a daycare service in her home.  I am halfway through the 30 day period and I have already found at least 3 grant programs that she is eligible to apply for and that is because I know the basic information of what she is looking for because as a client she is required to fill out the basic questions that I ask of all of my clients.  These questions appear here:

http://members.aol.com/Roseb441702/payinfo.htm

When you start looking for grant programs that you will be eligible to apply for you will see that they each have their own guidelines and requirements that have to be met before you can actually submit your request. 

There is no one place that has grants.  It will depend on what you will want the grant funding for.

Do you wish that you could work from home?

A very popular subject was brought up in one of the mailing lists that I belong to.  It was about people who wished that they could work from home and were looking for "work at home" opportunities.  More specifically I think that they want to be able to find a company that will hire them to do work that they can do at home.  While I won't say that this is 100% out of the question - the problem is  FINDING the company.  If this is still the kind of opportunity that you are seeking you will first have to find a legitimate company - the emphasis being that YOU will have to find the company.

I get a lot of comments to this blog

and while some of it is very nice and complimentary some of it is spam.  I like to add the comments that prove to be the most helpful and inspiring so keep them coming!

A Resume Business?

It's not as impossible as you may think!  I just got finished reading an article about how popular the resume-writing business is.  What would you need to start?  A computer, a printer and maybe a telephone.  If you're reading my post now then you already have a computer - or at least access to one! 

Unfortunately it is a sad fact of life that a lot of people are loosing their jobs and have to apply for new ones.  To some composing a resume is a scary thing and something that they just don't want to be bothered with or they think that they might not do a good job and would rather pay a professional to do it.

This is a PERFECT example of a business that one can start at home! 

How do you get customers!  YOU ADVERTISE!  You can advertise both online and off.  There are some methods of advertising that do not require a lot of money - but they do require some "sweat" equity on your part. 

You should see some of the amounts that professional people charge to write resumes and you don't even have to stop there!  You can branch your business into related areas as well.

And there you have it!  A full-blown business that you can start at home!

AOL IS CHARGING FOR EMAIL?

You can find out more by reading this article from the NY Times......

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/05/technology/05AOL.html

Movie Review - "Contact"

This is a movie that I have saved and that I watch over and over again.  I like it because one of the messages that I get from this movie is that you should stay "true" to yourself regardless of what everyone else is doing.  I have also found out that the movie is based on a real life woman who has been called "a pain in the neck".  And that is exactly what Jodie Foster is in this movie and I say "more power to her!"

Jodie Foster plays a woman who was always interested in "little green men" ever since she was a child and she had a telescope to look at the stars and a scanner to communicate with others.  (By the way that doesn't sound like a bad idea to me to have both a telescope and a scanner.  My father used to have one of those big clunky scanners and I have come to miss it!)  Her father dies when she is quite young and she goes on to be a scientist.  We see her as she goes to study the "stars" at a facility that has to do with the SETI (Search For Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) Program.  (By the way this program is for real and is still in existence!)  Now bear in mind that she is a scientist and the program that she is a part of is being funded.  The funding is cancelled but she doesn't care and says she will "go it alone if she has to" because she has done it before.  What she does is get funding from an organization that provides funding for projects.  The funding she gets lasts for a few years but there is a problem because the area that she uses to listen for signals is leased by the government.  So even though she has the funding to continue to study and monitor signals the area belons to the government and it seems the government was getting pressure from others because they wanted to use the area as well.  Bowing to the pressure the government is "pulling the plug" on her access.  While her program is in the process of being discontinued she hears a signal that is coming from outer space.  Now all heck breaks loose!  You hear a signal coming from outer space so who do you tell?  Jodie Foster's character says "Everybody".  Now the government is involved and with the government comes (of course) politics!  The signal is translated and it turns out to be schematics for a transport system.  Of course now everybody wants to be the one that goes but only one can go.  I won't give away everything in the movie but to continue on......this movie does not have a "black and white" ending.

This movie has a very good cast and I give a special mention to James Woods - he can be quite good at being a pain in the neck!  Of course this movie also relates to grants and I didn't even notice it at first.    I'm not quite clear as to the specifics but I will assume for the purpose of this review that Jodie Foster's character - being a scientist - was working on a pure research project and this is something that she didn't finance herself but received funding for.  When this funding was pulled she sought funding elsewhere and got it from a very large organization that has funding programs.  This is something that is true in real life - as I have said many, many times.  There are funding programs out there for "pure" research - including grant programs from the government.  In fact these are some of the most vied for kinds of grants!

On a personal note I liked the movie because it was one of those "independent" women kind of movies BUT not so independent enough to not to want to have a relationship.  I have read in a review of this movie that the Matthew McConaghy character was really unneccessary but I was glad that his character was included simply because what's wrong with being independent but having a boyfriend - especially one that will stick by you!

I also liked the "politics" aspect of this movie.  Not so much that I, myself would want to have to go through it but the fact that the details of it were just great!  Who gets to ride in the transport?  (And why?), The cost of making the transport, the fact that the signal had to be to be decoded using the signal's broadcast that was heard in not just the United States but outside the United States - which made it a "worldwide" issue - apparently you need permission if you get the signal's broadcast from another county.....and on and on and then this just doesn't become a simple matter.  Religion was brought up, "eggheads" versus military aspects and most interesting of all is that even though Jodie Foster's character "discovered" the whole thing she was slowly being edged out of the whole thing (as the government was getting involved).  It is also very interesting to note that the word "grant" was mentioned near the end of the movie.

Maybe I'm just too "geeky" for my own good.  This isn't a simple plotted movie but I enjoyed it because of all the details and politics that were involved.  (I also liked all the equipement that was being shown). 

So this movie is in my library.  In fact it's one of my inspirational movies.

Selling For Others On Ebay.......

....I am thinking about selling for others on eBay. I don't think there is a place near me that does it so I would be the only one in the area. I just need to know a few things. How much of the money made goes to the customer and how much to me as the seller. What if something doesnt sell? does the customer pay all fees? And last but not least what types of items does it pay to do this for. After all, after all the time you spend making the pictures and listings and shipping the item do you realy come out ahead or do you expend too much time and energy for too little return?

Ebay has a term for this and its called "Trading Assistants".  Your idea doesn't sound like a bad idea but take it from the people that have replied to your post - it aint easy!

I had one woman who wanted me to sell her sports card collection on Ebay.  I see a similar set sold for $30,000!  Well I showed her that information and she was ready and willing to go BUT she didn't want to pay anything and she wanted to hold on to the cards until I got the payment.  Well my main caveat with that was that after I got the payment I would have to chase her all around to get the cards.  Mind you now its not her name on the account and its not her doing the work.  So to make a long story short I did not do it.

I recently made a brochure that I give out to anybody that wants me to sell their stuff on Ebay and in that brochure is the EXACT terms that I'm going to accept.  So I do suggest that if you want to do this that you do the same thing - write it out and then when someone comes to you wanting you to sell their stuff on Ebay - then BAM! - you give them the brochure!

If they balk you can simply tell them to try and sell it theirselves on Ebay.  That will give them a better understanding (and hopefully some respect) for what it is that has to be done.

This Entry Contains Graphic Content!

So many, many people want to work from home but a lot of them say that they don't know what to do.  As I have said many, many times before the fastest way to make money is to find a need and fill it and the best way to make money is to take something that you love and turn it into a business.

There is also a third option too.  How about taking one of the programs that you already have installed on your computer and start a business using it.  People think that that you have to have the latest software and/or the ones with the most "bells and whistles" when really you don't have to.  I am a big fan of "using what you have to get what you want."

On my consultation page I list a few programs and how they can be used to start a business.  A simple program that came with my computer was the Windows "Paint" program which is a basic paint program.  How can you use this program to start a business?  How about designing logos?  Or specialty T-shirt designs?  You can create your picture using this program and then copy the picture and paste it into your wordprocessing program.  Just think of what you could do with capabilities like that!  You could start your own newsletter, doing desk top publishing for others......You want to hear a "strange but true fact?"  Even with all the home computers in use there are still people/businesses and organizations that still use the service of desk top publishers - publishing everything from logos to stationary!  And this is something that you can do using two basic little programs that are already installed on your computer.

What's that?  You say that you can't draw?  In a lot of instances you won't have to be a Picasso at it.  The most basic of paint programs lets you draw shapes and include text and once you start at it you will become more and more familiar with the program itself and then you can start to experiment and acquaint yourself with what your program can and can't do.

Don't think that there is a market for this type of work?  Then you're wrong.  Look at all the websites that offer these kinds of services.  What about businesses that offer this type of service in your area?  If you live in an area that doesn't offer this type of service you can use that to your advantage!

What about a niche market where you do a specific type of design?  Let's say menus, resumes, newsletters, stationary - some type of specific design?

You will have to have clients right?  There are no-cost and low-cost ways to advertise and market your business.  Why don't you design a flyer advertising YOUR business (make yourself your first customer) and distribute it around?  Prepare a business plan so that you will always have the steps that you take written down (and add enough room for the new things that you have come to learn!).  Business plans don't have to be complicated.  You can start with just a simple objective (ie: I want to make $ per month) and add to it as you progress.

You know there are people that are doing this very thing now.  Why not you?

Another grant program that is open for FOR-Profits to apply!

Are you interested in providing shelter for the homeless?  There is a grant program in Wisconsin that provides funding for this.  Again (as I have said before) when there is an overwhelming need for something a grant program is created.  This one has been around for over 15 years!  Both non-profits and private for-profits are eligible to apply.   I was looking at the the listing of past recipients and the list includes organizations like the Salvation Army, community action organizations and a number of religious organizations.

Please remember to bear in mind that this is not the only grant program of its kind that is available.   Taking a look at the bigger picture here this has to do with providing shelter for the homeless and to encourage more shelters - that is why these kinds of programs have been created!

How do I get more people to come to my website?

I a have a Website,trying to make money working at home! I am 67 years old,with very little retirement! Looking for knoweledge to get more people to my website,

One of the first things that you should do is to identify/define your target market. Who is most likely to buy your product and why?

You also should realize that a lot of visitors will happen upon a website because they got the link from a search engine. Well, how does your page(s) rank in the search engines? I try to keep my pages at least in the top numbers of rankings and this is something that I do manually as opposed to paying for high(er) rankings. It is something that I do and that has to be done on a continuing basis. You have to realize that new webpages are coming on the Internet everyday and theoretically speaking the more new pages that are added to the Internet everyday the more your page(s) will get bumped down the list of links.

Also you're going to have to analyze the traffic that you are getting now to see how you can go about increasing it - another thing that should be included in your business plan.

"I Want To Start A Daycare ASAP!"

I want to open/start a home daycare, A.S.A.P.
I want to apply for grant.
Please tell me where to start!


Thank you for your email.

The first place that you should start looking for grants is your own locality.  You can start at the local level of your municipality to see if there are any grant programs for providing daycare services in your area.  You will also have to decide whether or not your daycare will be operated as a for-profit, non-profit or a combination of both.

There are daycare-related grant programs at a federal and national levels but if your own local area also has grant programs than you will have more that you can apply for.  There may also be certain aspects of your daycare that will qualify you for other funding programs such as providing "after-school type" programs, some kind of educational aspect and on and on.

It will all definitely depend on the type of daycare service you will be providing.  In some cases you can even find a grant/funding program that you can tailor your business to in order to qualfy for the funding program(s).  For example if you found an organization that had a grant program for helping to improve a child's math skills (or some subject that you are well acquainted with) then you could include such a program as part of your daycare services.

So the best place for you to start is with a general outline/business plan of the way that your business is going to be.  With this then you can start to find the grant/funding programs that you are eligible to apply for.

"I Am Looking For A Grant........"

When you are "looking for a grant" there are some things that you are going to have to take into consideration.  Number 1 grants are not automatic meaning that you have to apply.  You are most likely to receive a grant when you best meet the guidelines and requirements of the grant program.  Going on your post specifically you have to know that theatre and theatre groups receive grant funding all the time so that makes it definite that there are such grant programs out there. 

You take your endeavor or project and figure out who best would it serve.  Know that the bulk of grant programs out there exist to bring a greater awareness to something and/or to help solve a problem.  How does that relate to your endeavor specifically?  Well since yours is a minority endeavor you should look into sources that are related to that minority.  What can you bring a greater awareness to?  How about those problems that relate to your minority - ie literacy, there has also been in the news a lot lately about illegal immigrants - how about telling their stories?  How about telling the story or stories of those of your minority that have achieve some kind of infamy (good or bad) and there is also the good old "standby" of offering some type of educational aspect to your endeavor.  The above are good for at least 5 different kind of grant programs that you are qualified for and can apply to.

One side note that I want to add is that it is not enough to just say that you have a endeavor and/or project and then say you want a grant for it you are going to have to show why you should receive such a grant.

Little Things Do Count - when you're running a business

I'm looking at some literature from a company.  What is striking to me is that there is no letterhead with the company's contact information.  Please do not make this mistake with your own company's literature.  I don't care how small or how big your company is ALL of your literature should have some type of letterhead even if its just your company's basic contact information either at the top or the bottom of the page.  Remember that you want your business to be remembered!

PS - This also applies to your non-profit business and projects as well!

Marketing/Selling My Artwork

Can someone point me to the best resources for learning how to market my art?
I seem to be inept at using ebay, websites, google etc. I've tried everything and I'm so frustrated I could scream LOL!   The long of the short... I feel as if every place I see on the internet is out to take your money, for a service they know won't work eventually you quit after that they take the next guys buck. I've tried click services, general submissions, paid submissions, I've tried ebay who takes so much when you list and then afterward they take from your profit and they own paypal that also grabs a chunk. I feel used and abused, tired and frustrated I love my artwork, I do many types I am unfortunately a bit of a recluse and I don't have a networking ...my own folly I fear. But how do I go about building a clientel? Target market? I'm kind of crippled at knowing which way to go...also terribly unfocused...I make jewelry, paint watercolors, do poetry, cards, LOL I even tried to add products from places like SMC, crystal manufacturers to round out my own...they just d!
rove me nuts with low inventory, poor turn times etc. I want to crawl back into my cave and just paint LOL...help!! any suggestions?  I made a website/store but it's not "turned on" to shop at...you can't click a basket and buy anything...but it shows the kind of work I do...should I give up online and hit the street with a suitcase full of my work and hope some gallery likes it? I am such a ninny.,..LOL I am NOT a sales person, I'm an artist and need some real guidance ...check out my work and tell me who /how  I should approach to guide me at selling ...there's a fraction on this site...I have so many things LOL... anyway remember, you can't buy any of it, most of it I either gave away by now or it's packed away, but it is good to at least see what I mean by artist...

Well you seem to be quite unfocused.  The first thing that you should do is sit down and determine EXACTLY what it is you want!  AND you should make this the first page of your business plan which is something that you should have and is something that is always advised as having.  Your post is the perfect example of why one should have a business plan.  You're quite unfocused and going every which-a-way!

It just seems that you are in the middle of this big cloud with ideas and words swirling around you.  You're not the first person that has wanted to sell their art online (and you won't be the last).  You should also know too that there are people who are selling their own art online - you need to look no further than the "Artist" Message boards here on AOL.  And you know if there are AOL'ers selling their art online then there are those artists that aren't on AOL who are selling their art as well.

I can see that you're very frustrated and the simple solution to that is just that - MAKE IT SIMPLE!  Even though the Internet gives you a lot of options its easy to want and explore every new thing that comes along - which is all fine and well but have your simple plan and do that while you explore the other things!

What you need is one basic plan to follow.  You can explore other things but have a BASIC plan!  Then while you are carrying that out you can explore other things.

There are so many things in your post  - all of which can be analyzed and should be and then turned around to make them an advantage as opposed to a disadvantage.