Changing Webhosts for Your Blogs

Posted by Erik von Werlhof

Being as how I always like trying new things, especially online, I decided to see what was involved in switching the hosting services of one of my blogs.  I quickly learned that there would be many separate steps involved and that this would not be some “presto-chango” procedure.

What spawned my interest in this?  Well I am sure that we all share the same philosophy of wanting to get the best deal.  Another hosting company was offering some extra-features that I knew I would need and it would not cost anything extra.  So, I thought I would give the process of migrating some blogs from one hosting company to another a try.

The first thing I had to do was to change the domain-name servers which in itself is no big deal.  Also, I made a backup of the blog database which would be needed at a later time. The fun stuff was to follow.  Next on the list was logging onto the server via an FTP transfer program (Viva Filezilla!) to move the blog files and folders onto my computer.  After you have worked on a blog for awhile, you will be amazed at how many files build up! Once you have learned the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) settings for the destination web-host, you then upload your blog to the destination root directory on the server for the new hosting service (in my case, HostGator).

In order for the new blog to “come-alive” once the file migration from host A –> computer–> host B had been completed, the wp-config.php file in the blog would have to be edited to the settings of the new host.  By this I mean the new database name, database user, password and host name would have to be incorporated.  The database for the old host would either have to be deleted or modified so that if someone tried to access the site, it would not register for the original host.  In effect, you would be “turning-off” your site so you could prepare to turn it “back on” with the new hosting service.  So, this is where the real drama begins.

Prior to importing the database into your website once the blog files have been loaded on the new server, make sure you thoroughly understand the instructions involved in this procedure.  Each web-host service may have it’s own peculiarities to make sure that the database is compatible with their service.  If you don’t understand the instructions, contact technical support (HostGator is great with blog support, I did not find the same with GoDaddy) prior to proceeding.   Once the files have been uploaded and the database is imported, everything should be okay.  Ensure that you load the files into the correct directory on the new server so that when the blog URL is typed, the prospective visitor will not get a “this page is not found” message (or something like that).  But with available file manager utilities, moving files and folders as needed is quite easy.

Now being as how this can be a time consuming affair (I have already consumed much!), you may want to consider paying someone to do this for you.  I currently have no idea what potential costs would be for the website transfers but you may be the type that does not want to mess around with this sort of thing and would prefer forking over the green-stuff.

Best Wishes and here’s to you “Thinking Outside of The Box!”

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When You Need To Consider Outsourcing

Posted by Erik von Werlhof

Time is money.  Face it, if you are not using your time wisely it could very easily result in you losing money.

Let me share a recent experience of mine that illustrates the concept.  Last week one of my computers began to malfunction and then finally it just stopped working altogether.  Since this particular computer was faster than the one I am using while I write this post, I was very much interested in getting it promptly repaired.  The person whom I normally go to for matters such as this said she would not be available for a few days so I decided I would try to make the repairs myself.  Based upon a previous experience with fixing the computer I immediately assumed the power supply needed to be replaced.  After taking the time to get a new one as well as installing it, several hours had elapsed.

I then determined that the power supply was not the problem so then I had to remove it from the PC so I could return it for a refund (hence more time spent).  Later on I made several trips to the local electronics store to get some replacement components (the time is adding up!) and still no luck.  After swapping out several different components I decided to throw in the towel and drop the PC off at my “go-to” person’s house once she was back in town and wait to see what she had to say (she has MUCH more experience in this than I do).

The main point of this is that instead of spending the numerous hours on attempted computer repairs, I could have been using the time to focus on business matters.  Renowned Internet entrepreneur Jonathan Budd uses the term “profit potential” to help people prioritize the actions that they take.  If the intended action does not yield much chance of resulting in profit for you, perhaps something else should be considered.  It also boils down to leverage.  I am blessed with being able to have a gardener tend to yard work needs at my home as well as having a pool man come by once a week to check on things.  Because of their time being leveraged for my advantage, this results in freeing up more time to allow me to do other things such as focus on business.  I also take advantage of the services that ghost writers provide and this in turn yields more time for me.  Whenever possible, instead of doing certain things I try to have someone else do them.  The intended outcome would be having the ability to focus more on business matters with the hope of seeing greater profits ensue.

So whenever possible, see if you can outsource various tasks to others.  This in turn would allow you more time to focus on things that you want to get done yourself.  Take gardening for example.  Chances are that by devoting more time to tend to the garden, you will see a more abundant crop whether it be fruits, vegetables or even flowers.  You can think of your business the same way.  If you put more time and effort into it, there is a good chance that you will see greater profits come forth.

Best Wishes and here’s to you “Making It Happen!”

 

 

 

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Are You Really an Entrepreneur?

Posted by Erik von Werlhof

I had to ask myself this question recently.  While reading “Nothing To Lose and Everything to Gain” by Ryan Blair, mention was made of the enormous sums of money involved, the risks, vast amounts of time required to develop a business and get it started and numerous other factors.   The author even mentions to the effect that if an individual dedicated six months out of the year to entrepreneurial pursuits, it would take about 10 years to be a professional.

Now I have to admit that with my current schedule (day job), it would take me at least 100 years to get to the pro point.  But being as how I deal with comparatively miniscule amounts of money, my risk taking is comparatively negligible and I do use much of my free time to focus on my family life; I have to ask myself do I rate being able to describe myself as an entrepreneur?

I took a look at Wikipedia’s definition of entrepreneur and it described the term applying to a person who is willing to undertake a new venture or enterprise and accept full responsibility for its outcome.  Now granted my undertakings would not even show up as a proverbial blip on the radar compared to those of Ryan Blair but going by this definition (which seems legit to me), I am comfortable in describing myself as such.

How about you?  Are you one who thinks in the “9-5, Monday to Friday” mode or do you think for yourself and set your own path?  Do you think of new ways to do things or is whatever comes your way good enough?  Only you can accurately decide for yourself or you may be one of those people who needs someone to reveal to you what lies within.  I will also say this; If you truly feel that you are an entrepreneur, you most likely are!

Once again, Best Wishes and here’s to you “Thinking Outside of The Box!”

 

 

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Are You Ready to be an Entrepreneur?

Posted by Erik von Werlhof

Many people dream of entrepreneurship.  The thought may come up while at work if the person is unhappy with their job for whatever reason.  The reason could be due to dissatisfaction with the commute, the work environment or the obligation of committing one’s time on a daily basis to meet the requirements of another person.

The notion of being able to work your own hours, be answerable only to yourself as well as more freedom in your personal schedule can be powerful lures.   But how does one know if they are truly ready to assume the role of entrepreneurship?  Needless to say the whole proposition can pose a substantial amount of various risks such as financial, emotional and physical.

I came across an article recently written by well known blogger Yaro Starak.  In his blog, entrepreneurs journey.com, he lists what he calls the 7 signs of not being ready to be an entrepreneur.  The article contains very good tips and relevant guidance on what to consider should you be contemplating the jump over to the entrepreneurial side of things.  Click on the link –>>  7 Signs You Are Not Ready

After you read it stop to pause and ask yourself where you fit in.  Are you ready?  Are you already there?  Did you think you were ready but discovered that you really weren’t?  Only you can decide.  My thanks to Yaro Starak and I encourage you to spend some time checking out his blog www.entrepreneurs-journey.com.

Best Wishes and here’s to you “Thinking Outside The Box!”

 

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Get On The Go with TravelPro

Posted by Erik von Werlhof

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TravelPro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As an entrepeneur, would you say no to a chance for free money?  Well that is basically what I am offering you.  Delta Airlines is sponsoring a sweepstakes that puts some really great luggage as well as half a million (that’s 500 THOUSAND) SkyMiles on the table.  How much money would that end up saving you in order to foot that kind of travel bill?  I am not going to take the time to figure it out but you and I both know it’s a lot!  That is money that could otherwise be invested into your business.

Win 500,000 Delta SkyMiles® with Travelpro®

This would give you the chance to go anywhere that Delta flies (that’s a lot of places) and all you would have to do is say “tickets please.”  To add icing to the cake, the lucky winner will also get some free luggage that is not only built to withstand the rigors of travel but it looks super stylish to boot.  The extensive variety and selection offered by TravelPro is more than enough to meet the requirements of any man or woman who is frequently on the go.  To learn more about this awesome sweepstakes, click on the link below. 

TravelPro sweepstakes

So take a look at Delta’s website to see all the places that they could fly you to.  Chances are, there are more than a couple that are on your list of places to go.  So even if you already have the cash to buy a ticket to anywhere or already have luggage that would make any big spender envious, you should enter this contest. That way, as the big winner standing in line for your next getaway you could look at those around you and say to yourself  ”Hah!, I’m doing this for free!”

Win 500,000 Delta SkyMiles® with Travelpro®

 

 

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The Need for Authenticity as an Entrepreneur

Posted by Erik von Werlhof

Right now I am reading “Nothing To Lose Everything To Gain” by Ryan Blair.  In his book he mentions what he refers to as the need for authenticity.  By this I interpret him to mean that people who are in business need to be upfront and truthful with their customers since people in the today’s marketplace have a keener sense than ever before when it comes to seeing that something looks fishy and suspect.

I myself could not agree more.  Since coming onto the online seen, it has become so apparent when people present you with rhetoric that you could swear has been used by numerous other individuals.   The promises of quick profits, massive website traffic, skyrocketing sales conversions are triggers that make me instantly say to myself “Yeah, Right!”  People doing business in today’s marketplace need to endeavor to present themselves as genuine as well as being truly interested in the needs of their customers.  When this takes place, customers will see it right away and be more inclined to do business with you.  You will not be perceived as just another online marketer peddling their wares.

Now how can you go about doing this?  Well, since you don’t want to be seen as being “just like one of the others,” you want to think about what you can do to make yourself stand apart from the crowd.  In other words, figure out what you can do to brand yourself and make yourself stand alone.  You can start out by just being yourself, acting with sincerity (if there is something you don’t have an answer for, say so and let the person know when you will get the answer) and conveying true interest in the needs and wishes of those who you want to attract to your business.

Another thing you can do is to strive to provide true value to your customers.  Provide service that is of greater value in relation to the compensation you are receiving.  This doesn’t mean that you have to give the shirt off of your back but you will not go wrong by providing top-notch service to your clients.

As always, Best Wishes and here’s to you “Thinking Outside The Box!”


 

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Support Small Business Saturday

Posted by Erik von Werlhof

When I was back on the East Coast earlier this week, I started seeing commercials calling for support of Small Business Saturday.  This year marked the second Small Business Saturday promotion by American Express and this is one event that I was glad to find out about.

During the time I was growing up in El Centro, California, I remember numerous shops that went up and down Main Street that sold a plethora of different goods.  There were clothing stores, jewelry stores, the local drug store, music shop, hardware stores, a toy shop, various eateries etc.  I thought it was fun getting to know the people who ran and worked at the various places.  Later on when I would come back to visit, I saw that many of these shops had closed down.  Bigger stores such as Walmart, Home Depot, Rite-Aid and Target had moved in and were able to offer products at a lower price since they carried larger inventories.  As a result of not being able to compete, going out of business ensued.

Now it seemed that the sense of community that once existed had gone by the wayside.  You no longer said hello to those who worked at the store,  you just made your purchases and left.  Things were now a lot more impersonal.

Small Business Saturday is an event promoted by American Express calling for support of small business by going out into your community and patronizing those shops that are owned by individuals who have not thrown in the towel to larger corporations and still carry on in an American tradition.    Even though this year’s event will probably be over by the time you read this post, I call upon you to support small businesses whenever you can.  Let businesses owners know that their efforts are not in vain and that being vacuumed up by giant conglomerates is not something that has to be accepted in today’s marketplace.

Thank you American Express for starting this nationwide event that is a reflection of the American spirit!

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How Hesitation Can Result in Missed Opportunities

Posted by Erik von Werlhof

When it comes to those situations where you find yourself at a loss for what action to take, it may end up that when you decide what it is you want to do, the opportunity will have slipped away.  Also, if you know what it is that you want to do but procrastinate in taking the action, it may also move beyond your reach.

Now granted there are those situations that come up where if one acts hastily, a less than desirable outcome may ensue.  I think it is safe to say that when Trump Tower was built, it was not the result of marking the spot with a piece of chalk and beginning construction the next day. But sometimes we just need to go with our inner feelings and trust that they will give us the guidance that we need for taking the right actions.  So the next time something presents itself to you, you may be left with nothing else than trusting your intuition and using that to make a choice.  If it turns out to be the incorrect choice, see what you can learn from the experience and take it from there.  Make an effort to see the good in whatever you are faced with.

A recent experience of mine dealt with having to write content for when I received an offer for a sponsored review on a product that I liked using.  I was given a three-day deadline for submitting the content but kept on putting it off and putting it off.  By the third day at the time when I decided to start writing, I saw that the offer was withdrawn and no longer available.  So as a consequence, I was out some good money.  But the lesson learned was a good one hence the reason I wanted to share this with you.  One might think that they can do something another time, but it may turn out that this was the only time.

Best Wishes and here’s to you “Thinking Outside The Box!”

 

 

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Amazon reestablishes affiliate program in California

Posted by Erik von Werlhof

Early in 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation imposing a tax upon affiliates of Amazon.com which resulted in Amazon suspending affiliate operations in that state.  Amazon took the stand that it should not have to collect sales tax based upon not having a physical presence in the state.  California in turn felt that since Amazon was involved with a startup company called Lab126 in Cupertino, California, that in fact a physical presence did exist and therefore the sales tax could be imposed.

With the suspension of some 25,000 affiliates in California, the state cut itself off from another source of revenue.  This would have been the tax on income that would have to have been reported form the affiliate commissions that were generated and paid to California based affiliates.  I did come across instances where people were going to Nevada and other states so that they could maintain the business relationship with Amazon.

Months after the bill was enacted, it was later repealed and Amazon reestablished it’s affiliate operations in California.  I must admit I was happy to see this because I enjoy promoting Amazon products.  It also gives people an avenue to pursue business ventures in the online arena even when the time constraints of a regular job can get in the way.  With this new development having taken place, let us all continue to be thankful for any opportunities to pursue business success that come our way.

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Let People Know You Mean Business

Posted by Erik von Werlhof

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Face it, when you agree to meet with someone to conduct business, you only get one chance to make an initial impression.  When your potential business clients or partners see you for the first time,  what you are wearing can be a deal breaker if you’re not careful.  That’s why it’s so important that you dress appropriately and professionally to show the world that you are serious about business.

Looking your best will not be a challenge with the business wear that’s available from Express.  Whether you are a man or a woman, donning a business suit from Express will instantly set the tone for you to be a person that people want to do business with.

My personal favorite from the Express selection is the Striped Modern Fit Suit but if I want to lighten it up a bit I like the Stretch Wool Gray Fitted Suit.  Take a look at the link so you can see what I am talking about:

EXPRESS EXPRESS

For the ladies, there is also a variety of suit options that will certainly project that you are in control and will have the men saying “go ahead, I’m listening.”  As for myself, if a lady enters the room with a one-button jacket along with a knee length skirt and some high heels, my calls are going on hold.  Take a look at the link below and see which ensemble you see yourself in.

women’s suits

Not only will a suit from Express meet your business attire needs, they are perfect for a night out immediately afterwards.  Whether its to meet that special someone for dinner or off to a Broadway show, there will be no need to go home and change.

Right now, for a limited time, you can enter everyday for a chance to win a $500 suiting makeover from Express!  You want to submit your name now.  I can’t imagine anyone saying “no thanks, I would rather spend the money instead of you putting it on your tab.”  Click on the link to learn more.

Express sweepstakes

So if you are in need of some attire upgrade or even if you already have enough suits, take a look for yourself and see what Express Business Suits has to offer you.  Feel free to leave a comment below and which suits you like the best and why.  Also mention what you would use your suit for.  Would it be business, networking or to ace that next job interview?

To learn more about business suits from Express,  click here! Express

Once you are clad in an business suit from Express, you will most definitely be ready to Work It!

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