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The Working Mother’s Best Friend: Intro

By Nicole · Comments (2)

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

So its been an entire week since I last posted. Funny how freezing temps, burst water mains, no heat, and canceled schools for the same reasons will get in the way of a girl’s posting plans.

But all is mostly back to normal and last week’s events just reminded me how much flexibility us moms must posses in order to stay sane. (…and it also made me realize how dependent we are on water). The line between work and family often blurs while one inevitably effects the other.

I’ve been wanting to start this series, that I will call “The Working Mother’s Best Friend”, where I share personal recommendations of products and services, tips and resources (and oft times giveaways!) that make my life a little bit easier (or more relaxed, or efficient…you get the idea). If you’re a WAHM, WM, PTWM or even a SAHM, you might find something helpful or interesting. I’ve got some fun things lined up for you.

So stay tuned, moms…and stay flexible!

Comments (2)

now, with e-commerce…

By Nicole · Comments (3)

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

After many requests and a little down time this Summer, I’m happy to finally add e-commerce store design, using GetShopped E-commerce plugin, to my list of services. I know. It’s about stinking time.

You may be asking a few questions. Well, let me see if I can answer a few of them…

What is e-commerce? E-commerce is simply the selling of goods or services online. Some people call them “boutique sites”.

Who needs an e-commerce site? If you own a small business and sell multiple products or services, you need an e-commerce site. It could be anything from apple pies to candles to eBooks to headbands to zoo supplies (I don’t know; I just needed a “z”).

Why GetShopped? Simple. I’ve done some extensive research, and though there is no one-size-fits all e-commerce solution, I think it is a pretty good solution for the market I’m trying to reach. They have good documentation, a knowledgeable community of users and the back end (where you would add and manage products) is super simple and easy to learn. Plus, it runs on WordPress. Need I say more?

What do you include in an e-commerce design? Everyone does it a little different, but here’s what I include in a design package:

Custom Store Design
7 Page Template Designs (home page, product page, checkout page, etc.)
Store Favicon
3 Product Uploads/Additions
Follow Up Skype/Phone Training Session

How much does it cost? Oh, you are sneaky. Did you think I’d actually quote a project without knowing any details? That is the unforgivable sin among designers. But, I can tell you this… my charges are very comparable and middle of the road and will typically range from $2000-3000 depending on the project. See more here.

So. What about you? Are you in the market for an e-commerce store design?

Comments (3)

You Know You Need A Blog Design Retainer When…

By Nicole · Comments (1)

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Update: Design retainer spots are all full…but if you need design help, feel free to contact me anyway!

(…what is a Blog Design Retainer, you say? Oh, simple. Its a new service I provide that takes care of the yucky bloggy stuff like plugins and html and backups so you can focus on the blogging.)

You avoid making sidebar changes because the idea of dealing with HTML makes you want to pull your hair out.
You have 35 plugins that are all out of date.
Your spam count resembles the national debt.
You’d rather floss your teeth than deal with your widgets.
You signed up for Twitter 6 months ago but still haven’t linked it in your sidebar.
You need to add a page to your blog, but it keeps ending up at the bottom of your to do list.

Well, guess what? You’re in luck. In an effort to better serve my clients, I’v decided to offer blog design retainer services. This way, I can offer very individualized services for each blogger. If you’re unfamiliar with how retainers work, its a fee paid up front on a regular, predetermined basis for certain services. Here’s what my retainer service looks like:

We’ll sit down and chit chat about exactly what you need. Everyone is different, but you’re probably looking at something around $75-$125 per month.
Your services can include database/core file backup (WordPress), platform updates, sidebar & page updating, email support, discounted or free a la carte service (like ad buttons, etc., depending on your preference and need), head of queue placement for a la carte services, and free access to How To Blog: Video Tutor library.
Each month you’ll be automatically billed via a PayPal subscription.
After 3 months, we’ll look at the hours vs. the cost and reevaluate if needed.
Retainer can be canceled at any time; no minimum number of months are required.

This is a great option for:

new bloggers
business bloggers
review bloggers
any blogger wanting to focus on the writing

Now here’s the catch. I can only take on so many retainer clients and I currently have 5 spots available. 5 spots, people! So speak up…if you want to consider this service, contact me!

Now off to the orthodontist…to pay for that other kind of retainer.