In the article, Should the Internet Be Taxed, WebPro News shared:

On Friday [July 1, 2011], a new California state law goes into effect that will tax Internet sales through affiliate advertising. Rather than pay such taxes, online retailers like Amazon will instead shut down their affiliate programs in the state. For Amazon, that is said to come to 25,000 sites in California alone.

Amazon has told affiliates in the past that they’d have to move to another state to continue earning commissions on referrals. Overstock.com has reportedly done that before too.

Some groups representing brick and mortars feel the law should be extended on a national level, claiming the taxes take away competitive advantages from Internet retailers that don’t have a physical presence in a particular state. Consumers are able to avoid fees from purchasing from these retailers that they’d otherwise have to pay by buying in-state.

My heart goes out to these affiliates. Hopefully this issue can be resolved in an amicable way.

Today’s Lesson

I think it’s great how us bloggers can potentially make an income from our blogs. It not only covers our overhead, but can also lead to new opportunities and even self employment.

And with the economy remaining slow, every little bit helps.

That said, anyone in business knows it’s not wise to put all of our eggs into one basket. Anytime we rely solely on one client for our livelihood , we set ourselves up for potential problems. If our star client dies, files bankrupty, goes out of business, hires our competitor, or ___(fill in the blank)___, our income stops. Sadly, the bills don’t.

I think there’s an important lesson to be learned here.

If we bloggers continually put our trust into one or two big named businesses, happily promoting the products/services of others, and wait with baited breath to receive our piddly commission checks, we could be setting ourselves up for disappointment and even financial ruin.

Just like when big banks and big government go down, the same can happen to us.

Trust in others is one thing, but when that trust could be broken on a moments notice, we soon realize our trust was misplaced.

Making money with a blog by using affiliate links or Google AdSense is one of the easiest routes to go, however our livelihood is in the hands of others.

Maybe it’s time we start thinking how we can do it on our own*.

What say you?

Today’s Assignment

Did you get caught up in the California tax law dilemma?

What do you think is the best way to protect ourselves from situations like this?

Care to share?

*Watch for an upcoming article where I share how fellow bloggers are making money with their blogs as well as ideas on how to diversify.

Today’s Lesson

Maybe it’s just the blogs I visit, but what I see is many of these sites are naked.

Devoid of advertisements.

Although many bloggers admit to wanting to make money blogging (me, included), for some reason we don’t discuss it and certainly don’t want our sites labeled as “spammy”.

Truth be told, most fellow bloggers expect to see ads on our sites.

Like you, they also hope to make money and understand why the ads are there.

Take a look at these popular websites. They all have ads, too.

The Washington Post
National Geographic
Mapquest
Oprah
NBC
Fox News
CNN
YouTube
Amazon

Granted, the popular sites are where advertisers want their ads displayed and willingly pay these large corporations big bucks for their website “real estate”, but the ads are there, providing a passive income for these businesses.

If you look at these websites, you’ll notice the ads blend in with the copy and/or photographs.

As bloggers we can learn from that.

That said, the one thing these large websites have which most bloggers don’t, are high traffic numbers.

Without traffic, all the ads in the world will not make us rich.

So does that mean we should stay naked for now?

Or include some ads and hope for the best?

Today’s Assignment

Are you a naked blogger (no ads on your blog), or does you blog have some bling?

If you land on a blog which has advertisements, are they a distraction or have you become blind to them?

If you do show ads, are they profitable?

Care to share?

Hi all,

Welcome to my new series.

It will be called “Free ‘n Easy Friday Finds”. As some of you already know, I like to use acronyms (abbreviate with letters), so it will often be referred to as “FEFF”.

Each Friday, I will share something that is free to bloggers. It may be a plugin, a site that offers free themes or photos, a potential (free) income stream, advice that will save you time and money, or something else. Plus, it will be easy to use.

For blogging, there is tons of free stuff online, so before you get out the “plastic”, ask a question in my comment section and either I, or one of the other bloggers in the BWAB community, may know of a free source.

As an added bonus, there will be no “assignment” on Fridays. Did I hear a “yeah”? ///clap, clap, clap\\\

The comment section will be open for questions, comments or anything you might want to share. Just remember, I don’t allow profanity on my blog, so keep it clean.

Let’s get started:

Last week Dr. Cason mentioned she wanted to organize the blogs in her reader. This was something I needed to do, too.

Organizing Your Google Reader

With the Google Reader, this is pretty easy.

Go to your reader (duh!)

1) Click on “manage friends”

2) Click on “subscriptions” – All of the blogs you’re following will be listed. Each line has “Rename”, a garbage can, and a white rectangular box.

3) If you click on “Add To A Folder” (the white box) It gives you the option to make a new folder

As you make new folders, the names of the folders are added to the “white box” option.

4) Add the first blog to a folder, and that part is done.

5) Move on to the next blog

As you go through the blogs in your reader, you can add it to an existing folder, move it to a different folder, or create a new folder.

You’ll also see a small garbage can on this page. This is used to delete blogs from your reader.

If you want, you can also rename a blog you’re following. e.g. Instead of being listed by the name of the blog, you could rename it by the author.

When you click “Back to Google Reader”, the blogs you are following are neatly placed in the respective folders. The folders can then by opened or collapsed by using the + or – signs (to the left of the folder icon).

As an example, I currently have four folders:

1) “NBOTW” (these are all bloggers who were named New Blog Of The Week)

2) “Visit Daily” (Updated blogs I read on a daily basis)

3) “Visit Twice A Week” (Blogs I read at least twice a week, but usually more often, if time permits)

4) “Blogs To Watch” (These are new blogs I’ve found that have the potential to be part of my NBOTW series)

What I like about setting up folders is that you have two choices

1) You can open all updated blogs on one screen, (by clicking on the name of the folder), or

2) You can open the folder and then open up each blog in the window.

Warning: With regard to the #1 choice, be careful not to click on “mark all as read” until you have finished reading all of the updated blogs.

Although my explanation of this may sound confusing, it’s actually an easy process.

Once you start playing with, and becoming comfortable with, the options in your reader, you’ll see the advantage of setting up folders. (It’s similar to setting up folders in your email account).

That’s my first FEFF….

Now the floor is yours.

Have your say, share an idea, ask a question or………

Recently I celebrated my first anniversary of blogging. As I contemplate where I am today, I’m reflecting back to those first days. The days before I had a blog, and why I started blogging.

Today’s Lesson

Before you even start a blog, it’s important to ask yourself, “Why do I want to start a blog?”

If you have a blog and never asked yourself why you blog, it’s time you do.

Possible answers are:

1) To make money online

2) To network with others

3) To promote a business

4) To help others by sharing what you know

5) To vent your frustrations to the world.

6) To gain fame

7) To build a portfolio of your writings and to move into a career of freelancing

Some start a blog for more than one reason.

I started mine for two: to share, and to hopefully find an online income stream.

Ironically, the more I blogged, the more I realized making money is (almost) irrelevant. The joy I get from helping others is priceless. Although I continue to show ads on both of my blogs and see a few coins roll in, when I sit down at my computer, I’m asking myself, “what can I write that will benefit others”?

Today’s assignment

Why do you really, really, really (yes, say it three times) blog? You don’t have to tell me the truth, but be honest with yourself.

Has your initial reason for blogging changed?

Are you getting closer to your original goal?

If you’re blogging for money, is it paying off?

Has blogging helped you to get discovered?

When I started blogging, I put up a “donation” page. I did because I had seen them on many of the blogs I frequented.

Although I still have mixed feelings about donations on blogs. my “donate” page sits quietly in my header.

Close to my one year anniversary of blogging, I received my first donation, which, in turn, inspired this post topic.

Today’s Lesson

As bloggers hop from site to site, changing themes, and/or adding plugins, we often encounter a donate button with a short quote stating “Please feel free to donate if you enjoyed this…”

Although most bloggers start blogging not expecting donations, the subject of donations usually surfaces, and can initiate an internal conversation.

This subject of donations may fall into one of the following arguments:

1) Some will argue that no one else charges for information on the internet, so if you don’t want to give it for free, then put it in the form of a book (or e-book).

2) Many bloggers happily share all they have learned with others in hopes it changes a life (or two), and a simple thank you is sufficient.

3) Some may resist adding a donate button, thinking it looks like they are being greedy, it goes against why they started blogging, or it contradicts the message of their blog.

4) Blogs are often an extension/addition to a business website, and the author’s goal is to promote their business. A donation button may cheapen the entire site, and take away from the professionalism of the business.

5) If a blogger is seeing revenues from the monetization of their blog(s), donations may not interest them.

6) Some blog authors will tap into all income streams and aggressively promote donating.

Is there one right answer? Probably not.

For those who want to add a “donate” page, it’s actually quite easy.

I first created a new page and named it “Donate” (or use a page title that suits you).

I then set up a business account with PayPal,so I can receive credit card payments.

Paypal will supply you with the necessary code to insert into your page.

After you have inserted the code and saved/published it, test the donate button. If you’re not seeing the correct output, check to make sure the code was entered properly You may have to reenter it.

When donations are received, they are automatically transferred into your PayPal account, and from there can be transferred to your preferred bank account. PayPal will also send you an email notifying you of the donation.

Adding the code and a message to your sidebar can be done by modifying your sidebar php. file(s)

A plugin, by the name of “Buy Me A Beer” (which also has a “coffee cup” option), is another option. It will need to be linked to your chosen collection service (PayPal,, or other).

For those who want to accept checks or money orders, a valid address will need to be posted.

Personally, I don’t expect my readers to donate. Nor do I want them to feel guilty if they don’t. I freely share with others what I have learned. If someone is moved to donate, I am forever grateful.

Today’s Assignment

What are your thoughts on donations?

Do you currently use a donate button, or are you thinking of adding one?