We have a lot going on recently, so I apologize for not updating in over 10 days. Tonight is my Spanish final. I learned that I got a 60% on my third exam, so I am feeling the weight of this one, though I’m more confident about the contents of this exam than the previous one. I just can’t get to sleep, so I fixed the way this site look on that stupid browser called Internet Explorer after Kristin informed me today that it was wonky. Once my exam is over, it’s time to step my new projects into high gear to take a break for Christmas/New Years.
I’ve been working off and on, sometimes furiously and obsessively with some Thesis theme projects that I am doing for residual income. I’ve developed some cool tools that work hand in hand with the theme, but I wanted to do things right. I purchased aMember, a membership software that protects areas of my site, my product files, maintains my member lists, and automatically logs members into the member areas and my members-only support forum. Very cool stuff, but I also had to hire a programmer with experience with aMember to get it to all work together. Now I’m building the support forum content while another programmer adds new features to my tools that were outside my skillset, but within my vision. Once this first item is ready to go and selling, I need to bring him back into the picture to hit a home run on my next tool. I guess I’m beginning to be more visionary in my “old age.”
I am also working on some new business models, which includes monthly retainer clients. I acquired a new client that has a base of 1/6th of what I need each month with a likelihood of reaching 2/3rds of my monthly goal, so long as his 10yr-old business stays as successful as mine has been. Working together, we can do some great things, but the time needed is far from putting all of our eggs in one basket.
I am aware of 3 projects that clients have been waiting until I begin Christmas break from university to start so they can be completed quickly. They are very exciting and… shall we say bill-paying projects. If all goes well, I will be in good position to get ahead in some classes when the new semester begins without worrying about cashflow.
It is time for a face lift on all of my sites now that I have learned so much more since they were last modified. I will have to write a regretful e-mail to one developer because he is a major source of traffic because my sites are in his theme showcase. The flipside of that is I should get more traffic from the new developer when they do the same.
Related to that, I’m going to be combining my company site with a full-featured blog that I’m going to come up with a publishing schedule for. I’m determined to add value to the WordPress community with regular tips, commentary, and discussions. I’ve got plenty of people bored with P-squared now that I’m talking business so much now… it’s time to move them to a new home. I can hear my wife cheering in her sleep as I write that.
Just a few more days until the fun begins. Stay tuned…