10 Blog Traffic Tips
In every bloggers life comes a special day – the day they first launch a new blog. Now unless you went out and purchased someone else’’s blog chances are your blog launched with only one very loyal reader – you. Maybe a few days later you received a few hits when you told your sister, father, girlfriend and best friend about your new blog but that’’s about as far you went when it comes to finding readers.
Here are the top 10 techniques new bloggers can use to find readers. These are tips specifically for new bloggers, those people who have next-to-no audience at the moment and want to get the ball rolling.
It helps if you work on this list from top to bottom as each technique builds on the previous step to help you create momentum. Eventually once you establish enough momentum you gain what is called “traction”, which is a large enough audience base (about 500 readers a day is good) that you no longer have to work too hard on finding new readers. Instead your current loyal readers do the work for you through word of mouth.
Top 10 Tips
10. Write at least five major “pillar” articles. A pillar article is a tutorial style article aimed to teach your audience something. Generally they are longer than 500 words and have lots of very practical tips or advice. This article you are currently reading could be considered a pillar article since it is very practical and a good “how-to” lesson. This style of article has long term appeal, stays current (it isn’t news or time dependent) and offers real value and insight. The more pillars you have on your blog the better.
9. Write one new blog post per day minimum. Not every post has to be a pillar, but you should work on getting those five pillars done at the same time as you keep your blog fresh with a daily news or short article style post. The important thing here is to demonstrate to first time visitors that your blog is updated all the time so they feel that if they come back tomorrow they will likely find something new. This causes them to bookmark your site or subscribe to your blog feed.
You don”t have to produce one post per day all the time but it is important you do when your blog is brand new. Once you get traction you still need to keep the fresh content coming but your loyal audience will be more forgiving if you slow down to a few per week instead. The first few months are critical so the more content you can produce at this time the better.
8. Use a proper domain name. If you are serious about blogging be serious about what you call your blog. In order for people to easily spread the word about your blog you need a easily rememberable domain name. People often talk about blogs they like when they are speaking to friends in the real world (that’’s the offline world, you remember that place right?) so you need to make it easy for them to spread the word and pass on your URL. Try and get a .com if you can and focus on small easy to remember domains rather than worry about having the correct keywords (of course if you can get great keywords and easy to remember then you’ve done a good job!).
7. Start commenting on other blogs. Once you have your pillar articles and your daily fresh smaller articles your blog is ready to be exposed to the world. One of the best ways to find the right type of reader for your blog is to comment on other people’s blogs. You should aim to comment on blogs focused on a similar niche topic to yours since the readers there will be more likely to be interested in your blog.
Most blog commenting systems allow you to have your name/title linked to your blog when you leave a comment. This is how people find your blog. If you are a prolific commentor and always have something valuable to say then people will be interested to read more of your work and hence click through to visit your blog.
6. Trackback and link to other blogs in your blog posts. A trackback is sort of like a blog conversation. When you write a new article to your blog and it links or references another blogger’’s article you can do a trackback to their entry. What this does is leave a truncated summary of your blog post on their blog entry – it’’s sort of like your blog telling someone else’s blog that you wrote an article mentioning them. Trackbacks often appear like comments.
This is a good technique because like leaving comments a trackback leaves a link from another blog back to yours for readers to follow, but it also does something very important – it gets the attention of another blogger. The other blogger will likely come and read your post eager to see what you wrote about them. They may then become a loyal reader of yours or at least monitor you and if you are lucky some time down the road they may do a post linking to your blog bringing in more new readers.
5. Encourage comments on your own blog. One of the most powerful ways to convince someone to become a loyal reader is to show there are other loyal readers already following your work. If they see people commenting on your blog then they infer that your content must be good since you have readers so they should stick around and see what all the fuss is about. To encourage comments you can simply pose a question in a blog post. Be sure to always respond to comments as well so you can keep the conversation going.
4. Submit your latest pillar article to a blog carnival. A blog carnival is a post in a blog that summarizes a collection of articles from many different blogs on a specific topic. The idea is to collect some of the best content on a topic in a given week. Often many other blogs link back to a carnival host and as such the people that have articles featured in the carnival often enjoy a spike in new readers.
To find the right blog carnival for your blog, do a search at blogcarnival.com.
3. Submit your blog to blogtopsites.com. To be honest this tip is not going to bring in a flood of new readers but it’’s so easy to do and only takes five minutes so it’’s worth the effort. Go to Blog Top Sites, find the appropriate category for your blog and submit it. You have to copy and paste a couple of lines of code on to your blog so you can rank and then sit back and watch the traffic come in. You will probably only get 1-10 incoming readers per day with this technique but over time it can build up as you climb the rankings. It all helps!
2. Submit your articles to EzineArticles.com. This is another tip that doesn’t bring in hundreds of new visitors immediately (although it can if you keep doing it) but it’’s worthwhile because you simply leverage what you already have – your pillar articles. Once a week or so take one of your pillar articles and submit it to Ezine Articles. Your article then becomes available to other people who can republish your article on their website or in their newsletter.
How you benefit is through what is called your “Resource Box”. You create your own resource box which is like a signature file where you include one to two sentences and link back to your website (or blog in this case). Anyone who publishes your article has to include your resource box so you get incoming links. If someone with a large newsletter publishes your article you can get a lot of new readers at once.
1. Write more pillar articles. Everything you do above will help you to find blog readers however all of the techniques I’ve listed only work when you have strong pillars in place. Without them if you do everything above you may bring in readers but they won’t stay or bother to come back. Aim for one solid pillar article per week and by the end of the year you will have a database of over 50 fantastic feature articles that will work hard for you to bring in more and more readers.
I hope you enjoyed my list of traffic tips. Everything listed above are techniques I’ve put into place myself for my blogs and have worked for me, however it’’s certainly not a comprehensive list. There are many more things you can do. Finding readers is all about testing to see what works best for you and your audience and I have no doubt if you put your mind to it you will find a balance that works for you.
This article was by Yaro Starak, a professional blogger and my blog mentor. He is the leader of the Blog Mastermind mentoring program designed to teach bloggers how to earn a full time income blogging part time.
To get more information about Blog Mastermind click this link: Click Here!
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What Are Green Collar Jobs
Filed under: Archives, At Work, Business Opportunity, Going Green, Governmental Grants, Making Money, Recycling
You may be hearing the term “green collar jobs”, and wonder what this means.
Green collar jobs are positions in the clean energy sector. These are jobs in the areas of renewal energy, recycling, green building, wind power farms, solar energy, organics (of all types), or any other type of position that has been established to help “save the planet” and/or reduce global warming.
Although these jobs are actually white or blue collar jobs, because these workers are involved in the energy/environmental sector, the name “green collar jobs has been attached to these positions.
Many politicians are urging the government, corporations and/or small businesses to create more green collar jobs; jobs which will help to save the environment and reduce our dependency on oil.
Tax breaks, loans and/or grant opportunities may become available to businesses for the creation of green collar jobs.
Years ago, we created green collar jobs with a recycling business. For the tutorial, read Wood Recycling, A Green Opportunity
Tags: blue collar jobs, clean energy, energy sector, environmental sector, government corporations, oil tax, organics, renewal energy, solar energy, wind powerWhat Is A Virtual Assistant (VA)
Filed under: Archives, At Home, At Work, For Entrepreneurs, Making Money
You may have heard the term, and also asked the question, “what is a virtual assistant (VA)”
Wikipedia defines a Virtual Assistant (VA) as follows:
A Virtual Assistant (or simply VA), is an independent contractor providing administrative, technical, or sometimes creative assistance to clients–usually to other independent entrepreneurs and solo and small business practices, such as that of a lawyer or realtor. Virtual assistants work from their own office (hence “virtual”), thus making it a fairly popular (and growing) profession. It is estimated that there are about 40,000-50,000 virtual assistants worldwide. Common modes of communication and data delivery include the Internet, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and fax machine. Although the occupation gives a degree of independence, work is on a contractual basis, and a long-lasting cooperation is standard. Typically 5 years of administrative experience in an office is expected at such positions as executive assistant, secretary, legal assistant, paralegal, legal secretary, real estate assistant, office manager, etc.
Virtual Assistants are independent contractors. They are classified as self employed. Virtual Assistants are responsible for their own self employment taxes, i.e Federal, State, etc… The contract between an “employer” and a Virtual Assistant (VA) can be terminated by either party.
In the past, the jobs of Virtual Assistants were, and still are, referred to as telecommuting. Often, the terms WAH (work at home) or WFM (work from home) are also applied to these positions.
Being able to work from remote locations has made telecommuting extremely popular. Potential employers have a larger pool of “employees” to draw from, and the Virtual Assistants have a wider range of jobs to apply for.
Many employers are turning to Virtual Assistants in instances where an employee does not need to be physically “on location”.
Although some Virtual Assistants are self employed, many Virtual Assistant Agencies are popping up online. Finding a job through an agency could result in lower wages, however, it may be a great way to gain credibility and experience.
It is reported self employed Virtual Assistants can make from $20 to $70 per hour. Wages will vary depending on the task, as well as the expertise required to complete the job.
Telecommuting spawned the rise of offshore outsourcing. With the capabilities of satellites, high speed internet, software programs, laptops, and wifi, etc., working from remote locations has now become a popular way to reduce the carbon footprint for many individuals and corporations.
According to Wikipedia,
Research conducted by Kate Lister and Tom Harnish in 2008 shows that thirty-three million Americans hold jobs that could be performed at home. If they did, the U.S. could make major cuts in oil dependency. Based on their synthesis of data from EPA, DOT, and 7 other recent sources, they found that telework could reduce Gulf oil imports by 24 to 48%, reduce greenhouse gases by up to 67 million metric tons a year, and save as much as 7.5 billion gallons of gasoline each year. These new telecommuters would collectively avoid 154 billion miles of driving and save $25 billion in fuel purchases (even accounting for mileage for errands formerly accomplished driving to or from work). What’s more, their research shows that by not commuting, these new teleworkers would enjoy the equivalent of an extra 5 workweeks of free time each year.
With energy prices rising, and more individuals and corporations striving to reduce their carbon footprint, a surge in the employment of Virtual Assistants appears inevitable.
Tags: contractual basis, creative assistance, file transfer protocol, free time, independence work, independent entrepreneurs, modes of communication, realtor virtual assistants, self employment taxes, transfer protocol ftp, what is a virtual assistantHow To Patent An Invention
Many of us have bright ideas for inventions. However, we are often unsure if our invention is similar to what has been patented by someone else, how to patent a new invention and/or how to sell a patent.
By going to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), you can perform an online search using keywords to describe your invention. The site also offers information on how to file a new patent, the required fees, drawings, and/or paperwork needed, plus much more. The US Patent and Trademark Office also offers a search page to find a patent attorney or agent in your area if you don’t want to patent it yourself.
Although a patent attorney could cost several thousands of dollars, it may be money well spent. The information on the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) site although thorough, proves the requirements to file a patent is very exacting. Some money can be saved by carefully reading all of the information on the United States Patent and Trademark Office site so if you do hire a patent attorney, you will be an informed consumer.
Anytime you are visiting a patent attorney or agent, it may save time and money by having all of your paperwork in order.
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Going Green May Mean Big Bucks
Filed under: Archives, Business Opportunity, Going Green, Making Money, Recycling
Tonight (11/8/07), on CNBC’s “The Big Idea”, Donny Deustch interviewed individuals who are making millions by “going green”.
Going green, means making and selling products that are friendly to the environment. Some companies strive to recycle, while others are finding ways to eliminate the amount of garbage that goes into landfills.
The guests on tonight’s show, included the founders of:
gGDiapers This invention was developed to eliminate the amount of disposable diapers that end up in land fills. The gDiaper, uses plastics free, flushable liners. The outer layer of the diaper is washable, reusable, and available in a variety of colors. Very stylish!
Method - This is a line of biodegradable, non toxic, cleaning products. Not something new, however, the packaging of the product, makes this one stand out. What a great way to enjoy cleaning.
Josie Maran Cosmetics -This is a line of makeup, that is totally natural and/or organic. The packaging is glamorous, and even that is recyclable. Great job Josie!
Stonyfield Farms This company makes organic yogurts, smoothies, ice cream, and milk, for the whole family. They are against using products that contain rBST, and buy all of their milk products from local organic farmers. The circle is complete.
Recycline. Here’s a company that took recycling seriously. Their first product was a toothbrush make from recycled materials. They then added razors to the list, and now tableware. Happy brushing. 
EcoHangers Here’s a company whose goal is to divert wire hangers from ending up in landfills. They have created a recyclable hanger, that shows advertising on it. The dry cleaning companies get them free (saving money), and the companies that advertise on the hangers, get mass exposure. Brilliant!
360 Vodka. This company is making vodka with a twist. Their vodka is bottled in a bottle that has been made from 85% recycled glass, their label is 100 percent recyclable, and they provide a prepaid stamped envelope in which to return the closure (from the top of the bottle). They then sanitize and reuse the closure. Their website even includes ways to “go green” and assists you in finding a recycling center in your area. Cheers!
TerraCycle Inc.- Here’s an ingenious idea. This company started out by “bottling” worm poop, and packaged it in recycled plastic bottles. This is a natural fertilizer for plants, The company has since branched out, and now sells other organic gardening products, as well as products made from recycled packaging materials. Check out their website, as they also offer money for used yogurt containers, drink pouches, soda bottles. Worm poop, who knew?
Finding a way to create a green product, isn’t necessarily hard. The goal is to create a niche, and do it better than others.
If you look around, you could find many ideas.
In an earlier article, titled: “Recycling May Slow Down Global Warming, I listed 17 products that are recyclable. If you were to divide those into “subclasses, the possibilities are endless.
For six years, I was involved in a wood recycling business. For a tutorial on wood recycling, read: “Wood Recycling – A Green Opportunity” . We let nothing go to waste. Waste wood was ground up, used as compost, and used in blended topsoil. Wood chips were used for biofuel, animal bedding, and ground cover.
Going green can make you big bucks. It’s a business adventure that is good for the environment, and one that may stave off global warming.
Take time to look around. Is there something you can do to create a green product? Do you have a “big idea”?
Going green means you will leave this planet a little better than you found it. That’s great for the current generation, but more importantly, for those who follow. 
How To Find Your Passion And Make Money
Filed under: Archives, Business Opportunity, Life, Making Money
It is written, that if you do what you love, in business, the money will follow. That’s passion.
But, how do you find what it is, that you truly love? Your passion?
Some people feel they need to leave their job, to follow their passion. Others, love their current jobs. Their “job”, is their passion.
However, there are others, who cannot find happiness in a full time job, or by being self employed. They search aimlessly, trying to find that “passion” in their life.
To find your passion, may take time, and work.
To get started, here’s a list of questions to ask yourself. Be honest with your answers.
Write the questions down, as well as your answers.
1) If money was not a worry, what could you see yourself doing? What would you do for free?
2) What do you do (hobbies or other), where you get lost in the “project” and time seems to “fly by”.
3) As a child, what did you enjoy doing? Do you still enjoy that “activity”, but in a more grown up sort of way?
4) What are your strengths? Are you organized? Are you a care giver? Are you creative? Are you social?
5) What do others say you are good at? If you’re not sure, ask your family and friends?
6) What don’t you like to do? Oftentimes, admitting what you don’t like to do, reveals more of what you like to do.
7) Do you feel passionate about something, but are too embarrassed to admit it to loved ones? Why?
8.) If you were to follow your passion, would others in your life “be left behind”? Do they have to be? Or is there a way of including them?
9) Are you making excuses for not following your passion, because you might actually succeed? Are you afraid of success? Why?
10) If you know what you are passionate about, can you find a way to begin that journey, plus do what you’re doing now? i.e. go to school part time? Follow your passion “after hours”….?
11) If you admitted you wanted to follow your passion, and others laughed at you, or were negative, how would you react? Do you feel strongly enough about your passion to defend yourself? Do you really care what others think? Remember, many great inventors and big businessman were scoffed at.
12) What “gets to you”? Do you hate waste? Do you hate seeing children becoming obese by unhealthy eating habits? Do you hate paying good money, for an inferior product? What “puts you on your soap box”?
13) Do you see something, and know you “have a better way”?
14) If you were on your death bed, would you have regrets because you did not follow “a dream”?
If you answered “yes” to #14,
15) What’s stopping you?
After you have taken time to write out questions and answers, step away from it. Wait for a few days or weeks, and review your answers. Have they changed? Do you need to elaborate on any of your answers?
As you look at what you have written, you may soon see a common “theme” emerging. Is this your passion?
You may realize you are a creative person, who could make a product in your own kitchen, and begin to sell your product to local boutiques or small shops. Maybe, you are a stay at home mom who loves being a care giver. A day care may be right for you. It’s something you could possibly start, in your own home. Or maybe as a kid, you used to love to build things. Would you like to be a carpenter or general contractor, who builds homes?
You may also have an idea for an invention. With some hard work, you could see it all materialize.
The possibilities are endless.
It is written, there is no such thing as a stupid question. I also believe, there is no such thing as a stupid idea. It may start out that way, but with a little bit of tweaking, it could be a multi – million dollar business.
For more ideas on how to get started, read a previous article of mine, titled: Take Your Idea – Make Millions.
Tags: inventionRecycling May Slow Down Global Warming
Filed under: Archives, At Work, Business Opportunity, Making Money, Recycling
These days, we are hearing a lot about global warming. By some accounts, it is believed, that recycling may help in decreasing the speed of global warming. Buying recycled products also aids in the slow down of global warming.
We all contribute to global warming. If we do not recycle, we are helping to create more green house gases. Landfills are known to produce millions of tons of carbon dioxide and methane. These are two prominent green house gases, that some scientists attribute to global warming.
To quote the EPA:
Leading businesses and corporations are evaluated on many aspects of their performance, including product quality, ethics or standing in the community. These leaders can provide a powerful example promoting greenhouse gas reduction strategies through corporate incentives such as financial assistance for employees who use public transportation, car-pooling and even telecommuting. Other “green” practices such as recycling and purchasing recycled materials also contribute to emissions reductions
Recycling is great for the environment. Recycling is also a great business opportunity, as well.
Knowing what is recyclable is easy. A quick search online will produce a lengthy list. Among the common things that can be recycled are:
Paper, of all types, including newspaper and telephone books
Cardboard (non waxed)
Car and truck tires
Used oil
Batteries
Wood products, including tree limbs, construction and demolition debris
Yard Debris, including grass clippings, leaves, and brush
Steel, brass, copper, tin, aluminum and other metal products
Glass containers
Aluminum containers, such as pop cans
Appliances
Computer and Office Equipment
Cell Phones
Printer Cartridges
Eyeglasses
Plastic bottles and milk jugs (without lids)
Asphalt
Many of these items can be recycled and used to create more of the same. Whereas as, an item, such as wood and yard debris, can be ground up, and the end product becomes compost, or a biomass fuel.
Used tires are often ground up, and used as a playground ground cover.
If recycling and global warming are issues that tug at your heart strings, think about what part you can plan in stopping these items from ending up in landfills. It may be as simple as utilizing curbside recycling bins, or it may inspire you to create a business opportunity.
A business opportunity in recycling, may make an impact on global warming, while ensuring a sustainable future, for the next generation, as well.
For additional information on wood recycling, (a business opportunity, I have first hand knowledge of), read a previous article of mine, titled: “Wood Recycling – A Green Opportunity”.
Tags: aluminum, aluminum containers, biomass fuel, brass copper, buying recycled products, carbon dioxide and methane, copper tin, corporate incentives, demolition debris, glass containers, grass clippings, Green, green house gases, greenhouse gas reduction, milk jugs, oil batteries, pop cans, reduction strategies, telephone books, truck tires, waxed car, yard debrisWood Recycling – A “Green” Opportunity
Filed under: Archives, At Work, Business Opportunity, Making Money, Recycling
- Image via Wikipedia
Wood recycling comprises of grinding brush, stumps, tree limbs, and scrap building products, etc… By grinding these wood products, you are creating a reusable product…..wood chips.
Here’s a short quote from www.p2pays.org, regarding the importance of wood recycling:
A variety of wood wastes are generated from construction, demolition, and land clearing operations. Wood wastes consist of: tree trimmings, scrap wood, pallets, lumber, and shipping containers. Wood wastes are often classified as Construction and Demolition (C&D) debris. Wood wastes can be diverted from landfilling and used in a number of applications. Such applications include lumber reuse, mulch, fibers for manufacturing, animal bedding, and biomass fuel. Wood wastes can also be used in composting operations. Wood wastes can be applied to cleared areas for dust suppression and runoff control. Such wastes can also be reused for small construction and hobby projects.
Wood wastes can be reused in home heating or construction. Although this diversion strategy is cost-free, it is often difficult to reuse all of the waste products. If the wood wastes cannot be reused or taken offsite by a recycler, the next viable diversion step is size reduction. Grinding is the most common method used to reduce the size of wood wastes. Wood tub grinders are used to reduce wood wastes into smaller particles. No screening is necessary. The larger-sized output material from the tub grinder can be used as a biomass fuel or as a bulking agent to balance high nitrogen loads in composting operations. The smaller-sized material can be composted or used as mulch. However, according to the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, it is not recommended to grind or compost wood covered with lead-based paint. During grinding this paint will generate a toxic dust cloud , where the lead can leach into the compost. Wood wastes that are chipped or ground will decompose more readily. Composted wood wastes can be used as a soil amendment or fertilizer. The reduced wood wastes can also be used as mulch and help grow grass at municipal and commercial landscape applications, such as highway projects and golf courses. Mulch can also be used to control weed growth.
Wood tub grinders are not limited in opening size like smaller chippers or shredders. The grinders can process large and odd shaped wood including stumps, pallets, and waste lumber. Material that is pressure treated, chemically treated, or creosote contaminated should not be composted. Such wood contains chemicals that inhibit plant growth or are toxic to the environment. Avoid plywood or particle board since they contain glues which might be hard on machinery, difficult to compost, and contain undesirable chemicals for land application.
We engaged in wood recycling for over six years. We set up in a permanent location and began to accept brush, stumps, tree limbs, and some construction waste. To grind these products, we used a WHO P-12 tubgrinder, with a grapple, which was operated by a person who sat in the cab. As the brush was loaded into the tub, the hammermill would chomp on the wood, and spit it out, onto a conveyor belt. The piles of wood chips were then moved away from the tub grinder, with a loader.
Another area, we included in the wood recycling operation, was for demolition jobs. If a house was being demolished, parts of the house were able to be recycled. We would not take any windows, fixtures, carpeting or pad, wiring, anything painted with lead paint, or asbestos. We were very careful to not grind any product that could contaminate our topsoil or compost products. Customers who tried to bring in loads of unacceptable products, were refused. More time was required on our part when we accepted loads of house demo, thus, customers were charged a higher rate to have the house demo, recycled. It was with house demo, that we would end up with some waste products that were not recyclable. These products were stacked in a separate location, and when we had a truck load, it was taken to the local landfill.
With our stacks of wood chips multiplying, we decided to begin composting a percentage of them. Since we were also getting in grass clippings and yard debris, we began combining these products, and making compost. Obviously, the larger wood chips would take longer to compost, so we installed smaller screens in the tubgrinder, and produced a small chip. By doing this, we sped up the composting process.
Wanting to take recycling to the next level, we purchased a Wittco brand classifier. This is often called a trommel, but the Wittco that we have, also includes a 6000 gallon “bath”. This piece of equipment worked perfectly for processing the dirty material that was accumulating.
- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
With the classifier, product is loaded onto a conveyor belt. It then goes through a 28 foot (x 6′ diameter) trommel screen. As the trommel turns, product is released through the predetermined size screens. Anything larger than the screens, passes onto the bath. The bath contains two underwater conveyor belts. The top belt (since wood floats), takes the wood products, and dispenses it outside of the bath (on the front side of the classifier, and can be taken to the tubgrinder for grinding). The rocks, that sink to the bottom of the bath, are picked up by the second conveyor belt, and are ejected out, to the rear side of the classifier.
The trommel, or classifier, is operated by a person who sits in a “control tower”. The operator can stop the trommel at any time, or set the speed of the trommel. If they see a problem, they can stop the trommel from turning, and correct the problem.
With the classifier, we were able to mix, or blend, the dirt with the composted, recycled wood products. Hence, a blended topsoil product was created. Ironically, as the blended topsoil sat in piles, it continued to compost even further (or “cook” as they say). Several times we had the blended topsoil tested, and the results came back showing we had created a fantastic topsoil product, full of nutrients.
For several years, we took the larger wood chips, which were not composted, and sold them as hog fuel. When the demand for hog fuel declined, we chose to compost them as well.
When composting, watering and turning the piles is essential. Again, we used the loader and backhoe, although a compost turner can also be used.
So, with one tub grinder, a classifier, a loader, and sometimes a backhoe, we had a complete recycling operation. To create additional income, we also used our dump truck, to either pick up products for recycling, or to deliver the “end” products to other contractors or home owners.
Our list of resalable products included wood chips for hog fuel, animal bedding, or ground cover; blended top soil, compost, and firewood. If we had any unprocessed dirty material, we had that available for sale, as a “fill” material. We contemplated mixing “special blends” of top soil, but the need never arose. With the classifier, that would have been an easy task.
The blended topsoil was our biggest “mover”. Living in an area where good topsoil was non existent, we were able to fill a need. Landscapers loved our product, and we had many testimonials of how the lawns and flower beds they put in, would flourish.
Being able to use varied sizes of screens in the classifier, we also contemplated bagging our topsoil product, and selling it locally. This would have been another great income stream, however, due to time constraints, that plan never materialized.
When we began our recycling operation, we charged our customers $3.00 a cubic yard for all brush, limbs, scrap wood, grass clipping, and yard debris. Stumps were charged out at $9.00 per cubic yard. At the time, these prices were based on what the market could bear, however, since then, prices have increased.
We worked on a “honor system”, and used a three part invoice. We set up a mail box, where the invoices were kept. When the drivers would bring in a load of recyclables, they would fill out the invoice and keep one copy. When their company was billed, a second copy was attached to the invoice. We would do spot checks, and at times would find discrepancies. If that were the case, the driver and/or company were notified, and a correction was made to the invoice. A few people, “dumped and dashed”, but that was a rare occurrence. The honor system worked fine for our set up, however, for a larger operation, it may be necessary to set up a “booth”, where loads can be being viewed, and the invoices are being completed by an individual, hired by the company.
For loads of product coming in to us, we also made a 4×8′ “map” of the recycling yard. This directed the drivers as to which area we wanted the products dumped. By notifying the drivers where to dump the different products, we were able to keep our recycling yard more organized, thus eliminating the need to handle a product more than once.
Mostly due to health issues, we stopped our wood cycling operation. Our biggest joy, was knowing we had done something good, for the environment.
Wood recycling is a great way to create a “green” business. Most communities have a need for this. If no one recycles wood products, these products either end up in the landfills, or are getting burned. It’s sad to see this, as the landfills end up filling up fast, costing the community a much unneeded financial burden.
Wood recycling, combined with composting, completely recycles a product, and creates byproducts that are great for resale. There is very little waste.
If wood recycling is a business you would like to venture into, in addition to setting up a legal business entity, it may be necessary to also get permits from your local or state governments. Depending on the size of your operation, DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality), may also require you to apply for a permit.
As mentioned in an earlier post, (Free Information For government Grants ), I had also researched the possibility of Federal grant money for the recycling operation. Some state governments also offer a tax credit for the purchase of recycling equipment. Visit your state’s website, to see what programs they may offer.
We have since put the classifier and tub grinder up for sale. Although the tub grinder is for sale, we still use it for occasional on site recycling jobs. The portability of it, makes moving it rather simple. It can be pulled behind a semi tractor, with the use of a fifth wheel.
The classifier is a specialty item, and will take a special buyer. It is a large stationary piece of equipment, and would be best used for an wood recycling operation that has a permanent location and/or debris yard.
If you have read this article, and are interested in purchasing and/or obtaining more information on the tub grinder or classifier/trommel, please fill out my contact form ( Or,click on “contact” in the header of this page). Please include your telephone number. By submitting the contact form, I will receive an email, and from that point, will be in contact with you.
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How To Stage A Home For Sale
Filed under: Archives, At Home, Making Money, Selling A Home
Staging a home, which will be for sale on the market, may help to sell a home quicker. How to stage a home, is actually quite easy, but can be time consuming. If you watch HGTV, you can find many television shows that talk about staging a home.
What is “staging a home”? To stage a home, is to “prepare” your house before you put it on the market. Just as it’s important to “dress for success”, when you stage your home, you are “dressing” your home for potential buyers to see.
Let’s get started:
1) Declutter your home. Take everything out that you’re not going to be using, until you move into your new home. It’s best not to stack this stuff in your garage. It may be well worth the investment, to rent a storage unit in which you can store the excess items.
2) Clean your house. Wash the windows. Shampoo the carpeting, if needed. Wipe spots off of walls and doors. Cleanliness is very important.
3) Repaint as needed. If you have a room that’s painted an “odd” color, use primer, and repaint the room a neutral color.
4) Make necessary repairs. If faucets drip, or toilets run, fix the problem. Walk through your home using a critical eye, and take notes of all repairs you can do, without spending over your budget. If you don’t know how to use a “critical eye” on your own home, ask a friend to do it for you.
5) Remove as many of the “personal” items as possible. Too many family photos, can add clutter, as can too many toys. Some buyers cannot see past a “mess”.
6) On days your home is being showed, make sure it smells good-no pet smells, foul cooking and/or tobacco odors, etc…>
7) Put your toothbrushes, prescription bottles, ashtrays, dishes (dirty or clean), and laundry, away. Do not stuff items in closets or cabinets, as buyers often open doors and drawers. Remember to also put any valuable items in a safe place.
8.) Keep you counter tops clean and free of clutter. The more you place on the counter tops, the smaller they look to buyers.
9) If you have wallpaper, border, or amateur looking faux painting, consider removing it, and painting the walls a neutral color. You need to appeal to buyers with many different tastes.
10) If you have too much furniture in a room, it will make the room look small. Consider removing some of the furniture.
11) This may be a great time to have a garage sale (see previous article: How To Have A Successful Garage Sale)
12) Think minimalist. Keep the decorating simple.
13) Outside the home, give your home curb appeal. Do people want to stop and see the inside? Trim bushes, pull weeds, plant some flowers, put down bark chips, mow the grass, sweep the driveway, wash the windows, pressure wash the house, repaint as needed, haul away any junk cars, clean up the yard.
Most buyers want a “turn key” home. One they can “turn the key in the lock, and move their things into”. Most buyers prefer not to paint, take down wallpaper, shampoo carpeting, etc…before they move in. They may make changes at a later date, but they need to get on with their lives, now. Not adhering to this, may turn buyers off.
Remember, you’re leaving this home. Soon you will be in a new home, and the home you’re staging will belong to someone else. If you just “love” that red room , or duck wallpaper border, take a picture of it. Create a lasting memory.
Remember, you’re moving on. This is the time to let go of any emotional attachment you may have to your home.
With a properly staged home, your home may sell faster than others in the same price range. It may be a time consuming process, however, in this very competitive housing market, not staging your home, could cost you lost time in moving, and more importantly…..money.
To read more on home staging and how it may help to sell your home faster, read my latest article: The Secret To Selling Your Home Faster Than The Competition
Tags: emotional attachment, garage saleEmployers Are Being Robbed – Unknowingly
Filed under: Archives, At Work, Making Money, Saving Money
The bottom line for employers is crucial. The more money a company makes, the more money the share holders make. When a company realizes a profit on a consistent basis, they often pass some of those profits on to employees, either in the form of pay raises, bonuses, or stock options. Let’s face it, a company is in business, to make money.
But….more and more employers, are being robbed, unknowingly.
They are being robbed in broad daylight.
They are being robbed by some of their employees.
How’s that, you say?
Let me ask you a few questions.
1) Can employees use the company computer to “surf the web’, for non related work items? Or play games?
2) Can employees make and/or receive personal telephone calls during working hours?
3) Do you have employees who consistently take a few extra minutes for their break or lunch (over and above what’s allowed)?
4) Do your employees run personal errands, or stop for lunch, when they’re driving a company vehicle, on company business?
5) Do your employees use a company issued cell phone to make personal phone calls?
6) Do your employees leave at an earlier time than what’s posted on their time card? Or come in later, than what’s posted?
7) Do your employees send and/or receive personal emails at work?
8.) Do your employees spend time gossiping ,or just talking to other employees, when they have work to do? (Now you have two, or more, unproductive employees)
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, your company is potentially losing thousands, if not millions of dollars. Your employees are stealing “time”.
Let’s crunch some numbers.
Let’s say you pay an employee $10.00 per hour. They get paid for an 8 hour day. You pay them $80.00 (before taxes).
Let’s say, an employee is gabbing, surfing, emailing, and/or taking care of personal business, for one hour a day (spread out in small sections of time). They just stole $10.00 worth of “time” from you.
Multiply that times the numbers of days they work in a month, (say 20) and they’ve stolen $200.00 worth of time. For a year, that calculates out to be $2600.00 (based on 260 work days a year). If a “time stealer” has worked for your company for 5 years, they’ve potentially “stolen” $13,000.00.
Let’s say your company has 100 “time stealers” (all making $10.00 per hour). Math tells me you’re potentially losing $1000 a day; $20,000+ a month, and $260,000 a year. That’s money that should be going to the bottom line. Over a five year period, a company that employs 100 “time stealers”, could potentially lose over a million dollars in “stolen time”.
Now keep in mind, the amount “stolen”, is actually higher. Anyone in business knows, that in addition to the hourly wage you’re paying, you’re also matching the Social Security amount (6.2%), the Medicare amount (1.45%), FUTA, SUTA, Unemployment Insurance (state and Federal), Workers Compensation Insurance, possibly medical insurance, and/or a 401, etc… I would venture to guess, all of these extras, would add at least 30%, to the gross hourly wage.
So…the next time you’re doing reviews, ask yourself, “Is this employee stealing (time) from me?” If they are, they’ve already given themselves a raise.
How’s that? Time to do a little more math.
Your employee makes $80.00 a day, but they have only worked for 7 hours (or less). Do the math…$80.00 divided by 7 equals $11.43.
Let’s take this one step further.
Let’s say you have 8 employees who are each “stealing” one hour a day. You’re losing 8 hours a day. Does that mean you’re over staffed, by one. Do you see my point?
I’m not saying employees shouldn’t be allowed any leeway at work. No one wants to work for a boss who monitors their every move, but there needs to be more control over what employees are allowed to do on company time. Your IT department can monitor computers (i.e. emails, internet searches, game playing), and possibly telephone logs. It may pay to hire a person (or two), and do an internal audit. The results may shock you.
How did this happen? Employers let it happen. If an employee knows they can “steal” from you, they may just do so. If one person can get away with it, others will follow. Until you, as an employer, puts a stop to it, you will continue to be “robbed”.
A good employee handbook can do wonders to address these “time stealing” issues. No handbook? Maybe it’s time you had one written. Start a new company policy…….and abide by it. No exceptions.
If you’re in a position of authority, or are an employee, and you’re reading this, you must ask yourself that burning question, “Am I stealing, too?”
And…..what about those dedicated employees, who keep their noses to the “grindstone”, and are doing more than their share of the work? Give them a big, fat raise! They’re “keepers”!
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