BizChickBlogs Link List

2011-12-19T20:55:00.001-08:00

Latest project: http://tucsonchurchdirectory.com/ http://amplify.com/u/a1kw5v

25 Companies Where Women Shine

2011-12-13T05:04:00.001-08:00

A starter list of companies that are run by powerful women, great places for women to work, that improve the lives of women, or that have the highest percentage of women.

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

25 Companies Where Women Shine

Every now and then, it’s good to remind yourself: it’s great to be a business woman. Whether you work for yourself, or work for a great company, so much is being done to ensure equality, diversity, and improvement in the lives of both employees and women in the community.

Below are 25 companies where women shine – either because they are run by a stellar, intelligent woman, or they’re great places for women to work, or they’re companies whose products or services make the lives of women better, or they boast an extremely high percentage of women employed there. Check out the following 25 companies and feel free to add more deserving companies to this list!
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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Saying Goodbye to Self-Employment - 5 Tips for Getting Hired

2011-12-07T09:20:00.001-08:00

Article that discusses 5 tips from experts on how to re-enter the workforce after a period of self-employment.

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

Saying Goodbye to Self-Employment? 5 Tips for Getting Hired

Shocking, I know. But from time to time, people who are self-employed decide not to be self-employed. Some do it out of necessity, others out of curiosity, others out of financial motivation, and others because they just don’t want to be self-employed anymore. Whatever the reason, finding a new job is sometimes a challenge for self-employed people.
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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Women - Know Your Value

2011-07-18T15:54:00.001-07:00

For me, this was a life-changing book because it created in me the desire to finally stop undervaluing my work by not charging what it is worth. It really lit a fire and actually made me angry - at myself. With good reason, too!

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Women, Value, and Getting Paid What You’re Worth

A little backstory: Not too long ago, a new client was talking to me about possibly using more of my services in her business. She said at one point, “I don’t want to go with the other guy because I can’t afford him.”

It wasn’t until weeks later that I thought, “Wait, how is it that she can afford ME?” Not only is my work way better than his (just sayin’) but I also respond to her much more quickly and make house calls!

Whoa. Wake-up, Tia.

A one-time occurrence is a situation like this is permissable. And depending on your circumstances, it could even be advisable. But not for me, because for the work we were specifically discussing, I am experienced and bring a significant amount of value to the table.

And yet, I’m always the cheaper option. That’s what she was saying that day. That I was the cheaper option. Not that I was the more cost-effective, or faster, or better option. But only that I was cheaper.

Of course, the salt in the wound was that I was competing with a man. A man who clearly knew his value more than I did.
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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Take a Break From the Heat with a Book

2011-07-03T14:45:00.001-07:00

From contributor Leigh Ann Torres.

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Take a Break From the Heat with a Book

As of June 21st, summer is officially here.

But who are we kidding? I live in Central Texas. It’s pretty much been summer since late April. And since my kids are ages 3 and under and not even in preschool, there’s really no “summer break” for us. The days are just like any other. Only hotter. Much, much hotter.

We find ourselves trapped in our houses like Northerners do in the winter, only with shades drawn, ceiling fans all on high, A/C blasting. And still sweating.

I love taking my kids outside as much as any parent, but you can only do so much in the backyard, you can only stand to go the playground in this heat once in a great while, and even a trip to the sprinkler park with three young kids is a ton of work for an outnumbered mom. So I find myself looking for various indoor activities to help is bide our time until summer’s over. You know, in October.

About Leigh Ann Torres
Leigh Ann is a freelance writer and blogger living in Austin, TX. A mom to three year old identical twins and a bonus baby, she blogs about the ups and downs of life with twins plus one at Genie in a Blog.

Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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Behind the Layers: Baumkuchen (Traditional German Layer Cake)

2011-06-27T14:38:00.001-07:00

Food origins: Have you ever wanted to know what goes into a traditional layer cake, or what the difference is between baumkuchen and spekkoek (our thousand-layer cake)?

Amplify’d from euforiaconfections.blogspot.com

Behind the Layers: Baumkuchen (Traditional German Layer Cake)

For those of you who love baumkuchen or have tried in the past and liked it, you might like to know how similar euforia's spekkoek is to baumkuchen. Or, maybe you're new to both delicacies! If so, you're in for a treat as we explain what makes layer cake so special. Today we're focusing on baumkuchen.

See more at euforiaconfections.blogspot.com

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Great #Foodie Stuff from Around the Web

2011-06-24T11:46:00.001-07:00

We lead busy lives and are sure that you are, too. Still, it's so good to get around to new blogs and see what everyone is up to. We find new products and services, great videos, and cool websites all the time by just getting around.

Here's a digest of what we found this week. Enjoy and subscribe to the blog to get an update for next week!

Amplify’d from euforiaconfections.blogspot.com

Great #Foodie Stuff from Around the Web

Videos

Recipes

Lemon Ice Granitas. Such a simple recipe and tasty treat for the hot summer months. You can do this by yourself or with kids, or dress it up for a summer party. We love it.

Blueberry Couscous Salad with Mango, Onion, and Lemon Dressing. Another really simple dish except that this one is incredibly healthy for you, too.

Maple Glazed Donuts. Because basically everything is better with bacon.

Great Information

25 Super Foods for Women. This isn't a new post but we just came across it this week. Check it out and get eating.

Foodpress.com. A great place for food bloggers who have blogs on the Wordpress.com platform, which obviously does not include us. :) Still, it's really amazing to see how much food in blogs there really is, and it's also a great place to find new recipes and food information. It was on Foodpress that we found the yummy maple glazed donuts, so it's gotta be good.

Have a great weekend! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as that's where we share these great finds in real-time. We are on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/euforiacake and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/euforiacake.

Read more at euforiaconfections.blogspot.com

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Want my blogging advice? Love your blog, but don’t marry it.

2011-06-24T10:10:00.001-07:00

I was inspired to write this after I read a post about blogging misconceptions by Kristi Hines on kikolani.com yesterday (kikolani was one of the very first blogs I ever read, and also one of my first guest post hosts – might have even been the first, I don’t remember).

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

Want my blogging advice? Love your blog, but don’t marry it.

Long ago I promised myself that I would follow one simple rule when it comes to bizchickblogs and nothing else: I will love this blog, but I will not marry it.
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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Fresh and Healthy Summer Foods

2011-06-22T23:51:00.001-07:00

Recipes for three yummy summer meals by contributor Italian Mama Chef Michelle.

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Fresh and Healthy Summer Foods

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

Creamy Salad Dressing Base

Caprese Salad Plate

About Italian Mama Chef Michelle

Foodie and Italian food lover. I blog about learning authentic and traditional Italian cooking like my grandparents used to make. My blog features traditional Italian recipes, reviews, giveaways, and more. www.italianmamachef.com
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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bizchickblogs switches to livefyre

2011-05-31T06:20:00.001-07:00

Read the full post here.

Several months ago, I switched to a new blog commenting system called LiveFyre. It didn’t go over so well with readers. The main concern revolved around being required to create an account with LiveFyre, and with that came a few smaller issues, such as sign-in problems and difficulty figuring out how/why to create an account.

Shortly after installing LiveFyre, I removed it, even though I happened to really like the system personally. I was concerned with the hassle it seemed to be causing people who were dedicated readers here at bizchickblogs. However, I did state that I was going to bring it back at some point.

Last week at Blogworld, I had the chance to talk at length with Jordan Kretchmer, founder of LiveFyre, about the system and the improvements they have made over the past few months. LiveFyre had literally just been released when we installed it here (which surprises me; I can hardly be considered an early adopter when it comes to technology). Naturally, there were kinks to work out. They’ve been worked out now.

The time has come to switch back to LiveFyre, and this time I want to explain clearly why we are switching. This will likely be a permanent change here but I believe that you will come to love it. I think LiveFyre is headed in the right direction.

...

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Great Style Blog Find

2011-04-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

A lot of style blogs are just sort of showing pictures of great style, with no real life application. I like Oby's blog (just discovered it today) because it provides real examples of using style, especially for business women. Love it!

Amplify’d from www.stylenshine.co.uk

The Psychology of Colour and How to Avoid Wearing the Wrong Colours

I have had it on my mind to write about colour and the importance and impact of it. As an image consultant, it is one of my favourite areas of styling, helping people to discover their most flattering colours and how to use colour to reflect their personality and personal values and qualities. So that said, I will be writing a series on colour analysis and how to know your best colours and colour season. So here goes…..

See more at www.stylenshine.co.uk

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Being an Average Woman in a Superwoman W

2011-04-07T12:23:00.001-07:00

Great story. Embrace the average!

Amplify’d from www.more.com

Being an Average Woman in a Superwoman World

Everyone is a Superwoman. I mean everyone!

I’ve been taking stock of my life lately, and I’m not sure how I fit into this Brave New World I seem to be stuck in.

No matter where I look, or where I go, someone is talking or writing about some woman who started with some great idea, and is now changing the world. Or at least her corner of it.
Read more at www.more.com

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Color Blocking and Fashion

2011-04-07T12:08:00.001-07:00

Before my style contributor, Patricia Johnson, wrote an article on color blocking, I didn't know a thing about it. My wardrobe consists of black, brown, more black, more brown, and a little bit of blue.

Okay, exaggerating a little on that. I have some yellow and green in there, too.

But I have never thought about color blocking as a fashion trend. When I look at the images, they remind me of the 80s just a little bit. But as they say, trends always come around.

Patty suggests starting out by just color blocking your blouse and jacket. You will need the color wheel (example of one here).

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Have You Forgotten the Power of LinkedIn

2011-03-26T09:06:00.001-07:00

URL: http://www.bizchickblogs.com/2011/03/have-you-forgotten...

I came across this short little video that shows some LinkedIn statistics as a way to highlight the good old fashioned (aka old school) networking power there. This may have been created as a response to the recent article on Social Media Examiner that talks about LinkedIn hitting 100 million members.

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How to Get Your First 100 Blog Readers

2011-03-23T12:33:00.001-07:00

Amplify’d from uncorporateblogging.com

How to Get Your First 100 Blog Readers

Or better yet, how should you launch your blog?
Read more at uncorporateblogging.com

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Happy International Women's Day 2011

2011-03-08T07:39:00.001-08:00

Bigger image (where you can read the text) available on the site.

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

See more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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Can the middle class afford college?

2011-03-08T07:13:00.001-08:00

URL: http://www.overturemarketplace.com/can-the-middle-class...

A student on Twitter said that college wasn't for him - that it wasn't accessible because he was in the middle class.

What do you think?

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Mr. Darcy is Still the Man

2011-03-04T19:02:00.001-08:00

Agree!

Amplify’d from www.howaboutwe.com

The Darcy Effect: Why Two Centuries Later, Mr. Darcy Is Still The Man

Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813. Nearly 200 years later, the novel's romantic lead, Mr. Darcy, still has a powerful effect on women.
Read more at www.howaboutwe.com

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how to make cake pops

2011-03-04T18:56:00.001-08:00

yum

Amplify’d from www.thekitchn.com

See more at www.thekitchn.com

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Publicity: The Charlie Sheen Way

2011-03-03T16:08:00.001-08:00

URL: http://www.bizchickblogs.com/2011/03/the-charlie-sheen-...

Smart marketing and branding garners good publicity.

So when in doubt about your publicity campaign, take a lesson from the Charlie Sheen Method – and do the opposite.

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If Kohl's Only Had a Blog...

2011-03-03T15:52:00.001-08:00

If Kohl's only had a blog... oh the places they'd go!

Amplify’d from www.uncorporateblogging.com

by Tia on March 3, 2011[edit]

I was doing a bit of research for some new content I’m putting together (Worth the Click? 8 Principles Behind the Most Effective Uses of Blogging & Social Media), and came across Kohl’s on Facebook. The community manager does an amazing job at keeping Kohl’s top of mind for their fans. One thing I noticed is the speed (principle # 7) with which the community manager puts questions out related to certain events – the Grammy’s, Valentine’s Day, scholarship announcements, etc.

Then I hopped over to Twitter, because they listed the Twitter link on the Facebook page (it’s the little things, right? They are still using the old Facebook page layout). Immediately their conversation level jumped out at me. I’m not going to use the term “engagement level” or similar phrases anymore because they’re overused and under-explained. Basically, the community manager at Kohl’s has conversations with people on Twitter. Good for her (or him).

No Blog – Are you kidding me?

Kohl’s has no corporate blog and no community blog and no any kind of blog from what I can tell, and that’s saying something because I clicked around for a long time. It doesn’t matter if they have a blog that no one can get to, right? So even if they have a blog somewhere hidden under the massive amount of content available on their websites, I couldn’t find it from within the website, and it wasn’t linked to from Facebook or Twitter.

Against my own judgment, I even searched for “Kohl’s blog” on Google and came up with nothing.

Not only that, but the only way as a customer to get connected to their Facebook activity (or any other social media channel) from the shopping platform is to go over to Facebook. The only links I saw to anything social were two links to Facebook and Twitter on the homepage only.

Is this a problem? Not necessarily… Blogs are but one example of a content marketing strategy and are not effective for every type of product, service, or company. But brands using blogs successfully say time after time that the blog is what serves as the hub for all of the social media activity.

Perhaps Kohl’s has made a conscience decision not to have a blog. It’s certainly an investment, so I can understand the decision to go in another direction. I think it’s not an either or decision, but a how decision. You have to think big with brand blogs.

How Kohl’s could use a blog:
Read more at www.uncorporateblogging.com

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I took 5 years to graduate college... the pros and cons.

2011-02-24T10:17:00.001-08:00

Four college graduates reflect on the decision to take 5 years to graduate. Read the full post to get their honest opinions.

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The Pros and Cons of Taking 5 Years to Graduate

When most students enter a four-year undergraduate degree program, I have no doubt that they actually intend on graduating in four years. There are some programs that are known for taking longer than that – such as music and at some schools, science and education – but students in most other majors are fairly certain that with a full course load each semester, graduating in four years will not be an issue.

Somewhere along the way, for some students, it just takes longer than that. Students who take 5 years can benefit from the extra year by gaining maturity, experience, and clarity, but there are financial and emotional consequences that need to be considered as well.
Read more at www.overturemarketplace.com

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MTV's Skin: Overly Sexually Explicit?

2011-02-20T10:51:00.001-08:00

Or just another teen show?

My response: Both.

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Skins: Overly sexually explicit or just like any other teen show?

The MTV series Skins is being ridiculed for its dense sexually explicit content. It features a high school aged cast and their trial and tribulations through teenage life. While this new series may be a bit heavy handed in teenage sexual exploits it reminds me of other popular teen shows.
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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2011-02-17T14:54:00.001-08:00

What's on my mind? The unbelievable utopia that technophiles have created in their minds. http://amplify.com/u/bqlkw

The Courage to Be Alone

2011-02-17T12:59:00.001-08:00

I could never have said this any better. This is my hope for everyone, too.

Amplify’d from freshlocalandbest.blogspot.com

So for this post-Valentine's Day, I wish for everyone the courage and confidence to be alone, to never settle, to love like you would want to be loved, and to be the strong partner that you would want at your side for the rest of your life.
Read more at freshlocalandbest.blogspot.com

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A Nation of Addicts? Dealing with Internet addiction

2011-02-17T12:01:00.001-08:00

http://italianmamachef.com/2011/02/17/a-nation-of-addicts/

Great post by Michelle. I can easily relate to this, as it's an issue I deal with on a daily basis.

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If I Paid You $30,000 to Get Straight A's, Would You Try?

2011-02-11T13:42:00.001-08:00

http://studentoffortune.com/blog/If-I-Paid-You-30000-to-Get-St...

Advice for high school students - get good grades. It pays off!

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Passionate Business: Introducing Photographer Jennylynn Adleta

2011-02-11T09:10:00.001-08:00

Featuring a amazing creative entrepreneur, Jennylynn Adleta.

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

Passionate Business: Introducing Photographer Jennylynn Adleta

Much of what I like about working with and around entrepreneurs is all of the diverse interests we share and choose to turn into careers that suit our lifestyles.

I reached out to a couple photographer friends of mine (more to come) because I’m starting a new weekly here called Foto Friday. Photography is a cool industry; I wish I had the skill! If I did, I would be all over it.

Hopefully, the images each Friday will be inspiring, bringing some new ideas for your blog or business, or both. Let this be a reminder that you can build a business around a passion – something that you love to do, study, practice, think about, talk about, etc.

If you’re going to be an entrepreneur, at least choose a career path that comes from your heart!

From Jennylynn:

It was almost three years ago that I traded in working with thousands of college students in Higher Education to marry a spiky haired hottie and be a stay at home stepmother to two amazing little people.

When I married my husband, I walked away from an established position and relocated to an area that did not have many opportunities in my field. I tried several other career paths I had been interested in and nothing seemed to be a good fit. I desperately wanted to feel connected with people and had too much creative energy to just sit at home and clean a house all day!

My husband and I started making financial plans to get out of debt with the help of several of Dave Ramsey’s resources. One thing Dave mentions often is that the ‘best investment is in yourself.’ I had always ‘played around’ with photography and enjoyed doing pictures for people here or there with my limited knowledge and resources… and still I would always receive compliments that pushed me towards the photography field.

With no other job opportunities at the moment, I stuck my toe in the water. I start taking a few classes to fine tune my limited knowledge and I instantly knew that THIS is what I want to invest my time and energy into doing! My husband has been extremely supportive and together we have managed to invest in several key areas of a photography business – new cameras, lenses, editing software, backdrops, studio equipment, lighting, website, licensing, marketing… the list goes on and on…

We both are realistic that it will take years to build up a solid client base before we really see any revenue from ‘Adleta Images’. And that’s ok! I am all about being diligent in each step of this ‘building a busines’ process rather than just throwing myself into something I know very little about! I didn’t just want to be another mom with a nice camera who liked to stalk her kids. I really want to invest in every detail, produce quality images and build a sustainable business with reasonable expectations.

Remember, the best investment you can make is in yourself! Jobs are disposable. They come and go. Companies downsize. People move. A skill or talent of your own that you can fine tune is priceless and will always be with you no matter where you go! So here’s to living out dreams I didn’t even realize I had… here we go!

About Adleta Images

Adleta Images, LLC is a professional photography service serving Chester, Lancaster, Berks, NJ, DE and other surrounding counties. Photographer, Jennylynn Adleta, has bounced around the amateur scene for over 9 years. She currently specializes in newborn, children’s, family portraits and group photography. She also specializes in engagement, couples and baby bump sessions with hopes of expanding onto the wedding scene in the near future.

Adleta Images on Facebook
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What Do You Really Want?

2011-02-10T10:13:00.001-08:00

URL: http://www.bizchickblogs.com/2011/02/what-do-you-really...

Great post by marketing consultant, Susan Oakes.

"'I want more customers.' On any day and in many studies with small businesses this statement appears very often. The problem with it is that it is very loose as a marketing objective."

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2nd entry in #addictnation giveaway

2011-02-08T10:00:00.001-08:00

A touching one - a true story of a friend who succumbed to serious addiction. Thanks to Kadeejia for submitting this one.

Amplify’d from paidmommy.com

Addictions

A few days ago, Tia over at BizChickBlogs announced January’s reader of the month as well as a new giveaway. Everyone that knows me knows that I love participating in contests and giveaways, and this one is no different.

The only thing you need to do to enter is write a post about a topic that I am very passionate about: addictions. This is actually kinda funny that that’s the topic because I’ve probably had 4 conversations about addictions in the last two days.

As I sit here, I’m telling myself, this will not be a tear jerker, nor will it be me expressing my shear anger towards the lack of knowledge that we, as a society, have about the subject. But maybe it is. Addiction is sad and it should make you angry.

Why am I so passionate??

Because I have seen addiction ruin lives, and for some the word ruin is putting it nicely. I have seen addicts do things that they would not dare do if they were sober. Things that if I told you, you wouldn’t believe it. But I will tell you this story:
Read more at paidmommy.com

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February 2011 Scholarship Deadlines

2011-02-07T20:45:00.001-08:00

What scholarships will you apply for in February? There are 11 below with February deadlines that you should check out!

Tip: Apply for scholarships and grants as often as you can, and don’t stop! Get as many as you can. Remember that often times, you can use scholarships to cover room and board, books, supplies, and more.

Amplify’d from www.overturemarketplace.com

February 2011 Scholarship Deadlines

KFC Colonel Scholars Program®
Deadline: February 9, 2011
Award: Up to $20,000
Eligibility: High school students planning to attend a public, in-state college or university.
More Information

AXA Achievement™ Community Scholarship Program
Deadline: February 15, 2011
Award: $2,000 (More than 300 available)
Eligibility: Open to high school seniors who are U.S. citizens and who plan to go to college in the U.S. full-time, at accredited two or four year colleges and universities in fall 2011.
More Information

2011 Best Buy @15™ Scholarships
Deadline: February 16, 2011
Award: $1,000 (up to 1,200 recipients)
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12 who are living in the U.S. or Puerto Rico and who plan to attend a full-time undergraduate program.
More Information

Get Green Video Contest
Deadline: February 23, 2011
Award: $500.00
Eligibility: Open to high school students between the ages of 14 and 19. Entrants must submit a 30 – 120 second video that shows how your everyday actions impact the ocean.
More Information

Girls Going Places® Entrepreneurship Award Program
Deadline: February 28, 2011
Award: Prizes totaling $30,000 for three top winners and 15 finalists.
Eligibility: Girls ages 12 to 18.
More Information

The Great Achievements Scholarship
Deadline: February 28, 2011
Award: $1000
Eligibility: Topic: U.S. citizens who are in high school or have received their GED, and are planning to go to college.
More Information

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Deadline: February 28, 2011
Award: $1500.00 to $2500.00
Eligibility: Open to students who are of Hispanic heritage or who are dependents of HACEMOS. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
More Information

Printing Industries Education Funds, Inc. Scholarships
Deadline: February 28, 2011
Award: Various
Eligibility: Open to U.S. citizens who are residents in Ohio and Kentucky, and who are interested in the fields of graphic design, graphic arts, etc.
More Information

$1000 College Search Scholarship by CollegeProwler.com
Deadline: February 28, 2011
Award: $1,000
Eligibility: Open to all current high school students and prospective college students.
More Information

$2000 No Essay Scholarship
Deadline: February 28, 2011
Award: $2000
Eligibility: Open to all current students and those planning to enroll within 12 months.
More Information

$1000 Monthly Survey Scholarship
Deadline: February 28, 2011
Award: $1000
Eligibility: Open to all college students and recent alumni.
More Information

Also See:

$8 Million Ronald Reagan Scholarship Fund Launches

Doodle 4 Google 2011 Opens: $15,000 college scholarship

Is It Too Late to Start Saving for College?

Five Florida Students Win $40,000 for College

Can I Get Financial Aid for One Semester Only?

Read more at www.overturemarketplace.com

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Addict Nation Book Giveaway

2011-02-04T10:54:00.001-08:00

Write a post about addiction - yours, mine, your neighbor's, America's, etc. Win a copy of Addict Nation by Jane Velez-Mitchell and Sandra Mohr.

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

Reader of the Month and Addict Nation Book Giveaway!

It took me a LONG time to decide on January’s reader of the month. The contributing editors and I decided that it should definitely be someone who interacts both here on the blog and also on Twitter and Facebook. That’s the nature of this community, so, honestly, it was a pretty tough decision!

Reader of the Month: January

So, without further ado, the reader of the month for January is Kathy – otherwise known as RedKathy (I’m guessing for her fiery red hair). Kathy is a great food blogger and lifestyle blogger, and regularly engages here, on Twitter, and on Facebook. I love her. Thanks, Kathy! You win the Amazon.com gift card and bragging rights. Til next month!

Addict Nation Book Giveaway!

This book is so new that even I have not read it yet, but it’s gotten great reviews and I can’t wait to get my hands on it this weekend. Addict Nation is written by Jane Velez-Mitchell and Sandra Mohr. What I like about this book is that it challenges American culture – are our habits killing us? Seriously?

I also like that this book is written by two very smart biz chicks. Velez-Mitchell is the host of a television show, Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell, and Mohr is a well-known Hollywood film editor and director. Talk about being go-getters!

Now, I am no saint. I wholeheartedly admit that I am an addict. What am I addicted to? Many things, including convenience, comfort, black cut tea with cream and sugar, white chocolate mochas, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and blogging. There are a number of other things. I cannot tell you how many chicken nuggets from McDonald’s that I have eaten in the last 11 months. It may not show on my body but rest assured it has taken a toll on my quality of life.

Description of this book from Amazon.com:

“Americans are being lured into addiction. And what we’re hooked on isn’t necessarily illegal or even hard to come by. Prescription medications are making us high. Fast food is making us fat. The Internet keeps us constantly distracted with everything from gambling and porn to compulsive social networking. Television bombards us with glamorized violence. From billboards, to online pop ups, to commercials. . . we’re seduced into buying more stuff we don’t need while we drown in growing debt. Massive profits fill the pockets of a handful of ‘pushers’ at the expense of everyone else. Corporations, government, and the media are creating the illusion that the more we have, the better we are, and so we crave whatever they’re selling and become addicted to their products in the process. Americans are being seduced into self-destructivebehavior on a mass scale. It’s time to take our power back. In her trademark no-holds-barred style, Jane Velez-Mitchell asks, ‘Do you really want to be a slave, existing just to make someone else rich and powerful?’ If the answer is no, then read this book. Addict Nation is our blueprint for change, but first we must see what is really going on. This is an intervention!”

How to win a copy of Addict Nation

Easy. Just write a post about addictions – yours, mine (I’ve listed them for you), America’s, your neighbors. It can be one addiction or many. It can be funny, serious, or anything in between. It doesn’t have to be text – it can be a photo, song, cartoon, or even a clip from a movie that you feel relates to the subject.

Addictions impact us. They impact our families, our businesses, and the communities in which we live. Eventually, they spill out into the larger society.

Link back to this post in your entry. I’ll tweet your post out for you using the #addictnation tag (this way, people using that tag will see all of our related posts). Then, leave a link to your post on bizchickblogs’ Facebook page.

Posts must be published by February 9th at midnight, New York time.

As posts get published and I get notified, I will list them on a spreadsheet and then on February 11, I will announce the winner, and will include a link and screenshot for all of the other entries, as well.

The winner will be selected not by me, but by our friendly Random.org generator. However – please note that each post will be checked to ensure quality. If it’s a junk post, it won’t be added to the list, ya dig? This isn’t a ploy to get links; it’s to open a dialog about addictions, especially to things other than drugs. We never talk about them! So let’s.

You do not have to be a chick to enter this giveaway. Contributors and contributing editors are allowed to enter, too.

International participants: You are welcome to enter! If you win, I will give you an Amazon.com gift card equal to the cost of the book. You will be responsible for shipping charges.

Good luck!
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35% of Women Would Sooner Die than Eat Healthier

2011-01-31T11:24:00.001-08:00

Interesting survey data from Better Homes and Gardens...

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

According to the recently released Better Homes and Gardens “Food Factor 2010″ Survey, 35% of women surveyed would prefer to eat whatever they want and die at age 70.

35% of Women Would Sooner Die than Eat Healthier

According to the recently released Better Homes and Gardens “Food Factor 2010″ Survey, 35% of women surveyed would prefer to eat whatever they want and die at age 70.

The good news is that the majority of the rest of the women surveyed, some 60%, said that they would prefer to eat only healthy foods and live longer.
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Are You a Prisoner of Your Blog?

2011-01-28T12:54:00.001-08:00

URL: http://internetmarketing.ricklapoint.com/blog/prisoner-...

Rick LaPoint's Daily Juice

He makes a great point about becoming a traffic prisoner. Even people who write about getting traffic are prisoners of traffic. It makes you wonder, what is this really all about?

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UCLA Survey Finds Students Are Focused On College Value

2011-01-28T12:43:00.001-08:00

From collegemoneyinsider.com

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UCLA Survey Finds Students Are Focused On College Value

The 2010 CIRP Freshmen Survey, conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA, has found that students entering college are more focused than in previous years on the value of attending college.

“…more students than ever before (72.7 percent) indicated that ‘the chief benefit of college is that it increases one’s earning power.’”

The survey is based on the responses of over 200,000 first-time, full-time students at four year universities in the United States.

According to the survey, more than half of respondents use student loans to help pay for college, at 53.1 percent.

Other findings include:

4.9 percent of respondents indicated that their fathers were unemployed

8.6 percent of respondents indicated that their mothers were unemployed

73.4 percent of respondents reported receiving scholarships and grants

“‘The increasing cost of higher education poses a significant barrier to college access for today’s students,’ said Sylvia Hurtado, co-author of the report and director of the Higher Education Research Institute. ‘Students and families are now charged with the task of becoming more resourceful and strategic in finding new and creative ways to pay for college.’”

Source: The American Freshman: National Norms for 2010
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Free FAFSA Tips for Families in Unique Situations

2011-01-26T11:20:00.001-08:00

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Free FAFSA Tips for Families in Unique Situations

The NASFAA (National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators) has developed a free guide to help families with unique circumstances or situations understand and complete the FAFSA. It is available for download on our Financial Aid Resources page, or by clicking here.

FAFSA Tips for Applicants in Unique Situations provides special guidance for

Single parents

Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) recipients

Wards of the court

Foster youth

What FAFSA questions are answered?

Here are a few examples of questions that are in this guide:

Q: I am no longer under the court because my foster parents took legal guardianship of me a few years ago. However, my foster par ents do not support me with their own financial resources. They still get a foster care check each month for me. How do I answer question #52?

Q: I was emancipated at age 15 but lived with my aunt and uncle during my last semester of high school. How should I complete the FAFSA?

Q: I became homeless during my senior year in high school. Am I considered an independent student?

Q: I am a single mom with one child and will get free day care for my child (from a grandmother, aunt, or free day care center) while I go to college. Does the value of this free childcare have to be reported on the FAFSA?

Download this free guide here.
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Can I Get Financial Aid for One Semester Only?

2011-01-25T09:31:00.001-08:00

Yes. College Money Insider's Jeff S. answers a student's question regarding financial aid.

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Can I Get Financial Aid for One Semester Only?

Recently, a student left a comment on my post at Skipping Breakfast, asking whether or not she can get financial aid for only one semester. It’s a great question and one that I think a lot of people wonder about. Below is her question and my reply. If you have any follow up questions about this, feel free to leave your comments in the reply box. Thanks!

“Hi Jeff, in regards to financial aid, I have a big question. Can you do financial aid for only a semester because I’m graduating at the end of December or is it easier to just not apply for financial aid since it’s only one semester? I don’t have to pay for Room and Board.”
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InfoGraphic: How big, exactly, is #Starbucks new ‘Trenta’ size? via @gkrew

2011-01-24T12:20:00.001-08:00

URL: http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/01/17/graphic-how-big...

In case you had not heard about #starbucks new size for cold drinks the Trenta which means 30 in Italian

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5 Reasons Why You Need an Office Space

2011-01-24T12:16:00.001-08:00

Freelance writer Christina Crowe tackles office space in part 2 of her productivity series on bizchickblogs.com.

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Stop Trashing Your Time Part 2 – You need an office!

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How to Get Results from Your Business Blog

2011-01-21T10:10:00.001-08:00

I recently registered for the Blogging Success Summit being held online, led by Michael Stelzner of SocialMediaExaminer.com. It’s been very interesting to me to read some of the stories attendees are telling in their introductions in the private LinkedIn group for this summit.

Amplify’d from www.webbedinkinc.com

How to Get Results from Your Business Blog

I recently registered for the Blogging Success Summit being held online, led by Michael Stelzner of SocialMediaExaminer.com. It’s been very interesting to me to read some of the stories attendees are telling in their introductions in the private LinkedIn group for this summit.

One commonality: “We’ve been blogging for X amount of time and not getting any results/engagement/comments.”

If you’ve been blogging for business for over 6 months and aren’t seeing anything happening, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that something’s not right there.

Don’t keep trying to get results by doing the same thing you’ve been doing. It’s not working. Let’s fix it.

#1 Re-Think Your Strategy

#2 Expect Something. Plan for results.

#3 Take care of your content plan.
Read more at www.webbedinkinc.com

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Living Together: Is the Honeymoon Over?

2011-01-20T14:50:00.001-08:00

Advice for couples who are dealing with "how the heck do we make this work" type issues.

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Living Together: Is the Honeymoon Over?

Whether cohabitation is the plan prior to tying the knot or you are waiting until after the big day, combining households can be a daunting task. What are your expectations for chores, money, etc. How do you deal with different preferences? Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Marriage.com expert, Dr. Martha Carr, Psy.D, gives us some advice.

Domestic harmony is easier to achieve when partners feel there is an equal investment in the relationship. In addition to sharing emotional and sexual intimacy, couples often translate tangible contributions, such as financial or physical care of the house or children, as indications of commitment. But does equal have to mean splitting everything down the middle? I don’t think so.
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SocialKik Review: Need followers or fans?

2011-01-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

Great post by @johngarrettx. He's a hilarious dude.

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

We’re all familiar with the trials and tribulations of growing our social followings. It doesn’t come easy and sometimes doesn’t seem to come at all. When you’re out there yelling and all you can hear back is your own echo it may be time to investigate new options.

There’s a whole slew of products and services that claim to help you with the problem. In this article, I’ll explain the process of using SocialKik to gain more Twitter followers and the reasons why I chose to do so.

What is SocialKik?

SocialKik is a service that aims to increase your Twitter followers, Facebook Fans and Youtube views “automagically” for a set fee.

The fee is based on the number of fans/followers etc. you choose to purchase at the time.

How do they do this? For the most part, they use your login credentials and essentially become you to make follow requests to your targeted base of users. Some of you may recognize this as essentially the same paradigm used by stand-alone programs such as TweetAdder.

Long story short: It works.

But because I’m a long winded gas-bag, I’m going to back up and tell the long story, anyway.
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Women, Be More Careful With Your Blogs

2011-01-17T08:59:00.001-08:00

And basically everything else online. Advice for those of us who do a lot of blogging and connecting online, whether for business or personal reasons.

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Women, Be More Careful With Your Blogs

Three Ways to Protect Yourself as a Chick Blogger

1. Don’t argue with fools

2. Keep your home address off the books

3. Lock up your Facebook
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The Giffords Shooting Aftermath - Perspectives from Tucson

2011-01-13T19:24:00.001-08:00

URL: http://www.bizchickblogs.com/2011/01/the-giffords-shoot...

My take on what's happened, and my viewpoint as a resident. Also includes some quotes from the memorial speech at the University of Arizona.

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5 Steps to a Better Fashion Blog

2011-01-10T17:27:00.001-08:00

By our awesome style contributor, PattyJ.

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5 Steps to a Better Fashion Blog

Your fashion blog is like your baby. Something that you carried with you from inception. Its your medium to divulge the latest and greatest in designer, street and haute couture trends. But sometimes you may wonder why you aren’t getting more traffic. New blogs start slow and once they get a reader base can be very successful. Here are a few tips to help you boost your blog appeal.

1. The Visuals- One of the most important traits of a successful blog is the design. People (especially fashion blog readers) are visually inclined. What catches their interest are vivid colors, textures, and design details. Before you dedicate your time to producing amazing posts give your site a little TLC.

Logo- Every blog should have some type of branded image. Which is commonly the title of the website. Create a JPEG image that you can use as your logo. Seems hard? Not a chance. Use any version of a image creator; most likely already installed on your computer. Don’t have any? Download a free trial of Photoshop. The key here is to create something professional by using colors, shapes, and images that match the theme of your site. A super easy way to create a logo is to download free fonts from the web. There are tons to choose from. Insert a favorite color or texture to the background and your done.
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5 Must-Read Books for Business Women in 2011

2011-01-10T10:18:00.001-08:00

Great guest post by Phyllis Zimbler-Miller.

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5 Must-Read Books for Business Women in 2011

I have to admit – I’m a huge book reader. Amazon should give me a frequent buyer reward card. But whether or not you are usually a book reader, if you are serious about being successful in your own business or career, there are some foundational books that can really help you.

Why? Because there is no need for you to reinvent the wheel or learn things the hard way when others have gone before you and are sharing their learned wisdom. Take advantage of this wisdom and use it to help yourself succeed.

1. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

2. Be Your Own Boss in 12 Months

3. Make a Name for Yourself: 8 Steps Every Woman Needs to Create a Personal Brand Strategy for Success

4. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It

5. The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself

See more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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Internships Are Now Crucial to Career Development

2011-01-10T06:11:00.001-08:00

90% of all direct-from-college hires will go to those with internship experience.

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Internships Are Now Crucial to Career Development

Interns have been in the news quite a bit lately. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Inc., Entrepreneur, and ReadWriteWeb have all dedicated significant resources to the subject of internships.

Why?

In the “Great Recession” internships have become a “golden ticket” for those entering the workforce. Many more students, recent graduates and those in career transition are now seeking internships to augment their resumes – and employability.

Consider these statistics and published comments:

90% of all direct-from-college hires will go to those with internship experience (Gardner, Chao, & Hurst)

Nearly 70% of those who intern are offered full-time employment (NACE)

Those who have held an intern position are more likely to garner a higher salary (NACE via JobWeb)

Besides the fact that internships make you more employable, and that they will increase your earning potential… Here are three more reasons why intern experience is well worth your investment of time and energy:
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Jane Krakowski Pregnant with First Child

2011-01-07T19:40:00.001-08:00

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Jane Krakowski Pregnant with First Child

30 Rock Fans – Actress Jane Krakowski is pregnant with her first child.

Pictured above: Jane Krakowski at the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation 19th Annual ‘A Magical Evening’ Gala at the Marriott Marquis on November 9, 2009. Image credit: Shutterstock. Used with permission. Do not copy.

Krakowski, 42, is engaged to Robert Godley. The two became engaged in January. TVGuide.com broke the story today (Friday), and a rep has confirmed the news. “Both soon-to-be first-time parents could not be happier.”
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14 Life Hacks to Help You Conquer the New Year

2011-01-06T17:16:00.001-08:00

Amplify’d from www.budgetlife.com

14 Life Hacks to Help You Conquer the New Year

With synergy between body and mind necessary for the success of each, it’s important that you attack this new set of 365 with renewed energy, determination, and some of the life hacks we mention here, starting with:
Read more at www.budgetlife.com

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Weekend Recipe: Crostini with Mushroom, Ricotta & Marscapone

2011-01-06T09:40:00.001-08:00

New weekly series here on bizchickblogs.com called “Weekend Recipe” (published on Thursday so if you want to try it on the weekend, you have time to buy ingredients). First up: Crostini with Mushroom, Ricotta & Marscapone!

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Weekend Recipe: Crostini with Mushroom, Ricotta & Marscapone

There are very few things I can pass up: crostini, mushrooms, ricotta, and marscapone.

Needless to say that when I was researching recipes for what will be a new weekly series here on bizchickblogs.com called “Weekend Recipe” (published on Thursday so if you want to try it on the weekend, you have time to buy ingredients), I couldn’t skip this recipe for, you guessed it: Crostini with Mushroom, Ricotta & Marscapone.

What I would pair it with: If you are a wine drinker, I would pair this with a dry, citrus Pinot Grigio. This is an appetizer and the ricotta and marscapone are going to make this a little sweet. The dry of the Pinot Grigio will make it taste even sweeter.

If you are not a wine drinker, you might try making a lemon-lime punch that is semi-sweet (but not sour) to go with this. To make it less sweet, add soda water. For a more body-conscious punch, try adding Blue Agave sweetener rather than white sugar.

Here is the recipe. If you try this or have tried it, let me know!
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Amplify is off the hook

2011-01-05T11:05:00.001-08:00

How did I miss this blog editing tool? Gotta say, no offense to all of the other micro-blogging tools out there, but Amplify rocks. lol If I was just starting out, I'd probably use Amplify + the Twitter combo to get my blog going.

Sweetness! :)

Image credit: Shutterstock

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IndiCustom.com - Custom Jeans. Review by bizchickblogs.com

2011-01-04T19:37:00.001-08:00

bizchickblogs.com style contributor PattyJ reviews IndiCustom.com, a website that offers a completely online custom jeans creator.

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Website Review: IndiCustom.com

Could you imagine your perfect pair of jeans? What color would they be? What leg style? Would they be high-waist or low? At Indicustom.com that’s all up to you. It’s an e-commerce site providing jeans just the way you like them.

Tons excited and a bit overwhelmed? No need to be, they make it super easy with their simple instructions and step-by-step style choices.

See more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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Question - Why Do You Blog?

2011-01-03T18:35:00.001-08:00

By Linda C Smith

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Question – Why Do You Blog?

Writing a blog shouldn’t be a chore – shouldn’t be work. At least that’s my opinion. And as soon as it becomes drudge, then it’s time to rethink the whole idea.

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January Featured Contributor - PattyJ of UrbanCityBlog.com

2011-01-02T19:48:00.001-08:00

Each month, bizchickblogs.com recognizes a new(er) blogger as a featured contributor. This month, it's PattyJ who is a Chicago style blogger. I like her conversational tone, unique thoughts on style, and her use of Twitter. She is @PattyNicole on Twitter.

Congrats to PattyJ.

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

About PattyJ

Chicago native and fashion writer. I take to my blog to discuss my passions, pet peeves and the culture brought on by this city and the world. UrbanCityBlog.com

New Year Fashion Basics
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NYE Heels
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The Amazing Women of 2011

2011-01-01T09:12:00.001-08:00

Massive list of awesome women.

Amplify’d from www.birdsontheblog.co.uk

The Amazing Women of 2011

Over the last year there has been lots of positive influences on Birds on the Blog, so together we have put together a huge list of all these amazing women for you to have a look at and gain inspiration from.

We are an eclectic group so the women we recommend are as diverse as we are.

They are in no specific order… Where possible we have made some notes as to what we find amazing about them.
Read more at www.birdsontheblog.co.uk

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10 Ideas for Keeping Food on the Table (when you’re busy)

2011-01-01T08:51:00.001-08:00

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10 Ideas for Keeping Food on the Table (when you’re busy)

I remember helping my god-mother prepare meals for the next day for her family. At the time I was a teenager, and I thought this must be the hardest job in the world. I didn’t see how she made it from day to day with her busy schedule, but some how she managed.

Working, preparing meals and being a mom is no easy task. You can lighten the load by being prepared and not waiting until the day of to decide what’s for dinner. No longer will you tell you kids, “I don’t know what we’re having for dinner, let’s just wing it and go out tonight.”
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link building by @theavggenius

2010-12-30T13:04:00.001-08:00

Just amplified the parts I need to remember. I suggest reading everything.

Amplify’d from theaveragegenius.net

Building Link Wheels And Making Billions and Billions

Laying Out The Link Building Plan

1. The first step is to find your targets and sign up for accounts (Squidoo, Hubpages, etc.). Here are some of the targets I plan on using:

Suite101

Squidoo

Hubpages

Infobarrel

Xomba

SheToldMe

Bukiska

YouSayToo

BestReviewer

Snipsly

Blogspot/Blogger

EzineArticles

ArticlesBase

GoArticles

Buzzle

The Free Library

Idea Marketers

Article Alley

Associated Content

I’ve had no issues with simply doing a cut and paste of the same articles, but vary my anchor text and URLs each time. The only exceptions would be Suite101, Buzzle and HubPages (I might have missed one in there – be sure to read the publishing guidelines) – these demand 100% unique content only.

After I hit these with quality articles, I spin and submit to ArticleRanks and AMR – and I drip feed AMR until I have passed the 30 day mark in most cases.

Another Preliminary Thought: SEO of Your Content

Remember that I’m not telling you you have to structure your wheel this way, nor to use all these properties every time – but if you have the time, then you might think about doing so.

My HubPage may link to a Blogger blog, plus my main money page, plus a direct affiliate link…at random.

The targets of the first two tiers will be: my main site, plus direct affiliate links where I can, plus the other spokes in the wheel. This I plan to do randomly – so my lens may link to my main site, and a direct affiliate link, and my HubPage…

I’ll take those tier 2 articles and spin them / submit them with ArticleRanks and Article Marketing Robot. Then I’ll bookmark it all with Bookmarking Demon using literally 50-100 accounts at around…oh…500 or so social bookmarking sites that I have loaded.

The second tier articles also set up tier three like a spike in a volleyball tournament – and by that time, you’ll know how much more linking to do.

Tier one is the money-making tier. Tier two is 5-10 (or more) articles for EzineArticles and the like which do not net you more money per se, but they will help your rankings, and help strengthen your first tier (if you choose to use them as I do: to link to the first tier).

There will be NO inter-linking or “two-way” links:

HubPage > Blogger and HubPage > Main Site is GOOD

HubPage > Blogger > HubPage is NO GOOD

…reciprocal linking would defeat the purpose (this is where having it all laid out on paper or a drawing really helps).
Read more at theaveragegenius.net

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The New Easy Way to Customize Thesis

2010-12-30T07:58:00.001-08:00

An overview of the Thesis Blog Skin from ThesisAwesome. It's a quick and easy way to customize Thesis, without needing to know code OR paying a lot of money.

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The New Easy Way to Customize Thesis

The Case for the NEW Premium Thesis Skin by Thesis Awesome

Recently, Hesham from FamousBloggers launched Thesis Awesome, a premium Thesis skin dealer. We were chatting once about Thesis skins, and I gave him some thoughts that he turned around and put into what I consider one of the very best skin solutions out there.

There needs to be a solution for professionals and entrepreneurs with low budgets. This group of people has something to spend – they don’t need something to be free (which would be no budget). However, this group doesn’t have the time to sit around and customize their Thesis theme. Consultants, attorneys, VAs, and other professionals of a similar nature are the ones who are in the most need of something very customizable, yet quick and easy to set up at the same time.

There needs to be a solution that is not plugin-dependent. Again, Thesis is a wonderful framework. But it’s just the foundation. A truly worthy Thesis skin is the kind that intuits what you want and works out of the box (really). This means that links to Twitter and Facebook, and author bio boxes, and social sharing icons are built right into the skin, instead of provided via a complicated tutorial.

There needs to be a solution that doesn’t look exactly like everyone else’s out of the box. Just by changing a few things like color schemes, logos, and the placement of sharing icons and advertisements, a blog can look very different from another.

The solution is Thesis Blog Skin by ThesisAwesome. Small business owners will be able to add this skin to their existing Thesis theme, adjust a few settings, upload a logo, and be done with it. No more wondering, “How do I do that?” This skin is also really good for multi-author blogs, and has built-in and optional spaces for advertisements.

The Awesome Options Panel

Thesis comes with a pretty cool options panel, and so does the Thesis Blog Skin. Customize everything from color scheme, to the placement of sharing icons, to enabling/disable advertising or multi-author blog settings, and things like the footer.

Take a Quick Walk Through ThesisAwesome’s New Premium Skin – Thesis Blog Skin

Click through the demo I set up of ThesisAwesome Blogskin here. This demo site was built using the Thesis Blog Skin. I have put together a gallery of images so you can see what the Options Panel looks like, as well, here.

Purchasing Thesis Blog Skin

You can further review or check out the Thesis Blog Skin using the image link below. If you have any questions, just let me know. If we don’t connect before January 1, Happy New Year!

Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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New Thesis Skin

2010-12-29T16:16:00.001-08:00

To customize an out of the box Thesis Theme.

Amplify’d from bizchickblogs.com

Thesis The Way You Want It To Be

There’s no doubt – Thesis is Awesome

But the problem is that Thesis doesn’t do what you want, all the time. Thesis is just a framework. It has the underlying support code necessary to do just about anything you would want to do with a website built using WordPress. From the smallest single-page website to massive social networks, WordPress and Thesis together can do it.

But unless you’re a designer or developer or somewhere reasonably close to that, it’s going to be pretty hard to accomplish something awesome by yourself.

The good news: ThesisAwesome Thesis skins can help – a lot. And the newest one, the Thesis Blog Skin, is my favorite. Using the Awesome Thesis Options Panel, you can modify and customize much of the design yourself. Turn off features you don’t want, turn on what you do want.
Read more at bizchickblogs.com

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2010-12-28T12:45:00.001-08:00

Question for working moms/biz chicks (pass this on to chicks you know!) For an upcoming article in January: how do you plan for meals for your family each week? Is it easy or difficult to keep food on the table when you're working? http://amplify.com/u/jvnf http://amplify.com/u/jvnr

10 Things I Learned About Time Management in 2010

2010-12-28T08:12:00.001-08:00

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

10 Things I Learned About Time Management in 2010

Written by Christina

Blogger & Writer, AClosetWriter.com
I am a wife, mom, sister, daughter, Christian & humorist. Life is pretty darn good! Regardless of what is actually going on, I am a GLASS HALF FULL kind of gal! When you read my blog my sincere prayer is that you will laugh, smile, feel hope & come back again and again. Wash, rinse & repeat that’s all I’m saying!

Time Management is like a four letter word to some people. Not to me. I get a high off of handling my time well. I am always looking for ways to get even more done in the 24 hours we are allotted. It is a bit of a sickness, I confess, but one that I enjoy mastering.
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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What to do when guest blogging doesn't work

2010-12-27T03:30:00.001-08:00

Amplify’d from www.blogher.com

What to do when guest blogging doesn't work

Is this you?

You've got a small blog that you're trying to grow. So you got into the guest blogging thing. Several guest posts later, you're wondering what the fuss is all about. It doesn't work for you.

There's good news. Guest blogging does work, but it's not a free for all. There are right ways to go about it, and wrong ways. Here's what you should do to turn things around.
Read more at www.blogher.com

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Social Media Marketing Event in Las Vegas on January 12 2011

2010-12-27T02:59:00.001-08:00

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

Social Media Marketing Event in Las Vegas on January 12 2011

The brightest in social media marketing will gather for a Social Media Marketing 2011 conference on January 12 in Las Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel.

At Social Media Marketing 2011, social media and digital marketing experts team up to show you how to actively engage your audience using social media. Participants will learn how to engage customers, tips for maximizing social media campaigns, and how to use tools to analyze trends.

Conference Sponsors

Presenters include

Influence People Co-Founder, Murray Newlands

Caesar’s Entertainment Director of Social Media, David Koloski

Caesar’s Entertainment Manager of Social Media Marketing Strategy, Eric Petersen

352 Media Group CMO, Peter C. Van Rysdam

Viglink President, Raymond Lyle

Host of the A-List on BlogTalk Radio, Jennifer Neeley Lindsay

WhizBangPowWow Principal Marketing Strategist, Neil Glassman

InfiniGraph.com Co-Founder & CEO, Chase McMichael

Constant Contact’s Ron Cates

ShareThis’s Andrew Dumas

Influence People Director, Luke Brynley-Jones

More Information
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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How to Create an Elegant Food Blog: 8 Tricks from Fantastic Foodies

2010-12-25T18:27:00.001-08:00

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

How to Create an Elegant Food Blog: 8 Tricks from Fantastic Foodies

Written by Tia Peterson

Top food blogs are elegantly displayed with tons of visuals. These 8 food blogs do a fantastic job at presentation and engagement. I’ve included links to the blogs, as well as information about what platforms they are on (Blogger or WordPress) and how you can do the same thing on your blog. Not just for foodies! Many of these features will touch up any blog.

1. Seasaltwithfood.com: Slideshow or Photo Gallery Header

Platform: Blogger

How: To achieve this look on Blogger, you’ll need to seek a template that features a photo gallery in the header, or see Rainy Day Templates, who designed this and other AMAZING Blogger templates.

Self-hosted WordPress users can easily accomplish something similar with a gallery or slideshow widget.

Tip: Slow-page loading can be an issue, so avoid that by using a caching plugin (on WordPress; not sure what you can do about that on Blogger).

See: 15 wordpress plugins for galleries and slideshows (WordPress), Rainy Day Templates (Blogger)

2. Omnomicon.com: Author Profile Box in the Sidebar

Platform: WordPress

How: This can be done on any blogging platform that allows you to add a text/HTML box. Simply find a fairly large photo of yourself, upload it to Flickr and grab the HTML code for it. Place that code in the box, and then add your text above or below the photo (or both).

3. ItalianFoodForever.com: Printer-Friendly Posts

Platform: WordPress

How: Self-hosted WordPress users can use a simple plugin to do this rather easily. Blogger users can also do this, just not so easily. Both links are below.

See: PrintFriendly for WordPress, Create Printer Friendly Blog Pages (Blogger)

4. Picky-Palate.com: Adding copyright to your images

Platform: WordPress

How: Use a photo editing tool, like Paint.net (free) or Photoshop (nowhere near free but well worth it). Simply open your photo editor, add a new layer with a transparent background, and then use the text tool (it usually looks like a capital T) to add your name or blog name to the photo near the bottom. Use whatever color makes sense for the text, as you want it to show up. And then save the photo back in its original format (jpeg, gif, png, etc.). Be sure to save a copy of the actual Paint.net (.pdn) or Photoshop (.psd) file, too, in case you need to make changes to it again later.

5. SteamyKitchen.com: HUGE opening photographs

Platform: WordPress

How: Just use large images. Food blogs need to be visual, so go for it. Her blog is gorgeous and the secret is that those freakin’ huge, beautiful photos just really pop out at you.

6. Cravingfor.com: Gallery-style front page

Platform: WordPress

How: Self-hosted WordPress users are in luck . You can download this exact theme – free! UpThemes offers a free and premium version of a theme featuring a gallery-style front page (Gallery Pro). UpThemes doesn’t create templates for Blogger, however, you could do a search for premium Blogger templates to find something similar (or get in contact with them and see if they will do it). Or, you could search for a WordPress to Blogger theme conversion.

7. ThePioneerWoman.com: Recipe thumbnails in sidebar

Platform: WordPress

How: For WordPress, there’s actually a great tutorial on how to do this, but it’s a bit techie. If you can spend a little money, I’d suggest hiring someone to get it done in 15 minutes (you could even give them that tutorial as guide), or contact me and I’ll make it happen.

For Blogger, I’d consult someone really familiar with specialized Blogger templates (like Rainy Day, mentioned above).

8. TheFoodInMyBeard.com: Amazon.com theme-matching widget

Platform: Moveable Type

How: Dan (my newest favorite food blogger) over at thefoodinmybeard.com uses Amazon’s My Favorites Widget. If you click that link, you’ll be taken to a page where you can create that widget. However, if you’d like to make some money off of it potentially, be sure to follow their link to join Amazon Associates. Once you join you’ll see all of the options for adding widgets and banners to your blog.

BONUS: FoodBuzz

Many of the great, top food blogs you see listed here are part of the FoodBuzz network. If you have a food blog, head on over there and join. And browse these food blogs and more on their network to get a feel for how incredibly stellar your blog can be with a little elbow grease.

Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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Real(ly Broke) Housewives Alert

2010-12-24T08:38:00.001-08:00

Because this stuff is too good not to pass on. LOL I love this crazy series.

Amplify’d from jezebel.com

The Real Housewives Bankruptcy Index

Housewives going broke is nothing new, but two more cast members of Bravo's franchise—Tamra's soon-to-be ex-husband Simon Barney and Alexis Bellino—have just filed for bankruptcy, making that a grand total of 10 Housewives who've sought protection from creditors.
Read more at jezebel.com

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No more "What are we going to do in social media" meetings

2010-12-23T11:06:00.001-08:00

Thanks @JohnFalchetto for amplifying the post.

Amplify’d from www.sparkminute.com

Instead of having that one hour meeting, why not cancel that meeting and require all six people spend that available hour writing a blog post? Now six blog posts have been created which is an enormous social media accomplishment. And instead of having another meeting, spend the next free hour reading the other blog posts, leaving comments, and promoting it to your social networks (e.g., Twitter and Facebook).
Read more at www.sparkminute.com

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Why Blogger Buns Aren’t Helping Anyone (Least of all, you)

2010-12-23T10:01:00.001-08:00

Sitting around all day, blogging away? Have you checked your buns lately? You should.

Amplify’d from workingwritersandbloggers.com

Why Blogger Buns Aren’t Helping Anyone (Least of all, you)

Okay, so this post isn’t JUST about blogger buns (those things you’re sitting on… right… now…), it’s about blogger body, in general.

Unless you walk around dictating your posts into a recorder as you pump iron (and I know some of you do that), the reality is that you’re probably spending some time sitting – scratch that – now that you’re blogging, you’re probably spending A LOT of time sitting.

Where’s all this coming from?

Confession: I buy magazines and treat them as long term investments. No kidding. So I was reading JUNE 2010′s edition of FastCompany, and came across an article on a company called Full Yield. Full Yield’s mission is to help companies help their employees get more healthy by eating whole foods and exercising. Why? Because out of shape people cost more money to insure (according to some insurance companies and health doctors and such).

SO… all this led me to thinking about those of us who work for ourselves, from home. There’s no one to hand out health report cards or reward us for buying whole foods. We don’t cost anyone any money to insure, except for ourselves. Who is going to push us to make healthy lifestyle choices, work out, eat more veggies? Hmm?

Those of us who sit at computers all day, getting up occasionally to get the mail, go to the bathroom, or change the channel because we can’t find the remote and don’t feel like looking for it… we are at greater risk for what is known as the sedentary lifestyle than other people.

If you’re like me, and your kid stays home with you (while you secretly or not-so-secretly can’t wait for his preschool to start), you don’t even have to walk to the car every day. That’s A LOT of sitting.

In Walks Sedentary Lifestyle, and Out Walks Blogger Buns

Is this an attack on soft buns? I’d like to think not. This is about changing lifestyles and the reality of our bodies, which are basically biologically programmed

machines. While we may come in different models, we essentially respond to the same stimuli. Just the right amount of food containing nutrients, vitamins, minerals, etc combined with just enough exercise, and we function as designed. Too much food and not enough exercise, and we don’t.

Why Bloggers Have the Better Deal

Traditional office employees face the same risk of sedentary lifestyle. But if writing and/or blogging from home is what you do for a living, you have a significant advantage over them. You can get out of the house when you want to, work when you want to, and structure your day according to your own desires. So take advantage of that opportunity!

3 Easy Ways to Combat Sedentary Lifestyle

1. Reduce the amount of time you spend blogging each week by half an hour, and replace it with walking or running. I’d say an hour, but the reality is that’s pushing it. If you can commit to change just 30 minutes of your week (that’s just 0.2976%) for a few weeks, you could probably add more exercise with ease.

2. Eat at scheduled times, not when you’re blogging. It’s tough to do this. But the benefit is two-fold: (1) You focus on eating, which helps you to be present/in the moment and to feel full when you really are full, and (2) You force yourself to get out of your chair to get something to eat.

3. Vary your routine, so that you’re not doing the exact same thing every day. It’s amazing how quickly our bodies can adapt to routine. Doing the same thing every day – even if you are walking half a mile to the bus stop – doesn’t help your muscles get the activity necessary to stay strong. You actually have to vary it a little.

Doing just those three things should improve your blogger buns (I mean, sedentary lifestyle) issue pretty quickly. Good luck!
Read more at workingwritersandbloggers.com

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10 Things I Learned In 2010 About Being A New Blogger

2010-12-22T08:56:00.001-08:00

Great guest post by Sandy Miller of Marketing Daze on the 10 things she learned about being a new blogger in 2010.

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

10 Things I Learned In 2010 About Being A New Blogger

Written by Sandy Miller

Sandy Miller works in marketing and advertising. She has a blog www.marketingdaze.com and is also a featured blogger on www.socialmediatoday.com.

10 Things I Learned In 2010 About Being A New Blogger

1. Writing is only the first step and in many cases the easiest part of blogging.

2. Buying a domain name makes it easier to share your blog.

3. You aren’t taken as seriously as a blogger if you don’t have a paid hosting service.

4. You need a writing schedule to make sure you post regularly.

5. Read…read…read….you never know where inspiration for your next blog will come.

6. Don’t forget that reading is for inspiration and not for copying ideas.

7. You’re going to make mistakes but tomorrow is another day and another chance to post.

8. Don’t forget to ask questions and ask for comments.

9. YouTube can be your best friend. There are tutorials for everything you need to do.

10. Blogging is great way to talk, but you also have to listen to what others have to say.

Here’s a bonus #11 The one piece of information I can say for sure is that the more I learn about blogging, the more I realize what I don’t know. It’s a medium that is constantly changing and that keeps it challenging.

Image credit: Shutterstock
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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The Blog Economy of 2010

2010-12-21T20:26:00.001-08:00

Click the read more link to see the infographic (I wasn't able to clip it).

Amplify’d from nittygriddy.com

The Blog Economy of 2010

Ever wonder about the blogonomy? Don’t look so confused! Put 2 and 2 together and you’ll be sighing in no time .

So who’s blogging, from where and why?

Below, is a fantastic infographic by the Grasshopper Group, which reveals all you need to know about this year’s blog economy.
Read more at nittygriddy.com

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Health Editor of BizChickBlogs 2011

2010-12-21T11:59:00.001-08:00

Evelyn Parham is the new Health editor of BizChickBlogs.com

Amplify’d from evelynparham.com

Health Editor of BizChickBlogs 2011

It is my pleasure to announce that beginning in January 2011, I will officially take the reins as Health Editor of the new BizChickBlogs.

What is BizChickBlogs?

Tia Peterson is the founder of BizChickBlogs. Tia is giving her current blog a whole new look and feel in 2011. The new BizChickBlogs will have columns/departments that include: business, technology, health, relationships and family topics. BizChickBlog will be an online magazine (blogzine).

Guest Posting

Guest posting is a great way to introduce yourself to a larger audience and to meet new people. If you are a blogger who writes about health topics, and you would like to write a guest post for the Health column, please contact me at evelyn.parham@bizchickblogs.com.

Blog Network

Tia will also feature other syndicated posts from other blogs that are related to food, style, and travel subjects as well as much more. If you have a blog that fit’s these categories, please contact Tia and let her know.

Call to Action

Although BizChickBlogs is a blog with chicks in mind, guys are welcome too. I encourage you to submit your guest posts and become a member/supporter of the BizChickBlogs community.

Let’s roll in 2011.

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my RSS feed.

P.S.S. Subscribe to my monthly Become a Healthier You Newsletter.

Evelyn Parham
Thank you for your visit! I am Evelyn and my passion is helping others learn more about how they can become a healthier person. Learn more about me here.
Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts
Read more at evelynparham.com

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10 Things I Learned in 2010 About Why Businesses Are Resistant to Social Media

2010-12-21T08:13:00.001-08:00

Think you're too old for social media? Or that you don't have enough time? Or that you don't know what you're doing? A great guest post from Phyllis Zimbler Miller on why businesses resist social media.

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

10 Things I Learned in 2010 About Why Businesses Are Resistant to Social Media

Written by PhyllisZM

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) is the co-founder of the social media marketing company www.MillerMosaicPowerMarketing.com and blogs at www.MillerMosaicSocialMediaMarketing.com.

Social media marketing has incredible power to get your message out in front of your target markets – and at a cost considerably lower than almost all other forms of marketing or advertising or public relations.

And most businesses effectively using social media for the purpose of creating relationships (NOT selling) would probably agree with the above statement.

Yet throughout 2010, while I have met many people open-minded to learning how to harness social media marketing, I have also learned numerous reasons why people are sticking their heads in the sand about this powerful marketing opportunity:

1. Fear of the new

2. Fear of the ongoing cost

3. Fear of selling

4. Fear of embarrassment

5. Fear of not being perfect

6. Fear of committing

7. Fear of finding the time to do this

8. Fear of being too old

9. Fear of becoming addicted to Twitter or Facebook

10. Fear of not succeeding if you try

Image Credit: Shutterstock
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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How to Choose a Blog Title

2010-12-19T15:29:00.001-08:00

How to Choose a Blog Title

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

The blog title is one of the most important things you will create when it comes to your blog. Think carefully!

Steps

Figure out who you're writing for. Your desired target audience. What is going to appeal to them? A blog can end up becoming a really successful community. What name is going to make a member of your community feel proud?

Think about important search terms. If you're planning to brand your blog, or if you already have a brand and you're creating a blog for it, you need to think beyond generic search terms. However, you shouldn't negate search terms all together. It just depends on how the majority of your community will hear about your blog for the first time. Consider this: a large majority of the search traffic you get is going to be in part due to your blog's title.

Keep it short. 4 words is sufficient; less is better. More is pushing it.

Consider social media profiles and what's going to fit there, too. You can't blog successfully in a vacuum; you'll need a strong social media presence, so think about how your name will look on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, too.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Choose a Blog Title. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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Meet the Editors of BizChickBlogs 2011

2010-12-19T07:16:00.001-08:00

The contributing editors of the business, health, technology, and relationships and family columns of bizchickblogs.com

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

Meet the Editors of BizChickBlogs 2011

I’m excited to talk about the upcoming re-launch of bizchickblogs.com and the contributing editors who are helping to make it happen.

Marlee Ward / Business Editor

Chic and ultra-savvy, Marlee is going to head the Business column for bizchickblogs.com. I chose Marlee because of her clear passion for moving women in business forward, and the major underlying theme of the new site is moving women forward. Marlee is definitely the go-to girl for launching a new business right, but she’ll also talk about business trends in general, marketing, and managing solid careers. If you would like to contribute a post to the upcoming business column, please send a note to Marlee.

Libby Fisher / Technology Editor

This just wouldn’t be bizchickblogs.com without a great technology column. Libby is young, skilled, and can work her way around a website! Libby is a website developer by trade, and I chose her because she’s the perfect picture of women making moves into traditionally male-dominated industries. I connected with Libby on a personal level since we both are developers. Look to Libby for reviews, tutorials, and great articles on working with technology as a woman in business. If you’d like to contribute a post or article to the technology section (which will also cover blogging and social media), drop Libby a line.

Evelyn Parham / Health Editor

You’ve probably seen Evelyn around, as she’s a prolific guest blogger and has been a contributing blogger to several great blogs. She is a health writer and focuses on healthy eating choices. Evelyn possesses great connection skills and will bring a lot of vibrancy and life to the health section. I personally chose Evelyn because part of moving women forward is improving our lives wholistically. It doesn’t matter if we become great career women and then drop dead of a heart attack at 38, does it? The health section is about taking care of ourselves physically, which will support and sustain any other effort we make in life. If you have a great idea for a health article or would like to submit one yourself, contact Evelyn.

Christina Linnell /Relationships and Family Editor

What would a digital magazine for smart women be without a relationships and family section? Christina is a witty freelance writer, mom, wife, and certainly has a handle on the blog thing! Not only that, but she’s great at connecting with other bloggers. The relationships and family column at bizchickblogs.com is a bit of the softer, more personal side, and will cover topics that appeal to both single and married women alike. If you’d like to submit ideas or articles that fit in the relationships and family column, please contact Christina.

Add Your Blog

While those are our main columns, I will be editing the variety column which will feature blogs and articles in the food, style, and travel subjects, as well as much more. If you have a blog that fits in any of the four main columns above, or would fit in with the variety column, send me your name, the name of your blog and a short description, your blog’s URL, and your RSS feed URL.

What About Blogging Tips?

Blogging will still be covered, but at a much higher level, in the technology column. If you’ve contributed or commented here, your posts and comments will stay put, links intact! We’re just adding new categories and laying out the site in a much different way. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask.
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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10 Thoughts I Learned This Year that Will Help Your Blog

2010-12-17T09:08:00.001-08:00

Guest post by Gera of Sweets Foods

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

10 Thoughts I Learned This Year that Will Help Your Blog

Written by Gera

Gera is a blogger and foodie with passion for social media. He enjoys writing Successful Blogging Tips using social media strategies from a foodie standpoint. Subscribe to his Sweet Blog or connect with him on Twitter.

Blogging is like music you need to play several instruments at the same time, and to get a good sound, you must play them with harmony and coherence.

You’re the person in charge of the orchestra – the director and your unique style reflects it in the final piece

This year I’ve learned numerous topics, but as the theme of today is restricted to 10 points, I’ll sum up all of them in one single phrase: BE-YOURSELF
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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USA Funds Makes $1 Million Available for Scholarships

2010-12-16T08:59:00.001-08:00

Students from low- to moderate-income families may apply now for several scholarships offered by USA Funds, a nonprofit organization. There is a total of $1 million available through it’s USA Funds Access to Education Scholarships® program.

Amplify’d from www.overturemarketplace.com

USA Funds Makes $1 Million Available for Scholarships

Students from low- to moderate-income families may apply now for several scholarships offered by USA Funds, a nonprofit organization. There is a total of $1 million available through it’s USA Funds Access to Education Scholarships® program.

“USA Funds has helped more than 16,000 low- to moderate-income students pursue higher education through the award of more than $55 million in scholarships during the past nine years,” said Robert C. Ballard, USA Funds senior vice president, access and outreach. “We’re pleased to continue this tradition of scholarship support to help deserving students overcome financial barriers to college.”

Scholarships are available to undergraduate as well as graduate students. Students must be enrolled or plan to enroll in two or four year colleges, universities, or vocational/technical schools for the fall 2011 term. To qualify, students must have/come from a household with an annual income of less than $35,000 per year, and as much as 50% of the awards will go to students in an ethnic minority or who are physically disabled.

The application deadline is February 15, 2011. To apply online or access complete eligibility requirements, students should visit www.usafunds.org/scholarship.
Read more at www.overturemarketplace.com

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Why I Closed My Small Business Blog

2010-12-16T08:47:00.001-08:00

A look at what happens when you try to run one too many blogs that don't truly focus on your passion or interest.

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

Why I Closed My Small Business Blog

Written by LindaCSmith

Fine artist working in acrylics, ceramic tile mosaics, mixed media, digital art and photography. I'm also a wife, mom and grandmom.

The following is a guest post by Linda C Smith.

Why I Closed My Small Business Blog

It’s not that I was retiring or tired of writing. It’s not that I wasn’t still interested in small business and writing about small business. And it seemed crazy that I would discontinue “Linda’s Business Blog,” a blog that was gaining in popularity and readership. And to be truthful, getting my domain name changed to link to my new blog destination was a great, huge, lot of work. What it boiled down to was, in a word, integrity.

Image credit: Shutterstock
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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10 Things I Learned in 2010 About the Pitfalls of Blogging

2010-12-13T07:37:00.001-08:00

Funny guest post about things that kinda suck about blogging.

Amplify’d from www.bizchickblogs.com

10 Things I Learned in 2010 About the Pitfalls of Blogging

Written by SarahD

The following is a guest post by Sarah Danielson of Adiamor Engagement Rings, for the 10 Things I Learned in 2010 Series.

10 Things I Learned in 2010 About the Pitfalls of Blogging

About the 10 Things I Learned Series

From Tia: This is a guest blogging series on BizChickBlogs on 10 Things Learned in 2010. I’ve invited a handful of people to submit guest posts on this topic, and I would love to have more! If you have something you can write about, whether it be about what you learned about social media, having a blog network, taking time off, investing in premium plugins, starting another blog, closing a blog, whatever – contact me and let me know or read the guest blogging guidelines and send your guest post that way. Everyone is invited. Thanks!
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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The Definitive List of Self-Serve Online Ad Buying | ClickZ

2010-12-11T07:38:00.001-08:00

URL: http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/1712459/the-definit...

Good to bookmark

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10 Things I Learned About Facebook in 2010

2010-12-07T08:35:00.001-08:00

Ten insights into Facebook. The first is the best. So true!

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10 Things I Learned About Facebook in 2010

Written by MyDogAteMyBlog

G. Arnolds is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on Accredited Online Colleges for Guide to Online Schools.

1. Not using Facebook is now a political statement.

2. The majority of people who leave Facebook come back.

3. Most companies can benefit from creating Facebook Pages and recruiting Fans.

4. It’s really easy to annoy people on Facebook.

5. Famous people, even those who are famous for doing nothing, use Facebook.

6. People like the idea of Facebook as a narrative.

7. Don’t believe everything you read on Facebook.

8. Facebook is the new MySpace Music.

9. Facebook applications cannot always be trusted.

10. Facebook profiles can be deleted, but never erased.

Image: The Facebook logo is a registered trademark of Facebook.

About the 10 Things I Learned Series

From Tia: This is a guest blogging series on BizChickBlogs on 10 Things Learned in 2010. I’ve invited a handful of people to submit guest posts on this topic, and I would love to have more! If you have something you can write about, whether it be about what you learned about social media, having a blog network, taking time off, investing in premium plugins, starting another blog, closing a blog, whatever – contact me and let me know or read the guest blogging guidelines and send your guest post that way. Everyone is invited. Thanks!
Read more at www.bizchickblogs.com

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10 Things I Learned in 2010... About Writing a Food Blog

2010-12-06T07:44:00.001-08:00

First in the 10 Things I Learned in 2010 series at BizChickBlogs. If you're interested in submitting a post for the series, just check out this post on the blog and there's information about it at the end.

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10 Things I Learned About Writing a Food Blog in 2010

Written by Italian Mama Chef Michelle

Foodie and Italian food lover. I blog about learning authentic and traditional Italian cooking like my grandparents used to make. My blog features traditional Italian recipes, reviews, giveaways, and more. www.italianmamachef.com

I am just about at my one year anniversary of starting my food blog, Italian Mama Chef, and I have learned some invaluable lessons in that time. Many thanks go out to Tia of BizChickBlogs for all the help she gave me which has allowed me to feel as successful as I do.

On to my list!
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What is Up with Bing’s Top Ten Search Terms for 2010???

2010-12-04T18:33:00.001-08:00

URL: http://www.bizchickblogs.com/2010/12/what-is-up-with-bi...

Guest post by Wolf 21 Internet Marketing Solutions

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Don’t Miss These December Scholarship Deadlines!

2010-12-04T07:33:00.001-08:00

URL: http://www.overturemarketplace.com/dont-miss-these-dece...

December scholarship deadlines for college (or soon to be in college) students.

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3 Ways to Bring Power to Your Blog

2010-11-23T10:30:00.001-08:00

Marlee Ward added a fourth way - changing the conversation in your industry. Read the other three ways.

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3 Ways to Bring Power to Your Blog

Power: the ability to act or produce an effect. (Merriam-Webster)

When searching for “power” images on Shutterstock for this post after I wrote it, two things were prominent: big muscles, and electricity. Those pictures were interesting, but didn’t quite grasp the concept of the kind of power I’m referring to for your blog. It was the picture of the windmill that caught my attention.

Wind has an incredible, sometimes even disastrous ability to effect change. Like water, it is one of the most powerful sources of energy we have. But power lying dormant is wasted. It has to be harvested and then utilized.

Considering your blog, ultimately, you want it to have some kind of power/ability to produce an effect – perhaps on your business’s bottom line, or your personal wallet, or maybe even your own sense of accomplishment. The potential for power is there – the sources exist – the key is in figuring out how to bring enough power to your blog to make a noticeable impact.
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