Who are my clients?

I love my job. Always have. People have told me that I'm "lucky" because I can make a living doing something I love. What an odd statement, I think. I don't believe that luck has a lot to do with it. I make a living doing something I love because I made it happen. Everyone else has the same opportunity to be "lucky" with their own talents. The only difference between me and them is that I followed my own path.

Something else "lucky" happened to me a few years ago. I left my job in Corporate America ("left" as in, with a little push). I had been wanting to move on anyway, so it was just the kick in the pants I needed. I started freelancing and built Olsen Creative. It hasn't always been easy, but I've never looked back.

Even more "luck" was bestowed upon me when I found my niche with clients. (Geez, I'm finally getting to the point). Other small businesses just like me needed help that I was able to provide. In other words, my clients are people who are making a living at things they love doing.

How cool is that?

My current clients are a wine guy who blends his own wine and markets his goodies with personalized wine labels (yep, your face or biz logo on a wine label!), a music teacher who started her own vocal studio, a husband/wife team who built a contemporary education project that uses music in a unique and relevant way to excite young people about learning and help them experience success, a community bank that specializes in small business accounts, and a couple other musicians who perform and teach.

If you had asked me 20 years ago where I saw myself today, I would have had a completely different answer, but I would have been nowhere near as happy.

My clients are awesome!

5 steps to get your own website

In today's market, most small businesses know they need a website. They WANT to get online, but don't have a clear idea of what's involved. There is so much information about it on the Internet that it's hard to get down to the nuts and bolts. What do you really need to get online?

This overview lists the basics for the non-technically inclined. Yes, you. Say it loud: "I'M A NEWBIE AND PROUD!" Each part will require some research to choose the specs and price to suit your needs, but just take it one step at a time.

1. You need a computer that is capable of connecting to the Internet
If you want to read some simple blogs and send and receive text-only email, then a computer with a 56k modem will get you where you're going - eventually. It might be fun for about 15 minutes. Your first visit to YouTube will be a stark disappointment. If you want to take advantage of all that the Internet has to offer, get a computer with an ethernet card/port so that you can hook up to broadband (DSL or cable) Internet access. And no, not just to watch funny videos or listen to music. It's not much fun to publish a full website over a slow 56k dial-up connection, or email large attachments that take all night to send. Your computer also needs to have software to access the Internet (a browser), which usually comes pre-installed. The latest versions of popular browsers are available for download online.

2. You need to access the Internet through an Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Now that you have your own computer where you can build a website and access the Internet, there's certainly no need to spend your time surfing at the local public library, computer lab or Internet cafe. And what are you going to do in the wee after-hours when you finish your website changes or have a sudden urge to check your email? You need to get Internet access at home or at your office. The ISP simply provides access to the Internet. You need this if you're going to build and maintain a website, send and receive email and surf.

3. You need to register a Domain Name (DNS: Domain Name System)
The website you're about to create needs an address on the Internet. Your very own dot com. The address is called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Your URL can be any name that isn't already taken. Check through a domain search service to find out if your favorite name is available.

4. You need to post your website via a web host
A web host provides space on their server for you to make your website available on the Internet. This is where your actual website files are stored. (Of course, you have another full version on your hard drive, a back-up of that on an external drive and an archived version on CD - you can never be too safe). Web hosting services range from offering space and email addresses, to full eCommerce packages.

5. You need to design a website
No small matter here. You can hire someone to build a site for you, or try your hand with a web design package that contains step-by-step instructions for everything from creating content to uploading your first website to your web host.

Is that it? Well, it's the 10,000ft view. Hopefully it brings enough clarity to make a confusing process a little easier to follow.

If you're "new" and this article helped you, I invite you to click the link below to post a comment. This is my first blog, so I don't mind if it's your first blog comment. We can all learn something new today.

Welcome to Short-Term Strategies

“You shouldn't have a long-term strategy anymore, because you won't be able to move fast enough.” - Orit Gadiesh

(Chairman of Bain & Company, and one of Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women in the World)

What better reason to start a blog? And for me, "to start" means to jump in and do. While that may seem counter-strategic, by the time I had studied everything there was to know about blogging, it would all be so 10-minutes-ago that I'd have to start strategizing on something else.

Thus, I will try hard to hide my amazement if I click "publish" and see this online. It's all part of my strategy.