Guide

CafePress: is it Worth it Anymore?

A few years back, I wrote an article on how to make your CafePress shop successful, which was true at the time, but now stands as a rather stunning example of just how dramatically things can change in online “partnerships.” I did not even mention the names of my shops in my original article and won’t in this one either, because the purpose of this article is not to promote them. It is also not my intent in this article to bemoan the events that took place earlier this year that resulted in a huge loss of income to many CafePress shopkeepers (including myself). The only purpose of this article is to point people to more current information.

Most of the “great” incentives that were mentioned in my previous article still exist, but there have been drastic changes as to how they are calculated so many people do not think they are that great anymore.

When there is a topic that involves incentives, there will be some important facts that come to mind on whether this is a safe path or not but rest assured that if you go for online marketing course like Evergreen Wealth Formula, then things will become easy to manage.

These are the changes that were rolled out one by one at CafePress since my article first appeared in March 2007:

Affiliate Program

The affiliate program was changed from in-house to Commission Junction. Affiliates earn 15% on sales they send to CafePress. This happened in 2007 but later on, in July of 2008, because of certain laws enacted by the State of New York, CafePress had to stop supporting its affiliate program in that State so that New York residents were no longer able to participate at all.

Shop size limits

New restrictions were imposed in the spring of 2008 and unlimited sections in premium shops became a thing of the past. People opening new premium shops would be allowed up to 500 sections and if they wanted to grow beyond that number, they would have to pay another fee for a new store to get another 500 sections. People who already had large shops were “grandfathered” in and given allowances for more sections. Free shops were and still are an option. One design per product in each free shop. This means you can have one of each product in your shop – one white tee, one mug, one mousepad, etc. You can use different designs on each, but let’s say you want to have 3 mugs, one for each design. Then you need to either open up 3 free shops or spring for a premium shop.

Volume Bonus Changes

Toward the end of July 2008, the volume bonus program was renamed to Shop Performance Bonus. Credit for a sale toward the bonus would be determined by where it came. If it came from the CafePress Marketplace, there is no credit. Lower thresholds were put in place to qualify for the bonus, but the sale has to come from the shop. CafePress began absorbing all costs of affiliate driven sales.

Commission Structure

In July of 2009, Cafepress instituted the most drastic change: the way shopkeepers could earn money from their designs. Any sale originating from the CafePress marketplace would earn a 10% commission on prices that Cafepress sets. Shopkeepers are still free to control their markup in their online shops, and, as always, have the option to opt out of the marketplace entirely and only offer their design through their own shops.

The last change caused quite a dramatic drop in income for a great many shopkeepers. Many designers chose to opt out of the marketplace, while others opened stores at competitors like Zazzle. Others had already been selling merchandise at other print on demand sites, in an effort not to “put all their eggs in one basket.”

Whether it is worth continuing or beginning a CafePress venture is, of course, a highly personal decision because only you can figure out the best use of your time and resources and where your designs will likely sell the best.

Social Networking

5 Tips to Help You “Dive Right In” to Social Networking Web Sites

As you can see from the above list, it seems that everyone has different reasons for using social networking web sites. In fact, there appears to be a unique social networking web site or group of sites for almost every occupation, interest and lifestyle. Therefore, finding a social network that interests an Internet user is typically not a problem. However, how to start participating on a social networking web site is another story.

Quite simply put, people just don’t know how to begin becoming an active part of a social networking community. Sure, most people can find a social network that interests them, register, and log in, but then what? If you aren’t using LinkedIn to find jobs, it is pointless. Similarly, if you aren’t using MySpace to meet and reconnect with people, it is a waste of your time. Therefore, you need to be able to utilize these sites as they were intended. This is where People Search News comes in as we are proud to present:

The Top 5 Tips to Help You Get Started on a Social Networking Web Site

Dot the I’s and Cross the T’s:

Every social networking site will have a place to add information about yourself, your interests and even add a photo or two. Profiles are a great way to let other members get to know you and see if they have anything in common. Therefore, before you do anything on a social networking site, make sure to have your profile filled out.

Hello? Is There Anybody Out There?:

The process of learning a new social networking site can always be made easier with the help of a “real life” friend. Most sites will have an area to invite your friends to that particular social networking site or have the ability to allow you to import your friends from your email address book. If you go into a social network with a few known friends, you will be able to get a lot more out of the network much quicker than starting from scratch.

Add Everything (Even the Kitchen Sink):

As my auto shop teacher used to tell me, the best way to figure out how an engine works is to get your hands dirty. Therefore, if you see a widget, media player, skin etc., add it to your profile or page. Most of the time, these applications can be added in one click and if you are having trouble, install instructions will usually be in the help section.

It’s Good to Know People:

Social networking groups are a great way for people with the same interest to connect. Once you log in to a site, you should easily be able to find its group section. Find a group that suits you, sign up and introduce yourself! If you own a Youtube page for your vlog or business, you can buy Youtube views so that you can build your network. Having views on Youtube will also add values and credibility on your page. Hence a lot of people would know that your page is a trusted one.

Introduce Yourself, Right On!:

When you become a member of any social networking site, it is always a good idea to introduce yourself. By letting other members know a little about you, you can quickly meet new members and build a reputation as a quality member.

Guide

L De Lolita Lempicka, a Perfume Review

I first smelled this perfume in a Sephora catalog that was mailed to my home. It was the only one that caught my attention out of the ten samples. There are very few scents that appeal to my selective taste. What I generally seek is a fragrance that is not flowery because I am allergic to many of the strong flowery scents plus they just smell horrible on me. What I need is a fragrance that is more oriental with base notes of vanilla. There are very few scents that agree with my body chemistry. Angel by Thierry Mugler is one that I love and there is another called Flowerbomb by Viktor  amp; Rolf. This L de Lolita Lempicka is pretty much in the same family as those. The good thing is that this fragrance is less expensive.

Angel costs $160.00

Flowerbomb costs $150.00

L de Lolita Lempicka costs $89.00 almost half the price

Concept

The marketing concept of this perfume left me a bit confused but that is the only questionable trait of this perfume. Let me explain. The perfume is supposed to be based upon a mermaid and the sea. When I think of the sea I consider smelling something like Sand and Sable (an old perfume that smells like the beach) If not that then perhaps something with coconut. I really don’t know that much about marketing a perfume but I surely wouldn’t link a woodsy oriental to the sea.

Packaging

The bottle is supposed to look like a pebble but I think it resembles a whimsical heart. The aqua blue bottle is embellished with a starfish caught in a golden net and a gold letter L charm. I believe that the actual perfume inside the bottle is what is colored bluish-green, I am pretty sure the actual bottle is clear. The bottle comes packaged in an orange box which is not very pretty in my opinion. As I mentioned earlier it is not what I would expect the bottle or packaging to look like. I don’t think I would even consider this to be a negative it just leaves me with a huge question mark, that is all.

Fragrance

Top Notes: Bitter Orange, Orange Flower, and Cinnamon

Mid Notes: Immortal Flower and Vanilla

Base Notes: Woods, Amber, and Musk

This fragrance is delightfully well blended. The smell just works, it is a tad spicy but not overpowering. It flirtatiously lingers without being nauseating.

The scent lasts for about 8 hours without having to reapply.

You can smell each layer clearly and they are all perfectly combined. The orange smells more like an orange blossom than the actual fruit it is subtle but it still there, The vanilla smells sort of like a toasty marshmallow sprinkled with cinnamon. I just love how each of the notes are obviously present but none of them dominate. It is perfection, they really knew just when to back off of certain smells to create the ideal composition.

I would most often wear this in the winter during the daytime.

Where to buy

You can purchase it at Sephora but I have recently found it at Amazon.com and Ebay for much less than the retail price. You just need to make sure that you are buying the real Eau de Parfum and not a tester. The difference between the perfume and the tester is that the tester wears off much quicker. I like my perfume to linger so I don’t have to reapply. You will also see a lot of old bottles on Ebay in which the scent has turned. These are easy to spot because the perfume will change color. The old ones turn into a greenish-brown you will want to go for a more green/blue color. The less brown the better and fresher.

There is no dearth to the brand of perfumes that you get to find in the market but most of them are expensive and people too are spoilt for choice as they get many recommendations from friends that relieve their own experience of having tried out a brand new perfume that came out in recent times.

Cbd

Top 5 Benefits Of Using CBD Oil

CBD or cannabidiol oil is one of the most popular remedies that are quite effective in some of the common ailments. With over 100 chemical compounds you get a powerful remedy with CBD oil. But it is quite important that you get the best quality CBD oils and learn about them from cbdfable.com as well. In this article, we are are going to take a look at the different benefits that are there when it comes to CBD oils. 

  • Pail relieving properties

One of the most popular and well-known uses of CBD is its pain-relieving properties. With the help of CBD oils, you get to suppress the receptors of your nervous system in order to reduce the inflammation and pain in your body. You have oral sprays and tablets that are available in the market for ingestion. Considering this, you can say that CBD along with a combination of THC you get an effective and useful medicine that you can use to get rid of pain and inflammation. 

  • Anxiety and depression

Anxiety and depression are the most common mental disorders that people suffer these days they have devastating impacts on your health. The most common treatment of these ailments is pharma drugs that have adverse side effects like insomnia, agitation, sexual dysfunction, and headache. Moreover, these medications may also lead to substance abuse as well. On the other hand, CBD oils seem to be more effective and useful while treating anxiety and depressions. Using CBD oil is proven to be safe and effective for the treatment of depression and anxiety in human and animal studies. 

  • Cancer-relates symptoms

Although this is still under research CBD oils are considered to be effective against cancer symptoms and are also effective against cancer cells as well. With the constant development of science and technology, we can expect a medical breakthrough in this space anytime soon. The human testing phase may take some time but CBD oils will certainly save a lot of lives. 

  • Helps in reducing acne

Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is considered that CBD oils are also a great skincare product as they help you with the reduction of acne on your face. Unlike harmful chemicals and products, CBD oils are much safe and effective when it comes to skincare. With the CBD oils, you get to control the overproduction of sebum in your body ultimately reducing the chances of acne and several other skin problems. 

  • Neuroprotective properties

Because of its ability to act on our neuro system and other brain signalling systems that are there in our body, CBD oils are considered to be quite effective with the treatment of neurological ailments like multiple sclerosis. Though there are limited evidence and research in this space, CBD is seen as a promising solution to several neurological diseases and will take over the medical industry 

Conclusion

CBD oils are quite promising when it comes to the treatment of the mental disorder, skin treatment, and other medical and neurological ailments. It is just a matter of time before CBD oils are going to change the medial industry completely. 

Business

The Ins and Outs of GPT (Get Paid To) Sites

I am sure everyone has heard about GPT or Get Paid To sites and Profit accumulator. They are everywhere as you learn about how much to start profit accumulator. Before you sign up for one there are a few things you should know. They are not all created equal. Some are scams. Some are legit. My purpose for this article is to hopefully lead you in the right direction. To the ones that will help you make money online. I will include the ones that are tried and true by me. The ones that I have been paid by.

When you find a GPT site that you think you want to try, search for it, and see what comes up. You will most likely get links to message boards, where people are talking about the GPT sites. Do not let one or two disgruntle postings deter you though. These are often from people who have been banned because of cheating. You want to look for posts from people who are showing proof of payment so that you know these sites actually pay. Do not take people’s words on it. They will say anything to get you to sign up.

Go to GPT’s website. They often have the site’s statistics on the home page. Look for ones that have been around a while. I am not saying that the new ones are bad, but the world of GPT’s are going through so changes, and the less established companies may not handle them so well. The GPT sites often have forums you can join without being a member. These links will be on the home page. These forums are biased since they belong to the GPT owners so take what you read with a grain of salt, but they often have proof of payment listed on there. Read the TOS �⒬”terms of service, these are often on the home page as well. You have to obey these or you will be deleted and any monies earned will be forfeited.

Now the next step is to sign up. Be prepared to have to verify who you are. There is a lot of fraud going on with GPT sites right now and they are tightening the purse straps so to speak. If you join and decide you do not like it, you do not have to participate. Just forget that you are even a member. The first thing to do once you join if you haven’t already is read the How-To guides. These are written by the GPT site owners and will help you get your offers credited. If your offers are denied this does not necessarily mean you did something wrong. It just means that the advertisers did not give credit. Sometimes offers are not approved or denied, they stay in the pending folder. These offers can be deleted from the folder and redone.

Here are a couple of the sites I have been paid by numerous times. They are all fabulous sites.

Deal Barbie You get a $3.00 sign up bonus and They have a three-level referral system: 15% first level, 3% second level, 2% third level. You also earn dollars signs which you can trade for gift cards, money added to your account, or other items. Plus you get promo codes for free money and dollars signs. You can also earn loyalty points which are cashed in the same assigns. The minimum cash out is $20.00.

Cash Lagoon You make 15% of what your referrals make. Your earn points instead of money, but for the most part, 1 point=$1.00. $2.00 minimum PayPal payout and they pay within 48 hours.

Swat Cash They pay 20% of your referrals earnings. $15.00 minimum payout that is automatic once you reach it.

Fairy Tale Treasure This is a newer site. They have a two-level referral system: 12% first level, 2% second level. You earn magic lamps along with cash that can be cashed in for money into your account. They also offer Pay to Click, promo codes, and trivia questions. $10.00 minimum payout and they payout twice a month.