Lots of life changes going on! since my last post in February, I left Microsoft to start my own consulting/project management business - and am pregnant with twins! (twin girls to be exact!)  I will be blogging less about making money online since I have stepped away from that now that I have my own project managemnet biz. and will be focusing more on my life outside work, things like crafts, family etc..

Wow, so my site www.FairsandFestivals.net got hacked! Figuring out how to fix it and why it happened was quite the challenge. I found out it it was hacked by getting 2 notices; 1 from Paypal and 1 from Bank of America saying that I had phishing sites on my server!!! Sure enough  there were 2 folders on my server that were not mine. I contacted my host (hostgator) to notify them, it wasn’t a host issue it was a specific “Lindsey’s Site issue!” I removed the offending material, changed passwords to everything and began to dig into what happened….

Here’s a tip for you: When one of your software companies issues a notice about a potential security hole in it’s software (i.e. amember, my membership management software) you should probably install the patches they recommend. I didn’t install it back in October, simply becuase I wasn’t sure how, and guess what, I got hacked….DUH!

 Needless to say when I installed the patches, and updated my passwords, my site was back to a clean record… go figure!

Don’t wait 4 months to install security patches, or wait until you get hacked.. that was totally not smart on my part! Next time I won’t be a fraid to figure out how to install patches!

I am a little late in using my $100 gift card from Google but after seeing everyone complain back in December about how they thought Google was slack with their gifts this year (I spend a lot on Adwords so I guess I qualified for the gift!) I am actually feeling pretty good! I just used my gift card and donated $100 to one of the programs available on DonorsChoose.org and appreciate the thoughtfulness of the gift. Thanks Google!

Request your seat now - and come to Redmond to watch the Start-Up Junkies’ Reality Show Preview. It’s showing on Campus at Microsoft on Wednesday (this week January 16th) at 7:30 pm.

Check out Earth Class Mail for details on how to get your seat!

So I analyze my Google Adwords campaign on a monthly basis and my revenue, and affiliate income for my Fairs and Festivals website. I noticed a huge dip in conversions this month so far - you can assume it’s becuase of the holiday’s and time of year, but their are festivals and fairs year round. I am getting the same amount of traffic I have traditionally received, but not getting the same conversion rate.  I am even getting low sign-up to the newsletter, which has traditionally had 75+ new sign ups a day. Very interesting data. I started the site last April so I will be interested to see a year’s worth of data when I hit April this year, but based on the conversions so far this month, January is shaping up to be the lowest converting month since April last year!

Ok so I checked on my fish “BillG” Sunday night and he was nowhere to be found in my MacQuarium. I wasn’t sure where he was and in a small 9×9x6 tank there isn’t very many if any places he can hide. Well he managed to cram himself in between the air filter and the glass and that’s where he laid to rest.. R.I.P my fish “BillG”… Guess my little fish just couldn’t handle Sunday being the last CES keynote for The real BillG….

I love my MacQuarium! I named my beta fish BillG - So the Video is a tutorial on making your own MacQuarium. I thought my idea was “original” but there is quite a following for the “MacQuariums!” I decided to give this a try anyhow and come up with my own plans. All of them incluing mine, basically get you to the same end result.  I did find some sites that had pictures and several variations of plans are out there. This video is kind of a tutorial and kind of just me trying to figure out how to make one. Here are some other great reference links:

1. How to Build a MacQuarium - UnlikelyMoose instructions on how to build a MacQuarium
2. The Apple Collection - MacQuariums photo gallery
3. AppleFritter - MacQuarium Photo Gallery
4. The original MacQuarium - Instructions for building your MacQuarium
5. More MacQuarium Instructions - MacQuarium instructions

I did my instructions/tutorial via video and the written instructions below. With my video, instructions and the above links you should have enough info to venture into making your own! 

Supplies

• 1 Macintosh SE computer (or classic, or SEII - or any macintosh from the “rectangle” years)
• Cut Glass for fish tank portion (you’ll get measurements on the glass sizes below)
• 100% clear silicone with no mold inhibitor (it kills the fish)
• Wood for the base of the tank inside the Mac Case.
• Gravel for the fish tank
• Fish for the tank
• Air filter for the tank, get the smallest one you can that sticks to the inside of the tank.
• Background image for back of fish tank
• OPTIONAL: Spray paint to pain the Macintosh box (if you want, or just leave it natural)
• Fish tank decor (bigger rocks, greenery etc. etc.)
• Fish food (you don’t want your fish to die do you?)
• Dremel with a sanding bit, drill/cutting bit (not a Cutoff bit! it’s too hot and melts the plastic with nasty toxic fumes!)
• Heavy duty cutters to cut off the plastic piece on the inside.

Step 1 - Acquire a vintage (ideally non-working, afterall who wants to ruin a perfectly good vintage mac) 1986/1987 Macintosh SE - or classic or frankly any Macintosh that has the rectangle shape. Ebay has tons and so does Craigslist, Expect to pay around $50 max for one. This project is done with a 86-87 Macintosh SE, you’ll want to double check the measurments if you get a different computer. The measurments I’m using are just for the Mac SE.

Step 2 - Unscrew everything on the Mac and remove all computer components so you are just left with the shell. you will need a torx t-15 screwdriver and one very long one to get inside the handles (there are 4 screws to take the case off - 2 under the handle and 2 at the base of the back) if you can’t find a long torx t-15 a flat head screwdriver that fits inside the screw works great ( I had to use that since I couldn’t find a long torx t-15) Unscrew EVERYTHING that is computer oriented, remove all of it and just leave hte shell and the metal support casing inside.

Step 3 - Measure the inside available space for a square tank, then go get the glass cut, here are the measurements I have for the Mac SE I am using.  I got the glass at my local stained glass store, they cut it for me and everything, you want at least 3mm (1/8″) thick glass. I “thought” I measured well, but the first take through on this I had a bit to long of a base for the tank and couldn’t get it to close.  So the measurements below are now perfected and you’ll only have to cut once!

• 1 piece (floor of tank) that measures - 8.5 x 8.5 inches
• 1 piece (front of tank) that measures - 6 1/4 x 8.5 inches
• 1 piece (back of tank) that measures - 5.5 x 8.5 inches
• 2 pieces (sides of tank) that measure - 5.5 x 8 1/4 inches
• NOTE: the sides, front and back sit on top of the floor glass.

STEP 4: You need wood to stabilize the floor of the tank. I used 3/4 x 3.5 inch thick wood (just got pine the cheapest at home depot) and you’ll need 2 lengths

• 1 piece that is 12″
• 2 pieces that are 5″ each

Step 5: You also need a small square piece of wood that is no larger than 1/4″ in thickness  ideally 1/8″ is perfect (this will go on top of the wood bases). This measurement is 9.5 x 8.5 inches.

step 6 - Get 100% clear Aquarium silicone  with no mold inhibitor (that will kill the fish) you can get it at home depot or lowes for about $10 at a fish store you’ll pay closer to $40

Step 7 - Cut a hole behind the handle  just on the top to make room for Feeding the fish, (after I made my aquarium, I recommend cutting the full handle off so you can fill the water up all the way without it touching the underside of the handle). You can use your dremel drill/cutting bit, but don’t use a cut-off bit (even though it says you can use it for plastic) because it melts the plastic and leaves a horrible toxic smoke in your work area,, (I think I lost 2 years of my life from inhaling it!)

Step 8 - Use your heavy duty cutters and cut off any of protruding plastic (make sure to leave the two knobs on the front case so you can screw on the back of the case when you are done) on the inside that would prevent the glass from sitting well against the back wall.

Step 9 - Put the wood support floor together -make an x with the 3/4″ pieces and the 12″ piece and place in the bottom of the metal tray (the front of the computer that slides into the back casing) Then screw on the 9.5″x8.5″ piece of plywood. Now you have your base!

Step 10 - Use the Aquarium Silicone and piece together your fish tank, use it like glue for the edges of each piece together the glass ON TOP of the base (as opposed to the base fiting inside the 4 walls) once the initial placement of silicone as glue is dry then line the inside corners and base with silicone and use your fingers to push it into the seams (like when caulking a bathroom). let it dry

Step 11 - Clean the fish tank and slide the glass in first then the front part of the case. put the 4 case screws back in and bam, you have your tank ready for water! Don’t put water in it until the silicone has dried for 48 hours, or your fish will die (that happened to my first fish…)

Step 12 - Fill it with gravel, water and your air filter then put in your goldfish, beta fish or whatever ( you can get a heating element to open up your fish options).

 OPTIONAL STEP: Paint your case whatever color you want!

Troubleshooting:

1. Glass not fitting in the case? - You may need to cut off more of the handle or all of the handle if you are having trouble getting the glass in, or want the glass all the way to the top of the case.
2. You want the water to fill up the full front window (vs. seeing the top of the water in the front window)? - If you want the water to fill the front “window” all the way, you will have to “prop” up the back of the case so the water can get to the top of the glass in the front. Another option is to completely cut the handle out, so you don’t have to worry about it sitting in the water and contaminating it. then fill it up to the top
3. Don’ want to use the drill/cutter? - Well sorry, kinda your only option, other then a small hand saw.  Don’t even try using a cut off wheel with your dremel and the plastic, even though the tool says you can use it in plastic, it creates a nasty smelling smoke and is just horrible to breath in.
4. Silicone all over the glass where you don’t want it? -Did you get some silicone sealant on the glass (fingerprints or silicone where you don’t want it) to get it off, you just use Mineral Spirits and a scraper (plastic) to remove the silicone from the glass where you don’t want the silicone.
5. Fish Died shortly after being put in the tank? - This can be caused by being impatient and not letting the silicone dry for a full 48 hours, or if the top of the water touches the bottom of the handle (on the inside) it can contaminate the water.

Want to buy the 2 tanks I made? I’m auctioning them off on Ebay.

I’ve made two of the tanks, both in Red. I am auctioning them off on Ebay now! they will ship with everything but the water, fish, gravel, food, and water treatment stuff ( you can get that at your local fish store). One will be local pick up in seattle with the fish! (the one in the picture!) and the other will be shipped empty.

Bid away or have a blast making your own

Ebay Auction For case and Glass ready to add your fish -Auction closes on January 10th!

I met with one of the Founders of ActiveWords.com - Buzz Bruggeman, to chat with him how Active Words was founded, challenges they faced since inception and advice for budding entrepreneur’s.  Buzz offers 3 things that were nearly fatal to Active Words and how you can avoid the same mistakes when starting your own business, web based or otherwise. Over the course of the next week, I will follow up my chat with some tutorials on Active Words, considering I personally think everyone should have a copy :). 

Random side note here, if you ever get a chance to meet Buzz, he’s one of the nicest people around!

I decided to try using Kontera ads (contextual base advertising) on both my blog and my site www.fairsandfestivals.net to see how much revenue contextual ads can bring in. I will report on the revenue monthly to see if this is a worthwhile revenue source. It’s easy to ad to your site you just get the script from Kontera and past it on the pages you want the in context ads to show up. I just put it in my footer file so it shows up on all of my pages. You can tell the Kontera “context” ads by the words that are orange and double underlined on my blog

So I find that the most difficult part of starting a web based business is thinking through the monetization models for your idea. I’ve tried dropshipping other people’s products and you are limited totally to how good the dropshipper is vs. how you want to run your business - I had a VERY poor dropshipper that affected the level of customer service and shipping that I wanted, so I ended up stopping the business becuase I couldn’t deal with the complaints from shipping and tracking that the dropshipper couldn’t provide.

I’ve also tried “free” content sites hoping for an advertising model (um those sites no longer keep my interest and continue to not be profitable). Finally I tried subscription based sites and that is where I hit the jackpot with making a profitable web business. I am not talking quit my day job. I am talking more about actually making some profit to keep your business going and some extra cash at the end of the month “supplemental income” and the sites continue to grow in revenue base on advertising through ppc (pay per click) and advertising on niche based sites that relate to my membership/subscription site.

Essentially think through your ideas and how you create content that people would pay for. Provide enough information for free that they see the value in your content and are willing to pay.  You can have different membership levels, access etc. and modify this as you learn what works.  Some ideas to think about that could make great membership sites:

• Take your hobby or passion and think of content around that, written content, tips, videos, training etc. that people would pay for (basically if you would find the information valuable, others most likely will)
• Think of ways that you can make other peoples lives easier by consolidating data - People WILL pay for convenience of not having so search and data mine information themselves.

You may think to yourself, how on earth am I going to keep content fresh and interesting. Well, you outsource content creation by hiring someone off of www.elance.com I’ve never written my own content, if I do it’s very minimal, I hire out for very cheaply the resources to create the content I want. 

Also, you’ll need membership software to not only take payments but manage and secure your membership area, there are several programs that you have to pay monthly fees. My favorite is www.amember.com they are the best in my opinion as you have 1 licensing fee and no monthly fees and their support is amazing!