In case you all were wondering where I’ve been the last few weeks, it’s time to finally let the secret out! I’ve been spending a TON of time working on a website for a new addition to the Countryside product line- Countryside Custom Laser Engraving. The website is now live and ready for traffic, and more importantly, orders! Take a minute and go check out some of the cool unique gift ideas and other things we’ve got available over there, just waiting to be personalized with a picture, logo, or your own custom text inscription. Whether you need a birthday gift, wedding or anniversary present, something special for a new mom, or corporate incentive/giveaway items, we’ve got you covered. There is really no limit to what we can do with that laser, we have really only “scratched the surface” ourselves!

The whole process has been quite a learing curve for everyone involved. Ryan has spent countless hours trying to get the various settings figured out to actually run the equipment, and I’ve managed to learn the Joomla! Content Management System basically from scratch. Joomla! is a great platform to use, but to call the learning curve steep is an understatement- I would go with vertical! Having said that, it was the right choice to use for building the website and online store, and very much worth the time investment to learn it.

Take a minute to jump over there and check it out- there is some really cool stuff for sale and with Christmas coming, it’s never too early to get started shopping! Countryside Custom Laser Engraving

Monday I attended a National Grants Conference meeting. I have mixed thoughts on that program. I think they may offer a very valid service, but some other reviews I found did not echo that sentiment. People claim that they oversell and underdeliver, which is definitely not something I want to rush to recommend to you guys! The salesman was very slick, almost to the point of being annoying, and the price ($1299) is, in my opinion, too much to spend on something you can do yourself. The nuts and bolts of their program is that they help you find government and private grant money to use for building your business, buying a home, or accomplishing a myriad of other financial goals. Then they point you in the direction of the applications, review your proposals, pat you on the back and send you off with best wishes. While it sounds like a good deal on the surface, you may find that the “support” is almost impossible to obtain, and when you look at the “return on your investment”, you may find that you paid too much for too little. I have also heard that getting the refund they promise is next to impossible. Overall, I’d tell anyone interested in obtaining government grants to do a little more research before you open your wallet that wide!One last thing before I go… check back later this week for some reviews on some e-books I’ve been reviewing to decide if they are worth sharing with you guys! One is a very detailed guide to SEO (search engine optimization), the other is a very informative guide to blogging, both for fun and profit. Stay tuned!