Advice Network Founders Blog

Those of you who read this blog often, or know me know I am not a web developer, not a programmer, and not especially technical. I’m an entrepreneur, and a photographer. I rely on paid developers to translate my vision into the code that is a functioning website.

Here is a dirty little secret. Finding competent developers is the hardest part! Oh the stories I could tell. I started mistrustful of outsourcing, and went with a developer near me. He ripped me off for $60,000. He didn’t pay his employees, didn’t produce anything, and declared chapter 11. I’d tell you his name, but he’s lawyered up, and I am sure he would like nothing better than to sue me for looking his way cross-eyed. If we ever meet at a party, I’ll tell you all about it.

So, 1/2 my money gone, I was forced to go the outsourced rout. I found these guys in India who spent two months just getting my shopping cart to interface with Authorize.net. They were shocked when I was unimpressed and did not trust the development of the rest of the site to them.

I found these coders in the Ukraine who seemed like they knew what they were doing, and even agreed to a fee schedule that included bonuses for getting the job done early, and penalties for getting it done late. One week before they were supposed to be done, they diapered. Poof, gone. At least by now I had learned to not pay upfront!

Then, I found some developers in India, these guys were the best yet, but they still built a site that had so many bugs that I could find 20 a day for months, with no end in site. They just quit because I would not submit a “final” bug list. How could I if I keep finding new bugs? Am I wrong to think that if they build a site with bugs in it, and I find a bug, they should fix it? Maybe I am. I was even ready to pay them for new features and improvements on the site, provided they kept fixing the bugs in the work they had already done.

So, now once again I strike out in search of a new developer.
I am comforted to know that every entrepreneur I meet has the same problems. I even met one who also got ripped off for $60,000 by someone else besides my criminal. Amazing!

Thanks all fans and readers for your understanding during my hiatus. I also appreciate all of your support. no I am ok, I just could not get into the blog, and fixing the problem took a backseat to other issues.

For some reason never ascertained, I was locked out of the blog. My password did not work, and when I went to reset the password, I was sent an invalid link.

Just yesterday, I decided to tackle the issue in earnest. I posted the problem on wordpress.org, and was directed to a page explaining how to edit the database via PHP myadmin. For the technically unsophisticated, that was a nightmare.

But I was able to finally solve the problem with this simple hack:

Using the Emergency Password Reset Script

If the other solutions listed above won’t work, then try the Emergency Password Reset Script. It is not a Plugin. It is a PHP script.

Warnings

1. Requires you know the administrator username.
2. It updates the administrator password and sends an email to the administrator’s email address.
3. If you don’t receive the email, the password is still changed.
4. You do not need to be logged in to use it. If you could login, you wouldn’t need the script.
5. Place this in the root of your WordPress installation. Do not upload this to your WordPress Plugins directory.
6. Delete the script when you are done for security reasons.

Directions for use

1. Download the script from Village Idiot WordPress Emergency Password Script.
2. Unpack the downloaded zip file.
3. Upload the file emergency.php to the root of your WordPress installation (the same directory that contains wp-config.php).
4. In your browser, open http://example.com/emergency.php.
5. As instructed, enter the administrator username (usually admin) and the new password, then click Update Options. A message is displayed noting the changed password. An email is sent to the blog administrator with the changed password information.
6. Delete emergency.php from your server when you are done. Do not leave it on your server as someone else could use it to change your password.

Thanks again everyone!

I was listening to a great podcast yesterday. A talk by Rasmus Lerdorf. If you are like me, you just said “who?” Well, Mr. Lerdorf is the person who invented PHP. Now, your saying “What?”

Don’t worry. I wouldn’t know what PHP was if I wasn’t running an internet startup, and truth be told, I really don’t know much about it. PHP is an open source language for building web pages.

So this guy, Mr. Lerdorf, was doing web programming, and he needed better tools, so he wrote a language called PHP. And instead of trying to make money off of it, he just gave it to the world, and let other people have it, use it change it, and improve it. Now, PHP runs some of the biggest sites on the internet, sites you use all the time like YouTube. Yet, it is still free.

It’s tools like PHP, and MySQL that allow sites like Advice Network to exist. Ten years ago, it would have cost 2 million to build Advice Network. Now, $100,000.

Mr. Lerdorf was talking about what it took to start a big open source project that people want to get involved in, and I felt really inspired.

You cannot run a decent open source project if you make it about you. It has to be about the people who contribute… You have to think about how do people feel about themselves when they are involved… We’re all in it together.

That is really how I feel about Advice Network, especially now that people are starting to write. It isn’t about me, it is about you, the writers and readers. And I truly hope that you get a lot out of being here. If you are writing, I hope you feel satisfied knowing that you made someones life easier while they tried to do something really hard. (buy a house, run a business, plan a wedding) AND I hope that it brings you more business.

If you are reading the advice, I hope we made your life easier, AND I hope you have a good experience with one of our vendors

Last week I was catching up on How To Change The World, one of my favorite blogs, by internet personality Guy Kawasaki.

This sentence stuck with me:

Click here to read the interview to learn about topics such as why the CEO of a publicly-traded company probably can’t write an interesting blog.

It really rings true. Advice Network is not even publicly traded yet I find myself forever compelled to maintain a “professional” voice. I fear the result has been a blog so dull that even I don’t read it. Really. The professional voice can’t say “I messed up.” or “Some jerk ripped me off.” or “I don’t know what I’m doing this week.” So it ends up saying “Blah Blah Blah…”

I hope Chad doesn’t read this post. Chad has been writing almost every post on this blog for months now, and he has been doing exactly as I have asked. By saying the blog has been boring, I simply say that I’ve given him a boring job. “Write articles that help people promote their business.” His articles have been good, and most of them would be great contributions to Advice Network, but that is not the same as an interesting blog.

An interesting blog has a point of view. It has a human voice. The Advice Network founders blog needs a human voice.

The gloves come off as of today. I am now going to begin writing a blog about starting an internet company that talks about my experience.

Starting an internet company is a hard and difficult thing that I do, and I am going to share my process with you unexpurgated. My trials, fears, triumphs, and setbacks.

I hope you enjoy reading about it.

Let me know in the comments if you think I’ve gone crazy.

The team here at Advice Network would like to wish you a happy new year.

May your 2008 be prosperous and happy.

Pay no attention to the link below here. I’m doing an Amazon Affiliate experiment. By all means, feel free to click it, but please don’t feel obligated!

Camera & Photo

If you’re not writing articles online, then you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to grown your business. The internet is still relatively new – and you still have an opportunity to catch the wave before it turns into a tsunami.

Here are three reasons why you should start writing articles online – right now!

1. Credibility – Whenever you write, there’s a good likelihood that you’ll be read. If you consistently get articles published in a particular field, you’ll gain a following of readers that find you to be a credible source of information. This, of course, could create financial possibilities down the road.
2. Search Engine Optimization – If you’re writing on other sites than your own, you’ll most likely include a link to your business at the end. These links will certainly add up and help out your Page Rank on Google – basically meaning that you have a better chance of being found through search engines.
3. Finding a Community – While writing on other sites, you’ll benefit yourself by making an attempt to join their online community. By doing this, you become a name that people recognize – and eventually turn to if they need help in your industry. Remember, people do business with those that they know, like, and trust.

There are a number of other reasons, but those are the three that I could think of off of the top of my head. If you’re interested in growing your online business through article writing, you should sign up for the Advice Network. You’ll not only get a chance to get involved in the front end of things, but you’ll also be exposed to a very large readership from the get-go. Oh, and you have a chance to win a MacBook!

As you know, our company is called “Advice Network.” So what exactly does that mean? Obviously it has to with advice and a network of people, but it also means more.

If you look at the word network, you’ll find what it’s all about.

Dictionary.com provides a definition for the word that I really appreciate: “an association of individuals having a common interest, formed to provide mutual assistance, helpful information, or the like: a network of recent college graduates.”

As you can see, it’s not about one person being above the rest or trying to work the system to make some big bucks. It’s all about teamwork. If you join the Advice Network, you’ll join a community that shares thoughts and ideas that can provide assistance to all.

I’m hoping to see you become part of the team so that we can not only learn valuable tips from you, but also share useful information with you so that we can help you succeed in reaching all of your personal goals.

Mira took the time to email me some questions. In my experience if one person emails me, there are 40 people who have the same question or experience and didn’t take the time, so I thought I’d answer her here.

Dear Sir or Madame,

I just found out about your writing contest to win a MacBook and got interested in it, but I have a few questions. I read about your contest in a Google group, then I checked your blog, but either ways I couldn’t find any extra details about the contest. When does it end? How long do you want the articles to be? Why have only three main categories? Should we send you articles directly, or post them on our blogs and link to you? Can one enter several times? Does that increase one’s chances?

I’d love to see what other participants wrote to have an idea, and to feel some competitiveness in the contest. It will be interesting to have a blog post about your contest (or is there one I missed? The page I read was not in the blog), and refer participants to it to comment on it with the link to their published articles. That will help you track all the participations.

Have you promoted your contest on blogs about blog contests? These should get you some linkbacks if not more participants.

I hope to hear from you soon, to get started on writing.
Mira
www.lalla-mira.com

Great questions Mira. By the way, your blog is really cute!

1. The contest is scheduled to end on 11/26, but I will let you in on a secret (don’t tell.) I am thinking of extending the contest. The full launch of Advice Network is scheduled for 12/1/2007, and I think I am going to extend the contest into December. I think that will give people a better idea of what we are building.

2. The articles can be any length, A short two paragraphs if it conveys some important advice is just as valid as a two page treatise.

3. “Why just the three categories?” Advice Network is going to be a comprehensive resource for people running a business, planning a wedding or other large event, and buying or selling a house. Eventually Advice Network will cover other areas, but we wanted to start with categories that we could cover well, and then expand. Comprehensive is the key here. Besides the Advice articles, people will be able to search for and be matched with professionals in their area. See these blog posts for more details. “What the heck is Advice Network” “Find a professional explained.”

4. To enter the contest you need to register for the contest (no purchase necessary, no entry fee charged.) To register for the writing contest go here. If you just can’t be bothered to enter the contest, but still want to submit an article, you can. In that case, you can send it to me. My email address is on the contact page.

5. Once you have registered, multiple article entries are encouraged. It does increase your chances of winning, and it will increase the traffic to your website too.

6. “I’d love to see what other participants wrote to have an idea, and to feel some competitiveness in the contest.” That is a good idea, and a good point. Because of my understanding of Google’s rules around duplicate content, I am not going to post them on the blog. However, this is what I meant when I said I thought the contest should be extended. The final decision to extend the contest or not has not been made, as I have not run it by legal yet.

7. Your last question; have I promoted the contest on blogs? Yes, as much as possible, but there is alway more to be done. If you know of any good contest blogs or any other blogs that you think should hear about us, please let them know about the contest, or let me know about then. I am happy to link back to them with lots of nice things to say. The URL for the contest is http://www.advicenetwork.com/contest in case you want to post it yourself.

Mira, thanks again for your time.

Alex

CEO and Founder

Advice Network

Find a Professional

In my last entry, I spoke about how on Advice Network you can Generate Leads by Offering Your Expert Advice. Well, how can we do that? Today I’d like to spend a little more time on this feature that I find to be most compelling and, dare I say, even revolutionary. It’s our “Find a Professional” feature. It works no matter what category you are interested in, and for a difficult purchasing decision, it can be life-changing.

Let’s explore the idea with a fictional example. Amanda is getting married (congratulations, Amanda!). Her wedding is in six months (yikes!), and she needs a venue, an officiate, a caterer, a photographer, and a florist. She could ask her friends, but she doesn’t want to copy them. She wants her wedding to be unique. She could pick up the Yellow Pages, or go to the online Yellow Pages, or browse a list on an online wedding directory, but she doesn’t have that kind of time. She would have to try to call or e-mail each one. Who knows if they even have her date available, or if they fit her budget, or if they even return her calls.

That last one kills me. I’m perpetually amazed at service providers who don’t return phone calls, especially if I get their listings from the Yellow Pages, which is not cheap. They can pay $400 a month to be in the Yellow Pages and they don’t even need my business. Wow.

Back to Amanda. She does not have time to call all of these people and ask them, “Do you have my date? Can you work with my budget? Will you call me back?” Amanda has a life, thank you very much. She has a job, and friends, and a fiancée who she is very much in love with, and she has to decorate her new place, and would someone please help her?

Enter “Find a Professional.” Amanda has to fill out one form: Wedding date, wedding city, check here if you are looking for a photographer, florist, etc., budget, and maybe a few notes—“I’m looking for an outdoor venue, chicken dinner, and black and white pictures,” she writes.

She gives her contact information once. She hits submit.

Advice Network sends an e-mail notice to all vendors that serve her area. “A bride is getting married on this date. If you are available, click here for her contact information.”

When a professional clicks, they get an e-mail with Amanda’s name and a PRIVATE and EXPIRING version of her e-mail address and phone number. Then, they contact her. “Amanda, great to speak with you. Flowers For You is available on your date. I’d be happy to make a lily bouquet for your wedding day.”

Easy.

Every day, millions of people comb the Internet looking for answers to things they need to know – things they need to know right now! Things like: “What is ‘staging’ and will it help me to sell my house faster?” Or “How will I know if my mortgage lender is being honest with me? Or “My parents just got divorced, where do I seat them for the ceremony?”

If you can answer questions like these, Advice Network can help you grow your business. Become a vendor by writing an article and we’ll send you names, email addresses and phone numbers of people who need your services and are ready to buy if you can help them with answers!

Writing articles on Advice Network is a surefire way to make a name for yourself online and get warm prospects interested in your business. We combine your good old-fashioned expert advice with cutting-edge search engine optimization to deliver leads to your e-mailbox.

This exclusive chance to be one of the first to benefit from this exciting new site won’t last long! Join ADVICE NETWORK today!