If you have a craft business, you will want and need these coupons. Remember to sign up for homeschool/teacher discount to save even more!
Joann Fabrics ~ 50% off any one regular priced item through Saturday, January 23, 2010.
Printable Joann Fabrics Coupon
Hobby Lobby ~ 40% off any one regular priced item through Saturday, January 23, 2010.
Printable Hobby Lobby Coupon
AC Moore ~ various 25%, 40%, 50%, and 60% through Saturday, January 23, 2010.
Printable AC Moore Coupon
Michaels ~ 40% off any one regular priced item through Saturday, January 23, 2010.
Printable Michaels Coupon
Hancock Fabrics ~ 40% off any one regular priced fabric item through Friday, January 22, 2010.
Printable Hancock Fabric Coupon
This is truly sad!
Cybercriminals quickly mobilized following the news of a massive earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday, by introducing several hundred compromised domains embedded with bogus blackhat seo (search engine optimization) content related to Red Cross donations and general Haiti earthquake relief information.
The sites are already appearing within the first 10 search results on Google, and upon clicking on them the user is redirected to one of the most profitable monetization tactic (FBI: Scareware distributors stole $150M)
Naturally, the blackhat SEO campaigns are only the tip of the iceberg. Here’s what else to look for, and how to make sure you’re donating money to the right organization.
. . . a huge percentage of the sites are hosted within the network of Heart Shared hosting (heartinternet.co.uk) . . .
- Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails and don’t click any links inside those messages.
- Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
- Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
- Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions.
Passed along to you from ZDNet Tech News
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt151.shtm
This comes from the FTC website:
The Secrets of Mystery Shopping Revealed
Do you love to shop? If so, you may be tempted by unsolicited emails or newspaper ads that claim you can earn a living as a secret or mystery shopper by dining at elegant restaurants, shopping at pricey stores, or checking into luxurious hotels. But, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, marketers who promise lucrative jobs as mystery shoppers often do not deliver bona fide opportunities.
What is Mystery Shopping?
Some retailers hire marketing research companies to evaluate the quality of service in their stores; these companies use mystery shoppers to get the information anonymously. They assign a mystery shopper to make a particular purchase in a store or restaurant, for example, and then report on the experience. Typically, the shopper is reimbursed, and can keep the product or service.
Many professionals in the field consider mystery shopping a part-time activity, at best. And, they add, opportunities generally are posted online by marketing research or merchandising companies. Nevertheless, fraudulent mystery shopping promoters are using newspaper ads and emails to create the impression that they’re a gateway to lucrative mystery shopper jobs with reputable companies. These solicitations usually promote a website where consumers can “register” to become mystery shoppers — after they pay a fee for information about a certification program, a directory of mystery shopping companies, or a guarantee of a mystery shopping job
The truth is that it is unnecessary to pay money to anyone to get into the mystery shopper business. The shopping certification offered in advertising or unsolicited email is almost always worthless. A list of companies that hire mystery shoppers is available for free; and legitimate mystery shopper jobs are on the Internet for free. Consumers who try to get a refund from promoters of mystery shopping jobs usually are out of luck. Either the business doesn’t return the phone calls, or if it does, it’s to try another pitch.
The Facts of Mystery Shopping
Becoming a legitimate mystery shopper for a legitimate company doesn’t cost anything. Here’s how to do it:
- Search the Internet for mystery shopping companies that are accepting applications. Legitimate companies don’t charge an application fee. Many accept applications online.
- Do some homework about mystery shopping. Check libraries or bookstores for tips on how to find companies hiring mystery shoppers, as well as how to do the job effectively.
You can visit the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) website at www.mysteryshop.org for information on how to register to be a mystery shopper with a MSPA-member company, a database of available jobs, and additional information on the industry in general. The MSPA also offers certification programs for a fee.
In the meantime, the FTC says consumers should be skeptical of mystery shopping promoters who:
- Advertise for mystery shoppers in a newspaper’s ‘help wanted’ section or by email. While it may appear as if these companies are hiring mystery shoppers, it’s much more likely that they’re pitching unnecessary — and possibly bogus — mystery shopping “services.”
- Sell “certification.” Companies that use mystery shoppers generally do not require certification.
- Guarantee a job as a mystery shopper.
- Charge a fee for access to mystery shopping opportunities.
- Sell directories of companies that provide mystery shoppers.
If you think you have encountered a mystery shopping scam, file a complaint with your local consumer protection agency, the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, or the FTC.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them.
To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Passed along to you from the FTC website
How to Create a Business Plan
Most business people will tell you that creating a solid business plan is essential to your success.
Making the Internet and Ecommerce Work for Your Craft Business
By Maire Loughran, About.com Guide
Crafters who want to sell online will get a lot of useful information about:
Ecommerce for your craft, Set up an Internet Presence, Tailor Pages to Your Website, Web Images Have to be Perfect, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Shopping Cart Software, Shipping Your Customer Orders, Should You Monetize Your Craft Web Site? and Seller sites like Etsy, and ArtFire.com
If you enjoy making arts and crafts and want to sell online, then you will want to explore ArtFire. Seller accounts range from FREE to paid ($12/mo). You can link your ArtFire to an outside shop or site, or even to your seller account on ebay.
Here are some wonderful tutorials to get you started!
- Description of the site and how it works from the site creator.
- ArtFire.com account setup tutorial. If you’ve already picked out a shop name, it takes about five minutes.
Eight Steps For Managing Your ArtFire Shop
- Manage your studio. You’ll select the color theme for your shop, provide your bio and shop information and upload items to sell.
Editing Your ArtFire Bio and Introduction
- Storefront is very important as it gives your potential customers a look into your arts / crafts business. The first step is to create a studio introduction and owner bio.
Editing Your ArtFire.com Studio
- Learn how to select your ArtFire studio color, theme and layout. Also discussed is the importance of having a cohesive avatar and banner.
How to List Products on ArtFire.com
- Before you can sell on ArtFire.com, you need to add products to your studio. ArtFire.com’s add product template has a few mandatory fields and many optional fields. Taking care in filling in both will help to drive traffic to your studio.
Hot Coupon World has a forum called Freebies for business
Check it out!
If you would like to join Hot Coupon World, Membership is free!
Passed along to you from me.
This week (Jan 10 – 16) Staples has six items FREE after Staples Rewards and a list of items for $1.
NOTE:
- You will have to pay full price out of pocket at the register
- your reward will arrive in the mail and can only be used at Staples
Ads and offers vary by region. Go HERE , enter your zip code to see what your local store is doing.
$1 Items/Freebie
- There are also some $1 in ad coupon deals.
- Match up this dollar item "BIC Great Erase Dry-Erase Markers, Fine Tip, Assorted 4/pack" with a BIC coupon to save even more!
-
BIC Coupon: product, any one – People, December 2009 $1.00/1 1/31/2010
Staples 1/10 – 1/16 Six Free Items with Staples rewards
Staples: List of Free & $1 Items
Passed along to you from Abundant Food Savings, Hot Coupon World
Need some help getting organized? I sure do!
Office Depot has 50 ct Heavy Duty Sheet Protectors for $2.00. Saturday 1/9 is the last day for this sale.
Passed along to you from Office Depot
Bismillah Assalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu Akhawaat
Effective Business Communication Course I
Prerequisite : Your attendance at the THM Monthly Webinar coming soon!
Business Education at your fingertips!
What do you get with this offer?
•Small class size of students
•Free advertisement and Social Networking for current Business Owners •4 class sessions for course I – including (Effective Communication, Choosing the right words, Developing Sentences and Paragraphs, Promoting Good Will, Planning and Organizing Business Messages, Using Technology to Capture and Refine Ideas, and Formatting Business Messages)
2nd Course to be announced soon inshaAllah
•4 class sessions for course II – including (Writing Goodwill Messages, Writing Messages for Inquiries and Requests, Writing Persuasive Messages, Writing Order and Collection Messages, Creating Press Releases and Newsletters, Constructing and Presenting Reports, and Preparing Meeting Communications)
•Successful Completion Certification
Effective Business Communications
Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 7:00pm EST
Wiziq Links – Effective Business Communications
$5 per class – 8 Complete Sessions!
Pay Here: http://www.thmsadaqagroup.org/apps/webstore/products/show/519798
Every Thursday 7:00pm – 8:30pm EST
To sign up for the course please fill out the online enrolment form, pay your student fees, creat your account on wiziq and launch the session from the dashboard right online – no downloads alhamdulillah, for additional questions and comments about this course please email the administration at thm.bus.comm @gmail.com
You won’t want to miss this extraordinary opportunity!
Support your Musimah Owned Business Today…
Join us for this LIVE Event on:
Thursday, October 8, 2009
2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT / 6:00 PM GMT
Overview:
Google Apps offers simple, powerful communication and collaboration tools for enterprises of any size in business, education, or government – all hosted by Google to streamline setup.
Join this live TechRepublic Webcast, as Google Apps Expert, Rhonda Stites, walks through a simple financial model that evaluates the savings in adopting Google Apps. You will hear about real customers and their experiences + get all your questions answered!
Join this Webcast to learn why moving to the cloud and Google Apps yields many benefits, such as:
- A streamlined IT infrastructure
- A platform for innovation and increased employee satisfaction
- And significant cost savings!
Could You Teach Online?
More and more teachers are finding work on the web. Are you next?
Overview:
Email is indisputably the most important business application for most organizations. Yet, managing it has always been a no-win proposition. Add the pressure of fewer people and resources as well as shrinking budgets these days, and it seems that the pain of managing email can only get worse. But don’t despair, there’s a new breed of managed SaaS-enabled email services that are modular, reliable, and secure for virtually any type of business. Join this live TechRepublic Webcast to explore the alternatives to traditional on-site email management.
This free event will show you how to:
* Effectively eliminate email downtime and reduce the risk of data loss
* Securely archive email with flexible retention and deletion policies
* Enjoy near-zero maintenance even while meeting the toughest enterprise class requirements
Get Full Details Here Live Webcast: The Top 10 Benefits of SaaS-enabled Email
Getting your creative business off the ground by Susan Beal.
Read Full Article PDX Super Crafty – Crafting for Profit
Posted By: TutorABC, Inc.
Date: Monday, 2 March 2009, at 10:43 a.m.
TutorABC is a web-based, English language teaching organization. With over 250 teachers worldwide serving more than 4500 current clients, we offer a legitimate working opportunity for teachers to supplement their incomes by teaching online part-time.
We are currently recruiting part-time English Teachers who will use the TutorABC award-winning online English learning platform to teach adults on the web.
Teaching requirements / Personal qualifications:
- Energetic and professional personality
- College or university degree (preferred), or a current university student.
- Previous ESL teaching experience (preferred)
- Previous working experience in other fields
- Teaching availability suitable to TutorABC schedule
- Familiarity with using computers
Technical requirements:
- Pentium, 1GHZ or faster computer
- Windows XP, 2000, Me, 98, 512mb or more RAM
- DSL, Cable or Fiber Optic Internet Connection (minimum of 512kps upload – check with your service provider)
- High Quality Webcam (recommend: Creative, Logitech)
- Headphone/Microphone headset
To apply online and schedule a live, online interview:
http://recruit.tutorabc.com/asp/a.asp
Get Full Information Here ESL Teachers Needed Online (part-time)
