Back on the Blog Train ... again

This is it ... my year of the blog.  I know it's not New Year's but with summertime coming to an end and the school year about to begin, fall often feels like more of a New Year than the dead of winter (at least here in Maine!).  So as I prepare for Sasha to begin kindergarten (still in shock over that), here are a few of my Back to Work, Back to Reality (so there is no doubt, yes this is to be read to the beat of the En Vogue tune) resolutions:

1) Blog, blog, blog - I've been pretending that I have this blog for too long.  It was too easy to just not know what to blog about as it is a "business" blog.  However, so many things are integral aspects of our company as well as my life that I actually have now formulated a blog plan.  Perhaps they can add that to the list of workshops offered at the SBA and SCORE offices for starting a business: writing a business plan on Wednesday night, blog planning Thursday night.  Seriously, I could have used it about a year ago.   I wonder if I'll have to revisit my blog plan annually as well ... hmmm ... thoughts?

2) Social Networking - I would like to become slightly competent in the SN world.  I have now signed up for a Ping.fm account and hooked it up to the Monkey Beanz Twitter and Facebook accounts so I'm feeling really good about my abilities today.  Now I can really put the iPhone to good use since my justification for the purchase and added monthly cost was that it would clearly enhance my ability to multitask running a business and raising kids!  If you happen to be reading this and are not yet fans or followers or whatever you may call yourselves of the Monkey Beanz networks, hop on the bus and join since clearly the action is starting!

3) Etsy!!! - After over a year of way too many customers suggesting that I get MonkeyBeanz on Etsy, I have finally done it!  Unfortunately, that is about all I have done.  So, after hours of post kids in bed nights spent perusing the Etsy forums for advice on how to promote your Etsy site, I plan on actually  taking some of the great advice.  Here is my first attempt:  Check out Monkey Beanz on Etsy!  See us, love us, heart us, perhaps even make a purchase - then tell all your loved ones and maybe even a few not so loved ones.  Okay, maybe I didn't need to spend hours ruining my eyes at the computer screen to do that, but like I tell the kids - practice makes perfect.

4) Wholesale - This has actually already begun to get on its way but we are on a continuous hunt for any suggstions or, better yet, connections to some shops that might be interested in carrying some great fair trade Monkey Beanz products.  Any ideas are welcome - any time, day or night (thank you World Wide Web).

There are other resolutions but this post has tuckered me right out and I'm beginning to get anxious about the idea of others having all this knowledge about my goals for the year!  Plus, many of the others are boring, "business-y" things like organizing files and record keeping and I am trying to keep in mind that this blog is not actually a journal and thus, there should be at least a minimal level of editing for entertainment purposes.

Whew, first post of the Monkey Beanz New Year completed!  Don't forget I'm new and a little insecure at this blogging thing so send some comments, some love, maybe even some not-too-harsh critiques.  Here's to success at Resolution #1 and some of you coming back again!