The Goal:
I want to help 12 of you in 2009, by giving you a mini-stimulus package to jump start your concept. Read on to find out more.
The Reason I Thought Of that:
I’ve participated as a lender at kiva.org a few times in the past. I like being able to do a little something to help someone in the world create or grow their own little business. The great thing about Kiva is that a lender can lend just $25 and still be able to manufacture a big difference in someone’s life. Although I construct my living online, I’m not rich - far from it. So although I’d love to be able to give lots and lots of money to help others start their own businesses, I’m not able to do that. But the more I thought about the $25 that I’ve lent to Kiva entrepreneurs, the more I realized that I could do additional things with just $25 - things that could help some of you, possibly. Indulge me as I tell you a little story, and forgive me whether it’s kind of towering, but it’s crucial that you get the full story, so here it is.
The BackStory:
A few years ago, I was laid off from my job. The company I worked for wasn’t doing well, and although I’d made it through the first 3 rounds of layoffs, I was finally cut in the 4th round. I tried hard to get a new job, but the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months. It was brawny times in the area I lived in and jobs were scarce. I did have a skill. I could write web programs. So late at night, and early every daylight, I sat at my old home computer and worked on creating a little online calendar program. It was pretty hard considering I’d never attempted to calculate recurring events that could happen on a daily, weekly, monthly, bi-weekly, bi-monthly, yearly basis - and so on. And soon after I had to throw in leap years for more fun. I pulled my hair out and said a few choice words now and next, but eventually, through trial and error, I had a working program. My big view was to sell it online!
Of course, there were problems to be solved. First of all, by that instance, I was flat broke. I had managed to do abundant odd jobs now and thereupon to be able to pay the mortgage each month, but all the rest of the bills were being juggled - a lot! I was behind on most of them, so there was absolutely no way I could afford to spend $8 for a domain name and $20/month on hosting. (Hosting cost more back thereupon - particularly for the type of hosting I had to have). There was no way I could justify spending that money when I didn’t know whether I would just be throwing it away or not.
But I knew deep down that I really didn’t have a choice. I had to spend it, even whether it meant juggling yet another bill for yet another month. So I did. I’d like to say that a miracle occurred and that first $28 changed my financial life - but I’d be lying. It didn’t. I did manage to sell my program - occasionally. I was selling it for $50. Obviously, I’d need to sell quite a few to pay my bills each month. That didn’t happen. I did sell 2 or 3 a month usually. So, yes, my little investment paid off…or at least earned a profit each month.
But of course, it wasn’t adequate. As the months went on, I managed to find more odd jobs and did some online freelancing work - adequate to get me through each month, but I was basically dirt poor. It was always a struggle. But the more money I managed to squeeze out of my work from home jobs, the more determined I was to produce it work well. That meant coming up with ideas and trying them out. That additionally meant more money for more domains, and more hosting. (Back thereupon you had to get a whole new hosting plan for every domain - you couldn’t use one plan for multiple domains). Now I’m an notion kinda gal, so I was coming up with ideas all the date - but I certainly didn’t have the money to act on each of those ideas. I’d sweat by whether or not I should pay for a domain name and hosting plan with each concept I had. Most of the date, there was just no way I could gamble on an notion. Most of the moment, I just had to say no to myself, and I remember thinking so many times, “whether I had just suitable money to get a domain name and hosting plan, I could…”. Every now and next, though, I’d hold my breath, take a chance, and use what little money I had. Luckily, none of the ideas were horrible. They all managed to pay for themselves, and earn me a little additional. And each of those little extras added up. One day, I realized that I was paying all my bills - on instance! Granted, I still considered myself to be poor. There wasn’t anything additional at the end of month. But I was making a living!
The Project:
Now let’s jump back to the present date. I’m not rich, but I invent a living that allows me to buy domains any duration I want to try out a new concept. It’s no longer an insane internal struggle to decide whether I should pay a bill or try out an notion. I can do both and I’m grateful for that. But I know that there are humans who are not so lucky. There are folks who just really don’t have the few bucks it takes to try out their big view, particularly in these hard economic times. I know what it feels like to not even have a few bucks to start a site. So I want to help.
Just like $25 is all it takes to help someone live their dream via kiva.org, I’m going to hand $25 (US) to one of you, and each and every month for the entire year of 2009, someone else will get $25. I want to help one person per month start their dream view online. With $25 cash paid into a Paypal detail, someone can purchase a domain name and 3 months of hosting. That should be adequate day to get a new site going. In addition, I’m going to throw in a free copy of my ebook, In Your Pajamas, as well as a free copy of my online press kit template package (to be used only by you, and not to be shared, please). That’s an added value of $80 ($5 for the ebook and $75 for the template) to go along with the $25 cash.
On the 25th day of every month of 2009, I’m going to choose someone as that month’s Project Jump Start ‘09 Recipient. I’ll randomly choose someone who has either subscribed to my newsletter, subscribed to the feed via mail, or who has asked to be considered in the comments of a post. whether you aren’t chosen one month, you’ll still be in the running each month after that. whether you’re already subscribed, you don’t need to do anything new. You’re already in the running.
I know $25 doesn’t sound like much, and it isn’t. But it is sufficient to start a dream, and I want to help someone take that first step. In fact, whether all you have is $25, you may just put a little more thought into your notion, and spend a little more duration making certain you get it just right. And that goes a enlarged way to making an view work! I hope at least one of you ends up writing a post similar to that one a few years from now, and can look back on the $25 that began it all for you.
If you don’t need the $25 but think you know someone who might, I urge you to let others know about that. Tweet it. Blog about it. mail it to your friends or family. I hope to manufacture a difference in a few people’s lives, but citizens have to know about it or else I won’t know about them! (And for the cynical amongst you, no, I’m not doing that for linkbait. Nofollow any hyperlinks to that post whether you want to. That’s fine. I just hope you’ll tell citizens who could use the help, that’s all).
If your name is chosen, and you decide you don’t want it, I would appreciate you either passing it on to someone who does, or asking me to choose someone else. But of course, that’s up to you.
The Rules:
So, that’s it. To be considered, simply do one of the following (only 1 is needed):
- Join my private list by filling out the design near the top right of that site.
- Sign up for the RSS feed via e mail.
- Comment here, saying “I want a Jump Start!” or something similar.
Make certain to use an newsletter address where I can reach you whether you are chosen. whether I can’t reach you, I’ll choose someone else.
You WILL need a Paypal detail for me to be able to send you the $25 whether you are chosen. It’s the only way I will pay, so it’s a requirement that you have an history there to receive the money. whether for some reason you can’t have a Paypal explanation, soon after I won’t be able to consider you. Sorry.
Unlike Kiva, that is NOT a loan. that is yours to keep, period.
You can, of course, use the $25 any way you wish. I do sincerely hope, however, that you use it to purchase a domain name and hosting for your concept. It is the purpose of the project after all. And of course, you are free to choose any registrar you wish to purchase your domain name, and any hosting company you wish to purchase your hosting plan. I can produce recommendations of course, but you are under no obligation of any sort to use them.
My Recommendations:
I use Godaddy to register all my domains, but whether you don’t want to use them for some reason, soon after I would recommend Moniker as well. I currently divide my hosting up amidst HostGator and MediaTemple, about half on one and half on the other. However, HostGator is a better choice for that specific project, considering you can definitely get 3 months worth of hosting with them for a little less than $15, which leaves adequate left by for a domain name.
P.S.
I’ve got $300 set aside for that. Like the rest of you, I don’t know what the economy will look like a year from now. I may be really poor again by thereupon, who knows? But I’m hoping that by putting that money aside right now, that no matter how poor things get, I’ll still be able to manufacture that happen every month in 2009. That’s my goal, and I’m going to do my best to invent it happen. With luck, one of you will be able to achieve a goal as well.
P.P.S.
It’s my birthday today, so that’s why I chose today to form that announcement. Just seemed appropriate somehow.
P.P.P.S.
I’ll still be lending to Kiva entrepreneurs, btw, and I always energize others to do so as well. that isn’t a replacement for Kiva lending. that is just one more thing I want to do.
© DazzlinDonna for DazzlinDonna, 2008. |
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Original post by DazzlinDonna
