Ups and downs

My husband is an independent computer guru, handling both the software side of things (web design, logos, programming) and the hardware side of things (trouble shooting computer problems, setting up systems, server issues, etc). I help by handling some of the financial stuff, like keeping the books and paying the taxes. Business in the computer world is in a constant state of flux, where months are either really busy or really slow. We are currently in a state of "up" and it is hard to keep our schedules straight, while still finding time to spend with our kids.

This kind of schedule stress is still much easier to handle than the "big corporate world" kind. I am so fortunate to have my husband around most days and I wouldn't trade our current situation, even if it meant more money. Sure, he could do an online IT job search and find companies willing to pay top dollar for his knowledge. We have been there already and we prefer to be more in control of our work lives. Of course, corporate jobs are always part of "plan B" if business gets really slow for too long, but things have a way of working themselves out, and we haven't had to go down that road for almost three years so far.

Timeshare computer

A few months back, the desktop computer that my husband did most of his web design work on crashed beyond repair. Rather than purchasing a new one, we decided to take turns using the laptop with separate log-in profiles. This has put quite a strain on the laptop memory, which causes it to run very slow. Simply booting up and logging on takes a good 5-10 minutes, and switching users takes just as long.

I think a better idea would be for us to go down to the library while the kids are in school, so one of us can use our laptop and the other can use one of the library's computers. Then we can knock our work out at the same time, and spend less time overall on computers and online.

Shameless plugs

Those in the know are aware that my husband is a web designer and has been plugging away in order to avoid a meaningless corporate slave job. So of course, when he launches new websites, I feel I must help promote in any small way I can. So if anyone wants to see some beautiful pictures of our lovely little town, please check out the new Eureka Springs Pictures site. Even if you live here and think you have seen everything, there are some interesting perspectives in the photos all taken by my husband who is an accomplished photographer as well.

The other new site is for local companies who want to promote their businesses in a new and exciting way. Eureka Bucks allows users to create their own coupons or weekly specials to share with customers. They create a log-in and can change or update their coupons whenever they want. Take control of your advertising and get exactly what you want! Potential customers can even request bargains on the unique Make a Deal page. It's like Priceline.com on a local level.

Take it to the web

Many local Eureka Springs merchants also have online stores to sell their products. Our town relies on tourism and we have about four months during the winter that are very slow for tourism. Merchants usually close their local stores and rely on web sales for winter income. One important aspect of setting up an online store is making the purchasing process easy for the user. Most people shopping online are used to "shopping carts" for their items. In fact, I wouldn't buy anything from a site that didn't have a shopping cart function, because I feel like my information is not secure without one.

Luckily for merchants, it is very easy to set up shopping cart software. Ashop Commerce has video tutorials and store demos to help get you started and to answer all your questions. Their website is user friendly with navigation bars and no advertisements. You can even take a 10 day free trial to see if it works for your store. You have nothing to lose and lots of online sales to gain!