jcaroline's blog

New Blog for Web Updates

I wanted to let you know about a new blog I started called jcaroline creative updates.  It's sole purpose is to provide detailed information about what has been added to the jcaroline creative! website, so you don't miss when we've added something new and cool, but it doesn't warrant a whole blog post.  And you don't want to peruse the site for six hours every week...though you are more than welcome to.

And you can set up this blog in your blog reader (such as Google reader) or if you don't use one of those, just set it up to send you an email every time the blog is updated.  My goal is to update it every Thursday afternoon or evening.  I may update in-between if something really super hot comes in that just can't wait until Thursday.

Don't panic-- I will still be sharing my brilliance here.  I just put up this week's update and I think it's worth a read.  There might be something in it for you!

Upgrade Complete! (kind of)

 

The jcaroline creative! website is up and running!  Not every page looks really nice, but I'm working on that.  Most importantly, shopping and checking out works!  Most of the how-tos pages don't work yet, but should by Monday.

The new site will look virtually identical to what we had, so why did you upgrade, you may ask?  Well, let me give you a visual-  see that Osbourne computer from 1981 on the left?  That's what we had.  See that Dell laptop on the right?  That's what we have now.  It is pretty much that big of a difference.  Fortunately, I was able to hide the Osbourne under a veneer of pretty pictures and graphics, so you didn't notice that it was a big, clunky, outdated piece of equipment-- most of the time.

On a historical note, when I was in high school, my father bought an Osbourne, so I learned word processing on that computer pictured right up there.  24.5 pounds of raw computing power.  Awesome.

So enjoy the new sleek website, but don't panic if it looks wonky in places for a few days.  And if any wonkiness isn't gone by Tuesday, feel free to drop me an email- I may have missed some spots!

Website Upgrade Friday

I've avoided it as long as I can- I must upgrade the jcaroline creative! website.  I hate to do it because I"m scared.  But the new version will run faster and better--- so I'm going for it! 

So why should you care?  Well, for two reasons.  We are doing this Friday at 1:00 p.m.central time, which means the store will be inaccessible for a couple of hours.  It also means if you create a shopping cart and don't check out before then, it will be gone.  Like forever.  And when the website comes back up, hopefully by 4:00 p.m. that same day, it may have some glitches.  Like all the images may not be there, etc. etc.  And if it really doesn't go well, I may run away from home.

Also, our rewards/points program is going to be modified to accommodate the new version and on Friday, your points may not be moved over yet.  But we will definitely update you when they are available and any changes to the program.

Photo from IBM Archives and it has some great ones.  Remember punch card readers?  They've got pics of those too.

[Yawn] More Accounting Anyone?

Yes, I'm over there again, spreading my wisdom on how to keep you accounting house in order.  Stimulating, I know.  And necessary for some.  Enjoy.  I'll just stay over here and do something fun!  I really need to sew something, don't I?

Just Selling a little Web Real Estate

I've added a new service to my site-- okay, it's advertising, but it's a service if you find something you like, yes? Anyway, I met the founders of YouData at the Mom2.0Summit in February.  YouData is an advertising network on the web, but in this particular network, you, the viewer, gets paid for clicking on the ads.  You set up a MeFile which provides the advertisers with some information about your age, interests, where you live (but nothing connected to your name) and asks you what Paypal account you want your earnings deposited in.  (You can also donate your earnings to charity, if you prefer.)  Then they show you ads in your browser based on what you say you like.  And every time you view one, you earn $.10 to $.25.  Okay, you're not going to get rich, but it's better than nothing, right?  And I have found some websites through the ads that I really like that I had never seen before and I earned about $5 in two weeks.  (Of course, I won't link you to them here because I don't want to deny you your earnings!)

So, on the right side of my blog (where you see the top of the woman's head on the right)  is a place to set up your MeFile and start earning money.

And if you have a business, you might be interested in advertising on their network.  The ads are targeted to only the demographics you specify and you can budget how much you want to spend to keep the costs under control.

An interesting concept in advertising- now I'm going to try to get television advertisers to pay me!

Retirement Planning Information

I'm at it again over at Modish Biz Tips, this time talking about retirement planning.  Let's just say the article is informative more than uplifting.  But it is necessary.  Sigh.  Okay, read with a glass of wine.

And then they suck you back in...

"I will never do anything with my accounting degree again!" I'm pretty sure I made that declaration at least once in the last eight years.  Okay, it's time to just admit it-- I'm an accountant at heart and I actually find tax code kind of fun.  It's like a Sudoku puzzle on steroids.

So, when I discovered Jena (of Modish fame) had created a Modish Biz Tips blog, I asked her if she wanted someone to provide tax and accounting advice.  Fortunately, out of the thousands of people wanting to write about accounting, she picked me!

So my first post is up today about getting your 2008 taxes ready.  We are getting dangerously close to the end, folks!

I'll be providing my tax and accounting advice twice on month for her blog.  The blog focuses on people starting or running a creative business, which I know includes a lot of you!  It looks like it is going to be a great mix of marketing advice, ideas to keep your creativity alive and that darn accounting stuff.

The photo is courtesy of our friends at the IRS, which does have a great website for their forms and publications.  I could sit and read it for hours...

Lead Testing Info on our Products (More CPSIA Stuff)

For those of you using our products for manufacturing children's products, we are in the process of gathering information from our manufacturer's on their testing or manufacturing information, to determine lead content.  I have set up a page on the jcaroline creative! site, CPSIA Information for Manufacturers, linked here and also linked at the bottom of each page on the website. There I will be posting what items we have inquired about and the results.

If you are interested, it is a stimulating read. :)

More Guidance from CPSC

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued more guidance yesterday on their enforcement policy regarding children's products effective February 10, 2009.  In part:

"Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers should also be aware that CPSC will:

Not impose penalties against anyone for making, importing, distributing, or selling

• a children’s product to the extent that it is made of certain natural materials, such as wood, cotton, wool, or certain metals and alloys which the Commission has recognized rarely, if ever, contain lead;
• an ordinary children’s book printed after 1985; or
• dyed or undyed textiles (not including leather, vinyl or PVC) and non-metallic thread and trim used in children’s apparel and other fabric products, such as baby blankets.
  
  (The Commission generally will not prosecute someone for making, selling or distributing items in these categories even if it turns out that such an item actually contains more than 600 ppm lead.)"

Again, the lead limit still applies, but the CPSC is announcing that they aren't going to penalize makers of these items.  So the message is not to go back to sleep and ignore lead and the CPSIA, but you can continue to operate in a fairly normal fashion until more guidance is issued over the third-party testing and certification requirements.

The issue of phthalates in children's toys and "child care articles" is apparently still in flux according to TheSmartMama, a U.S. District Court overturning the CPSC's General Counsel's opinion that the limits do not apply retroactively to existing inventory.  My brain can't absorb all that information-- I can only handle one toxic substance at a time.  But if the phthalate limit applies to you, pay attention.

Stay, CPSIA! Stay! Good CPSIA.

The CPSC announced yesterday (January 30) that they are issuing a stay on CPSIA testing and certification requirements until February 10, 2010. However, the 600 ppm limit on lead and 1000 ppm limit on phthalates still applies-- you just are not required at this point to prove that you tested for them.  The stay does not apply to third party testing requirements for  lead in paints and coatings, lead in metal children's jewelry, pacifiers and cribs.

TheSmartMama provides a good list of things to watch for lead content based on her XRF testing:  "the components that may fail are rhinestones, crystals, zipper pulls, zipper bases, zipper stops, grommets, snaps, metal closures, pearl or opalescent plastic buttons, vinyl (stabilized with lead) and eyelets.  Some screen prints may also fail."

I interpret this to mean that good judgement is your guide-- if you are unsure if a component used in your children's product contains lead, ask the manufacturer or reseller.  If they can provide any paperwork certifying this, even better.  It might even be worth establishing a testing program (a periodic XRF test of a portion of your zippers, for example) to ensure that the component complies with the mandated lead levels.

I'm relieved, as this keeps thousands of people from having to decide whether they want to break the law or keep their business afloat, which is not a fair choice.  And I think this stay gives the CPSC time to write a well-thought-out certification policy and in the meantime, we will all learn a lot about potential sources of lead and how to avoid them.