Silver Bullet Cutters Forum

Can anyone help me? I don't know the first thing about this stuff. I would like to have a blogspot of my own in the near future. But can someone explain how you do all this? Is it free to do or is there a fee? When you make designs to sell; how do you set it up so people can download the designs? I don't know what all to ask about this; so please feel free to add other answers to questions I have not asked. How do you decide how much to charge? I would also like to have freebies too. Maybe do some tutorials on things that other people have not done yet and introduce some other ideas with the tuts. If you become an affiliate for other peoples products do you get a certain percentage if they buy it through you; not on everything but some things? Also, I would like to be able to direct people to other people's blogspots and websites as would want to make sure that alot of the people I have met on forums can get business also even if they don't sell on their sites. Just to show them other people's ideas and possibly purchase from them too. Do you have to charge sales tax in IL as that is where I am from or is it across the board or not at all? I am assuming I would have to get a tax ID number for IL but would I have to carry insurance or anything else? I know that I won't be doing this right away as have alot of researching and need lots of answers before getting into this. I also would like to sell pre-made products that would be my own work and my own designs etc. How do you buy in bulk for certain products to get them at a lower cost? Like finding suppliers, etc. Also, how do you use a roll of say duralar or vinyl with the Cougar? Is there a certain way to mount it on something so that it unrolls freely? Any information would be greatly appreciated and any other questions I should be asking would be great too. Or can you partner up with someone that already has a site and they get a percentage off of you; what is a fair percentage if I would go that way? I think I would prefer my own blogspot but the latter would not be out of the question for me. Thanks again for any help as I need to find a way to make income from home at my own pace because of my disability. You will all help me from banging my head anymore. Maybe.

I used blogspot it is free, but there are others out there. And honestly the steps to set it up are fairly easy. I think it is thru google. You have to choose a name for your blog. And then you can add stuff that you mentioned above. I think you can have a paypal link, but I don't know about that. And for freebies you have to be able to upload the patterns to a server and there are several free ones out there. But my mind isn't thinking clear tonite.

Every state is different, I don't think you have to charge sales tax for down loaded files but am not sure. Also google wholesalers for the products you want to buy in bulk, and then see what there requirements are. When I made jewelery I just searched my supplies I would use and then figure what was cheapest.

Partnering up with someone is hard, you have to know them really well. RJ and I split our designs 50/50 after all fees are paid for. After working on his sketches I figure we do equal work. It works for us. And we do everything in writing even though we the two families trust each other completely.

Thanks Suzan; it's a start and if anyone doesn't feel comfortable answering these questions on the forum also feel free to pm me. And I don't blame you for having it in writing; friends are friends but business is business and than everything is in black and white and no hurt feelings or disagreements. Whatever works for people is always the best; keeps friends friends and I think that is great!

This much I can tell you-wordpress does not allow you to have affiliate links on their blogs. You can get a webhost and your own domain and use wordpress to "power it". The webhost and domain name cost money, but powering it with wordpress is free. That is how mine is done. Feel free to check my website out.

Good luck Meme on your blog. I don't have one but I'll be reading the responses on this in case I start one, which I'm thinking about doing.

Me too, Phyllis. I just don't think I want to commit to one more thing - or I will NEED to be committed!!

I admire and respect all of you who keep blogs up and running...... and love all of the inspiration!

Ok...Here's my $.02 for what it's worth...LOL..NOT MUCH!!! Blogger is VERY user friendly to set up and it's free....you CAN add a Paypal link to it if you wish for people to donate or you can add gadgets to help display your creations.....I use Windows Live Skydrive to store all of my cut files I share.....It's FREE and you have 25 GB of storage space...you can make your files private all the up to public....YOU get to decide......Having someone to download a file once paying for it would be through what ever commerce service you're using....Like Paypal...they do give you the ability to have the buyer be referred to a different link once item is paid for for them to download.....it's a few steps to do it but rather easy......I will tell you it can become VERY time consuming to do it that way but it can be done......You can add links to other blogs from yours and just about anything else......I hope this helps you just a wee bit.....

CAGigi wrote:Me too, Phyllis. I just don't think I want to commit to one more thing - or I will NEED to be committed!!

Gigi, LOL.

Penny, your blog is fantastic so I know you know what you're talking about.

I know also Meme that once people pay for a file. You can just email it to them. I can't do that because I am not home all day. But if you can keep up with it, that would be another way to go.

Yeah Suzan that's exactly what I started doing.....for the short period of time I was doing that...it was MUCH easier in my opinion!!!

Ahhh....THANKS Phyllis!!!

I agree Penny but with out the major glitch I just had with open cart which is free software, but Bryan had to set it up for me way way to technical. It is nice to not have to constantly check the email to send files. If I didn't have my own computer guru I would be sunk.

Thanks everyone and love all your sites! I know that I probably won't get to it until next year because my plate is full. I am home all day but health issues make me a little slower than most. I never know how I am going to feel day to day; so that is a challenge. I asked my son if he would do this with me and he seemed very interested so I would have help. He is artistically talented and truely gifted with music. He taught hisself and can play really well. He can draw some too; so I know he would be able to create some designs. I just have to get a grasp on alot of stuff before even attempting this. Still have alot to learn. But thanks for your input and I got a pm from someone here; I'd say who but don't want her to be trampled by alot of people for help. But you know who you are and God Bless you for your kindness!!!! I would want her permission before posting who it was. Made me have a real feel good from that and all of you and your sharing!