aMember Software

I've been evaluating some new software - aMember (http://www.amember.com/) for a specific use on a website but potentially for additional needs. Basically aMember is membership software that can restrict access to parts of a website based on login, payment details & user privileges. I've been working with a demo copy that is fully functional. So far setup was a breeze but note that this does require some technical knowledge.

I was able to upload the software to a webhosting site and test both logins and protecting a page. Everything worked great. It has the ability to add shopping cart features (for payment) and plug-ins for WordPress and vBulletin (which relates to the specific need for the software right now) - but I have not tested those features.

If anyone has any suggestions or experience with aMember I would love to hear about it. Thanks!

Minor Updates & Changes

A few minor updates today to the site (http://www.acecomputernj.com/) - the big thing is the creation of an articles page. Its not ready yet but will be soon. I will basically use the main site as the hub for everything - promoting my services but also my writing. The blog will become an additional outlet and will preview articles & writing but will always point back to the main site. I got the idea from a friend and his approach to web/brand/etc. The ultimate goal is to create more content for the site with the hope (as always) to improve the Google rankings and page views.

I also added back on to the site that I provide Web Development. I had pulled this from the site previously because demand was pretty low but I have two big projects in development now, so I figured I would begin promoting that I still do web work as well.

Taxes Done

After much procrastination I finished up my personal & business taxes this weekend. No surprises - which is good. A couple of interesting items emerged from looking at last year (2008) and the year previous (2007). The good news is that costs were down in 2008 compared to 2007 and sales were up but I am still not making much, if anything.

In starting ACE Computer Services I expected a year or two to establish everything and planned to not make much during that time. But here I am starting year three and there is a certain urgency to see if this venture can be profitable. I want to remain true to my initial goals - to make my services affordable but I may need to consider rate changes and/or adjustments.

At the same time I am considering new ventures to generate cash - like selling items or affiliate items online. I dabbled in affiliate links a while ago but I admit to not knowing what I was doing the first time around. I am still looking for something that I believe in and something that matches what I do - that is the biggest hangup right now.

One good note - my Google ranking jumped back up after slipping two months ago. The attention paid to getting new links and improving the site keywords paid off.

Ouch

Add Band-Aids to the list of items I recommend any IT Technician keep on hand. I have pretty big hands and I often cut myself up a bit working within a PC tower - stuff inside there is pretty sharp. Nothing ever serious before, just some nicks and scratches here and there. Well, that all changed as I totally gouged my thumb inside a system case and took a nice chunk out. It was ugly. So now I am tossing Band-Aids in to my bag for the future.