Me: Can you give my readers a brief description of what your company name is and what you do?
Jill: My official company name is 2 Dogs Media, LLC. I actually do a variety of things, but my primary focus these days are my own personal blog at http://www.coolphotoideas.com/ and doing web design and SEO through my site at http://www.2dogsdesign.com/.
Me: The economy is hurting, but some industries are thriving. Are you thirsty or thriving?
Jill: I am currently thriving and feel blessed to be in this position.
Me: In 2008 did you make money or lose money? How are you doing in 2009?
Jill: This is a tough question because part of 2008 I had a retail store and photography studio to pay for. I closed that in May 2008, but am still paying off the loans and debt from that venture. The economy is the reason that I closed it and I do not regret that for a minute as it has helped me leap into new ventures. So for 2008, no I did not make money, but I definitely will for 2009 through my web design and blog.
Me: You recently got a full scholarship to BlogHer 09 from Kodak. Congratulations! Can you tell my readers how you secured such an amazing sponsorship?
Jill: This one was actually a bit of luck which is not something I am used to! I entered a contest on another blog to win a printer - and did not know until after the fact that that would enter me into the running to win the scholarship. So, no fancy footwork here, just luck!
Me: What are your favorite sites/forums for gaining information to assist you in your business?
Jill: Wow, there are probably too many to list. I love http://www.mompreneursonline.com/ for the social aspect of learning from women who are like minded, motivated and movers and shakers. I like http://www.abestweb.com/ for all of my affiliate marketing strategies. I also love http://www.webdesignerwall.com/, http://jimsmarketingblog.com/, http://www.alistapart.com/ and http://www.smashingmagazine.com/ rounding out the top! You want more?!?! :-)
Me: If you could give one piece of business advice, what would it be?
Jill: If you truly want to make money in your business and be successful, treat it like a real business! Be professional in all that you do, socialize with people who know more than you, learn to take constructive criticism and don't be afraid to fail and try again - ask me how I know this one!
Me: Do you have a favorite book that has helped you in making business decisions or helped in answering important business questions?
Jill: Not really...I rarely read these days! More of a magazine girl and even those I am only reading web design magazines! I find most books to be outdated in terms of the advice they give so I don't find them useful in regards to things I tackle on a day to day basis.
Me: What is your favorite social media site? How long would you say you spend "socializing"?
Jill: I am a Twitter girl through and through, but did just start using Facebook about 3 weeks ago and am learning to love that as well. I spend several hours a day socializing on average although lately it is significantly less due to workload. But I do find that the more active I am the better the results in terms of click throughs to posts I share or things I need help with.
Me: What is your twitter id? Why should someone follow you on Twitter?
Jill: My Twitter id is @coolphotoideas. I talk mostly about photo related things for consumers. I share truly unique photo concepts from wall displays to photo gift ideas - and we are not talking Snapfish or Kodak....my specialty is finding unique and distinctive photo items and services. I also give a lot info about web design and SEO tips as well...so I am a little bit of everything!!!
Me: You just recently did a SEO case study on a website you were working on and shared some valuable information. Why do you think it's important for business owners to share information when they could charge for the same information? What will they gain by doing this?
Jill: I did this because I was truly frustrated with everyone trying to make a $$ for every little thing. This was a way I could give back. I understand that not everyone can afford to hire someone, although I do recommend that for the best results, for everyone it is not practical. By doing the case study I was hoping I could help those who could not afford it, but also give them a glimpse into how time consuming and in depth the process is. I am not done with the case study yet - although I have not posted in a bit, but there are still many more steps to be taken. Also, we live in a world where everyone says they are an "SEO" expert and charge an arm and a leg to do so. Many times clients wind up worse off then when they started. I thought doing a case study of a very difficult niche market would help me solidify that I can achieve results thereby giving potential clients reassurance that there money is being well spent! I think if everyone could just give a "little" bit the world would be a better place!
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