“Do you work in a limited environment?”

“If so, what are those limitations and do you feel they are, indeed, restrictive or can they be overcome?”

That’s it. I know - not a lot to go on but that’s the point of discovery. I would appreciate your feedback.

* Turn off 3G
* Minimize use of location services
* Fetch new data less frequently
* Turn off push mail
* Auto-check fewer email accounts
* Minimize use of third-party applications
* Turn off Wi-Fi
* Turn off Bluetooth
* Use Airplane Mode in low- or no-coverage areas
* Adjust brightness
* Turn off EQ

In other words: Use it like a Motorola Razr from 2006. This cracks me up to no end.

I’d like to direct those interested to two posts where myself and others have begun discussing ways to overcome the deficiency left for some VB earners. I’m directing to a collecting point of posts where several links to other, great information reside.

This information, I feel, is too important to ignore and is probably worth re-reading until it really sinks in. My gut tells me that once some mindsets begin to come full-circle a lot of the wisdom being passed around will begin to click and make sense. Then a sense of direction will follow for how to proceed if you’re left feeling a pinch from the changes to the volume bonus.

Cafepress Volume Bonus Becomes Shop Performance Bonus

I Lost My Cafepress Volume Bonus - What Do I Do Next?

As usual, Adam at TShirtChat.com is doing what myself, and others have a passion for: providing a resource for giving helpful advice and a collecting pot of information on the industry. TShirtChat does it well and that’s why I’m happy to direct you to the above posts and subsequent responses.

Cafepress.com announced it will restructure the Volume Bonus program as of August 1, 2008.

Highlights include:

Sales originated from shops will earn larger bonuses at lower thresholds

Sales originating from the Marketplace will no longer qualify for a Volume Bonus – you will continue to receive your mark-up as your commission

Shopkeepers will no longer pay the 20% fees on affiliate-driven sales – CafePress will pay this fee

The “Sales Source” is being redefined: Credit for a sale will now be based on where the item is added to the cart

The Volume Bonus program will be renamed Shop Performance Bonus

There’s good, bad, and indifferent for this - in my eyes. However, I’m surprised it didn’t happen earlier as it’s a perfectly normal practice to create an incentive-drive to gain customers (in this case - shopkeepers who fit into the equation for CP making money) and, when a strong customer-base is established make a shift from incentive-based drives to advertising-based drives. Without any inside-information: I’m taking an educated guess this is what has happened. Like I said, though, my educated guess was made some time ago this would occur and now it has. Combine this possibility with the ever-rising cost of advertising and it’s not hard to imagine that the cost and effectiveness that were advantageous even a year ago are now less-so. Money spent then may be better spent differently now. You think our costs with Google, for example, alone are expensive? Imagine the broad-sweep advertising expenses companies like Cafepress must incur and they don’t even get the advantage we can have in niche marketing efforts.

I know some people will take this as a personal slap but if you know anything about business… it’s a known process. One may or may not like it but it’s a known-routine… hardly a personal afront.

Here’s the bad:

There’s a strata of base-price sales that now make significantly less in VB than before.

The good:

There’s a strata of base-price sales that now make significantly more in VB than before.

As with any business model - those who adapt can overcome. Those who can’t - sink.

Here’s my suggestion: The most likely affected shopkeepers will do well to adjust from pimping the marketplace to following advice from those who’ve done this thing old-school: Market your own business - build your own business - get your own customer base.

The volume bonus was a bonus and it hasn’t always been around yet some of the most successful shopkeepers were (and continue to be) successful beyond the marketplace ups and downs… including an understandably welcomed bonus.

CP’s marketplace and VB are fine and dandy (well, the MP can be a nightmare some days but you know what I mean). I can’t bash on them for what they are or what they try to be. However, I have a hard time relying on that external system of sales. I’ve always felt it best to get a customer base of your own, outside of someone else’s enclosed system.

I wish everyone good luck in adapting and succeeding from this major change. I’m confident that the business models and manners in which many will now have to conduct business will be more solid, long-lasting ones that can endure changes such as this. Everything changes - nothing stays the same.

Details for adding new Athletic Shorts, Swim Trunks, and Flotation Key Holders are highlighted. Please review as catalog has changed.

However, I woke up to an article in Venture Beat offering early glimpses into the possibility that Cafepress has paid between $15m-$20m for ImageKind - an art print-on-demand service.

Again, in keeping with purely the word on the street angle, is that Zazzle lost a possible desired bid in this as well - not surprising since they’ve been making many moves to increase their business lately (some positive, some less so).

If true and accurate it’s no surprise to me because of the focus of Cafepress as a leader in the POD industry and their growth… often to successfully expand beyond what made them successful years ago: the tshirt.

We’ll see what comes of these as the press releases, rumors, and day runs on.

If it’s the case I have to admit I’m anxious to hear the reactions from a few people I know who are highly invested in the IK service.

UPDATE: It’s confirmed.

Special thanks to Micky for the photo usage.

(Blipfish note: A well-written primer to the history of the tshirt - republished with permission)

T-shirts have come to signify relaxation, comfort, and a devil-may-care attitude. They are incredibly versatile and are a wardrobe essential for all busy people.

In the 1950s Brando, wore a plain white t-shirt with a black leather jacket. The chain-smoking, t-shirt wearing James Dean also played a part in making the t-shirt essential wear for a cool, rebellious youth. Punk sealed the t-shirts status as acceptable clothing for the new generation of rebels. Then, starting in the mid-1960s, people began using custom tees as placards to express political ideas and humor.

While t-shirts became acceptable as everyday clothing in the 1970’s it was punk rock that really sealed their position as the standard clothing of a disenfranchised youth. Ultimately, rock t-shirts worn with jeans and sneakers became a uniform of conformist non-conformism. Now the t-shirts from these early days have become one of today’s hottest-and most costly-fashion trends. Vintage t-shirts and other collectible tees can sell for as much as $500.

Even as late as the 1980s, custom t-shirts were controversial. Their popularity as a garment of defiance came about in the mid 80s. Political custom t-shirts in South Africa were banned as the struggle against apartheid increased.

Today’s custom t-shirts continue to evolve with new styles, colors, piques, knits and new synthetic fabrics. They are showing up everywhere from corporate boardrooms to the golf course.Recent research suggests that sports teams which adorn their players with red t-shirts play better and win more games. While red tees may be associated with competition and winning, earth tone and white remain the most classic and popular choices.

It’s clear that Americans love their t-shirts. And since anything can be printed on them, custom tees will surely continue to be a means of personal expression. T-shirts signify patriotism, display one’s attitudes, feelings, product loyalty and political beliefs. T-shirts can be worn as underwear, pajamas and workout clothing. Many women have replaced the traditional blouse under a suit jacket with a nice custom t-shirt, indicating that the t-shirt is becoming more acceptable in the workplace.

There is no doubt that t-shirts are here to stay. No matter your age, size or sensibilities, if you feel the urge to express your view, to tell complete strangers how it is, to point out why you are right and everyone else is wrong, then get a t-shirt.

Ruth Lanham
Entrepreneur, Author, T-Shirt Designer

Ruth Lanham is a T-shirt designer who authors three websites and writes on various topics relating to t-shirt design and Christianity.

For more information or to contact Ruth please visit her website.

http://www.topteedesigns.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ruth_Lanham

Okay, the quick run-up: A prospect/suspect is someone (or likely a “demographic” of someones) you believe would likely purchase from you… and they are the people you try to reach via marketing. Think of this as what some might call “potential customer.” In some circles just requesting more information can be considered a “conversion” into a customer and in direct response marketing (“Call now - operators are standing by!”) it’s common to define conversion this way. However, I have a tighter definition for online, retail sales:

A customer is someone who has bought from you.

I think it’s important to make a technical distinction that until they hand you money and take your product they are still a suspect/prospect… not actually a customer. I reserve the term “customer” for people who have purchased already.

Conversion is basically a term to describe the process or series of steps that lead to the moment a suspect/prospect hands you money and becomes a customer. It’s important to keep track of the numbers so you can define your “conversion rate” - the percentage of people who were turned into customers.

Conversion, ideally, is done in as few steps as possible, quickly, and cheaply. For example one might describe your advertising to be, preferably, cost effective in reaching prospects and you have a two-step offer that gets them to buy something from you that, in the end, made the cost of advertising worth the money to reach them. Coincidentally this moves into what’s called “CPM” or, Cost Per Thousand (”M” being the Roman numeral for “Thousand” - hence CPM). The generally accepted standard for breaking down how much money it costs to reach and convert a customer at an expected value of that customer.

This is also where you might have heard about a customers’ “lifetime value” - the amount of money you make from that customer (and repeat business) that can often mean more profit, over time, than the loss you may have suffered in reach them in the first place. An example of this would be in those music CD clubs where you choose 12 albums for a penny with only 3 to buy over the next year. The company knows exactly how many customers bail (creating a loss) every year and how many customers they lose after 3 albums and then how many customers remain for years to come - purchasing “x” amount of additional albums on average. All this is factored into it still being profitable to offer 12 albums for a penny in the first place.

So, that all-important “conversion” is the critical moment you turn someone who might buy from you and you spend money on to get the attention of… and someone who pays you for your product - a customer.

Oh, and I’m out of coffee. Damn.