I have come across a bunch of articles recently that I have been meaning to post here.  I have found myself on more than one occasion typing up an email explaining why using a blog or a blogging tool on a business website is beneficial.  From my commercial clients, I get the question ”What exactly is a blog and why would I need one?”.  I can talk about blogs and why they can be an important addition to your website until I am blue in the face, but sometimes it is much better to leave some of the explaining to someone who can say what I mean in a much more polished manner.
One of the many articles I found seems to have nailed what we have been trying to say for ages.  It was published on CNN.com on June 6th 2005. 
I want to highlight a few points in the article here but the whole article is a good read and touches on some really important points.  For you business owners looking to really drive traffic to your site and up your business edge, this article gives you a sense of what you’re missing. Granted the examples are on a grand scheme, but the important thread throughout is being able to communicate with your customers.

“The Internet journal format [blog], they find, lets businesses expand their reach, generate product buzz and encourage consumer loyalty while bypassing traditional media.”

“Done well, corporate blogs can create good word-of-mouth among consumers who aren’t reading business pages or thumbing through trade magazines.”

This article deals primarily with the benefit and “how to” of blogging for business.  They have covered that blogs can help you communicate with your customers and generate more business buzz around you or your product.  What they don’t talk about is how blogging software or “Content Management Systems” can really give you an edge on your website and allow business owners more control over their content.  With a simple login you can enter your site and publish a news release, a sale, announce important events… the uses are unlimited.  And all without touching any complicated code.  I could go on forever.
I will periodically be posting more articles as I come across them.  There are quite a few out there that discuss the pros of getting on the blog train. 
Read the full article here on CNN.com.
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Just a little background on this hashbrown business before I get to the fun stuff.  We have developed a little tradition “around the office” that includes breakfast with hashbrowns on Friday mornings. 
Now, it may not sound that special but, this tradition started from a goofy conversation one Friday morning between Joelle and me.  Ever since that day, every Friday is Hashbrown Friday™ and gives us a little something fun to talk about after a long week.  Instead of happy hour, we have Hashbrown Friday™.
That conversation went a little something like this:

Joelle: I’ve made an executive decision.
Kathy: *gulp*
Joelle: Fridays are Hashbrown Friday.
Joelle: and so it is written.
Kathy: *applause*
Joelle: thank you, thank you…
Joelle: I do what I can.
Kathy: I like it
Kathy: now if only I had some hashbrowns
Joelle: I have tater tots. I think that counts.
Kathy: SHOW ME YOUR TOTS!!!!!
Joelle: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA

So ever since, Fridays are a day filled with hashbrowns or tots and a little Friday fun.  In honor of this day, we would like to post a little goodie… like a site we enjoy, a design tip, a joke, a funny story or anything we think is Hashbrown Friday™-worthy.  Today, we bring you our newest obsession. 
We are hopelessly hooked on a new site we discovered through a friend.  In fact we’ve had it on a tab in our Firefox browsers going on 3 days now.  Check out the Silver Jewelry Club.  This is all sterling silver jewelry with gem stones and they show one item at a time.  They give you 15 minutes to get it.  And the best part? They’re free...you just pay shipping.  I kid you not.  It’s no scam.  I hate to say it but there is some really ugly stuff in there but really some nice ones too… and the obsession stems from waiting to see what the next one will be. 
How I got any work done this week was a miracle.

Just FYI, I’m currently having some cable internet outbound email challenges that are unavoidable. They are “looking into it”, but of course, we all know that means they’re having a cup of coffee and pretending to look interested.
If you are waiting on an email from me, I do apologize. I have about 10 sitting in my outbox waiting to go through and more are on the way.  If it’s not repaired soon, I’ll send them out using an alternate method.  Thank you for your patience! 
Update 6.22.05: It’s a Christmas miracle! I have email!  It looks like I’m back in business. Thanks SO much for your patience.
Update 6.20.05: This is seems to still be an issue. I guess there’s some kind of an outage with Cox in So. California, Nevada and Arizona that’s causing outbound email server issues.  It comes and goes. I’ll post when it’s resolved. Thanks!

Wow. We have had such a great response to our re-design that we are up to our eyeballs in fun projects.  Thanks to everyone who sent us warm fuzzy compliments and to everyone sending in your design requests.  It’s overwhelming and we’re thrilled! 
However, it has deemed my schedule busy until late August.  In the fall I will be ceasing taking on new projects so I can finish up my clients and prepare to take some maternity leave during and after the holidays.
As usual,  I am always available for questions, so please don’t hesitate to email me if you need anything!

Aside from all the projects I am knee deep in, I actually found time to do a little personal project on the side.  And by “little”, I mean tiny.  Itty bitty.  Teeny weenie.  About the size of a small plum… living in my uterus.  Yes folks, this Moxie is expecting a baby!  I am happy to report that mama and wee-moxie are doing fine and feeling better than the first three months have allowed me to feel. 
The wee one is due out in late December, at which time I’ll be forced to take some maternity leave.  But never fear, I’ll be back in the saddle as soon as I get my life back in order (and after my first glass of wine in over 11 months). 
One of the “side effects” of being pregnant, Joelle so lovingly calls “Baby Brain” in which I cannot remember remedial things like how to spell the word “the” or lose my train of thought in mid conversation.  So to my clients who fell victim to my Baby Brain™, my sympathies.