Newburgh Beacon Bridge

Up until recently, I feel I’ve never really pulled my own weight within my local community. My girlfriend and I try our best to purchase locally grown/produced food or products whenever possible. Sometimes due to price or availability this isn’t always an option. Though it’s a limited effort, it’s the best we’ve been able to do so far.

With WP CLD I have the ability to reach out and try my part at bringing something back to the Hudson Valley. I’ve written an open letter to all small business owners of the Hudson Valley area at http://wpcld.com/hudson-valley/. You can also read the same letter on Craigslist as well.

More or less it states WP CLD is on the search for 10 local businesses that need managed web services. We’re aiming for businesses that have been hurt by our economic situation, or startups that simply don’t have the funding to move forward with their web presence. If your business or someone you know can benefit from our offer, please fill out the form or help spread the word about what we’re trying to do.

It’s a small step in the march to a stabilized economy within our community.

Open letter to all small business owners of the Hudson Valley

Photo by Nicole Alexandria

I’ve wanted to get my blog going for years, but I’ve been preoccupied helping others’ build their brand or online identity. It’s time I spent a little TLC on my blog, or mini blog if you will. I’m not a fan of the traditional “blog” model.  I think it’s a bit repetitive and is used for link building these days more so than anything else. There’s nothing wrong with that, just not what I want from a blog.

I’ll be using my blog as a place to discuss the many ups and downs I’ve faced as young small business owner in a field that seems a bit oversaturated to me. I’m also hoping to gain some much needed writing experience. For the better part of the decade I’ve only been designing and coding, my writing skills have suffered dramatically and I’m a bit out of practice. I’m hoping my blog will help make me a proficient writer again, while offering valuable information about small business, WordPress, Linux Virtual Servers, and much more.

Alright, post 1, done! Next up, breaking down the systems that make WP CLD tick.

SimplePress isn’t a new project, but the first project I’ll be posting in my new projects area. SimplePress is still a work in progress and is considered beta at this point. SimplePress is built with KISS (keep it simple stupid) in mind. I developed SimplePress for client’s who didn’t have time to learn all the ends and outs of WordPress. SimplePress brings all the necessary options (including client’s content) into 1 page. This makes administration MUCH easier for the end user, especially when learning WordPress is not an option. SimplePress is designed using a simple template. It’s a 1 page website with no blog. This is primarily designed for users who only need a single page to represent themselves or company online. More information will be available soon.

Just a few updates on what’s been going on, I’m working from home a lot more lately. I’ve been working less hours at the SEO firm, so this has given me more time to develop a few side projects I’ve had on my mind.

Project Updates:

DMU Nights: Design complete, revisiting project to add a few new features. Looking to expand their member’s area, add some ad space on the sidebar and footer, and add some sort of slideshow capability to

One Blog Plaza: Layout complete. The site is still in beta, and will be for a few months. Right now One Blog Plaza is invite only; I have a few invites available for those of you interested in blogging on a more professional platform then those currently available.

DJ Tito Luv: Layout complete, content complete; may add a few more photos.

DJ Smitty: Layout about 90 percent complete, content I believe is almost complete as well.

****press: Layout still in Photoshop but I’m having issues with the code. Project should be announced later this week, if all goes well.

Yellow******: Layout just started in Photoshop, project still in its planning stages. No date planned for project announcement.

CarmeloSantana.com: Layout complete, still playing with the overall design but for now it’s staying just like this. Below is a screen shot of Photoshop while I was laying out my site.