Every day is getting better and better because each day I get closer to the time when I can quit my day job. Every week, we set up our goals and knock ‘em down. And this week was no different. Not only did we nail down things on our list, we also got to some other things.

I can really feel them momentum building. It seems like it took so long to file papers and set up our LLCs. The process could have probably taken less time but I’m still working 40 hours per week at my day job. Plus, sometimes we had to wait for other people to process papers. These things take time, no matter how fast you want to go. Fast or slow, we’re making progress every week.

Here’s what we got done this week:

• We met with a CPA
• I registered my fictitious name (at the state level)
• Continuing health insurance research
• Selected a WordPress theme for our blogs
• Studied at the Internet Business Mastery Academy
• Research and development for our blogs
• Set a launch date for our blogs

Our Meeting with a CPA

With all the paperwork flying around and the filings for a certificate here and a license there, we didn’t want to miss any important details during the frenzy, especially related to our income taxes. So Tammy and I met with a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) to ask some questions and get some guidance. With the information we got, we’re now prepared to register our businesses with the Virginia Department of Taxation.

Filed a Fictitious Name or DBA

This week, I filed a fictitious name (or DBA; Doing Business As) with the SCC (State Corporation Commission). Since I’m going to be offering products through my blog, I wanted to be able to accept checks payable to my blog on behalf of my company name, New Mind Insight. LLC. So I filed behaviorandmotivation.com as a name through which I will be doing business on behalf of New Mind Insight, LLC. The cool thing is, I got to pay my $10 fee with a check from my new business checking account. I enjoyed it.

Health Insurance Research Update

Not much progress this week. We submitted applications with a local broker for rate quotes for a couple of group plans. So we’re waiting for that data before we take another step. We should know something next week.

Selected a WordPress Theme

Tammy and I have been considering various WordPress Themes to use for our blogs. The final contenders were Frugal Theme and Headway Theme. Both are very user friendly and have great reviews. In the end, we gave a slight edge to Headway for our specific needs. We can change the theme later on if our needs are not met or if they change.

Internet Business Mastery Academy Course 7

For those of you who have been following our journey of creating online businesses so we can quit our jobs, you’ll already know that we are members of the Internet Business Mastery Academy (IBMA). We’re following their proven plan for starting Internet-based businesses. This week we began to study course 7 in the Internet Business Mastery Academy. It covers  the nuts and bolts of creating compelling content for your blog. It’s packed with tips and ideas. We haven’t finished it yet, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the material which is helping me get more focused on the content for my blog. Very solid course. I look forward to continuing with it next week.

Blog Research and Development Started

We’ve been so looking forward to starting this phase. Tammy and I began to organize and focus our ideas for our blogs. We began doing research to help us each define how our blogs are going to function, what type of content categories we’ll need and how we want our blogs to look. This is where it starts to get fun. If you’ve launched your own blog before, you know what I mean. If you’ve never launched one, this is an exciting part of the process. Looking at tons of themes for design ideas, looking for blogs that are in the same niche as yours and getting ideas, examining their strengths and weaknesses, and in general, networking with them. It’s just plain cool!

Launch Dates Set

Even though Tammy and I each have our own blog which serves our own businesses, we’re both roughly at the same place in this process. We were talking about launch dates for our blogs and decided on January 1, 2010 as the day we go public with our blogs. I doubt that I’ll actually have a product ready to sell by then, but I’m honestly more concerned about having excellent content, above all else. Tammy, on the other hand, may actually have something to market. It may not be her primary products but she’ll likely have something ready. Just because we go public with our blogs, that won’t translate to instant income. Though we’re anxious to start making money, we know that content and developing a relationship with our customers is most important, and that takes time. Either way, it’s exciting to put an actual launch date out there.

Next Week

• More blog research and development will be happening
• Sign up for web hosting
• Install WordPress and the Headway theme
• Start working on the design of our blogs
• More health insurance news (hopefully)
• Continue to study course 7 at the Academy
• Register our businesses with the Department of Taxation

If you would like step-by-step instructions for starting your online business as well as dozens of resources, you can find them in the Internet Business Mastery Academy along with video tutorials showing exactly how to use them. To get a 30-day, no-risk, trial membership to the Internet Business Mastery Academy, simply click on this ad and receive a free audio course –it’s a good intro to the Academy. If you decide to join, please consider using our affiliate link so we get credit for referring you. Thanks!

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