By I managed to get a new demo video posted on YouTube this morning. The video is a little over 5 minutes long, and it shows you how easy it is to customize our latest WordPress theme, WP-Sublime. If you’d like to embed this video on your own site, just grab the embed code from the video or from the YouTube page.
What's Green, Black and Blue and Goes 100 Miles Per Hour?
5Yes, it’s a riddle. What’s green, black and blue and goes 100 miles per hour? No, it’s not a frog in a blender (eeeeeyew). It’s the new, soon-to-be-released Solostream redesign. Between taking care of our wonderful customers in the support forum, and trying to come up with some innovative, new WordPress themes, we actually found some time to start applying a new coat of paint to the Solostream site.
If you take a look at the screenshot, which is a shot of the new home page, you’ll notice we’re working to expand our target market a bit. Since Solostream launched waaay back in 2006, our target market has primarily been WordPress users. In the new design, we’ll continue to cater to all you wonderful WordPress users, but we also want to speak to the non-WordPress user … the small business person who doesn’t yet know how easy and effective it is to use WordPress as their small business web publishing platform.
As vast as the WordPress user base is, we think the non-WordPress-user market is just as vast and sorely under-served. And we hope to help rectify that situation. Call us crazy.
New WordPress Theme – WP-Launch – Sneak Peek
27Well, we’ve been hard at work here at Solostream trying to create some new and innovative WordPress themes. And we thought you might like a sneak peek at one of three that are about to be released. We’re calling this one WP-Launch, and it boasts an incredibly clean and minimalistic design.
We’re still in the final testing stages, but we hope to roll it out before Christmas. Just in time for a good stocking stuffer. Okay, so you can’t really put a WordPress theme in a stocking, but you get the idea.
Update: Looks like this will be rolling out just after the New Year.
You can see it live at the WP-Launch theme demo site.
WordPress 2.8 and Solostream WordPress Themes
0We have completed the testing for our most popular themes on the new WordPress 2.8 version. Here is the list of themes that are confirmed to work properly on the new platform:
The Best Way To Get Started With Our WordPress Themes
2Introduction: This entire post was compiled from posts made by Iskwew, one of our repeat customers and a frequent contributor to our forum. She raises so many good points that we wanted to share this with the Solostream community through our website.
A Sad Story, But A Good Lesson
1I recently lost my two ewes. For those of you who need a reminder, ewes are female sheep. The story starts two years ago when my friend and neighbor – horse breeding expert and I decided to invest in and share a small flock of sheep. The sheep would provide a source of wool for me to knit with and lamb for both of our tables. Seemed like a sweet idea.
Although neither of us had experience with sheep, I had plenty of passion and energy and was excited about the project. I had a pasture for the warm seasons and he had a barn for winter. We started with two beautiful all white females who we named Carmen and Cora. When they were old enough for breeding we bought two rams, selected carefully for their rich, brown fleece so we could introduce color into the next generation.
Don’t Lose Your Dream
0Most of us receive more training about how to drive a car than start a micro business. A high percentage of people who start businesses do so because they have a gift or talent they want to see manifest in the world. Or, they love the idea of self employment – not because they have a burning passion for business for business sake.
Resolve to do More of What Works for You
0There’s always something special about the start of a new year. As one year comes to a close and another starts, I especially enjoy taking stock, cleaning up details and preparing a fresh slate for another year of my life to unfold. As I reflect on the past year I am indeed grateful that I am still standing tall despite many challenges and economic uncertainty.
The Meaning of Hope
0“If you feel you know how to get what you want out of life, and you have that desire to make that happen, then you have hope,” Jennifer Cheavens
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about hope. It started the night our new President was elected. I, for the first time in a long time was filled with an overwhelming sense of hope. The deep thread of worry and cynicism I had been holding about how complex and unchangeable our countries problems were was suddenly replaced with the promise of something new, something hopeful.
Introducing the Solostream Forum
2Yes, you read the title correctly. Believe it or not, the wait is over and the Solostream team has finally launched a forum that all members of our community may use to post support questions, issues, and anything else (General Discussion). Why did it take so long? Well, our security standards had to be met and we wanted to ensure that there is a support community available. SMF exceeded our expectations.
All WordPress and Theme Tutorials from www.solostream.com, www.wp-vybe.com, and www.wp-magazine.com have been carried over. It is now possible to easily find what you’re looking for in the posts. And, if something you need answered isn’t there, you can just create a new topic under the board.
How to Weather the Latest Economic News
4If you live anywhere but under a rock it’s hard to avoid the recent economic reality we find ourselves in as a nation. Regardless of your political affiliation it’s overwhelming trying to decipher what it all means and stressful wondering if it’s going to be ok. Try as I do to monitor how much media I allow myself to consume, it effects me as a citizen, but even more as a small business owner.
Exciting News from Solostream
16We have great news to share with all of the members of the Solostream community. Solostream has been acquired by Jigsaw Group.
Jigsaw Group made this purchase because we believe Solostream, and specifically Michael Pollock, has built a great foundation for making significant contributions to the WordPress community. We are big believers in the value and benefit that WordPress premium templates provide to people and organizations that want to publish on the web.
Another Contest: Win a Free WordPress Theme
0Via Johnathan @ Premium WordPress: Win a Premium WordPress Theme from Solostream
Premium Theme Contest: Get a Solostream Theme for Free
0Via Hack WordPress: Premium Theme Contest: Get a Solostream Theme for Free
One Little Idea Can Change Everything
1Think about the many things you do every day when you own your own business. When you wrap your mind around the staggering array of tasks to be done and the various skill sets necessary, it can seem like a miracle you’re successful at all. In the years I’ve been coaching small business owners it’s become evident that upwards of 90% of you are not in business because you love business for business sake, or have a MBA. You’re in business because you love to make candles, build websites, help people, or what ever your business offers.
Starting a Website or Blog: 10 Tips for Freelancers
5Here’s a quick shout out and link to Laurie – a freelance writer – who shared 10 Tips for Starting a Website or Blog for Freelancers.
What's YOUR Obstacle?
7“For every mountain there is a miracle.” – Robert H. Schuller
Last week I was facilitating my monthly entrepreneur group. This is an impressive group of bright, inspired business folk who truly are committed to making their business a success. They apply what they learn, they continuously work on honing their skills, and they are generous and supportive with each other as they collectively move through the typical challenges all growing business owners face. They’re pretty much doing things right. What struck me however, in this particular session, was regardless of how committed and willing each owner is to learn and grow, each owner seems to have their own personal obstacle to success. An obstacle that could ultimately be their undoing!
What is Your Life Telling You?
6The other day I was coaching Emily, a bright and self aware woman who’s recently stepped up to a very big plate – she wants to take her business to the next level. Her decision holds the potential for many rich and fulfilling rewards, but also contains a rather steep learning curve, an increase in pressure and of course much higher stakes. Interestingly enough, as she meets her days with passion and excitement, she also notices an increase in how easily she gets triggered and upset by seemingly mundane events that throw her off and make her constantly question her ability to succeed.
Enjoy the Holidays! 5 Practices for Less Stress & More Joy
32It bothers me that most conversations I have at this time of year contain some level of stress and anxiety about the upcoming holiday season. I’m not immune myself – every year I swing on a pendulum between being caught up in a frenzy of materialism or feeling the urge to back away and becoming cynical about the entire season. What is up with that? Shouldn’t this time of year be about peace, joy and celebration?
