Bob Bloom |
| Website: | http://SouthLaSalleMEDIA.com | |
| Profile: | An ecommerce consultant living in Toronto, Canada, producing shows about ecommerce for fellow consultants, their clients, and site owners. |
The Moneyball of Joomla eCommerceSite owners, and consultants to those site owners, are in the technology business whether they like it or not. Taking upon themselves to create and maintain Joomla ecommerce technology for themselves, it's important to know where the real value resides, so efforts can focus on manifesting that value. That value resides outside of where conventional thinking would lead.
Inaugural LaSalleMart Hangout PodcastZach Atkinson (MachineAndMagic.com), Joe Sonne (JoeJoomla.com), and Suzan Marie Chin (CreativeRaven.com) join me today to talk about the philosophy behind LaSalleMart, creating simultaneous builds, the reseller idea, funding, and other topics. 
LaSalleMart: The Response to “Fuck You, It’s Free Open Source Software”LaSalleMart is not for developers. LaSalleMart is technology created by consultants and site owners, for consultants and site owners, to make consultants and site owners money...
Welcome to the LaSalleMart PodcastsWelcome to the LaSalleMart News and Hangout Podcasts. Bringing you updates, and private conversations, about LaSalleMart.... The Birth of LaSalleMartThe birth of LaSalleMart, a fork of Tienda. A friendly fork by my Club Commerce. Audio Testimonial — not an actual podcast!(38 seconds) This is a clip from about 45 seconds in, in the second Anahita Hangout podcast (http://blog.anahitapolis.com/2011/12/anahita-hangout-episode-2-part-1/). Rastin & Ash are trying out podcasting by recording their brand new Google + chat “Hangouts“. It is you, not me, who is paving the way. As I described in my last podcast, it’s pretty ballsy to [...]
Power, Hackerpreneur, Tienda, Tech Talk, NookuTienda is ready -- very ready. Tweet sweetly even in heat -- same with blogging -- for I love that technical talk! The way for users to capture the inherent power of Free Open Source Software is to join hackerpreneur clubs. Yes, I do care about the Nooku Framework! Nooku is now starting to focus on Change Management.
Why I am Not Using the Nooku FrameworkRight now, many Nooku Framework versions are used to build Joomla extensions, but only one NFW version is installable on a Joomla site. Since NFW versions are so different, an extension written with one NFW version will not work with other NFW versions. For me, this renders the Nooku Framework unusable.
Why I Came Home To Joomla & TiendaToday I talk to you about why I came home to Joomla ecommerce in general, and to Tienda in particular. The call to Magento was particularly strong. 
Capping show length, and getting more technicalPodcasts will be limited to single segments of 25 minutes. Show content will become more technical...
Clubbing at Club CommerceOf all the nearly 60 podcasts I've produced since February 2010, this podcast is the most difficult I've put together. With a mountain of notes and over 50 takes, I know I have too much on my mind about my new Club Commerce. Why am I forming a Club of Clients, how am I going to run it, what are my objectives for you and me?
I've been doing Virtuemart consulting for five odd years. Three-quarters of my clients were fellow consultants; and, one-quarter were site owners bootstrapping their own sites.
With such unusual difficulty putting this podcast together, I've concluded that the best way for me to approach this podcast is to just speak from the heart, as a consultant.
My marketing may not be the greatest, my copywriting not the slickest, but so what? I'm going to help you make a ton of money with Tienda. Who needs slick? Let me just lay it out for you...
Podcasts Continue this FallMy podcasts and blog posts will continue this fall.
I'm in the midst of bootstrapping my new Club Commerce site this summer.
Two start-up sites in one year -- what a year! 
May 2011 BTR Stats, and State of the UnionMy Media site has settled down. Two active shows, and the rest archived. My archived "Revenue 2.0" podcasts set the tone for my other podcasts; and, for my new Commerce site. "I Believe" and "Lessons That I've Learned" provide an underlying theme for both sites...
FOSS Support: Noblesse Oblige or Largesse?(Sponsored by ChillCreations.com... Joomla!® and Virtuemart extensions, for professionals)Supporting free open source software: is it a duty or an obligation of the FOSS purveyor? Support is a drain on development resources. To what extent should a developer support their FOSS? Bob and Nicholas disagree on this.
Joomla JAB: Symbiosis(Sponsored by AkeebaBackup.com... Got Backup?)Today my Round Table talks about the latest with the AEC and Akeeba extensions; and, shares impressions from attending the recent Joomla and Beyond 2011 conference.
New Site for my Tienda-Nooku HandiworkMy new home for my ecomm platform work is up at SouthLaSalleCOMMERCE.com...
Canadian Edition of Tienda On The WayMy Canadian Edition of Tienda is on the way.
I now have PST and GST displaying in the cart. With the multiple tax lines achieved, it's now a matter of building out my code, ensuring that the invoices and email notifications include multiple tax lines, including tax on shipping is included in the PST/GST/HST totals (for those that do add the tax), and a few other things. I'm over the hump...
Freemium, or not to Freemium(Sponsored by AkeebaBackup.com... Got Backup?)Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos, founder of the incredible Akeeba Backup extension, joins David Deutsch and I today as a regular Round Table Guest. In this segment, we talk about the Freemium and PayWall business models.
Catching up with Akeeba(Sponsored by AkeebaBackup.com... Got Backup?)Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos, founder of the incredible Akeeba Backup extension, joins David Deutsch and I today as a regular Round Table Guest. In this segment today, we talk about Akeeba Backup & Akeeba Subscriptions.David and Nicholas chat about their subscriptions extensions.
BlogTalkRadio Stats for April 2011BlogTalkRadio continues to give us a nice listenership boost at http://BlogTalkRadio.com/SouthLaSalle. Here’s the screenshot of my BTR report: Posting new shows boosts the numbers. People look browse all the shows, so it’s good to sponsor more than one show to get some coverage.
I’m Specializing in Tienda-NookuI am greedy. I want it all! I want power! Feature upside, templating, Joomla integration, customization. That's why I am specializing in Tienda-Nooku...
Developer’s Eye-View of Software Development(Sponsored by Valanx.org... Power to the Developers)Joining me today is David Deutsch, one of my two permanent Round Table guests. We explore four related areas: Ecosystem vs. Community; Complexity in Software and Businesses; Developer Collaboration; and, Who should support the software. This is part two of today's discussion.
A Personal Journey(Sponsored by Valanx.org... Power to the Developers)Joining me today is David Deutsch, one of my two permanent Round Table guests. We talk about ups and downs of slogging it out everyday. This is part one of today's discussion.
April 2011 Joomla Toronto Meet-upI enjoyed this month's Joomla User Group Toronto, catching up with the regulars & meeting new regulars. I've not attended since the fall! A rare day downtown for me, I thought I'd publish some Toronto pics along with my JUGT pics...
Nooku: Plethora of Flavours(Sponsored by Valanx.org... Power to the Developers)Joining me today is David Deutsch, one of my two permanent Round Table guests. Today we engage in a two part discussion about Joomla, that is ostensibly about what version of Joomla to use; but, in a wider sense, is about using Joomla in the longer term. This is part two of today's discussion.
Whither Thy Joomla(Sponsored by Valanx.org... Power to the Developers)Joining me today is David Deutsch, one of my two permanent Round Table guests. Today we engage in a two part discussion about Joomla, that is ostensibly about what version of Joomla to use; but, in a wider sense, is about using Joomla in the longer term.
Employment 2.0You eat what you kill. You have to create your own job. That's Employment 2.0. That's what underlies Revenue 2.0. You have to create your own job.
Upgrading Your Hacked VirtuemartOnce again, I'm asked how-to upgrade to the latest Virtuemart when there's hacked source files. All my Virtuemart clients have custom modified source files. This is the nature of Virtuemart customization. Guess what? It's rare that any are upgraded to the latest VM 1.1.x version...
Still Getting Virtuemart Customization GigsTwo recent Virtuemart customization gigs are...
Media Site SummaryA summary update of my Media site. Welcome, SouthLaSalle.com visitor!You were looking for something on my SouthLaSalle.com site? I redirected you here, because I shut down my SouthLaSalle.com site. Welcome to my South LaSalle Media site. My SouthLaSalle site was a mish-mash of stuff I’ve been doing for the last number of years. The site itself has undergone many changes in that time. If [...]
‘Splaining About Going For-ProfitThe hardest podcast I've ever put together, I talk about taking my podcasting for-profit. 
Moving Clients out of Joomla CartsHaving stayed up last night shoehorning a Joomla template's look-and-feel into Interspire's template, I thought it time to break the ice with the reality that I'm getting my clients out of all Joomla carts...
Luxury of the No-ShowNot having solicited sponsors yet, I'm taking the luxury of not producing my Daily "Revenue 2.0" show today. Today is Family Day here, and Presidents' Day in the U.S. I was up last night working on Interspire's templating, instead of working on my shows. Quick update on this at my Commerce.com blog. I'm shedding a formal writing style...
Lessons That I’ve Learned: Recap & Lesson about iTunesRecapping this week's Lessons and a lesson about iTunes.
I Have Some ‘Splaining To Do: Three Ascendent Joomla TechnologiesOn my BlogTalkRadio podcasts last year, I talked about what I called "The Three Joomla Ascendent Technologies". Today, I want to follow up with these technologies.
Lessons That I’ve Learned: No Technology Platform, No MoneyNo Technology Platform, No Money. Boy, talking about obvious. Yes, a technology consultant needs technology to base revenues on. So, tell me something I don't know!
Does My Canadian Tax Add-on for Virtuemart Do Upgrades?My Canadian Tax add-on for Virtuemart 1.1.4 never gets upgraded! And, tellingly, I think, no one wants to shell out for the upgrade. Upgrade to what? To the Virtuemart 1.1.5, 1.1.6, and now 1.1.7 upgrades. I tell my Virtuemart clients that the goal is stability. If it ain't broke, don't fix it...
Upgrading Virtuemart 1.1.x Sites to Joomla 1.6Can you update your Virtuemart 1.1.x site to Joomla 1.6? No. Never. Never ever. You are stuck on Joomla 1.5. Full stop...
Lessons That I’ve Learned: Buyers Come To YouThis week's theme is: Lessons that I've Learned. Today: buyers come to you, you do not go to buyers. You are the expert. You don't need to seek out work. You are not looking for work. You accept work. Potential clients find you, they see that you are an expert in your niche, they need you to do work, and they hope that you are available to do it.
Lessons I’ve LearnedThis week, I relate Lessons That I've Learned. Things I learned through experience having been an independent freelance consultant for a number of years.
Lessons That I’ve Learned: Work in the Money EconomyWelcome to my February 15th, 2011 "Revenue 2.0 Daily" podcast. This is your host, Bob Bloom, hailing from Toronto, Canada. This week's theme is: Lessons that I've Learned. Today: work in the money economy.
Lessons That I’ve Learned: If You Do Not Know Who You Are, Then Freelancing is an Expensive Place to Find Out"Know thyself" means you will send out a clear message to your buyers about who you are. "Know thyself" means knowing which technical skills are must-have, versus which skills are nice-to-have. "Know thyself" means you know what niches you are in; and, how to grow your revenue from those niches.
I Believe We Hold The Purse StringsI also believe that consultants are key purchasers of vendor software, products and services. Consultants buy things on behalf of their clients. Clients do not buy directly. We do. I Believe We Hold The Purse Strings.
Rewriting This Week’s “The Bob Bloom Show”I'm rewriting this week's "The Bob Bloom Show", so I'll be late podcasting it.
Just didn't like my final draft...
I Believe We are in the Sweet SpotI continue with my theme, What I Believe. I believe that the internet economy is the sweet spot of our economy. And ecommerce is the sweet spot of this sweet spot. The internet economy is bustling. And ecommerce is where the action is. The major implication for freelance consultants: opportunities abound.
I Believe in the Pursuit of ProfitsI believe in the Pursuit of Profits. "I don't care whether they're big investors or little investors. If they make a little money, they're happy, if they lose a little money, they're not too unhappy... they want to be a part of what's going on
I Believe Your Stress is HighWelcome to my second "Revenue 2.0 Daily" show. I believe in you. The ecommerce freelance consultant. Slugging it out everyday...
I BelieveWelcome to my inaugural "Revenue 2.0 Weekly" podcast, my weekly ecommerce consultant's eye-view of building your consulting business. What do you believe? I believe in you, the ecommerce Freelance Consultant. I believe that you are an independent freelance ecommerce consultant because striking out on your own is the best opportunity available to you. Heck, it may be the only viable alternative you have...
I Believe in YouWelcome to my inaugural "Revenue 2.0 Daily" show. What do you believe? I believe in you. The freelance ecommerce consultant. Slugging it out everyday, because your butt ended up on the cold hard pavement. You banged your head against the wall pounding the pavement looking for a job that was not there. You realized that the only viable alternative was to strike out on your own...
Launching Monday Jan 31stIt’s a go, we have lift-off! Podcasts start Monday, Jan 31st, with my inaugural “Revenue 2.0 Daily” podcast. My first “Revenue 2.0 Weekly” podcast next Tuesday will be titled “Lessons that I’ve Learned”, about the things I’ve learned about independent consulting. My first weekly “The Bob Bloom Show” podcast a week Thursday will be titled [...]
Twitter Double Deuce: Never the Twain Shall MeetWhat to do with my two twitter accounts? @southlasallemed new podcast, blog post notifications — really dry stuff — for this site & my COMMERCE site. @bobbloom everything else.
Advertising FAQWhy are you asking for $$ in advance? By the time I realize you’ve stiffed me, it’s too late for me! I bill you at month-end. Two weeks go until you receive my mid-month reminder. So 6 or 7 weeks go by before I get a whiff of what’s coming. Meanwhile, you get the benefit [...]
Dear Valued Advertiser: You Will Be Criticized!“People will pay to be on your podcasts? Are you crazy? I’m not going to listen to your infomercials!”. Ah, such was the feedback to my Soliciting Advertisers Version 1.0. If I’m producing shows for free, then I have all the freedom to criticize my guests all I want. Right? If a guest is paying [...]
My Advertising MeldPiecemeal advertising on my site = waste of time. I’m not building a traditional blog, so traditional blog advertising will not work. The cornerstone of my site is my podcast. My audience listens to my podcasts on my site; and, off my site. We must go where my audience listens to my podcasts. So my [...]
Reaching My Audience, Not Broadcasting to the MassesDo you need traffic to generate your own advertising revenues? Do you engage in traffic arbitrage, buying other peoples’ traffic cheap and monetizing it dearly on your own site? I am definitely not your man for this. Do you need buyers, as opposed to traffic? Are your buyers my audience? I’m not network television. I’m [...]
My 2010 BlogTalkRadio NumbersI produced & hosted 20 weekly podcasts on BlogTalkRadio from Feb-Aug 2010. Each show had at least one guest. I formed a Round Table of 5 regular guests; and, had 4 Round Table shows. My shows won runner-up “Best Blog” at the Joomla and Beyond Conference, June 2010 ((did not have a media category). The [...]
Pablum Produces ToastI messed up quite nicely my first time around seeking advertisers. So this is version 2.0 “Soliciting Advertisers”. Not that I enjoy this exercise, seeking out advertisers. Because I don’t. Although I did find Soliciting Advertisers Version 1.0 interesting. There were a few things that came out of Version 1.0: build my sites first; do [...]
Backups: Do You Feel LuckyIn all the excitement of running your ecomm site, you forgot to actively manage your backups. “But it doesn’t matter”, you tell yourself, “my webhost backs up my sites”. You are feeling lucky!
Delaying the Shows to Climb the MountainAlthough this site, my Media site, is set-up, there are actually three sites hosting a total of 32 shows per month & three blogs. There is this site, SouthLaSalleMedia.com, with 20 daily shows per month + 2 weekly shows + 2 monthly shows + this blog. There is the new SouthLaSalleCommerce.com, with one monthly show [...]
Fork or Distro: The Joomla Tines are a-Changin’Fork. Distro. Don't get caught up in semantics. The Joomla "tines" are a-changin'. This is a shining moment for Joomla consultants. Emergence of Nooku Framework Based Joomla eCommerceNooku Framework based Joomla ecommerce is coming. It will be the Joomla ecommerce platform of choice for Joomla consultants. Welcome to my new Media site!Running for daylight is the sprint to finish before the sun rises or my eyes give out...
Welcome to my new Media site, glad to have you here!
Boy, from the idea of doing an audio newsletter to my clients, to this new site. What a leap from BlogTalkRadio to here... Dangerous BedfellowsDomain registration, webhosting, and your consultants should all be separated from each other. 
