Approaching the new year (December 28, 2011)

So, we're approaching another new year of opportunities and challenges, and I'm glad to say that one thing I've been looking to do for months, if not years, is that my workplace's affiliate sites are finally getting their own shopping carts set up. Until now, American Work Safety, American Outdoor Gear, and American Detention Supplies were technically individual sites, but they were pulling content - and ultimately directing traffic - to the main Anchortex Corporation site, which was probably not doing our sales figures many favors. Sure, there were a few conversions from it, but nothing major. Now, however, we're working on getting them set up, and on focusing each site around its core niche or niches - which means a new site design, more products related to each of these major segments, and hopefully, more sales. I'm looking forward to it, and hope that 2012 will be a good year. (Wonder if I can push the end-of-the-world angle to sell MREs and medical supplies?)

That said, the past few months have been crazy. I've been working heavily on programming our company's internal customer relationship management software - while it's nowhere near perfect, it does a much better job than previous solutions, and it's geared specifically towards the needs of our company. More to the point, it's something that I built that people use for actual work, and that makes me happy. It's done a lot for our business, and I hope to make it do even more this year.

I keep falling off the Gather wagon when it comes to posting regularly here - a lot of my creative energy is being diverted, for one thing, and a lot of my free time is as well. Most of my most recent posts here have been for work purposes only. So it goes. I'm trying to get my head above water to stop in now and then, but lately it's been a mess with the end of the fiscal year and all. Probably that should be one of my new year's resolutions: check in with Gather at least once a week, if not more. Preferably more. We'll see.