Following up on yesterday’s post, you may be considering the possibility of launching a members-only blog of some kind. This can help to generate a source of income for you, to be sure, or it can be a great incentive for people to use some of your other products and services. A members-only blog can also be an incentive to encourage more sign-ups for your mailing list.

So, how can you manage this without diving into complex software and coding? The MembersBlog WordPress plug-in appears to be a viable solution. This is much better than locking down your individual posts with individual passwords, as it is a more systematic approach that comes with additional benefits.

When an unauthenticated visitor tries to view the locked blog content, he or she will be shown a log-in page. Some savvy web users may think that they circumvent this lock by subscribing to the RSS feed, but this is rendered ineffective too. In order to subscribe to the feed, the username and password must be included in the URL in this format: http://{username}:{password}@{feed url}

For more information and to download MembersBlog, go to the official WordPress plugin directory. Bear in mind that this plugin will only work with PHP 5.2 or greater.

When you go into business for the first time, it’s easy to set your focus on instant results and making as much money as possible as quickly as possible. That only makes sense. Everyone wants to hit the “ramp” and earn the big bucks. However, this is likely not a viable long term strategy.

Think about it this way: What’s the point of making a slightly larger sum of money up front if you earn next to nothing immediately afterward? The long-term viability of your business is not based on having a one-hit wonder; it makes more sense to focus on how you can develop recurring income sources that can result in passive revenue for an extended period of time.

Consider the health and fitness niche, for instance. It may be great to sell someone an e-book on how they can get into shape. It might be fantastic to sell them some piece of home fitness equipment. However, you will make much more money in the long run if you sell them on a subscription of your online magazine or a membership at your locally-owned gym. These recurring income sources provide a steady flow of money with much less effort on your part.

The same kind of philosophy can apply to any number of other industries and niches. Think about how you can take your existing products and parlay them into opportunities for recurring revenue. This can fund further development and innovation, which can help build a “snowball” effect on your overall income.

If you want a simple and effective way to cut the cords when you are on the road (or even when you are at home, for that matter), you should take a look at the D-Link DAP-1350 wireless-N pocket router. On the surface, it may look like any number of other wireless routers, but this travel-sized gadget comes with a couple of bonus functions that could come in handy in a pinch.

For starters, it’s a fair bit smaller than what you would normally expect from a wireless-N router. This makes the D-Link DAP-1350 much easier to pack into your travel bag when you’re catching a plane to attend an important conference or even driving to the other side of town to meet with a client. It measures just 3.6 x 0.8 x 2.6 inches and weighs just eight ounces.

In addition to acting as a wireless router, the DAP-1350 can also be attached to an Ethernet-ready device, like the Xbox 360 or a desktop PC, and effectively work like a wireless card on the client side, connecting to another Wi-Fi access point. It can also add wireless functionality to an existing wired network, granting Internet access to all sorts of different WiFi-enabled devices.

The D-Link DAP-1350 pocket router is currently on sale for $69.99 on Amazon.ca, representing a $20 savings off the regular price. This also qualifies for free super saver shipping.

It truly is astounding the sheer variety of people who choose to host their websites with BlueFur. We’ve got everyone from freelance writers to landscaping companies. And then there’s Par Avion Design, which isn’t exactly what you may think it is.

Interestingly enough, Par Avion Design does not specialize in web design, as would be the case with so many graphic designers on the Internet today. Instead, it is a firm that focuses primarily on custom invitations and other types of custom stationery. As an online boutique stationery studio, Par Avion helps you set the tone for just about any event.

Whether it is a formal business event or you are planning your wedding banquet, Par Avion Design can fulfill your requests. Take a look at the portfolio to get a sense of some of their previous work and then check out the ordering process page to see how you can connect with Par Avion on your specific project.

Do you use BlueFur to host your websites? Let us know and we can feature you in a future blog post. Send an email message to blogfeature@bluefur.com with your name, website URL, and a brief description of what you’d like to see highlighted.

There’s nothing wrong with getting paid for the hard work you put into your blog. Even if it’s just a personal blog, there’s nothing wrong with trying to get some suitable compensation. That’s where AdSense-ready WordPress themes can come in incredibly handy.

One such theme is the Blueiz theme from Gr8Template.com. The template has been designed to take your advertisement codes using widgets, so there’s no need to edit the individual template files. It’s a simple two or three-column design with predefined ad spots.

You’ll also notice the clever integration of the search toolbar near the top of the page, as well as the unique RSS logo in the top-right corner. This is a free theme, but the developer has asked for a $20 donation should you choose to remove the footer links from your site.

A live demo is available through Gr8Template.com, which is also where you can find the free download link for Blueiz Theme.

There’s always something interesting to read in the blogosphere, so let’s see what the bloggers had to share this week.

John Chow starts off with a review of a new carry-on bag that he’s using on his frequent travels. It may look like a regular carry-on roller bag, but there is a backpack portion that can attach and detach itself from the main bag at will. This adds a great deal of versatility and lets you bring more with you as a carry-on aboard flights.

John Biehler recognizes that when it rains, it pours. Well, that’s true at least when it comes to receiving review gadgetry. He’s suddenly found himself in camera heaven with no fewer than three new shooters to try. He has the decidedly higher-end Nikon D7000 (on his own dime), the casual-friendly Flip UltraHD, and the unique Olympus E-PL1.

Google Lady knows when to capitalize on an opportunity. You need to strike the pan while it’s hot, so that’s why she’s letting you know about the top ten most profitable product niches. As an Internet marketer, you can take advantage of these niches for Black Friday and the holiday shopping season. Harry Potter and Twilight are pretty big!

Therese J. Borchard from PsychCentral may have noticed that the days are getting shorter and the skies are getting darker. Seasonal affective disorder is increasingly common and so is depression. So, Therese lets us know what not to say to someone who happens to be suffering from depression. They can’t just “snap out of it,” even if you tell them to do so.

Thursday Bram is a very busy freelance writer, producing several posts each and every day. How does she do it? How can she maintain that level of productivity? Well, check our her post in the life of Thursday Bram to find out. It takes a fair bit of brainstorming and organization to keep up with that level of production!