Thanks for joining Orthodox Biz. The items below don't have to be done in any particular order. They are not a 'step-by-step' guide to getting started. You may take advantage of all that Orthodox Biz offers, or you may only choose to use a smaller portion of the services here.
Rather, look at the list below as a guide to the possibilities on offer here. You can always find this page again under the Membership tab on the main menu.
Listing Your Business in the Orthodox Christian Business Directory
To add your business to the directory, click 'Add Entry' from any directory page or from the homepage listing of business categories. (You can also click the previous link.)
Once there, you will see a very straightforward form. Most fields are self-explanatory, and there is help available by putting your mouse over the .
Here are some things you might need to know about the form:
1) Short Description - Very important. This is the 50 characters that people browsing a category or search results page will see. This text will be visible along with your mini-logo. Make them count. You can use HTML if you choose in the box.
2) Description - This is the detailed description that people will see when they have clicked on your entry. This text will be visible along with your logo image. The editor tool can be used to input simple HTML. Feel free to insert more images here if you'd like. The easiest way to do that is to insert code like this:
Use the above structure (only without the space after the first bracket) to link to pictures of yours on the Web to insert into your entry.
If you have pictures that are not on the Internet, and you'd like to host them here, no problem. Go to the User Menu and select Upload Files. You'll then be able to upload your pictures, and then link to them from anywhere, including your directory entry.
You can also copy and paste text from Microsoft Word or another Website if you'd like to get special formatting, or you can use the editor tool. Whichever way you prefer!
3) Categories - You can choose up to 5 categories for your listing.
If you do not see a category that fits your business, please email us at
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and let us know what it is. We will add it immediately!
4) You can always edit your entry at any time. Feel free to save your entry, and come back to it at a later time. Also, feel free to keep it updated.
5) Files - Upload zip files, menus, PDF agendas, catalogs, whatever else you'd like to distribute or give potential clients access to. If you are a job seeker, this is a great place to put a resume.
If you have any problems, you can alway email us a Word Document or other file with your information, and we can load your directory entry for you! Or, at least, we can talk you through it!
Your Profile
From the User Menu, select the option Your Profile. You can select the edit option from the top of the page and fill in any information you didn't add when registering. You can also add in an image. This image will be visible to other users.
The tabs in your profile allow you to do a lot of things. You can update or create directory entries, you can keep track of things you've written, pictures you've added to the photo gallery, and it even has a personal guestbook for people to sign with messages for you. (You get to approve, edit or reject what they write!)
One of the best features of your profile is the invite tool to tell friends about Orthodox Biz.
Members receive one month free for each referred paying member. Credit is given after the referred member has been in a paid plan for 90 days.
The more people visit the site, the more effective your advertising, so start inviting people today using the convenient tool in your profile. Please note, your profile is available to the general public, so don't publish anything there that you don't want to be seen!
You can also use the Member List and the Member Search to track down other members. You can keep track of friends and acquaintances by making Connections with them.
Start Blogging
Select the option from the User Menu to go to your blog dashboard, or use the tab on your profile. When you get there, fill in the information about your blog (personal bio, etc.), and then start blogging for dollars!
Why should you blog? A lot of reasons. As Website Magazine recently noted:
Blogging is the single easiest way to get your story out to the world at large.
What should you blog about? Blog about what you do for a living. People pay you for what you know and what you can do. Blogging is an opportunity to get people to listen to your expertise. It helps build your brand and controls the flow of information about it. That is especially critical if the brand you are selling is you.
When you submit blogs, they automatically go to the Blog main page, and they populate the "Latest News" and "Latest Blogs" areas. Selected blogs (we read all of them) will be published to the frontpage as "Featured Articles." We know talent when we see it, and we reward it accordingly.
The picture for your blog will come from your profile. The description is keyed into the blogging dashboard itself. Feel free to upload pictures for use in your blog using the file upload tool in the blog.
Do I Have to Blog About Business?
Absolutely not! Are you interested in promoting your ideas? Are you associated with a ministry that needs exposure? Or a secular organization that Orthodox Christians need to hear about? Are you interested in commenting on social or other topics? All of that is welcome. We expect the blog to include a wide range of topics. Optimally, we'd like to cover topics that are neglected on other Orthodox sites, but the sky is the limit here!
If you are a gold member or higher, then when you access the Biz Sites directory it will ask you to start building your site. A mini-site or Biz Site is your own collection of Webpages. You can have static text, downloads, mp3 file galleries, photo galleries, and even RSS feeds.
Feel free to experiment, and try out the various Themes we have. Don't see a them you like?
Contact us at
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and ask for a custom theme. No problem!
If you get stuck, then let us know. We can always build your initial site for you.
The system will assign your Biz Site a URL, if you'd like a custom URL, then please
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us and let us know what you'd like to have.
More Things to Do
Be sure you are logged in before you try any of the following things:
Press Releases and Announcements can be submitted by going to the User Menu and selecting Submit News.
What's the difference between a Blog, a Press Release and an Announcement? A Press Release lets the world know that something new is going on with your business or ministry. You signed a new contract, you are taking on a new line of business, etc. An Announcement would be a smaller release, such as letting people know that you hired a new key employee. A Blog is a longer piece which is more informational. A Press Release might tell folks that you signed a big new customer.
You might then write a blog, or a series of blogs, discussing all aspects of the bid process, the negotiations, the key determinants of success, etc.
Press Releases are extremely important! They get you noticed. Don't have time for a long release? A quick Announcement will help. Want to talk about the new business in real detail, exploring various aspects of it? Then write a blog or series of them!
Events for your business or ministry can be submitted by going to the News tab and selecting the Events sub-menu item. When you load events, you can also specify a location. Locations are saved, so in the future you don't have to keep entering the information. Putting Events here is a great way to get more attention on the Internet because we get great search engine results.
If you don't have a Biz Site, feel free to create photo galleries in the Media tab. Upload pictures or products, events, or just promo pics for your business. You can create new galleries on your own, and upload the pics. The gallery will also handle video, audio, and even PDFs.
If you don't have a Biz Site, fee free to drop us an email and request your own folder for the Downloads manager. Or you can use the general one, your choice. Feel free to upload documents that you need others to have access to. You can also ask for a private folder that no one else can access but you.
Get your Project Planning area. If you are Gold or above, then you will automatically be assigned a Project Planning area to use as a personal organizer.
Create some Classified Ads. Links to create classified ads are on several pages, including the frontpage and a tab in your profile.
This is really just the beginning. Orthodox Biz offers the Orthodox Christian business professional a wealth of services and we plan to offer even more in the future.
Questions? Then let us
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what they are. We're here to help!
