Plans in the making...

I've decided that some funds need to be dedicated to the online presence of Melodiuus Records and myself as an artist, so that I can better execute my plan.  For anyone just joining us, the plan is to release 20 to 30 home videos of me singing various songs I've written or co-written, then let the listeners decide what goes on the CD!  Everyone who listens will be having a say, because I'll be determining 8 of the tracks on the CD two ways: I'll be counting the number of total listens, and I'll be counting votes submitted through the website.

I'm a member of elance.com and have now submitted a project plan and I'm receiving bids for the completion of this website.  It's interesting as the bids come in, because there's such a large difference in the price providers want to charge and also what they're able to tell about their skills.  One company from India sent me the link to a sample Flash site they did for a record label, complete with letting me log into the admin section and play around with the controls.  COOL!  It's really quite stunning and I imagine they could customize it for me and I would be thrilled to pieces.  The communication from the company has been very professional and their examples speak for themselves.  Some of the providers submitted cheaper bids, but their example sites look like something from the mid- to late- 1990s.  I've also noticed lower approval ratings from their past customers, so they're unlikely to be awarded my project.

Tomorrow I head back to Chase to see what is involved in getting the merchant account, so I can be ready to sell my CDs, sheet music, merchandise, and whatnot on the website as soon as it's available.

I can't believe this is really happening!