Warning: It's a bit of an editorial today, but it's important so please read it through!

First things first...to those of you who have come to rely heavily on the What's New Page for your daily dose of [PL], sorry you've been coming up empty this month! Don't worry - it's not going away, and things will get back to normal! I do appreciate all of the emails expressing concern and curiosity. As I've said before, never hesitate to email me if you notice a sudden lack of info, or have difficulty accessing the site. That's the best way I'll know if there is a problem that I may be unaware of.

However...as also has always been said here...

Best of the Boards is a website for all consultants...BY all consultants...not just by me! Even though I have known that all along (LOL...since I keep saying it!), I don't think it truly hit me how much this has become true until this morning as I replied to one particular email.

Just because there's nothing new on What's New, certainly doesn't mean there's nothing new on the website! The message board here has flourished this month with many new ideas, completely without any help from me! You all stepped in, perhaps without realizing it, and filled my shoes this month very nicely, and for that I thank you!

Another source of "New" material: The Site Index

If you think you've read every page on Best of the Boards in the last 15 months (there are over 300 NOT including the Directory pages), then I applaud you. I'll bet you've missed some....and even if you didn't miss them, I'll bet you don't remember them all! Take another look from a different direction than the normal navigation of the basic pages, and you will discover ideas you knew you had seen somewhere, but forgot they came from this site!

Another "real time" source for great ideas and inspiration, the Onelist email lists. If you are not already a member of one or more of the primary candle lists, pop on over to Business Links; Online Resources to see how to join. The messages come directly to your email box, and the communities are strong and healthy. Several of the lists are moderated by Teddi Kella and Hank Downs, names you should recognize as positive contributors to many pages here on Best of the Boards!

And last but certainly not least;

There is another great resource website that was created in the past several months, Christy's Corner. When Christy first emailed me many months ago to be added to Best of the Boards Business Links, I think I offended her without meaning to. My practice always has been and remains, to NOT post links to consultant pages here on the site. The reasons for this include the fact that there are consultants out here in internet-land that are not practicing good business ethics, and are creating a bad online presence for those of us who are simply providing a resource. 

Christy's Corner is not a sponsoring consultant site, or a candle business site. It's another similar resource site with a different look - lots of great graphics, colorful, and very well put together. I applaud Christy for sticking with it, and would recommend everyone taking a look if you are not familiar with the site. Christy - great job!

In closing, I was prepared to get a little defensive this morning, and as I started, realized that you all have done exactly as I have asked you to do - you've helped to keep the site New and exciting when it needed to be, just through different avenues! Keep using the message boards, the chats, and the other resources available to you, and continue to use Best of the Boards as your Total Business Resource - easily accessible, fast loading,  and always there - after all, your leaders do need to sleep once in a while!

Belinda Johnson, your BoB webmaster

8/4/99

And the winner is...check it out on the Challenge Finale Page!

Sorry for the delay in the drawing - I was absolutely wiped out by that drive home from Washington and of course the overload of excitement from conference! Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Challenge!