The Bling My Bra campaign was created on eBay in 2009 by eBay seller Beth Cherkowsky of Langhorne, PA.  Her idea was to solicit donations of handcrafted themed art bras to auction off on eBay, through eBay’s Giving Works, charity division.  One hundred percent of the funds raised through the Bling My Bra campaign are donated to the National Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization (http://www.komen.org/)  Susan G. Komen spends 84 cents of every dollar donated directly on education and research.  The campaign, which this year is being spearheaded by eBay seller and e-commerce podcaster Kat Simpson and her committee, has grown each year and has raised thousands of dollars and harnessed the creative energies of hundreds of eBay’s sellers.

Gurnee residents Mark and Robin Le Vine own and operate Bubblefast, a Gurnee company offering shipping supplies to the eBay community since 1999.  Bubblefast joined the fun in 2009 when Mark was solicited by friends to create his first art bra.  Le Vine, who doesn’t know a lot about bras or art, but does know a bit about sports, created a sartorial tribute to the Cubs/Sox rivalry.  The bra sold and “blinging sports bras” became an annual Bubblefast tradition.  In 2010 Le Vine turned to football with the creation of a Bears/Packers bra.  This year Le Vine returned to the baseball theme with his Texas Rangers/Saint Louis Cardinals World Series Bra.  Here is a link to a picture gallery of all three Bubblefast Bling My Bras

“I didn’t have a lot of time to create this year’s bra,” said Le Vine.  “I had to wait until the League championships were decided, then gather materials and whip up my new creation in a hurry.”  This year several eBay sellers of sports memorabilia helped by donating and quickly shipping contributions to the effort.  Bubblefast would like to thank KoozeeKingdom, Major League Pins, and Patch Collection for their generous donations to this year’s Bling My Bra campaign.

“ I’d like to challenge Rangers fans and Cardinals fans to join the bidding to own this unique memory of the 2011 World Series. Whether you root for the National League or the American League, we can all root together to fight Breast Cancer.”

Blinged Bras of all varieties are being offered all month on eBay.  To see and/or bid on any of the unique donations visit the Bling My Bra eBay store or follow the campaign at www.Facebook.com/blingmybra.

“Thousands of online merchants have obtained working capital and grown their businesses since our push into the market in April 2011,” said Rob Frohwein, Kabbage Founder and CEO. “Although small business fuels the majority of growth in the U.S., it is extremely difficult and time consuming for these businesses to apply for and actually receive financing from a traditional bank. Kabbage fills this need by providing money to these businesses in a quick, easy and painless way, helping them to further grow their businesses and boost the economy.”

Kabbage currently supports merchants operating on eBay^®, Amazon^® and Yahoo!^® platforms and over the next six months will add support for merchants operating on or through a variety of other channels including Facebook^®, Etsy^®, Shopify^® and Marketplace at Sears.com™. Kabbage uses automated data sources to analyze the health of an online merchant’s business including transaction history, customer traffic and reviews, and products to deliver working capital within seconds of the merchant’s completed application. With Kabbage’s release of profile building in May, merchants can now proactively add information to their Kabbage account to immediately increase their access to capital.

“Small and medium businesses are the growth engine of the economy and more and more of these businesses are operating online,” said Bryan Stolle, General Partner, Mohr Davidow Ventures. “By using rich, multi-source data and advanced analytics to more fairly and accurately assess business performance, we believe Kabbage’s financial products will enable more businesses to expand inventory, hire new employees, and grow, thereby helping the economy get back on track.”

“There is a rapidly growing delta between small-to-medium businesses’ need for working capital and its availability from traditional sources. The knowledge gained from working with companies like Kabbage helps UPS refine its strategy of enabling global commerce,” said Joe Guerrisi, VP of Corporate Marketing at UPS.

In addition to the funding news, the United States Patent & Trademark Office recently granted U.S. Patent No. 7,983,951 to Kabbage, entitled “Apparatus to provide liquid funds in the online auction and marketplace environment.”  [Please see today’s announcement “Kabbage Issued U.S. Patent”.]

About Kabbage, Inc.
Kabbage, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is pioneering the first financial services data, technology and marketing platform just for online merchants, supporting millions of small and medium businesses that make a living selling online. Kabbage leverages data generated through merchant activity across various marketplaces and channels to understand business performance and craft financing options that meet their needs. Kabbage is venture funded and backed by Mohr Davidow Ventures and BlueRun Ventures, with additional investors including: David Bonderman, founder of TPG Capital, Warren Stephens, CEO of Stephens Inc., and the UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund. For more information, please visit www.kabbage.com

Atlanta, GA – Aug. 17, 2011 – Further solidifying its position as a leader in commercial finance, Kabbage, Inc. has been awarded its first patent, U.S. Patent No. 7,983,951, by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The company is announcing this patent issuance on the heels of its most recent round of funding.

“This award is only the first in a series of foundational patents to be secured by Kabbage,” said Rob Frohwein, CEO of Kabbage, Inc., who is also recognized as one of the world’s top intellectual property strategists by Intellectual Asset Magazine. “This patent is an important milestone for Kabbage as it and many of our pending applications will be required for the delivery of financial services to merchants selling products and services online.”

The patent, “Apparatus to provide liquid funds in the online auction and marketplace environment,” covers a system by which a provider of capital utilizes information regarding a merchant’s sales history on an e-commerce website to make a determination about providing funds. The patent application was filed on May 6, 2009 and claims priority to a prior filing dated March 2, 2009. The full text of the patent can be found at https://www.kabbage.com/Content/PDF/Kabbage_Patent.pdf.

About Kabbage, Inc.
Kabbage, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is pioneering the first financial services data, technology and marketing platform just for online merchants, supporting millions of online small and medium sized businesses that make a living selling online. Kabbage leverages data generated through merchant activity across various marketplaces and channels to understand business performance and craft financing options that meet their needs. Kabbage is venture funded and backed by Mohr Davidow Ventures and BlueRun Ventures, with additional investors including: David Bonderman, founder of TPG Capital, Warren Stephens, CEO of Stephens Inc., and the UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund. For more information, please visit www.kabbage.com.

Why Bubblefast has joined
the Stamps.com bandwagon

Bubblefast opened its doors in May of 1999.  Back then we used a Pitney Bowes postage meter to process our USPS mailing labels.  We paid an obnoxious amount of money for meter rental and an exorbitant amount for ribbon replacement.  We had to call in our postage refill over the telephone.  We printed mailing labels from our computers, hand fed each one through the meter, peeled off the backs, and attached the labels to our product.  Don’t even ask how we got refunds.  Talk about the Stone Age!

When we attended eBay Live in 2006 we were introduced to Endica Postage.  For $35.99 per month we could import all our orders into their software, batch print labels, and post tracking numbers back into our database.  We could purchase new postage online.  The software even created customs forms for us.  We were in USPS heaven!

So, as they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  For years Stamps.com was wooing Bubblefast to switch.  Yes, our fees would be reduced by 50%, but compared to our old system, we were already saving so much money we didn’t feel it was worth the time and effort to make another switch.  Besides, we kept hearing that Stamps.com was always a step behind Endicia in keeping up with the post office updates and changes.

I had met Eric Nash, Director, Online Marketing for Stamps.com at several eBay events.  The last one I attended was the eBay Radio Party in June 2011.  Eric finally convinced me to give Stamps.com a try on 30-day free trial basis.

I was NOT disappointed.

Even though Endicia was far and above better than our original Pitney Bowes solution, it was not without its own issues.  The software consists of three separate programs, Endica, Dazzle, and Galaxy.  When to use which is a bit confusing.  The most critical issue for us, however, was technical support.  When I have a question or problem I need to know that I can talk to someone live – NOW.  With Endica, you have to leave a message and technical support will get back to you (sometimes) within 24 hours.  This was never an acceptable option for me.  If I am having problems printing postage for today’s shipments, I cannot wait until tomorrow to get an answer.  My customers expect me to ship today.

So, here are 10 reasons why Bubblefast switched to Stamps.com and will not switch back:

1)      Technical support and customer service is available live, M-F 6:00 am-6:00 pm PST.  Every contact I have had has been with someone who was friendly, knowledgeable and extremely helpful.  All my questions have been understood and answered in a timely manner.

2)      The software is user friendlier and more intuitive.

3)      The desktop software is integrated with the web-based software.  You can print labels from either one.  The history and tracking are synchronized so you can create reports or track from either one.

4)      The monthly cost is less than half.  In fact, if you print from eBay only, it’s free!

5)      Stamps.com understands the small business eCommerce niche and caters to us.

6)      Easier to locate postage balance and ability purchase additional postage.  You can purchase in any amount above $10.00 instead of limited, specified increments.

7)      Address verification is quicker and easier.

8)      Batch printing is spooled, so my computer is not tied up.

9)      The post back process is automatic.  I don’t have to perform a separate action to make it happen.

10)  Tracking and reporting are unbelievably accessible!

In all fairness, no single solution is perfect.  The Stamps.com software is slower to load, due to its synchronization with its web-based version.  However, I find this an acceptable sacrifice compared to the benefits reaped.  Also, Stamps.com is still a little behind in customs forms for APO addresses.  My understanding is that this will be fixed by their next release.  Based on our usage, I have found nothing else that needs improvement.

Stamps.com, has made a conscientious effort to market themselves to the small business eCommerce niche.  As big as Stamps.com is, they are catering to us little people.  They make themselves accessible and they really understand us and our needs.   Thank you to Eric Nash for your persistence in getting us to make the move.

Erc Nash will always make himself available to answer any of your USPS qusestions.  He can be reached at enash@stamps.com.  In fact, even you decide not to use Stamps.com, Eric has a free gift for you.  Check out this USPS® Priority Mail® Rate Comparison Table.  This chart is a fantastic tool for comparing different USPS rates for different services by weight and zone.  We use this everyday and it helps us make the right decisions and save a lot of money on postage!

If you sell on eBay only and don’t need the software to print out any other type of postage, you can use Stamps.com for free!
	Selling on eBay? Stamps.com Makes Shipping Easy! - Import orders from eBay with one click - Print all USPS mail classes including First Class International - International Customs Forms integrated into the software - Delivery Confirmation posted-back into your “My eBay” account - Hidden Postage, SCAN forms, packing slips . . . Stamps.com has it all!

Otherwise, Stamps.com only costs $15.99 per month. Plus, you get a 4-week free trial with bonus gifts. It’s a great bargain!!
	Selling on Amazon, eBay or your own website? Stamps.com Makes Shipping Easy! - Import orders from Amazon, eBay, PayPal & more with one click - Print all USPS mail classes including First Class International - International Customs Forms integrated into the software - Delivery Confirmation posted-back into eBay and Amazon - Hidden Postage, SCAN forms, packing slips . . . Stamps.com has it all!

Serving the online community since 1999

1. Choose the Proper Size and Type Box– Choose a box designed for shipping.  Unless you are hand-delivering your item, assume that it will be subject to plenty of abuse along its way.  If your item is fragile, allow at least 2-4 inches on each side of the product to allow for proper padding.  If you are selling various sized objects you might consider saving money by purchasing a bundle of multi-depth boxes, scored at different heights rather than individual boxes.  These can easily be cut down at any of the scores to create the best fit.  Another easy way to customize the size of your box is by using a box sizer tool.  This tool (available from Bubblefast) allows you to score your box so you only need to cut the corners and fold down the sides of the box for a perfect fit.

2. Use Appropriate Padding – Even if your item is not fragile, we recommend using some amount of padding.  Nothing makes a buyer more angry than using a scissors or box cutter to open their package to find out that they have also sliced open or scratched their purchase.  The most popular padding material is bubble cushioning,  most commonly available in 3/16” or ½” thickness.  Small (3/16”) bubble is great for protecting small delicate items.  Large (1/2”) bubble is great for wrapping large or bulky items and can also be used as void fill (see below).  Anti-static (pink) and recycled (green) bubble is available.

Another common padding material is foam, which comes in rolls as well.  Foam is particularly useful when packing items susceptible to scratching.

3. Void Fill, Void Fill, Void Fill. Probably the most important tip.  Never skimp on void fill.  You can use packing peanuts, bubble, air pillows, packing paper or whatever else you choose.  Whatever you use – be generous.  Fill every nook and cranny.  Void fill is very inexpensive “insurance” that will keep your items safe from the effects of shaking and shifting and to minimize the effects of vibration.

4. Use Free or Recycled Materials when Available.  If you are selling online at least one of your goals is to make a profit.  One way to save money on packing materials is to take advantage of free materials provided by your shipping carrier.  If you are shipping your items using Priority Mail there are many free boxes available.  These can be ordered online from http://www.usps.com/.  Also now available from USPS are Flat Rate Padded Envelopes, Flat Rate Letter and Legal sized envelopes and Priority Mail Regional Boxes.

If you choose to use any of these always make sure to check that the flat or regional rate is less than the actual Priority Mail rate based on the weight of the package.  (If the regular rate is less expensive do not use the flat rate supplies.)  Free materials and boxes are also available for certain FedEx or UPS services.  Check with your carrier to see if there is anything available for your type of shipment.

Some packing materials lend themselves nicely to recycling.  Boxes, packing peanuts, bubble cushioning and air pillows from packages you have received can often be re-used.  Good for the environment and good for your bottom line, a win-win!  Be advised that each re-use of a box can reduce its strength so examine a box carefully before you consider using it. When re-using packing peanuts make sure that they are clean and un-crushed.

5. Choose the Right Shipping Carrier
Once your item is safely padded and protected, you are ready to choose the right shipping service based on the size, weight and destination of your package.  There are many choices of carrier available including USPS, FedEx, UPS and local couriers.  Each of these have multiple layers of service available depending on how quickly the package needs to arrive.

If price is your most important consideration you can use the following general rule of thumb.  For non-media items less than 13 ounces, First Class Mail is usually the least expensive option.  For small packages (LxWxH < 1728 inches) with a weight greater than 13 ounces but less than 4 pounds Priority Mail is often a good choice.  For larger packages FedEx and UPS generally offer the most competitive pricing.  Note that FedEx and UPS cannot deliver to PO Boxes and are not usually competitive for shipments going outside of the continental US.  Parcel Post (USPS) shipping often takes a bit longer than FedEx or UPS but also offers reasonable pricing.  If you are shipping a media item, Media Mail rates are also available through USPS.

If you are doing a significant amount of shipping, take the time to research all of the available shipping options.  As the price of gas increases, affordable shipping becomes more and more of a pain point for frequent sellers.  In addition to the popular carriers, see if there are local couriers doing business in your area that may be able to offer competitive pricing for deliveries to nearby locations.  Remember that, with the exception of the Post Office, most carriers have some flexibility in negotiating pricing.  Choosing a shipping carrier and service is one area where doing diligent research can reap significant rewards.

Bubblefast has been providing a full line of shipping and packaging supplies to the Internet community since 1999.   If you have any packaging or shipping questions or if there is anything we can help you with, feel free to call Mark or Robin toll free at 877/599-7447 or e-mail mark@bubblefast.com.

Registration is open at voicemarketing.com for the 2011 eBay Radio Party & Conference, June 22-23 at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Hosted by Lee Mirabal and eBetsy and co-hosted by Kabbage, this third annual event features two full days of eBay seller education by ecommerce experts, authors, and gurus – all of whom also sell on eBay themselves — plus live radio broadcasts and networking sessions each day. Emphasis is on achieving and maintaining Top Rated Seller status on eBay. Assorted festivities will also celebrate the eighth anniversary of eBay Radio, the world’s longest running professionally produced internet radio show.

Featured speakers and their topics include:

Jim “Griff” Griffith, host of eBay Radio, author of The eBay Bible, Dean of eBay Education, and Senior Manager for eBay Seller Advocacy: Know Your Numbers, Essential Metrics for Measuring the Health of Your Business on eBay and How to Utilize Them

Marsha Collier, bestselling author of the eBay for Dummies series and The Ultimate Online Customer Service Guide: The Art of Online Customer Service

Lynn Dralle, The Queen of Auctions, author of The 100 Best Things I’ve Sold on eBay series, and ruler of The Queen’s Court: Product Sourcing Secrets…and How to Profit from Them

Janelle Elms, Visionaire of the Online Success Institute and the OSI Rock Stars: Marketing Your eBay Store

Cliff Ennico, business attorney and leading authority on tax and legal issues for entrepreneurs; author of The eBay Seller’s Tax and Legal Answer Book and The eBay Business Answer Book; and co-author of The eBay Marketing Bible: Tax and Legal Answers for Your Business on eBay

John Lawson, Platinum eBay Powerseller known as ecommerce authority ColderIce: Attendees are voting for their choice of John’s topic at choosethetopic.com

Debbie Levitt, founder and CEO of As Was, a full-service ecommerce and online marketing firm and eBay Stores Certified Designer: Store and Listing Designs That Sell

Cindy Shebley, eBay Education Specialist and Certified Business Consultant; leader of the Web Sellers Circle; author of Easy Auction Photography; and co-author of The eBay Marketing Bible: Better Photography for Your Business on eBay

Sponsors for the event include Kabbage (who are co-hosting the event); Bubblefast; Doba; eBay; GovernmentAuctions.org; Outright; Page Mage; ShipRush; Stamps.com; and Terapeak.

Registration is $75 at voicemarketing.com, where registrants can also reserve a newly renovated GO room at the Flamingo for $85/night. Rooms are limited, so attendees are urged to make their reservations ASAP. Find the eBay Radio Party & Conference on Facebook; follow hash tag #ebayradioparty on Twitter. For more information, go to voicemarketing.com or contact eBetsy, ebetsy@swbell.net.

Allow us to introduce some of our wonderful neighbors –

The Little Gym – Tracie and Dave from The Little Gym have been our neighbors “forever”.  We’ve watched their sons Drew and Brock grow up (well, Brock’s only 3 but we’ve known him since he was born).  When our kids were younger The Little Gym was a great place to go play.  Drew and Brock are still frequent visitors.  When Drew walks in with Brock on his shoulders we know it’s time to take a break and play.  Drew fills us in on all the news in his life and Brock sets himself up on the floor to play with the cars and football that are always on the shelf waiting for him.  This week they stopped by when we were particularly busy.  No problem, the boys from the gym jumped right in to help.

Luckily, Sara was there to capture their hard work on video.  First video from my iphone- I think it’s a keeper!  Bubblefast Neighbor Video

Carpet Basics – This is the home of Brent and his family.  We’ve known Brent and his brothers and his mom for over 10 years.  They used to occupy the space next door to us.  They moved last year, but luckily only to the end of the parking lot.  This is a great family business providing all kinds of carpeting and flooring supplies.  The Carpet Basic dog, Quartz is a good friend of Kelev’s.  These are the folks that Steven goes on the road with in the summer.  We used to always know how the Cubs were doing because Brent would bang on the wall if anything good happened.  He has to bang a little harder now – we’re working on a new communication device.  Brent is also the one who took many of the pictures for the Bubblefast website – a man of many talents!

Sinobrite – This is one of our newer neighbors.  Sean moved in a couple of years ago.  He sells beautiful table runners, doilies, placemats and other home décor items.  We’ve met a lot of the family.  Sean’s, wife, daughter and dad are all frequent visitors.  Kelev looks forward to Sean’s daughter’s visits because that always means he’s going for a long walk.

Ekor Enterprise – Another family business.  This is the home of Ayol, who, along with his wife and his dad, sell a great variety of auto supplies.  When we need a replacement windshield wiper or headlight for one of our vehicles, we only have to walk down a few doors and we’re all set.  Steven has started making some deliveries for Ekor.  Ekor doesn’t have a website yet, but if you need any auto supplies, let us know and we’ll be happy to hook you up!

Six Color Print – This is where Steve “lives”.  Steve has been our neighbor for a few years.  Steve presents us with packaging challenges.  He often needs rather unusual shipping supplies for his big signs.  We love working with him to try to figure out how to safely and inexpensively protect his sign projects.  Steve also did the lettering on our door to let people know where they are when come to visit.

House of Prayer – These are our newest neighbors.  A friendly group under the religious leadership of Pastor Marc.   We were happy to welcome them to the neighborhood.  Never hurts to have a divine presence on the block!

d) 4 types of boxes that all on-line sellers should be aware of:

1. Priority Mail Boxes – FREE.  Pick up at the post office or order at USPS.com.  If your product fits in a FLAT RATE box you will always know how much postage will be.  WARNING – Don’t use these without checking to see if the non-flat rate charge for the package would be less.  For example if I were shipping a 9 pound package to one of my neighbors it would be less expense to ship in a non-flat rate priority box and pay the variable priority rate.  If I were shipping across the country I would save money by using a Flat Rate box for any package over 3 pounds.   Don’t assume that Flat Rate = lowest rate.
2. Multi-Depth Boxes – This is a great solution for sellers who want to use one box size for different items.  Boxes are almost always less expensive when you buy them in quantity so this can be a great money saving tip.  Multi-depth boxes are scored at different heights.  For example, you can purchase a box that is 8” x 8” x 8” but scored at 4 and 6 inches.  If you don’t need the full 8” of height you can cut the corners of the box and easily fold the sides to create the perfect size for your package.
3. Corrugated Mailers – This is the perfect solution for sellers who ship sunglasses, mugs, cosmetics or any other small, relatively lightweight, fragile items.  Corrugated mailers are fold-up boxes with double walls of protection on the front and sides.  They are white on the outside.  They are very sturdy and make a great presentation.
4. Bookfolds – and no, they’re not only for books.  As a matter of fact most of the corrugated bookfolds we sell are used to ship record albums and artwork.  A bookfold is shaped like a plus sign.  You put your item in the center, fold the 4 sides up over the item and tape to seal.  Bookfolds are scored at various depths for maximum flexibility.

Rich and Nila also run a meetup group in Elk Grove called Chicagoland Area eBay Sellers.  As eBay certified Education Specialists, they started this group around 8 years ago to help fellow eBay sellers learn the ins and outs of selling on eBay.  Back then, maybe 2-3 people showed up at each meeting, held at a local Panera Bread.  Now, there are consistently 35-40 people who show up at every meeting.  Thanks to the Elk Grove Village bank and Trust, there is enough room for all. The bank allows Rich and Nila’s group to use their facilities (Free of charge!) every month to host their meetings.

Some meetings are extra special.  We often get guest speakers from around the country to give seminars and answer questions.  Sometimes eBay execs come out to give a talk or to just say thanks.

They sure have come a long way!

Rich and Nila selflessly volunteer so much of their free time to help other online sellers.  Through them Robin and I have come to know so many other sellers on eBay and other online venues.  They have become good friends of ours and we are proud to know them.

So, if you ever need a custom made sign for your business, automobile, van,windows or whatever, please be sure to make a visit to Appealingsign.com