Light of Islam

I’m still trying to set the stupid thing up in Constant Contact while I’m in the trial period.  I just spent a couple hours setting the _____ thing up only to discover that I can’t insert a Paypal button because I chose a template that doesn’t have a “promotion block.”  There’s a lot about the program that isn’t flexible and isn’t intuitive but so far it’s the only way I’ve found to:

1) Set up a newsletter that looks good in an e-mail and is easy to e-mail.

2) Compile and manage a list of contacts.

3) Track readers’ activities – who reads it, who clicks what links, who forwards, etc., etc.

 Well, I continue to wing it.  It’s a permission-only newsletter, so if anyone would like to receive it – for informational purposes but also to critique and/or help – please post your e-mail here or send it to me at ruth@light-of-islam.org. 

 (A funny side note – in my mind and on my notes I keep referring to it as “constant comment,” which is a tea somebody used to drink when I was growing up.)

*****
Light of Islam is a nonprofit bookstore whose mission is to provide the Houston-area community with accurate and accessible information about Islam and Muslims. Find out more at http://www.light-of-islam.org/.

Just wanted to remind everyone about the donation option of a recurring subscription of $25 a month through PayPal.  It’s an easy way to support the bookstore as we get started – invest a small amount and as time goes on see the results!  You can sign up at the Light of Islam web site.

I refuse to plan for failure.

******* 

The Power of Negative Thinking

by Remez Sasson
For some reason, most people find it easier to think in a negative way than in a positive manner. It seems that some effort is needed to think positive thoughts, whereas negative thinking comes easily and uninvited. This has much to do with education and the environment one has been living in.

In order to understand how positive thinking works, and how to use it efficiently, it is important to understand the power of negative thinking.

If you have been brought up in a happy and positive atmosphere, where people value success and self-improvement, then it will be easier for you to think positively and expect success. If you have been brought up under poor or difficult situations, you will probably go on expecting difficulties and failure.

From an early age, people let outside influences shape their minds. They view everything through their predominant mental attitude. If their thoughts are positive, that is fine, but if they are negative, their lives and circumstances will probably mirror these thoughts.

If you believe that you are going to fail, you will unconsciously sabotage every opportunity to succeed. If you are afraid of meeting new people or having close relationships, you will do everything to avoid people and relationships, and then complain that you are lonely and nobody loves you. (more…)

Yesterday I finally got inside the space I’ve been eyeing for quite some time.  It’s 1000 sq. ft., a completely open rectangular space that could be divided into a classroom area and book selling area.  The floor needs to be done but otherwise at first glance it doesn’t look like it would need a huge amount of work.  The location is great, at the intersection of two major streets in a large strip mall with plenty of parking.  Interestingly enough, the owner of the shop next door is Muslim.

The catch is the rent.  They are asking what I think is an outrageously high rent and that would have to come way down before I could consider it.  The brother next door said the space has been vacant for about a year, so I really don’t see how the management company is in a position to demand high rent, but we’ll see.  I have it in my head that that’s the spot, so I’ll have to figure out a way to make it work.

I’m not very happy today.  Yesterday I had a very difficult time trying to find acceptable professional services, but apart from that I spoke at length with an experienced professional who discussed with me the potential perils of being a nonprofit organization with a retail component.  That discussion was extremely confusing to me, but the part I took away was that before they grant 501c3 designation, the IRS wants to be very sure that the organization is intended for a beneficial social purpose as opposed to being a profit-making venture.

I realize that I face that challenge with the IRS and will deal with it if they question my application.  That said, I want to be as clear as I can to everyone about what Light of Islam is. 

The genesis of the idea was the need for an Islamic bookstore, my understanding of bookstores being that they are places that sell books and offer educational activities, discussion groups, etc.  Of course I realize there are bookstores that only sell books, but most independent bookstores do more than that.  At any rate, as the idea progressed and I decided to develop it as a nonprofit it took on the name “Light of Islam Educational Center.”  That name was intended to reflect that it’s not Wal-Mart or even Barnes and Noble.  When I started this blog it was an educational center in name.  At the first board meeting, as I noted on the blog, the board members present decided it should be called a bookstore, not an educational center, not even a nonprofit bookstore.  I said cool, that’s fine, because in my mind it is a bookstore, again following the definition above. (more…)

I realized a couple days ago that it’s been about a month since I submitted the 1023, and according to the IRS if my application is either approved or deemed to require minimal clarifications I should hear within 60 days.  That means I should hear in another month or so. 

 I’m taking advantage of today and tomorrow, my days off, to really strive to finish the business plan/case statement (depending on if you look at the bookstore as retail or nonprofit).  I really, really want to just get it done.  It took me forever to get started.  I had sample outlines of what should be included and just couldn’t use those outlines to say anything more than “Light of Islam Bookstore is a bookstore.  It will be a nonprofit bookstore.  Its mission is to provide accurate and accessible information about Islam and Muslims.”  Blah blah.  Finally I just started writing real-life examples of people who will benefit from the store.  I think that worked well and doesn’t stray too far from the formality of a business plan.  I also started working on a Power Point presentation. 

I think I need to get my small board together to help me get all this together and have them start helping with fundraising.  Yes, I’m sure I need to do that. 

Time to go.  I have several errands today in addition to working on the business plan, so time to get busy.

*****
Light of Islam is a nonprofit bookstore whose mission is to provide the Houston-area community with accurate and accessible information about Islam and Muslims. Find out more at http://www.light-of-islam.org/.

I’ve been doing research about marketing and fundraising and nonprofit this and nonprofit that, to where my focus may be drifting from what Light of Islam is – a bookstore.  So I thought I should talk about what I envision.

Insha Allah it’s going to have a coffee shop feel – funky, mismatched, comfortable furniture including chairs to sit and browse.  You’ll smell coffee and incense when you walk in, and I’ll be there smiling and asking what I can help you with.  If you have a specific topic or question in mind, I’ll show you the shelves where appropriate books/CDs are.  If not, feel free to browse.  While you’re there, you can look over the schedule of classes and register for anything that looks interesting, or take a copy of the schedule with you, which will include the web site address so you can check updates on classes, lectures, discussion groups, etc. as well as new arrivals in books.

If you’re there for a class/talk, the teacher/organizer and/or I will show you to the classroom and register you.  We’ll also make sure you have available any materials that either are required for the course or are recommended to supplement it.  Those materials will either be for sale (maybe for a discount if you’re registered for the class, don’t know yet) or the cost will be bundled into the class fee.  Some activities will have fees and some will be free/available for a donation of any size.

Of course, if you’re attending a talk or seminar or book discussion group the process will be a little different, but hopefully you get the idea – at the Light of Islam Bookstore you can browse, buy, learn and discuss.

That’s my vision.  It’s still in development, and any input, suggestions, criticisms, etc. are welcome.

 *****
Light of Islam is a nonprofit bookstore whose mission is to provide the Houston-area community with accurate and accessible information about Islam and Muslims. Find out more at http://www.light-of-islam.org/.

No, that’s not reverse psychology.  I struggled through the process of transferring my print newsletter to my web site, and finally got everything done only to discover that I still had errors in the copy and some formatting.  But I’m done done done for tonight and I’m not going back to change it. 

 This reminds me of when I was in grad school, taking News Editing and Design.  The final project was to lay out the first page of a fictional newspaper.  Oh, how painful it was…you have to realize how terribly challenged I am in the area of visual/graphic/arts stuff.  I can’t match colors, I can’t estimate sizes, I just don’t think visually and I literally can’t draw a straight line, sometimes even using the software.  So applaud me!  But don’t read it.  I’ll let you know when it’s really ready.

Tomorrow I’ll fix the newsletter.  Then I will say enough messing around.  My babysitting gig was extended till tomorrow, so that’s my excuse for not getting more done this week other than messing with the web site.  I read an article in my Toastmasters magazine about Steve Jobs and what a dynamic public speaker he is, how he’s effective because he doesn’t talk about the product but instead the end result, how it will benefit you more than how it works.  Food for thought; I’m sure it’s a different story when he addresses a technical crowd, of course.  After I read it I realized that I’m hesitant partly because I don’t have the words in my head yet, the pitch, the patter, the speech.  My next assignment in Toastmasters is “Get Comfortable With Visual Aids” and the one after that is “Persuade With Power.”  I’m going to do both speeches as presentations about the bookstore.  And I should start working on them soon. 

 A side note – my mom’s in the hospital.  She’s apparently okay (she lives about 1500 miles away) but is being kept for observation.  I appreciate your prayers.  It sounds like nothing serious but we’ll see tomorrow after my dad talks to the doctor.

  *****
Light of Islam is a nonprofit bookstore whose mission is to provide the Houston-area community with accurate and accessible information about Islam and Muslims. Find out more at http://www.light-of-islam.org/.

No doubt the massacre at Virginia Tech continues to weigh heavy on our minds.  I want to call readers’ attention to a tribute to Waleed Shaalan, a Muslim brother who was killed at the school and is being lauded as a hero for his actions when a fellow student’s life was on the line.  Please pray for him, his family, and of course all those who are grieving over the tragedy.

Yes, I spent another hour and a half yet again tweaking the web site – so go there!  You can now sign up to receive the newsletter as well as make a donation via PayPal.  

 A couple days ago I signed up for a free trial of Constant Contact - from whence the sign up buttons.  I think I’m liking it, but I’m not sure yet.  I wrestled with their e-newsletter templates and finally gave up – I had put SO MUCH work into the version I made with Publisher that it only seemed right to use that one.  The question, of course, is how to e-mail it.  Unfortunately I did it in two separate pages and I cannot figure out how to merge them into one page that I can send in the body of an e-mail.  My best solution so far is to scan them into a pdf file and send it as an attachment.  Suggestions welcome.  It appears that the Constant Contact can be used just for its management of e-mails function.  The jury’s still out. 

 I also attended a free e-seminar on online marketing and fundraising hosted by Convio.  That was relatively interesting. I’m supposed to get the handouts in a couple days and they will be useful. 

Now I’m worn out.  Back in business, but worn out

 *****
Light of Islam is a nonprofit bookstore whose mission is to provide the Houston-area community with accurate and accessible information about Islam and Muslims. Find out more at http://www.light-of-islam.org/.