Everything I sell, I built for myself first
I have run my own business here for more than twenty years. Out-Grow is a cultivation supply company I have operated since 2009, and I took it from a bigger team down to a lean operation that I market and manage across six online platforms myself. I have sold on eBay since before most people had heard of it, on Etsy since 2005 when the site was brand new, and on Amazon since around 2011.
That matters for a simple reason. When you ask me what Etsy really charges, how long SEO takes, or whether a repair is worth paying for, you are getting an answer from someone who has spent his own money finding out, not someone repeating an article he read.
Where the experience comes from
I am a self-taught technologist and a working bench tech. Everything I know came from twenty years of shipping real products, running real stores, and fixing what broke. I built and run ImageCompressor.tools and Faviconize.com end to end, from the code to the payments to the hosting, and before that an early blockchain brand and site at GreenStack.network.
The most useful thing I ever learned came from a bad week. One of my own stores lost more than ninety percent of its Google traffic after an update. I did not hire that out. I learned what went wrong, did the recovery myself, and built tools along the way to make it faster. That is the experience you are hiring: someone who has already solved these problems with his own money on the line.
Why I write these guides
Every guide on this blog answers a question a real customer asked me. I write them so a beginner can follow them, with real prices and a date on every number, because the alternative is what you usually find when you search: a page that never answers the question and quietly wants to sell you something.
I also tell you when something is not worth your money. If a repair quote gets close to the price of a replacement, I say so. If you do not need the thing you are asking me to sell you, I say that too. You never pay before you know exactly what you are getting.
Local, and not going anywhere
I grew up on a farm outside McConnell, Illinois, and I still work from here. I understand how a working farm runs and why a busy owner has no patience for jargon. These are my neighbors, and I am not going anywhere.
Proof you can go click on right now
- out-grow.com — cultivation supply business, built and run since 2009.
- mushroomsubstrate.com — second store, where I fixed a real fulfillment mess by rebuilding the systems behind it.
- imagecompressor.tools — web app I designed and built end to end.
- faviconize.com — favicon generator: one image in, the complete modern icon set out.
- greenstack.network — full brand and site for a farmer-owned blockchain project.
More on how I work, and who I help, on the about page.
Every guide Mike has written
All 60 of them, grouped by subject. Each one answers a question a customer actually asked.
Computer Repair Guides for Illinois and Wisconsin
- How Much Does It Cost to Repair a Computer? (2026 Guide)
- How to Repair a Slow Computer (Free Steps First)
- How Much Is It to Repair a Computer Screen? Honest Ranges
- Why Does My Computer Keep Saying Preparing Automatic Repair?
- How Much Does Data Recovery Cost? Real 2026 Ranges
- Can Computer Repair Shops Steal Your Data? An Honest Answer
- Does Best Buy Repair Computers? Big-Box vs Local, Fairly
PC Cleaning and Maintenance Guides
- Does Cleaning PC Improve Performance? Heat Is the Thief
- Is Compressed Air Good for Cleaning PC? Bench Tech's Verdict
- Can I Use Vacuum Cleaner to Clean PC? No, Here Is Why
- Is PC Cleaner Safe? Mostly, No
- How Long Does Thermal Paste Last? The Three Real Answers
Custom PC Building Guides
- What Do You Need to Build a PC? The Plain Parts List
- How to Build a PC: a Bench Tech's Step-by-Step
- How Much Does It Cost to Build a PC in 2026?
- How Long Does It Take to Build a PC? Honest Hours
- Is Building a PC Hard? The Mistakes That Cost Real Money
- What to Do After Building a PC (Before You Trust It)
- How Much Does Microcenter Charge to Build a PC? (2026 Fees)
- Is It Cheaper to Build a PC? The 2026 Honest Math
SEO Guides for Small Business Owners
- How Does SEO Work? Explained for Beginners
- How Long Does SEO Take to Work? An Honest Timeline
- How Much Does SEO Cost? Real Numbers for Small Businesses
- Is SEO Worth It for a Small Business? Do the Math
- Is SEO Dead? What AI Search Actually Changed
- What Are Citations in SEO? (And Why Yours Disagree)
- How to Write SEO Content (the One-Search Rule)
Local SEO and Google Business Profile Guides
- What Is Local SEO? How Small Businesses Win the Map
- How to Optimize Google Business Profile, Step by Step
- Do Google Reviews Help SEO? Yes, Here Is How Much
- How to Create Google Business Profile Without Address
Web Design Guides for Small Business
- How Much Does Web Design Cost? Real 2026 Numbers
- Is Graphic Design Included in Web Design? An Honest Answer
- What Does a Web Designer Do? (What You Are Paying For)
- Why Is Web Design Important for a Small Business?
- What Is Responsive Web Design? (Why Phones Come First)
- How to Choose a Web Design Company: A Designer's Checklist
- How to Hire a Web Designer Without Getting Burned
Content Marketing Guides
- Why Is Content Marketing Important for Small Businesses?
- What Is Content Marketing? A Local Business Explanation
- How Content Marketing Helps SEO (Two Halves, One Job)
- How Much Does Content Marketing Cost? (DIY vs $150 vs Agency)
- How Long Does Content Marketing Take to Show Results?
Etsy Selling Guides
- How to Sell on Etsy: an Honest Guide From a 20-Year Seller
- How Much Does It Cost to Sell on Etsy? The Real Fee Math
- Is Selling on Etsy Worth It? Run the Niche Test
- What Sells Best on Etsy? (A Small-Town Seller's Answer)
- Do You Need a Business License to Sell on Etsy? (Or an LLC?)
- How to Sell Digital Downloads on Etsy (No Inventory)
- Is There a Free Way to Integrate Etsy With Shopify?
Online Store and Ecommerce Guides
- How to Start an Online Store (Without Burning Money)
- How Much Does Shopify Cost? (Plans + the Cut Per Sale)
- How to Start an Online Store Without Inventory
- How to Calculate Shipping Costs for Online Store Owners
- How to Tell if an Online Store Is Legit (Run It on Yours)