14. April 2018 · Comments Off on Re-discovering eBay & Amazon… · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Richard Grady It is some time (a couple of years at least) since I did any selling on eBay (although I have used it quite a bit as a buyer) but this week I decided to list a few items that have been lying around the house for months.

Makes sense as I am never going to use them again so I might as well let someone else benefit and make a little money on the side

The one thing that I used to really hate about eBay was packing stuff up and taking it to the Post Office but I had forgotten the bit that I LOVED – watching people bid on the auctions and seeing your money going up! Now I should say that I only listed a few hundred pounds worth of stuff – certainly nothing that is going to make me rich but even seeing relatively small bids on your items for sale is exciting. In fact, I was having such a ball that I started listing some of my old books and DVDs on Amazon’s Marketplace. Now, if you have never heard of the Amazon Marketplace, let me tell you, this really is a very neat selling venue and a superb business concept on both sides.

Quite simply, Amazon allow you to list books, CDs, computer games, DVDs, electronic goods etc for sale on their website (you don’t even need to write out a listing – it is auto-generated via the ISBN/barcode number!). When someone is about to purchase a book (or whatever) via the main Amazon site, they are also given the option to buy a copy of the same item from ‘Marketplace Sellers’. This means that they could get a second-hand (or new) copy of the same product cheaper from a different seller. If they opt to buy from you, Amazon takes the payment from the seller and sends you an email advising you of the sale and giving you the name/address to send the book/whatever to. Then every couple of weeks Amazon pays your money into your bank account. Of course, Amazon takes a small commission for providing the above service but they also charge the buyer a standard amount to cover postage costs.

It is a win-win situation and I think it is a very shrewd move on Amazon’s part (in fact, they probably prefer it when someone buys from a Marketplace Seller since they get paid for doing absolutely nothing). So I ended up listing 20 or so items on Amazon as well and in less than 2 days, I have already sold half of them and earned over Ј100! Remember this is in respect of a few books and DVDs that would have just sat on my shelves for the next 6 months/year/who knows? How often do you read the same book twice or watch the same DVD more than once? eBay and Amazon offer two different ways of selling your second-hand possessions and both ways are quick and easy as well as being enjoyable. Having ‘re-discovered’ both sites as a seller after several years, I am enjoying selling on both – eBay because of not knowing what the final sales price will be and Amazon because it is just SO easy (you don’t even have to communicate with the buyers!). I still can’t stand the packing and shipping though

14. April 2018 · Comments Off on Website Promotion With Free Article Marketing · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

If you have never used article marketing when promoting your website you have been missing out on a valuable tool in internet marketing. Article marketing is an effective way of creating backlinks and drawing attention to your online business. What you need to take advantage of the opportunities in article marketing is either some basic writing skills or the resources to hire someone who has those skills. Then what you need to do is write useful articles related to your websites niche. As an example, if you have a website that deals with antique automobiles you might want to write articles on the topic of auto restoration. Generally you will want to keep your articles in the range of 400 to 600 words. Prior to writing your articles you should determine the keywords you are targeting and use those in the article itself. That way the search engines can pick up on them and their relevance to your website. Try to place those important keywords within the first and last paragraphs of the article you are writing. By writing in this manner you will gain the interest of surfers interested in your niche and that of publishers and webmasters also. The part of the article that allows you to gain a backlink to your website is known as the resource box. This is an area at the end of the article that allows you to tell a little about yourself or your website with a link. You generally want to keep this to a three to five line blurb with one line about yourself and one or two about your website. That should cover it and get them interested enough to click through the link. You might be wondering how this will assist you in getting traffic to your site.

One way is by allowing other websites to use this content for republishing on their sites with resource box and all. Whenever someone uses that article to build content on their own site it will give you one more link and free online exposure which is how article marketing works. To really leverage your article marketing efforts you should submit your article to the major article directories such as Ezine. These larger article directories get traffic from webmasters looking for content to use on their sites and will allow your article maximum exposure. Whenever someone uses an article from one of these article directories part of the terms of use is keeping the resource box intact. As your article is used in the future it will continue to build backlinks to your website for years to come If you are thinking of using article marketing in a more specialized niche you can offer exclusive articles to a few websites for publication while including a link back to your website. Make sure to mention that the offer is unique and you will probably get a high acceptance rate. By using these article marketing techniques in conjunction with web directory submissions you can gain additional exposure and traffic to your website.

14. April 2018 · Comments Off on Knol – Wikipedia’s Rival · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

There’s a new kid on the online block named Knol and even this early in the development stage, some people are already predicting that it could bring about yet another significant change to the way we share information on the Internet. Knol is a new Web service being developed by Google that is meant to serve as a virtual storehouse of knowledge on the Internet. With content being contributed by various experts on different topics, it will behave much in the same way that Wikipedia does currently. In fact many industry experts have made the suggestion that Knol is set to become a direct competitor to Wikipedia and other similar types of web sites. Google is of course the go to web site as far as search engines go, being the most popular search engine web site today by far. If Knol is as successful in drawing a widespread following as the developers hope, it could bring about the Google’s transition from a search engine into a company that creates and publishes Web content. Some industry observers warn that one problem that could potentially arise is that Google’s objectivity in presenting search results could be compromised. Knol–the name of which is derived from the word “knowledge”–is being developed to allow people to create Web pages on virtually any topic. When completed, it will include several features that will allow its users the ability to perform a number of tasks, such as submitting comments, rating individual web pages and suggesting changes.

We mentioned earlier in this article that Knol has been compared to Wikipedia by many industry analysts. While there are in fact many similarities between the two web services, the main difference is that Wikipedia allows virtually anyone to edit an entry while Knol only allows the author of each particular “knol,”–which is what the individual pages in the service will be called–to do so. This means that the same topics could have many different authors with sometimes contrasting–or even competing–points of view. Google has stated that the main thrust of the Knol project was to focus attention on authors who have sufficient expertise on particular topics. As vice president for engineering at Google Udi Manber wrote in the Google corporate blog recently, the Internet has evolved largely without the benefit of a standardized means to highlight the author’s name on each web article. He goes on to say that the company believes that knowing who wrote a particular web article what will considerably aid users make better use of the Internet and its various content. Manber also stated that another important goal of Knol was to cover a wide range of topics, from the various sciences to health concerns to history. Eventually they hope to have Knol become the first stop for research on any topic. Today it is Wikipedia that provides that function and its web pages show up at the top of the results page of Google and many other search engines more often than not. Some in the industry have suggested that this latest move of Google is driven by the unprecedented growth of web sites that combine knowledge resources such as Wikepedia, and that Google feels the need to have a strong presence in that particular area. Wikipedia is by no means the only web site that offers that type of service. Many other companies have taken slightly different approaches in functioning as knowledge repositories on various topics on the Internet. These services include Squidoo, Yahoo Answers, About.com and Mahalo. In spite of the widespread popularity of these services–as well as the existence of many free tools that allow experts and regular people the means by which they can share their knowledge online–Manber said that Google feels that it is still not easy enough for the average user to do those things. Interestingly, considering all the hype and excitement that is currently surrounding the news of Knol’s existence, Google has refrained from discussing the project any further than these initial details, and have even said that it is still an experimental project at this time.

This means that just like many other Google tests that never saw the light of day, Knol could end up never even being released publicly at all. As for Wikipedia, site founder Jimmy Wales has downplayed his site’s comparison with Knol, saying that while Wikipedia’s goal is utmost objectivity in its content, with each individual article being the sum total of the collective knowledge of its various authors, Knol’s model will likely result in highly opinionated and possible even contradictory articles on even the simplest of topics. Another important distinction is that Wikipedia is a strictly non profit web site that does not carry any type of advertising, while Knol is a decidedly more commercial venture, with its content authors earning revenue from any Google ads on their site.

14. April 2018 · Comments Off on Save Money With Online Business Card Printing · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Yes if you have to purchase business cards for your business, you must check out online business card printing, because no only will it save you money but online business card printing will improve the look of your business cards.

You design your own cards, you can use the templates provided and then improve the design yourself, you can also create your own logo again either use a template or design your own, you can also upload your own design to the online business card printing company. These cards printed by the online business card printing company are printed in full colour and can also be printed on both sides, its your choice as you have complete control over all stages. In fact before you checkout you must inspect your card and either delete or confirm, you can also check your postage charges before you order the cards so you will know the exact cost of your order before you leave the site. The online business card printing company KashCards print the cards on top quality paper, they are printed in full colour and have fantastic graphics, every person you hand your card to will be impressed by the quality and look of the card. A business card gives people a first impression of you so you need your card to give a good impression plus the impression you want people to have of your business and can you can give a better impression than the one you have created yourself when you designed your own online business card. You owe it to yourself to have a go at designing your own online business card printing with absolutely no obligation, its very easy and you can use templates to design what you want or if you have a design you are happy with you can upload the design you already use, and they will be printed for you. Should you decide to use online business card printing and people ask where you get your cards from, this is very likely because of the quality of the cards and you have signed up for free your own personal link is printed on your card so should that person get cards from your link you will either get paid a commission or have it taken off your next order. So you can see the good idea you do not have to do anything you don’t already do and that is hand out your new good looking business cards out just like you have always done. And it is always possible that you could end up getting your online business cards for free if enough people see them and want to use them themselves, and go to your personal web site created for you free when you register, and buy business cards from your site. As you can see this is the perfect way to get your business cards, they will promote your business because of the quality of the cards people will remember you and your business. For more information http://www.Gordon.KashCards.com

14. April 2018 · Comments Off on SEO By Owner In Three Easy Steps · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

You have two choices to consider when trying get your site ranked higher in search engines. You can hire a Search Engine Optimization Company that is an expert in the field or if you have some time, you can do it yourself. Research your Keywords Ask yourself what keywords you think someone might type in when searching for products you sell or services you provide.

Though a keyword may be only one word it is usually a phrase made up of keywords. Phrases are more specific and will more than likely be what potential customers use when searching for products or services online. After a quick brainstorming session write down all that you were able to come up with. Make sure to consider geographical phrases if they are important to your customers and don’t forget of alternative words that could be used (an example could be “new car Littleton”). Make sure to surf the websites of your competition to get more ideas until you can come up with a list in the neighborhood of 20 to 30. Now you should take two keywords from your list that you feel potential customers will use most frequently. Take into consideration that popular keywords are also competitive keywords and harder to achieve higher ranking with. If your goal is to obtain a high ranking for the term “auto insurance”, the path to achieving it may be long. Try to make your keywords the ones that are most related to your business and not riddled with vagueness or extremely competitive. Make each phrase about two or three words in length like the previous example. Now that we have your keywords we will move on to the next step. Site Text Your site text is made up of the wording that is on your web page. There is a phrase for search engines and it is content is king. Search engines love unique content and your keywords should be placed in key locations within the content so Google understands the relevance your site has to them. Also make sure that your copy reads well around them as it needs to make sense for your visitors who are most important. Keywords can be placed in headings, at the top of pages, in bold or italics, used as link text for other pages of your site and in your title tag. Add additional content after you are finished tuning up your webpage. Give more detailed descriptions of the products and services you offer. Provide a frequently asked questions page and pages of articles that pertain to your products or services. With your design you should keep in mind that search engines cannot read images nearly as well as text. Sites that are made up with excessive flash or pictures really impede how well they can read the content of your site. Link Building A common way of thinking about links is that every link from another site that leads to yours is a vote for the popularity of your site. Every quality link you receive can improve your search rankings. The quality of your inbound links is more vital than the quantity. The preferred and more valuable link is from sites that are relevant to your niche and with authority (highly regarded in the niche).

A quality directory with relevant categories is another example. Just a few quality links with authority can have more value for your site than hundreds of lesser quality. Think of it like you do your personal business network. Both can have a strong effect on the success or failure of your business. Take time to consider all the other relevant websites in your niche such as organizations, industry affiliates and non-competing companies. Send them a email introducing yourself, your products and services and explain how your website could benefit their visitors. Then politely suggest that they create a link to your website from theirs. Record the Results Over time you should watch and record your search engine rankings by doing a Google search for your chosen keywords to see where you rank. You can also monitor where your visitors are coming from by watching your hosting reports. Do this for each significant page of your website. Continue to add to your websites content and increase the links to your website over time. This needs to be an ongoing effort for as long as you want visitors to your website. As you continue to record the results of your efforts you should see the traffic increase and with that your sales. Know where your visitors are coming from so you can continually monitor your marketing efforts successes. Only by measuring it do you know where and how to improve it.

14. April 2012 · Comments Off on SERP – Search Engine Results Position · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

What is SERP A search engine results page, or SERP, is the listing of web pages returned by a search engine in response to a keyword query. The results will include a list of web pages with titles, a link to the page, and a short description that will show how the search keywords have matched in the content of a website page. A SERP may refer to a single page of links returned, usually ten websites. However, you can increase the number of results returned by specifying either 10 or 20 or 30 or 50 or even 100 in Google! search query. Why High Position in SERPs If you have a website, surely there is a reason for you to have published it. The basic reasons are to establish your business presence, to earn some money by selling your products, to make Business Information available, to establish your presence in the business that you are involved in. Many more reasons can be listed but we shall leave it at that. Consider the following facts:- a) 85% of all web sites are found through the search engines b) 99% of users search only the top 20 engines c) 91% of all users VISIT ONLY THE FIRST PAGE of search results In view of the above 3 facts, it is necessary that your website appears high up in serps to achieve your aim How to achieve High Position in SERPs To achieve high position in Search Engine Results you have to:- a) Ensure that the website page is optimized as per norms set by a Search Engine.

This contributes around 30% to your webpage being ranked high. b) Ensure that you have sufficient links to your website page. This is a major of the two factors contributing about 70 % to achieving high position in serps. However, do not aim at getting links at too fast a rate. Ideally, it should be 10-15 per week. Too fast a rate is considered as spam by search engines. Do not aim at linking to websites that have only high Pagerank. This also is considered as artificial. Check a website for its content before exchanging links with it. Though, the task of link exchange involves a lot of time and effort by way of 1) searching for link exchange websites, 2) visiting them to find if they are suitable, 3) emailing them with link exchange request or submitting link exchange request by filling up their form, 4) publishing their link at your site, 5) visiting the page where they have published your website link to verify the link exists and 6) to regularly visit their links page to verify the link to your website continues to exist. This is necessary as a lot of websites delete your link after some time. To make your task of link exchange easier there is a website www.toptenserp.com. The membership is free for one website. You have to just once enter your website details. After that you will continuously get 1 way links regularly at a set pace. Visit the site to see where some members links page rank.

14. April 2012 · Comments Off on Make Money With Free Home Based Business Opportunities · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Free Home Based Business Opportunities can be very profitable. However, most people don’t know how to make them work. Though many people say they are looking for a way to make additional money and often look towards the Internet for free home based business income opportunities, they are often skeptical or should I don’t have fate that they actually work. They simple don’t believe that they can actually make money online with free business opportunities. Though they specifically look to join a free opportunity, they don’t really believe they work because they don’t have the key to unlocking the road to success. Let’s start by defining the word «key». The word «key», has many meanings. It can be a land mass, as in «Florida Keys». It can refer to a musical instrument, as in «keys on a piano». In fact those 3 letters, k-e-y, make up one of the most powerful words in human language. The reason is, that no matter what type of key you are talking about, whether it is a musical key, a computer «keyboard» or a «mechanical key», that opens a lock, all keys have one extremely important fact in common – They all, (with the exception of the landmass) GRANT ACCESS to SOMETHING!! Allowing access is the most important aspect of the word key.

Without keys you would be cut off from many things.

If you do not believe this to be true, then I suggest you throw away your keychain with your keys attached and see how much fun you’ll have without access to your house, your car, etc. Now, the funny thing about keys is they are not always «physical objects». An electronic garage door has a key, to open and close the door. But you would be wrong if you said the remote itself, was the key. The key is the «electronic signal» sent out by the remote, not the remote itself. The remote control actually generates the «signal key» that opens the garage door. My point is simple, the world is filled with various keys, but not all are physical or even visible to the eye. And now I’m going to hit you right between the eyes … you probably already OWN, The Key To Making your Free Home Based Business Opportunity Work and don’t even know it! I can say this with almost absolute certainty, the key has probably been offered to you on various occasions throughout your life, but you weren’t aware of it at the time. And as with all keys – keys are WORTHLESS, unless you USE THEM!! You have probably already figured out that the key to making Free Home Based Business Opportunities work is not a physical key. It has no physical form in our three dimensional space. It is what I like to call, for the lack of a better term, a «conceptual key». This type of key requires your mind to make it work, not your hand. And just like any concept, it’s difficult, if not impossible to use if you do not have conscious awareness of it. Here is another very important quality about keys. They work in two directions; they can either grant or deny access. In fact, if you are like most people, you are currently using this «conceptual key» to limit yourself and deny yourself access to actually make money online and your goals and dreams.

Read my next article to find out how to find the key.

13. April 2012 · Comments Off on Which Online Business Opportunity Will You Choose? · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

One thing is certain, there is not a shortage of online business opportunities for you to choose from. The problem is, as most of us already know, that many of these opportunities stem from fly by night companies that simply are trying to make some quick cash.

For their unsuspecting members, they are simply counting down the days until they close the doors and reopen another biz-op under a different name. Most people that are caught up in these systems are thrown into one bad home based business after another. It doesn’t have to be that way, however, as legitimate business opportunities are also available. If you find the right opportunity, you will find success. Here are some things to look for when you are choosing an online opportunity. Proven Leadership – Some names are synonymous with success. You should familiarize yourself with people who are already successful in the business opportunity area. Those people are the real leaders that you should be following and by doing so you will certainly be able to find success. There are plenty of places that you can research these leaders to find out if they have been involved with winning business opportunities or fly-by-night scams. Total System Automation – The Internet has given us a real opportunity to be involved in business systems that are automated from the start to the finish. All of us are busy and many of us have full-time jobs and family responsibilities that keep us on our toes from morning until night. Most of us do not have the time to put into starting a business that will give us success for the long-term. That is why so many of us are stuck in an endless cycle of working hours for dollars and not building a true business that will work for us for the long term. The system that you choose should be automated so that you do not have to worry about such things as sales and chasing leads.

Anything that needs to have a human touch should be handled by someone that is experienced, your business leaders.

Joining a Proven System – Anybody can make promises, real leaders can prove it. Whenever you are considering joining an online business opportunity, check the numbers. Real leaders will be able to show you that their system works and they will be confident enough to be able to guide you by the hand through every step of the process. They know that if you make money, they will make money and they are interested in helping you to find your success. Even though there are some business opportunities out there that will simply take your money and run, there are some legitimate online businesses that will help you to find your success. Just make sure that you do your research and check out the system thoroughly to make sure that it lives up to your expectations. By doing so, you will help to ensure yourself success as you’re building your business and an opportunity that will last for a lifetime.

13. April 2012 · Comments Off on An Internet Marketing Strategy that Works · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

These days an internet marketing strategy plays a vital part of small business marketing strategies (or any size business marketing strategies for that matter). Web site marketing is an important part of just about any business, small or large. You can’t put up a beautiful (or any) web site and hope that people will just arrive. You have to let them know, IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY, that your web site is there. This HAS to be part of any Internet marketing strategy you develop. This is actually a basic marketing principle. Customers are not going to look for you, you have to look for them. Promoting your web site on-line and building traffic is the subject of thousands of web sites, e-zines, books, courses and seminars. Using the web to promote your site, however, assumes that your customers are surfers. But there is a large percentage of our population that is not as savvy with the internet as we would like them to be. So, what about the large percentages of the population who are not? They will only find out about you through traditional marketing and public relations media. This is particularly true if you serve a fairly local market. Fortunately these are the easiest and cheapest prospects for you to reach off-line. Key Off-Line Internet Marketing Strategies Here are some of the ways to make your web site known (this list was taken directly from the Traffic Building Volume of Ken Evoy’s brilliant book, Make Your Site Sell! 2002: · TV, print and other advertising · Stationary and business cards · Catalogs, fliers, billboards, blimps, etc. · Direct mail (prominently on every document) · Telemarketing (make it part of the script) · News releases to targeted media. The main principle, to which you can add all your imagination, is INTERNET MARKETING STRATEGY INCLUDES ANY AND ALL MEANS OF GETTING YOUR WEB SITE KNOWN AND VISITED BY TARGETED PROSPECTS.

Unless you have a high budget, the TV, radio, classified ad route is not recommended but if you do run ads, be sure to mention your web site everywhere. Make it part of your Internet Marketing Strategy. Another guiding principle is that your off-line internet marketing activities should make it easy for your prospect to go straight to your web site. One of the best ways to market your website off-line is direct mail postcards. If your prospect sees your website on a billboard as she’s driving home, she probably won’t look you up when she gets to the office the next day. This is not the only medium that has problems like this. Newspapers are bulky, radio has to spell it out and like before most people are driving at the time. On the other hand, if your prospect is sitting at her computer and a post card comes in the mail announcing your web site, she can just turn around and type in your URL and she’s at your web site. Now if someone is in the office reading a trade journal and comes across an article about you in the magazine, it’s not difficult for him to copy your URL into his browser and pay your site a visit. I don’t mean to say that those other avenues won’t drive traffic to your site, but it will take numerous impressions and repetition to get them to remember your address. On the other hand, direct mail postcards are generally received at the home or office where a computer is present, and if received somewhere else they are small enough to keep with you until you can get to a computer. This way, your prospective customer will be able to take the take right over to their desk top computer, type in your address and go right to your site. Brilliant! I have seen the greatest success in off-line web site promotion with direct mail, and specifically direct mail postcards.

13. April 2012 · Comments Off on Several Ways And Means To Buy Expired Domain · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

One of the best reasons for indulging in expire domain business is its ability to provide you very lucrative profits for the money invested into the business.

Expired domain market is a busy place where everyone would jostle and rush out to find their own expire domains with sense of deep conviction. In reality, buying an expired domain is not as easy as you feel it will be! There are several reasons and causes that motivate people like you and me to buy expired domain.. Here are some established tips and suggestions that will teach you how you can buy expired domain in an ever-busy market place. Generally, all soon to get expired domains go through three phases of life: • Expired status, when the owner of the domain in question will have 40 days of grace period, when he or she can renew the domain again by paying a standard fee • Redemption period, when the domain enters its decisive period of shut-down and the owner of the domain may need to cough up renewal fee, along with additional penalty. • Locked period, when the domain name in question enters the deletion phase, which is usually 5 days long. And, on the last day, the name will be officially dropped from the database between 11AM and 2PM Pacific time. Soon after this time, anyone can register for the expired domain. With these phases of expiration cycle, how does one buy expired domain? In fact, a simple search and buy method may not work in the real sense. There are smart entrepreneurs, who use better and quicker methods to grab the domains, before you actually do. It means that you may need to use methods similar to those used by these entrepreneurs. Experienced people who are well versed in snatching expired domains always use smart methods. One such method is the “Drop Method” that promises you good expired domains. The Drop is that unpredictable three hour time period, in which the domain gets deleted from the registrar’s database and released back into the pool. If you feel that you can buy expired domain during the dropping process is very easy, you are sadly mistaken and confused. There are no fewer than three or four major services that specialize in snatching away all the good names that become available for sale. To buy expired domain from a large pool of domains, you may wish to enlist the services on three major domain trading firms, so that you can hope that they will grab a domain name on your behalf. Three main expired domain name trading firms are: • Snapnames.com, • Enom.com, and • Pool.com All these three forms act and operate in a similar manner. They always use a network of registrars to aim at the ICAAN servers at frequent intervals and grab as many names as possible. As a normal rule, if you do not get your desired name, you will not pay a cent to them.

All the three forms operate in slightly different ways and manner. Another common way to buy expired domain is to approach the soon-to-expire domain owner and ask, if they can transfer the domain name to your name. Yet, another way is to participate in a regular domain auction and buy an expired domain at a very high price. Whatever the way you chose, your main goal should be picking a good and decent domain at an affordable price; to buy expired domain name from the open market, you will also need to know how domain trading business works and operates in the real sense.

13. April 2012 · Comments Off on Start Building Income Today For A Better Tomorrow · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

There’s still time to build that retirement nest egg….

History has shown us one of the most amazing financial shifts ever, as we’ve gone from being a nation of savers to a nation of investors. Even somewhat more amazing is that it has happened in less than a generation’s time. The Baby Boomers are coming! Welcome to chronologically speaking, middle age or as I like to call it: The AARP Generation. With retirement just around the corner and old age looming in the suddenly not-so-distant future for those of us in the baby boomer generation, financial concerns have become critically important. Just where do we find the extra income or the how to generate that extra income for those maybe not so golden years? In the past we might have skipped the newspaper’s financial pages to read the sports section or worked on the crossword puzzle. Now we find the earnings reports and mutual fund listings endlessly fascinating weather online or reading the paper. The challenge facing many of us, even if we aren’t baby boomers, is how to finance our busy lives while trying to save for our retirement years or maybe other unforeseen expenses. Let’s face it expendable time is a very short commodity in today’s hectic environment. This challenge looms even larger day by day as we get closer to retirement. One of the best ways to meet the challenge is to find a fully automated home based business model, that doesn’t steal all of your free time, and has the company doing all of the leg work for you. You now have the advantage of building income as you continue with your every day endeavors. For generations, security and safety were more important than high returns on investments. Having grown up during or in the aftermath of the Great Depression, people were very reluctant to put their money in anything that involved substantial risk.

Investing hard-earned dollars in the stock market was only for gamblers and speculators, not for the average person. A mattress was a safer place for any extra money. Their plan for building wealth was pretty straight-forward. Stay with the same company for a long time and forget about any other income opportunity. Rely on a great pension plan from that employer, and salt away any extra income in a federally insured personal savings account. For the Baby Boomer generation, however the blueprint has changed and earning extra income has become a work at home opportunity for many. Traditional pension programs and savings accounts have all but disappeared. The number of workers covered by traditional pension plans has dropped 73% over the past 20 years. Nationwide, according to the latest federal data, personal savings have dropped from about 10% of disposable income in 1980 to – 1% in 2006. In other words people today, whether a one or two income family, spend more money than they make. By the way, the credit card companies love it. The primary source of retirement savings/pension income today is a 401(k) account. Again we have gone from savers – investors, safety – risk. Making a work at home opportunity one of the best ways to make extra income and take advantage of the many tax savings available. The main problem is that the AARP Generation came late to the 401(k) game. Whether through career changes, conversions from traditional pension plans or some unforeseen circumstance we really weren’t prepared to manage our own retirement funds. Now many of us are trying to make up for lost time by earning extra money from a network marketing program or some other income opportunity, such as Cash Gifting. The 401’s always work best if you start saving a good percentage (10%) of your income very early in your working life. Future generations will be much better prepared to invest over their entire working lives and manage their own resources. The problem for those now nearing retirement age is how to invest those dollars to provide a decent return. Even the simplest calculation demonstrates the problem. If you’ll need $3,000 a month in extra income and you plan on living for 20 years in retirement, you’ll need to accumulate $720,000 in your 401(k) or by other means. Now that’s a lot of extra income to make up for, if you got in the game late. So, let me ask… How is your retirement savings plan doing? To make up for lost time, some people will be tempted to choose very aggressive, and very risky, equity investment options. This may seem wise today, but tomorrow it could be one of the worst moves you could have made.

Has anyone watched what the market has done in the last couple of weeks? Great America theme parks could model one of their rides after it. This also makes an internet business opportunity, Cash Gifting or any other multitude of work at home adventures all the more palatable. Ready or not, we’re all capitalists today. The game of saving for retirement has changed the landscape of our future and betting our futures on what the Dow Jones will be on the day we retire is a high-risk and a high-stakes game that we can’t afford to lose. Eleanor Roosevelt said it very well: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Why risk everything on a roller coaster? The sooner you get involved with a work at home opportunity, the sooner you can earn the extra income it looks like we’ll all need. Watch for more articles on this and other subject on our blog… As Always, God Bless and Always Remember To Make It A Great Day!! Michael J Kohn New Image Marketing Group, Inc.

12. April 2012 · Comments Off on What is YOUR Definition of Marketing? · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Marketing On The Playground (TM) What I have discovered through my experience of marketing is, it’s all in how we define it. We can think of marketing the way most of us do which puts us in the box of making cold calls, knocking on doors, going to numerous networking groups, sending out mail, speaking, the list goes on and on of what we have known. The simple definition of marketing is: letting your audience know what you do. From this simple idea, it’s up to you how you want to market. You have complete freedom in “how”. Here’s the bottom line! No Marketing = No Clients = No Money = No Business! HOWEVER… You do get to Market YOUR WAY! You get to have FUN! and be extremely creative.

In fact, give yourself permission to market YOUR WAY and change the formula above to: Market YOUR Way = More Confidence = Attract more clients = A THRIVING BUSINESS! Now, let’s change your definition and Guess What…your definition will be different from each businessperson you meet. We are all unique. We choose different business paths; wear different clothes; drive different cars; have different viewpoints—our marketing approach should be just as unique? Here are 3 examples of “marketing” provided from entrepreneurs. 1. I didn’t like networking groups but thought I would try some out. My definition of a networking group is this: It had to fit with my values, it had to be fun, and the group had to come from a unique perspective. Most of them were about collecting as many cards as you can. I tried 4 groups and one fit perfectly. EwomenNetwork comes from “giving first” and they have a wonderful format that gave me permission to ask for what I wanted. It was very safe, very professional and very genuine. I’ve been a member for 3 years – it’s the only one I attend consistently. 2. I have a Web Design company and one of my passions is voyager canoeing. I began to utilize outdoor-related themes in our marketing messages and promotions. Most important, I decided that canoeing was also a great way to network. As a professional woman business owner and an experienced canoe guide, I developed a Ladies Voyageur Day. I hosted a group of entrepreneurial women on a guided canoe trip.

The event was so successful it has become an annual sponsored event.

3. I had always found marketing to be a distasteful chore. I was diligent and had managed to stay busy as a consultant by networking and following up on leads, but it was an unpleasant duty, and I avoided it whenever possible. I think one of the best-kept secrets to becoming successful at marketing is first choosing to be of service to a group of people you truly care about. With my new mission in mind, all of a sudden, marketing became effortless. The clients I wanted to serve were people I really cared about, I wanted to spend time with them. Instead of dreading networking events. I began looking forward to them as a place to meet new people I could help. Before, I had avoided business lunches finding them boring and awkward, but now I enjoy listening about new opportunities to be of service. To summarize our 3 marketing definitions: – Giving first, asking, “How can I help you forward your business, ”rather than saying, “What do you do.” – Creating a marketing approach that doesn’t feel like marketing because I’m doing what I love…Voyager Canoeing – Being a service to a group of people OK, do you have a new perspective on the definition of marketing? What are your thoughts with the questions below? 1. What was your original definition of marketing and is it different now? 2. Did you give yourself permission before this class to think of marketing ideas outside of the box? If not, what permission will you give yourself now? There is a marketer inside of all of us – it’s just a matter of identifying the true, authentic marketing person inside of YOU.

12. April 2012 · Comments Off on Sell a Product Online How To Do It On Online Auctions · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

It is essential to have a website to sell a product online. Even if that is a minisite with only one page, it must still be there. Without a website you have no platform from which to sell.

Even an offline marketer needs a shop, stall or barrow to display their wares and to sell from. There is a range of website options available these days that makes internet marketing so much easier than it was at one time.

Web hosting options range from free websites that come with products ready to sell, through inexpensive options at less than $10 monthly to full blown hosting packages offering everything needed to run a modern internet business. Which you choose is up to you, but keep in mind that you will require an email service that is related to your business, and an autoresponder to automated procedures such as replying to email enquiries, and sending regular emails to a large number of people. You will also need a checkout system and a means of accepting credit card payments. You can also get all this options for free selling on online auctions websites. Good place to start on is QxBid – Free onlineauction website

If you cannot accept credit cards, you will be fatally restricting your business. A modern online business must be able to accept payment by credit or debit card, personal check, bank wire or transfer and PayPal or a similar popular payment method.

Once you have your website set up and running, you have to sell the product.

You should design a good sales page that catches the eye, with a compelling title that offers a benefit to the prospective buyer.

Typical benefits include how your product can make them money or save them money, save them time, make things easier for them or help their business. Everybody looking at an offer wants to know what’s in it for them.

«Washes Whiter than White» is a feature, but «Cut Your Cleaning Time in Half» is a benefit. If you were a busy householder, what would you want – ‘whiter than white’ or your cleaning time ‘cut in half’? Do you want something to ‘Taste Lovely’ or ‘Work Fast’?

Provide a benefit, but make it realistic. «Make $50,000 in your first month» is a claim nobody will believe, but «Make $100,000 in your first year» is more believable. Write your headline, and then sleep on it. Look at it next day and think whether or not it would attract you. If not, then change it.

You can list the features of your product, but only while stressing the benefits that these feature provide. «Low energy use» does not have the impact of «Save 20% on your power bill». You should also make an offer to the potential customer, or prospect. Offer something free that relates to the product. If you are selling bicycles offer free maintenance for a year. If you are selling a book on Search Engine Optimization, offer a free keyword research tool.

Make sure you make a call to action. Tell them what they must do to buy the product. ‘Click here’ or ‘Click Here Now!’ Make sure that you ask them to buy the product. It’s amazing how effective that is.

You could simply ask for their first name and email address so that you can send them further information, but ask them something. You must tell prospects what you want them to do.

In order to sell a product you have to get prospects to your website before you can tell them anything. You have to advertise, and there are many ways of doing this. Advertising is generally the biggest part of the budget of an offline company, so online companies should be no different. You should choose a few keywords for your product that have some degree of demand, and as little supply as possible.

If you know how to optimize your website for good search engine listings, you can get free traffic through organic search results for your keywords. Otherwise you can use Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising. Two of the most effecting PPC programs are Google Adwords and Yahoo Search Marketing. You pay for each click a visitors makes on your advert, so if you word your adverts correctly, they can supply a lot of very targeted traffic, focused on the subject of your advert.

You can also advertise using article marketing and ezine adverts. Both of these can drive targeted traffic to your website. You should make sure that, no matter what route they used to get there, visitors should land on your sales page for your product. If visitors clicked on an advert for the product, they expect to see more information about it when they click.

If you know how to sell a product online, you should not find it difficult to persuade visitors to visit your sales page. The rest is up to your persuasive abilities, and of course, the product.

12. April 2012 · Comments Off on Live Event Production And Buying A/V Equipment · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

If you are a promoter or agent and want to put on a live event production you have a choice of renting or buying your A/V equipment. No matter the size of the event you are hosting, you want the best of audio and video equipment and you want the installation, service, and quality that will make your production one that will satisfy the audience and at the same time present your event in a professional manner. If you are a promoter that hosts a series of events, you want to make sure that the events keep up with the pace of technology that seems to change from month to month. Live event production is a tricky business. To get the best quality and the best value for your dollar you need to go with professionals who are known in the business. Those fly by night lighting and sound companies will offer you little compared to those audio and visual event production companies that have shown they can set something up as small as a home theatre system to the largest concert. They will have equipment like optical front projection screens and they will have the best audio equipment around. They will look at your venue and decide professionally what type of equipment you need and what kind of show you are putting on. The live event production experts will look at your intended audience first. They will come and look at the venue and where the performance is being displayed and where the audience will view the performance. It’s not rocket science, but it is a science to figure out the perfect audience to performer ration in regards to the sound and lighting of a venue. Measurement are taken from the front row of the last to set the proper audio so the front row will not be blown away and the back row will hear every note or word in perfect audio quality. The angle of the production also is important. Not only does the speaker or performer need to be in the line of sight by every member of the audience. The angle must be enhanced with optical front projection screens that will give the last rows a front row view of the performance. It is still exciting to sit in the back row of a concert.

You can see the performance live on the stage, but the last row viewer can look up at the optical front projections screens and see the performer up close and personal. Every bead of sweat will be seen as the clarity and definition of the performance will be enhanced to give the back row audience a sense of really being at the shoe. As a promoter you can rent or buy A/V equipment, but get the advice and assurance of an audio video professional. You can’t go it alone and with the backing of a audio video professional live event crew, you will be able to pull off the event of a lifetime. This will ensure future business and let everyone in the industry know that you are a professional.

12. April 2012 · Comments Off on Renting Audio Visual Equipment · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

One of the most basic “must haves” of any event where presentations are made before a group of people is the availability of the appropriate audio visual equipment. Be it inside a conference room where there are 10-12 participants, a small seminar venue where there are 20-40 people eager to learn from you, or an auditorium where a crowd of 300 or so have gathered to listen to your whitepaper on the evolution of the widget. Having the right audio video equipment takes away the need to strain your voice just to be heard (try doing that in an auditorium!), or pass out multiple copies of what you want to present, and encourages focus and interaction, thereby significantly enhancing the experience. If you hold presentations on a regular basis for small groups in a small venue, then it might make sense for you to invest in basic audio visual equipment (i.e., a multimedia projector, laptop computer, and a simple sound system), which should not cost you too much. However, if your presentation events are, for example, just a couple or so times per year, in venues that are in excess of a sitting capacity of 100, then the option for investment on the appropriate audio visual equipment does not really make dollar sense. This is especially true when your audience size varies from event to event. Obviously, as your venue and crowd become bigger, the bigger your investment in audio visual equipment will be, and this is not limited just to the hardware. In big venues, there is a also a need for technicians to maintain and operate the equipment to ensure that these will not bog down (and if they do, will not be down for long) during the event proper. One viable option that you may want to consider in scenarios like these is to rent the audio visual equipment you will need for your event. That way, you can focus on the real purpose of your event (i.e., the presentation) and not worry about such details before, during, and after your event. In case you are charging for the event (which you most likely are if you are into live event management as a profession, for example) renting allows you to avoid depreciation and maintenance costs that are part and parcel of the investment option.

When renting audio visual equipment, make sure that your supplier has a good track record in this kind of business. While you may be able to find suppliers who give low rental rates, you might find out the hard way that the reason they are so cheap is that they do not really know what they are doing, do not have back-up equipment on standby in case of emergencies, do not have the flexibility to handle other last-minute issues that normally hound events, and so on and so forth. Getting a reliable supplier goes a long way in ensuring that your audience will see what it is you are showing and hear what it is you are saying as clearly as possible.

12. April 2012 · Comments Off on Ppc And The Revenue Machine · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

For some online entrepreneurs the advent of Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is something on par with affiliate revenue programs. This may sound like an odd statement so let me explain. In affiliate revenue programs a website is developed with the singular purpose of encouraging visitors to make a purchase through your site. The items they can find on your site are actually purchased from a third party website using the affiliate’s website as the portal. However because the customer used the affiliate revenue site to make the purchase the owner of the site receives a commission for the sale. Many home-based businesses use some form of affiliate revenue program to provide residual income. The use of PPC advertising in the body of your website has nothing to do with commissions, but it does have to do with payment for accepted advertising. In this scenario individuals may come to a website because it is filled with knowledge-based content. That content is rich in keywords or phrases. Advertising is automatically chosen for the website based exclusively on content. When a visitor clicks on your website they will find a compliment of PPC advertising that will deal directly with the content you have provided. When those individuals click on the PPC link the site owner receives income based on the price of the ad. Obviously sites that want to use PPC advertising to facilitate a residual income try to make sure their keywords or phrases are somewhat unique drawing PPC advertising that is worth more per click. For instance a unique keyword could draw a commission ten times that of a more common keyword or phrase.

In the scenario of a site built specifically to capitalize on PPC advertising content may be the most important commodity you have. In all websites content should be king, but it is especially important in PPC advertising sites because the idea is to provide the site visitor with such a comprehensive means of learning about a specific item, trade or service that they find enormous value in your site. This customer trust for your content is also of value to the PPC ad placement in that it works to laser focus the advertising to potential customers. In the end you want site visitors to click one or more link when they visit your site. This is how you make money. With PPC revenue generating sites you are not selling a product. In fact, the site visitor does not even have to purchase a product. What you want the visitor to do is click on any PPC link. Once the link is clicked by a visitor you are credited with a sum of money designed to pay you for the referral. In the case of affiliate revenue you are seeking to convince visitors to visit the third party supplier and then make a purchase. In PPC sites you are simply seeking to provide highly focused information with PPC advertising to appeal to the very specific needs of the site visitor. In both cases you could receive residual income that may prove to be beneficial in the improvement of family finances.

12. April 2012 · Comments Off on Review of Programs that Submit Your Article · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Darren Dunner In the past 6 months several articles have been written to offer tools, helps & any advice on the power of writing articles and submitting these to many online ezines. In fact the word ezines is just becoming a known keyword in the web world. If you have a site and want to generate a buzz ad get traffic you need to submit your article to ezines. In this article I will not go into the best methods of writing these articles and as most of you know by now it is not that easy to write an article and have it approved by these ezine companies. What we do want to accomplish here is the best way to go about submitting your articles. There are a handful of very well developed ezine sites that if you do write articles you want to submit to. The problem that is most often heard is the time it takes to submit the article to all of these sites. Recently there has been a rush on developers to create programs that will do this for you automatically. There is a positive and a negative to this process. Lets talk about the Negative first.

Here are a list of reasons why you shouldn’t use these programs: 1.

These programs are still newly developed and the software developers of these programs may not have tested these fully before handing these out to everyone. 2. There are reports of some programs that do not work at all and cause serious damage to PCs. One such company is called Submita www.submitaarticle.com (see below for quote from Submita) 3. Many of the ezines have a bio attached and the way the bio works is different for each site and if you are promoting more then 1 site then you need multiple bios and will need multiple submit programs these typically only handle 1 account which means you need more then 1 computer. 4. Duplicate content is another big issue. If you put submit article in several locations this can count against you. Quote: In a recent attempt to explain the PC corruption caused by Submita (an article submission software) their response was: “Please note that we have stated clearly on our webpage that we provide you a fully functional free trial with no restrictions so that you can try the software before you buy it. It also states that we have a no refund policy.” In reply to this: “Please note that your free trial had no functionality it was a program that had no use until you entered in a serial number which must be provided by you and was not. I had to purchase the license so I could at least try out the program to see if it worked or not” Notice that there was no apology for the corruption the program caused and no attempt to fix the solution. Only response was “Too Bad” Lets take a look at the positive in using these types of programs: 1. This will save you hours of sitting in front of computer logging in and out each time for each ezine site 2.

Though there are some programs that do not even work there are programs that do work. One of them is Instant Article Submitter made by Rod Beckwith and Jeff Alderson and this program has nothing but great reviews and the reputation of Rob & Jeff are nothing but the best. There are other programs and other sites that do work as well if you want more information contact us directly. 3. If submitting multiple articles is an issue then do the submission and take the time to login to each account and assign the bio to it… that is still easier then doing the whole part and hopefully these programs will note this and allow users to have multiple accounts to manage on 1 program. 4. Though the article you are submitting is duplicate it still counts as back links for your site and the better you get your site ranked with back links the better you will in the search engines. Keep in mind that every time you submit an article you are generating hype about the service or product and creating a reputation on the web as a trusted source. One last tip is if you have a new product make sure to create a buzz about that product and name and watch as you create a new keyword on the search engines.

12. April 2012 · Comments Off on Search Engines Optimisation For Business Owners · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Do you know what search engine optimization is? If you do know what this phrase means, you are better off than most people who are trying to advertise their business. If you don’t know, there is many a search engine optimization firm that will try to teach you in return for giving your business to them. So what exactly is search engine optimization? Search engine optimization is getting your business or website to the top of the search engine results by using certain keywords and other advertising techniques to help you out. If you are going to use a search engine optimization agent, who is going to basically do the work for you, you may have to pay a lot of money, depending on what type of company you have.

Certain companies are going to be more expensive to promote and other companies, just because they are in a very competitive area. For example, if you are selling clothing, the costs of a search engine optimization campaign is going to be larger than if you are selling something less common like coffee filters. More people search for clothing on the Internet than they do for a coffee filters, which means that a search engine optimization company is going to charge you more money for this type of campaign. Search engine optimization can get you to the top by increasing the number of people who click on your website. You may not know this, but the order of the website search results are listed by surfer popularity. This means that it is difficult to get to the top, but once you are there and have a quality business, you are likely to stay there. A search engine optimization agency is going to take the work out of Internet advertising for you. Before, it could kind of get confusing when trying to figure out how exactly to get to the top of the search results. Even now, most people don’t do their search engine optimization by themselves. Instead, they find someone to do it for them A search engine optimization firm is going to find out who your competition is, do a bit of link tracking and then find out what the best keywords are for your website. If you are dealing with a reputable search engine optimization agency, they are not going to recommend using keyword spamming, which can leave customers to your website very frustrated and annoyed. Keyword spamming is going to bring a lot of traffic to your site, but it is also going to bring a lot people to your site that just aren’t interested in what you are offering. For search engine optimization, you really have find a search engine optimization company that knows what they’re doing and can bring the right type of customer to your company. If you don’t get the right type of customer, you are not going to get an increase in business. In fact, having the wrong type of search engine optimization can actually hurt your business, making your website look disreputable and cheap.

12. April 2012 · Comments Off on Internet Marketing to Double or even Quadruple you Income · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

WANT TO KNOW HOW ORDINARY FOLKS LIKE YOU AND ME DOULBE, TRIPLE OR EVEN QUADRUPLE OUR INCOME, ONLINE OR OFFLINE? If you have even a passing interest in the topic of Internet Marketing, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of Internet Marketing. Internet Marketing: Why is it One of the Most Cost-Effective Ways to Advertise your Business I will touch on the most popular subject when people talk about Internet Marketing. And that is Affiliate Programs. When you think about Affiliate, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Affiliate are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

These are forms of Internet advertising that rewards the affiliates for driving traffic to the advertiser or for other transactions. The advertiser pays the affiliate to place a link on their website, and the affiliate sends traffic to the advertiser in return. Simply put, it’s about paying commissions to people who help you make sales. It’s that easy. NOT. Affiliate marketing has its ups and downs. It could be draining if you are not armed with updated information and the technical how-tos. But this article’s sole objective is to reach out to you and not to badmouth affiliate marketing. Here are the following reasons on why web marketers go gaga over affiliate marketing as a form of Internet advertisement. 1. Low cost Many are scared to go on a home based business because of the capital required. In affiliate marketing, you don’t have to spend much to start raking in moolah. 2. Inventories not included Product management fuss could be very stressing. An inventory is not asked to be maintained. The merchant does the maintenance required. It’s really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of Affiliate. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas. 3. Unlimited income through leverage See how much you can learn about Affiliate when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the rest of this great information. When you have a paid job, your monthly income mainly relies on whether you go to work or not. With affiliate marketing, your affiliates could all just lead traffic to your site without having to lift a finger after providing them your ad copy and links. Though not every web marketer earns limitless, it still is a fact that all the necessary matters for the advertiser or Internet marketer are all there to be successful. 4. Go worldwide With affiliate marketing, you are dealing with a global market place. All you have to do is choose a niche product and prepare all the necessary tools for your affiliates to lead traffic from just about anywhere to your website. 5. Low risk The very main reason for Internet marketer’s enthusiasm with affiliate marketing is its having a low risk factor. Especially for those with low budget set aside for advertising, affiliate marketing is just the way to do it. 6. No closing time With affiliate marketing, your business works every single second of the day while targeting a worldwide market! What could be better than that? But all of these will be put to waste if you don’t have the right niche product and all the other important tools to make it big in affiliate marketing, i.e., well-SEO-ed website. So better work on this first before ever considering those benefits.

Brought to you by: Real Good Profits http://www.realgoodprofits.com The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to learn more about Affiliate.

12. April 2012 · Comments Off on Persuasion Through Competition · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Lately I’ve been really dedicated to working out and recently I noticed something interesting at the gym. My gym is most definitely not a meat market. A very large percentage of the patrons are there because they care about their health and not for dating purposes or to see and be seen.

However, on occasion, I’ve noticed that as I ride the stationary bicycle, someone will hop on to the one next to me and I pick up my pace a little. It’s not a conscious decision, really, but my other than conscious wanting to show off a little. It could be a desire not to be outdone. I have noticed the opposite as well. If I get onto a machine next to someone who is already working out, sometimes their speed increases. I chalk this up to a high desire for competition. Competition is a drive that we can either embrace or deny. Me? I embrace it. When I was in sales, I loved to constantly challenge myself to do double or triple what the people around me were selling. You see competition in everyday life most intensely where there are extremely limited resources. (Just look to the animal kingdom as they compete for water, food, mates.) Humans, especially in the United States, compete on economic bases. We all know about the survival of the fittest. . . It’s seldom about trade and cooperation. On some level or another, we compete–money, mates, parking spots. When we’re not out there competing ourselves, we sit around and watch others compete (sports, reality TV, beauty contests. . .). There is something innately interesting to us about watching one person go up against another for glory or humiliation or fortune or defeat. As for my gym observation, this showed me how competition can be an added incentive for self improvement. Some part of my mind says that by showing the person on the next machine what I’m made of by working out harder or faster, then I’m only doing myself good. In this respect, competition can be healthy. A drinking contest is obviously an entirely different story. So how can this base instinct be used most effectively for selling our products or services? Well, we see it all the time. . . two gas stations across the street from each other with slightly different prices, the lower of the two deciding to take that much less for the product. I’m not suggesting you lower your prices by any means, but through framing, we can show ourselves, our products, our services, as the answer in the minds of our affluent prospects and clients. ‘I am by no means the cheapest, and in fact, I may be one of the more expensive realtors, but you really do get what you pay for.’ What is your relation to competition? Do you embrace it or shy away from it? And how can you begin to use it for persuasion purposes? How do you intend to use your competitive drive to get ahead in everything you do?

12. April 2012 · Comments Off on Ways To Make Money Online Without Spending A Cent · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Did you know that it is possible to make money online without investing a dime? Weblogs, affiliate marketing and surveys are among the three easiest ways to earn money through the Internet.

If you look around the Internet for ways and means to earn money online, you will observe how most online money-making opportunities will require some money to be invested for you. However, you need to note that there are two general ways to make money online, one which involves financial investment and another which only needs you to invest time and effort. With all the fraudulent sites and scam-filled transactions proliferating around the Internet, you may find it wise to resort to means which do not involve financial investment. They are also generally more profitable as you do not need to worry about investment returns and the likes. This is probably one of the best things about earning money online. Even without investing in a product, setting up a website or general marketing expertise, it is possible to make money based on what you know and what you can do. What are some ways that you can make money online without investing a cent? Here are some of them: 1. Article writing. If you have good writing skills, coming up with your very own blog is a great way to make money online. There are a number of blog hosts that offer services for free, and you can set-up your very own site within a few clicks of your mouse button. Now, depending on how many viewers you attract into your site, you can earn a limitless amount by incorporating advertisement. The best part about blogging is that you only need to write to your heart’s content about topics that you wish to or are familiar with. Closely related to blogging is article writing where you look through sites hiring content writers to write site contents on specific websites. 2. Affiliate programs. Affiliate programs are one of the most profitable ways to make money online. They involve promotion of other people’s sites to the rest of the world. All you need to do is come up with your own online marketing strategies to draw people into a site and increase site traffic. You get commissions depending on agreed upon affiliate terms, which may either be on a pay-per-click or pay-per-successful-sale basis. To start with affiliate marketing, you only need to look for a good merchant and sign up for their affiliate marketing program. Good merchants will have the necessary tools to get you started. 3. Answering surveys. Did you know that simply answering surveys allow you to make money online? There are a number of companies doing market research which actually pay online users to answer surveys. This is relatively easy to do, though you need to make sure that you choose reputable signs to sign into. These are only three of the most popular ways to make money online. There are a whole lot more profitable ventures that you can involve yourself in.

Remember that whatever means you choose, the success and the profitability of your efforts lie mostly on your hands. You have to work to earn as much as you expect to. Do not expect overnight success, but trust that with persistence, earning big money online will be within reach.

12. April 2012 · Comments Off on Type Of Non-Geographic Telephone Numbers · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Non geographic telephone numbers are a special type of telephone number, that is also considered to be a telemarketing number.

These types of numbers do not pinpoint your business to a specific area geographically; instead, it allows you to take advantage of your total market nationally. There are many different categories of non geographic telephone numbers, seven to be exact. These are known as: – Free phone – Lo-Call – Fixed Rate – National Rate – Premium Rate – Alphanumeric – Personal Free phone is a non geographical telephone number that offers your customers and potential customers the ability to call your business without having to pay any type of fees for the call. This is a great business tool as it gives your customers confidence and makes them believe that you really want their business. Free phone numbers can be distinguished by 0800. Lo-Call are telephone numbers that begin with 0845. This is yet another great business tool because it gives your long distance callers local rate calls, even when they are on the opposite side of the country. Receiving the calls are free for your business, all you have to do is pay the deposit and monthly fees. Fixed rate numbers are typically 0844 or 0871, these are traditional telemarketing phone numbers. These types of numbers charge the customer for their calls to your business. 0871 calls typically cost the customer’s more than the 0844. National rate telephone numbers begin with 0870 and allow your customers to call your business with a cheaper national rate, no matter where they are in the United Kingdom. This type of non geographic telephone number is great for information hot lines, order lines, help lines, and technical support centres. Premium rate telephone numbers start with 090. These are great for competitions, chat lines, and technical support calls. These are premium calls that charge the callers higher rates per minute than 0871 or 0844 telephone numbers. The business is not required to cover any of the costs associated with the telephone call and recovers a large portion of the money paid by the customer. Alphanumeric telephone numbers are words instead of numbers. These are perfect advertisement for many customers. This could be a catchy slogan or something to identify the company with. By using alphanumeric telephone numbers you can catch and keep the attention of your customers with something easy to remember. Personal telephone numbers start with 0700.

This type of number goes by many names such as call shield, follow me, one, and personal numbers.

The great advantage about this type of telephone number is that it allows you to provide your customers with just one telephone number, but have that number route to any other number you wish.

This is perfect for taking your calls while at home, travelling, or in another office, but do not want to miss the all important telephone calls. As you can see, there are many different types of non geographic telephone numbers to learn about. Choosing the right one for your business means understanding your options and choosing the one that best suits your businesses needs.

11. April 2012 · Comments Off on Video Marketing – The One They Come Back For · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

I was sent a link recently to a video that was powerful in the way it presented the idea of going the extra mile for customer in ways that were easy, but unexpected. I left the viewing of the video inspired and wanting to find new ways to make my own businesses better. While I was inspired by the video and would willingly send anyone to the site I also discovered this video to be a video marketing strategy for a series of inspiring books and motivational downloads. The video was the marketing tool. It was emotive, challenging and powerful, but it was also designed to BE the selling tool for the affiliated products. Testimonial after testimonial located after the viewing of the video indicated this series was an excellent resource and empowered employees to find job satisfaction in serving customers well. I think the reason I was so taken with the approach was that it was vastly different from most video marketing strategies. In most cases the video presented is a sales tool telling you why the available products are just what you need. The videos will provide the testimonials and bits of details that leave you with partial answers to thought provoking questions. These are key elements in video marketing and they are effective, but the novel approach to giving you a complete and motivational video download was unexpected. Here’s why I believe this approach works. The emotive video does not actively sell a product or service. Because this is true there is no pressure, just the emotional connections associated with the viewing. Once the video is over the viewer will think of others that would benefit from viewing this feel good motivational video. The soft sell of the video is literally making it possible for an incredible number of potential buyers to visit the site and find encouragement.

Even if they have no interest in buying the product they will likely keep the link handy to share with others over the long-term and I’m pretty certain there will be some of those that find the motivational material a strong enough reason to make a purchase. What’s more is that the video is essentially timeless. The end product could change from time to time, but the video remains the cornerstone of the marketing plan. And because so many will forward a link to business associates, family and friends the end result is a positive experience even after the viewer understand there is a no-obligation set of products that can be purchased following the viewing. This is a great example of giving more than you have to, and by doing so you end up with improved traffic and a higher conversion rate. I think part of the problem with most sales videos is that they often breed distrust from the beginning. Most people see the sales pitch and watch for the angle they know is coming. This secondary type of marketing approach takes them off guard it is a simple straightforward story that turns out to be true, emotional, motivating and inspirational. And that story ties very specifically into the product being sold, but in the end the video stands on its own merit.

11. April 2012 · Comments Off on Starting A Smoothie Business · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Is there room in your town for a Smoothie business? Juice bars are popping up in most towns and cities in the UK. Their offering is healthy, nutritious, easy to make, fun and very tasty! Fruit & vegetable juices definitely beat most other foods having lower calories, higher vitamin and mineral content and are low in fat. They have been recognized as preventing many types of illnesses caused by our fast food / low nutrition diet. Every fruit and vegetable has its own unique mixture of vitamins and minerals which you can use to make up for many deficiencies in your diet. Juice on the move – they are great to be consumed on the move in this high pace world in which we live in. With a decent lid and a straw you are unlikely to make a mess either in your office or car. Who has the time to sit down, peel fruit, eat it and then wash your hands? You can offer supplements in your juice like added Vitamin C, Ginseng, Mint or even Garlic to make your offering even more tempting to the new vitamin popping generation.

Why not go the full distance and serve organic fruit and vegetable juices? Profit margins are good and equipment costs are low. All you need are several juice machines, good quality fruit & vegetables, nice decor and the ability to work hard. You need to have the right type of footfall though. Find a site that has a lot of younger people passing by. Ideal location would be in walking distance of a large trendy shopping mall and a big complex of offices. Initial expenses can be high for marketing your new business. You have to let people know you have arrived by sending out emails & doing leaflet drops. Advertise in the local newspaper and radio. Offer free juice to the first thousand customers and people are sure to know that you have arrived! Try and come up with trendy names for your juices. It might be just pure orange juice to you but how about «Refreshing Orange Bang» for a name? Your apple juice could be called «The Green Devil» whilst carrot juice could possible be named «The Energizer». Branding is everything in this business. Choose trendy colors that immediately scream fruit. Use reds, greens & orange in your logo and shop front design. Your slogan should echo the healthy aspects of your products. Possible slogans could include «Crave the taste & Improve your Health» or how about «The Juice that Packs a Healthy Punch»? Smoothies are not just fruit drinks; they can also be an alternative to a snack or light meal for people who are worried about their expanding waistlines.

Add healthy, easy to make sandwiches to complement your nutritious range.

Making fruit juice is easy. The real challenge lies in picking the right site, establishing your brand, building goodwill (and reputation) and generating repeat business. For the entrepreneur starting out in business, a juice bar can be a fun business with decent profit potential.

11. April 2012 · Comments Off on What Are The First Steps I Should Take For My Home Business? · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

So you have just started your first home business. Congratulations now the real work begins. No matter what anyone or any company may have promised you before you signed up, building a successful home business will take work. Many home business companies will promise you the world and not deliver anything. I truly believe it is possible to be successful in any home business venture you maybe in. But it will take work, determination and effort on your part. It also helps if you have a committed upline who is willing to help you grow and learn as a business owner. There are many different aspects to building a home business but I will focus on the aspects which I feel matter the most.

These are the aspects which will help you build a solid foundation for your home business. So just to clear up the air a little bit, let me point out a couple of facts before we get started. First there is no such thing as get rich quick. Second there is not such thing as only working on your home business 10 minutes a day. Yes you can only work your home business for 10 minutes daily but your results will not be very good. Third if you truly commitment to building a home business, you can and will be successful. First you will need your own web site. Your replicated site will not work. You will want to drive traffic to your web site. There are different methods of driving traffic to your web sites. First if you have the money you can post ads in newspapers offline. This is a great way to build your home business. Of course the bigger the newspaper the bigger the cost is to advertise. Normally the results will be very good if it is a large publication. You can also advertise in magazines as well. When advertising in magazines try to focus on magazines which cater to the customer you are trying to market to. It makes no sense to advertise in a magazine about fishes if you are selling vitamins. Instead find vitamin magazines. I would not suggest advertising in flyers, they are not really effective and you have to have a lot of flyers spread out everywhere just to get a few prospects. Next there is online advertising. Normally everyone jumps to the free classified ad sites to post for their home business. Now in order to be effective with free classified ads you have to post a lot. And I mean a lot. I honestly feel it is not worth your time and effort to post your home business ads to free classified ads. First mostly everyone posting on free classified ad web sites is posting their home business opportunity. Next what is going to make your home business stand out from all of the other ones. Nothing, it is a crap shoot when posting on free classified ad sites. Next PPC or Pay Per Click is a very effective way to drive traffic to your web site. But here is what I suggest unless you already know how to run an effective PPC campaign, hire a pro to run your campaign for you. Remember this is a business just because it is a home business doesn’t mean you should treat it any differently. Businesses reach out to contractors when they need help in certain areas and you should do the same. If you have the cash I would even suggest going as far as hiring a marketing firm to market for you. Lastly you could start an organic SEO campaign to show up in search engines. You could also hire a pro to do this for you but I would be very cautious when looking for an SEO pro or company.

There are many out there who have no clue on what they are doing. When first starting your home business getting traffic to your web site is key. It’s simple no one sees your web site, no one buys your product. The quicker you are able to start making a profit with your home business, the stronger your conviction will be that you made the right choice.

11. April 2012 · Comments Off on Pay Per Play – Ppp Advertising – An Internet Gold Mine Or Fools Gold? · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Recently, I received an offer for Pay Per Play advertising. If you haven’t heard of it, in a nutshell it is a 5 second audio commercial that will play each time a visitor hits your site. You will get paid for every visitor to your website, 100% conversion with nothing to do and nothing to click.

To me, this concept is huge. TV and Radio have been doing this to us for years, whether or not we want to hear an advertisement, it is presented to us. The big corporate giants have been branding themselves this way on TV and radio for a millennium. Sure you can change the channel to avoid an advertisement, but; you have already heard the sponsors message. I get up and leave the room when the commercial stretch comes on during a program I’m watching. I have commented to my wife on numerous occasions that there are way too commercials during my favorite shows. Pay Per Play is different though; it’s a one shot, 5 second clip. It’s here and then it’s gone. It doesn’t play over and over and there is never more than one. If a major advertiser wants to throw me a few pennies to say their name on my website, more power to them. To me, it’s all upside for the website owner; or so I thought. I went to the site and read everything I could find and my conclusion at the end of my research was favorable. Then I did a search on Pay Per Play on the search engines. What was a solid decision in the beginning became a bit unsteady; but for me, I believe the scale still tips toward Pay Per Play being a good addition to a website. I found that across the web, Pay Per Play is being met with mixed emotions. Pay Per Play is not scheduled to go live until February 1st, 2008 so everything is speculation about it’s debut and further it’s efficacy to publishers and advertisers alike. Some believe Pay Per Play will rival Google AdSense for revenue to it’s publishers. Others are not so sure, in fact many netizens have come right out against such an unwanted intrusion and vowed to immediately leave a website if such an audio message is played over their speakers. I also found that there is some dirt being thrown about the company that has brought the concept to market. To mention them here is not appropriate; but due diligence is warranted if you think Pay Per Play is a good opportunity for your sites. As with any new opportunity, the people that come to the table have histories of successful and not so successful ventures and there seems to be some bad blood regarding a previous affiliate program. If I were being asked to lay down a large amount of cash here, I might have some reservations and be inclined to do more research before moving forward.

With Pay Per Play as it is, there is no upfront cost, so to me the company and the players will start with a clean slate; but I will keep a keen eye to make sure everything stays on the up and up. This opportunity seems to be profound. I have often compared the internet to the California Gold Rush in the 1800’s. Many, many affiliate marketers that were lucky enough to get in before the Dot Com crash had the opportunity to mine the easy gold and make huge piles of cash with not a lot of effort. Fast forward to today and the rest of us show up and find there is real money still left to be made; but it will require rolling up our sleeves and working harder and smarter to find the gold. Ahh and be ever cautious of the fools gold! In the gold rush days, many a fortune were lost on Fools Gold. So that begs the question, is Pay Per Play a new found gold mine or is it fools gold? Will it rival Google AdSense? The jury is still out on the answer; but somebody, somewhere will stumble onto the next big internet wave.

11. April 2012 · Comments Off on New Ideas For The New Year! · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

According to the statistics the American Citizens carry an average of seven Credit Cards and some of them use 12-15 cards. The Statistics also indicates that 70% of American Citizens payoff these debts after 90 days. This can be described as gambling on future prosperity-speculations tempted by plastic money illusions i.e. Credit Cards; This is mainly due to the lack of alternate options.

The money needed to meet their desired expenses is in short supply.

The fixed income earners always have a trying time to strike a balance between earnings and expenses. Their income is static while expenses tend to jump, mostly jump upwards unpredictably. At this point of time of a year ending many will eco even silently with a momentary relief “What a difficult year that is almost over? Where has all that money, earned by working hard, gone? Any pennies left? Still more bills are there to settle and what a struggle it was every month?” Well, you too may be thinking like that? If not then you are one of the rare breed of the lucky few or else, you are probably not a fixed income earner. It is mostly the monthly fixed income earners who feel this way and to them the next year too looks gloomy and unsure of what it has to offer. For them it can be another package of twelve months of continued agony and little or no ecstasy. For them the life’s eternal struggle will continue each year with no chance of escaping. After the annual December festivities just before the dawning of the New Year, the people have to get back to the monotony of the same old routine, day after day, rushing to work, working hard, trying to earn money to support the family and returning home in the evening hours utterly tired even to talk to the loved ones waiting for them at home. Will there be an end to this struggle to make ends meet for Mr. or Mrs. Average? The answer is a big Yes. The next question will be when? To that the answer is Now! At this very moment of welcoming the New Year it is the appropriate time for you to make the all important decision. This will be the decision to change the life’s course. The life is itself a decision.

Make your decision as a New Year Resolution. Once you make the correct decision it will work to take you to life’s fulfillment via Financial Freedom. How to achieve Financial Freedom! It is simple. The driving power of any noteworthy achievement is the determination to reach one’s dreams. It is said in the past ‘Will to win and You Will!’ More people become millionaires today than at any other time in History. So the decision should be to become the next millionaire because, in America, a new millionaire is created in every 58 minutes as statistics has shown. There are many ways that ordinary people have become extra ordinary people by accumulating money. In the modern day, the quickest way to do that is to start an online business. A home based business online is the best for a new comer to online business. There are many success stories of rag to riches quickly of Internet Millionaires today. They have proved any one with the same application to the task and guts can do that. Every hour every minute, millions of buyers and millions of sellers visit the internet. The speed in which the sharing of information is possible on the internet, has led to innovative improvements like automation of online business processes etc. Therefore, the conduct of business is easier and speedier online. The vastness of money making opportunities on the internet is practically proven by the leading internet marketers who conduct businesses attracting big dollar incomes to their businesses daily. The internet has made it possible today for any one to decide, conceive, believe, act and be the next success story on the internet! It is the fastest way to riches today. It is reachable. The internet, as I mentioned earlier, is an ideal business field that provides vast opportunities, expanding markets and open market competition with freely accessible market information availability. As the first step one can start working from home, during spare time, to build a business step by step. It is not uninspiring as it will be very interesting to explore the marvel of Modern Internet Technology. There is no need for big investments. The advantage is that a home based online business can be launched with a small budget. The best and speediest way to launch such a business is to get an automated turnkey website set up free with inbuilt money generating income stream-packages so that the new business will start generating money immediately and work automatically 24 hours every day. Of course, you have to get the best, proven and reliability guaranteed system.

You can now find Author Resource Box

11. April 2012 · Comments Off on Work At Home Writing Santa Letters · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

The Christmas season is a magical one for most children. In all of their beautiful innocence, there is a period of time where they actually believe in the Santa Clause myth. This makes things fun for both them and their parents, who try everything they can to make it appear the myth is true. One of these ways is through Santa letters. A child would write a letter to Santa requesting what they want for Christmas and they would actually receive a reply back. This reply would be on fancy letterhead complete with a customized envelope with Santa’s return address. If this sounds appealing to you, why not consider taking a work at home job writing these types of letters? So, how do you actually go about establishing a work at home job writing Santa letters? Well, first, you will need to decide whether or not you want to be employed by a work at home Santa letter company or if you want to go into business for yourself.

In either case you will need to build a Santa letter portfolio. This would be showcased either to the head of a work at home Santa letter company or to clients, depending on what work at home option you choose. So, make it look like it would if it were being sent to clients. This means that it is well-written and contains the type of letterhead that ‘Santa’ would use. http://Microsoft.com offers these types of letterhead templates for free. What is the best way to write a Santa letter, whether it’s for your portfolio or your actual work at home Santa letter job? The best way to answer this question is by investigating samples of existing Santa letters. Most are relatively medium in length ranging from 300 to 500 words. They also are highly personalized; one would think the author actually knew the child going by the way they were written. Additionally, they are imaginative, coming up with ‘plausible’ yet fanciful explanations to the common types of questions children have before they transition to the phase in which they stop believing in Santa. To get suitable samples for your portfolio, consider writing free Santa letters for all of the children in your family. However, make sure you try to get a letter from them first, so you can get in the habit of learning how to personalize your Santa letter writing. When you get your portfolio established, send an email to various work at home Santa letter writing companies. You will want to include your resume and some of your samples. If your samples are interesting, you may get employed by the work at home Santa letter writing company.

If not and/or if you want more direct control of your Santa letter writing, you can always go into business for yourself.

Use a free hosting service such as http://Geocities.com to set up a simple website, (you can use their online templates if you don’t know anything about website design). After this get a domain name. When your site is finished, write press releases announcing your arrival into the work at home Santa letter writing industry. You will want to do this to attract both clients and customers. If you do this effectively, you may get free press in newspapers, magazines and even television. If not use other forms of marketing. This could include sending direct mail to leads that have kids, working pay-per-click ads such as Adwords or advertising your site on parenting forums.

11. April 2012 · Comments Off on Traffic Building And Tool Creativity · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

There have been some amazing stories of individuals who have been very successful in traffic building in relation to their auction offerings. There have been incredible stories of how an individual will write a description of the product that reads more like a column by Ann Landers with the humor of Dave Barry. The description itself is so entertaining and relatable that individuals flock to the auction site simply to read the description. I recall one story of a mom selling something that had belonged to their child. They wrote hundreds of words describing the special memories of that object in relation to their child.

Because other parents related to the emotional side of the description they came, they read and they sent emails to friends and had them visit too.

In some cases there have even been demands that the auction owner be provided with their own column somewhere for others to experience their wit and wisdom. The end result is that the passion and entertainment used by the person conducting the auction leads to improved traffic and higher bids. There have been cases where these high profile auctions have inspired individuals or organizations to bid on the item that was made famous through a creative online auction. Being creative even in what may seem like a pretty straightforward product description may seem like an unlikely source for improved traffic building, but it has proven the case often in online auctions. In fact the creativity expressed in online auctions is a contributor to other forms of traffic building. For instance, signature lines in forums are becoming more elaborate with clickable graphics that can lead forum visitors to your online store or primary website. This is the true essence of marketing – getting as creative as possible in the use of all available tools. To give you a more hands on point of view. I recently discovered an electrical outlet that had no plate. The screw that held the plate on had snapped and a portion of the crew remained. I turned off the electricity and used a pair of wire cutters to grab onto the broken screw and in short order I was able to remove the broken screw and replace the plate and install a new screw. I could have called an electrician or I could have replaced the entire outlet, but I used the tools at my disposal to creatively fix my problem. This is a good mentality to take into problems you may encounter in online marketing and traffic building. Locate the tools that are available to you and work to create an environment conducive to motivating individuals to visit your website and discover what you have to offer.

Perhaps there was a time when simple curiosity was enough to draw foot traffic to brick and mortar stores, but as time goes by it takes much more creative thinking to establish a mechanism that invites customers to visit. Usually one approach to online traffic building isn’t quite enough. When it comes to online marketing there are lots of tools. Use them creatively.

11. April 2012 · Comments Off on Study Tips For The CMP Exam · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

The Certified Meeting Planner certification is a classification created by the Convention Industry Council to distinguish meeting planners who have demonstrated their knowledge of special event planning via successful completion of a special CMP examination. Aside from the recognition, achievement and wide acceptance of the certification in the industry, many CMPs use their certification as a bargaining chip or competitive advantage when applying for jobs or attempting to win new client business.

Successful completion of the examination is not a walk in the park, but with a few study tips you can be well on your way to becoming a Certified Meeting Planner. Write to Remember On average, we remember 5% of what we hear in a lecture, 10% of what we read, but 30% of what we write. Take notes on all the reading you do and prep-classes you take before the test, put the main points on a stack of notecards, take the cards everywhere you go and review them whenever you have downtime. These simple steps will increase your retention rate 3-6 times and will give you something to do when you have a few minutes to spare in an airport or waiting room. Practice Makes Perfect Once you have mastered some of the basic CMP principals and read through one or two study books make use of practice exams included in your study materials. The average retention rate for something you have actually performed is 75%. Make use of practice tests to help sharpen your focus on important topics. Once you’ve finished a practice exam and graded yourself, run through the questions again and ask yourself: how could this question be re-worded to make a new question on the same topic. Keep these “re-worked” questions in mind as you continue to study as typically test creators will re-use the same idea to create many different questions. Buddy-Up Study groups are an excellent way to increase your retention of the facts you need to know for the CMP exam. Keep in the mind the following, though: we remember an average of only 5% of what we hear, but we remember 50% of what we discuss, and 90% of what we teach to others. This means that merely “sitting in” on a discussion session will do you less good than reading the text on the subject. But if you are able to discuss the material with others, or even teach the material to the group you will retain far more than you would listening or reading. The modern model for adult study groups is based on studies of adult-education and centers around a cooperative learning environment. Informal study groups can have a similar structure without the need for a dedicated instructor or leader. At the end of each study group session, break up the next meeting’s topic into sub-topics and make each person or pair of people responsible for learning the material in that section and teaching it to the group (maybe answering prep-questions at the end of a chapter?). This will allow everyone the benefit of not only reading and writing the material (10% and 30% average retention), they can also teach and discuss the material (90% and 50%). The CMP exam, like any major certification exam, requires diligent study and a willingess to prepare ahead of time.

However, those who put in the time to learn the material and educate themselves on the proper procedures for planning special events will be rewarded with recognition from CIC and their peers, a feeling of personal achievement, and monetary rewards in the form of high salaries and contract prices. Good luck!

10. April 2012 · Comments Off on Winning Money Online With Web Analytics · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Instead of looking at web analytics as a tool to make improvements to your web presence, you must look at web analytics as what it would cost your company if you ignored its significance.

Would I have your attention, if with the use of web analytics it is possible that your next e-mail campaign would result in 50 percent more revenue than your last e-mail. Think of how much revenue your business is losing because you don’t take advantage of web analytics. Many companies don’t realize the potential for positive impact that web analytics can have on their business. Often, our ignorance prevents us from acknowledging the potential of web analytics. Companies with defined analytics programs are realizing double-digit growth in new Web site visitors, returning visitor traffic and conversion rates. With growing pressure to make your marketing efforts, more profitable web analytics is becoming more-and-more critical. Let’s say you suspect that your website has to improve its usability. With web analytics, you can measure the effectiveness of your site usability. Then, based on the intelligence you gather, you can make the necessary changes. Due to the improvements you have made you may be able to improve your conversion substantially. As a result, you can measure the value of web analytics in terms of revenue. The barriers to entry for adopting analytics technologies that can dramatically improve online businesses have never been lower. There are many inexpensive and even free options to start web analytics integrating into your business processes. Web analytics is not about technology. It is much more about people. Before you invest money in web analytics, you must invest in people.

People within your organization must realize the importance of measuring your web presence.

Every business with a web presence must build a strategy around web analytics. Our goal is to get the highest possible value from KPIs. According to Forrester B2B, tech companies have realized 500-800% return on a 100K/yr in house analyst. Retail businesses realized 1000-3000% return on the same 100K/yr web analyst. In the early days of online business, websites were built with ill-defined goals and very little consideration for ROI. If you want to succeed online today, you should not spend a dime without commercial benefit. Unless your decisions are based KPIs measure through your web analytics efforts, you are most likely to fail. You cannot compete without knowing exactly how effective your initiatives are. In every business, the focus is on the bottom line, and the same is true for web analytics. Imagine how much more revenue you could be generating by analyzing the proper KPIs. Even better, imagine how much money your business is losing by not taking advantage of web analytics. Today, we have to necessary tools to make decisions based on data instead of intuition. We have to have a strategy to measure success and failure to maximize ROI. Always look at how much something costs. A bad business decision may cost loss of revenue. A business without web analytics will result in continuous bad decisions that is very likely will result in a failing business.

10. April 2012 · Comments Off on My Progress Report On Starting A Home Business · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Summary: The tale told by one person who made the rash decision to leap into a new Internet Home Business as a complete Newbie. It highlights the struggles to survive the learning curve and remain sane to hopefully, one day, make some money. Having battled through the Newbie tag, I have reached a new phase of my burgeoning Home Business. My computer desktop is now crowded with e-books and my dining table, chairs, and couches are littered with printed books and tutorials of what, I don’t know! Do I need all this stuff? I don’t know, that’s why it’s all still there, It may be very important, or not. Do I want it? Well, you never know. As you can clearly see, I have graduated from the Newbie status to what I would call the frightening ‘Brain Freeze’ that’s when you tell yourself; ‘it is far better not to know right now, because I’m too busy and confused to handle it anyway’. This stage is a time when you are no longer sure which memberships you have, or need, or want. You are not even sure what most of them can do for you, or what they cost you, if anything. You just don’t have the time or the will to find out. I’m sure somewhere on my desk, amongst the hundreds of reminder notes I foolishly wrote to myself during the last couple of months, is at least one which will explain this chaos and gently guide me towards a simple resolution. I think this is a plan. I’ll look for such a note just as soon as I can spare the time. At this point, it would be fair to say that I have no idea if I have made any money. That is because, I have not yet had time to find out how to determine that and that is because I am either stressed out doing battle with Google to approve some ads, or, I’m bogged down learning the newest ‘big thing’, or I am half way through writing an article for my website so I can finally have some free time to finish another installment on my Blog, etc.

Of course, I am also stressing about the lack of available seating in my home, in case I should receive unexpected visitors. That would be those people I used to know before establishing occupancy in Cyberspace. If you are like me, you have been doing more studying in the last 6-8 weeks than you did during your entire time in high school and you are now forced to sacrifice your social life just to keep some sane working hours. Who was it that said this will be soooo easy. Words like ‘everything is on automatic’, ‘It can be done in less than an hour each day’ ‘It doesn’t require you to learn anything’ ‘Even a child can do it’ ‘It only takes 5 minutes’ They are all lying, they have to, if they told the truth only extreme masochists and deranged computer nerds would ever take on an internet business. Clearly, it’s not automatic and yes, it’s going to take a lot more than an hour a day and it most certainly will require you to learn a lot of new stuff about doing business online in general and creating your own home business in particular. But just because we have come to terms with that, it doesn’t mean we should forgive these self proclaimed ‘experts’. Of course it’s not automatic and yes, it’s going to take a lot more than an hour a day and it most certainly will require you to learn a lot of new stuff about doing business online in general and creating your own home business in particular. But just because you have come to terms with that, it doesn’t mean you should excuse these self proclaimed ‘experts’. Frankly, there are times when you’ll just want to pick up an e-book and hit somebody Now, of course, I am waiting for phase three, I expect that will be about the time I get my home back to normal, my brain freeze thaws out and my friends are once again willing to talk to me. Just, finally, knowing what it is I am actually doing will be an amazing revelation in itself. The only thing I am certain about, right now, is that sometime in the future, I will have a functioning, profitable Internet Home Business, whatever that is. You can check out my website at http://www.plotkin-enterprises.com, to see how I am doing. Meanwhile, I’ll keep you posted.

10. April 2012 · Comments Off on Video Streaming And The Pop Culture Revival · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

A group that had a significant following in past pop culture is currently pioneering another wave in pop culture.

This group was famous in the 70’s and 80’s and has continued to see a broad base of fan support. They have indicated that they feel a bit like those who first pioneered television must have felt. Each month this group puts together an hour-long television type show that is free and available on demand. The video stream is produced with the same elements you would find in a television show, but without the commercials. The show features live music from an intimate studio room located at the home of one of the singers. It may provide guest artists and interviews as well as candid moments with the band. The end result matches virtually any artist profile show you might watch on TV. The big difference is that this group did not pitch their show to a network. They fund the production themselves and archive the video for on demand viewing. This inspires improves list building efforts and reminds fans why they have loved this group for so long. In turn the hope is that the music, interviews and behind the scenes stories about the music will encourage site visitors to either come see them in concert or make a direct online purchase of music or related merchandise. The feel of the program is a lot like watching a musical biography with the interactive bonus of sending them an electronic note or gaining access to other group information. Everyday we hear of greater and greater inroads that can be seen with video streaming as an alternative to traditional television. The interactive nature and portability of these video elements allow commuters to watch video streams on portable devices and can allow visual content consumers to download full episodes of their favorite shows or other content that is of high quality, but ONLY available online. Do you think anyone suspected that mass media would be so completely altered by the advent of the Internet? It really has begun an incredible revolution in media product download. It has simplified the process and has allowed a much more organic approach to content development and distribution. Video streaming has allowed niche marketing to take place in a pop culture format. This group might not be able to secure a contract for a monthly show from a television network. If they were to secure a monthly contract they would likely not have the creative control they desire.

With online video streaming they call the shots and their fans get to see their creative genius in music and in the production of their web based video stream. More and more businesses and organizations are discovering the benefits of being able to provide video content to their site visitors in an effort to entertain, educate or inform. The best video streams are ones that will ultimately benefit site visitor as well as site owner. The video stream should be a natural outgrowth of your business and allow site visitors to maximize their visit by accessing links to make purchases of products related to the video stream.

10. April 2012 · Comments Off on Online Business Alliance (OBA) – «Stacked Income» · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

If you’ve ever purchased an ebook or an online business opportunity, presented by compelling sales pages with copywriting that lured you in like a big red fish, only to be completely disappointed, you ought to read this.

You know how they do it.

It starts with a big red headline using an impact font that captures your attention. For example, «Who else want to make X amount and finally learn the secret to making money online?». Something like that. Next, they try to reel you in, pull your strings and make you feel as though you are not doing everything you can to support your family. «Take action NOW!» «See you on the other side» they say. How many times have you heard that? You send them your $49.95, you reach the other side, and learn that the secret to online marketing is writing articles and posting in forums. Do this consistently and you can ride off into the sunset. If you are like me and don’t give up, you should read «Stacked Income» by Dave Gray. It is well worth every penny. In fact it costs 500 pennies ($5). Mr. Gray is a distinguished business man with a fresh, real world approach to Internet marketing. He is the founder and administrator of the Online Business Alliance (OBA). One of the main points is that Stacked Income» is not another name for «multiple streams of income». Gray explains in detail how «multiple streams of income’ never work and contrasts that to his stacked income formula in a step-by-step methodically way. Another important chapter covers the fallacies involved with «the money is in the list» approach. How many times have you heard that? Dave Gray squashes that theory as well and explains why in a no nonsense businesslike approach. When you purchase «Stacked Income» or any other of Dave Gray’s products for $5, you are automatically provided an online business opportunity and membership to the Online Business Alliance (OBA). Basically, it’s an invitation you can’t refuse.

Once you’re inside the OBA, it is also a step-by-step process.

You can leave and come back, but you can’t skip a step. This helps everyone. Speaking of help, there is tons of it in the forum and Dave Gray will answer your questions personally if necessary. Everyone in there is friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. Absolutely no one will try to sell you anything or try to get you to do this or that. The help is truly genuine. There is a lot more to the Online Business Alliance and «Stacked Income» than selling five dollar ebooks and digital products. While that is a lucrative business for many and the product line continues to expand, the business model outlined in detail in «Stacked Income» is the exciting part. This is not the same old same old ebook with the same reused, resale rights content with a new, spruced up ebook cover. This is proprietary and revolutionary new information that will prove to be the future of Internet marketing for the foreseeable future.

10. April 2012 · Comments Off on Understanding The Different Pitches Of Color Coil Binding · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

More than 90% of the spiral bound documents that you see on the market are bound with 4:1 pitch colorcoil binding. However, there are actually several different pitches of coil available for spiral binding. Each of these pitches have specific applications for which they are best suited. This article will provide a quick overview of the major different options for spiral coil hole patterns and their applications. 4:1 pitch color coil is the most commonly used pattern for document and presentation binding. This spiral binding hole pattern has four holes per inch and is fully compatible with 6mm pitch supplies (primarily used overseas). Four to one pitch color coil binding is available in sizes from 6mm to 50mm. This type of coil binding is the most commonly available spiral binding option and is designed for use with the majority of the smaller spiral binding machines on the market. This coil binding is easy to work with binding books up to 1 inch thick, however, inserting 4:1 pitch coils on books greater than one inch can be difficult and time consuming.

5:1 pitch coil is the second most commonly used pattern for document and presentation binding.

This uses a hole pattern with five holes per inch and is also referred to as 5mm coil binding. The tighter spiral of this coil provides a distinctive look and is preferred by some individuals. One common misconception about 5:1 coil is that it provides a stronger more secure bind than 4:1 coil. This is simply NOT true. The fact that the 5:1 hole pattern places holes closer together than 4:1 makes it easier to tear the pages out on these documents. Still, the tighter spiral binding of the 5:1 pattern provides a distinctive look that some individuals prefer when binding their documents. 3:1 pitch spiral binding is the third most commonly used pattern for document and presentation binding. With three holes per inch, this spiral coil is compatible with both the GBC ProClick and the 3:1 wire binding hole patterns. It is primarily used by individuals who already have a 3:1 punch and wish to add the capability to bind coil documents. However, large auto punches and inline punches for photocopiers are sometimes sold with a 3:1 pitch die. While providing a look similar to its 4:1 counterpart, 3:1 coil binding is slightly easier to insert since it has less holes to spin through. The three pitches discussed above are the most commonly used pitches for coil binding. However, coil binding can be special ordered in several other unique pitches. For instance, .400 pitch binding is designed for a hole pattern that has 2.5 holes per inch. This pitch of binding is only available in diameters greater than 20mm or 3/4″ and is available in sizes up to 56mm or 2.25″. However, the filament size of this coil binding is larger than is normally found on other pitches of coil binding, making it more rigid making it easier to insert on larger diameter books.

.400 coil is most often used along with a 2:1 pitch wire hole pattern. However, a few companies make specialty dies specifically designed for this pitch of coil binding.

10. April 2012 · Comments Off on Learn The Secret Of Over 100 Signups In Just 8 Weeks! · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

What exactly is this system about? I was introduced to the Perfect Wealth System by a Top Internet Marketer. The claim to fame in his marketing was «0 to $108,000 in 8 Weeks!» I was highly skeptical yet curious. I said to myself that’s a lot of money in 2 months, how did he do it with the Perfect Wealth System. I was intrigued but I had made more money myself in one month’s time. A little information on my background. I have spent the last 20 years studying Marketing. I make my living as a Registered Financial Consultant.

I spend my days meeting my 400 clients and reviewing their investment portfolios and reviewing their tax returns. The most important thing I have seen in doing this weekly for the last 20 years is simple, People that own their own business have the most income and assets. It’s a fact, owning your own business is the best financial decision you can make for yourself and your family. Every week I have people who come in my office that have Net Worth’s of $1Millon to 15 Million and they have one thing in common, they own their own business. I was totally interested in the Perfect Wealth Formula because this business met the criteria of the perfect business. You control your own time, your control your own business and you work from home on your own schedule. I investigated further to see how the Perfect Wealth Formula Works. Here is what I have found. What Exactly is the Perfect Wealth Formula? At first I was highly skeptical and wanted to take a look at what they had to offer. I signed up and went directly into the back office. The products were Videos of the Perfect Wealth Formula in action. The one thing I heard from my wealthy clients over and over was ‘Knowledge is Power». I knew the Perfect Wealth Formula Videos had the knowledge and power to teach you how to get targeted visitors to your website so that you can make your business grow. Here is the knowledge I saw: You get to learn From the Tutorial Videos – How to place Online Classified Ads to Generate Targeted prospects ready to buy. – How to get Pay Per Click Marketing work for you with targeted Keywords that work – How to get indexed on the Top Search Engines for Free – How to Write Blogs, Press Releases and articles to get instant free traffic – How to market to other people lists that they spent 100’s of hours building for free – Step by Step Video instruction on how to get your business set up to make you a profit There is much more! You will be able to take the knowledge from the Perfect Wealth Formula and apply it to other businesses as well. You will be able to make a significant income just by sharing this important information of teaching how to market yourself and build credibility on the web for any business you own. My overall experience as a 20 year seasoned marketer is the Perfect Wealth Formula is the foundation for any new or highly trained internet marketer to build a large home based business.

10. April 2012 · Comments Off on Online Wealth Only Needs The Right Online Marketing – Giblink · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Not only can you make money online, you can create wealth. In fact, online wealth is quickly becoming the new real estate investment because it’s much quicker to make money online and it’s also a great deal easier. Online wealth only needs the right online marketing and Giblink can provide just that. There is no question that online marketing is an excellent way to not only make money but also create wealth. However, if we are going to be honest then we must also share that there is a high degree of failure. The number one reason for that failure is the marketing systems individuals and companies get involved with are not efficient, or well though out, thus they really can’t deliver what they claim they can. That is with the exception of a few – to date Giblink is the best marketing system around. Not only does it offer all kinds of tools, social networking, and business networking, it also is a system that works. It already has a proven track record already producing wealthy online entrepreneurs. One of the keys to marketing is to have a system that target an audience that is receptive to what you have to offer. This instantly increases your opportunity to make money. It’s common for marketing leaders to spend a great deal of time testing, evaluating, fine tuning, and the re-evaluating again. It can be a struggle to find the right elements to ensure that money making occurs.

The smart ones get involved with the Giblink system, so their struggle was short. The difference here from other companies that might be offering similar services is that they share their revenues with their members. And there’s no more trial and error here. There system complete with POD’s works and works very well, building wealth faster than any other marketing system currently available online. Top earners online either struggled until they found a marketing system that really did work, or they designed their own using a system that was proven to work. A system that mathematically produce results consistently over and over and in record setting time. Don’t waste time attempting to design and implement a marketing system. The years it would take to perfect would simply be a waste of valuable earning years. After all, Giblink can provide you that earning potential right now. Why not take advantage of a system that is already in place to generate not only an online income but wealth. Of course Giblink can’t do it all for you. You’ll have to take responsibility for doing at least a little bit of work, but not a great deal. You won’t find yourself working long hours, but you will need to spend some time using the tools provided and most importantly networking both socially and on a business level.

Once you understand the three components that make up Giblink you’ll be on your way to making money online.

Isn’t it time you turned your dreams into a reality?

10. April 2012 · Comments Off on Why Their Solution Didn’t Work In Your Company · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

This past week I was reading through contractor discussion boards. I just wanted to see what’s got the market riled up. Do you ever do that? Well, anyway it reminded me of an important issue that rarely gets addressed: the difficulty of successfully implementing an off-the-shelf solution. Here’s the core problem, solutions that work well in one company often fail to work in another. Here’s why: most solutions are not robust. They only work well in specific circumstances. Think of your business as a big jigsaw puzzle. You don’t need all the pieces in place to reveal the picture, but you do need the right ones in place. Your friend’s company probably isn’t missing the same pieces you are.

So when he slides in the last piece he needed – Eureka! His business comes into focus and he’s convinced he has everything figured out. So he gets on his soapbox and says «If you’ll just do it my way, you too will enjoy great success.

» It is SO tempting to believe you can just grab his solution, follow his lead, and receive the exact same incredibly results.

So you try it and nothing improves. It might have even gotten worse. How can that be? Simple. Your business and his business are radically different. He has different skills than you do. He has a different mix of employees than you do. His clients have different expectations than yours do. He’s probably even in a different trade than you are. Yes, you’re both in construction but that’s about where the similarity ends. Your jigsaw puzzle and his jigsaw puzzle have nothing in common other than each contains dozens of oddly shaped pieces with a wide variety of colors. When completed, your puzzle looks different than his puzzle. This is why solutions successfully applied by the owner of one company frequently fail when transferred to another company. The second company has a different set of business practices, a different breed of employee, and a different class of customer. My years of developing and implementing solutions inside real construction companies who are staffed with real people has taught me that no matter how brilliantly simple the solution, it MUST be tweaked for each company. Two classic examples come to mind: sales commissions and employee bonuses. I strongly believe in paying salesmen commission on gross profit. My recommended commission system is the simplest of all business solutions I know, yet even it MUST be customized to each company. Two questions must be addressed in each deployment. 1. What is the proper commission rate? 2. What should be considered a direct job cost? The two answers are interrelated and change for each company based on its business model, competitor aggression, and target market.

So even with a solution as simple as sale compensation, customization is required in order to achieve the desired selling behavior. Employee bonuses are trickier yet and are what stimulated this article. Right now, the discussion boards are filled with questions and recommendations regarding employee bonuses. Every possible approach is being thrown out and then being heavily defended and panned. There is minimal agreement and certainly no consensus among the owners participating in these discussions. It seems like everyone’s had a bad experience paying bonuses. The typical conclusion is throw the baby out with the bath water «Just don’t give bonuses.» The reason people keep trying to come up effective bonus plans is pretty obvious. Bonuses are great at getting workers to do something desired (work hard, be productive, show up, work safe, etc.). To anyone who truly understands employee motives and behavior, sound bonus systems are not that hard to create. All you have to do is abide by certain fundamental truths about people AND fine tune the plan for your exact situation. Trust me. No consultant has MAGIC solutions. We all use the same tricks and techniques. The secret to our clients’ success is our clients’ skills and drive. You apply the solutions. You make them go on a daily basis. You – not us. All we do is keep you on the right path. I’m begging you to never apply a solution to your company without adjusting it to accommodate your world. If you have been looking for off-the-shelf, put-in-place solutions you have been wasting your time. They don’t exist.

09. April 2012 · Comments Off on Running Home Based Businesses Can Turn You Into A Millionaire · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Home based businesses can help you quit your day job. Many people looking to make money are turning to different types of home based businesses. Building or joining a business is a great way help yourself out financially. As long as you come into your business knowing you will have to work and put in daily effort you should be well on your way to achieving the success you have always dreamed of. Many people join a work from home business with the wrong intentions. Yes everyone wants to make money but success does not come over night. It will take work and effort to build your company. This is one of the main problems I see when people first want to start a business. They expect results and huge results to happen overnight. This is just not realistic. Yes it is possible to make tons of money but it will not happen while you are sitting on your sofa, watching «Dancing With The Stars». Starting your own company is a great way to live the lifestyle you have always dreamed of. The thing to remember is it will not always be a joy ride. You will have your ups and downs. It is just apart of business. How you react to the ups and downs is what separates the winners from the losers. Every owner has ups and downs. The winners shake off the losses and keep going. Winners refuse to quit no matter what may happen and no matter how long it may take for them to achieve their goals. Losers allow the tough times to bring them down and normally end up quitting when times get tough. See it is all state of mind. What you believe about yourself will become true. That is a major fact of life. You become what you believe yourself to be. If you believe in yourself and believe you will succeed no matter what it takes and no matter how long it takes you will succeed. If you believe you are doomed for failure and you are a quitter, you will fail. When building your home based businesses be sure to have a solid plan. Your plan is essential. This is also what separates the winners from the losers. Winners have a solid plan that they know works. Most losers have no plan or they have a plan which is wrong or ineffective. Many people fail to get ahead in life because they have the wrong plans.

For instance «go to school and get a great job, then retire», is an outdated plan. Maybe that worked for our parents but today and in the future that plan will be outdated. It is no longer just enough to get a good job, just ask someone who has just been laid off, after working for a company for 40+ years. Many companies are exporting jobs overseas, the job market is not what it use to be. Building a business for yourself and your family is an awesome way to get ahead. Studies show the gap between the have and have nots is widening. Or to put it in layman’s terms, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. The reason the rich get richer is not because they have some secret mutant power but it is because they have the vision and the courage to see and to take action in times of chaos.

09. April 2012 · Comments Off on How to Find a Good Story Angle to Pitch the Media · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

John Jantsch Here is a good rule of thumb to follow when searching for a story angle to present to the media. Ask yourself this question: Will the readers of this publication think this is interesting, entertaining, informative or useful? Self-interested, veiled attempts at promoting your business will fall flat. The media does not care about your company’s success unless their readers care about it. The media does not care about your new product unless you can help them understand how their readers are longing to know about the problems it solves. The following is a list of topics that can help you get a reporter’s attention. If you can find a way to position your potential story ideas using one of these vehicles, you will have a better chance of success. Have Real News There is nothing that gets the media’s attention like news. Now, what you think is news may not actually be newsworthy, but if you have won a significant contract or licensed a new technology you may indeed have a story that provides a reporter with a news angle. Be First Everyone seems fascinated with things that are first: the first company to feature a technology, the first company to do a certain type of project, the first company in the area to win a national award, etc.

Of course, there are ways to be a new kind of first. The first woman – or minority-owned business in your industry to do something of note is also a first. Be Unique Sometimes you can receive positive publicity by simply doing or offering something that is unique. An unheard-of guarantee, service technicians in tuxedos, balloon telegrams for marketing are all examples of unique practices. Local Angles on National Stories If some aspect of your business is making national headlines, you may be able to weigh in with the local media on a local angle of the story. Local news reporters often prefer to quote local sources even when they are covering a national story. Has some legislation recently passed that impacts your industry? Has a major lawsuit been settled? Is a new product, service, or innovation receiving coverage? It is critical that you watch the national news trends to stay on top of these opportunities. Ties to a Trend Your association and industry publications often report on industry and marketing trends. Reporters love to get a jump on a coming trend. You can put yourself in the middle of a story by simply pointing out something that may be happening in other parts of the country that ties your company or product to a recognized trend. Overcoming Adversity Everyone loves a story with a great ending. If you personally or your firm has overcome some adversity, this may be a great source for a story. People Stories Promotions, new hires, awards, board appointments, wedding, births, and all other manner of story that involves people in your firm and what they do on and off the job can be a good source for story ideas. Maybe your company’s softball team hasn’t won or lost a game in 10 years. Maybe your firm has repaired eight houses for a charitable organization this year. Perhaps your firm has college tuition reimbursement program that is far better than most, and you have four new college graduates at the firm to prove it. Solving a Common Problem If you have discovered a unique way to solve a problem that your target market has or that impacts other firms in your same industry, you may have a story idea. Business publications in particular are always on the look out for innovative business practices. Don’t just think in terms of some solution to a client need. Maybe you’ve discovered a successful way to attract prospective employees.

These stories will often be read by potential clients and really help tell how your firm is different. In addition, it is easy to show how these types of stories can benefit the readership of a publication without appearing too self-serving.

09. April 2012 · Comments Off on Search Engine Marketing In Delhi Through Web Design · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Website Design Delhi which involves the complete layout of your web page-right from the content to the design. The content is also written by the Web Design Delhi Company. A proper keyword density is maintained in the content of the page so that it is accepted by the search engine. Use of too many keywords may lead your website being rejected by the search engine.

The web designers will place the graphics and the content to make is attractive and navigation friendly. Submission of the page: The pages are then submitted to the search engines. The choice is between submitting by simply filling forms or by paying to the search engine. This decision is taken by the Web designing company Delhi along with the client. This is done by the Web Design Delhi Company, increases your attention on the net. The higher the number of links you manage to replace, the brighter are your likelihood of ranking higher on the search engines. On the basic of ranking report, a complete track has to be kept by the web designing company of your website on the search engine. This involves caring track of the clicks on a daily basis. Updates and changes have to be made on the website according to the report to increase traffic. Web Design Delhi Company in India helps clients globally to reach their goals of online trade. With their know-how tools and methods, they effectively and capably help you to reach the top rank of the search engines results, gain traffic and visibility and earn profits. But of course, you have to make sure that you select the right kind of web design Company Delhi.

09. April 2012 · Comments Off on Site Search As Key Performance Indicator · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Do you know what’s happening in your own site search? Understanding site search is one of the most important KPI (Key Performance Indicator) you should measure. According to a Forrester study, over 50 percent of major web sites fail in search usability. When your search fails to deliver, your conversion suffers. A low converting site will result is less sales and decreased revenue. Search is not just another nice feature to have. You have to think of search as a revenue generating part of your business. Your company works hard to drive traffic to your site. Many visitors will use your on site search instead of browsing through your site. Online shoppers want to use site search to expedite the shopping experience. The faster and easier they can locate the product they are looking for the more likely they’ll buy on your site. The more roadblock you set in place to inconvenience the shopper, the more likely they’ll buy from someone else. Do you know what they are searching for? Are you in any way measuring what search phrases are queried on your site? It is not enough to have site search as a feature. You must analyze it. You have to understand it. Then, you have to make adjustments based on your findings. The best place to start learning about your site search is through the search log files. If you don’t monitor your log files, you will fail to gain an insight into what your customers are looking for on your site. Understanding site search is a KPI that should be part of your tactical operations. Learning about site search will tell you what your customers are looking for. In addition to understanding what site visitors are searching for, you have to test what results yield from searches.

For example, if your customers are searching for “return policy” what results are they shown? Are the search results relevant to the search queries? If the result you get is not the best possible result, you have to tweak you search engine. The top few results must be relevant, because searchers are not interested in reading deep down your search results. Result number 10 is infinitely more irrelevant than result number 1. Every reasonable search phrase should result in relevant search results. For example, if the site searcher types “return policy” in the search field, the search should result in some result. Every e-commerce site should have a return policy; therefore, the site search should yield the relevant result. One of the worst possible outcomes for a search query would be no result. If a user types any relevant key phrase, it should result in relevant results. If they don’t, your search is failing your customers. Site search is a tool to enhance customer satisfaction. If it works as it is supposed to, it has done its job. If site search fails it becomes a frustrating experience instead of a positive experience resulting in lower conversion rates, lost sales opportunities, loss of revenue and unhappy site visitors.

09. April 2012 · Comments Off on Wholesale Merchandise Business: The Brilliant Smarts! · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Once there was a passionate wholesale merchandise business entrepreneur who sold everything he owned and a wide amount of the income he made towards searching for “The Touchstone,” a stone with magical powers, one believed to transform anything to gold. “The Touchstone” could be found on the far away seashore, among the other stones there. But unlike the other stones, “The Touchstone” was warm, but not hot. So the man who sought wealth went to the seashore and started picking up the stones, feeling them one by one, and throwing the cold stones to the sea. He did this for months until one day, he finally picked up “The Touchstone” but because he had been doing the same thing for a long time, he automatically threw the stone to the sea, just like all the others. It was too late when he realized that stone needed to get hotter and not stay average and warm like all others. Being in accordance with comfort and tradition is evil I tell you that! So what’s the moral of this story? If you do repetitive tasks, you’re likely to make mistakes and miss opportunities. Instead of putting your energy towards coming up with ways of growing your business, you’re stuck doing repetitive chores. If you want to have a profitable business, the money can be found in planning and setting your goals, not doing repetitive tasks. No matter if it’s wholesale merchandise up loadings to eBay or selling regular widgets, the rule of automation applies. This is why it’s important that you automate as much as your business as possible – from updating your product line, upgrading your services and even setting a blog no matter what kind of commercial tangible business you own, call it what you want, it’s a necessary profitable commodity. For instance, you can automate your invoice and payment confirmation follow-ups by using an auto responder program or service online.

Even if you have to pay a monthly fee for an auto responder service, it is money well spent because you can pre-load your auto responder account with customized codes to recognize the specific purchase of specific clients and personalize it as much as it is needed weeks in advance! If you use a company or program to take care of delivering your customers payment and delivery confirmation to your customers, it means you don’t need to be in front of your computer checking your e-mail every ten minutes to see if the customer already paid if eBay as example is one of your main income sources. The Internet has grown so much in the last few years that you can do practically any repetitive task with the help of software, scripts and other websites that will do these tasks for you. Automation presents another way you can be profitable online: You can supply the software, scripts or website services that will do the repetitive tasks for other e-commerce stores. You are actually creating a stream of income for yourself since these people’s businesses will grow and they will want more of their tasks automated. If you have a team of programmers, you can respond to a need and be able to provide that need in a reliable. Well, so it happens in the wholesale business. In this day and age, the last thing a customer or prospect wants to hear from you is an excuse that goes something like, “It may take me a while to get this delivered to you because I’m doing things manually.” Give your customers and prospects what they want when they need it. This means automating the repetitive tasks like delivering mailed tracking information, payment confirmations and back end similar offers. When you automate, you save yourself time and you also lessen your chances of making mistakes, be it wholesale merchandise or other online projects.

09. April 2012 · Comments Off on Internet Marketing Secrets · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

If you are developing a new website, or just want to improve the natural search results of an existing website, there are a few Internet marketing secrets you need to know – especially those that can provide a significant boost to your rankings. Marketing Experts Start with Google I have seen various statistics, but one thing is clear, Google is the dominant player of search – commanding approximately 60% of all search engine traffic. Ask any marketing expert where he or she would spend their search engine optimization efforts and they will undoubtedly say «Google». Do what you can to rank well on Google. As a result, you will see results on other search engines as well. One of the simplest Internet marketing secrets you can put into effect immediately is to register your domain name for 3 years. Many individuals who begin a web-based business register for one year only. You must realize however that Google is in the business of generating quality results from legitimate businesses. If you’re an established business, chances are that your web site has been up for more than a year. Google likes to see longevity and commitment. If you plan to be around for some time, register your domain for three years and show Google that you’re in business to stay.Optimize Your Home Page for a Keyword Phrase You have to use the right keywords if you want your website to appear at the top of any search result list. This can be tricky because most single key words are very competitive. What to do? Another internet marketing secret is to use a keyword phrase, not just a single keyword. Additionally, you want to find a keyword phrase that isn’t very competitive but generates a decent level of traffic on a daily and monthly basis. To do so, follow these simple steps: 1. Visit the overture search tool at http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/.

This tool shows you how many individuals typed in a particular search term for the previous month. 2. Type in your keyword and notice other keyword suggestions. Select a number of keyword phrases to evaluate. The higher number of people searching on a keyword phrase generally means that it will be harder for you to get top placement for that term. A good number to shoot for, in terms of monthly keyword phrase searches, is about 1000 – 2000 per month. 3. Go to http://www.google.com and type in the keyword phrase(s) you’ve selected one at a time. After entering each, notice the total number of results listed in the upper right hand corner after your search. This is the number of web pages that are also associated with this keyword phrase. You want to find the keyword phrase that commands the highest number of monthly searches (step 2 above) and the least number of competitors. On Page Optimization If you are going to rank well for any keyword phrase, you need to effectively manage your on page optimization. Specifically, your use of H1 and H2 tags, page title, alt images, bolded text, italicized text, underlined text, and keyword proximity. The Internet marketing secret here is to copy your competition and do things slightly better. To do so, type in your keyword phrase in Google and visit the top 5 sites listed individually. Select «view source» in the Internet browser window you’re using for each site and see what your toughest competition has done. Have they included the keyword phrase in their page title? Does the keyword appear in bolded text only once? Italicized text one? Underlined text only once? Does the keyword phrase appear in the first 25 words on the page? The last 25 words? You will need to copy what the best websites for that keyword phrase have done and improve upon it. You don’t need a marketing expert to show you how to do what I’ve just described, simply copy the best and evaluate each point noted. Shape your site to appeal to Google and other key search engines. Off – Page Optimization The final Internet Marketing Secret you must learn is the importance of off-page optimization. This refers to the number of links pointing to your site, the PR rank (stands for Google Page Rank) of the sites linking to you, and the Anchor text of the link. There are some simple things you can do to begin developing an aggressive link campaign for those sites that link to your competitors – for the keyword phrase you’ve selected.

The best advice I can give you however is to research SEO and link building software on the Internet. This will allow you to make the most of your time and target the best sites to improve your link popularity. Building your link popularity is an arduous task and in my opinion difficult. I’ve certainly learned over the last few years that your effectiveness in this area is ultimately determined by the tools you use and effort you exert. Take my word for it, you don’t want to build your links manually, you’ll never get ahead – so research options on the Internet. Once you begin developing links, you’ll need to monitor them on an ongoing basis. Keep in mind that you will often have to provide a link on your website to the third party site. Be sure to create a links page where you maintain your link exchanges and monitor it regularly to insure that third party links to your domain still exist. If removed, you should remove your link as well. The Internet marketing secrets shared in this article are essential for improving your search engine results. Take your time and implement each one in a controlled and disciplined manner and you will see your rankings improve.

09. April 2012 · Comments Off on Mc Donald’s And Las Vegas Became Huge Businesses Using Promotional Marketing · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Promotional marketing is a great way to build your business.

Promotional marketing is often overlooked by many business owners. McDonald’s and Las Vegas Casinos have taken full advantage of promotional marketing techniques and you should do the same. Promotional marketing can be very effective when employed correctly. We will take a look at a couple of companies who use promotional marketing in their marketing campaign. Many successful companies understand the whole point of business is to get you in the door. If you notice Las Vegas does not advertise their slot machines or game boards, instead they advertise the Las Vegas lifestyle. They just want to get you there, full well knowing once you are there you will gamble. First let’s look at McDonald’s. McDonald’s does not have the best tasting food or the healthiest food but McDonald’s is still one of the most successful restaurant chains today. Why? Two reasons first McDonald’s buys real estate in key locations and second they employ effective promotional marketing techniques. Let’s take a look at the techniques they use. If you notice McDonald’s does not list the benefits of eating their food, why? Their food is not the best food around so they can’t. Instead they have a ton of promotional techniques. Remember the beanie baby craze? This was started by McDonald’s. McDonald’s just sold new beanie babies every week. These beanie babies were going on Ebay for hundreds of dollars. Do you see the whole strategy behind this? See all they wanted was to get you in the door.

Full well knowing once you were inside of a McDonald’s you would most likely also buy a hamburger and fries besides just a beanie baby.

They also employ the same strategy with their Value Meals, Happy Meals, Monopoly Game Sweepstakes, and Dollar Menu. Next let’s look at Las Vegas. Las Vegas casino’s are masters at using effective promotional marketing. Las Vegas Casino’s are their for one reason and one reason only and that is to make money. Las Vegas casino’s do not advertise about gambling, instead they focus on the Vegas lifestyle. «What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas!» is one slogan they have going. They advertise the free rooms, the Vegas nightlife, the Vegas shows, and boxing matches. Their whole goal is just to get you inside of their casino. Knowing full well once you are inside the odds are in their favor you will gamble and lose. It’s genius marketing. Now granted you may not have the spending budget of a McDonald’s or Las Vegas casino but you can still use promotional marketing for your business. For example you could give out a free Vegas vacation for the 1,000th customer. Or you could give out little things like a free car wash for the first 100 customers. The main thing to remember is to make sure you give out something of value and your promotional marketing efforts will be effective.

09. April 2012 · Comments Off on Social Bookmarking And Power Linking · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Social Bookmarking and Power Linking. Just in case you missed it… the Web has changed. I think a little history of the Internet is in order to grasp the big picture. I’m not going to give any dates (late eighties and early 90’s)… I’ll just give a quick run down. I would say nearly fifteen years ago I had a dial up Internet connection that allowed me to log into various College computers, BBS’s (bulletin boards) and Newsgroups. The Internet was much different than the Web is today. There was no graphics… it was totally text based and everything was dial up. All you could do was basically post to a newsgroup, post messages on some BBS’s and send email. Internet Marketing as we know it today did not exist. In time though – a few brave souls ventured out of the shadows and began marketing within the newsgroups. This started wars between the «Purists» and new «Marketers» that I still remember to this day. You see, the Purists considered the Internet to be their own little playground. They viewed anyone selling something as evil. After all… Marketers had the TV, the Radio, Magazines, Newspapers, etc, etc as an avenue in which to sell their crap. «The Internet is ours» was their battle cry. They viewed the Internet as a way for them to communicate with each other without having to wade through all the BS advertising – and they could control what was being said. When the evil «Marketer» entered the picture, this all changed – and it changed quickly. Once the evil Marketer had discovered the Internet as a new marketing medium, the «Purity» of the Internet, newsgroups and BBS’s was destroyed forever. The Internet was now becoming just another medium for Marketers to sell their wares. It was inevitable and only a matter of time before this happened. But the Purists fought it tooth and nail. The Newsgroups and BBS’s were now inundated and overrun with advertising. There was so much spam that you could hardly follow a thread or make sense of it.

The thread may have started out discussing a subject as «Microsoft DOS» as it’s first post… but it was hard to make sense of it as the evil Marketers would post «off topic» spam ads trying to sell their wares throughout the threads. As we all know things have changed a lot since those «Caveman» days… the evil Marketers persevered and the Purists lost the War (or did they?) Jump to present day… The Purists did not really lose – they just lost a battle ten or fifteen years ago, but they have recently won the War and staked their claim on the Internet as belonging to them with Web 2.0. Just in case you missed this «coup d’ etat» – give some serious thought to the current environment on the Web and Social Networking specifically. The Web no longer belongs to the evil Marketer. It is back in the hands and control of the Purists and they are once again controlling the conversations. I know… it sounds like a bunch of BS, but for the most part it is true. The difference is the Purists have discovered a way to once again «control» the conversations they want to have, while at the same time make a profit from these discussions (i.e. social networking communities). Welcome to Web 2.0 and Social Networking. I do not consider myself a Internet «Purist»… I’d fall more into the «Evil Marketer» category. This being the case, like you (if you are an Evil Marketer too) I have to adapt and change the way I do things or I will soon fall to the wayside and die a slow death. Like the saying goes, «When in Rome… do as The Romans Do» was never a truer statement than it is today. The way you sell things and market has to change – you are now in Rome. Marketing as we know it today on the Web is dying a slow death – but it is happening fast. Only those who adapt and change will survive. The Web 2.0 Marketer will survive this «coup d’ etat». Interruption Marketing has lost out to Participation Marketing and the Web 2.0 Marketer will prosper with these changes. It is no longer about forcing our messages down the throats of people – they get enough of that with all the other advertising mediums. It is all about authority, conversations and participating within discussions that other people deem important – not what you feel is important. Seth Godin has been telling us this very same thing for a few years now – but a lot have not listened. Why is this? Because it takes work and discipline (and change) to make relationships and participate in meaningful conversations.

It is easier to do what I would call «method of the day» or «hit and miss» marketing – at least in the short run. But that is all it is… marketing for the short haul with no regard to the direction the Web is moving. Like Seth Godin, Jack Humphrey has been telling Marketers they need to adapt and change their marketing methods for years now with Social Power Linking. Jack saw this «coup d’ etat» coming before most and began joining in with the «conversations» while most of us were still doing our marketing basically the same way as the «evil Marketers» of past (and current) – cramming and forcing our message down our visitors throats. I have posted before on Social Bookmarking and Social Networking and the success I have had with these methods. You can view other posts on this blog and see the results I have had by simply joining in and creating «conversations». This is not a fad or a «method of the day»… it is here to stay. With the direction the Web is heading (we are really already there) – Social Bookmarking, Social Networking, Conversation Participation with links from and pointing to those conversations is the key to being successful for the Web 2.0 Marketer. So don’t rebel against the «coup d’ etat» – come on it, the water is fine.

09. April 2012 · Comments Off on Who Are Venture Capitalists? · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Venture Capitalists are wealthy private investors who can help finance your business either it being a business in trouble financially or a new business venture. There is usually a five year lock up on Venture Capital investments, this means the Venture Capitalist or the business they are helping to fund cannot get out of the deal until the five years is up, sometimes this may be longer depending on the agreed business plan.

They also charge management fees and incentive fees as well as taking a good sized share of your business. Unlike Business Angels, Venture Capitalists like to have a director or management role within the company to discuss the running of the business as well as keeping a close eye on their investment making sure the business succeeds. But there are a few Venture Capitalists who like to give the company the finance they require then take a back seat and let the company who know the trade etc. and let them run the business on a day to day basis. Finding the right Venture Capitalist for you may be a scary prospect but there many Venture Capitalist firms now available which have Venture Capitalists waiting to invest in a new and upcoming business with good prospects. Making a proposition to a Venture Capitalist can be a scary thought, you need to remember they will want to know exactly what your plans are for coming years, the market you will be promoting your product, service in as well who your target audience are for this as well as how much it will cost to make if necessary and the cost you will sell it for, showing the profit you will make on each product, item or service. One thing to remember is that Venture Capitalists don’t care about the dreams you have about this venture, all they want is a good return on their investment in your business. Before going to see a possible Venture Capitalist the best thing to do is to get advice from other business people in the same area you want to go into to get their advice on your product and or service and their honest opinion of the idea. You will need a well detailed business plan when you meet up with the Venture Capitalist and if you are turned away by them don’t give up keep trying, if show people you’re serious about your venture and wont fall at the first hurdle your more likely to win people over with their own weaknesses. Some points to consider are: • Put all your thoughts on your new venture on paper, brainstorm everything • Research your proposed market or industry • Get someone to argue against you to see if you have a water tight solution • If you have little knowledge on a certain area ask for help from people who know • Create a budget, showing every detail you can think of • Read thoroughly your business plan to ensure there’s no errors • Know who your competitors are • Present yourself well – the more presentable you are the more likely you are to be respected by the Venture Capitalist make a good impression • Make sure you know your speech, your business plan back to front so you come across confident as you only have one chance

09. April 2012 · Comments Off on Setting Up Your Home Business Schedule · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Do you have a schedule for your home business? If not you will need one. Running a home business is a challenging task. Running any type of business is a challenge. In order to succeed you will need to work in order to build your home business. Time management is key. Self discipline is a must when running your home business. It is very easy to get sidetracked when running a home business. Many home business owners end up not succeeding in their home business because of bad time management.

You must have the discipline to create a daily schedule for yourself and then stick to that schedule daily, until your schedule becomes a routine. The whole key in creating a schedule for yourself is to make your work ethic into a habit. Once your work ethic is a habit you will be well on your way to succeeding in your home business. Many people believe they have a great work ethic and they probably do have a great work ethic. But running a home business is different than working a job. First it is your business, you will not have anyone looking over your shoulder telling you to do this or so that. You will not have anyone to answer to except yourself. Which is why you must hold yourself accountable. I am willing to bet 90 percent of all home business owners follow this or a similar routine. Wake up and go to work. Get home and turn on the television and put off working on their home biz until tomorrow. Guess what, tomorrow they follow the same routine and put off working their home business until the following day. Then the weekend rolls around and instead of working on their home business they decide to put it off until Monday. Then their routine becomes a habit and they quit their home business believing home businesses do not work. You see that is the main difference between successful home business owners and unsuccessful home business owners. Successful business owners actually work their businesses daily, until it becomes a routine and then a habit. Successful home business owners form great work habits and unsuccessful business owners form bad work habits.

One thing you will notice with unsuccessful people in general is they always have one million and one excuses on why the job is not getting done.

Oh I was tired from work, it was the season finale of «Dancing With The Stars» and the list goes on…Winners just get the job done period. Unsuccessful people also have another common trait, they tend to blame everyone else except themselves for their problems.Winners take full responsibility for their actions and learn from their mistakes. Setting up a schedule for your home business is the easy part. Do what works for you best. I like to take care of all of the home business work I hate doing in the morning. Do what works best for you. But remember having a home business schedule is pointless if you do not practice it daily.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on What’s The Deal With Web Directories · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

They were the next great thing.

People were spending thousands of dollars a month on promoting the business, general, and niche web directories.

Then suddenly Google, and probably other search engines, wielded their might and changed the entire scenario. For the directory owner who was primarily interested in selling link subscriptions, this would come as a death knell. But, in the long run, this is a good thing and the best directories will actually emerge stronger, some day. Let us try to understand this. On the one hand is the directory owner who thinks of his site as a web resource. This person will develop unique content, arrange for intuitive navigation, create customized and relevant category structure, offer multiple and well thought out payment options and plans. On the other hand is the fly by night owner who will take a basic script and make a little noise and get paid entries and then just let the site languish. In the heydays of web directories, one of the interesting by-products was that the biggest customers of free / featured / reciprocal / permanent / etc entries were actually your competitors. So, what you had to do was make a directory, make some noise on some popular webmaster forums, and then have all your competitors rush and buy listings. And once that gravy train reached its station, you start all over again. As in the case of any gold rush, many participants actually innocently start getting fooled by fool’s gold. They somehow start thinking that there is serious merit in buying a listing for four figures in a bid based directory site. If one acknowledges that the sole purpose of a directory entry is to get link juice out of it, then the party is clearly over. With major search engines targeting paid links, it is tough to gain much link benefit. Certainly not four figures worth. But I am unwilling to acknowledge that there is nothing other than link juice to be gained from a listing.

I know for a fact that many of my websites gain as much as 2-5% of their traffic from listings in directories. For tiny sites this might not amount to much. But when you are a serious webmaster, this makes all the difference. Then come to think of it, these sites that are sending me traffic account for less than 1% of the total number of similar sites that have listed me, one way or another. Voila! We just found El Dorado. The secret is that only the best of directories will survive. But that one will certainly survive. And is that not what we want? I think that the fact that such web resources are now forced to look at monetizing opportunities other than the sale of listings is also a positive sign. That means that some of them might actually see submissions as a way to enhance the editorial and content quality of their sites. Clearly once again a very positive sign for the industry as a whole, if I can call it an industry.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on Top 10 Low Cost Business Franchises · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Starting a business often means making large capital investments, especially in the very beginning. In fact, many financial advisors recommend that you plan on losing some money as you get started. However, before you dismiss yourself as not having enough money to get going, keep in mind that not all ventures are so financially draining. What so many aspiring businessmen and women do not know is that franchising dramatically reduces the financial risks associated with building a new company. Furthermore, some of the most lucrative opportunities are low cost business franchises. They require very little start-up capital, few or no employees and most all of them are home businesses. This may sound too good to be true, but fortunately, there are real opportunities for people like you who are genuinely interested in starting a business. Best of all, there are several different businesses from which to choose. Here are ten of the most popular low cost franchises in the market today. #1. Berkeley Brewer One of the most important things to franchisees as they build their businesses is minimized risk. That’s why so many of them choose franchising over starting from scratch. Berkeley Brewer, a personal tailoring company, is a terrific example of how a franchise can significantly decrease the risk. This company is so dedicated to your success that it will refund your franchise fee if you do not see a return on investment within 12 months. Moreover, this business is easy to manage, which means you don’t have to quit your regular job until your new venture becomes so busy that you have no other choice. The reassurance with a franchise like this is that you do not have to risk everything – your money and your current means of making money – to change careers. #2. CityLocal Many entrepreneurs start their own businesses because they grow tired of simply doing a job.

They want to be part of something groundbreaking. They have an intrinsic desire to make a difference. If this sounds like you, a franchise opportunity with CityLocal should be on your list of franchises to consider. This web-based home business focuses on the economic growth of cities throughout the UK and Ireland. Not only do you have a chance to be part of a profitable, high-traffic website, you also have the satisfaction of making a difference in your community. By offering both free and paid advertising, you keep members of the community abreast with local news and events. At the same time, local businesses have a means of promoting their products and services on your site. #3. FirstWills Transitioning from one career to another can be especially challenging when you’re not sure how much money will be coming in and how often. This is certainly true when it comes to starting a new business. As mentioned, many new entrepreneurs actually lose revenue faster than they can generate it. Nevertheless, one of the best aspects of FirstWills is your ability to earn money in a matter of days. All you have to do is meet with individuals who are ready to write their wills. Then, you write down their instructions and pass the information on to the franchise. You never actually write the will; instead, FirstWills does this for you. And, you make money with each sale you generate. #4. Brazilian Soccer Schools Countless businessmen and women had to take the hard route to building their companies. So many people enter the business world with the mindset that you have to dive in headfirst, quit your job, invest everything you have and hope that it all works out. Fortunately, this is not the only way. Brazilian Soccer Schools, for example, is a franchise business for sale that allows its newcomers to keep their existing jobs for the first year. This means that you can go through the coaching and business training with your mind focused where it should be – on what you’re learning rather than how much money you wish you were already making. Plus, it gives you time to launch and promote your business whilst you continue to meet current financial obligations. #5. Little Angels Children’s Photography Many new mums must weigh the cost of childcare when deciding whether to return to the workforce. For many of them, the costs of daycare take a large portion of their earnings, which leads them to wonder if going back to work is really worthwhile.

After all, not only are they losing a significant amount of their earnings just to childcare costs, they also miss the opportunity to be with their children each day. If this sounds like your dilemma, you have to determine whether it’s truly worth the money you’re actually bringing home. Still, chances are that you can not afford not to contribute financially. This is where a work from home business opportunity like Little Angels can be very beneficial to mums like you. As a photographer for this company, you will work only four or five days a week for about four hours per day. This means you can take your children to school and be finished in time to pick them up. Most of all, no experience is required. All the training you will need is provided by the franchise. Of course, all franchisees are female because women are generally preferred by preschool aged children. #6. Aura Roboclean There are two ways to make money with this sophisticated cleaning franchise. First, you offer mattress, upholstery and carpet cleaning to hotels, nurseries, nursing homes, offices and other businesses. Nonetheless, this is not your average cleaning company. Aura Roboclean uses only environmentally friendly machines, protecting the earth and dramatically reducing allergens. People are paying more and more attention to the environment, on a global scope in addition to their immediate surroundings. As you can imagine, this market is expected to treble within the next five years. And, last but not least, you can even sell the equipment to those who are interested.

This just increases your chances of profiting from this innovative business opportunity.

Most importantly, you can become a franchisee with a very low investment. #7. Charisnack Just as people are striving to live in a better environment, they also want healthier bodies. As a Charisnack business franchise, you will offer healthy snacks and smoothies to people in the workplace. All you have to do is leave the products with your clients and pick up the cash at appropriate intervals. Furthermore, Charisnack is another franchise that gives you the opportunity to make a real difference. This is true because the company donates a portion of its sales to benefit the National Blind Children’s Society. You don’t have to make the donation. Just being part of this organization means your efforts will translate to help for others in need. #8. UK Websaver Once again, here is another great home-based business prospect. UK Websaver is a company that markets membership loyalty cards. This is a great product because consumers are always looking for ways to save money; meanwhile, businesses are constantly seeking new ways to promote their products and services. Additionally, this low cost opportunity demands only a limited amount of stock. Working out of your home means that you’re somewhat restricted when it comes to space, but the tiny plastic cards won’t crowd your home office or break your bank. #9. Molly Maid Not everyone will realize the benefits of running a business from home. In contrast, most people work at least eight hours each day. They don’t have the flexible schedule you’ll have as an entrepreneur, which means they will have to hire others to do work around their homes. After working all day, who wants to spend evenings and weekends on housework? This is a tremendous marketing opportunity for you as a Molly Maid franchisee.

For a minimal capital investment, you will become part of the UK’s most recognizable cleaning companies. Rather than building from the ground up, starting a franchise with outstanding name recognition puts you one giant step ahead of your competition. In truth, a well-established brand name is one of the most valuable assets a franchise business has to offer.
#10. Baby Prints If you’re a parent, you are already keenly aware of how quickly children grow. And, you also know that parents are always looking for creative ways to capture precious moments with their little ones. The Baby Prints franchise has found a way to make this desire very profitable for you. If you decide to invest in one of their franchises, you will make impressions of every cherished dimple in baby’s hands and feet. Parents adore this keepsake; at the same time, you get the chance to run a home business. All the independence and flexibility you can expect when running your own company is available to you. And, the most important part is that Baby Prints is one of the low cost business franchises that comes with exclusive sales territory. Not only will you sell a unique product, you won’t have to worry about competition from other franchises.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on Setting Up Your Home Business Goals · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Setting up goals for your home business is very important to your home business.

Why? You have to have something to aim for in order to help you along your journey in building a successful home business.

Home business goals will help you out greatly in building a successful home business for yourself. Many people start a home business with only one goal in mind and that goal is to become rich. Becoming rich is not a bad thing but you need to have more specific goals than just becoming rich in order to succeed. Your goals need to be detailed and specific as to what you want, when you want it, and how you are going to get it. All 3 of these different points will help you reach your goals. Once you have your goals written down and memorized you then must repeat them with full belief and faith that you will reach your goals. First you have to know what you want. One reason many people fail to succeed in life is because they have no clue what they want in life. So they end up settling for anything that comes there way. This goes for pretty much anything you desire in life, be it a husband or wife, a job, or anything else. You must know what you want and you must be detailed in describing what you want. For instance let’s say you want a new car. Just wanting a new car is not enough. You must know the model, the year, the color, the color of the seats. The more detailed you are, the better. Or let’s say you want to earn a stable cashflow with your home business. Well how much money would be enough to quit your job? How much do you need to live the life you always wanted? If it’s 10,000 a month then your goal would be to earn 10,000 a month through your home business. Next you need to setup a date when you want to reach your goal. The key when setting up a date for yourself is to be realistic but to also pick a date which will give you a sense of urgency as well.

Next you need a plan to get you to your goals. In this case your home business is the vehicle which will guide you to your goals. Now you need to setup a plan on how you will make your home business a success. A marketing plan will help. Are you going to advertise your home business offline or online? Or both? What types of media are you going to use to advertise your home business? These are just a few of the questions you will need to ask yourself when creating a plan to help you reach your goals. Once you have gone through all 3 steps write it all down. For example » I will earn 10,000 a month by Jan, 1 2008 and I will earn this money by building my home business». After you have a statement written repeat your statement to yourself daily and you should be well on your way to achieving home business success.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on Tips For A Successful Online Business · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

The internet gives you access to the entire world when it comes to selling goods or services. This is because millions of people go online every single day in search of things they need. However, you need to understand from the very start that online commerce is a saturated market. You will find plenty of competition so you have to continually be creative and keep up on consumer buying trends.

What is it that you are going to market? Think about your hobbies and your skills. You may decide to offer products you have created yourself. Sometimes this is the result of buying a particular product yourself and then thinking of a way to make it better. You can sell your knowledge as well. Informational books that people access online are very popular. Selling products for other people is definitely a possibility as well. You don’t have the overhead associated with starting up your own product. With most affiliate programs you don’t even have to take care of the shipping. You will need to be creative with your marketing techniques though. It is very possible to have a successful online business without a tangible product. Services are extremely popular. For example you can offer your services to create a website for others or to represent their advertising efforts for them. Any type of service like that can make a wonderful online business. Once you have identified your products or services to sale, you need to focus on getting the information out there. You can have the very best to offer but if the millions of people on the internet can’t find it or don’t know about it, you are out of luck. Narrow down your target market. Make it as specific as you possibly can. Next you will need to work on your marketing strategies. Think like the consumers you want to reach. Where will they be looking for information. There are numerous types of marketing techniques you can use for your online business.

It is a good idea to incorporate several of them. This way you can get steady streams of customers from all angles. Work hard to build quality relationships with your customers. This involves offering them valuable information instead of just trying to make sales all the time. Offer them interesting articles, newsletters, and be willing to answer their questions. The quality of your customer service will determine part of your business success. Never underestimate the value of this aspect. It should always be a top priority no matter what type of online business you offer.

It is possible to have a very successful online business.

There is less investment of money because you don’t need a building to work from.

Many online businesses are ran from a person’s home. Take your time to find out what unmet needs exist and then reach the market that will be looking for it. Always be honest when it comes to the information you offer to your customers. It will help them to become lifelong customers that make additional purchases and recommend your business to others.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on The Secret To Home Business Success · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Many people have tried to succeed in the home based business world and indeed in terms of the successes or failures of different people, there are three general categories that can be used.

Firstly, there are the people that are failures; people that really have no success and after a period of denial are eventually forced to give up on their business and go do something else. This is not where you want to end up. Then, there are the people that are successful; they are able to parlay their business into something that earns them a nice five figure income that they are satisfied with and can live on. This is not such a bad place to be. And finally, there are the people that are enormously successful; these are the people you hear about all the time that become millionaires and are able to live a life that is the stuff of dreams because of the money that they have. This is the best! The question that most people will ask themselves in regards to this scenario has to do with the difference. Depending on the specific case, most people can figure out the difference between the first group and the latter two groups; it usually has to do with a lack of motivation, a lack of perseverance or the inability to deal with failure and just move onto something else. However, the difference between the second and third group is harder to figure out; after all, for the most part those two people start off the same and a lot of their home based business development is the same getting to the point of a five figure income. What, then, becomes the difference later on? Well, in the majority of these comparisons, the difference has to do with a lack of diversification on the part of a person that has the five figure income. If a person builds a business that makes then $75,000 a year, then they might realistically have no problems whatsoever with that income. This is because the person might have all their needs met in a nice way and not really want to try and increase their income. However, the person that goes on to eventually become a millionaire is not going to be satisfied with that amount. They will take as much money as they can spare and instead of spending it on a lifestyle enjoyed by a person with a $75,000 income, they will re-invest it. Either into another business or back into expanding the one they already have. This kind of person is not interested in living the lifestyle of a $75,000 income person; they want to make more money and have no problems living in less luxury now if it means they can live in more luxury later. A person like this has an income figure in their head from the start and keeps on working at it until they are making that income figure; usually through diversification.

With an affiliate home based business you can also enjoy the residual and passive income that comes with ongoing payment programs and marketing.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on SEO And The Content Between The Jingles · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Have you ever wondered why radio stations use jingles? A mini-song (jingle) is played several times each hour. Listeners can get to the place where they know that jingle by heart and can sing it even when the radio is off. The jingle is used going into a weather break or back into music. The jingle seems ever present on radio, but why? The reason many radio stations use the jingle is the same reason online business conforms to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The more you tastefully use either the jingle for radio or keywords for your business website the more visibility you generate. If done correctly the keywords that you use in the totality of your content will be very apparent if the reader is looking for it, but undetectable to most readers. That means that the content is not ‘stuffed’ with keywords or key phrases. The content should flow very naturally without feeling as though you are tripping over the same words over and over again.

It’s the same way with radio jingles, they are audibly present, but should mesh well with everything else that is offered on the airwaves to allow the repeated message to be absorbed in an acceptable way. SEO can be a bit like picking the best keyword to brand your site and utilizing them to your advantage while making sure the overall content of your site is worthwhile to your site visitor. We’ve all logged into sites that either overdo the keywords or have content that is less satisfying than it would be if they would stick to the primary directive. Not only is it no fun to try to read from these sites it is also a key motivator in deciding not to return. One of the secrets to SEO keyword phrasing is to write an article that conveys a thought. Structure your descriptions and company data to help the reader clearly understand what you do, while the infusion of keywords takes a necessary second place. Yes, keywords are vitally important, but not at the expense of losing prospects just when you get them to visit your site. In a best-case scenario the reader should have no ‘first blush’ clue as to what your keyword or phrase is. They begin reading your content because they believe it will assist them in understanding the product or topic better. The information should be sound enough that the consumer leaves satisfied that they found quality information. This can be a thin line to walk, but it is important to give search engines the keywords they need to rank you without making your website something that attempts only to cater to search engines. Real people will be reading your site as well. Many businesses that try to stuff keywords into their content are often losers on two fronts. First they do not appeal well to consumers that will actually be the ones making the buying decisions. Secondly as search engines continue to refine and advance their methods of selection they will often detect ‘stuffing’ and penalize the site accordingly.

Keywords can help consumers and search engines connect with your site, but just like jingles on radio there is a need for quality content in between.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on Most Home Based Businesses Are Setup So You Will Fail · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Many home based businesses will promise you the world. Many home based businesses are designed just to take your money. You will find all kinds of scam artists and con artists operating in this arena. All hope is not lost there are solid home based businesses out there. You will just have to sort through all of the mess out there. Building a business for yourself is still one of the best things you can use to achieve your financial goals in life. It’s just a lot of con artists have also made their way into this industry.

Many companies have a couple fundamental flaws which make it virtually impossible for the average person working from home to succeed. Many of these companies are setup just for the owners of the companies to succeed. The owners of certain companies have intentionally setup these sham businesses to take your money and run off into the night. Many of these companies are setup so you will fail. The owners of these businesses know full well what they are doing. Think about it, I have seen pay plans where you have to match legs, build legs of 7 and all kinds of sophisticated compensation plans which only benefit the owners of the company. Companies that have the compensation plans where you must match your legs are complete scams. Many people have enough trouble trying to build distributors as it is, then asking them to match the legs makes it nearly impossible for the average person to make any real income. A majority of these companies are based purely on recruiting. The more people you recruit the more money you make. Recruiting is the biggest sham out there. In order for you to be successful in the recruiting business you would have to recruit 20 to 50 people a week. You would need to go through hundreds of prospects a week, just to get 20 new signups a week. Many people are not capable of doing this. So let’s say you could build downlines of 20 to 50 new recruits a week. In order for you to continue to make money you would have to have a productive downline. If your downline is unproductive you aren’t making any residual income, it’s that simple. Building a downline takes a huge amount of work and recruiting. So how do you find a legitimate home based business? Simple sell products or services. That should be your main focus instead of focusing on recruiting distributors. Build a customer base. When you are selling a product or service people are just expecting to have their product or service fulfilled. They are not looking to make money, they just want to purchase your product. And as long as you have a solid product you will always have a solid income base. This is how you build a true home business, not by trying to recruit your friends and family into some pyramid scheme. Even if you are successful it is virtually impossible for everyone you recruit to make money. So you will have a bunch of unhappy recruits.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on Mixing Ingredients In Business · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Business is similar to baking and cooking. You have to identify the proper ingredients to make it taste good. In this case, good ingredients make it good for people to use and run. Satisfying these factors will surely put business on its feet and go places. There is no such thing as getting rich quick. Any business that offers you that is not being truthful with you. There are many opportunities to make money online. However none of them will happen overnight. They will all take some work and time on your part. There are jobs online that will allow you to make enough to sufficiently live off of but you will need to work at it. Working for a legitimate business making real money online can be a person’s dream come true. Whether you are a woman trying to find a way to stay home with her kids while they are growing up or a retiree who wants to supplement their retirement income, finding a way to make money online can be a real lifesaver. If you are good with math and numbers, it may seem logical to do your own bookkeeping. After all, your books are nothing more than an accurate depiction of the money that flows through your company. If your checkbook always balances to the penny, keeping your own books may be a good option for you. If you are still keeping your books manually, however, you may want to consider a software solution such as QuickBooks. It is easy to make a small error in data entry, and QuickBooks can help you spot such an error quickly. Additionally, the software can analyze data and generate reports, freeing up your valuable time. Software solutions are reasonably priced and will quickly pay for themselves in timesavings. Internet marketing is a tough business though. It is a very competitive field and even more competitive in certain niches. It may become discouraging after a lot of hard work has been put into an internet marketing business and the return is very little or nothing.

There are so many people on the internet and even more websites that those people are trying to get noticed that yours may get swallowed by the competition. It is difficult to get your website in front of that competition in order to make sales and begin profiting from your internet marketing business. It is very easy to say forget it and give up on your internet marketing goal. A person may think they should not bother because there is just too much to compete with. That is an easy way out but it will not make you any money. There is money to be made on the internet, you just have to go out and get it. More importantly, do not give up. It may take a while to get yourself noticed and ranked in the search engines but the end result will be worth it. Financial freedom, all while working in your own home and enjoying the things you love.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on Effectively Using Overture/Yahoo To Get Website Visitors · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Jason Chew Overture or now known as Yahoo because of Yahoo’s takeover, was the original inventor of the use of the P4P or Pay for Performance. Overture saw that the internet was fast becoming the easiest and most convenient way to shop, and advertising was going to hit at an all time high because of the many businesses in the arena. To get a person to go to a site than others, it needs to be very visible. Providing ads that could direct potential consumers and costumers to their site would allow them to have an increase in traffic as well as sales. Yahoo provides a service that can put a site or company’s ad in their sites that can be shown when certain keywords are inputted. Yahoo offers a chance for any company to increase their traffic by using their services. With more people being aware of your site, there would be more traffic and visitors to your site given the chance to view your pages as well as your products.

With even a small percentage of successful sales, with a high traffic volume this could still be a substantial figure for your company. Getting a consistent substantial flow of website visitors is every company’s goal. Many methods are devised and utilized to ensure that there would be more people to boost the sales and to be aware of the existence of such a product or service. Website visitors are potentially the life blood of your internet based business. Yahoo/Overture utilizes the same principle as Google’s Adwords. In fact, they are very similar to each other that they use keyword and keyword phrase searches and to determine which ads to show per search. When a person types in a keyword or keyword phrase to search for anything, the search engines gives out the results in a page. Then at the right side of the page, you will see selected ads that have paid for their ads to be viewed with certain keywords and keyword phrases searched. For example, Lets say you run a car parts retail/wholesale site. You choose keywords that can prompt or trigger your ads to be shown in the page when a keyword is searched. When a search engine user types in Honda Accord, your ad may come up if you have designated that as one of your keywords. You don’t need to fully optimize your site with Search Engine Optimization methods and techniques. While some labor so hard to make their site one of the high ranking sites per keyword search, you get the chance to be on the top of the list or at least in the first page of a search result increasing your chance to be clicked on.

With that, you drive traffic and website visitors to your site a lot faster.

You will have to pony up some cash when using this service though. There are different ways Yahoo/Overture will charge you. It may be in the number of Keywords or Keyword phrases your ad uses or in the many times your ad is clicked on. Others offer many other services like having your ad show up not only in the search engine pages but also with some third party sites. Third party sites support ads that have the same theme or niche as them. With more areas your ad is shown, you increase the chances of people knowing about your site or product. With more website visitors you increase the sales of your site which makes your investment with your ads a wise one. With so many competitions in the internet based businesses, it is necessary to take a huge leap forward from the pack by advertising. Yahoo/Overture will be a great place to start. Many have utilized their services and have reaped the rewards of this decision. It’s a marketing strategy that will increase your website visitors as well as increase your sales resulting to profit. It takes money to make money, while there are some methods that are basically low cost or free, using a marketing service such as what Yahoo/Overture offers will provide results faster and on a larger scale. Many businesses have learned this the hard way, don’t be counted with them.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on The Biggest Mistakes People Make In Growing Their Business · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

On Yom Kippur, Jews pray their way through several different catalogs of sins, asking for forgiveness for long lists of human failings. The mistakes I’m talking about here don’t necessarily have any spiritual significance, they simply have the capacity to stall or even shut down a business.

The following are ones I have personally seen in action; perhaps knowing about them can help you avoid their calamitous consequences. 1. Going after the trappings rather than the essence of business. In my one very mistaken attempt at a business partnership, a big source of friction was my partner’s delight in meetings that, to me, accomplished little or nothing. She equally couldn’t understand why I took no pleasure in sitting around a conference table going down an agenda of to-do’s that we’d already discussed. «Haven’t you always wanted to have a business?» she retorted once when I objected. We spent too much time on unproductive tasks. I’ve seen others devote so much fuss to their logo, office decor, computer setup or long-range strategy that they don’t have energy left over to deal with finding and keeping clients. Concentrate on core business tasks. 2. Relying too much on one client. You’re asking for trouble if more than 40% of your business comes from one source. Yes, it’s tempting to enjoy the easy pickings of a client who wants to use you more and more and more. However, I’ve had several clients show up at my door having to rebuild their businesses after their too-big client retrenched, refocused or decided it no longer suited them to use you. Foster your economic security by serving a variety of clients who couldn’t all go bust at once. 3. Not keeping an eye on the long term. For about a year and a half during the Internet boom, I had a lucrative contract with a dot-com company that tried to hire me full-time, offering to match whatever I was making on my own. I refused, because it would have meant ditching the momentum I’d built up on the Internet and elsewhere. I saw business owners give in to the siren call of «money now» and either as employee or entrepreneur place all their bets on a new venture that imploded within two years. Having sold off or let go of their previous successes, they had to start again from scratch. Forgoing some quick opportunities now for sustainability in the long run was a smart move, I believe. 4. Sticking with low-profit «sure things» for too long. When some activity reliably brings in business, it’s difficult to let it go, even when it takes much too much effort for its financial return. From 1988 to 2001, one-shot adult education seminars in Cambridge, Boston, Providence and elsewhere were a vital feeder for me, bringing me clients who needed help with their writing projects.

But each seminar meant driving through rush hour traffic, parking, getting home late, making less than $10 an hour when considering the total time spent, all to acquire clients who paid me much less than those who needed marketing help. I should have quit doing these seminars several years before I finally did and invested the energy elsewhere. At least once a year, think about what you’re doing, and drop activities that are not worth the time or hassle. 5. Ignoring collections. A friend who’d worked as a bookkeeper told me about a client of hers who had rarely sent out bills because it was boring to do so, compared with the everyday social dealings he enjoyed in his business.

No wonder he had a problem with cash flow! Judging from the number of very late bills I receive from solo business owners, this must be a common habit.

Understand that you’re not simply delaying payment when you neglect to bill in a timely manner and when you don’t aggressively and quickly go after non-payers. You’re actually jeopardizing your income, because the longer the time goes before someone is asked to pay for a service or product they received, the less likely you are to get that money at all. According to the American Collectors Association, once four months have gone by, you’re only about 80 percent likely to get paid. After six months, only 67 percent of collections ever get cleared. Send those bills out on time! 6. Getting discouraged. One of the most helpful books I’ve ever read is “Mastery” by George Leonard, a pioneer in the human potential movement and a teacher of aikido, a martial art. He explains the normal learning curve for any kind of human endeavor, whether learning a language, a musical instrument, a physical skill or the process of building a business. The normal learning curve includes a stage called «plateau,» where progress seems to cease and there may even be some backsliding, even though the effort put in stays the same. Yet the plateau stage is often followed by a sudden spurt forward, as long as the person keeps at it. Keeping at it in the absence of visible results does not sound like an important success skill, but often that’s the ingredient that separates those who make it from the quitters who give up right before their efforts are about to pay off.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on Websites Cannot Survive Without Quality Referrals · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Traditional brink and mortar companies and website businesses have one thing in common; they cannot survive without customers and are constantly looking for ways to attract new business. Advertising is usually too broad to attract specific markets and target advertising can be exceptionally expensive, when the return on investment is calculated.

Some of the best advertising available is word of mouth referrals from friends, family and verifiable previous customers.

Looking through many websites that portend to offer excellent earnings in exchange for little work, there always seems to be testimonials from satisfied customers or those that also sell the product and claim to making tons of money as a participant in that particular business. With no way to contact many of these people for a first-hand account, their reliability is open to question and considering that many endorsements are either paid or non-existent, it is no wonder they are not taken seriously. When an individual tells a friend about a website or a business that has excellent customer service, a great product and a good price, there is a good chance that friend will become a customer. There is little doubt that referral is an honest representation of the company. Network marketing, one of the most popular business models on the internet, shares both the good and the bad and finding a business that can produce a work at home opportunity that pays honest money can be tough. However, they do exist and if a potential online worker can receive an honest referral to a specific opportunity, chances are they will take a chance. Affiliate marketing can also be considered as a referral service, provided the site on which the ads appear is offering something of value. A site that is nothing more than a series of advertisements may gain a few sales over time, but one that offers useful information along with advertising aimed at their visitors, can increase their business dramatically. Visitors head to the site for information and stay for the purchase. Promoting the site online through article marketing, offering people the chance to receive free information and having the ads there as a sidebar, is more attractive than blatant attempts at making sales.

Additionally, visitors who click on these ads are more likely to be interested in the products or services being offered, provided they relate to the information on the website. For example, if a website offers information about certain dog breeds where a visitor can all they want to know about the breed and sees advertising related to pet care, they are more likely to visit the advertiser’s site and make a purchase than they would be seeing an advertisement for gift baskets. Whether the website is commercial with the intention of making money or is a site for the family, placing a few ads on the site may seem like marketing to the family, but they might see something they like. Additionally, social networking sites are a great place to generate income from home while referring visitors to online businesses, especially those that focus on the interests of the social network community.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on Paid Surveys Minus An Emotional Investment · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Ben is a guy that uses his voice as a tool. He has clients around the world that will pay him to use his voice for audio advertising, podcasts or even to read books. Needless to say, Ben keeps pretty busy. There are times though when things slow down a bit and Ben has to work at finding new clients. So, in the grand spirit of marketing he seeks places where he can let others know about what he does. He pays to be included in some voice over services, but he has also been known to provide some work free of charge for prospective customers. He recently came across a site that was based in another country far removed from his native America. He signed up for the site, left his profile and placed audio samples for others to consider. He hadn’t expected much, but then the government of Romania came calling asking if he could help them with a project designed to assist them in educating the public about certain business opportunities that existed.

The point is the work was unexpected. When Ben put his profile up he did not have any reasonable expectation that he would ever hear from anyone. He did not place his hopes on the site and he did not spend time refreshing his email in hopes that someone would come calling. He simply went back to work. This is the picture associated with paid surveys. It certainly can’t hurt to fill out another profile on a paid survey site, but never allow that simple act to divert your attention away from life or the pursuits you may already have in place. Paid surveys are offered at the discretion of someone looking for a very specific profile. Like Ben you never know who will be coming across a profile and want to make contact. No one that I am aware of is making a living from paid surveys except perhaps those who are conducting them. Should you be fortunate enough to receive the offer of a paid survey rejoice in your good fortune, but refuse to consider paid surveys as a viable source of alternate family income. Too many good people have invested time and even finances in some cases trying to locate this proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow only to come to the conclusion that it is an elusive dream. There are multiple opportunities for finances through participation in affiliate revenue programs of by offering services you are skilled at in the arena of freelance work, but paid surveys should not be listed in your top ten ways to make extra income. In most cases it just won’t happen that way. Like Ben with his audio work it can’t hurt to submit a profile, but you should never allow yourself to get overly invested on an emotional level with something that can never be listed as a ‘sure thing’. When and if a paid survey is offered you can enjoy a little extra income and the satisfaction that you were allowed to give your opinion, but never let the potential keep you from other more worthy pursuits.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on Internet marketing: Make your presence felt online! · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Internet marketing literally means to advertise, buy and sell products and services online. Internet marketing has become very common among the public these days. There are many products which you can buy, sell and advertise on the internet. A recent study undertaken by a leading internet marketing magazine has shown that people are more and more getting inclined towards buying and selling on the internet. The first thing which you must consider while undertaking internet marketing is proper research. Proper market research will give you an idea as to what aspects you will have to consider before undertaken marketing online. This will also give you a fair idea as to how the market scene in general is. Market research will also give you an idea about what your customer wants. There are many research agencies which will conduct the research for you in return of payment of a certain sum of money. Internet marketing requires you to have a website where you can put up information about your product and services. It is very essential for you to have website which tells about your products to the customers very clearly.

There is no use having a website just for the sake of having it is sensible to hand over the making of your website to a professional who has expertise in this field. There are many professionals who will do the work for you. All you will have to do is brief him about the product you are dealing with and also the type of website which you will need. Leave it upon him to provide you with a good website. However make sure to make periodical checks on the status of the work done in your site. You can always change anything with which you are not satisfied. Getting a customized site designed for you is a good way to earn profit from internet marketing. There are many internet marketing strategies which you can make use of to make internet marketing a success. The proper marketing strategy goes a long way in making or breaking your internet marketing. Vigorous marketing strategy is what you will need to make a mark in this field. Just making a website will not help your cause you have to make sure that people come to your site. You will have to make your presence felt in the crowd through every possible means. Customers will have to be lured by you from every possible place. Any website needs constant care and attention of the webmaster. One way to make your site customer friendly is to upload it at regular intervals. No visitor will come to your site if it does not contain updated information about the products and services. Make sure that all the information are updated and contains whatever information the customer is looking for. Ensure that the site contains all the elements which will make it attractive and easy to negotiate for the customers.

08. April 2012 · Comments Off on 19 Rules For Writing Killer Headlines · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Quick Turn Marketing International, Ltd.

Following are 19 rules you can use to write headlines that will reach out and force the prospect to read your website and sales letter. 1. Your headline must offer somethign that your target market wants very badly. 2. Your headline must include something of self interest to the reader. 3. If your product is new or improved, say so in the headline. 4. Do not just invoke curiosity in your headline, you must also include something of interest to the reader. 5. Avoid negativity in your headline. Always turn the negative into a positive statement. 6. Your headline shoudl suggest a quick and easy way to achieve the benefit(s) stated. 7. Your headline should be believable. 8. Determine what would make you buy your product, and then try to incorporate that idea into your headline. 9. Avoid making your headline so short that you don’t get the main point across. 10. Avoid clever headlines that makes the reader think «how clever.» Cleverness rarely gets people to read your web page or spend money. 11. Avoid headlines that sound dead, or like they should be at the bottom of the statue like «To Server Humanity Better…» 12. Suggest in your headline that your copy contains useful and valuable information. 13. Use your headline to reach out and grab the reader’s attention. 14. Avoid hard to grasp headlines that require the reader to think about what you are saying. 15. NEVER trust your own reaction to your headlines. Instead, get the reaction of someone else. 16. If you emphasize a word in your headline, make sure that word means something and is important.

17.

Remember that large type words act as a stopper. They get people to stop and pay attention, so choose the best words that will get the most attention. 18. Don’t let an artist or layout person decide which headline words to emphasize. An artest thinks in terms of color contrasts and tones, not in terms of making money! 19. Avoid writing an ad that attracts the wrong people. Make sure your headline attracts the people that are most interested in what you have to offer. If you will follow these simple guidelines for writing your headline copy, you will be more likely to have a successful headline and a successful ad! Take some time right now and look back over these guidelines. Then, try to write your own headlines. When you have a few that you think are wonderful, run them by a friend. If that friend asks to see the rest of your copy, you know you have written a true killer headline.

07. April 2012 · Comments Off on Tips On Money Clips · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

The modern businessman has to have something to hold all the money he is slaving away for. Sometimes, a bulky wallet is not really the most fashionable or elegant solution. Instead, money clips are the way to go. They are simple, compact, and good at keeping all your paper money in order. Form and Function Money clips are essential. They are not just decoration. They reflect a businessman’s character and habits. Obviously, these small items can give an indication of how much he earns simply because they hold all his cash on hand.

But the actual arrangement of the money in the clip also talks about how meticulous or careless its owner is. Money clips also make great gifts. Friends, superiors, and colleagues alike would be more than happy to receive an elegant money clip as a gesture of your friendship.

What is even better is that they are so practical and such a great gift for anybody.

It is a particularly safe choice when you do not really know the recipient of the gift. A money clip a is universal gift across any industry or any culture. Variety There are different types of money clips. They can vary depending on the material that is used. Most metallic clips are made of gold, silver, or platinum. They can also be covered with alloys of different metals. In terms of shape, they can be oval, round, square, rectangular, etc. There are even clips that integrate leather into their designs for a more masculine effect. The perfect, unique money clip is just a shopping trip away. You just have to look hard enough to find it. Costs vary between these different types of money clips. Most money clips are poorly made with cheap material. They can run for as low as ten bucks. Students and other young people purchase these mainly for their utility. They do not really need a flashy and ostentatious money clip for the meager cash that they have. These can usually be bought at any regular store or supermarket. In contrast, most high end money clips can run from about twenty to a hundred bucks. For designer units, expect to pay anywhere from eighty up to three hundred bucks. The most prestigious brands can actually start at three hundred. These types of clips are status symbols. They let the people know that the owner wants his cash well taken care of. The most successful of businessmen are the ones who purchase these clips. As you can see, money clips are not only for keeping your money per se. They can be gifts and status symbols as well. Think of it as a fashionable and elegant way to keep all your paper bills in order. It will show that you are an ordered and organized individual.

At the same, time, its sleek form factor will show that you are not behind the times when it comes to matters of apparel. The best of both worlds, money clips are the perfect combination of elegance and luxury.

07. April 2012 · Comments Off on Private Label Rights Scam? · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

The internet is filled with millions of business opportunities. Many of these opportunities are legitimate, but others are not. One of the opportunities that you may found online involves the buying of private label resell rights. Unfortunately, there are too many individuals who mistakenly believe that this business opportunity is a scam. The reality is that it is a real, legitimate way to make money. If you are interested in purchasing the resell rights to a private label product, you will first have to find a product to purchase. There are a number of different products available; however, most of them are either for e-books or software programs. Once you have found a product that you would be interested in obtaining the resell rights to, you will then have to find a specific product to purchase.

This can easily be done by searching the internet. When it comes to selling a product, whether that product was obtained through private label resell rights or not, you need to find effective marketing strategies and selling methods. These methods may include the use of online classified ads, the use of online auction websites, or the development of a product website. Before deciding on a particular selling method, you are advised to examine the advantages and disadvantages of each. This is important because different selling methods work different ways for different individuals and products, no two have the same results. With online classifieds, you will find that most are free to use. That is why online classifieds are a great way to market your private label product. Unlike many other advertising methods, they do not require any additional expenses. If you are interested in finding a free classified website, you can easily do so by performing a standard internet search. That search should produce a number of results. Those results should be links to online classified websites. Another popular selling method is to create your own website. This website should be used to outline the product which you are selling and the cost of it. Even if you do not know how to design your own website, you should be able to take part in this popular and effective selling method. Professional website developers can create a professional website, for a small fee, or you can build your own website, with the assistance of a site builder or pre-made website template. It is also important that you add a shopping cart that accepts paypal or credit cards to your site. This shopping cart will enable your customers to purchase your product online. You can also use an online auction website to sell your product. Online auction websites will give your product the opportunity to be viewed by thousands, if not millions, of consumers. The only problem with online auction websites is that more and more individuals are using this selling method to sell products, which they have acquired the resell rights to. This competition may make it difficult or impossible for your product to sell. Private label resell rights are an amazing opportunity, but you need to know how to make that opportunity work. By keeping the above mentioned points in mind, you should be able to make money by selling a product that you didn’t even create.

07. April 2012 · Comments Off on How to Make Money Online · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Timothy Rohrer When it comes to making money online, everyone wants to and everyone tries to, but very few actually end up making a dime. So what’s the secret then to making money online? The truth is most internet guru’s do not tell you exactly how to go about building a massive internet business simply because showing you means more competition for them. Fortunately enough for you, I am willing to share with you my success secrets. I have tested and tried hundreds of programs, many of which make outrageous claims and empty promises. I’ll be the first to say that 99% of these programs are scams and making money online is not as cut and dry as one may think. With so much information on the internet today it’s difficult to sift through the thousands of products and opportunities to find one that actually works. My first experience was with a company called Liberty Alliance; I don’t even think they are around anymore. I saw an ad in the newspaper for a company that offered flexible hours with the potential to earn thousands of dollars per week. When I went to the interview I sat through a brief presentation and afterwards spoke with a few reps. The business model worked, but little did I know I’d be cold calling people and trying to get my friends and family to join my opportunity.

The number one mistake that many people make is trying to recruit their friends and family. In order to be successful in any type of internet business you have to find ways to reach a targeted audience. Had I talked to people that were already looking for my opportunity I might have been much more successful. I realized that in order to see success and in order to grow a business you must advertise. After all I found an ad in the newspaper for a network marketing company, so it would only make sense that I should do the same rather than trying to convince people of the business idea I needed to reach people looking for me. The problem is many people lack the necessary marketing skills when it comes to launching their internet business. There are plenty of programs available online that provide useful information when it comes to marketing online. When I finally received the training I needed to market successfully online everything became clear. I needed to get my website in front of the right audience, whether it was from newspaper ads, pay per click search engines, Craig’s list, or any type of free classifieds online and offline. It was evident that this is what I needed to do in order to explode my income online. Making money online is possible and if you have the desire to do so, you will succeed if you have a definite plan. Many successful business owners fail initially, but it’s their persistency that eventually wins in the long run. Learn how to market effectively online and you will see an explosion in your income.

07. April 2012 · Comments Off on What You Need To Know About 0800 Telephone Numbers · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

There are many reasons that you might be thinking of acquiring an 0800 number, but how much do you really know about them? Many small businesses have taken advantage of what this resource has to offer, but what do you know on how an 0800 number relates to you? Before you decide on whether having one of these numbers is right for you, there a few things that you should be aware of regarding in this institution.

First and most basically, an 0800 number allows your customers or contractors to call you without being charged. Instead, you will be charged for each call you receive, but typically the amount of money spent is fairly conservative. When a person dials in to an 0800 number, they are dialing in to a business or a personal line that you have designated. The phone line that you use to receive the call does not necessarily have to be dedicated to this use; the phone can simply be a standard phone that you use to make calls. You can even have 0800 numbers routed to a mobile phone if necessary. Due to this, home businesses have profited from the prevalence of these numbers. As you can see, with these benefits in mind, it is clear why 0800 numbers are considered easy and convenient for your customers. 0800 numbers are usually assigned on a first come, first served basis; the organizations who will set you up with the freephone numbers all have access to the SMS/0800, the database which contains the status of all the freephone numbers currently available. You’ll find that there are a wide number of providers that will help you set up your own number, but remember to be cautious. When choosing a UK supplier, look for an organization that has been working with 0800 numbers for a long time and can provide you with a good deal of support if you have never purchased one before. There are plenty of problems that can arise the first time you work with an 0800 number so make sure you sign up with a company that can look out for you and your best interests. Typically, 0800 numbers are used for when businesses need to work with their customers. The use of these numbers are usually not bought for business to business transactions due to the fact that the people interested in business won’t mind footing the bill for a simple phone call. If you are a growing business however, and have a great deal of representatives, techs or contractors working in various areas of the country, an 0800 number can be a great way to make sure that you can be reached no matter where they are calling from. Some companies choose to use a private 0800 number for their employees rather than giving out mobile phones, for example. When you are thinking of getting an 0800 number, remember to get all the facts! Call around and find out which providers are good ones, and make sure that you have a staffing solution in place to handle the calls when they come in.

07. April 2012 · Comments Off on Lamination Sensation: Enhancing Your Documents With Laminating · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Whether it’s for presentation or preservation, it makes no difference. Laminated documents are always more impressive and more durable than any old piece of paper. Colors are brighter and the pages are cleaner. The laminators that make this possible utilize several different modes to get the job done. Here are your options when it comes to laminators:  Roll Laminator: Roll laminators are used for bigger materials or high volumes of smaller materials. They are most often used for posters and signs. This type of laminator is usually owned by a larger company. These are also commonly used by schools and print shops.  Pouch Laminator: Pouch laminators use laminating pouches to get the job done. These laminators are usually owned by smaller establishments, such as home offices or small businesses. Pouch laminators are also commonly used by print for pay organizations and for making name badges and ID’s. Now that you know the two main types of laminators, you have to decide whether hot or cold lamination is what you are looking for. Hot laminators heat up to somewhere between 180-300 degrees Fahrenheit. They work by melting the adhesive to the paper. Hot lamination makes for longer-lasting and more durable documents. Cold lamination is sometimes used when the documents are heat sensitive, this can include faxed documents or materials printed on special kinds of paper.

Cold laminators function by applying a specific amount of pressure to stick the adhesive to the paper. These machines are considered safer than hot laminators because they don’t use heat and often don’t even require electricity. However, options for cold lamination are often more limited than options for hot lamination. What Next? Once you have your documents laminated, its time to take the next step in creating an impressive presentation. For manuals, reports and other related documents, it’s wise to have the materials bound together. Special binding machines can be purchased to finish off the job. Both the binding machines and laminators can be purchased from office product manufacturers. Binding machines offer several options for putting together the necessary materials. Comb bindings use plastic teeth that insert into each tiny hole in the paper. Coil bindings use one long coil that spirals through the holes. Lastly, wire bindings, form a double loop through the holes. Coil bindings are by far the most durable. All of these binding options allow the documents to lay flat and coil binding and wire binding can be folded from the front to the back. This makes documents easy to use, for everything from a church phone directory to a new business proposal. Whether you choose hot or cold lamination, wire or coil binding, you will also need various lamination and binding supplies. These materials can usually be purchased from the same companies that sell the machines.

Cost depends on which supplies you are purchasing and how much you need.

Keep in mind that the size of your business, school, or church makes no difference; everyone can make use of a binding machine and laminator. Office product companies offer the machines in different sizes to accommodate establishments both big and small. This is fortunate for all of us because impressive looking presentation materials are important no matter how you are using them. Laminated and bound documents are far less likely to be thrown away. Better color, impressive delivery and durability are among the qualities that give such well-presented documents some major staying power. Laminated and bound materials grab attention and don’t let go. That is what every establishment is looking for when they put together a visual presentation.

07. April 2012 · Comments Off on Turn Income Streams Into A Flooded River · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

One of the key catch phrases of internet income is income stream. The term describes the origination of income for an online company or an individual working different online jobs, none of which will probably pay all of their bills. Unlike traditional jobs where the employee works in one place for several years, and has only one income stream, their paycheck, a person working multiple part-time positions on line may have as many as 100 different income streams flowing into their bank account. Consider than many online companies use affiliate marketing as an income, with perhaps a dozen or more online companies having advertisements on their website. When one of these companies makes a sale to a customer referred by the site, the site owner receives a sales commission. Each affiliated company on the website is capable of generating an income stream for that website.

If the site owner has a highly popular site that is attractive to advertisers, they may add another income stream in the form of advertising revenue. The problem with affiliate marketing income is that it is seldom consistent. Different companies offer different types of merchandise and services for sale and if the offerings do not meet the needs or wants of the site’s visitors, there is little chance of sales being made. The site owners will need to monitor the production of every affiliated ad on their site and only include the most revenue-producing companies in the mix. The types of ads used on the website can also affect the customer response. While some customers may respond well to bright, colorful flashy advertisements others may prefer simple text based ads. Depending on the product being promoted the visitor demographic to the site, the ads need to focus on their interests in order to be effective at producing an income stream. A business that has several income streams is often a new budgeting nightmare for the new home business owner. They may have spent years knowing which day of the week their paycheck was going to arrive and how much it was going to be worth. With several different streams of money arriving at different times of the week or month, many of these owners have a tough time budgeting their income. Their income level may be the same as their prior job, or even higher through their online business, but instead of having a lump sum arriving on Friday, it may be split into four unequal payments arriving on four different days of the week.

If they do properly plan for this shift in income, they will have trouble budgeting their income streams to last until the next stream flows by.

It is also important not to count on only one or two income streams to meet the financial needs of the online business. If there are only two streams feeding to business account and one of those streams begins to run slower or dries up, the owner will be scrambling to find replacement cash. However, but having as many income streams as can be accurately managed flowing in, the owner can easily survive one or more streams being dammed on their way to their income river.

07. April 2012 · Comments Off on Properties Of Acrylic Sheets (The Value Of Plastic Products) · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Have you ever looked at something made of plastic and wondered how it was made? It’s obviously not a metal, wood or plant based derivative.

To the educated person, it could be assumed that it’s made by a chemical process, but not much more about it is as easily surmised. Clearly, acrylic thermoplastics have some very interesting characteristics and properties. Of course, they are well known for their crystal clarity and outstanding weatherability. But did you also know they are available in cast sheet, rod, and tube, extruded sheet and film, and compounds for injection molding and extrusion? Acrylic can be used to manufacture brochure holders, racks, counter displays, donation / suggestion boxes and point of purchase (p.o.p) displays among other products. Below are some general properties of acrylic sheet: • Strong and resists weathering • Flexible when compared with glass • Less breakable than glass • Abrasion resistant • Can withstand sunlight for long durations • Resistant to most chemicals and industrial fumes • Can transmit or filter ultraviolet light • Can be cleaned easily • Can be cut by various methods • Corrosion resistant • Good insulator. Other general properties include the ability to transmit and control light. They are also stable against discoloration, and have superior dimensional stability, as you would notice if you have an acrylic brochure display, counter display, donation / suggestion box or point of purchase (p.o.p) display. Possessing an excellent combination of structural and thermal properties, clear acrylic plastic is as transparent as the finest optical glass: • Possess a light transmittance of 92% • Low haze level of approximately 1% • Index of refraction of 1.

49 It also has the ability to be injected with color, producing a full spectrum of transparent, translucent, or opaque colors depending on your needs.

This process does no harm in terms of long-term durability; colored acrylics can be used outdoors for a long time. Why? They are formulated to filter ultraviolet energy in the 360-nm and lower band. Other acrylic formulations are opaque to UV light or provide reduced UV transmission. And how about mechanical properties? Although not known for having many, acrylics can be used for short-term loading. If the intended use is long-term, stresses must be limited to 1,500 psi to avoid surface cracking and deterioration. Acrylic does well in the cold, as the impact resistance of standard formulations is maintained in these conditions. It should be noted that high-impact acrylic grades have greater impact strength than standard grades at room temperature, but impact strength decreases as temperature drops. Some types of acrylic are even known to resist bullets! Acrylic plastics are highly scratch resistant, especially among other thermoplastics. It’s a good idea, however, to ensure proper maintenance and cleaning. Keep in mind that abrasion-resistant acrylic sheet is available and has the same optical and impact properties as standard grades. You will see this in many of our brochure displays, racks, counter displays, donation / suggestion boxes and point of purchase (p.o.p) displays. This brings up a good point – its versatility and adaptability. Are you aware that Jet-aircraft cabin windows are made from acrylic sheet? They do this by inducing molecular orientation during forming. This proves the potential strength of acrylic sheet. How do they react to other chemicals and compounds? Acrylic sheet and moldings resist solutions of inorganic acids and alkalies and aliphatic hydrocarbons such as VM&P naphtha, as well as most detergent solutions and cleaning agents.

They are attacked by chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, and ketones.

07. April 2012 · Comments Off on Paper Cutters: A Quick Solution For An Impressive Presentation · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Presentation is everything. People who create church phone directories, employee manuals, photo albums and even the main dish at that new French restaurant are concerned with presentation. In most cases, what you see is what you get, making what you see pretty important. There are a number of different office products on the market that can aid consumers in creating professional presentations in the work world, home life, church and school. Laminators, binding machines and paper cutters are among these products. With first impressions being as vital as they are, investing in some or all of these machines is a wise move. The most prevalent of all office machines is probably the paper trimmer. These are common in schools, small offices and other establishments. Paper trimmers and paper cutters are often confused with one another. Paper trimmers can handle a small volume of work, while paper cutters deal with larger numbers. Paper cutters and trimmers are both used to cut documents, photos, booklets and other materials into specific sizes. This can be important when cutting a handout for a speech or creating a manual or proposal for a big business meeting.

Paper cutters and trimmers are used in schools for everything from art to geometry. There are a few factors to keep in mind when choosing which paper cutter is right for you:  The number of pages you want to be able to cut at one time.  The material you will be cutting.  The frequency for which you’ll be using the paper cutter.  The amount of room you have to house the paper cutter. Larger companies tend to own larger cutters because their needs are greater and they tend to have a lot of space to keep such machines. Smaller businesses and schools will sometimes utilize a simple paper trimmer for smaller jobs. There are several main types of paper cutters available:  Rotary: Rotary paper trimmers use a round blade that slides along a rail to cut paper in a straight line. Rotary trimmers tend to be used in lower volume applications and are ideal for trimming laminated sheets and photographs.  Guillotine: Guillotine paper cutters are an industrial strength type of cutter. They have a clamp that holds the stack of paper in place. Guillotine cutters are so powerful that they are able to cut up to three inches of paper in one slice.  Manual: Manual cutters are often considered to be paper trimmers. These are the smaller, hand-operated version of a paper cutter.  Electric: Electric paper cutters have an automated blade and clamp. While the blade and clamp are adjusted manually, the rest of the work is done by the machine. These are especially useful in settings where a high volume of work needs to be done. All you have to do is set it and forget it! Presentation is everything in today’s aesthetically preoccupied world. This is especially true when it comes to presentation materials. Quality cut paper, well-laminated sheets and properly bound pages can make a world of difference. And the products that are necessary for such projects-paper, blades, coil binding, wire binding, and laminating and binding supplies-can be found at a quality office product manufacturer. Create stunning presentations with the right tools.

Outfit your business, home office, school or church with the necessities that allow you to appear confident and professional. Remember that it’s all about first impressions. Never underestimate the power of a professional and well-organized presentation. The benefits will return to you ten-fold.

07. April 2012 · Comments Off on Working From Home Is No Longer A Dream · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Many people dream about the possibility of working from home. This is especially true for those people who feel as though their current employer is holding them back from enjoying life somehow. Working from home certainly can be a wonderful thing, and many people have realized this dream, especially since the Internet has come onto the scene. If you dream of the day whenever you can quit your full-time job and began working for yourself at home then taking the right steps along the way is imperative for you to reach this goal. Here are some of the steps that you should take and some that you should not take. One of the problems that most people find that makes it difficult for them to begin working from home is that their current job takes too much of their time. If you are working full time and have other responsibilities to consider then it typically does not leave much time in the day to be able to start a new business. That is why you must choose a business opportunity that will allow you to build your success in the time that you have. You would do this by going with a proven system that takes care of all of the work for you. All you should have to do is join the system and allow them to work for you. One of the great things about working from home is that it will give you the freedom to build your business even further. As you begin to realize your goal of work at home success, you will begin to have additional time that you can put into your business. One of the keys to any successful business venture is that you recycle your time and energies into the opportunity.

By choosing wisely whenever you decide which opportunity you are going to sink your self into, it will afford you the time, not only to build your business but also to do the things that you have always wanted to do. One of the things that you want to avoid is any business startups that will not give you long-term profits. Many of these businesses promise you that they will give you success immediately and some of them may actually deliver on that promise. The problem is that you do not want to build your business on a system that will not be around for the long term. Having money in your hand immediately is a great thing, seeing it go away after a period of time is crushing. Make sure that you don’t begin your work at home business by joining a program that will just cause you to begin an endless cycle of opportunity hopping. Working from home is more than a dream, it is a reality for those that really want it. If you pursue your dream by following the right leaders, you will certainly find that success can be yours and you can begin living your dream quickly.

06. April 2012 · Comments Off on Finding «The Secret» can cost you · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Rapidenterprises.net Over the years I have found that online marketing and off line marketing are very similar in some ways and very different in others. In the offline «brick and mortor» world most business owners will tell you that the three most important things to running a successful and profitable business are, location, location, location. In the online arena I will tell you that the three most important factors are, Focus, Focus, Focus. From owning and operating online ventures myself over the years, as well as speaking to hundreds of others in our field it is clear that the number one reason for new marketers to fail or to take much longer than others to succeed is simply a lack of focus. The typical scenario is pretty much the same for almost everyone including myself, yes, I have «been there and done that» and it goes something like this. We come online and for a year or two we go through the indoctrination of all the get rich quick schemes and hopping from one hyped up something for nothing program to another, and following the advice from the e-books that we paid good money for.

(which of course we now know were outdated, and free somewhere online) and we start trying to find «The Secret». After which that time is spent with no results we become desperate to prove to our friends and family (who cant help but snicker at you a little) that this «internet thing» works. So, how do we go about it ? Well we copy one of the hoaky programs that we were suckered into, or one of the e-books that are sitting on our virtual shelves collecting cyber-dust, you know, the ones that had «The Secret» The secret to internet sales. The secret to building lists. The secret words that hypnotize. The super duper secret to make Any website a sales machine. And on and on, and decide to sell them ourselves, knowing full well that they are junk, so much for our integrity. We put up our first free hosted purple and yellow webpage with our latest and greatest program or e-book along with several flashing graphics of fireworks and dancing horses and twenty five or thirty banners of varying sizes and offers and begin to submit the site to all of the automatic submitters that promise to send your advertisment to the world with one click. We also figure that since we recieve so many offers through email that we will capitalize on that strategy ourselves. Our first real business expense comes when we purchase one of the «secret» weapons, The Group Mailer. Next, we will buy the $15.00 email list of 5 million ready to buy customers, load them into the group mailer and with one push of the send button, we are all set and just need to wait for the money to roll in.

Of course what rolled in was spam complaints, and being banned by the search engines, and losing our ISP’s.

I guess it’s just a right of passage or something for new online marketers because regardless how many times I explain this scenario to new people and advise them that there is a better way they inevitably just have to go ahead and try the way that wastes their time and their money and generally leaves them humiliated and cynical about trying to earn income online. After this initiation most of us remember that somewhere along the line while in some online forum like the Net Marketing Forum or an online conference room, there had been this voice, someone saying that they had done exactly what you had just done, someone that was now a mentor, and now they were successful and would not mind helping you to do the same, provided that you could swallow your pride and put yourself on the line with some real focused effort to follow their guidence and to become self-disiplined and stay on track and to Not Quit. Failure is not an option. If you are smart you will leap at this chance because the fact of the matter is that you Can Not be successful on your own by yourself online. As a mentor myself my first bit of advice to new people, especially the ones that have gone through the scenario above is to Forget «The Secret» there is no secret. Marketing online is Not Easy. It takes self disipline, time management, tenacity, consistancy, persistancy. It takes knowing what you want from an online business, when do you want it? and knowing that there will be sacrifice on your part both with your money and your time in order to get what you want. It would take much more than this simple article to explain even the very basics, but ther are places online such as the affiliate classroom that will explain everything that you need to know.

After deciding that this is really for you I would suggest taking these steps: Pick something that you really have a passion or special talent for that you would not mind doing or sharing for free. Find the tools and knowledge you will need in order to profit from it. Make a plan and set aside specific times during the day to follow the plan and nothing else, focus,focus,focus. Set short term and long term goals and announce them to someone, preferably an online mentor, and give them your permission to push you to reach each goal. Focus,focus,focus, while online and do not get drawn off track from your work by clicking on the new latest and greatest super duper «secret» we already know how much time and money they waste. Take baby steps or «chunk it out» as I like to call it with your projects and you will accomplish a lot more than trying to put everything together at once. Learn what you need to know When you need to know it. You cant learn everything so dont try, you will only get information overload and when that happens, Everything shuts down. Treat your new venture as a business and decide what you would want a good employee to do if they were running your business and then You do it, or fire yourself and go look for another job. As I said, marketing online is Not Easy, but it is simple. Just focus, focus, focus

06. April 2012 · Comments Off on The Most Important Words On Your Web Site · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

When I coach authors on what their web site needs to look like, I spend a lot of time talking about the words on their web site, i.e. their copywriting. But even more important than the collection of words are a few individual phrases no site can be without. Sign-up: getting your visitor to sign up for something is important. Why? Because studies have shown that surfers don’t often buy the first time they land on your site. Often they want to browse, shop, maybe bookmark you for later. If they bookmark you, you’ve lost a sale. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when someone bookmarks the Author Marketing Experts site but when they do, the likelihood of my being able to sell to them is minimal. Instead, I get them into the AME funnel by encouraging prospective customers to sign up for something they want, i.e. our Book Marketing Expert Newsletter. And then to encourage them even further, we actually give them something for signing up: our Top 50 Media contact list. So if you’re not asking for a sign-up, you might want to reconsider this. Then, give them an ethical bribe in return: give them something they want. Don’t just throw a freebie at them and expect your visitor to jump for joy. Here’s a clue: if you wouldn’t want the freebie, it’s likely they won’t either. Buy: most of us have been taught not to ask for what we want. I’m giving you permission to not only ask for it, but put it on your home page. So often I talk to authors who say their web sites aren’t selling. They’re not selling because the author forgets to ask for the sale. The words Buy or Buy Now are a call to action that will greatly increase your chances of making a sale. If this isn’t on your home page, have your web master or web designer add it ASAP. Free: I know, now I’m getting confusing, right? I just told you that you needed to ask for the sale and now I’m telling you that you need to give it away. Well, yes and no. Let me explain. First, while you want to have a strong call to action and a «funnel» to get folks into your marketing message, you also want to give something away (besides the newsletter freebie).

Consider this: people want information or they want to be entertained or they want to be educated. If you can do any of these things, go for it. A way you can do this might be through your blog, blogging is a fantastic way to disseminate information in a free format. The next might be through a game on your site, a resource or article page, or other information on your subject or area of expertise. We had a client once who wrote a book about working with difficult people and she had a game on her site that would let visitors launch a gnarly co-worker out of a cannon (while I love everyone I work with, I used this for other, eh, outside AME people …). Things like that have a great pass-through factor, meaning that folks will pass along the site or link so others can share in the fun as well. Remember the «Elf yourself» that Office Depot did last holiday season? I must have gotten that link sent to me 25 times. No kidding. People love freebies. Make ‘em laugh, educate them or give them something they can’t get anywhere else and they’ll beat a path to your door. The point being that even the best web site copy has a few elements that shouldn’t be overlooked. By incorporating just a few simple steps, you can really begin to see your site go from a ho-hum author web site to a rockin’ selling tool! Here’s to your success both online and off!

06. April 2012 · Comments Off on Unusual Small Home Based Business Ideas For Entrepreneurs · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

For the small home base business entrepreneur it is always a bit of a head scratcher to come up with a surefire method of making money while competing against the legions of others who are also looking to start home based businesses. While there is no magic wand or silver bullet that will guarantee you a spot on the cutting edge of business success, there are some easy steps to take which will ensure that your odds of owning that desired small business are more likely to succeed than fail. One example that cannot be overemphasized is that of the seamstress. If you combine your passion – in this case the making of clothes from a variety of different materials – with your abilities, you are on your way to start a home based business. Yet for a home based business which is highly likely to succeed you need to find your self a niche you can market to and then exploit your presence. Thus, a seamstress specializing in the manufacture of doll clothing – even if it is only as a sideline – will be able to have a broad niche appeal. If you combine the idea of making clothes with the manufacture of dolls’ clothes, and in some cases market this combo, your place on the cutting edge of this particular home based business is guaranteed! While not everyone is a skilled seamstress, this small business model is easily transferable to a wide array of other skills and business ideas. Consider the landscaper who will branch out into the world of orchids, the freelance writer who starts a vanity printing press, or the die hard musician who will also run his own label online! All of these combine a much beloved activity with a specific niche appeal which then opens up not only an entirely new market but will also ensure that the original goods and skills which are for sale are also noted by potential niche customers.

Though much maligned, the notion that the more specialized your trade the easier you will access a particular niche is undoubtedly true.

It is interesting to note that this business concept does not translate into the world of brick and mortar businesses which require a broad consumer appeal just to stay in business and keep open the doors.

In this predictable yet still underutilized reversal of common business sense lies the true possibility for making money online with unusual small home based business ideas for entrepreneurs. Do not be discouraged if in the beginning your mind appears to rebel against this concept! It does indeed go against much which is currently suggested online and also offline; yet the success stories of a wide array of small time entrepreneurs who started out in a much similar fashion showcase that sometimes it pays off to throw out your long held beliefs and instead permit yourself to at least investigate the possibility that there is a different, newer and perhaps also more successful way of doing business from home.

06. April 2012 · Comments Off on Making profit on the Internet · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

There are so many ways to make profit on the Internet that you would need a complete e-book for it, and not a tiny article as this one. But lack of space should never deter one from sharing some good news. Let us see how the Internet can be used to make some good cash online. One totally fail-proof method to draw profits from the Net is to use pay-per-click to generate adsense income.

This method is so simple to understand and easy to operate that absolutely anyone can do it. In order to get a good and continuous income flow from the adsense ads, you will need to use a form of traffic arbitrage in combination of some good but low cost keywords and the bid on the different pay-per-click search engines – like Google. In order to have the system fail proof you will have to work initially to plug in any imbalances that may exist. You must take care about the following: 1. Keywords: You will need to choose exceptionally apt keywords, which will be high paying. For this you should be tuned in on what is the right combination and you should be able to attract the right type of crowd to your website. You will payment for PPC should be justified vis-а-vis the adsense ad, or you will not make money. Your keywords should attract sufficient traffic to attract enough traffic for you to make a neat income. 2. Content: You have to ensure that the ads and the content are highly relevant to the visitors or you will not attract them to click on your ad. You should be aware that when you are buying keywords you are actually purchasing a pass for your traffic. Hence, unless the content and the ad are complementary, you will not be able to raise any profit. This is one element that is taken for granted by most first-timers causing them loses where they could have made profit. 3. Cheaper keywords: Google is the best today – true. But they are not the only ones in the market. If you are functioning on a shoestring budget, you can definitely try out some other search engines. Some of the choices you can have are Brainfox, findwhat, etc. Try them out. 4. Track you ads: It is extremely wise to keep a check on how your money flows by tracking your advertising. In order to repair damages in time, you will need to know where and when you are hitting the wrong buttons. This information will be available for you only when you keep track of your ads with continuous tracking. For this purpose you may use the services of professional tracking agencies. This may be a bit costly but it is worth the effort. Another way to keep track is to set up a separate landing-page for each of your sources. In this way your own website can give you the requisite statistics and you can see clearly which search engine gives you the best results.

This method can be very good if set up correctly. You will have to ensure that the feeder articles (pages) which propagate free traffic combine well with the PPC traffic so you can get a low per-visitor cost in the long run. 5. SEO: You must have feeder pages set up so you come up high on the organic searches. When the organic searches rank you high you are likely to attract heavy free traffic. What is he best part here is that as you move up on rank in the organic search, the ppc also will move up and hence earn you better profit. Earning profit with adsense is a piece of cake once you have all things set in place. It is very important though, to achieve the right balance between the use of keywords and the ppc. In order to be on the safe side, a periodic if not regular tracking should be done and according to the findings, the required fine tunings should be done. Unless this is done, you will not be able to stop the losses when they occur, nor will be able to raise your profits when the market is ripe for it.

06. April 2012 · Comments Off on SEO And The Gem Dealer · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Some people have a hard time understanding the concept of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The notion of developing a website based on principles that involve certain words seems confusing and perhaps even a bit like hocus-pocus. In its most simple form SEO is something like the brightest thread in a tapestry or the point leader in a basketball game. This method is something like finding your favorite sports drink in a store filled with similar bottles. The use of Search Engine Optimization provides an intense level of satisfaction for search engines that have been looking specifically for the best use of virtually every keyword or phrase imaginable. Let me suggest one more analogy related to this principle. Imagine a diamond buyer looking for the best overall selection of diamonds. This buyer investigates every possible seller in the world and makes the determination to buy from a seller that has proven they have the greatest number of gems to choose from.

When you approach website design you absolutely must have at least a primary understanding of SEO principles.

This method is reminiscent of that diamond dealer and his search for the seller with the most diamonds. Your consistent use of the keyword or phrase you have chosen is like a growing collection of diamonds that search engines are looking for. Search engines are on a never-ending search for the best sites. When they get to your online business site they subject it to complete scrutiny. They will scan every word searching for that common thread, highest scorer or sports drink. How does your site stack up against other sites that have also selected the keyword or phrase you are using? There are a few things you should pay attention to when you develop your keyword-enriched site. The Things to Do Make sure you research keywords or phrases that may provide the best response from search engines. Make sure you develop your website with the chosen keyword used in every section of the site. This includes sections such as “About Us” as well as the knowledge-based content you will provide. Make sure to add new content on a regular basis. Search engines pay attention to sites that are consistently updated. The Things to Avoid Make sure you do not stuff your site with the chose keyword or phrase. A percentage of 5% or less is about right. When you stuff your content with too many keywords it can be awkward to read and usually raises a red flag for search engines. Make sure you do not fill portions of each page with invisible keywords. This is something that has been done primarily in the past to get a higher ranking, but virtually all of these sites have been caught and penalized for bad online behavior. Make sure you do not treat the impact of SEO with contempt or disregard.

This concept can have the greatest impact on future site-based traffic. Search engines want to find your site and they want to reward you with improved site rankings, but they need your cooperation in helping them find your site so they can let others know you exist.

06. April 2012 · Comments Off on Marketing Websites · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Mostly everyone online is trying to learn how to start marketing their websites. Marketing websites can seem like a very tough thing to do. Many people have no clue how to market their websites. I think one of the main reasons people have trouble marketing their websites is because of the lack of the right information online currently.Many people are sadly misinformed about how to market their websites correctly. Many people are using marketing techniques which are highly ineffective and may end costing tons of money. Many people trying to make money online are duplicating failure. Many people are heavily marketing to classified ads, FFA’s, and other places which do not work at all. I will go over a couple of techniques to effectively start marketing your websites. First you must decide if you are going to start marketing your websites online or offline. Both ways can be very effective and I would suggest using both. Offline marketing can tend to be a little more costly, so you will need some money to effectively start marketing your websites.

One way to market your website offline is to buy drop cards. Drop cards are effective because you can drop them practically anywhere. Making a trip to the supermarket, drop a card. Making a trip to the bank, drop a card. Simple. Another way to effectively market offline is to buy ad space in major newspapers and major magazines. This can be very pricey, but it is also very effective. Offline marketing is often ignored but I would not suggest it. Offline marketing can be a powerful way for you to market your websites. Online marketing can actually be very simple. In order for you to start marketing your websites effectively, you must be consistent and work these techniques daily. For instance writing articles and press releases can be a very effective, but you must write consistently. If you do not write consistently using articles and press releases to market your websites will not work. Writing one or two articles a month will not bring you the type of traffic you are looking for. In order to be truly effective with articles and press releases you must at least write one or two a week. The great thing about writing articles and press releases is it is completely free. You can write as many articles and press releases as you want and they will bring you great results. Remember the key to writing articles and press releases is to write them consistently. Another way to effectively market your website online is to post useful comments on forums and be sure to add your signature with your link. The key to marketing your websites effectively is to be consistent in your marketing techniques.

Any marketer worth his weight knows you must market on a daily basis in order to be fully effective.

It takes at least 7 exposures for the average person to purchase something. When marketing your website being consistent is the name of the game.

06. April 2012 · Comments Off on Rss And A Statement Of Terms · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

The way the world views media has changed. Was it so long ago that we grabbed a TV schedule magazine off the rack of a grocery store shelf and perused it to find what we wanted to watch? If we knew we were going to miss it we set the VCR to record it while we were gone. Today we can receive a full compliment of audio and video programs on demand and online. No longer are we bound by limited choice or availability. Anywhere you have Internet capabilities you also have the ability to access compelling and entertaining audio and video streams. This revolution in media exchange has been easily facilitated by Real Simple Syndication (RSS). An RSS feed can manage the most popular media offerings and download them to a file for easy retrieval or playback. Many people have abandoned the morning paper in favor of news courtesy of an RSS feed. These individuals will set up their RSS reader to follow stories written by a particular author or articles written on a specific topic. Podcast fans can have their Reader capture and load a recurring podcast they enjoy and then listen to the program when time allows.

The same is true for video streams and other entertainment data. Sports fans can set their RSS systems to capture sports scores or information about their favorite teams. Movie fans can capture box office scores and movie news. Cooks can capture new recipes and cooking tips. Car enthusiasts can capture information on their favorite cars. RSS is incredibly flexible and can capture data from any site that uses an RSS feed. It has become much easier for the average consumer to locate an RSS reader and access the information they had to conduct a search for under other circumstances. The Internet is streamlining functions that had all been previously distinct and non-interactive. Now consumers have a global one-stop shop for whatever media they may want – and RSS is one of the bonding agents that bring all of this easily to the consumer. When you think about it there are millions of websites with trillions of words. None of us want to sort through all of that to find what we are looking for. A simple RSS subscription allows you to demystify the process and bring home what you want – when you want it. Because the Internet is a conglomeration of computers linked together there is a drawing on the collective brain trust of the web. It may not be perfect, but by selecting exactly what you want an RSS feed can bring that selected data, audio or video directly to you. The growth of RSS has made it a standard of excellence in delivering wanted material on your terms. This process does benefit the individual business site because it can keep site information in front of the consumer, but it also is a huge benefit to the consumer because unlike signing up for an email-marketing piece you collect only the data you want without feeling as though you are tied to the business that offers the content.

06. April 2012 · Comments Off on Web Design And The World’s Largest Pen Knife · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

In the 2008 edition, Guinness Book of World Records will present the penknife with the most functions ever presented. This new life has 87 different tools and performs more than 100 functions. The knife’s case is almost nine inches long by four inches wide and weighs about three pounds. As of this writing about 500 of the $1,200 Swiss made knives have been sold.

Web design is a bit like that Swiss Army knife. A properly developed website is compact and utilitarian. Your website can provide customers with multiple tools in a compact understandable design. The key will be to make sure access to the tools is simple and logical. Too many websites make the process more difficult than it needs to be and inadvertently repel potential online consumers who just don’t want to spend the time to figure it out. I remember camping with family and friends and a Swiss Army knife was used to trim small debris from around the tents. Scissors were used to trim excess string and certain types of rope. The knife served many purposes and was routinely called upon to solve a variety of problems and most of the time it did. One knife I owned even had a small pen that could be used in an emergency. Work at developing a site that solves problems instead of creating them. Think about the logical steps your customer base will use to locate items and search for data. The tools you provide your customers with will be the tools that may ultimately sell your product. Web builder technology can be as useful to website design as Swiss Army is to knives. Because the software was designed from the best of current web designs it can provide as many tools as that world record knife. In most cases web builder software can provide significantly more tools for both customers and website owner than more expensive web design solutions. When you compare features you may be able to upgrade from a proverbial penknife to a much larger utility knife in website design. Unlike most of life’s options you really can do more with less. More website tools and possibilities for less money. The growth of this sector of web design is important in that it dares to challenge the notion that only individual web designers are capable of completing a web design that can manage the needs of the individual business. Perhaps the biggest reason many businesses do not look into web builder software has to do with a fear that they would never be able to develop the site on their own, no matter how many tools were available to them. The truth is the actual building of the website is not significantly harder than developing a social networking site. It is fully explained online and customer support is available. In some cases you can hire a designer to work with you to develop the site if you are really unsure as to your abilities or if you simply do not wish to develop the site. In the end it is still an extremely cost effective solution to your web design needs.

06. April 2012 · Comments Off on Living The Good Life Paid By Your Past Endeavors · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

Like that annoying bunny beating that bass drum, having an income that keeps going and going and going is the dream that every business owner has when they finally go to sleep at night. Finding a way to grow a residual income is better than most retirement plans and can help set the stage for early retirement, if done properly while you are still young enough to plant the right seeds. What you need to do is to figure out exactly how this can be accomplished. Actors, actresses and professional musicians often receive a residual income based on their works that make it into syndication. Every time a show they were in or a song they recorded is played, they receive a piece of the action. The more shows that they starred in that are picked up for reruns even years after the original went off the air provides them with a residual income. If they were in several different shows or had many different hit songs recorded, the combined residuals can add up to a ton of money. Believe it or not, the same type of income can be established through an online business if you work your marketing programs correctly.

You do not need to be in on the ground floor of a continuing business success, by being aggressive in making sales for many different companies (in case one goes out of business) you could end up with a good residual income long after you decide to retire yourself from the working world. Affiliate marketing is one method of creating residual income. You can establish a website that is attractive to many different visitors and become affiliated with many reputable companies. As the visitors to your site increase, they will buy more products from your affiliated companies, and you will be paid a commission on sales. Depending on the topic of your site and the initial marketing success used to improve its popularity, the site can gain the status of operating without your influence. You will probably want to occasionally update the ads on the site, but with a few minutes everyday, your site can become self-sustaining. It is at this point that all the effort you put into building the site and attracting customers that your effort will start paying off. While you are relaxing on a beach somewhere, people are still going to your site, buying from your reputable affiliates and the affiliates are shipping out products and sending you the commission checks. You may also choose to join a franchise business model, by following the system and by allowing others to use this business’s name and franchise business model, you will begin to build your own residual income. Providing you have a good reputation, are honest and fair, your franchisees will begin their own marketing strategy helping to build your business while they are building their businesses and increasing the amount of residual income checks you receive every month. Residual income through affiliate marketing is one of the methods I use to build my wealth.

06. April 2012 · Comments Off on Using Pay Per Click Services And Controlling Your Costs · Categories: Your Hopes And Dreams

To the people who use them, pay per click services are either loved or loathed, and some people both love them and loathe them at the same time. They are usually loved because they bring visitors, who probably would never find their website, to them. These visitors see the paid advertisements that are placed in a prominent position on the search engine results and click the link. It’s great for anyone’s business to see new visitors, but the reason that ppc pay per click campaigns are also loathed is because a lot of those clicks don’t produce any business but still end up costing money. Pay per click services can be expensive, especially when using some of the major search engines. There is, however, a way to increase your business and control your costs at the same time. Here are some steps that you should consider when you fine tune and manage pay per click advertisements. The first step is to review your pay per click services and pricing options. Sure, having one of the major pay per click search engines handle your account seems like the best idea, but you would be surprised at how a smaller search engine can also give you excellent results.

This is especially true if you are a small business or an individual who has limited resources (both in your budget and in what you are trying to sell). If this sounds like you, maybe a ppc pay per click campaign with a smaller company will help your business to grow slowly but steadily, instead of just jumping to the top of the charts. When choosing your pay per click services, you are going to need to keep detailed records of what your profits and advertising costs were like before and after. If you weren’t doing any advertising before, because your company is so new, you may want to think about how best to manage pay per click costs before signing up. You will need to make sure that you can afford it, especially if you are thinking about using the pay per click search engines like Google or Yahoo, who have high per click prices. Pay per click services do not come cheap, and those who are looking for a inexpensive ride to the top should realize the old proverb that “the best things in life are free” is definitely not referring to web advertisement and pay per click campaigns. However on the flip side, if you feel you can afford to rank on the first page of Google and especially in positions 3-8 you will get a ton of targeted traffic to yoru site. You have to remember that positions 1-2 are not the best poitions by any stretch of the imagination as you ususally get the click happy surfer who clicks on your link and has no intention whatsoever of taking an action when they arrive on your site. Actually that isnt one hundred percent true. They will take an action but it is the one action you dont want which is for them to leave your site. So tread carefully before you decide on your position on the first page.