Friday, February 29, 2008

How The MARKET In Network Marketing Can Lead To Success!

Article Presented by:
Gordon Bellows


Network marketing can be a great way to make a living. It has provided many people with the personal and financial freedom that most 9-to-5 jobs could never offer. However, it does not happen overnight. When you are involved with network marketing you are running your own home-based business and it takes time and effort to reach any significant level of success.

This article uses the letters of the word market to represent the main traits that are needed to have success in network marketing. It's an easy way to remember the basics of this how-to guide.

M - Method
A - Attitude
R - Relationships
K - Knowledge
E - Enthusiasm
T - Tenacity

Method: A system to market and promote your business. It is essential to generate traffic for your website and then be able to follow up with people to answer questions and determine who is a good prospect. Many opportunities have their own system or one they highly recommend to promote the business.

Attitude: Be positive and believe in yourself, the products, and the opportunity. Your attitude comes across whenever you talk to others or communicate by email. If you have a negative attitude, people won't want to be your customer or hear about the business.

Relationships: The most successful people in network marketing are the ones who build relationships. If someone is a prospect, get to know a little about them. Never try to sell your product, but offer solutions instead. For example, if you represent a long distance telephone service, that service might be a solution for someone making lots of long distance calls. Your opportunity may be a solution for somebody wanting to work from home. You are in a better position to offer solutions when you know a little bit about the person, their dreams, and what they want out of life.

Knowledge: You should have a working knowledge of the products, company management, company policy, and how the pay plan works. If you are not sure how to answer a question, don't just make something up, admit you don't know, and get the answer from somebody in your upline. Here's a little tip: Every so often, even when you know the answer, it might be good to say you're not sure and you need to check with somebody else. It lets the person know its okay to check with other people, since they may need to do that when they get started. It also lets that person know that there is a team support system in place, which can help them feel more comfortable about joining your opportunity.

Enthusiasm: Just like attitude, enthusiasm comes across in the way you communicate with others. Other words that mean close to same thing as enthusiasm are energy and excitement. People are more likely to listen to what you have to say when you are full of positive energy and excited about what you are doing.

Tenacity: Success in network marketing does not happen overnight. It takes time and effort to make things happen. Some people give up too soon because they just lose sight of their goals or they get sidetracked by something else. If you don't have tenacity, the other things really don't matter. In other words, having the drive and determination to succeed is of vital importance.

Articles like this allow me to pass along the best of what I have learned about making a living from the Internet. I sincerely hope the tidbits of information and insight will be of value to you.


About the Author:
Gordon Bellows struggled to find success with a home-based business until he was given some life-changing information. The same clear-cut tips and secrets that put him on the fast track to success are revealed in a useful e-course that is yours at no cost! Go to http://www.Home-Biz-Builder.com


Family Members in Business Together – Is it Right For You?

Article Presented by:
Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success


Running a business with members of your family is a desirable prospect for some people; let me give you five (5) items to consider before you get to a point of no return that may influence the chances of your business not being successful and possibly straining your family relationships.

Nowadays more than ever, home based and centralized businesses have become a perceptible place in many people's minds for families and extended family members to begin their entrepreneurship journey. As in the business world, each family member may provide a different skill set that actually can contribute to the successful start of a business. However, extensive consideration and a lot of pre-planning must go into the business plan before you launch full force or extend any funding into your business project.

Five (5) items you need to consider prior to committing to your *Family Business*

1. Create and develop a business plan. The business plan as a minimum should describe the mission and vision of the business, product or service to be provided, long and short-term goals (include financial expectations), roles and responsibilities. This needs to be completed as independent as possible of family member role allocation. Why, because you do not want the beginning of your business plan to get bogged down in the creating phase.

*Note: The plan can of course evolve as you get farther and further into the process; my point is to have a structured way to start planning and discussion, especially if you are going to seek institutional funding; they will require a very formal business plan.

2. Define your financial commitment and goals. How much money is going to be required to start the business, maintain overheads (standard recurring expenses) and of course expected salaries. Where is this money coming from? There needs to be some real sole searching done in this area, benchmarking of other similar companies and a careful look so you do not impoverish your family if things don't start as fast as expected. The financial plan should extend a minimum of two years, with a goal to break even the first year. Seek out financial professionals to help you with this if there is any doubt what amount of money it may take to start your business, better safe than broke!

3. Establish a schedule of major milestones you expect to achieve during the first year. You can be as detailed as your personality allows. The milestone chart needs to be a large visual reminder to every one of expectations and what you all are working toward. The milestone chart will also serve to keep everyone focused in the event *new ideas* and innovations crop up for discussion that may take people's focus off the original plan.

4. Identify and define the roles and tasks of each position a family member may fill. This is critical for you as the business *leader* and each family member to clearly help each other and not have overlapping tasks being confounded or duplicated. You want to be as efficient and productive at the start of a business as possible. You cannot afford to have any wasted effort or the potential internal conflict of who does what and when. Have a discussion on how conflicts and problems will be addressed and who will be the final decision maker. Everyone must buy into and agree to this process at the beginning because you do not want infighting to carry over into the family side of your life.

5. Separate the business and the family activities. My experience is you must leave the business out of family get-together or events as much as you can. Sure there may be a discussion or two, but every member of the family must continue to put forth the effort into maintaining the family structure and values as hard as they are putting effort into the business. You want to minimize the carryover from the business to the family and deal with any conflicts when they occur. What happens a lot is the tensions of the business begin to creep into family events; you must recognize and deal with these situations immediately. I know I'm repeating this point, but it is a backbreaker of many families and small businesses. A family can have enough of normal stresses in their day to day activities raising children, maintaining a household, paying bills, getting the kids to their sporting events...on and on the list goes let alone starting a business; give your situation careful consideration.

I support you in your entrepreneurship and desire to be independent, with the caveat do your preplanning and preparation before getting into a *family* business because you cannot let the family part of your life fail!


About the Author:
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in the success field and provides valuable success information for free through his website at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com . You can also read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog


Thursday, February 28, 2008

Internet Marketing In The Age Of Google

Article Presented by:
Titus Hoskins


Forget the Computer Age or the Internet Age, centuries from now our current time will probably be referred to as the Google Age. This assumption is not exactly a great leap of faith; Google has quickly permeated into mainstream culture to become an underlying factor of everyday life, a tightly woven backdrop to our lives. But never make the mistake of trying to define Google as just a search engine or you will miss the true calling of this little "Backrub", which was the original name used by its founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1996. Google as we now know it debuted in 1998. The name Google is a twist on the word Googol, a number represented as 1 followed by 100 zeros. After everything is said and done, it will more than likely refer to Google's net worth - monetary or otherwise.

But forget search engine, for regardless of the founders' intentions or company's objectives, Google is and has always been the ultimate marketing machine. A massive marketing machine that is just now gearing up and aiming for more and more lofty heights. These heights seem to increase each day as Google quietly rolls out program after program.

All noble ambitions aside, Google is the perfect marketing machine. Google has no equals, and it is very close to getting a stranglehold on the real power behind all marketing, which is information. Marketing is information. Information is marketing. Great marketing is supplying the right information at the right time. Google more than any other entity on the web or in the world, for that matter, fulfills this criterion at its very core. Google is re-writing the book on how products are marketed.

Google now has over 60% of the search traffic in the U.S., with a staggering 7.3 billion monthly searches. In some countries Google's search share is 80% or more. (Source: comScore) Those webmasters who have number one keyword listings in all three of the major search engines will know Google is the only game worth playing because it delivers by far the most traffic.

While MSN and Yahoo! are still major players and are listed in the top 5 traffic sites on the web, what most people don't realize is that (unlike the other two) almost all of Google's traffic is search traffic. >From a marketing perspective this is extremely important since search traffic can deliver the highest conversions (sales) mainly because it lets you capture the potential customer or client when they are in the right mindset to buy or to perform an action. Obviously the key to successful marketing is finding the buyers and clients for your products and services. Google has forged itself as the ultimate "middleman" as more and more of the world's business is performed in cyberspace. And as everyone knows the "middleman" can reap huge profits and hold enormous power.

Google, within its Adsense program, now offers CPA or Cost Per Action where marketers can now receive larger returns for displaying Google's links on their webpages. As any professional marketer will tell you, you can get 10 times the revenue by promoting affiliate products rather than the Adsense code on your sites. But by adding CPA and other affiliate products within the Adsense program, Google has made it more attractive to serious online marketers.

Another step in that same direction is Google's acquisition of DoubleClick, which includes the massive online affiliate marketing network Performics. This means Google can now bring any customer full-circle from initial search to checkout.

This may have dire consequences for large, lucrative third-party affiliate networks like Commission Junction and LinkShare. Online marketing and ecommerce is growing at a blistering rate, and the company that controls the majority of these transactions will wield enormous power. Will make the Medici look like paupers.

Those marketers who have managed to acquire number one listings for their targeted keywords in Google's organic search are smiling all the way to the bank. Mainly because Google commands enormous trust with the surfing/buying public and this is demonstrated through higher conversion rates. Likewise, those who have mastered the Adsense and Adwords programs will know Google is an excellent source of online income.

Most of the complaints against Google stems from its PageRank system, which is supposed to be Google's version of online democracy in action, a link is a vote for your page or content. The higher the number of links, the higher your page will be ranked in Google's index or SERPs - Search Engine Results Pages.

So far Google has played fair, giving even the smallest webmaster the opportunity to capture top Google listings if they produce superior or popular content to the surfer. Some would even argue Google's recent crackdown on sites offering paid-links can be seen as evening the playing field for the small webmaster or marketer who obviously doesn't have the economic clout or resources to buy their way to the top of Google's listings.

Keyword rankings may be the ultimate equalizer and determiner of online wealth. Those who can reach the top positions for their chosen profitable niche keywords will have companies and service providers lining up to do business with them. The fallout can prove extremely lucrative for both parties.

However, few marketers or webmasters forget who is really holding the cards; Google controls all steps along this marketing tunnel with its search listings, Adwords and Adsense programs. The only dark spot on the horizon could be monopoly issues, but Google probably has enough reservoirs of public goodwill and deep enough corporate pockets to squash any claims. As Google's dominance in the search market becomes greater, Google will have control of all segments of the online marketplace. Why should Google stop there, why not go into Radio, TV... as the Internet gradually mutates into a billion+ interactive TV channel universe (as many believe it will) who do you think will be at control central offering you a nice free remote?

Then there is also Google's planned broadband 700 MHz bid; one can only speculate on Google's intentions. But Google must find a way to transmit its information at no cost to its users. Could it mean free wireless Internet for everyone on free Google boxes or gadgets of some form, usable and accessible anywhere in the world? Anything is possible because the stakes are so astronomical and the marketing revenue so vast, Google must get its information seamlessly and instantly to the end user at all costs.

One can only guess at the enormity of the marketing power Google will yield in coming years as the Internet slips out of its teen years. But it won't be just marketing, the influence of Google on all aspects of our lives will probably grow exponentially and that influence will be huge.

For the true power of Google is only just now beginning to be glimpsed; only as more and more of the Google pieces fall into place will we truly fathom what life will be like in the Google Age. Google's power, reverence and respect will no doubt be so enormous it may lead some to make comparisons to a higher power that has guided most of the life on this planet so far. Which could also lead one to muse, at least they got the first two letters correct.


About the Author:
The author, a former artist and teacher, is now a full-time online marketer who has numerous websites, including two sites on Internet marketing. For the latest web marketing tools try: Internet Marketing Tools or Marketing Tool Guide Copyright © 2008 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.


Internet Fax Buying Guide What You Need to Know Before Buying Any Online Fax Service

Article Presented by:
Titus Hoskins


Before acquiring any Internet Fax service you must ask some pertinent questions before you sign on the dotted line. Remember, getting a fax number and service for your business or company should have your full attention because this is a long-term service and doing your homework now can save you significant money over the long haul.

Besides, picking the RIGHT fax service provider will help you avoid serious problems/headaches down the road. More importantly, like any business service you must make doubly sure you get a high quality reliable service that will enhance your business and not hinder it.

So with these concerns in mind, here are some basic questions you should ask before buying any Internet fax service.

Questions About The Company

Who owns the company? How long have they been operating? How many customers/clients do they have? How good is their support? Basically, you want to do some research on the Internet fax company you're thinking about using. Check out the company's history by doing a BBB search to see if there are any major complaints about the company or service.

Check to see if there's a trial period and if there is a 30-day money-back guarantee if things don't work out. Most legitimate fax companies provide this feature. Find out how long they have been operating and find out what their support is like? Check out the online fax forums to see how the different companies are rated? What problems are discussed? Check these forums to see what the support is like for a company and/or if there are any problems with using a particular fax company.

Keep in mind, many fax service providers have their own forums... check these to see how well questions are answered and how quickly problems are solved. You can even monitor these forums for a few days just to see how quickly problems are dealt with?

Remember to ask around to see if you can find actual users of a particular fax service, there is nothing as good as first-hand experience and advice when choosing a service. Microsoft's Office Marketplace is a good place to start.

Questions About Your New Fax Number:

First, you will want to check to see what type of fax number is supplied by the fax provider - local number with your same area code or a Toll-free number? Can you get inbound numbers in a different country in case you want to create a virtual presence there? Check to see if a fax provider recycles old fax numbers? On rare occasions this could present a problem with you receiving someone else's faxes. Keep this in mind if you discontinue your fax number, especially if you were receiving sensitive faxes through your number.

Questions About The Transmission of Faxes:

How do I send faxes? You want to know the exact procedure for your chosen fax provider? Is there a desktop or email application I can use to send and receive faxes? Does it work with Windows Applications? Is there an online interface or site where I can send and receive my faxes? (Most fax services have this.) Can I store my faxes online? If so, how much disc space is provided and how long before my faxes are deleted? Can I track the process of my faxes online? Can I track how much each fax costs? What attachment file formats are used by your prospective fax provider? Most use the TIFF (Tagged Image File) format but other popular ones are Acrobat PDF, JPEG/JPG and GIF. If you have or use a different format, check with the provider to see if they can handle it.

Can you change your email address to where your faxes are sent? Can you have multiple email addresses? Do you have control over your fax identifier (CSID) for outbound faxes? The CSID is used to identify the sender of the fax and is a legal requirement in many locations.

Finally, if security is a real concern, you must ask whether or not your fax provider can send encrypted/signed email? Encryption ensures only you and the receiver sees your faxes. Can your faxes be sent and received via email with PGP encryption?

Questions About Fax Broadcasting:

Does your fax provider offer Fax Broadcasting - sending the same fax to hundreds or thousands of recipients? This is useful in a business setting for such things as Newsletters, Press Releases, Special Sales or Deals - not to be confused with Junk Faxes, which is similar to email Spam!

If you or your company does a lot of legitimate faxing, you must check to see if your fax provider is completely scalable to meet your company's growing faxing needs? Can you easily get multiple fax numbers for different departments or agents? Can it handle high volumes on short notice?

Questions About The Costs of Faxing:

Perhaps the most important questions you have to ask concerns the cost or price of your online faxing. Are there any set-up costs? Are there any hidden fees? Is there a trial version you can start with? Is there a money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the service? Fax services are paid for by subscriptions - you must check to see if it's a yearly or monthly subscription? Most companies give you an option and if you buy an annual subscription, you usually get a discount - check this?

Regardless of how you pay, you must check how many faxes can you send and/or receive each month with your subscription? Fax companies all have different plans and fees... so it pays to shop around... most services go for around $10-$15 a month. Heavier volume faxing will be more expensive. Also check to see if there is custom pricing for companies?

What are your provider's international fax rates? This is something you should really check out as you will have to pay more for these types of faxes. If I go over my limit, what are the costs of sending faxes? Receiving faxes? Remember, as a general rule of thumb, page calculations are done based on fax time with the 60-second per page limit as standard. Most faxes are less than 40 seconds, but faxes with large graphics may be counted as two or more pages.

Some fax providers base their fax rates on a per/minute fee... 5 cents a minute. When considering the costs of your Internet faxing, you have to remember, with online faxing you won't have the cost of a fax machine, or the cost of a second phone line. Plus, you won't have to pay ink, toner and paper costs.

Overall, Internet faxing is a good viable alternative to the old fax machine. It offers some very distinct advantages because it is completely mobile, you can send your faxes anytime, anywhere. And since it is computer and Internet based, it can be much more efficient than the old fax machine.


About the Author:
For more information on Internet Fax Services and Pricing try this handy online Fax Comparison Guide: Internet Internet Fax Or why not grab a copy of this convenient Fax Guide as it contains all the information you need on choosing an Internet Fax service: Internet Fax Service Guide Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2008. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.


Friday, February 22, 2008

How to Choose the Right Home Business Opportunity

Article Presented by:
Vasrue.com, All Rights Reserved Written by: Clinton Douglas IV


As the internet continues to grow and expand into almost every industry, it can be difficult to determine which home business opportunities will produce a lucrative income, and which ones are simply a waste of time. Choosing the right home business opportunity is a simple process, and you can start by choosing a niche topic or industry that you have an interest in. After a few brainstorming sessions, you'll be able to consider a variety of options in sales, marketing, affiliate products, or even creating a resource website. Here's what you need to choose the right home business opportunity:

1. Decide if you want to sell a product or a service. Products take the form of retail or consumer goods that are sold through an online storefront. Sometimes this is connected to an affiliate program, but not always; many home business owners choose to stock inventory and sell their items through eBay listings or other classifieds in order to make the sale. If you are choosing a service as a business, you may need to learn more about how the industry is doing online, and seek out additional education or training to sharpen your skills. Deciding if you want to sell a product or service is a fundamental step in your business planning, but will help you close the doors to some home business opportunities while opening up the doors to the one that suits you best.


2. Decide if you want to be an affiliate. Affiliate programs are a great way to generate a residual income since you're rarely involved with developing a product and selling it yourself. As an affiliate, you join a network of other sales people to promote a particular product and will earn a commission on each sale. Affiliate products in the digital world have become increasingly popular over the past few years as more people turn are interested in buying eBooks, podcasts, and informational services. You can set up a storefront just like an online retailer, but will link all products sold with your affiliate codes instead. Affiliate sales can be a very profitable home business opportunity and entrepreneurial venture, but you do need to remain consistent and maintain a steady marketing plan and program.

3. Consider selling information yourself. Many people turn to the web to sell knowledge and tutorials about a particular subject. Seek out your passion and turn it into a profitable home business opportunity by creating your own website. A website that can draw a large amount of traffic has a lot of potential to make money from advertising, and you may also be able to sell affiliate products through it after building a steady flow of visitors. This is a valuable home business opportunity for you if you can update your site regularly and really focus on your niche topic. Becoming an expert on a niche subject or industry is a great way to build a steady stream of visitors to your site which can lead to subscription lists, newsletters, and many opportunities to sell a product or service.


4. Set your income goals. Sometimes deciding how much you want to make over the course of a year can help you narrow down your search. For example, if you only want to make a part-time income while working a 'day job,' you would choose online business opportunities that do not require a daily commitment. This includes any retail stores or sales-oriented sites that require you to fill orders and track inventory. If you do want to focus all your energy on making a full-time income, then a complete affiliate sales and marketing program, or information product selling and services may be a good choice.

Finding the right home business opportunity can take time, and sometimes it's even a matter of trial and error. Still, you can narrow down your search with a few simple questions and focus on these key areas for the right fit.


About the Author:
Clinton Douglas IV, writes E-Business articles for people who want to achieve more online success. Learn Today, "How to Start an Online Business in less than 30 Days starting from Scratch"! Free Special Report - Limited Time! Plus, weekly newsletter from Online Empire Secrets (A $400 Value). Click ==> Small Business Ideas To get Your FREE REPORT!
http://online-empire.vasrue.com/How-To-Start-Your-Online-Business_F.html


Are You Ready For a Successful Online Business?

Article Presented by:
Vasrue.com, All Rights Reserved Written by: Clinton Douglas IV


Starting an online business doesn't have to be a challenge, especially when you're equipped with the right knowledge, tools, and business planning strategy. Choosing a niche market is the first step towards building your online empire, but there are many other important factors to consider before getting started. Are you ready for a successful online business? Here are some key items to consider so you are prepared with the right information before jumping in:

Mapping Out Your Small Business Ideas

When you're considering different types of small business ideas, mapping out each one individually can help you decide which ones will be most profitable-and which ideas just won't work for the long-term. Mapping out your small business ideas can help you outline the benefits and challenges of each, and help you make a better decision.

Your Small Business Startup Marketing Plan

Your marketing plan will consist of the different ways you plan to promote and build your network. This includes both clients and customers, and is an important step for a small business both online and offline. If your internet business ideas can't be promoted properly, you'll miss out on the right opportunity. Designing a valuable small business startup marketing plan is an essential step towards success. Whether you choose to launch a retail site, a newsletter, or even a blog, consider a variety of approaches so that your online business startup can be a success.

Number of Employees for Your Online Business

Is your online business going to be a solo venture, or will you be hiring employees? An online business that is maintained with just one or a few employees is easier to start and manage; you can plan out everything step by step, and slowly build your business until you feel you're ready to start paying a salary or wage to others. One of the biggest benefits of a small business startup is the ability to control and manage operations from the get-go; if you enjoy working independently and are interested in building your own small business, consider waiting until a later date to bring on a team of employees.

Designing Your Online Business Website With Success

If you're not web-savvy enough to build or design your own website, you'll need to hire a professional web designer to manage the project. Make sure you choose something that will attract customers and make it easy for people to find your products. You want customers to be able to get a hold of you easily, so it's a good idea to include an e-mail address or phone number for contact. Whether it's an online retail business or just a service, a great presentation can help you make the sale.

Building Credibility Online

Your online business will need to build credibility to attract customers, clients, and subscribers. You can do this by marketing and promoting your website using a variety of tools already on the web. From article distribution to press releases, you'll need a strategy to build credibility so your online business can take off easily. There are many money making ideas on the web today, but only a few survive because of effective marketing and promotions. Use a variety of strategies to start building credibility online, and you'll start seeing profits sooner than you think.

Being prepared for online business success is an important step. From marketing to hiring, get your online business off to a strong start with any or all of these key factors in mind.




About the Author:
Clinton Douglas IV, writes E-Business articles for people who want to achieve more online success. Learn Today, "How to Start an Online Business in less than 30 Days starting from Scratch"! Free Special Report - Limited Time! Plus, weekly newsletter from Online Empire Secrets (A $400 Value). Click ==> Small Business Ideas To get Your FREE REPORT!
http://online-empire.vasrue.com/How-To-Start-Your-Online-Business_F.html


Business Planning Basics

Article Presented by:
Vasrue.com, All Rights Reserved Written by: Clinton Douglas IV


Business planning is an important factor when you are launching your small business startup or online business, and you need to make sure you have documented your ideas thoroughly and objectively for each area. From financial projections to summaries and overviews, an effective business plan will help you and potential investors determine how valuable the business idea truly is.

Most people make the mistake of thinking they don't need a business plan for an online business or startup; they think they can just launch first, and then put the pieces together as they move ahead. However, this can be a costly strategy and puts you at risk for some big mistakes. Business planning will help you organize your goals and keep you on track towards success. Here are some basic do's and don'ts for business planning:

Do write up the business plan summaries before filling out each area. The summary can serve as a basic guide, and can always be changed later if needed. You'll need to write up the general idea of what the section is about so you have a simple outline before getting into the details.

Don't analyze trends too early. While it's a good idea to do some market research and learn about your customers, determining market potential too early on can lead to poor decisions. Effective business planning requires that you find only the information that supports your ideas at this present moment, and then using solid financial projections for forecasting at a later date.

Do outline a marketing budget and plan. Your marketing plan doesn't have to be complex to be effective, and there are many ways you can work on promoting your business and developing a strong customer base. Make a list of at least 5-8 marketing objectives and strategies so that you can coordinate your marketing plan immediately from the startup of your business.

Don't share your business planning strategy or ideas with too many people. You want to make sure that your plans and information remain confidential until you are prepared to launch. Sharing your ideas with too many people can easily make you lose out on a great business opportunity.

Do include sales strategies and marketing tools you want to use. This will help you narrow down which approaches might be most effective for your business as you start out, and you can always build upon them as the business grows. Having these ideas in writing will help you keep track of your objectives with ease.

Don't include your background research or additional ideas within the final plan. Business planning does require some strategic reporting, and you don't have to 'publish' all of your research in the final plans. Take the time to weed out what is most important for you as you get going, and organize the plan as if you were going to be presenting it to a board for review. This will help you filter out what is necessary for the beginning phases of your small business startup, and what can wait for additional review at a later date.

Effective business planning takes time, patience, and strong research and organization skills but the effort is well worth it. Following some business planning basics is all you need to get started, and you can work on building up your plan with ease as the business grows.


About the Author:
Clinton Douglas IV, writes E-Business articles for people who want to achieve more online success. Learn Today, "How to Start an Online Business in less than 30 Days starting from Scratch"! Free Special Report - Limited Time! Plus, weekly newsletter from Online Empire Secrets (A $400 Value). Click ==> Small Business Ideas To get Your FREE REPORT!
http://online-empire.vasrue.com/How-To-Start-Your-Online-Business_F.html


Article Marketing for Internet Affiliate Programs

Article Presented by:
Vasrue.com, All Rights Reserved Written by: Clinton Douglas IV


When you decided that the time was right to look for business opportunities that let you work from home online, internet marketing affiliate programs like those offered by Click Booth were likely a big draw - for good reason; they make it possible to make money fast. For those affiliate marketers who made the decision not to design their own website (at least initially) and for those who have their own professional sites alike, article marketing is an effective tool for getting the word out about the products and services that you are promoting.

Even if you only work from home online, you'll find that article marketing can easily be fit into the activities that you perform while running your home based business. The reason that even those who believe that they "cannot write" turn to article marketing to get the word out is simple: how else can you make money online free? That's right. When you write and submit articles to various article directories on the web, you'll be able to reach a wider audience without having to pay for the advertising.

Of course, reaching people about the internet affiliate program products and services that you're promoting will take a bit of finesse. While good articles always include a link to the page that you are promoting - either within the article itself or in the resource box that lets you tell readers a bit more about who you are and what you do - the goal of the article is to inform. In other words, an article isn't a sales pitch.

Instead, the articles that you use to market and internet affiliate programs should benefit the readers. Use your articles to focus on relevant information; let the reader see that what you're telling him or her is really to his or her advantage. If, for example, you've chosen to promote a Click Booth service such as satellite television, don't focus on selling that service. Instead write an article that speaks to the frustrations that they have with their cable company overcharging for inferior service; explain what satellite TV really is and provide some history. This sort of quality content that is appealing not only to the readers but also to publishers who are looking for content to use on their blogs or websites is far more valuable than a short link ad.

You did read that correctly - publishers of ezines and other email newsletters as well as a wide variety of bloggers and webmasters scan article directories to find content that they can include on their site: this is a remarkably good thing. Each time a publisher reprints your article, all of the links that you included must be in tact and active; that means that every time your articles are used, another link to the internet affiliate program product or service you were marketing will show up online.

Article marketing helps to establish your credibility by showing that you know what you're writing about. Article marketing draws attention when your articles provide the information that people are already looking for. Others will put your links up for you by republishing that content. And, again, it's free advertising for your home based business.


About the Author:
Clinton Douglas IV, writes E-Business articles for people who want to achieve more online success. Learn Today, "How to Start an Online Business in less than 30 Days starting from Scratch"! Free Special Report - Limited Time! Plus, weekly newsletter from Online Empire Secrets (A $400 Value). Click ==> Small Business Ideas To get Your FREE REPORT!
http://online-empire.vasrue.com/How-To-Start-Your-Online-Business_F.html


Breaking in to Affiliate Internet Marketing

Article Presented by:
Vasrue.com, All Rights Reserved Written by: Clinton Douglas IV


So you think you're ready to make a commitment to work from home online and you're looking at internet marketing affiliate programs - congratulations, you are about to embark on a journey that will help you to earn money at home and start a home based business of your own. But breaking into affiliate internet marketing means knowing what you're going to be getting yourself into.

First, just because it's relatively easy to make money online with an internet marketing affiliate program doesn't mean that there aren't people who struggle and ultimately fail. That means that you not only need to make a commitment to your home based business, but also that you need to make a commitment to finding affiliate products or services that meet a few specific criteria:

1. The product or service should be something that you care about. If you don't know much about home security systems, choosing to market them may not be the best plan if only because other marketers who know a lot about the topic are sure to be more knowledgeable. But there's another reason to look for products or services that you care about: when you see the value of something, when you're excited about something, that excitement is contagious. The writing that you do, the ads that you create, the forums that you go to - all of these will show your commitment, and that will help to get your prospects excited too.

2. The product or service has a specific target market. Have you ever noticed that washing machines are targeted towards women? Have you ever noticed that home gym equipment is targeted to guys who want to get ripped without going to the gym and who don't necessarily want to work out for hours at a time lifting traditional weights? These are specific target markets that advertisers are pitching their products to. If you're looking at a product or service through an internet marketing affiliate program like Click Booth, you'll want to focus on those products that you can see a clear need for because that way it will be easier to drive traffic to the advertiser.

3. People want the product or service, but there is not a great deal of competition for selling it. Do you know why the diet industry is so huge in the United States? The answer isn't the obesity epidemic, the answer is that there are a whole lot of people who are looking for ways of making it simple to reach their goals. At first glance, it may seem that, when you're breaking into affiliate internet marketing you would want to have a product that has such wide appeal; however, if there are already millions of people selling the product, well, that's millions of people that you'll need to compete with.

The key is to find a balance. Be passionate about the product or service from Click Booth that you choose to market and promote. Know that there are individuals who will be interested in it and make sure that you will not have an impossible amount of competition once you get started with your home based business.


About the Author:
Clinton Douglas IV, writes E-Business articles for people who want to achieve more online success. Learn Today, "How to Start an Online Business in less than 30 Days starting from Scratch"! Free Special Report - Limited Time! Plus, weekly newsletter from Online Empire Secrets (A $400 Value). Click ==> Small Business Ideas To get Your FREE REPORT!
http://online-empire.vasrue.com/How-To-Start-Your-Online-Business_F.html


3:10 to Yuma...Lessons Learned

Article Presented by:
Vasrue.com, All Rights Reserved Written by: Clinton Douglas IV


Before we begin, let's start with a quote from one of my favorite people. "I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature." - J.D. Rockefeller

I watched a movie called "3:10 to Yuma" this past weekend and let me tell you first... It was great! Besides being known as the Travel Guru, I also love to watch movies. It's just one of those past times that started with my mom way back in the day with movies like: Kelly's Hero's, To Hell and Back, Platoon, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the list goes on. Man, movies just are a great way to put motivation back into your life, to get over the humps that we just can't seem to get rid of!

So, in 3:10 to Yuma we get to see Russell Crowe back again doing a fine Ben Wade (an Outlaw). He had this calm role, where you see him thinking before taking any action. You can see the looks he gives as he plans out the next move. Careful planning, then the decision is made and it's done! Then, you have Christian Bale (Plays in Batman) now playing Dan Evans, a former US Soldier with a missing leg. He has a family on the ranch, which is broke and about to become a landmark, as the railroad wants to claim his land for a debt he owes. Sound familiar?

The storyline has Dan Evans as one of a few men to escort Ben Wade to Yuma for the 3:10 train. Now, as simple this may play out you got to go watch the movie, if you haven't. But, the story line thickens as different challenges are faced along the way.

============= Overcoming Self =============

One of the hardest things to overcome in life is self. Now Dan Evans really had a lot against him, before all this started. For example, his sons where challenging him, his wife was not happy because he does not have any money, and his ranch (business) sucks! Now, on top of all this, he has a severe case of self-doubt. For any average man to press on with this much burden would be difficult, right?

As, I stated earlier, overcoming self is one the hardest things one can do. But God always has something that he shows us to help us get the courage to move past our temporary problems.

Dan Evans was offered $200 to help escort Ben Wade to Yuma. Now this is not much, but it would help get some of his debts paid, and maybe it would help get things back on track in his personal life and help him to make money down on the farm. He accepts the offer and the journey starts.

======== Fear ========

"One great source of failure is found in a lack of concentration of purpose. There will be adverse winds in every voyage, but the able seaman firmly resists their influence, while he takes advantage of every favorable breeze to speed him on his course."

"So in our aims and pursuits we shall find much to counteract them, much to draw our attention from them, and, unless we are armed with a steadfast purpose, that can subordinate the lesser to the greater, that can repel hindrances, resist attractions, and bend circumstances to our will, our efforts will not be crowned with success." Anonymous

Dan Evans also had fear. With the odds stacked against him, how could he achieve this enormous goal? After all, who is he to think that because he was some war hero, and that he could escort an Outlaw to a destination a few hundred miles away and out smart Ben Wades Posse?

Dan Evans had to make a decision. Was he going to let his family starve and the ranch go under, or was he going to face his fear and do it anyways? He took a deep look inside himself and found the answer. Notice, he first took inventory of himself, then made the decision to either fail standing up or to fail down on his knees. Let me tell you, it was the most courageous decision one could make. To fail standing up was his decision!

========== Opportunity ==========

"Teachers open the doors, but you must enter by yourself." Chinese Proverb

I am doing my best to not tell you the whole movie here, but you must understand that "3:10 To Yuma" has so many life lessons that one should really rent it today!

Let me tell you a bit more about Dan Evans. Dan has made his journey to Yuma. But, is his journey complete? Has he achieved his goal of claiming the $200 reward for escorting Ben Wade to Yuma? Well my friend, you are about to find out. Dan is now sitting in a hotel with Ben Wade, only a few hours until 3:10pm. He can see that his journey is almost complete, and he can see the joy that his wife and kids will feel when he soon returns home to be with them.

I know, what the heck Clinton, is this really the end? Has he reached his goal?

As I mentioned before, God places things in your eye that may seem pleasurable, only to lead you to do greater things. Yes, the $200 reward was the pleasurable thing in Dan's eye. He can now claim it, but the Ben Wade Posse surrounds them. The local town Marshall, who was supposed to support Dan until the train arrived, has already abandoned Dan. But the Marshall's cowardice only led to a quick and embarrassing death at the hands of the bandits, who had demanded Dan Evans and his party to give up Ben Wade, in exchange for their own freedom.

Ben could have decided to give up against these odds. He had realized that the $200 was not worth facing the odds he was against. But, he would not quit. Instead, he decided that he would up the stakes and make life pay him for what he asked for. What was his new offer for life? He wanted $1,000 and all of his debts paid off, and he wanted the dam that was blocking water to his ranch to be destroyed. Only a crazy man or a man who saw that he could accomplish all that he had set out to do only if he put his mind into it would venture such a gamble.

He is a crazy man, you might say, but this man had a definite purpose backed only by a definite plan that would lead him to accomplish what he wanted to achieve. He wanted his family to have a secure future and never have to worry about being hungry again. Dan Evans made it to the train, but not with out great sacrifice. He lost his life along the way.

But the greatest things we have to do in life is to look within our self and ask if we are willing to do the things that we need to do to help those we love, even if those things require us to be selfless in our actions.

Until Next time, take care and be blessed.


About the Author:
Clinton Douglas IV, writes E-Business articles for people who want to achieve more online success. Learn Today, "How to Start an Online Business in less than 30 Days starting from Scratch"! Free Special Report - Limited Time! Plus, weekly newsletter from Online Empire Secrets (A $400 Value). Click ==> Small Business Ideas To get Your FREE REPORT!
http://online-empire.vasrue.com/How-To-Start-Your-Online-Business_F.html


Thursday, February 21, 2008

Your Business Is Doomed With One-Size-Fits-All Marketing

Article Presented by:
Dan Lok


Deciding exactly how you'll market your next product, business, or campaign is one of the most important questions you can ask your self. And I do hope you even bother to ask. The correct answer will decide your success or failure.

Should you go for the sale in one step of marketing magic? Or should you spread it out over two or more steps? There's no clear, one-size-fits-all answer. And here's why...

The general guideline is to use a multi-step campaign for higher priced items, or products that require a shift in your prospects behavior. We humans tend to resist change, as you know. So you'll have to engage in some wining and dining, and education to persuade them to believe the benefits vastly outweigh the price or inconvenience.

A new product on the market scene will usually perform better with the multi-step approach. Again it has to do with human nature. Allowing some time and space for people to 'warm-up' to the new kid on the block.

If you think about it... the best solutions to many marketing problems can be found simply by considering good 'ole human nature! Ask your self how you would react to your own marketing message. Or, ask others you know.

But remember what I said earlier. Sometimes the very best approach isn't always clear-cut. I'll explain...

Think of the marketing context. Example: What if you want to sell a high ticket product to your 'segmented' list of previous buyers? Here's a quick sidebar...

I hope you do segment your marketing list. Categorize your list into those who have bought from you and those who have yet to buy. You can take it further by categorizing by product price-points. Low-end and higher-end buyers. See?

It makes for much, much smarter marketing. If you segment your list you'll be setting your self up for maximized ROI.

Ok... back to the example...

Offering a higher priced product to a segmented list of previous 'higher end' buyers won't require as much wining and dining. And remember these buyers are 100% warm prospects... assuming they're satisfied with what they previously bought from you!

You can usually get away with sending them straight to your sales page. What are some examples of effective online multi-step marketing?

There is no clear winner in the online world. This is simply due to so many variables such as product, market, origin of traffic prior to seeing your message, quality of traffic, keywords that capture prospects in different buying stages, etc.

There are many more variables involved. But those are just a few to think about.

But... landing pages can be extremely effective for several reasons. The first useful task they perform for you is to filter out prospects who'll only waste your time and bandwidth. Why... ?

Easy. If someone is NOT willing to give you their contact information, then they'll more than likely not respond to your message on the other side.

And landing pages also serve as a mini pre-sell. If your landing page copy is good and full of great benefits, then they'll click through with demonstrated interest in what you have to say.

Other online forms include pop-ups. You have entries, delayed, and exits. Each one can be effective, and the only way to find out for sure is to test. Pop-ups form the initial consent by your prospect to enter in a long term, multi-step marketing campaign. More on that in a minute...

You need to be aware of several important concerns with 'pre-exit' pop-ups.

Perhaps the greatest risk you run is distracting your prospect with too many messages. Ideally, you want your reader to focus on your most desired result. And an entry or delayed pop-up, of any variety, will only serve as a distraction.

Exit pop-ups can be effective for converting some who you would have lost, anyway. And with effective copy, you can capture those who were sitting on the fence.

One of the greatest marketing sins committed by BOTH online and offline businesses is failure to adequately follow-up. Amazing as it sounds, many offline businesses make NO effort to follow-up with their contacts.

And this is where you can set your business apart from the rest.

Keeping sincere, valuable contact with your prospects and customers will compel them to remember you. They'll remember that you continued to provide them with valuable information. They'll also remember that you cared enough about them.

Entire books have been written about multi-step marketing! This is just a taste that'll get you headed in the right direction


About the Author:
A former college dropout, Dan Lok transformed himself from a grocery bagger in a local supermarket to a multi-millionaire. Dan came to North America with little knowledge of the English language and few contacts. If you're ready to take your online business to the next level, go to: http://www.websiteconversionexpert.com/public/department32.cfm


The Deadliest Email List Disease And How To Cure It

Article Presented by:
Dan Lok


"I rarely encourage clients to sell via one-step, because leads; people who've raised their hands can have so much value worked well over time." – Dan Kennedy.

There's an absolute wealth of marketing wisdom in Dan's statement. It's impossible to do justice to all of it in this short space. So lets get into it and give you some important food for thought...

You'll decide to either market to a list, or not. And I know that some marketers just don't want to be bothered with list generation, for a variety of reasons. That's fine. So if you're sitting on the fence about it... just understand that you can be walking away from a LOT of money if you don't have a list.

If you take your business seriously, then you already know the life-time value of your customers. How much revenue the average customer will bring to you over the time they're doing business with you.

Armed with that knowledge, you're able to know exactly how much you can spend to acquire new leads. The smartest marketers know how to break-even to build their lists. And they also know how much that new lead will be worth over time.

Notice how Dan worded his statement...

"...so much value worked well over time."

The key phrase there is, 'worked well.' I'll tell you something. Many businesses flat out do not get it in that area. When their lists either die from attrition, or become unresponsive, it becomes the business kiss of death. And then they wonder what happened.

Simply no excuse for it because it's SO easy to prevent. You just need to know how to do that.

I'm sure many of you know about the Law of Reciprocity. Simply stated, giving someone something... or doing something for another person, will compel them to feel obligated to do something for you. Of course, that 'something' for you is giving you business.

But stop and think about this for a moment...

People online have come to expect the freebie. The free report, white paper, short ebook... whatever, in exchange for contact information and your continued marketing efforts. It has become a standard for doing business online. Unfortunately this expectation has only served to dilute, if not eliminate, the power of reciprocity. And if your freebie is poor, then you can almost forget any compelling feelings to give you something in return. You'll immediately become bland and boring because you'll be lumped in that vague group of online businesses that all look the same. Or worse...

People will label you as a scam, or just someone who wants to make a fast buck. But...

All is certainly not lost... IF you provide good quality information. And you can still harness reciprocity's power in your marketing. How?

By continuing to provide information of high perceived value in your follow-up emails. But do it with a twist and some common sense. Just think about human nature and it'll become clear.

First... spark intrigue. Create some suspense and the desire for more. One way to do that is by NOT revealing everything. Don't give the farm away in your free reports and ebooks. Now this isn't anything new. But I'll tell you something I've seen a lot.

I've seen free reports and ebooks that offered lots of good information. But they failed to create any burning desire. There was no sense of intrigue. No sense of, "I gotta know more about this NOW!"

Let me ask you... when you see a newspaper ad selling whatever, and there's a picture of an attractive woman wearing a bikini... does that picture make you want to buy?

NO! Probably doesn't. You see that so much people become blind to it... for the most part. It has no selling value. Or, for lots of guys maybe it might catch their attention. They might check out the hot girl and then move on.

You can be regarded as a respectful, professional marketer simply by treating your list with respect. That means NOT bombarding with a constant stream of, "You Gotta Check This Out NOW!" Don't beat them up with constant, hard selling.

Keep a continuous rapport with them. Talk to them. Give them substance and good information while sparking an intense desire to know more. Share your self with them and they'll come to think of you as something more than a marketer.

I've been marketing to lists for many years. And I've had subscribers stay with me for almost as long. It's a skill you can learn and develop. And done right, with the right backend offers... you'll take your bottom line to whole new levels.


About the Author:
A former college dropout, Dan Lok transformed himself from a grocery bagger in a local supermarket to a multi-millionaire. Dan came to North America with little knowledge of the English language and few contacts. If you're ready to take your online business to the next level, go to: http://www.websiteconversionexpert.com/public/department32.cfm


Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Email Guts – The Innards Of An Effective Email Marketing Message

Article Presented by:
Kimberly Clay


In terms of their success as effective marketing tools, the composition of email messages is more important than ever. With the mountain of email that's launched into cyberspace these days, it's becoming increasingly difficult for marketers to get their messages delivered, opened and read by prospects and customers. The success and effectiveness of email marketing campaigns, whether large or small, essentially comes down to one factor: the message. If the message is not properly developed, nothing else matters.

Offered here are some tips for creating email marketing messages with the best chance of reaching, and being read by, your target audience.

Great Subject Line – Just as using the wrong key to unlock a treasure chest will leave you flat broke, failing to create a great subject line for your email will have much the same effect. Absent a dynamic subject line, there's at least a 90% chance (in my humble estimation) that your email will NOT be opened, and will be immediately deleted.

I cannot over-emphasize this one point. You must have a subject line that captures your reader's attention, arouses interest, and compels them to open and read your message. No small feat. Unfortunately, too many marketers choose their subject heading almost as an afterthought, when in truth, this one line is arguably the most important portion of your message.

It is worth every minute of time, and your utmost effort to craft a suitable subject line for your email. Accomplished correctly and consistently, this one element can put you light-years ahead of your competition.

Engaging First Paragraph - After your subject line, this section is the next most-important portion of your email message. Many readers never make it beyond the first two or three sentences of an email. You'll lose them if you can't give them a reason to read further, and hint or demonstrate that what's to come will be of great interest or benefit to them.

The copy developed within this paragraph should be the "anchor" for the remainder of your message. It should contain your best and most persuasive writing. This is your opportunity to pull the reader further into your message. Entice them, whet their appetite, arouse their curiosity until they're absolutely driven to read more.

A Great Story – People love stories. When they become immersed in a good story, it's hard for them to remember that they're being marketed to, and people hate being marketed to. The stories you create can be informational, educational, and interesting as well as entertaining. Stories provide an excellent means for communicating your message, and lay the groundwork for the formation of a kinship or relationship with your audience.

Keep Your Message Focused – Each email marketing piece should have one, and only one subject and purpose. It doesn't matter that you have ten different websites, or 100 different products or services. Focus your message on one thing and one thing only. Your message will be most effective when laser-targeted for your audience, not relying upon an approach of "shotgun" hit or miss.

Great Copy – Only the highest quality copy will do. Well-written, persuasive, clean. Stupid mistakes like spelling errors and incorrect grammar ruin the most convincing sales and marketing copy. It will immediately brand you and the business or organization you represent as amateurish and of low quality. If you can't write copy, either learn or hire a professional to do it for you. If your copy is of poor quality, then sending your email message is pointless.

Another point about copy: keep your information organized and brief. Keep paragraphs short. Use "bite-sized" chunks, and numbered or bulleted lists. Choose your words carefully so that you communicate your message effectively, but as efficiently as possible.

Be Personable, But Find A Balance – You know the stereotype of the "sleazy car salesman", kind of creepy and super-slick? That's what it feels like to read email from someone who is a bit "too familiar" or informal. It makes your skin crawl. Not a reaction you want your readers to have from you.

Trying to build rapport with your audience is a good thing, and makes your email message more personable, warm and inviting. However, realize that there is a delicate balance that must be maintained.

You are not your reader's friend (at least not yet). You are a stranger, a marketer; not a neighbor, not a confidant. Be careful to recognize that there are unseen boundaries in your communications. And, if you make the mistake of causing your reader to feel that you have overstepped one of those boundaries, it's very difficult to repair the circumstance.

Under-Hype – Remember that your readers receive hundreds and hundreds of emails. This makes their "hype radar" extremely sensitive. Rather than use a lot of hype and fluff, provide statements, statistics, facts and resources to support or provide proof of what you're telling them. Doing so will go much further toward persuading them that your message is valid, valuable and credible.

Be Clear About The "Ask" - If you are marketing a business, a particular product or service, don't make the mistake of creating a great marketing message only to wimp out at the end. Be clear about asking for the business, inviting the reader to receive more information, directing the reader to subscribe to a list, or whatever "call to action" you may require.

By the time your reader gets to this portion of the email, if you've done your work properly, they're already inclined to do as you ask. So ask! Politely, professionally, but with confidence.

The email marketing tips discussed above are by no means an exhaustive list, however, I think we've covered most of the basics. While keywords were not mentioned earlier (because email messages don't require search engine optimization), it's always a good idea to use them in emails when practical. The advantage in doing so is to get the reader to focus on what your message is about. Then at some future point, if the reader loses the initial email information, she still knows what keywords to use to find you via search engine search.

Email marketing can be a highly effective and profitable marketing strategy. Used intelligently and with planning and forethought, it can be informational and beneficial for your readers, and incredibly advantageous for you


About the Author:
Kimberly Clay is a successful business woman with over twenty years of experience and success to her credit. She is an online entrepreneur with a passion for educating and helping others to develop online success and create wealth. For more information, visit her website at http://www.GetMyWealthNow.com or her blog at http://www.blog.GetMyWealthNow.com


Thursday, February 14, 2008

Attention Leaders: Tired of Being in Crisis Mode

Article Presented by:
Diana Keith


Crisis situations can define who you are as a leader. Even so, the ability to handle a crisis is chickenfeed compared to the skills involved with preventing one. This valuable expertise separates great leaders from their counterparts and starts with Six Strategic Success Habits every leader needs to know.

Why do some leaders make it, yet others get left behind? Is leadership simply about your capacity to handle or prevent a crisis? Absolutely not: there's another big reason to consider.

You Have No System to Handle Change

The problems and implications of not having a system to handle change are vast. You're always playing catching up, feel like the business is running you, and are without enough time to focus on what's important.

Let's first look at three common ways leaders react to change:

How do you handle change? Which apply to you and your people?

Crisis Mode: You are in and out of crisis mode, coasting without any kind of system. You spend a lot of time putting out fires, and wondering why the problem was not caught sooner.

Problem Focused: You are concerned and usually implement short-term solutions or band-aid problems. However, your solutions are not directed at the root cause or eliminating future problems, so you often see them resurface again.

Strategic-Success Focused: You have a focused vision, build on to what you know, and put it into action. You evaluate, strategize, redirect, and then proceed.

The big difference between the Strategic-Success Focused leader and the others is they have already made change a habit. This leader has imprinted a clear and effective system for predicting and managing change into their business and team.

Strategic-Success Focused leaders don't have one crisis after another

Instead, they create a system to handle change. This allows them to focus on what's really important, whether its driving revenue, creating new products or services, mentoring others, or enjoying the lifestyle their position has afforded them.

Why is this so important?

Because without a way to keep your business and team on track through an environment of change, you'll continue to waste a lot of time, money, and valuable energy on reinventing the wheel anytime something unexpected comes up.

Next, a cycle of problems seems to begin. The first of which is, how do you end the cycle? Where do you start?

Start with your mindset.

The best way to begin is to transform your mindset from that of crisis mode or problem focused to more of a Strategic-Success Focus with the following Six Success Habits:

Go ahead, mimic the Strategic-Success Focused leader:

1. Make change a habit.

Strategically plan when it's needed not just once a year. Use strategy as an ongoing living tool to evaluate and redirect your resources for the greatest impact.

2. Prepare for change.

Hard-wire your decision-making methods to extend beyond present circumstances and forward into future considerations. Keep asking, what will happen next, until you have a set of favorable possibilities. Predicting the future is unlikely, although you can increase your decision-making success rate with a strategic review of possible outcomes.

3. Get excited by change.

Leave behind stalling statements like Yeah but, and replace them with pioneering phrases such as What if? Launch strategic change from a position of partnership across all levels of the organization.

4. Drive growth through change.

When you hear a good idea that will lead to the results you're after, implement it. When you see something working in your business or department, ask how it happened. Always be thinking about the next step.

5. Create smart systems to handle change.

Automate and simplify what's working. If it's not working, ask your subject matter experts (employees) to create a system to streamline and update changes so that routine work is highly efficient. This helps save time and money, and redirects profits upwards. Money spent on doing routine work a different way each time is being wasted.

6. Imprint change as one of your most effective patterns of success.

As a leader, share your vision with your people. Create a visionary memory system so vast that knowledge and understanding are connected throughout your organization and teams.

The Big Message here is to acknowledge where you and your people are in regard to change. Are you ahead of the game every time?

My suggestion: Set a plan in motion to transform your business and team into one that gets extraordinary results amidst change or any challenging backdrop.


About the Author:
Diana Keith, owner of M-Level Systems Consulting, has been using her expertise to create high performance organizations and teams for eighteen years. See her website http://www.mlevelsystems.com for valuable resources and programs to get amazing results through your people. Get Diana's Free Strategy Guide For Success


Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Products the MacGyver Way

Article Presented by:
Judy Murdoch


A lot of small business owners like the idea of creating information products. They like the benefits of creating passive revenue streams, demonstrating value, and establishing their expertise.

But a lot never get past the idea of information products because they worry they'll need to learn all sorts of special technologies and buy expensive software to create one.

If your concern about complicated technology is keeping you from creating an information product read on. It's a lot easier than you think.

To do this, I want you to start thinking like the TV action hero, Angus MacGyver.

=======================================
MacGyver
=======================================

In the TV show, Angus MacGyver (known to his friends as MacGyver or "Mac") who favored brain over brawn in order to solve desperate problems. MacGyver's main asset was his practical application of scientific knowledge and inventive use of common items. (Source: Wikipedia)

Need to defuse an advanced nuclear weapon? No problem. MacGyver did it with a paper clip. Worried about that sulfuric acid leak? Give MacGyver a chocolate bar and he'll plug it. Need to read teeny tiny secret spy notes? MacGyver created a magnifying devise using a hair clip and a few drops of liquid.

=======================================
Your Information Product Toolkit
=======================================

Now I know it's highly unlikely that you will ever be in a situation in which you need to defuse an advanced nuclear weapon much less with a paper clip.

What I want you to take away is the idea that with a little know-how and resourcefulness, you already have the tools you need to create a good information product.

MacGyver's basic tool kit was duct tape and a Swiss army knife plus whatever was lying around.

What about a tool kit for the small business owner who wants to create information products? Here's my list: 1. Own or have access to a personal computer. 2. A word processing program like Microsoft Word or OpenOffice (free) 3. (Optional) A digital recorder like the Olympus VN-4100PC which retails for less than $50.

Most if not all of you reading this have #1 and #2. You can get by without #3, the digital recorder but it's very useful and I'll say more about that in a moment.

=======================================
Six Information Product Ideas MacGyver Would Approve Of
=======================================

Okay, so let's say, you hire MacGyver and you say, "Mac, I want an information product, fast, and all I have is my 3-year old Dell computer, a copy of OpenOffice, and a friend with a digital recorder. Can you help me?"

Here are six information products that you have all the tools and know-how you need to get going: 1. Giving a Presentation? Record it!

Nothing blows my mind more than when I talk with a business owner who tells me about a great presentation they did for a local service organization or a customer. "Did you record it?" I always ask them. They look at me like I'm completely nuts, "No, why would I?"

Why? Because in most cases, you have an instant information product.

When I do presentations, I always record them on my little Olympus DS-30 digital recorder. Do I use them all for information products? No. But I like having the option.

2. Don't Forget Your Presentation Slides

If your presentation was accompanied by clear, user-friendly slides, I encourage you to use those as information products as well. Even better, bundle the slides with the audio recording and make both available.

Note: Not a big deal if you don't own software to create presentations such as Microsoft PowerPoint. There are free options you can use such as OpenOffice Impress and Google Docs.

3. Write How To's And Tip Sheets

Very few people will pay for a 500-word tip sheet. However, people will pay $10 and up if you take 20 such tip sheets on related topics, create a table of contents, and put them together in an e-book.

4. Leverage Your Research

A travel agent I know was frustrated because she spent several hours putting together a vacation package for a prospective customer who booked his trip with another agent. She wondered if there was a way she could earn money doing the research regardless of whether the prospect did business with her. I suggested she use the research to create one to two page "tips" articles and sell on her web site.

For example, "Five best cruise vacations for budget travelers."

Regardless of whether she gets the business, she now has something useful she can sell to website visitors. The articles also help to establish her as an expert in budget travel.

5. Audio Recordings

This is when having a digital recorder comes in handy. Anything you can record: a presentation, an interview, a class; even reading a written article out loud, can be transferred to your computer and distributed on the Internet.

Important: If other people are involved (for instance, you're taping a workshop), let them know upfront that you will be recording. This is especially important if you intend to sell the resulting product.

6. Interview Other Experts Whose Work Complements Yours

No small business is an island. We all depend to a greater or lesser extent on the talents of others to stay in business. As a marketing consultant I need the services of an accountant, graphic designer, Web and blog designer, a PR expert, and a printer, just to name a few.

What types of questions do you ask these folks? Do you think others in your profession might be interested in the answers? Yes, probably.

I recommend recording your interview so you have the complete conversation. You can then write a question and answer article on the parts that are most relevant to your audience.

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Bottom Line
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You don't need to be a technical wiz to create information products. Nor do you need to buy expensive software or hire a film editor. You just need to think like MacGyver; have the basic tools, know how to use them, and think creatively.


About the Author:
Judy Murdoch helps small business owners create low-cost, effective marketing campaigns using word-of-mouth referrals, guerrilla marketing activities, and selected strategic alliances. To download a free copy of the workbook, "Where Does it Hurt? Marketing Solutions to the problems that Drive Your Customers Crazy!" go to http://www.judymurdoch.com/workbook.htm
You can contact Judy at 303-475-2015 or judy@judymurdoch.com


We Won't Be Doing Much Business On A Dead Planet

Article Presented by:
Christophe Poizat, All Rights Reserved


It is a sad but true fact: we won't be doing much business on a dead planet. The pristine beauty of our planet is at risk of being destroyed. What has taken hundreds of millions of years to elaborate could be forever gone within a few decades because of the negative impact the human species has on planet Earth.

Because we have been cumulatively oblivious in responding appropriately to the harsh impact our way of living has had on our environments, we now find ourselves in the middle of a crisis where our survival is at stake. Never before has the planet been in greater danger. Never before has an immediate remediation been so critically needed and so vital for our future.

All the global issues we are facing must be immediately and collectively addressed. Even if it costs a few points of economic growth, we ought to find new ways of producing goods, new ways of consuming goods, new ways of conceiving and conducting our business activities and new ways of recycling waste in larger quantities. We must act together, as one family! If we don't act now, we will soon face the risk of extinction. It is not being pessimistic, it is simply being realistic.

Fortunately, there has been a shift of consciousness in the last few years and many people now realize something must be done to urgently address all the global issues we are facing. We know we must eliminate extreme poverty. We know we must provide education on a larger scale. We know we must use natural resources more wisely. We know we must reduce our carbon footprint. We know we must work together in our everyday lives toward building a more sustainable model. We must act on the largest possible scale and in the shortest amount of time for maximum efficiency. Today is the day! We must act now!

The World is in dire need of a new paradigm to bring more happiness to the largest possible number of people. We need to find and make more peace within ourselves before the world will be at peace. We must stop admiring values that are vacuous and people that propound and profit from them. Enough of those false values that lead to the delusion and destruction of entire generations. We must restore a community of shared values.

We don't need to invent anything, only rediscover and rejuvenate what assured the survival of our ancestors, what provided a true, shared joy. We must evolve spiritually. We can't afford to stagnate at this stage of the evolutionary process much longer. Sainthood for a handful of people is not what we are after. What we are after is a global shift of consciousness. It will happen when more people awaken and unite their hearts and spirits.

It will happen when people regardless of creed, color, religion walk hand-in-hand knowing that we are one family - the human family. It will happen when more people realize that when something negative happens on the planet or to a community or in our daily life we all suffer from the consequences. It will happen when we consciously reconnect with the core of our human nature and exercise our birth rights which makes us co-creators of our destiny.

191 countries, members of the United Nations, signed the UN Millennium Resolution in 2002 which aims to eradicate extreme poverty by 2015. However, there is still an incredible amount of money spent on war around the world. Today is the time to transcend our differences and unite our energies to solve our many challenging issues.

Does it really matter to become the number one company in any given market at the expense of our common wealth and the well-being of the world?

Every day, more than 1,000 children die because they didn't get a 15-cent measles vaccine. Almost 3 billion people around the world live on less than $2 per day. This is not acceptable. Have we really tried our very best? Governments play their myopic power games while millions of people die of malnutrition, curable diseases, lack of water and the consequences of greed, avarice and ignorance.

The solutions will not come and have not come from governments alone (if at all). The solutions will come from entrepreneurs - social entrepreneurs. A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change that is sustainable and for the highest good of humanity. (adapted from Wikipedia's definition).

Social entrepreneurs have the collective power to make a real difference in today's world and can have a decisive impact for generations to come. Social entrepreneurs have the collective responsibility to take on - one by one - all the challenges humanity faces.

When the performance of traditional entrepreneurs is measured in terms of profitability, the performance of social entrepreneurs is measured in terms of the positive impact they have on society. Social entrepreneurs measure their success in terms of the contribution made toward resolving all the global issues currently threatening the planet and humanity as a whole - one by one.

It is imperative to encourage social entrepreneurship and to inspire younger generations by instilling the spirit of social entrepreneurship worldwide. As long as we keep measuring our progress in terms of financial and geographic profitability alone, we will continue to miss our essential imperatives. We will continue to fail collectively with consequences that are seriously threatening the survival of our planet and the future of humanity.

Social Entrepreneurship can change the world and can provide a better world for generations to come. Today is the day! We are one - one family, the human family. Now is the time to join in and do good works. Not convinced? Always remember, we won't be doing much business on a dead planet.


About the Author:
Christophe Poizat is a professional dreamer, a social entrepreneur, guerrilla marketer, mentor, business coach, speaker, author with 20+ years of international consulting experience who has lived on four continents; for more details, visit: http://christophepoizat.com

Christophe is also the founder and administrator of the International Network of Social Entrepreneurs, a global Web 2.0 community for Social Entrepreneurs to connect, share, collaborate and promote social entrepreneurship worldwide. For more details, visit: http://inse.collectivex.com


Monday, February 11, 2008

All About Expired Domain Name Evaluations

Article Presented by:
John Khu


More often, a nagging doubt may trouble and pester you regarding the real worth of an expired domain name. Many people who deal and get active with expired domain name usually ask a single question- How much is an expired domain name worth?; most of the forums and bulletin board that deal with expired domain names usually devote section just debate and discuss on this particular aspect. Sadly speaking, the most common answer that one finds in these forums is almost always: "Not so sure and not as much as we think!"- But, there is a lot more to this delicate question and there are plenty of answers as well!

Of late, several expired domain names have seen transactions worth more than 7 figure dollar value. Just take a look behind your shoulder and remember the sale of business.com <http://business.com> domain; it seems that this particular transaction is worth as high as $7 million. This extraordinary developed also saw a fierce competition among expired domain name resellers to compete for very good domains. There is also an intense excitement in the resell market that borders on improbable expectations.

The essential principle of an expired domain name market is that people to tend to go for an expired domain, driven by the fact that there is a perceived dearth or paucity of good expired domain names. It is also a common fact that most of the medium and large companies keep looking for a domain name that ends with a .com extension. In reality, all memorable and possible combination of words that can make a domain name have already been taken up by industries and this phenomenon has ensured that the prices for good expired domain names can only go up. Another curious incident is that many expired domain names that are available in the reseller market are almost similar or look-alike.

There is also a general perception that a generic name is always good, and that they can always fetch better prices than a derived name; people believe that such names are easy to remember and recall. One more important factor that one must have a close look is the issue of commercialism of the industry that it relates to. When you try to buy and sell an expired domain name, ensure that you look for domains that relates to very hot industries like legal profession, internet marketing and parenting.

There is also another irony that symbolizes expired domain name industry. In fact, a majority of domains will never be able to fetch exorbitant prices. There is always a certain benchmark or quality levels within which one can expect to sell an expired domain name for a decent price. Demand for good expired domain names is quite relative and it will always work on the principle of perception, when a particular domain demanded by a person may not be preferable to the other. It also means that you may need some luck on your part to land a great expired domain name that can fetch thousands of dollars.


About the Author:
John Khu is the well-known author of a new e-book titled "Expired Domain Secret". He is also a seasoned professional with vast experience in expired domain name business. He is also the owner of the path breaking web site called http://www.expireddomainsecret.com which provides complete and up-to-date information on expired domains and their eternal secrets.


Are You Driving Your Business Like a Stuntman or a Reckless Driver?

Article Presented by:
Christophe Poizat, All Rights Reserved


Ideally, you should drive your business like a wise stuntman and not a reckless driver. Prior to executing any daring stunt, a stuntman always studies and evaluates all the different parameters involved and all the possible scenarios with their associated levels of risk.

Depending on whether the probabilities of success appear to be high or low, the stunt will be marked as feasible or not feasible -- nobody wants to risk loosing their life stupidly after all...

Once the stunt has been retained as feasible, the execution will be rehearsed many times. First on paper, then mentally. Over and over, the stuntman will go through the whole event and when he or she feels ready, he or she will execute the stunt in front of an audience of astonished people. What appeared to be very daring or was even deemed impossible to do is suddenly executed perfectly in front of a crowd of astonished people.

On Thursday May 20, 1999 Robbie Knievel completed such a stunt: a 231 ft leap over a section of the Grand Canyon. It was certainly one of the most daring stunt. All parameters must have been studied and evaluated with the highest precision: location, speed, angle, wind, etc... Success was no coincidence.

Let's not forget such a daring stunt was the result of several weeks, if not months of careful evaluations, precise simulations, and a meticulous preparation based on accurate observations and wise decisions -- somebody's life is on the line after all. What a good example of successful risk-management that is!

It is pretty much the same if you want to run your business successfully: you need to do some business intelligence and plan thoroughly, you need to evaluate carefully and make fact-based decisions and not only emotion-based decisions.

Weeks or months of preparation would likely be needed in order to make the wisest decisions but the problem is: the market won't wait that long, your competitors are going to cut the deal before you do if you don't move fast!

How is your driving, business-wise? Do you step on the gas pedal as soon as you hear about a possible business deal without evaluating and planning thoroughly? How well do you know your vehicle and all the different options? How well do you know the terrain? How precisely have you studied all the different parameters? How well do you know the competition and what they are doing? Do you have the right people in place? What is the level of readiness of those people? Are they making noise of are they playing some beautiful music?

How well and accurately you can answer these questions will of course determine your level of success. There are many more questions you should ask yourself before firing up the engine and putting your hands on the steering wheel.

So everything has been checked and double-checked you say and you are on a full tank and absolutely confident you will be able to drive your company to ever-lasting success.

So, you think you are ready, finally, it is reality-check time on the battlefield! But before long, it turns out the road is bumpier than you thought, you see other competitors passing you by and leaving you in the dust. Their vehicles is way more powerful and these guys know how to drive way better than you do. They drive effectively, efficiently, based on their experience of the road and the many challenges they already have overcome many times. They know how to play the game better than you do... Your vehicle is puffing, comes to a stop. Out of gas. Out of ammunitions, that is. You are stranded in the middle of nowhere. It was supposed to be the ride of your life and you are busted.

You think of the term "learning curve" and say: "Ok, what I need to learn I will learn by doing, so the more I drive, the better I will be..." Only true if you are on an unlimited budget, but who is?

So you're gonna have to take some driving lessons and presto! Don't even think of getting back on the road before improving your driving or you will be toasted pulp for good next time and will probably end up in front of the court as another chapter 11...

Have your vehicle checked by experts for any missing parts and do learn how to drive that thing! Only there are many instructors that have absolutely no clues whatsoever on how to drive a business successfully and yet that's another challenge!

If you are tired of visiting smash-repair shops and instead want to learn how to drive your business precisely and efficiently to produce results that you never thought possible, why not listen to a respected instructors in the field?

If you are willing to listen, I am willing to show you how to improve your driving and help you jump over the last remaining difficulties like Robbie Knievel over the Grand Canyon!

In any case, whatever you do, don't forget to ask yourself the following questions:

1. Where are we now as a company? as a team?

2. Where do we want to be as a company? as a team?

3. How are we going to get there as a team?

4. How do we measure success? How do we know we have attained our objectives?

then use the Deming approach: Plan-Do-Check-Act, and repeat relentlessly!

To your success,

Christophe


About the Author:
Christophe Poizat is a professional dreamer, a social entrepreneur, guerrilla marketer, mentor, business coach, speaker, author with 20+ years of international consulting experience who has lived on four continents; for more details, visit: http://christophepoizat.com

Christophe is also the founder and administrator of the International Network of Social Entrepreneurs, a global Web 2.0 community for Social Entrepreneurs to connect, share, collaborate and promote social entrepreneurship worldwide. For more details, visit: http://inse.collectivex.com