Many people that think operating a business from home is glamorous, exciting, and filled with freedoms that you can never experience if you work for someone else. Without the obligations that come from reporting to an employer everyday and they then think the money is easily acquired. This article will look at both the positives and negatives of owning a home-based business.
An important part of working from home is letting others know you have a business and this is done through networking. Network marketing is not always easy for everyone. There are individuals who are very natural at talking with others and find it quite easy to be in a room full of strangers and talk about what they have to offer. Then there are those terrified of the idea of network marketing and would prefer to stay home and pay someone else to do this portion of the business for them. Network marketing does not have to be a horrible experience for you and you do not have to have a panic attack at the thought of attending one. When you prepare for network marketing and do not go in with your eyes closed, you will find that it will make an enormous difference in the productivity of your business. Network marketing can be beneficial in building a plethora of resources and contacts that you can have at your fingertips to propel your business forward.
Decide in advance how many people you want to talk to and do just that. If it is your first time, you may only want to talk to three people. Although once you are there, you will probably find yourself relaxing and notice that you came home with more than three contacts. Do not forget the business cards of the people you meet. In the excitement, you may forget their names. It is a good idea to jot down some relevant information on the back of the card to help you remember why or why not you like that particular contact.
In order for your home business to be successful, you have to make your presence known. You can do this through advertising and word-of-mouth. However, staying inside your protective home and never letting anyone know whom you are will not generate many clients or bring an increase in your profits. Go out, have coffee, and talk to others about your services. Walk into businesses that you think will profit from your services and let them know what you have to offer. If you have children in school, you can offer your services to the PTA or other groups that your child may be involved. Do not discount your sphere of influences because it is from this circle that your business will grow.
January 16, 2010
Finding Targeted MLM Leads
The objective of multi-level marketing (MLM) is to sell the product or service and to encourage the client to become an independent distributor, who then sells the service or product as well. Leads are vital for any business to grow, and in order for the business owner to have the greatest success, the leads must be curious enough in the business opportunity to have expressed an interest. The prospects that have expressed an interest in becoming distributors are known as Targeted MLM Leads.
To find targeted MLM leads, business owners must first have ample knowledge of their target market. Are they self-starters? Do they have the commitment necessary to be part of a network? Business owners must also understand the product or service, the company mission statement, and its goals and objectives well enough to offer a good sales presentation. Delivering a presentation, however compelling, to someone that has not shown interest in the product, service, or business opportunity is a waste of time and resources.
Business owners can acquire targeted MLM leads from various sources. The most convenient sources are the companies that compile and sell lead lists. The business owner, however, should be careful when choosing a lead list source, as some may be fraudulent. Some targeted MLM leads are identified through telephone interviews or direct mail response. Business owners can also obtain targeted leads from promotional give-away programs that have high traffic. Usually a person will fill out a simple survey to claim the promotional item, and the business owner can then use the survey to assess whether he or she will be a quality lead.
To find targeted MLM leads, business owners must first have ample knowledge of their target market. Are they self-starters? Do they have the commitment necessary to be part of a network? Business owners must also understand the product or service, the company mission statement, and its goals and objectives well enough to offer a good sales presentation. Delivering a presentation, however compelling, to someone that has not shown interest in the product, service, or business opportunity is a waste of time and resources.
Business owners can acquire targeted MLM leads from various sources. The most convenient sources are the companies that compile and sell lead lists. The business owner, however, should be careful when choosing a lead list source, as some may be fraudulent. Some targeted MLM leads are identified through telephone interviews or direct mail response. Business owners can also obtain targeted leads from promotional give-away programs that have high traffic. Usually a person will fill out a simple survey to claim the promotional item, and the business owner can then use the survey to assess whether he or she will be a quality lead.
Are You Ready For The Next Level As A Professional
A fully competent professional is someone who has mastered and outgrown his or her job. Are you a fully competent professional? Do you believe you have outgrown your job role? Are you looking to move up to the next level in your profession? If you answered yes to these questions, you are due for a promotion and/or it is time to progress to the next level or two in your profession.
Right now you may be feeling as though you are in a dead end job. In truth, however, there are no dead end job, since all jobs act as a stepping -stones to get to the next level. Rather, it is usually your own thinking and self-doubt that are haunting you and causing you to feel that you are stuck with this job for life and there is no way out.
But yes, it is true that you can get stuck in a job if you have nothing new to offer an employer. Does this apply to you? You can easily find out by evaluating what new skills, experiences and attributes you have acquired since taking on your current or last job role.
If you are serious about moving up the ranks, you will need to learn how to stay a step ahead of your competition. Ensure that you do not leave your industry self-development to your employer; rather, make sure that you are active in continuously working on improving yourself when it comes to the latest trends, terminologies, training and specialization schemes required in your industry. Those who do this are the ones who effortlessly get jobs and set the standard by which all other job applicant candidates are evaluated and judged as competent or not for a specific job role.
Remember, it is an employer’s market. You therefore need to develop industry-specific and job market-specific highly tuned skills to ensure you gain the edge over your competitors. To evaluate how advance your job market skills are, take this free job market performance assessment.
Right now you may be feeling as though you are in a dead end job. In truth, however, there are no dead end job, since all jobs act as a stepping -stones to get to the next level. Rather, it is usually your own thinking and self-doubt that are haunting you and causing you to feel that you are stuck with this job for life and there is no way out.
But yes, it is true that you can get stuck in a job if you have nothing new to offer an employer. Does this apply to you? You can easily find out by evaluating what new skills, experiences and attributes you have acquired since taking on your current or last job role.
If you are serious about moving up the ranks, you will need to learn how to stay a step ahead of your competition. Ensure that you do not leave your industry self-development to your employer; rather, make sure that you are active in continuously working on improving yourself when it comes to the latest trends, terminologies, training and specialization schemes required in your industry. Those who do this are the ones who effortlessly get jobs and set the standard by which all other job applicant candidates are evaluated and judged as competent or not for a specific job role.
Remember, it is an employer’s market. You therefore need to develop industry-specific and job market-specific highly tuned skills to ensure you gain the edge over your competitors. To evaluate how advance your job market skills are, take this free job market performance assessment.
An Effective Resume
Your resume is your sales person. Long before you personally get to meet a potential employee or have an interview your resume will be fighting your corner on your behalf. It is essential, then, that you create an effective resume. Your resume will be one of hundreds, if not thousands, that employers will see so you should ensure that it really stands out and promotes your services. The exact approach your resume will take will depend on you and your circumstances.
School leavers and graduates will not have very much in the way of work experience to place on a resume. If you fall into this category then you should pay particular attention to your academic achievements. Point out any other facts pertaining to your school life and the rest of your life that can be drawn on when you get a job. If you successfully completed work experience then include this and give details of the tasks you performed.
On the other hand if your experience has been gained in the work place and you have little in the way of formal qualifications then you should use your employment history to your advantage. Talk about the roles in a little more detail and describe the tasks you undertook. The more advanced or the more trusted a particular role was, the more you should draw upon that in your description.
A highly effective resume will also include an accomplishment section with each qualification or job section that is relevant. You can include graduation, or you could include particular work related accomplishments. Remember, there is a chance that somebody else has equal skills or qualifications to yourself but by using your accomplishments as your main benefit you will still stand out and make a positive impression. As well as your covering letter your resume is the most important thing you have in your bid to win a job.
School leavers and graduates will not have very much in the way of work experience to place on a resume. If you fall into this category then you should pay particular attention to your academic achievements. Point out any other facts pertaining to your school life and the rest of your life that can be drawn on when you get a job. If you successfully completed work experience then include this and give details of the tasks you performed.
On the other hand if your experience has been gained in the work place and you have little in the way of formal qualifications then you should use your employment history to your advantage. Talk about the roles in a little more detail and describe the tasks you undertook. The more advanced or the more trusted a particular role was, the more you should draw upon that in your description.
A highly effective resume will also include an accomplishment section with each qualification or job section that is relevant. You can include graduation, or you could include particular work related accomplishments. Remember, there is a chance that somebody else has equal skills or qualifications to yourself but by using your accomplishments as your main benefit you will still stand out and make a positive impression. As well as your covering letter your resume is the most important thing you have in your bid to win a job.
3 Points You Should Negotiate When You Are Losing Your Job
You work for a company that has been going through a lot of changes and upheaval. Word is going around about lay-offs and you worry you will be next. If you’ve been an exemplary employee and the lay-off is not because of anything you’ve done, be sure you ask these three questions as you are being handed your Pink Slip:
1. Ask for a Letter of Reference. You can use this to help you land that new job because it will be beneficial to have a letter that praises you and your accomplishments. This will show future employers that your termination was a business decision and not because of any wrong-doing on your part. Most people forget to ask about this, and it is difficult to try to go back later and ask for one.
2. Ask about severance pay. You are not automatically guaranteed this unless it was stipulated in your employment contract when you were hired.. Typically, one week of severance is given for each year of service to the company, but this can be negotiable. And, especially if you’ve recently finished an important project, been honored or achieved a major goal, be sure to remind them. It may buy you another week of severance pay they weren’t planning on giving.
3. Are you entitled to unused vacation pay? In most cases, the answer is no. Some companies allow you to roll over your unused time from one year to the next, while others have a use it or lose it policy. Most companies will explain their rules in the employee handbook, but asking to be paid for your unused vacation pay just may earn you a few extra dollars you could use right now.
You may not get any severance or vacation pay, and you especially won’t if you don’t ask for it. Don’t forget, this is a very difficult situation for your boss, too, so he or she may be willing to give you more than had been planned on. You’ll never know unless you try, and the worst they can do is say no. If the moment passes, chances are you won’t have another opportunity to ask these questions again. Knowing ahead of time what to ask for may give you the confidence to speak up for yourself at this difficult time. Good luck!
1. Ask for a Letter of Reference. You can use this to help you land that new job because it will be beneficial to have a letter that praises you and your accomplishments. This will show future employers that your termination was a business decision and not because of any wrong-doing on your part. Most people forget to ask about this, and it is difficult to try to go back later and ask for one.
2. Ask about severance pay. You are not automatically guaranteed this unless it was stipulated in your employment contract when you were hired.. Typically, one week of severance is given for each year of service to the company, but this can be negotiable. And, especially if you’ve recently finished an important project, been honored or achieved a major goal, be sure to remind them. It may buy you another week of severance pay they weren’t planning on giving.
3. Are you entitled to unused vacation pay? In most cases, the answer is no. Some companies allow you to roll over your unused time from one year to the next, while others have a use it or lose it policy. Most companies will explain their rules in the employee handbook, but asking to be paid for your unused vacation pay just may earn you a few extra dollars you could use right now.
You may not get any severance or vacation pay, and you especially won’t if you don’t ask for it. Don’t forget, this is a very difficult situation for your boss, too, so he or she may be willing to give you more than had been planned on. You’ll never know unless you try, and the worst they can do is say no. If the moment passes, chances are you won’t have another opportunity to ask these questions again. Knowing ahead of time what to ask for may give you the confidence to speak up for yourself at this difficult time. Good luck!
January 15, 2010
"Successful real estate investor tips"
Becoming a successful real estate investor
Becoming a successful real estate investor requires being able to find good real estate investment deals and put them together. Your job is not to become an closing attorney, a management expert, or a repair person. Use professionals!
You must learn how to appraise and find the true value of real estate this information will help you make better investment decisions. Realtors, appraisers, and banks determine what a property is worth by looking at comparable sales usually three to five sales of similar property that has recently sold in the same neighborhood. You must be able to do the same.
Getting a list of comparable prices of properties bought or sold (and when it sold) for the neighborhood you need information about, and asking active real estate investors in your area what the market is like will be helpful and making a better investment decision.
There is no such thing as an ideal real estate market for investing. It tends to be more difficult to find bargains in rising markets if the market keeps rising the probability of selling the property quickly for a large profit increases. In contrast but when property values are falling more bargains become available.
You need to be able to assess the true value of properties based on when you expect to sell. Your purchase must be made at a good enough discount to allow for a profitable sale at a later date.
Leverage is very important for investors because the less cash you put down on each property the more properties you can buy. If the properties go up in value your rate of return goes up. However if the properties go down in value and you have a lot of debt on the property this can result in negative cash flow.
Since real estate is generally cyclical negative cash flow is only a short-term problem and can be handled if you have other income or a cash reserves. This makes "Nothing down" investing very helpful to protect against negative cash flow for high leverage investor.
If you are a long term real estate investor leverage will work in your favor if the markets in which you invest appreciate in the long run and your income from the properties can pay for most of your monthly debt.
To limit risk become educated in your local real estate market first by understanding the large scale trends from global down to national regional and specific neighborhoods. Learn about target neighborhoods with the help of successful real estate investors in your area along the way.
Real estate investors can help you interpret market indicators such as the average length of time houses have been on the market this month versus last month or last year. With this information it will help you make better investment decisions.
It is important not to guess the future of a local real estate market you need to have a clear plan in mind when purchasing property. As a real estate investor you must know exactly how you will exit the property before you buy. And have a backup plan or two in case the first course of action doesn't work. You must know your market and your plan before you begin to invest.
Becoming a successful real estate investor requires being able to find good real estate investment deals and put them together. Your job is not to become an closing attorney, a management expert, or a repair person. Use professionals!
You must learn how to appraise and find the true value of real estate this information will help you make better investment decisions. Realtors, appraisers, and banks determine what a property is worth by looking at comparable sales usually three to five sales of similar property that has recently sold in the same neighborhood. You must be able to do the same.
Getting a list of comparable prices of properties bought or sold (and when it sold) for the neighborhood you need information about, and asking active real estate investors in your area what the market is like will be helpful and making a better investment decision.
There is no such thing as an ideal real estate market for investing. It tends to be more difficult to find bargains in rising markets if the market keeps rising the probability of selling the property quickly for a large profit increases. In contrast but when property values are falling more bargains become available.
You need to be able to assess the true value of properties based on when you expect to sell. Your purchase must be made at a good enough discount to allow for a profitable sale at a later date.
Leverage is very important for investors because the less cash you put down on each property the more properties you can buy. If the properties go up in value your rate of return goes up. However if the properties go down in value and you have a lot of debt on the property this can result in negative cash flow.
Since real estate is generally cyclical negative cash flow is only a short-term problem and can be handled if you have other income or a cash reserves. This makes "Nothing down" investing very helpful to protect against negative cash flow for high leverage investor.
If you are a long term real estate investor leverage will work in your favor if the markets in which you invest appreciate in the long run and your income from the properties can pay for most of your monthly debt.
To limit risk become educated in your local real estate market first by understanding the large scale trends from global down to national regional and specific neighborhoods. Learn about target neighborhoods with the help of successful real estate investors in your area along the way.
Real estate investors can help you interpret market indicators such as the average length of time houses have been on the market this month versus last month or last year. With this information it will help you make better investment decisions.
It is important not to guess the future of a local real estate market you need to have a clear plan in mind when purchasing property. As a real estate investor you must know exactly how you will exit the property before you buy. And have a backup plan or two in case the first course of action doesn't work. You must know your market and your plan before you begin to invest.
Are You Derailing Your Business with Details?
Details can kill your web business. And I'm not talking about details killing your business from the standpoint of being careless about them. While it's true that being careless can hurt your business, everybody knows that (even if they don't always put it into practice).
The way I'm talking about that details can kill your business is if you focus too much on them.
Say what?
How on earth can focusing too much on details hurt your business?
Ever tried to walk on a railroad track?
When I was a kid, my aunt and uncle had a house right next to a railroad track. My uncle once challenged me to walk on the track without falling off.
Hey, it's not like walking a tightrope. That track was as wide as my feet. Should be no problem. So I started walking it, carefully watching my feet with each step to make sure I stayed on the track. But I couldn't get more than a couple of steps before I'd lose my balance and fall off.
My uncle taught me that the only way to walk that track successfully was to look at a point a ways down the track - not down at my feet. By setting a goal and focusing on it, I could walk on that track as easily as if I was walking right on the ground. It was only when I focused on my feet that I tripped up.
It works that way with business, too. Our natural reaction is to put all our attention into "watching our feet" as we deal with this short-term detail and that. But when we do that, we "fall off the track" of where we wanted to go.
Now, I'm not saying that we should ignore the details of our business as we gaze wistfully toward our vision of the knock-out business we dream of building. You never get anywhere without taking step after step after step to reach your goal. But you never get anywhere, either, if all you look at is the present step.
The point in the distance that you need to focus on is the need your audience has and the solution you have that will fill it. It requires you to understand your audience - who they are and what they need and what concerns stand in the way of them choosing your solution.
It's way too easy for us to focus on details, namely, on the latest traffic building tips or tools, the latest bells and whistles we can add to our site. Details are usually driven by facts, and facts are something we feel we can learn and control. Understanding the people who make up our pool of potential customers is a lot more scary. It requires us to step outside ourselves into the hearts and minds of other people.
Given the choice between dealing with predictable facts and details or dealing with unpredictable human nature, most of us will jump at dealing with facts any time.
But that just gets us stuck staring at our own feet as our feet inexplicably slip off the track. The only way to stay on track is by looking toward your ultimate goal: you helping people solve some problem in return for them repaying you fairly for the time and effort you put into it.
That's really the most simple definition of what business is. The details are not your business. The facts and the tips and the tools are not your business either. They're merely the steps you take to get to that point in the distance. And the more you take that to heart, the more easily you'll stay on the track toward your goal.
The way I'm talking about that details can kill your business is if you focus too much on them.
Say what?
How on earth can focusing too much on details hurt your business?
Ever tried to walk on a railroad track?
When I was a kid, my aunt and uncle had a house right next to a railroad track. My uncle once challenged me to walk on the track without falling off.
Hey, it's not like walking a tightrope. That track was as wide as my feet. Should be no problem. So I started walking it, carefully watching my feet with each step to make sure I stayed on the track. But I couldn't get more than a couple of steps before I'd lose my balance and fall off.
My uncle taught me that the only way to walk that track successfully was to look at a point a ways down the track - not down at my feet. By setting a goal and focusing on it, I could walk on that track as easily as if I was walking right on the ground. It was only when I focused on my feet that I tripped up.
It works that way with business, too. Our natural reaction is to put all our attention into "watching our feet" as we deal with this short-term detail and that. But when we do that, we "fall off the track" of where we wanted to go.
Now, I'm not saying that we should ignore the details of our business as we gaze wistfully toward our vision of the knock-out business we dream of building. You never get anywhere without taking step after step after step to reach your goal. But you never get anywhere, either, if all you look at is the present step.
The point in the distance that you need to focus on is the need your audience has and the solution you have that will fill it. It requires you to understand your audience - who they are and what they need and what concerns stand in the way of them choosing your solution.
It's way too easy for us to focus on details, namely, on the latest traffic building tips or tools, the latest bells and whistles we can add to our site. Details are usually driven by facts, and facts are something we feel we can learn and control. Understanding the people who make up our pool of potential customers is a lot more scary. It requires us to step outside ourselves into the hearts and minds of other people.
Given the choice between dealing with predictable facts and details or dealing with unpredictable human nature, most of us will jump at dealing with facts any time.
But that just gets us stuck staring at our own feet as our feet inexplicably slip off the track. The only way to stay on track is by looking toward your ultimate goal: you helping people solve some problem in return for them repaying you fairly for the time and effort you put into it.
That's really the most simple definition of what business is. The details are not your business. The facts and the tips and the tools are not your business either. They're merely the steps you take to get to that point in the distance. And the more you take that to heart, the more easily you'll stay on the track toward your goal.
Affiliate Programs – A helping hand for e-businesses
An affiliate program refers to the modern, web based equivalent of an old concept. In the past businesses have paid other groups or businesses ‘finder’s fees’ for recommending their service. Web based affiliates work on this principle.
Company A will ask that company B has an advertisement for their website (site A) included on their website, site B. So when people viewing site B see the advertisement for site A and go on it, company B earns money from company A as reward for providing them with customers.
With online business this payment is commonly done based on the amount of times that an advertisement is clicked on by customers. When the user clicks an advertisement banner and is redirected to the advertised site, it is recorded and an agreed amount of money is given to the site hosting the advert, per click. Many sites are very open about this and will state that the following advertisements are affiliates and that to show support for their site, please click the advertisement at least once, providing them with the funds to continue running the site. The great benefit of this method is that the advertiser only pays for each actual customer referred to them, minimising money spent on ineffective advertising.
Clicking is not the only method used. Sometimes payment is by referral, the customer being more formally referred to the affiliate company by a method such as placing a box on a form suggesting that the user accepts mail from the affiliate. Also, it is common for the advertiser to pay their affiliates per sale, giving them a percentage of the sales made from the customers that they refer.
Some companies provide the affiliate connections between businesses as their sole trade. They will seek out companies that can benefit from advertising with each other and for a tariff, provide the connection.
Affiliate groups have come under fire from internet users for using ‘spam’. This is blanketing the web user with advertisements, through email, pop up windows etc, to get them to click the advertisements. However this is not practised by the majority of affiliate programs, who are content to simply provide a modest banner linking to the site that is paying for the advertisement, often quite helpful to customers
Company A will ask that company B has an advertisement for their website (site A) included on their website, site B. So when people viewing site B see the advertisement for site A and go on it, company B earns money from company A as reward for providing them with customers.
With online business this payment is commonly done based on the amount of times that an advertisement is clicked on by customers. When the user clicks an advertisement banner and is redirected to the advertised site, it is recorded and an agreed amount of money is given to the site hosting the advert, per click. Many sites are very open about this and will state that the following advertisements are affiliates and that to show support for their site, please click the advertisement at least once, providing them with the funds to continue running the site. The great benefit of this method is that the advertiser only pays for each actual customer referred to them, minimising money spent on ineffective advertising.
Clicking is not the only method used. Sometimes payment is by referral, the customer being more formally referred to the affiliate company by a method such as placing a box on a form suggesting that the user accepts mail from the affiliate. Also, it is common for the advertiser to pay their affiliates per sale, giving them a percentage of the sales made from the customers that they refer.
Some companies provide the affiliate connections between businesses as their sole trade. They will seek out companies that can benefit from advertising with each other and for a tariff, provide the connection.
Affiliate groups have come under fire from internet users for using ‘spam’. This is blanketing the web user with advertisements, through email, pop up windows etc, to get them to click the advertisements. However this is not practised by the majority of affiliate programs, who are content to simply provide a modest banner linking to the site that is paying for the advertisement, often quite helpful to customers
How To Sky-Rocket Your Profits By 267% With One Simple Sentence
If you have even a passing interest in the topic of boosting your profits, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of boost your profits.
Don't think it's possible to jump sales by 267% with one sentence? I'll show you how I did it and you can implement the same strategy in less than 5 minutes on your site!
This strategy is so powerful that it can literally jump your profits OVERNIGHT!
All people doing business on the Internet are always trying to find ways to get their offer the the most targeted prospects available. Always trying to figure out, "What do I offer my proven customer next?"
Here's what I did to BLAZE profits 267% overnight:
When my customers would click order they would be taken directly to a secure order form to enter their payment information. I came with the following strategy when brainstorming one late night....
Instead of sending them directly to the payment page I setup a page that offered a discount of 10% of their order if they would answer one simple question:
Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there's more to boost your profits than you may have first thought.
What would you be most likely to purchase in the next three months?
I then had a drop down menu with three products I was selling at the time.
All the customer had to do was enter their e-mail address and then choose an answer and they would instantly be taken to the order form with the 10% discount.
Why did I give them 10% off for that one simple question?
When they submitted that question it was automatically entered into a data base with all the other customers that took me up on the offer. Two months after implementing this one simple question I pulled up my database, filtered it to the products customers expressed interest in and send a special customer offer to each of them.
What happened? Out of 120 customers, 96 bought! can you belive that? An incredible 80% response rate on a sales letter is unheard of...but these customers where so targeted because of the simple question I setup that the response rate was unreal!
Jump on this strategy now, you just can't afford to pass up that kind of profit!
Don't think it's possible to jump sales by 267% with one sentence? I'll show you how I did it and you can implement the same strategy in less than 5 minutes on your site!
This strategy is so powerful that it can literally jump your profits OVERNIGHT!
All people doing business on the Internet are always trying to find ways to get their offer the the most targeted prospects available. Always trying to figure out, "What do I offer my proven customer next?"
Here's what I did to BLAZE profits 267% overnight:
When my customers would click order they would be taken directly to a secure order form to enter their payment information. I came with the following strategy when brainstorming one late night....
Instead of sending them directly to the payment page I setup a page that offered a discount of 10% of their order if they would answer one simple question:
Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there's more to boost your profits than you may have first thought.
What would you be most likely to purchase in the next three months?
I then had a drop down menu with three products I was selling at the time.
All the customer had to do was enter their e-mail address and then choose an answer and they would instantly be taken to the order form with the 10% discount.
Why did I give them 10% off for that one simple question?
When they submitted that question it was automatically entered into a data base with all the other customers that took me up on the offer. Two months after implementing this one simple question I pulled up my database, filtered it to the products customers expressed interest in and send a special customer offer to each of them.
What happened? Out of 120 customers, 96 bought! can you belive that? An incredible 80% response rate on a sales letter is unheard of...but these customers where so targeted because of the simple question I setup that the response rate was unreal!
Jump on this strategy now, you just can't afford to pass up that kind of profit!
Highly Effective Strategies for Adsense Publishers
Using Adsense to effectively monetize your website or blog requires a strategy, on your part. Unfortunately, money will not magically appear in your account overnight. However, with diligence and perseverance, you will soon begin to see a profit.
As you create the content for your Adsense sites, you need to keep close attention to the keywords used throughout the articles and pages. Not to be redundant, but keyword research and placement is the KEY to a successful Adsense campaign.
You will want to write content centered on words and phrases that individuals frequently search for. There are several great tools, both no-cost and fee based, which will greatly assist you with this research. One great example is the freekeywords.wordtracker.com.
It is also important to maintain and update your site frequently once it goes live. Never make the mistake of neglecting it for days at a time. Fresh content is what makes your visitors return again and again. Regular update also makes the search engine bots visit your site more often.
Even if you can only spare a couple of hours a week to do some Adsense tweaking, go for it and be persistent. This is much better than doing nothing at all. With any luck, you will be pleasantly surprised at what subtle changes can really help to accomplish.
You should seriously consider click-through tracking right from the beginning as well. This will enable you to focus more on pages that have a lower CTR, in order to improve your stats.
Adsense, itself, provides an excellent (no-cost) tracking system. You can track multiple sites very easily, on a site-by-site or page-by-page basis by using the channels appropriately.
Another very important Adsense strategy is proper ad unit placement. You would want to place the ads in the areas in which they will be the most noticeable. According to research, site visitors usually start scanning your pages at the top left. In addition, you should blend your advertisements with the rest of your content to maximize the revenue generated from this program.
One of the greatest things about the Adsense program is that it does not discriminate. You do not need to have a college degree or a great deal of cash to start making money with the program. Whether you are a lawyer, student, teenager, parent or doctor… with the right strategies and hard work, you can be successful with the Adsense Program.
As you create the content for your Adsense sites, you need to keep close attention to the keywords used throughout the articles and pages. Not to be redundant, but keyword research and placement is the KEY to a successful Adsense campaign.
You will want to write content centered on words and phrases that individuals frequently search for. There are several great tools, both no-cost and fee based, which will greatly assist you with this research. One great example is the freekeywords.wordtracker.com.
It is also important to maintain and update your site frequently once it goes live. Never make the mistake of neglecting it for days at a time. Fresh content is what makes your visitors return again and again. Regular update also makes the search engine bots visit your site more often.
Even if you can only spare a couple of hours a week to do some Adsense tweaking, go for it and be persistent. This is much better than doing nothing at all. With any luck, you will be pleasantly surprised at what subtle changes can really help to accomplish.
You should seriously consider click-through tracking right from the beginning as well. This will enable you to focus more on pages that have a lower CTR, in order to improve your stats.
Adsense, itself, provides an excellent (no-cost) tracking system. You can track multiple sites very easily, on a site-by-site or page-by-page basis by using the channels appropriately.
Another very important Adsense strategy is proper ad unit placement. You would want to place the ads in the areas in which they will be the most noticeable. According to research, site visitors usually start scanning your pages at the top left. In addition, you should blend your advertisements with the rest of your content to maximize the revenue generated from this program.
One of the greatest things about the Adsense program is that it does not discriminate. You do not need to have a college degree or a great deal of cash to start making money with the program. Whether you are a lawyer, student, teenager, parent or doctor… with the right strategies and hard work, you can be successful with the Adsense Program.
Answers To Your E-commerce Problems
First of all, what is e-commerce? E-commerce is commerce, including business, trade, buying, and selling, that is transacted electronically, rather than hand-to-hand. Businesses need efficient technology and strong marketing in order for e-commerce to be successful. The goal is to increase your business by making it easier for customers to shop, and if your website’s lack of technology and marketing make it difficult for them, they may as well drive to the mall.
Before we look at e-commerce solutions, we need to first figure out some of the problems with e-commerce. There are many complaints from customers when it comes to purchasing items online. A few include a disorganized site that is difficult and confusing to navigate; lack of information on the website including failure to tell customers about special deals or prices; the inability to pay with the customer’s native currency or the inability for the customer to even understand the language in which the website is written; and frustrating and confusing shopping carts and check out procedures.
Well then, what are some e-commerce solutions? Having a professional looking website will attract customers and make them feel confident in buying from you. You want your website to be organized and easy to navigate, and if you have an informational website that is search engine friendly; shows promotional deals; encourages up selling in a friendly way (such as showing related items or showing items that customers purchased who also purchased the item you are purchasing); is accessible in most languages and accepts different types of currency; has a user friendly shopping cart and single page checkout, then you won’t need many e-commerce solutions!
Remember, when your business is e-commerce, you want to take all possible steps to make sure you and your product are presented professionally, friendly, and easily accessible.
Before we look at e-commerce solutions, we need to first figure out some of the problems with e-commerce. There are many complaints from customers when it comes to purchasing items online. A few include a disorganized site that is difficult and confusing to navigate; lack of information on the website including failure to tell customers about special deals or prices; the inability to pay with the customer’s native currency or the inability for the customer to even understand the language in which the website is written; and frustrating and confusing shopping carts and check out procedures.
Well then, what are some e-commerce solutions? Having a professional looking website will attract customers and make them feel confident in buying from you. You want your website to be organized and easy to navigate, and if you have an informational website that is search engine friendly; shows promotional deals; encourages up selling in a friendly way (such as showing related items or showing items that customers purchased who also purchased the item you are purchasing); is accessible in most languages and accepts different types of currency; has a user friendly shopping cart and single page checkout, then you won’t need many e-commerce solutions!
Remember, when your business is e-commerce, you want to take all possible steps to make sure you and your product are presented professionally, friendly, and easily accessible.
January 14, 2010
Home Based Business Network Marketing
Numerous businesses are going to offer you the opportunity to become a distributor of their products or service. While many offer this opportunity free of charge, others may charge a fee similar to a franchise fee, due to their willingness to set up a website with you name on it and by offering you instruction on how to make it succeed.
Regardless of their motives behind the willingness to share their knowledge, you do have the opportunity to share in the wealth of internet business operations. Where many people make the mistake in getting involved in a home based business is they believe that just by filling out the online forms and paying the franchise fees they will start making money immediately.
They do not think about they came to be involved in this opportunity, that someone was marketing this plan to them and in order to grow their new business, they are going to have to market it to others.
There are numerous ways to do this, such as old-fashion advertising, handing out business cards or even putting you web address on the side of your vehicle to be seen while you drive to the grocery store. All that may be good to draw a half dozen people or so to your new business venture, but to help it really grow will take network marketing to succeed.
Oil millionaire J. Paul Getty is often quoted as saying he would rather have one percent of the efforts of 100 people than 100 percent of his own efforts, and that is the basis of network marketing. The Kirby vacuum cleaner company devised its own form of network marketing as far back as 1935 before the word was oined and the concept totally understood. That company knew that to sell their sweepers, a personal presentation was needed.They had a few dealers with whom they shared the profits of their sales and using their proven methods they taught others to sell the sweepers and each person who was brought in a sales representative could also share in the profits off the efforts of others.
While a few people may make a lot of money in a short period of time with network marketing, most grow their business slowly. First, they must learn the business and how to market it as their own home based business. By devoting a set number of hours every day or every week they learn from the company sponsoring them how to market the product or service they are selling. They can then train others to be successful, teaching them to market the product or service and make money from their sales as well. The more people they have working under them, the more money they can make.
Regardless of their motives behind the willingness to share their knowledge, you do have the opportunity to share in the wealth of internet business operations. Where many people make the mistake in getting involved in a home based business is they believe that just by filling out the online forms and paying the franchise fees they will start making money immediately.
They do not think about they came to be involved in this opportunity, that someone was marketing this plan to them and in order to grow their new business, they are going to have to market it to others.
There are numerous ways to do this, such as old-fashion advertising, handing out business cards or even putting you web address on the side of your vehicle to be seen while you drive to the grocery store. All that may be good to draw a half dozen people or so to your new business venture, but to help it really grow will take network marketing to succeed.
Oil millionaire J. Paul Getty is often quoted as saying he would rather have one percent of the efforts of 100 people than 100 percent of his own efforts, and that is the basis of network marketing. The Kirby vacuum cleaner company devised its own form of network marketing as far back as 1935 before the word was oined and the concept totally understood. That company knew that to sell their sweepers, a personal presentation was needed.They had a few dealers with whom they shared the profits of their sales and using their proven methods they taught others to sell the sweepers and each person who was brought in a sales representative could also share in the profits off the efforts of others.
While a few people may make a lot of money in a short period of time with network marketing, most grow their business slowly. First, they must learn the business and how to market it as their own home based business. By devoting a set number of hours every day or every week they learn from the company sponsoring them how to market the product or service they are selling. They can then train others to be successful, teaching them to market the product or service and make money from their sales as well. The more people they have working under them, the more money they can make.
Finding Your Nook and Cranny
Online or off, a time tested method of succeeding in business is to focus on an unexploited area. You are probably wondering how. Here is your answer.
Finding Your Nook and Cranny
When we talk about a nook, we are simply identified a very focused area of business. There are a zillion sites selling movies, but very few selling French movies from the 1960s. If there is sufficient interest in such movies, you could build a business around selling such classic movies. This concept applies to any business area regardless of whether you are selling products or offering services.
You need to do some daydreaming. Most people make the mistake of focusing on a subject that they think will make a ton of money. Problems can occur with this approach because if you have no inherent interest in the area besides money, you will eventually grow disillusioned with it. If you are going to start a business, you want it be enjoyable. If it is just another job, you have made a bad mistake. This brings us back to daydreaming.
You need to give serious thought to your interests, and not just your interests today. What have you always been interested in? Don’t worry about how you will make money, just focus on the subject matter. Remember the cliché – find something you love and the money will follow. This is exactly what you want to do. Once you have an idea, it is time to figure out how to make money off of it.
For a web business, you want to focus on something known as keyword research. Keyword research is crucial because you can type in a phrase and see the exact phrases people have used to search on Google, Yahoo and MSN that incorporate the world. Even better, you can see how many people use the phrase each day. Doing keyword research lets you determine if there is enough interest in your area and the exact phrases your prospects are using to find things in the area. It doesn’t get much better than that!
There are a variety of tools you can use. Overture offers a free tool that will give you a general idea, but is not the most accurate. Wordtracker is much better, but will set you back a few bucks. Keyword Discovery is similar, but runs a few more dollars yet. Regardless of your choice, make sure to use one of these for keyword research.
Once you identify the phrases used by your prospects, you can determine if there is enough interest in your nook. You can also identify the exact phrases they are using and tailor your site and marketing to those phrases.
Finding Your Nook and Cranny
When we talk about a nook, we are simply identified a very focused area of business. There are a zillion sites selling movies, but very few selling French movies from the 1960s. If there is sufficient interest in such movies, you could build a business around selling such classic movies. This concept applies to any business area regardless of whether you are selling products or offering services.
You need to do some daydreaming. Most people make the mistake of focusing on a subject that they think will make a ton of money. Problems can occur with this approach because if you have no inherent interest in the area besides money, you will eventually grow disillusioned with it. If you are going to start a business, you want it be enjoyable. If it is just another job, you have made a bad mistake. This brings us back to daydreaming.
You need to give serious thought to your interests, and not just your interests today. What have you always been interested in? Don’t worry about how you will make money, just focus on the subject matter. Remember the cliché – find something you love and the money will follow. This is exactly what you want to do. Once you have an idea, it is time to figure out how to make money off of it.
For a web business, you want to focus on something known as keyword research. Keyword research is crucial because you can type in a phrase and see the exact phrases people have used to search on Google, Yahoo and MSN that incorporate the world. Even better, you can see how many people use the phrase each day. Doing keyword research lets you determine if there is enough interest in your area and the exact phrases your prospects are using to find things in the area. It doesn’t get much better than that!
There are a variety of tools you can use. Overture offers a free tool that will give you a general idea, but is not the most accurate. Wordtracker is much better, but will set you back a few bucks. Keyword Discovery is similar, but runs a few more dollars yet. Regardless of your choice, make sure to use one of these for keyword research.
Once you identify the phrases used by your prospects, you can determine if there is enough interest in your nook. You can also identify the exact phrases they are using and tailor your site and marketing to those phrases.
Ebooks and the entrepreneur
Most home business opportunities are overdone and oversaturated. With most home based business opportunities that are promoted in magazine and websites the options are all the same; start a day care center, become a personal shopper, site at home and stuff enveloped and so on. While a dedicated person can make income, and sometimes great incomes, from such ideas, the market can only handle so many work at home personal shoppers. Ebooks however, are in a market that is only just starting to see entrepreneurial interest. Ebook authors are starting to be called ‘info entrepreneurs”. They compile high quality information or write their own fiction ebooks and sell them online. Some people are able to secure very comfortable full time careers from this, and yes, they do it 100% from their own home.
Ebook Entrepreneurship
Being an ebook entrepreneur is no easy feat. It will require long hours of research and writing, web design and gaining a little knowledge about ecommerce. However, the payoff could be huge. And unlike many other home based businesses you won’t be limited to your region. The beauty about ebooks is that you can publish them and then distribute them throughout the world. You could get orders from Indonesia, Canada, USA, France and so on. This global opportunity doesn’t apply to many other work at home opportunities.
Ebook Stores Don’t Open & Close
Another defining feature of Ebook Entrepreneurs is that they don’t have the regular 9-5 hours of operation. You will sell ebooks while you’re awake and while you sleep. Not bad huh? Most of the work that goes along with setting up an Ebook business is done in the beginning stages. This industry is front heavy, but after you set up your infrastructure you can continue to sell with very little daily maintenance.
Not Just For Authors
Likewise, ebook authorship is not just for authors. Anyone who has an interest in anything could write about their interest and convert in into an ebook. Some of the best ebooks are actually from unknown authors and some of the highest selling ebooks have been written by unknown authors who have a knack for online promotion.
If nothing else, Ebook publishing it is something worth consideration. Ebooks may not replace traditional paperback books, but they certainly are gaining popularity at a rate that should make all authors stop to think about how they could use ebooks to their advantage.
Ebook Entrepreneurship
Being an ebook entrepreneur is no easy feat. It will require long hours of research and writing, web design and gaining a little knowledge about ecommerce. However, the payoff could be huge. And unlike many other home based businesses you won’t be limited to your region. The beauty about ebooks is that you can publish them and then distribute them throughout the world. You could get orders from Indonesia, Canada, USA, France and so on. This global opportunity doesn’t apply to many other work at home opportunities.
Ebook Stores Don’t Open & Close
Another defining feature of Ebook Entrepreneurs is that they don’t have the regular 9-5 hours of operation. You will sell ebooks while you’re awake and while you sleep. Not bad huh? Most of the work that goes along with setting up an Ebook business is done in the beginning stages. This industry is front heavy, but after you set up your infrastructure you can continue to sell with very little daily maintenance.
Not Just For Authors
Likewise, ebook authorship is not just for authors. Anyone who has an interest in anything could write about their interest and convert in into an ebook. Some of the best ebooks are actually from unknown authors and some of the highest selling ebooks have been written by unknown authors who have a knack for online promotion.
If nothing else, Ebook publishing it is something worth consideration. Ebooks may not replace traditional paperback books, but they certainly are gaining popularity at a rate that should make all authors stop to think about how they could use ebooks to their advantage.
Dare To Be Different!
Adding value to your site, service, or product is one of the most over looked and under rated strategies for improving your internet business.
The internet and modern technology makes it possible for anyone to offer that little something extra that nobody else does, and usually at no additional cost.
Why: First, let’s look at why this is a good business practice.
It’s a good thing to do because you will make more money!
What: Now let’s look at what value adding is!
Value adding is giving surprise high quality and useful gifts.
It’s giving something that your competitors aren’t offering.
It’s promising the world and delivering the universe.
It’s taking care of your clients and always providing something that your clients need and want, when and where they want it.
How: Now let’s look at the different ways we can do this.
If you receive a free gift from someone when you don’t expect it, do you remember that person?
Answer; yes usually.
How can we do this?
Look at the example below for an idea!
If you subscribe to a news letter or ezine, what do you expect?
You expect to get what you subscribed for, right?
Now imagine that you subscribed for a newsletter that distributes information about Poodle breading in France, and when you open the conformation email you find you’ve also received a free ebook containing 20 poodle grooming tips and Grandmas secret poodle pampering techniques. (a book that normally sells for $29)
Wouldn’t that make you more likely to open and read the next issue and the next etc?
That’s one simple example, but where do you get the ebook from? You make it! If you are distributing a poodle breeding newsletter, you might know something about grooming, or know some people that could help you put together the necessary information. Then you can wrap that up in an ebook cover and then send it around to a variety of sites that will post it for you for free and you can sell on your own site, if you have one. (I can see that there are several more articles just on making e-books, posting them on other people’s sites, and setting up a shop front.)
Back to the Poodles! So you can see that by offering this free gift you have achieved several things.
1. You have developed a product (at no cost to you) that you can sell and make a profit on.
2. You have used that product to increase the chances of your new subscriber opening your next email.
3. You have promoted you site/service to other internet marketers that you may wish to do a joint venture with at some time. (see my article on Joint ventures)
Another way to add value for less effort is to offer a 110 percent guarantee instead of a 100 percent.
Another is to make your 20 tips into 30 or more etc, get the idea? It’s all just a matter of finding ways that you can give more.
The more you give the more you will receive.
The internet and modern technology makes it possible for anyone to offer that little something extra that nobody else does, and usually at no additional cost.
Why: First, let’s look at why this is a good business practice.
It’s a good thing to do because you will make more money!
What: Now let’s look at what value adding is!
Value adding is giving surprise high quality and useful gifts.
It’s giving something that your competitors aren’t offering.
It’s promising the world and delivering the universe.
It’s taking care of your clients and always providing something that your clients need and want, when and where they want it.
How: Now let’s look at the different ways we can do this.
If you receive a free gift from someone when you don’t expect it, do you remember that person?
Answer; yes usually.
How can we do this?
Look at the example below for an idea!
If you subscribe to a news letter or ezine, what do you expect?
You expect to get what you subscribed for, right?
Now imagine that you subscribed for a newsletter that distributes information about Poodle breading in France, and when you open the conformation email you find you’ve also received a free ebook containing 20 poodle grooming tips and Grandmas secret poodle pampering techniques. (a book that normally sells for $29)
Wouldn’t that make you more likely to open and read the next issue and the next etc?
That’s one simple example, but where do you get the ebook from? You make it! If you are distributing a poodle breeding newsletter, you might know something about grooming, or know some people that could help you put together the necessary information. Then you can wrap that up in an ebook cover and then send it around to a variety of sites that will post it for you for free and you can sell on your own site, if you have one. (I can see that there are several more articles just on making e-books, posting them on other people’s sites, and setting up a shop front.)
Back to the Poodles! So you can see that by offering this free gift you have achieved several things.
1. You have developed a product (at no cost to you) that you can sell and make a profit on.
2. You have used that product to increase the chances of your new subscriber opening your next email.
3. You have promoted you site/service to other internet marketers that you may wish to do a joint venture with at some time. (see my article on Joint ventures)
Another way to add value for less effort is to offer a 110 percent guarantee instead of a 100 percent.
Another is to make your 20 tips into 30 or more etc, get the idea? It’s all just a matter of finding ways that you can give more.
The more you give the more you will receive.
Choosing Your Niche Market - Developing Laser Focus
One of the keys to being a successful Internet Entrepreneur is choosing a niche. One of the challenges of the World Wide Web is its expansive reach and versatile nature. As the old joke goes, the best thing about the Web is that you can do virtually anything, the worst thing about the Web is that you can do virtually anything.
Pick a starting point that you're interested in and stick with it until you are successful or you have established that you idea is not as profitable as you originally thought.
Okay, when you begin to market, where do you start? You know you don't want to compete with some of the large companies on the Net. However there are great opportunities for small and nimble operators.
Analyze what you are selling or what you want to sell. It should be in an area that you know a lot about or want of learn about. It may have wide appeal, but think of those it appeals to most. For example, does your product appeal to musicians? That's a pretty wide market. Narrow it down. Who is most likely to be interested, singers or instrumentalists? From there you might want or need to narrow it even further. For example, your product might appeal to musicians of a certain age, or musicians who favor a certain kind of music or even a particular singer.
After narrowing it down as far as you can, think of appropriate keywords. Check with Google to see how many sites come up using these keywords. Next use a site that tracks keyword usage (such as Word Tracker or Overture) to see if there are plenty of users looking for that information. If there are enough potential customers and the competition is low, you may have found your niche.
After you have chosen your niche, try to use it in your Website title. This can help your Website ranking. Another tool for choosing a niche is to study the competition and find out how to make your site unique.
Choosing a niche will help your Website stand out. Find one with plenty of potential customers and little competition and you have a very good chance of watching your business grow.
Pick a starting point that you're interested in and stick with it until you are successful or you have established that you idea is not as profitable as you originally thought.
Okay, when you begin to market, where do you start? You know you don't want to compete with some of the large companies on the Net. However there are great opportunities for small and nimble operators.
Analyze what you are selling or what you want to sell. It should be in an area that you know a lot about or want of learn about. It may have wide appeal, but think of those it appeals to most. For example, does your product appeal to musicians? That's a pretty wide market. Narrow it down. Who is most likely to be interested, singers or instrumentalists? From there you might want or need to narrow it even further. For example, your product might appeal to musicians of a certain age, or musicians who favor a certain kind of music or even a particular singer.
After narrowing it down as far as you can, think of appropriate keywords. Check with Google to see how many sites come up using these keywords. Next use a site that tracks keyword usage (such as Word Tracker or Overture) to see if there are plenty of users looking for that information. If there are enough potential customers and the competition is low, you may have found your niche.
After you have chosen your niche, try to use it in your Website title. This can help your Website ranking. Another tool for choosing a niche is to study the competition and find out how to make your site unique.
Choosing a niche will help your Website stand out. Find one with plenty of potential customers and little competition and you have a very good chance of watching your business grow.
Buying A Franchise
Buying a franchise can be a life changing experience. There are many good reasons to pursue your dream of owning a successful franchise. For starters when you buy a franchise you are buying a proven system. Buying a franchise comes with the advantage of knowing that the business has been successful in other locations. The idea and process of running this business has already been proven. Therefore the learning curve in operating the business can be virtually eliminated.
When you are buying a franchise your are also buying an established customer base or brand name. Most franchises are already recognizable to consumers. The brand awareness provides security and trust to the customer who expects uniform quality to be provided. Therefore a customer base is already established.
You can also benefit from any advertising or promotion that the franchiser (owner of the franchise) does at the national or local level, without absorbing the cost. The franchiser can also provide input to the franchisee on a local marketing plan.
If you buy a franchise you also receive ongoing support. Training and support is usually always part of the deal. Since the franchise company has a vested interest in how well you do, ongoing training, system upgrades, product enhancements, and question and answer resources are provided. The franchiser offers experience to franchisee in such areas as accounting procedures, personnel and facility management, and business planning.
Also, many times obtaining financing for buying a franchise is easier since the franchise name and reputation are usually recognized by the lenders. Therefore, banks are more likely to fund the franchisee. In addition, relationships with suppliers are already established; affording the opportunity to buy in bulk, enabling a great deal of savings for the business.
The first step when buying a franchise is choosing an industry you are interested in or have prior experience in. There are many great franchises out there to choose from. Auto franchises and coffee franchises are very popular franchises but it is important to research the each opportunity before investing. It is recommended you sit down with a Franchise Consultant and decide if buying a franchise is right for you.
When you are buying a franchise your are also buying an established customer base or brand name. Most franchises are already recognizable to consumers. The brand awareness provides security and trust to the customer who expects uniform quality to be provided. Therefore a customer base is already established.
You can also benefit from any advertising or promotion that the franchiser (owner of the franchise) does at the national or local level, without absorbing the cost. The franchiser can also provide input to the franchisee on a local marketing plan.
If you buy a franchise you also receive ongoing support. Training and support is usually always part of the deal. Since the franchise company has a vested interest in how well you do, ongoing training, system upgrades, product enhancements, and question and answer resources are provided. The franchiser offers experience to franchisee in such areas as accounting procedures, personnel and facility management, and business planning.
Also, many times obtaining financing for buying a franchise is easier since the franchise name and reputation are usually recognized by the lenders. Therefore, banks are more likely to fund the franchisee. In addition, relationships with suppliers are already established; affording the opportunity to buy in bulk, enabling a great deal of savings for the business.
The first step when buying a franchise is choosing an industry you are interested in or have prior experience in. There are many great franchises out there to choose from. Auto franchises and coffee franchises are very popular franchises but it is important to research the each opportunity before investing. It is recommended you sit down with a Franchise Consultant and decide if buying a franchise is right for you.
January 13, 2010
Cost-Cutting Tips for the Small-Business Owner
One of the keys to running a successful small business or home office is learning to control costs. Even the smallest expenses can quickly add up and cut into profits, leaving you with a business that won't move forward.
Many small-business owners know where their money comes from, but are not as clear on where it goes. This can have a significant impact on their businesses' cash flow.
It's important to review your expenses regularly - every quarter if possible - so you can accurately manage your outgoing expenditures and look for ways to save.
Demos Parneros, president of U.S. stores at Staples Inc., provides the following suggestions to save your business money.
* Buy last year's model. Furniture, computers, PDAs - there is always something new. This also means that there is always something old. If you wait until the end of the year or for sales throughout the year, you can save on your office needs.
* Buy in bulk and buy ahead. By buying commonly used items in large quantities, you can save a lot. Replenish your supplies before you run out. Thinking ahead, and thus buying ahead, gives you a chance to comparison shop and take advantage of sales.
* Buy products that save money. Consider quality alternatives to national brands. Staples ink and toner products, for example, offer consumers quality products at a 15 percent to 20 percent cost-savings per cartridge.
* Take advantage of discounts. Professional and trade associations often offer their members discounts on insurance, travel, shipping and other common expenses. Similarly, some credit cards, like the American Express Corporate Card for Small Business, may get you discounts as well.
* Save on mail costs. Mail costs for your business can add up fast. To save money, use postcards or consolidate shipping. You also can buy or lease a postage meter or get a mail scale to eliminate overpaying.
Many small-business owners know where their money comes from, but are not as clear on where it goes. This can have a significant impact on their businesses' cash flow.
It's important to review your expenses regularly - every quarter if possible - so you can accurately manage your outgoing expenditures and look for ways to save.
Demos Parneros, president of U.S. stores at Staples Inc., provides the following suggestions to save your business money.
* Buy last year's model. Furniture, computers, PDAs - there is always something new. This also means that there is always something old. If you wait until the end of the year or for sales throughout the year, you can save on your office needs.
* Buy in bulk and buy ahead. By buying commonly used items in large quantities, you can save a lot. Replenish your supplies before you run out. Thinking ahead, and thus buying ahead, gives you a chance to comparison shop and take advantage of sales.
* Buy products that save money. Consider quality alternatives to national brands. Staples ink and toner products, for example, offer consumers quality products at a 15 percent to 20 percent cost-savings per cartridge.
* Take advantage of discounts. Professional and trade associations often offer their members discounts on insurance, travel, shipping and other common expenses. Similarly, some credit cards, like the American Express Corporate Card for Small Business, may get you discounts as well.
* Save on mail costs. Mail costs for your business can add up fast. To save money, use postcards or consolidate shipping. You also can buy or lease a postage meter or get a mail scale to eliminate overpaying.
Are You Ready to Outsource Your Bookkeeping?
Do you run your own small business and try to do it all yourself? Why? Shouldn’t you spend your time doing what you do best- whether it is selling and marketing, customer service or making decisions on how to grow your business?
An entrepreneur tries to juggle many balls each day, but sooner or later one of them is going to be dropped. A smart business owner will realize that he/she can’t do everything because there are only 24 hours in a day. Unless you are extremely organized and enjoy working with numbers, then maybe you need to outsource this job. Too many business owners spend their time doing what they are not very good at simply because they don’t know how to go about finding someone to do that job for them.
Where do you start? Ask your accountant for referrals. Obviously you don’t need a full-time person to do your books, so your best bet is to look for someone who wants to moonlight at a part-time job. There are also bookkeepers with their own small business who are looking for clients. If you don’t have any other employees, this situation will work best for you because you can pay them as a subcontractor instead of an employee on payroll. However, you will need to give them a Form 1099 at year end for tax purposes. But, since they are accounting experts, they can help you with that task too.
You should interview your prospective bookkeeper just as you would if you were hiring him/her as an employee. Ask for a resume and references, and check them out. Since this person will be handling your confidential records, you want someone who is trustworthy.
Depending on your location, you should expect to pay between $15 and $50 an hour for a bookkeeper. Don’t necessarily hire the one who offers the lowest rate- remember you get what you pay for. The more experienced person will cost you more, but will provide valuable input and suggestions to streamline your business that will wind up saving you money in the long run.
Since this person will be working closely with you in your business, you should feel comfortable with him or her. If you have any reservations about this person, go on to the next candidate.
While the selection process may take a while, it will be worth it later. Take your time to find the perfect bookkeeper, and in a few months you’ll wonder how you ever managed to run your business before you hired one.
An entrepreneur tries to juggle many balls each day, but sooner or later one of them is going to be dropped. A smart business owner will realize that he/she can’t do everything because there are only 24 hours in a day. Unless you are extremely organized and enjoy working with numbers, then maybe you need to outsource this job. Too many business owners spend their time doing what they are not very good at simply because they don’t know how to go about finding someone to do that job for them.
Where do you start? Ask your accountant for referrals. Obviously you don’t need a full-time person to do your books, so your best bet is to look for someone who wants to moonlight at a part-time job. There are also bookkeepers with their own small business who are looking for clients. If you don’t have any other employees, this situation will work best for you because you can pay them as a subcontractor instead of an employee on payroll. However, you will need to give them a Form 1099 at year end for tax purposes. But, since they are accounting experts, they can help you with that task too.
You should interview your prospective bookkeeper just as you would if you were hiring him/her as an employee. Ask for a resume and references, and check them out. Since this person will be handling your confidential records, you want someone who is trustworthy.
Depending on your location, you should expect to pay between $15 and $50 an hour for a bookkeeper. Don’t necessarily hire the one who offers the lowest rate- remember you get what you pay for. The more experienced person will cost you more, but will provide valuable input and suggestions to streamline your business that will wind up saving you money in the long run.
Since this person will be working closely with you in your business, you should feel comfortable with him or her. If you have any reservations about this person, go on to the next candidate.
While the selection process may take a while, it will be worth it later. Take your time to find the perfect bookkeeper, and in a few months you’ll wonder how you ever managed to run your business before you hired one.
Starting A Business? Be Honest With Yourself For Success
This time of year a great many people are thinking about starting their own business. There is nothing like an exciting business idea to kick off the new year in style.
Unfortunately, most of the new businesses we'll see this month won't make it through the next quarter. Why? In most cases the business idea was solid, it just didn't fit the true needs of the owner. To help ensure longevity and success, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, be honest with yourself about what you expect to get from a business AND what you're prepared to give the business. You may be concentrating on the parts of the business you really like -- like earning a large income -- and ignore aspects you won't like -- like selling to customers and completing paperwork.
Yet, in the average business, selling and office administration take up most of your day. To really succeed in most businesses, you have to LIKE selling and customer service. If you don't do those things well or don't have the proper attitude, you simply won't be able to stick around, much less reach your aggressive income goals.
Even if you don't mind spending time on all aspects of the business, you may not have the time to commit to it. Most of us have to keep working jobs while we work on a new business. Sometimes we simply don't have time to succeed.
Fortunately, you can easily outsource the things you don't like to do while concentrating on the things you do. You can have an outside service prospect for new customers. You can even find others to sell for you such as marketing call centers, affiliates, and partners.
There are services that will handle many of the customer service and office administration tasks. A contract bookkeeper can maintain your financial records working just a few hours a week, even from his or her home or office.
Most importantly, make sure you use automated online tools. Autoresponders, lead creation systems, and online ordering and payment processing can literally automate many aspects of your business. This is how thousands of online business gurus earn fabulous incomes while traveling the world, and working just a couple of hours one morning per week.
Unfortunately, most of the new businesses we'll see this month won't make it through the next quarter. Why? In most cases the business idea was solid, it just didn't fit the true needs of the owner. To help ensure longevity and success, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, be honest with yourself about what you expect to get from a business AND what you're prepared to give the business. You may be concentrating on the parts of the business you really like -- like earning a large income -- and ignore aspects you won't like -- like selling to customers and completing paperwork.
Yet, in the average business, selling and office administration take up most of your day. To really succeed in most businesses, you have to LIKE selling and customer service. If you don't do those things well or don't have the proper attitude, you simply won't be able to stick around, much less reach your aggressive income goals.
Even if you don't mind spending time on all aspects of the business, you may not have the time to commit to it. Most of us have to keep working jobs while we work on a new business. Sometimes we simply don't have time to succeed.
Fortunately, you can easily outsource the things you don't like to do while concentrating on the things you do. You can have an outside service prospect for new customers. You can even find others to sell for you such as marketing call centers, affiliates, and partners.
There are services that will handle many of the customer service and office administration tasks. A contract bookkeeper can maintain your financial records working just a few hours a week, even from his or her home or office.
Most importantly, make sure you use automated online tools. Autoresponders, lead creation systems, and online ordering and payment processing can literally automate many aspects of your business. This is how thousands of online business gurus earn fabulous incomes while traveling the world, and working just a couple of hours one morning per week.
Increase Profits by Marketing to Existing Customers
Business owners want more leads, more customers, more sales. It sounds logical: attract more customers and more sales will follow, leading to increased profits. But is this the best way to maximize profits? Sometimes it’s difficult to see the forest for the trees.
What about the customers your business already has?
It can cost up to seven times more to acquire a new customer than it can to sell more to an existing customer. Yes, generating leads is important, and attracting many new customers may lead to fast profits. But looking after your existing customers, providing quality service and developing a long term relationship will allow you to tap into an ongoing profit source.
Marketing is the most powerful tool for attracting customers, and search marketing techniques can pinpoint the preferences of your target market using data from search engines. Knowing what your market is thinking is the key to generating fat profits. Online strategies are vital to uncovering the potential of your business. Once you have found your niche and have a sophisticated marketing strategy in place, you need to systematize your business to achieve automation. Profit will come with satisfied customers and having the proper systems in place will ensure that customers are satisfied, employees are productive and your business is generally running on autopilot. Profit is more or less guaranteed once this is the case.
Increased profits are achieved through a step by step process where marketing and customer satisfaction are at the core of the business. While there are methods to quickly generate leads and achieve fast profits, a certain level dedication is required to create a truly successful business. There is no quick fix solution to achieve the profit and success you want.
What about the customers your business already has?
It can cost up to seven times more to acquire a new customer than it can to sell more to an existing customer. Yes, generating leads is important, and attracting many new customers may lead to fast profits. But looking after your existing customers, providing quality service and developing a long term relationship will allow you to tap into an ongoing profit source.
Marketing is the most powerful tool for attracting customers, and search marketing techniques can pinpoint the preferences of your target market using data from search engines. Knowing what your market is thinking is the key to generating fat profits. Online strategies are vital to uncovering the potential of your business. Once you have found your niche and have a sophisticated marketing strategy in place, you need to systematize your business to achieve automation. Profit will come with satisfied customers and having the proper systems in place will ensure that customers are satisfied, employees are productive and your business is generally running on autopilot. Profit is more or less guaranteed once this is the case.
Increased profits are achieved through a step by step process where marketing and customer satisfaction are at the core of the business. While there are methods to quickly generate leads and achieve fast profits, a certain level dedication is required to create a truly successful business. There is no quick fix solution to achieve the profit and success you want.
January 12, 2010
Making money using the Internet
The Internet is growing everyday, and it is making more and more money as we speak. The Internet has allowed millions of people to stay at home and work out of there house to make a full time income. Today people are researching for that perfect opportunity so that they too can work at home and start a home business and make a six figure income.
Well lets be honest with ourselves. It isn’t going to happen any time soon sorry to say. However if you work at it, and build it like a business you will see great growth in how much money you produce online. I suggest when you start working online look for something that offers you residual income. Residual income is good because you will get paid over and over again for all your hard work you put in.
If you do not find something with residual income, and go with something that just pays say once a week or twice a week it is good for now but what will happen if they close shop? Also the market will sooner or later become filled with tons of people doing the same thing you are doing. So choose something that pays you month after month from residual income.
I know of a few good programs that allow you to make a good deal of money off of residual income that I am going to tell you about. Now before I start these programs will not make you millions but they will help you start off in the correct direction, and help you make and extra $200 to $2,000 a month if you really use them.
The first is a program that works off investing. Everyone should invest money so this one is great. With it you can invest as little money as you want to or as much its all up to you. Once you made your investment you then can choose to get paid monthly or have it compound for a year. Each month you will make anywhere from 15% - 20% on your investment.
The second residual income opportunity I found is another system that works a bit different from the first one. This system offers you a chance to join for a small fee, and allows you to make $15 a month from whoever you refer into the system. Example if you bring in Bob you just made $15 a month. Now Bob brings in Mary you get Mary and you just made $30 a month. Now you bring in David and you just made $45 a month. Mary brings in Kathy and you made $60 a month and David brings in Tim and you made $75 a month.
It works like a 1 up system. After a short time you can easily be making $300 or more a month with doing minimum work.
Well lets be honest with ourselves. It isn’t going to happen any time soon sorry to say. However if you work at it, and build it like a business you will see great growth in how much money you produce online. I suggest when you start working online look for something that offers you residual income. Residual income is good because you will get paid over and over again for all your hard work you put in.
If you do not find something with residual income, and go with something that just pays say once a week or twice a week it is good for now but what will happen if they close shop? Also the market will sooner or later become filled with tons of people doing the same thing you are doing. So choose something that pays you month after month from residual income.
I know of a few good programs that allow you to make a good deal of money off of residual income that I am going to tell you about. Now before I start these programs will not make you millions but they will help you start off in the correct direction, and help you make and extra $200 to $2,000 a month if you really use them.
The first is a program that works off investing. Everyone should invest money so this one is great. With it you can invest as little money as you want to or as much its all up to you. Once you made your investment you then can choose to get paid monthly or have it compound for a year. Each month you will make anywhere from 15% - 20% on your investment.
The second residual income opportunity I found is another system that works a bit different from the first one. This system offers you a chance to join for a small fee, and allows you to make $15 a month from whoever you refer into the system. Example if you bring in Bob you just made $15 a month. Now Bob brings in Mary you get Mary and you just made $30 a month. Now you bring in David and you just made $45 a month. Mary brings in Kathy and you made $60 a month and David brings in Tim and you made $75 a month.
It works like a 1 up system. After a short time you can easily be making $300 or more a month with doing minimum work.
Making Money Online 101
As with any way to make money, the best way of making money online is to follow your passions. First find something you love to do, then find a way to use it for making money online.
There are many websites with ideas for making money online. Some are scams, but many have good ideas. To start making money online, look through sites that offer ideas in the field you are intersted in. Remember that making money online is still a job, and you want a job that you like.
Once you have narrowed down your ideas, consider costs. If you are on a budget, it will narrow down your ideas even more. For any program that you have to buy into, find other people who have worked in the program to see if it really made them any money. Some people make money online by selling programs that don't work that well. Make sure the costs involved in the program you are buying make sense. If they do, and if you find others who have been successful, you might be on the right track.
You also need to consider your time commitment. Find a way to make money online that won't take up all of your spare time if you are already working a full time job.
Once you have determined how you plan to make money online, spend the time you need. Many people start an online business but lose interest and quit. Find a business that you love so you want to stay with it. Finding a way to do what you love is the best way to make money online.
There are many websites with ideas for making money online. Some are scams, but many have good ideas. To start making money online, look through sites that offer ideas in the field you are intersted in. Remember that making money online is still a job, and you want a job that you like.
Once you have narrowed down your ideas, consider costs. If you are on a budget, it will narrow down your ideas even more. For any program that you have to buy into, find other people who have worked in the program to see if it really made them any money. Some people make money online by selling programs that don't work that well. Make sure the costs involved in the program you are buying make sense. If they do, and if you find others who have been successful, you might be on the right track.
You also need to consider your time commitment. Find a way to make money online that won't take up all of your spare time if you are already working a full time job.
Once you have determined how you plan to make money online, spend the time you need. Many people start an online business but lose interest and quit. Find a business that you love so you want to stay with it. Finding a way to do what you love is the best way to make money online.
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