Home based Business

I wrote this a little while back and thought I should just post it here for all those interested in my journey of internet network marketing. It should be noted that this is a short version of my story and there are a few details missing. Enjoy!

Looking back at my journey and all the money I’ve lost I have to laugh. I guess I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if I had someone tell me what I’m about to tell you.

It all began with the thought of making money online while I’m sleeping, on a holiday, golfing, or whatever. I learned that the internet had made over 35 billion dollars of sales the previous year and I wanted a piece of the action. So what did I do? I decided to buy rich jerk’s e-book. Ever heard of him? What a jerk! No wonder his name says so. Anyway, I read his sales letter (at the time I didn’t know that is what the particular letter was called) and immediately bought his e-book. In his sales letter he made it seem like internet marketing was so easy. Well, I read his book at least 2 or 3 times and was more confused and frozen then before. I had no idea where to start.

So what did I do? I was suckered in by the rich jerks sales tactics once again. He recommended a “coaching program” for all the “stupid” ones like me who couldn’t succeed at internet marketing. Well, I ended up subscribing to this coaching program for $5000. Yep, you heard me right…I spent a whopping $5000 on a program where they promised me that I would make thousands of dollars a month within a short period of time. I later found out that this coaching program was actually a company called ecapital training. Guess what? It didn’t turn out the way I thought. Talk about a pit in my stomach. I had $5000 on my credit card and I started sniffing a scam. They sent me a course that I was to take online and I started wondering why I spent $5000. By my 3rd week I decided that I wanted my money back. I ended up only getting around $4300 back.

Was it all a loss? No way. Anytime you take action towards a dream or goal it is NEVER bad. Yes, I learned not to get suckered in so easy, but I gained something precious from the ecapital training course. I learned that the first thing I needed to succeed in internet marketing was a product to market and so I began my search. Of course, an information product is the best. However, I didn’t know what to write. Plus, I didn’t know you get get someone to write information for you (more on that later). Anyway, I found a health supplement product called Sibu Balance. The product was GREAT! In fact, I was so sold on it that I got my family on it right away. There was only one so called down side (at least that is what inernet marketers told me) about my product. It was from a network marketing company.

Talk about opening up another can of worms! My brother had been in network marketing companies and I didn’t care for them too much. But, because I loved the product so much my mind was open. So I started researching network marketing. And amazingly enough, I found out that network marketing is actually one of the best business structures around! I had no idea! Up until that time I just thought of it as scams or “childish” jobs. Well, I discovered that network marketing allows a person to help other people succeed. I couldn’t believe it. I could invest time and money in my so called competitors (my team) and still benefit from it. Talk about leverage! Plus, I learned the difference between linear and residual income. I learned that the rich take advantage of residual income.

Well, that is when the “BAM” moment happened to me or the light bulb went on. You see, I was smart enough to realize that the reason most people don’t make a lot of money in network marketing was because of the “traditional methods” used. Such as writing your list of 100 family and friends and negging them until they become distributors. Well, that is o.k. for the guy at the top, but I knew that it wouldn’t build my business to the point of making a good 6 figure income. But, I began to think that the combination of the power of the internet and the leverage of network marketing might be lethal! Even though all the internet marketers I knew never talked about network marketing and vice versa, I knew my “vision” was doable.

So what did I do next? I decided that a fancy website was all I needed for marketing my network marketing product on the internet. I went and got this fancy website (I didn’t pay much for it because it was a duplicate of another website) and started marketing it through pay per click (google adwords). Man, I couldn’t believe that money didn’t start rolling in. Actually, it was opposite. Money went out and nothing came in. It seemed that everyone coming to the website left within a few seconds of clicking on it. Absolutely NO sales…and only one prospect out of a few hundred visitors.

I looked in many places for a solution. I can’t even remember all of the e-books I bought and all of the articles I read as I searched for a solution. What was I doing wrong? Afterall, I had a wonderful, very flashy website and nobody was buying anything. But, I wouldn’t let this discourage me. I’ve learned that if you are to obtain your dreams, you must overcome many obstacles.

One place I stumbled across one day was sitebuildit.com I bought the course and took it for a few weeks. This was the first real good information I received from the internet. The course is absolutely unbelievable. It gives people a simple system for creating a high traffic website. And it was the first time I even saw someone write about internet network marketing. When I say a simple system, I mean it. I’ve never seen a course so easy to use. However, I did not want to write a lot of content and this was necessary. If I had the time I would have continued with the course and built a high traffic website. The problem was I needed a strategy for marketing a product that I had in mind without taking a months developing a website. The opportunity I had in my network marketing company required fast action for the most money. Look, there is NO better way of getting free traffic then building a website through sitebuildit.com how do I know? Because, I’ve seen other website build it programs out there and nothing touches the quality of www.sitebuildit.com If you have the time and you want to build a website with high traffic then use them.

As I continued looking for information on the internet I realized that I kept reading these “sales letters” where the authors were convincing me to buy something (usually an e-book- remember my first experience with “Rich jerk”). A typical sales letter is usually very personal and convincing. It presents a problem, and promises a solution, selling the solution with a guarantee and a whole bunch of bonuses. It started dawning on me that sales letters must be the best way to market on the internet. In fact, everything I’ve ever bought from the internet was from the result of reading a sales letter. So I started to connect the dots and the light bulb went on. That is when I found statistics supporting my findings that sales letters are indeed the best way to make sales on the internet.

So not knowing much more then the fact that I needed a sales letter, I decided to write a sales letter for my product and start promoting it through ppc. Wow! Talk about a wake up call. Once again money went out of my pocket and nothing came in. Obviously, just putting up a few sales letters was not the anwer. I must admit that I was a little confused. I really really thought that my sales letters were good and I thought that people would by my product. I just couldn’t understand why it wasn’t working.

Yet, I knew sales letters were the right direction. How did I know? Not because someone telling me, but because I experienced their power. I saw people like myself and others who were buying from sales letters. If others were doing it then I knew I could do it.

You want to know my next mistake (never fear mistakes…just fear giving up)? I decided I needed a prettier website to hang my sales letters on. So I hired a website developer. Yikes! Good thing I didn’t go that direction too long. Trust me, I learned that websites are NOT the problem. Words sell. Words are the most powerful medium on the internet…not pretty websites.

As I continued my “quest” for learning a simple way to market on the internet, I came across people called copywriters. I learned that these people write sales letters for a living! Well, knowing that a good sales letter is 100x better then a pretty website, I decided to give a copywriter a try.

I found a copy writer named Ray Edwards. Talk about an answer to prayer. Ray is familiar with both internet and network marketing. Ray began to open my eyes to see things more clearly. Things I never heard of before like an opt-in page were introduced to me by Ray. Ray taught me that I needed a page where I capture people’s contact info when internet marketing. I had no idea! Who would have thought? But, it made sense. Then a person needs a good sales letter that converts people to buy product. If the person doesn’t buy the product or join your company the first time, then you should have at least 10 follow-up emails prepared in an auto responder to follow up with them.

So lets recap so far the things to AVOID and the things to DO

AVOID:

1. spending money on a pretty website

2. spending thousands of dollars on a course like ecaptial training

3. writing your own sales letters

4. Using your network marketing company’s website

5. Running a pay per clik advertisement without knowledge

Things To Do:

1. Get an opt-in page convincing people to give their email address

2. Get a professional sales letter written

3. Get an auto-responder to follow up with prospect

4. Hire a good copywriter to do the job

5. Have a system in place that is user friendly for your downline

Easy? Yeah, I wish! Look what I went through to discover this easy secret to internet marketing. Trust me, I wish somebody had written something like this so I could have saved my money and time.

So is that it? No way. There is so much information to learn with internet marketing. Let me continue with my story.

Through Ray I stumbled across a certain individual that had the same vision of bringing the power of the internet together with the leverage of network marketing. He used the simple method above for caputuring leads and ended up growing his team by thousands of people in less then a year! He proved to everyone that it could be done! Well, this was the BEST news ever! All I had up until this point was a vision…and then I saw someone who had made it happen.

So what was the best piece of information I learned from this particular individual? Believe it or not, it was a product he recommended. It was a course by Dave Vallieres on internet marketing.

It was through this course that I began to see it was possible for average people to make a living online.

If someone would have pointed me to Dave’s ebook I would paid thousands of dollars months ago to just skip all I went through. If you want to learn from the best and learn what works then order Dave’s ebook (I know where to get it). You will not be disappointed. If you think you can learn internet marketing on your own without his book then your FOOLISH! You will spend way too much money and time and will probably end up coming back to it anyway.

So there you go. Now, you have the short version on what to do and what not to do in internet network marketing.

Dave Vass is a internet network marketer that is interested in helping the average network marketer succeed by giving them the knowledge needed to use the power of the internet for the growth of their business.

And it is my pleasure to bring all of my experience and knowledge together to create a internet network marketing system for one of the best products in the world…Sibu Balance. My desire is to give others an advantage above 97% of the other network marketers out there so that they can actually make money!

For further info please contact me at mailto:dvass@drinksibu.com dvass@drinksibu.com

vassdave.com vassdave.com

I’d like to ask you a question - how many “how-to” type info-products have you purchased in recent times? Go ahead and think of your last purchase. What was it that made the blood rush to your head and click on the buy button? I’ll tell you exactly what it was – a very important concept called “perceived value”. Simply put, the benefits that the product offered was more valuable to you than the sum of money needed to acquire it. Congratulations…you’ve just stumbled upon one vital ingredient of the marketing mix. This article will demonstrate a few key ways of building perceived wealth to that “blood-rush to the head” point where your prospects are simply unable to pass up your offer. We’ll tackle perceived value in both info-product creation and resale rights offers separately.

Info-Product creators pay close attention to these tips – they really can do wonderful things to your sales. The most important thing you need to know is this – “perceived value is created during the actual research and production stage of your info-product”. That’s right – it isn’t built in to the sales page at the end…sure your copy needs to be crisp and attractive but you need to build in the perceived value as you develop your product. How can you do this? Simple – get into your potential customers minds. Attend discussion forums where your prospects are and note down what the burning issues are. Then find solutions for those issues. Is there a quality resource that already exists in the area that you’re creating your info-product on? What do people say about it. Ask yourself…”What can I add into my info-product that no-other resource in this field covers”.

To illustrate my point, one of my recent releases was an all inclusive resource called The Complete Info-Product Creation Toolbox. There have been some real best-sellers out there showing people “how to create an eBook in X days” and so on, a couple of them being quite good in fact. However I noticed one thing in even the best of them – they only gave advice. Every time the info-product creator needed to get hold of software, for example to create PDF files or add audio onto their site, the book would point it’s affiliate link to a recommended resource – so much so that the reader had to end up paying an additional $150 or so to do everything the books suggested. There was my opening – When it came to producing The Complete Info-Product Creation Toolbox, I immediately scooped up the master rights to several resources and software that every info-product creator needs in addition to the basic “how to” info, and included them as part of the package. The result? Instant perceived value. What do you think most potential info-product creators would prefer – a “how to” eBook, or a “how to” ebook plus all the software needed to get started? Pretty obvious isn’t it.

Here’s another method of creating instant perceived value if you’re an info-product creator. Throw in unique bonuses that your prospects just can’t get anywhere else. Get this right and not only can it be the difference between a hit and miss sale, but some customers may buy your product especially for the bonus – if it’s something so unique and valuable that they haven’t seen elsewhere. Now I’m not suggesting you spend a week of 12-hour days slugging away to product the “bonus of the decade”. No, you simply have to identify your customer’s needs and figure out what other information you could provide that will clinch that sale for you. That bonus could come by way of a high-power special report or perhaps even a piece of complementary software that could benefit the user.

Now let’s talk a little about perceived value with resale rights. Resale rights are an increasingly competitive market – more and more resellers are entering the arena, selling the same products to the same potential customers. What are you going to do to create perceived value when you’re selling the exact same product as everyone else? It’s simple – add so many exclusive bonuses to your offer that your prospect immediately sits up and takes note. Let me be quite candid – the majority of resellers do the following: buy resale rights, upload to website to sell, get disappointed with level of sales. It’s all rather mechanical, and many do the same thing over and over again. Now for those with a huge opt-in list that may work fine. But a lot of resellers simply don’t have that list muscle to generate sales. Hence most resellers make little more than a trickle of sales, no matter what resale rights products they try to sell. So that means resale rights cant be profitable yes? No! Some resale rights products are top quality and have a potential market of millions. Here’s the top two things that resellers must do to create perceived value and boost their sales. First, differentiate from the crowd – create a “unique selling point” that is not available anywhere else. Instead of just uploading your resale rights products as soon as you purchase, why not add to the offer by throwing in some alluring bonuses? What other resale rights products do you have that will “compliment” your featured product. If you’ve been online for some time you probably have a library of resale rights products that you can offer. The second thing you can do to add perceived value is tweak the sales page a bit. Some resale rights products have questionable sales copy (even if the product is great). This is wonderful news for you – get in there and make it better. Much better. I assume you read your resale rights products before selling…so what benefits most impressed you about the product? What about the format and graphics of the product – can you create “instant perceived value” by improving these? These adjustments should take no more than a day, yet the positive benefits will be clearly seen through increased sales of your resale rights product. Try it, you may just surprise yourself.

Hopefully you now understand the importance of creating a high level of perceived value in the minds of your customers and prospects. When you think about it, we live in the internet age where online information is available everywhere – much of it free. What’s the difference between your prospect choosing between your product, a competitors product or free info? Give me a P. Give me an E. Give me an R….

Tuks Engineer is the creator of the ground-breaking new digital-resale-rights.com digital-resale-rights.com club, a membership site that provides premium, exclusive digital products with resale rights for just a few dollars.

What are the advantages of paid survey opportunities? In today’s busy world, it seems like both time and money are in short supply. But, you don’t have to live paycheck to paycheck just because you can’t find the time to add a traditional part-time job to your already jam-packed schedule. By sharing your opinions with legitimate survey sites, you can get the cash you need without sacrificing time with your family and friends.

Making money with paid surveys is surprisingly easy. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars purchasing expensive inventory and supplies. All you need is an e-mail address and reliable Internet access to start earning money with paid survey opportunities.

Online surveys are one of the most flexible ways you can earn the supplemental income you need. In fact, most surveys can be completed in just 15 to 30 minutes. Once you learn how to get paid for surveys, you can earn the cash you need while you’re waiting to pick your daughter up from ballet practice or waiting for your clothes to dry at the Laundromat. If you’re a chronic insomniac, you can even complete online surveys instead of lulling yourself back to sleep by watching late night TV!

Since the purpose of online survey programs is to conduct market research for various companies, you’ll be asked a number of questions about your age, where you live, and what type of job you have. You may also be asked what kind of car you drive, if you own a pet, and whether or not you have any children. Answer these questions honestly; there’s no need to lie. Whether you’re a college student or a stay at home parent looking to earn some extra cash, there are paid surveys available that fit your needs.

Although the compensation for paid survey opportunities varies, most experienced survey participants find that surveys offer an hourly wage that is far greater than what they could expect to earn at a traditional part-time job. Some survey sites even offer additional perks like free product samples or the chance to win gift certificates and other special incentives. Whether you’re trying to finally afford that dream vacation or eager to start saving for retirement, learning how to get paid for taking surveys is a smart move.

However, it’s important to be patient and approach online surveys with the same enthusiasm you’d give any other work at home business opportunity. Paid survey opportunities aren’t a get rich quick scheme it may take a few months before you see the maximum results from your efforts. Don’t get discouraged until you’ve given yourself time to learn the ropes of this fun and exciting opportunity.

Who’d like some money?

Hey, stop goofing around online for free and start getting paid for your time!

You can get the lowdown on easy ways to make money online at Odalis Earns.

odalisearns.blogspot.com/ CLICK HERE to master paid surveys, online auctions and other great ways to stuff cash into your pockets!

Jewelry making is an ideal way to start earning a little extra money from home. You don’t need to spend a lot to get going. Initially your circle of friends will be your customers. Your friends will tell their friends, who will tell their friends, and so on and so on.

Though you may start with a kit or two for the learning experience, you can’t rely on kits if you want to make money selling your work. People will pay more for one-of-a-kind pieces. Plus, the mark-up on kits is quite high because another artist has done the design work for you. In other words, you can both charge more and keep your costs lower if you design your work yourself. This is how to maximize your profit.

A good place to start is by flipping through magazines and catalogues. Clip jewelry photos that appeal to you, along with price information if available. Get a notebook and fill it with the pictures.

You’re not going to copy them. This is just to give you ideas and get your creative juices flowing. The pictures will also come in handy when you can’t quite figure out how to do something you have in mind – kind of like your own illustrated how-to book.

There are two easy to learn jewelry making methods to consider: beading and wire sculpting, also know as wire wrapping.

Beading requires little skill other than a good sense of design and the materials are
inexpensive.

Wire sculpting or wire wrapping is not that much harder to learn, but since you are dealing with gold, silver and genuine gemstones, the materials cost a bit more. But the markup is much higher.

Tools and Materials

Here’s a list of tools you will need to start:

1. Jewelers’ wire cutters - If you can only afford one pair, get memory wire shears. These are designed to make clean cuts on tough memory wire, so can also be used for softer wires.

2. Chain-nose pliers (sometimes called needle-nose pliers) – Very versatile for picking up and grasping small items, bending eye pins, closing jumps rings, even closing crimp beads.

3. Round-nose pliers – Used for creating loops on beaded head and eye pins. Can also be used for winding your own jump rings and as the second pliers you’ll need for closing jump rings.

4. Optional pliers – Wire-looping pliers which have several graduated circumferences to allow you to form perfectly uniform jump rings and loops (in place of the round-nose pliers mentioned above). Crimping pliers which have little notches to allow you to both flatten a crimp bead and then bend it to form a rounded finished look (instead of the flat crimp you get using the chain-nose pliers).

As for materials, I recommend some assortment packs of beads in coordinating colors, some decorative metal spacers, seed beads in both silver and gold (These can serve as spacers and beautifully set off your other beads.), tube-shaped crimp beads (Buy the best you can find – these are what hold it all together!), head and eye pins.

Other than that, let your choice of project be your guide. You might want some silver or pewter charms. For earrings, you would need ear posts or wires or clip-on bases. For bracelets, you need memory wire or stretchy cord or beading wire and clasps. For necklaces, memory wire or beading wire, clasps and perhaps pendants.

A bead board is a good idea too. Its ruled tracks help you measure and lay out designs for bracelets and necklaces as well as to corral the beads you are working with at a given time.

For jewelry projects and articles on how to start and run a craft business, visit theartfulcrafter.com

Eileen Bergen was a teacher and later a vice president for a major financial institution. After being downsized, she has been running a successful craft business as well as The Artful Crafter website – theartfulcrafter.com theartfulcrafter.com

Contrary to popular belief nothing is as simple as buying a magic e-book or joining the latest network marketing craze, to suddenly owning a healthy low maintenance online business. It just doesn’t happen.

It a nut shell, it takes LOTS of time, money, effort, dedication and a lot of skill and planning. If you are looking for a quick $25 fix, then I am afraid that I simply can’t help you. Oh, I forgot that the most important skill of all is juggling.

That’s right, juggling. You need to prepare yourself for the long haul. My first online business, took nearly 6 months before it even covered my startup costs (business name, legal fees, bank accounts, web hosting etc.) So I needed some way to eat, sleep and be happy for 6 months while building this business. I chose to continue with my day job and put away as much money as I could to live on for the following 6 months, when I would take the switch from running the “home based business” while I was still actually working full time, to spending the following 6 months dedicated to growing my own business. I needed cash in the bank to do this.

I’d wake at 6:00am and respond to emails and process my online orders. I’d leave home at 8:00am to arrive at work by 9:00am. I had a special relationship with our international courier to pickup deliveries from our garage (without being present personally.) Fortunately I was able to use my ISP’s web mail facility from my “day desk” to response to my personal clients during the day. It was great. I could respond to my personal customers quickly, answer questions and let them know their orders had been received and would be processed later that day. And I mean, speak with them personally by email. Auto-Responders are great, but they always look like an auto-responder. In exchange for this fringe benefit from my employer, I gave up ½ my lunch break and offered to be available by telephone for emergency after hours support (I worked in IT if you hadn’t guessed.) When I arrived home at 6:00pm, I’d spend usually another hour processing orders received during the day, have dinner, watch the nightly news, have a quick 30min bike ride if possible, and slip into bed around 10pm after doing some web page marketing.

I had designed a system that allowed be to slowly build an online business, while saving money to make the jump to full time, self employed, work at home. Which inevitable comes with an initial salary sacrifice. Something like 3 out of every 4 small business’s fail. It is simply because they have large startup over heads, with little or no immediate income. You don’t need an accounting degree to work out if your expenses are larger than your net income, the business is not in good shape. Hence, so many people end up closing their small business and going back to their “day job.” I was determined that this would NOT happen to me.

There was lots to learn, and learn fast. Accounting, advertising, marketing, business practices, web page design, web page optimization, web page promotion, email marketing, web page statistics….. the list goes on. Oh, and customer relations. So many articles I see focus so much on meta tags, keywords etc, not paying much attention to the customers, and people actually looking at your web page.

I dabbled for months, years probably, in optimizing my web pages, using submission software, swapping web page links. NOTHING has worked better than following up with my customers, offering affiliate and referral commissions, providing an online post-sales customer followup / satisfaction survey. I’ve since noticed customers of mine writing nice reviews about their experience with us on industry forums, I can track the click throughs from these reviews and they do generate sales for us. The best advertising is simply the advertising that works, not necessarily that is the most expensive. From this I can see more and more incoming web page links and I haven’t even needed to ask for them!

I try to update or add content to our web page EVERY DAY. I spend at least 1 hour every morning improving the content, changing the content, looking at ways to stream line the HTML code, checking what our competition is doing, looking for the latest innovations in our industry. This constant tinkering with my web page seemed to interest search engine spiders like Google to return more often. I’d see google crawlers in my site stats maybe 1-2 times a month, its not nearly 100 times a month. So changes to my web page are quickly indexed.

Another misconception with home businesses is that they run themselves. This might be the case for electronic products, such as e-books and web templates that don’t involved actual product handling. But this market is saturated beyond comprehension, and from my understanding, charge backs from credit card providers are rampant as customers aren’t happy with their purchase and demand refunds.

In order to convince a real person to order from your online business, they must be convinced that you are, in fact, also a real person. You need to speak with them. This can be via content on your web page, PERSONALIZED email replies (e.g. Dear John or Dear Mary, not Dear Client or Dear Customer.) Your need to answer their emails fully, honestly, promptly and also follow up on your emails. If a customer on Monday asks you to confirm a price, availability and TOTAL order cost. Email the information ASAP, address the customer by name, and sign the email with your name. If you don’t hear back from the customer, follow-up with THEM (don’t forget to print this policy in your online privacy policy to keep everybody happy.) Who knows, if you don’t follow up with the potential client, they could already have their wallet open, credit card out, and ordering from your biggest competitor. Best you get back to them before somebody else does. And it will happen! I started this policy after the exact same thing happened to me. I learn quickly and make sure that I will never lose a sale to a competitor again by not following up with EVERY potential customer.

SPEED is also important. You need to respond to emails ASAP. If you consider that most people still access the internet by dial up modem, they login the internet, do a bit of web surfing, send some emails and then logoff. Their home computer is switched off, and may not be turned on again sometimes for days. So if you take a day to respond to emails, there is every likely hood that your potential client may not actually receive your response for some time – maybe a week. The best way to grab this potential client’s attention is to response to their email IMMEDIATELY. They will receive your reply during their same internet session. It also sets their expectation on your high service levels and responsiveness. Answering their first question, which must be “how good is this company anyway” and “do I trust them with my money?”

Hmmm, so I have to sit at my computer 24 hours a day and respond to emails? Doesn’t sound like much of an existence does it? Sadly, I admit I went through a period actually doing this. About 1 or 2 months I think. Yes, I am sad I know. This was the largest recordable growth period for my first online business. Then I learnt about Outlook mail rules (I actually knew about them all along, I just hadn’t thought to use them!) I could setup Microsoft Outlook to screen my emails looking for orders from my web page, send them to a specific folder, and then play a sound file when an order or customer question arrived from my web page. Now, at last, I was finally free from the computer and home office, just listening out for my incoming order / customer question sound. Actually, it became a motivation factor. My wife and I picked some of the sound clips from Comedy Central Inc, which make receiving an order even more fun (yes I know, simple things.) But it is good to know when I hear “I’ve got mail” sung by Special Ed, we’ve got an order.

Basically, you need to build a strong loyalty with your customers. You can do this by responding to them fast, giving them accurate information, and delivering their products fast. You need to spell out explicitly why they should buy your widget and chose your company, over the 1,000 other similar firms. To start a successful home business, you need to prepare for an initial dry spell. Remember, nothing just happens over night.

You need to pick a product or niche market. You need to make yourself known as an expert in this field, you need to get your name out there and you need to convince potential customers to become real customers. This all involves the evil W-word; WORK.

Now without sound too like a cliché, we own our own house, work about 2 hours a day (early morning) have a little boy crawling around, another on the way, and building a brand new dream house for ourselves – all with cash without any bank loans, fees, guarantees or interest. We didn’t get here by paying $25 for a “guaranteed successful online business design” that simply involved selling $25 “guaranteed successful online business designs.” We have daily regular and scheduled collections from our local and international couriers, and if we aren’t home, we leave them at the front door. So the rest of the day, is all free time now.

Nothing in life is simple. However, the rewards are there if you put in the effort.

About the Author;

Nick Balgowan is the winner of several Australian sponsored small business and entrepreneur awards. Since 1995 he has build and sold several successful online businesses. His current online businesses include beatpsoriasis.com beatpsoriasis.com offering medical product worldwide and veryownweb.com veryownweb.com offering unique and cut price web hosting to the Australian market. He can be contacted at mailto:nick@beatpsoriasis.com nick@beatpsoriasis.com

Monday morning at 8 a.m. and you are at your desk. You took a three-mile walk on the beach this morning at sunrise. After a shower, you pulled on a clean pair of shorts and t-shirt and made breakfast: hot oatmeal with raisins and maple syrup. Now, while your email comes in, you are finishing up your cup of coffee and taking a peek at your to-do list for the week. You feel relaxed and ready for just about anything.

Dream job? Would it surprise you to learn that this, or some version of it, could be yours should you choose to become one of the millions of people who work from home, at least part of every week? How big is this phenomenon? Experts estimate between 12 and 15 million small businesses, that is, approximately a half of the 25 million reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are home-based. Of course, this is no secret to companies like Kinko, Staples and Office Depot, who service this growing market. Anyway, you look at it; the small business/home business movement is having an impact on the workplace, worker satisfaction and work itself.

Older workers are well represented in this revolution. According to a study for AARP by the Rand Corporation, a Santa Monica, California think tank, workers 50 and older represent 40% of business owners, or 5.6 million people. Many observers, including author Daniel Pink (Free Agent Nation) see this as the tip of the iceberg. Cross an entrepreneur of 50 or older with the Internet and you get E-TIREMENT, a word Pink coined for this phenomenon.

Here are some good reasons to consider a home-based business.

1. Low overhead. Running a home-based business is like getting space, heat/cooling and light for free. Entrepreneurs like that, which is why a home office is one of the growing trends in new home design and remodeling, according to industry reports. Figure on spending between $5-10,000 to set up your office and compare that to renting office space elsewhere. No contest. You don’t even have to take the home office deduction to realize substantial savings; in fact, many experts say that may not be worth the risk of a tax audit.

2. Environmentally smart. Here is a question: how much energy is wasted to heat and cool houses that are vacant all day, except for pets and plants? If you work from home, you are not only making productive use of the energy in your home, you are freeing up office space (and utilities) for someone else who needs to work on site. We believe corporations are already recognizing the value of this.

3. No commuting. Another obvious benefit to the environment in lower emissions and wear and tear on the transportation infrastructure. But eliminating the daily commute ranks high in job satisfaction for most people, in the improved quality of life as well as the significant savings. Happy people do better work.

4. Productivity gains. People who work at home report they get more done in less time. They can focus better without the distractions of other people and meetings, not to mention office politics. It’s worth investing in the best tools you can afford and high-speed Internet access to get your projects moving along at a satisfying pace. And if you miss the social interaction and community provided by the workplace, recreate it by joining an association or network in your neighborhood. Toastmasters, for example, where you can improve your presentations skills and meet interesting people. toastmasters.org/

5. Control over your time (and no one breathing down your neck.) Got a tough deadline? You can put in the extra time to meet it, then reward yourself with an afternoon at the gym or local museum. Your clients and customers don’t care as long as you deliver quality work. If you wake up at 3 a.m. fired up with an idea, go for it. You can sleep in later (or even take a nap.)

6. The food is cheaper and better. Of course, the proximity of the refrigerator can be a pitfall, but look at it this way. If you’re on a diet, it’s much easier to stay on track and control the calories (or carbs) in meals you prepare yourself. If you’re the kind of person who needs frequent snacks to fuel you, no problem.

7. Exercise your right to exercise. Before work, in the middle or at the end of the working day. We all need to move to stay healthy in mind, body and spirit, a fact that many mainstream employers are beginning to recognize. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine set the standard for physical activity in 1995, recommending at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise on most or all days of the week, in increments as short as 10 minutes. Working at home lets you improve on that.

8. Control over your wardrobe. Now that “face time” has been eliminated or minimized, you don’t have to keep up with appropriate office attire, so you save money on clothes, as well as visits to the hairdresser and/or nail salon, and put your attention on the business itself.

9. You don’t have to wait for the weekend to do the household and chores that pile up all week. You can throw a load of laundry or start a pot of soup while the printer completes its job. You can drop off the dry-cleaning (if you still have any) on your way to a networking lunch in your neighborhood.

10. Finding balance. Everyone claims to want it, but as we mature, we recognize how important balance is to our health and well being, especially if we*ve been “doing time” in the corporate world. A home-based business may not cure the inveterate workaholic, and probably won’t generate enough income for the incurable slacker. But for anyone who values independence and control over their own future, and has the discipline to work for it, it is a blessing.

© Marika Stone, 2young2retire.com www.2young2retire.com

Marika Stone is co-founder of 2young2retire.com, Retirement Planning for People Who Aren’t Calling it Quits, and co-author of Too Young to Retire: 101 Ways to Start the Rest of Your Life (Plume 2004). She believes the longevity revolution is only as good as the choices people make. She is dedicated to helping people 50 and older make wise choices in the post-career phase of life.

Network marketing and the internet were made for each other.

The world is your oyster. It’s as easy to send an email around the globe as it is to talk to your next door neighbor.

If that’s true how can we explain the fact that 95% still fail in network marketing?

What are the traits of the top earners?

They have a solid bullet proof marketing system.

They have the patience of Job.

They have the persistence of a bull dog.

They set goals.

Short term goals

Internediate term goals

Long term goals

They market daily.

They believe in what they′re selling, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

They sell thereselves first.

They understand what motivates people.

They train their first level downline members to duplicate their efforts.

They praise their downlines accomplishments.

They learn from others.

They never become complacent. They are always recruiting.

They keep it simple.

They stay in contact with their downline and their prospects.

They go the extra mile. They give more.

They follow up on leads at least seven times.

They accomplish tasks in order of importance.

They concentrate on benefits.

They automate their efforts.

They have a daily study plan.

Books

Newsletters

Cassetes

They are global thinkers.

They only spend money when it will earn them a profit.

They reinvest their profits in their business.

They are willing to step out of their comfort zone.

They reward themselves when they reach a goal.

They enjoy what they are doing.

They are organized.

They don’t waste:

Time

Energy

People

They reach decisions quickly. And act on them.

Now that you know the basics, it’s up to you to follow through.

About The Author

John publishes the “Street Smart Marketing”. You can get a free subscription by visiting: EZMAILER.listbot.com EZMAILER.listbot.com. If you’d like to see how John uses this strategy to make money in network marketing visit: johncolanzi.com/cash.html johncolanzi.com/cash.html

Beggars are not choosers, you rationalize, as you log into cPanel to redecorate your website with colorful banners representing ‘Suntan Sally’s magic lotion’ on the one hand, with a bearded gentleman’s yogic injunctions on the other.

Does all this sound a bit too familiar? I was simply narrating what you did last week; in fact, this trend is fast catching up with people of all ages and professions. This is probably because they’re mesmerized by all the buzz about affiliate marketing, and how much it helps in earning thousands. While the latter may be true to an extent, it does depend on how you set about earning your thousands. And the first step is to cut down on the number of affiliate programs, because not only does it help you put in more resources, but it also gives you a chance to ‘weed out the worst’ and opt for the best.

Of course, most people may reason that you must choose programs in sync with your interests, or that you should pick the ones that touch your heart and mind (whatever that means), and so forth. I promise not to torment you with such pedantic advice. All I can say is that every choice depends upon the profit principle, whether or not you appreciate it. It is, therefore, prudent to pick the ones that enhance your earning potential, instead of worrying about personal likes and dislikes when it comes to business, one has to be objective.

In some cases, you may even choose programs that are totally unrelated to your site content, for instance, casino affiliate programs. Under such circumstances, you cannot design another website all at once, nor can you place a link on your site which, let’s say, deals with cookery, cuisine, and curry. But you can promote the program via bulk-mail marketing and safelists, or if you’re good at conversing with people and convincing them, you may strike a deal with websites which have relevant content in return for certain products or services from your end. This may not be easy, but it’s worth a try, particularly because casinos are amongst the highest-paying affiliate programs. As you can see, one can make money by being smart, and certainly not by wondering whether a program is in tune with one’s interests, and what else not.

So there you are! All you have to do is restrict your programs to a small number, ‘small’ being as subjective a view as any. Next, be honest and ask yourself what you really want. Do you want to be an affiliate marketer for fun, or is it all about money? If it’s the latter, you must try and make compromises with your moral compass, perhaps drop your cross of preferences and focus on profits. The old adage-that beggars are not choosers-may be true. But the new mantra is equally relevant. Choosers can’t be beggars. So choose your affiliate program, but choose wisely.

Patrick Ho is an experienced Affiliate Marketer, specializing in customer tracking and such sophisticated software programs. You can find out more on how to automate your ebiz by visiting either adsense-home-business.org Addsense or adsense-home-business.org/th/as/Soft.htm Addsense
Affiliate Software for a free registration.

So often we, as online business owners, fall victim to the hype surrounding the latest buzzword or idea. It’s a truly pitiful state of Internet affairs when we can’t distinguish sound truth from blurred theory. So what is the truth surrounding one of the most talked about Internet catch phrases, “multiple streams of income”?

In all actuality, the idea of multiple streams of income is not a new concept. Those who have been successful in business (in life for that matter) have long understood that you simply aren’t acting wisely if you place all your trust in one wealth-generating company, idea, or tool. Those in offline business refer to “multiple streams of income” as “diversification.”

Take a look at the stock market for a moment. This is a prime example of diversification or “multiple streams of income” (MSI). For as long as it has been in existence, the stock market has thrived on diversification. Stockbrokers encourage (almost insist) that you keep your funds split between multiple companies. Why? Because if one company goes under, you’ll have additional sources of revenue through the dividends of other companies.

How about business purchasing? Professionals in business procurement will advise you to line up and use several vendors for the same products/services. Why? Again, to protect yourself should one or more of your vendors close their doors at the same time. If this happens, and you have other vendors lined up and ready to go, you won’t lose any time in getting the supplies you need to continue conducting your business.

These same proven tactics apply to MSI online. Just as you wouldn’t want to invest all of your savings with one retirement fund company, you wouldn’t want to derive all your income from one source. Just the opposite. You’ll want to ensure you have revenue coming in from as many different sources as possible.

MSI is a solid business principle that should be at the very foundation of your company. Whether you sell others’ products through affiliate programs or have a service-based business that you operate yourself, find multiple streams of income to back up your primary stream.

Don’t know where to look? Try these!

1. Add affiliate products to your site (or start a new site and offer them there).

2. Produce your own ebook, software product, or automated service that can be created once and sold over and over with little effort on your part.

3. Find others to partner with. Bring a combination of your products/services to market and give yourself twice as much income for half as much work.

The Same or Different?

Should you aim for adding MSI that are similar to your current offerings or different? There are pros and cons to each. You’ll need to examine both sides of the story and make that decision for yourself.

While products/services that are similar can be added to your current marketing plan more quickly, those that are different allow your company to expand and reach more target groups. Similar products/services integrate easily into your current business strategy, but different products/services help you achieve more security. The “correct” decision is one you can make according to your situation.

Regardless of whether you decide to go with products or services that are similar or diverse, affiliate or your own, give some serious thought to shoring up your finances through multiple streams of income. When you do, you can be rest assured knowing your future is secure.

Copyright 2004 Diane Hughes

About The Author

Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com″ target=”_new ProBizTips.com

FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful) Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> madmarketer.com/diane” target=”_new madmarketer.com/diane

So, you now own your own business! (Or, are planning to…)

Now, in order to obtain customers and clients, you must
promote it: Spread the word, advertise, hand out cards,
purchase leads, and so on.

How fast do you wish to grow?
How much money do you want to make?

This will be directly related to how much you are willing
to invest in your business, how much time you are able
to consistently devote, and how much you are willing to
learn about your business…

Here’s a *Brick and Mortar* Comparison to consider:

What if you were to open a small store in your home town?
You would have to spend thousands of dollars to stock your
shelves and start up your new business. Of course you would
also need to quit your present job, along with your income,
and probably devote about 50 to 70 hours a week to your new
venture (initially at no pay…).

Finally, your big day comes! You are ready to open for
business! Throw open your doors! Greet the public!

But wait… Where are all the customers? How come they
are not lining up at your doors, waiting to get in?

OOPS… We forgot to advertise!

No matter what type of business you choose, you must
advertise! You are now an entrepreneur; a business owner
– not an ‘employee’! You must change your entire mindset
and attitude if you wish to succeed. Not everyone is
cut out for this. Are you?

One of the first things you will need is a business plan.
Some groundwork, goals and objectives. It’s hard to hit a
target if you have nothing to shoot for…

Let’s take a brief trip back to your original ‘bricks and
mortar’ storefront business. How much overhead do you have
here? How many thousands of dollars in start up costs did
you spend? How many hours are you having to put into it?
Are you making any profit? Getting any traffic? Able to
keep up with all of those monthly expenses? Employees?
Will you even BE in business six months from now?
(Most are not…)

What kind of risk are you taking?

Food for thought: Are you an employee or an entrepreneur?
Think about it. Research the businesses you are considering,
do your due diligence and comparisons.
…Then research ‘yourself…’

The good news is that there’s still a ton of profitable,
legitimate business opportunities online. Most require much
less initial investment and risk, compared to the brick and
mortar models - providing you do your homework. …Er, you
did do your homework, didn’t you?

A great source of information is a good business-building
ezine. Thousands are available online via the search
engines, most at no cost. What to look for:

– Specific substance and content to help grow your business,
not a lot of fluff, advertising and self-promotion. (Note:
There will have to be at least some, or it wouldn′t be free.)

– Expert authors in their respective fields.

– Relevant and recent articles and information.

– Tips, tricks and ideas to help you save money and
mistakes.

– A variety of topics to cover all the business-building
basics.

– A pleasing format and reading style with minimal brain-
strain.

– A good, healthy dose of fun, motivation and humor to make
your experience enjoyable and keep you as a happy subscriber.

If you follow in the footsteps of your leaders and coaches,
you′ll be much less likely to stumble…

Do a search - kick some tires! Most legitimate ezines will
protect your information and provide a way for you to stop
receiving issues anytime with ease. Keep on learning
and earning!

To your massive success!

– Gary, vantagepoint.ws vantagepoint.ws

For one of the best business-building ezines, subscribe to
Gary’s personal Ezine, WebBiz, today! Not only will you
find everything mentioned above and more, but there’s also
at least two FREEBIES included in each and every issue!
Knowledge, motivation, fun, freebies and more can be found
at ==> vantagepoint.ws/page6.html vantagepoint.ws/page6.html
(Everything you need to succeed - enjoy.)