by Chris Garrett
performancing:
Many people when I tell them about Performancing.com are interested in making an income from blogging. The idea of sitting in your underpants writing about something you enjoy and making money at it certainly is an attractive one. Inevitably though people ask me if anyone can do it. My answer is a qualified 'yes' ...
Such a strange thing to say from someone who spends their days promoting the idea of Professional Blogging right? Why not "absolutely yes", why the caveats?
While anyone has the potential to make money out of blogging a great many people never will. Just like any business, most bloggers don't last out their first year. There are many reasons for this, primary factors being
It's hard work - Most people are ready to put the hard work in at the start, give it a couple of months, especially now the sun is starting to make an appearance and the lure of spending time doing anything but blogging can defeat them. You have to put the hours in. Yes, *hours*. This can be particularly difficult if you have to hold down a job and family life at the same time.
You don't get instant rewards - I hope we have never given the impression blogging is a way to instant riches, it isn't. The rewards come months down the line after building traffic, reputation and reader involvement steadily day by day. When the rewards do start coming they appear as a trickle not a torrent. You need to keep your eye on the goal.
There is more to it than just writing - but blogging is all about writing, right? Blogging is indeed about writing but a professional blogger, or any blogger who wants readers, has to do more than just write. You have to put your blog and yourself out there, communicate with people where they are and not expect them to magically know about you. You need to get links. There is also a large aspect of the salesman in a pro blogger. If you do just want to write, consider joining a blog network where they do all the sales and promotion stuff for you.
Sometimes you have to act out of character - many of you will have read that "sales" word and shuddered. I feel the same way, while some people like Nick have a personality or motivation where they can do sales, many of us struggle with it. If you are going to have access to money streams other than the passive Adsense et al you will need to brace yourself and get selling. That means sponsorships, advertiser relationships, affiliate schemes and your own products. Selling and self promotion is not something every writer is comfortable with but you have to do it or you are limiting your income potential.
Money doesn't come easily - yes many people make a good deal of money out of adsense, and good luck to you if your adsense income is enough. A lot of bloggers get disheartened when they don't see big amounts coming from adsense so give up. After optimising your adsense you need to start going out and getting the cash in yourself. You need something on offer over and above your blog posts. The most natural progression from content to product for many bloggers is to package up your content and sell ebooks, courses and audio. Then there are things like merchandise through companies like cafepress. Think of what your readers might be interested in buying and find a way to provide it.
Anyone could make money from blogging but only a percentage of people actually go all the way and succeed. Critical to success is having staying power, not being defeated by minor setbacks, being willing to put yourself out there and put in the hard work. If you stick to it and can do all those things then yes, I am sure anyone can do it.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
My Top 10 Worst Ideas To Make Money
www.shoemoney.com
I think I am about 5 for 500 when it comes to successful ideas vs flops. I just watched a documentary about my neighbor Warren Buffett and he talked about how you should brag about your failures and be humble about your successes. I think my new years resolution in 2007 is to be way more humble. Do not think I have some golden touch or something that everything works out great… its just the law of averages.. try enough stuff and something will stick.
Anyway I came up (in about 10 minutes) my top 10 worst ideas to make money that totally were a waste of time and effort (and money in some cases).
And also BTW you cant read this post if you know me in real life and k thx…
10 - FireFox Forum (firefoxforum.com) - I purchased this site on digitalpoint ($800) after getting some inside information that FireFox was going to team up with Google on a per download affiliate program. Well all that happened and I think I made about 50$ the first year. FLOP
9 - BabyCalc.com - If you were about to have a baby you could go on this site and punch in some numbers then it would email you as your baby was growing and let you know what was going on… “like 10 days until you should be able to tell the sex of your baby!” or “Babys heart beat starts today” ect.. stuff like that.. I paid to have the backend developed and the site was about 95% completed (about a 1500$ investment).
Then a very close friend of the family had a miscarriage about 15 weeks into her pregnancy and told us about how she had signed up for all these baby websites and now they keep emailing her stuff and she breaks down and cries every time…. I just wanted no part of that… FLOP
8 - Pimp My Blog - I thought this was going to be teh win. I mean… you want to pimp out your blog right ? I registered pimpmyblog.org but it was burning my ass that someone owned pimpmyblog.com. I hate making a site when I do not own the .com. Sure you can do good without owning the .com but they are always going to mooch off of your hard work…. so I HAD to own it and after about 3 weeks of haggling with this guy I paid $2,000.00 for the domain.I made a forum with Vbulletin and had big plans to implement wordpress templates and all kinds of cool blogging tools but just never got around to it =p. FLOP
7 - Omaha-Used-Cars.com - Now here we go! This is easy. Just make a used car site and charge dealers a .25cent per car listing fee right ? ehhh none interested… FLOP
6 - SMS Text Dating textdating.com/texting.com - I was soooooooo sure this one was going to be it! The concept is simple basically you subscribe to this dating website. Make a profile then you could send a message to the person from the website to there mobile phone without having to know there phone number. I had this totally done and nobody every signed up… FLOP
5 - St. Marry’s Bar & Grill - Ok this has nothing to do with the internet. After the Hooters closed down in Lincoln I tried to re-open it then when that did not work out I thought about making a restaurant called St. Marrys where it was like a church and the waitresses dressed like catholic school girls and like the nuns would be the managers and spank the waitresses if they were bad?!? Yes I know bad idea and I never really pursued it…. I like in one of the most conservative catholic communities in the country so no way it would fly… and yes i know im going straight to hell.
4 - 2 Topless Chix In A Ferrari Cross Country
What would get more looks then a brand new ferrari f430 ? what if 2 topless girls were driving it cross country ? what if you could buy advertising on the car ? seemed like a good idea… then it did not.
3 - Ads Or Not
Simple concept. There is 5 ads on a webpage only one of them is NOT REALLY A AD! Each time you successfully spot the fake ad you get some money built up into your account. - I had issues finding advertisers who were down for this =P FLOP
2 - ShoeMoney SEO Contest
I thought it would be fun contest to see if someone could outrank me for shoemoney. Id like to not relive that.
1 - ShoeMoney Petroleum Company -
(I cant believe im actually telling these in public)
Ok Follow me here -I want to purchase a Gas Station and Give away Free Gas
The catch is like the gas would come out really slow and also you would be limited as to how much you could get per week. (Like max 50 gallons a week).
How do I make money ? EASY - I would setup paintball guns around the gas station with webcams that would let people from the internet take shots at the people filling up there cars with gas. You could charge per shot or a xxxx amounts of shots per month for a set fee. PROBLEM - I talked to a city council member about this and he told me there was a “no flying ordinance” or something rule within city limits however I could maybe do it in the country…
Anyway….. thats all for now.
I think I am about 5 for 500 when it comes to successful ideas vs flops. I just watched a documentary about my neighbor Warren Buffett and he talked about how you should brag about your failures and be humble about your successes. I think my new years resolution in 2007 is to be way more humble. Do not think I have some golden touch or something that everything works out great… its just the law of averages.. try enough stuff and something will stick.
Anyway I came up (in about 10 minutes) my top 10 worst ideas to make money that totally were a waste of time and effort (and money in some cases).
And also BTW you cant read this post if you know me in real life and k thx…
10 - FireFox Forum (firefoxforum.com) - I purchased this site on digitalpoint ($800) after getting some inside information that FireFox was going to team up with Google on a per download affiliate program. Well all that happened and I think I made about 50$ the first year. FLOP
9 - BabyCalc.com - If you were about to have a baby you could go on this site and punch in some numbers then it would email you as your baby was growing and let you know what was going on… “like 10 days until you should be able to tell the sex of your baby!” or “Babys heart beat starts today” ect.. stuff like that.. I paid to have the backend developed and the site was about 95% completed (about a 1500$ investment).
Then a very close friend of the family had a miscarriage about 15 weeks into her pregnancy and told us about how she had signed up for all these baby websites and now they keep emailing her stuff and she breaks down and cries every time…. I just wanted no part of that… FLOP
8 - Pimp My Blog - I thought this was going to be teh win. I mean… you want to pimp out your blog right ? I registered pimpmyblog.org but it was burning my ass that someone owned pimpmyblog.com. I hate making a site when I do not own the .com. Sure you can do good without owning the .com but they are always going to mooch off of your hard work…. so I HAD to own it and after about 3 weeks of haggling with this guy I paid $2,000.00 for the domain.I made a forum with Vbulletin and had big plans to implement wordpress templates and all kinds of cool blogging tools but just never got around to it =p. FLOP
7 - Omaha-Used-Cars.com - Now here we go! This is easy. Just make a used car site and charge dealers a .25cent per car listing fee right ? ehhh none interested… FLOP
6 - SMS Text Dating textdating.com/texting.com - I was soooooooo sure this one was going to be it! The concept is simple basically you subscribe to this dating website. Make a profile then you could send a message to the person from the website to there mobile phone without having to know there phone number. I had this totally done and nobody every signed up… FLOP
5 - St. Marry’s Bar & Grill - Ok this has nothing to do with the internet. After the Hooters closed down in Lincoln I tried to re-open it then when that did not work out I thought about making a restaurant called St. Marrys where it was like a church and the waitresses dressed like catholic school girls and like the nuns would be the managers and spank the waitresses if they were bad?!? Yes I know bad idea and I never really pursued it…. I like in one of the most conservative catholic communities in the country so no way it would fly… and yes i know im going straight to hell.
4 - 2 Topless Chix In A Ferrari Cross Country
What would get more looks then a brand new ferrari f430 ? what if 2 topless girls were driving it cross country ? what if you could buy advertising on the car ? seemed like a good idea… then it did not.
3 - Ads Or Not
Simple concept. There is 5 ads on a webpage only one of them is NOT REALLY A AD! Each time you successfully spot the fake ad you get some money built up into your account. - I had issues finding advertisers who were down for this =P FLOP
2 - ShoeMoney SEO Contest
I thought it would be fun contest to see if someone could outrank me for shoemoney. Id like to not relive that.
1 - ShoeMoney Petroleum Company -
(I cant believe im actually telling these in public)
Ok Follow me here -I want to purchase a Gas Station and Give away Free Gas
The catch is like the gas would come out really slow and also you would be limited as to how much you could get per week. (Like max 50 gallons a week).
How do I make money ? EASY - I would setup paintball guns around the gas station with webcams that would let people from the internet take shots at the people filling up there cars with gas. You could charge per shot or a xxxx amounts of shots per month for a set fee. PROBLEM - I talked to a city council member about this and he told me there was a “no flying ordinance” or something rule within city limits however I could maybe do it in the country…
Anyway….. thats all for now.
Friday, October 27, 2006
There are No Rules in Entrepreneurship
The EQ Journal Blog:
One of the hardest things for my students to learn is that there are no rules in the field of entrepreneurship. By that I don’t mean that you go outside the Law; I am not talking about those kinds of rules. You always obey the Law and protect your reputation; the latter is the most important thing you own BTW.
But how many times have you heard: ‘We don’t do it that way because it isn’t done like that and, anyway, no one else does it that way either’? Entrepreneurs are constantly asking BIG questions and thinking of ways to do things differently. It is usually this kind of creativity in EXECUTION that creates the most value for entrepreneurs. Fred Smith’s brilliant insight that he could develop an overnight package service (Fed/Ex) by reducing a 50 by 50 matrix of origins and destinations (with its impossible requirement for 2,500 overnight flights) to a handful of flights by developing a hub and spoke system was responsible for one of the great startup success stories of the late 20th Century.
One of the hardest things for my students to learn is that there are no rules in the field of entrepreneurship. By that I don’t mean that you go outside the Law; I am not talking about those kinds of rules. You always obey the Law and protect your reputation; the latter is the most important thing you own BTW.
But how many times have you heard: ‘We don’t do it that way because it isn’t done like that and, anyway, no one else does it that way either’? Entrepreneurs are constantly asking BIG questions and thinking of ways to do things differently. It is usually this kind of creativity in EXECUTION that creates the most value for entrepreneurs. Fred Smith’s brilliant insight that he could develop an overnight package service (Fed/Ex) by reducing a 50 by 50 matrix of origins and destinations (with its impossible requirement for 2,500 overnight flights) to a handful of flights by developing a hub and spoke system was responsible for one of the great startup success stories of the late 20th Century.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
How To Sleep Your Way To A Million.
Lee Loree Story
http://www.sleeptracker.com/
Working as a stock analyst in Atlanta, Lee Loree, was bored. While reading dull reports at night, he noticed his slumber-ing wife was more alert at certain times. Curious, he started studying sleep cycles. His research and the desire to rouse his workaday routine led to the Sleeptracker, a watch that beeps to wake you during an optimal period of light sleep so you arise less drowsy. It took Loree five years of working with sleep experts and engineers to ready his product.
Sleeptracker monitors your body and continuously looks for your best possible waking times. It wakes you up at just the right moment - during a window of time that YOU set. Worn like an everyday watch, Sleeptracker is ideal for anyone who wants to wake up alert and ready to start the day, such as frequent travelers across time zones, business people looking for an extra edge, students with fluctuating schedules, or busy moms who need to wake up easily.
The invention immediately spoke to a population tired of waking up tired--and 8,000 visitors flooded his site on its second day. “We got bombarded,” says Loree, founder of Innovative Sleep Solutions. Time named Sleeptracker one of the year’s top inventions in 2005, and the product even made an appearance on Dr. Phil. With projected year-end sales of $1 million, Loree hardly ever has slow days anymore--but he still wakes up energized.
http://www.sleeptracker.com/
Working as a stock analyst in Atlanta, Lee Loree, was bored. While reading dull reports at night, he noticed his slumber-ing wife was more alert at certain times. Curious, he started studying sleep cycles. His research and the desire to rouse his workaday routine led to the Sleeptracker, a watch that beeps to wake you during an optimal period of light sleep so you arise less drowsy. It took Loree five years of working with sleep experts and engineers to ready his product.
Sleeptracker monitors your body and continuously looks for your best possible waking times. It wakes you up at just the right moment - during a window of time that YOU set. Worn like an everyday watch, Sleeptracker is ideal for anyone who wants to wake up alert and ready to start the day, such as frequent travelers across time zones, business people looking for an extra edge, students with fluctuating schedules, or busy moms who need to wake up easily.
The invention immediately spoke to a population tired of waking up tired--and 8,000 visitors flooded his site on its second day. “We got bombarded,” says Loree, founder of Innovative Sleep Solutions. Time named Sleeptracker one of the year’s top inventions in 2005, and the product even made an appearance on Dr. Phil. With projected year-end sales of $1 million, Loree hardly ever has slow days anymore--but he still wakes up energized.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Traffic Generation Using Only Free Methods
BOCOnline.com
By: Brice Mattson
Putting up a company would of course require a lot of things, to get straight to the point, you need capital. To make money requires money as well. But of course, with the versatility the internet offers, there are many ways you could find that may help optimize the potential of your site or business in generating traffic.
While there are ways to jumpstart your traffic flows, many sites don’t have the resources that others have to generate more traffic for your site. Well, you don’t have to spend a cent; all you need is the proper mindset and a lot of eagerness. You also must have the drive and perseverance to do hard work and research to generate more traffic for your site.
How sweet it is to have more traffic for your site without spending a single cent. Now it’s a sure thing that many sites have articles that offer tips and guidelines in how to generate traffic using only free methods. Because it is possible, you don’t need to spend a single cent, it may take time, to say honestly, I’m not going to beat around the bush with you. You get better chances by paying for your advertisements, but at least you get a fighting chance with some of these free methods I’m about to tell you.
Take advantage of online forums and online communities. The great thing about forums and online communities is that you can target a certain group that fits the certain demographic that you are looking for. You can discuss about lots of things about the niche that you represent. Another great advantage is that you know what you are getting into and you will be prepared.
With online communities and forums you can build a reputation for your company. Show them what you are made of and wow them with your range of expertise about the subject, with that you can build a reputation and build trust with the people in your expertise and knowledge. The more you post about relavent items or topics the more traffic you will get.
You can also make use of newsletters. Provide people with a catalog of your products and interesting and entertaining articles. If you make it really interesting and entertaining, more people will sign up for your newsletter and recommend it to other people. The more people who signs up for your newsletter, the more people there will be that will go to your site increasing your traffic.
Another great idea is trading links with other sites. You don’t have to spend a cent. All you have to do is reach an agreement with another webmaster. With exchanging links, the efforts both sites do will benefit both sites. Every traffic that goes to the site could potentially click on the link of your site and visit your site as well. This works well especially when both sites feature the same niche.
Write articles that could pique the attention of people that have interest in your product. Try writing articles that will provide tips and guides to other people in your market. Writing articles that provide good service and knowledge to other people would provide the necessary mileage your traffic flow needs.
Many sites offer free submission and posting of your articles. When people find interest in your articles they have a good chance of following the track by finding out where the article originated. Include a link or a brief description of your company with the article and there’s a great probability that they will go to your site.
Write good content for your site. Many search engines track down the keywords and keyword phrases your site uses and how they are used. It is not a requirement that a content should be done by a professional content writer. You could do your on but you have to make content for your site that is entertaining as well as informational. It should provide certain requirements as well as great quality. Generally, internet users use search engines to find what they are looking for. Search engines in return use keyword searching in aiding their search results. With the right keywords, you could get high rankings in search engine results without the costs.
Probably the newest way of advertising your website for free would be to market it on MySpace. Create an account on myspace and seek out friends who share similiar interests. Blog about your interests and ideas on your own MySpace Blog and provide links to your website/s. The more friends that share similiar interests with you the more traffic you will get. And when you have something important or a new product to share you can send a bulletin to your friends.
All of these methods and more will drive more traffic to your site for free. All it takes is a bit of effort and extended man hours. Learn all you can about the methods depicted here and you will soon have a site with a great traffic flow without the usual costs that come with it.
About the Author:
Brice Mattson Has Been A Successful Internet Marketer Since 1998. To Join His Newsletter All About Making Money Online Send A Blank Email To: siriusfreehomebiz@getresponse.com
By: Brice Mattson
Putting up a company would of course require a lot of things, to get straight to the point, you need capital. To make money requires money as well. But of course, with the versatility the internet offers, there are many ways you could find that may help optimize the potential of your site or business in generating traffic.
While there are ways to jumpstart your traffic flows, many sites don’t have the resources that others have to generate more traffic for your site. Well, you don’t have to spend a cent; all you need is the proper mindset and a lot of eagerness. You also must have the drive and perseverance to do hard work and research to generate more traffic for your site.
How sweet it is to have more traffic for your site without spending a single cent. Now it’s a sure thing that many sites have articles that offer tips and guidelines in how to generate traffic using only free methods. Because it is possible, you don’t need to spend a single cent, it may take time, to say honestly, I’m not going to beat around the bush with you. You get better chances by paying for your advertisements, but at least you get a fighting chance with some of these free methods I’m about to tell you.
Take advantage of online forums and online communities. The great thing about forums and online communities is that you can target a certain group that fits the certain demographic that you are looking for. You can discuss about lots of things about the niche that you represent. Another great advantage is that you know what you are getting into and you will be prepared.
With online communities and forums you can build a reputation for your company. Show them what you are made of and wow them with your range of expertise about the subject, with that you can build a reputation and build trust with the people in your expertise and knowledge. The more you post about relavent items or topics the more traffic you will get.
You can also make use of newsletters. Provide people with a catalog of your products and interesting and entertaining articles. If you make it really interesting and entertaining, more people will sign up for your newsletter and recommend it to other people. The more people who signs up for your newsletter, the more people there will be that will go to your site increasing your traffic.
Another great idea is trading links with other sites. You don’t have to spend a cent. All you have to do is reach an agreement with another webmaster. With exchanging links, the efforts both sites do will benefit both sites. Every traffic that goes to the site could potentially click on the link of your site and visit your site as well. This works well especially when both sites feature the same niche.
Write articles that could pique the attention of people that have interest in your product. Try writing articles that will provide tips and guides to other people in your market. Writing articles that provide good service and knowledge to other people would provide the necessary mileage your traffic flow needs.
Many sites offer free submission and posting of your articles. When people find interest in your articles they have a good chance of following the track by finding out where the article originated. Include a link or a brief description of your company with the article and there’s a great probability that they will go to your site.
Write good content for your site. Many search engines track down the keywords and keyword phrases your site uses and how they are used. It is not a requirement that a content should be done by a professional content writer. You could do your on but you have to make content for your site that is entertaining as well as informational. It should provide certain requirements as well as great quality. Generally, internet users use search engines to find what they are looking for. Search engines in return use keyword searching in aiding their search results. With the right keywords, you could get high rankings in search engine results without the costs.
Probably the newest way of advertising your website for free would be to market it on MySpace. Create an account on myspace and seek out friends who share similiar interests. Blog about your interests and ideas on your own MySpace Blog and provide links to your website/s. The more friends that share similiar interests with you the more traffic you will get. And when you have something important or a new product to share you can send a bulletin to your friends.
All of these methods and more will drive more traffic to your site for free. All it takes is a bit of effort and extended man hours. Learn all you can about the methods depicted here and you will soon have a site with a great traffic flow without the usual costs that come with it.
About the Author:
Brice Mattson Has Been A Successful Internet Marketer Since 1998. To Join His Newsletter All About Making Money Online Send A Blank Email To: siriusfreehomebiz@getresponse.com
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Making Online Shopping a Profitable Business
by Chris Robertson
Despite the increase in individual personal debt, Americans continue to spend record amounts for consumer goods. As Internet retailers continue to thrive, enterprising entrepreneurs are finding new ways to cash in on the online shopping phenomenon.
Over the past several years, there has been a sea change in the way that website owners generate revenue from online retail shopping. These entrepreneurs have never carried inventory; in fact, they don't sell products at all. Instead, they have found ways to capitalize on the online shopping habits of those who visit their websites.
In the dot-com boom years of the 1990s, websites could generate enormous revenue from banner advertising. Companies were willing to pay top dollar to get potential customers to click on banner advertisements and bring eyeballs to their websites. When the dot-com boom went bust, the bottom fell out of the banner ad business. Instead, website owners moved toward affiliate programs, where they partnered with online shopping outlets. In exchange for putting online retail shopping links on the owners' websites, online retailers would pay owners a percentage of each sale. Although that strategy worked for a while, it soon became apparent that affiliate links took up a large amount of virtual real estate with relatively little return.
Today, entrepreneurs look to two business models in order to make money from online shopping. The first business opportunity is incorporating pay-per-click ads into content pages on a website. The website owner includes code in each web page from a third party - usually a major search engine - and doesn't actually sell or develop ads. Each time a website visitor clicks on an ad, the website owner makes money. The amount of money generated by this business opportunity depends in large part on the number of visitors a website attracts and by the amount the advertisers pay to the third party provider. The more the advertisers pay, the greater the amount paid to the website owner.
The second business opportunity is actually a hybrid of affiliate programs and network marketing (also known as multi-level marketing). In essence, the website owner has an online mall that contains nothing but links to major online merchants (such as Wal-Mart, Macy's, and PETsMart). The structure for the site is provided by a network marketing company, and the site owner works to generate traffic to his or her site. When a site visitor clicks on a link and purchases an item from a merchant, the site owner receives a percentage.
The difference between this and old-style affiliate programs comes in the network marketing aspect. When the website owner introduces the business opportunity to another person who then signs up with his or her own website, the first owner generates additional income from each sale of the second owner. This plan can go on for several generations, thereby generating considerable residual revenue for the original website owner. The online mall owner can bring in additional revenue from offering broadband services or Internet telephony, such as Vonage.
The marriage of affiliate programs with network marketing marks a new frontier in online shopping business opportunities.
Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource web site at: http://www.majon.com.
To learn more about subjects like Online Shopping please visit the web site at: http://www.greatdealsonline.ws.
For more information and informative related articles and links about this subject matter and content, please visit Majon's Business and Entrepreneurs directory: http://www.majon.com/directory/Business_and_Entrepreneurs.
Despite the increase in individual personal debt, Americans continue to spend record amounts for consumer goods. As Internet retailers continue to thrive, enterprising entrepreneurs are finding new ways to cash in on the online shopping phenomenon.
Over the past several years, there has been a sea change in the way that website owners generate revenue from online retail shopping. These entrepreneurs have never carried inventory; in fact, they don't sell products at all. Instead, they have found ways to capitalize on the online shopping habits of those who visit their websites.
In the dot-com boom years of the 1990s, websites could generate enormous revenue from banner advertising. Companies were willing to pay top dollar to get potential customers to click on banner advertisements and bring eyeballs to their websites. When the dot-com boom went bust, the bottom fell out of the banner ad business. Instead, website owners moved toward affiliate programs, where they partnered with online shopping outlets. In exchange for putting online retail shopping links on the owners' websites, online retailers would pay owners a percentage of each sale. Although that strategy worked for a while, it soon became apparent that affiliate links took up a large amount of virtual real estate with relatively little return.
Today, entrepreneurs look to two business models in order to make money from online shopping. The first business opportunity is incorporating pay-per-click ads into content pages on a website. The website owner includes code in each web page from a third party - usually a major search engine - and doesn't actually sell or develop ads. Each time a website visitor clicks on an ad, the website owner makes money. The amount of money generated by this business opportunity depends in large part on the number of visitors a website attracts and by the amount the advertisers pay to the third party provider. The more the advertisers pay, the greater the amount paid to the website owner.
The second business opportunity is actually a hybrid of affiliate programs and network marketing (also known as multi-level marketing). In essence, the website owner has an online mall that contains nothing but links to major online merchants (such as Wal-Mart, Macy's, and PETsMart). The structure for the site is provided by a network marketing company, and the site owner works to generate traffic to his or her site. When a site visitor clicks on a link and purchases an item from a merchant, the site owner receives a percentage.
The difference between this and old-style affiliate programs comes in the network marketing aspect. When the website owner introduces the business opportunity to another person who then signs up with his or her own website, the first owner generates additional income from each sale of the second owner. This plan can go on for several generations, thereby generating considerable residual revenue for the original website owner. The online mall owner can bring in additional revenue from offering broadband services or Internet telephony, such as Vonage.
The marriage of affiliate programs with network marketing marks a new frontier in online shopping business opportunities.
Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource web site at: http://www.majon.com.
To learn more about subjects like Online Shopping please visit the web site at: http://www.greatdealsonline.ws.
For more information and informative related articles and links about this subject matter and content, please visit Majon's Business and Entrepreneurs directory: http://www.majon.com/directory/Business_and_Entrepreneurs.
Google Expanding Into Business-Software Market
CNNMoney:
Google Inc. is making a concerted move beyond search and advertising into the business software market, starting with a set of Web programs for e-mail, scheduling and communications.
The online search leader said it has created a software platform to run basic business activities - based on programs it already offers separately. The move marks a stepped up challenge to rival Microsoft Corp. as the software giant prepares to upgrade its Windows and Office franchises.
The free set of Web-based programs for small businesses, universities and nonprofit businesses goes by the mouthful “Google Apps for Your Domain“. Initial apps are Gmail Web e-mail, the Google Talk instant message and Web phone-calling service, group scheduling on Google Calendar, and Google Page Creator for Web page design.
Google will host the applications, relieving companies of the need to maintain or install software on individual PCs - support tasks often more costly than software itself.
Google Inc. is making a concerted move beyond search and advertising into the business software market, starting with a set of Web programs for e-mail, scheduling and communications.
The online search leader said it has created a software platform to run basic business activities - based on programs it already offers separately. The move marks a stepped up challenge to rival Microsoft Corp. as the software giant prepares to upgrade its Windows and Office franchises.
The free set of Web-based programs for small businesses, universities and nonprofit businesses goes by the mouthful “Google Apps for Your Domain“. Initial apps are Gmail Web e-mail, the Google Talk instant message and Web phone-calling service, group scheduling on Google Calendar, and Google Page Creator for Web page design.
Google will host the applications, relieving companies of the need to maintain or install software on individual PCs - support tasks often more costly than software itself.
Quickbooks 2007
Yesterday, Intuit announced the launch of QuickBooks 2007, bringing to market the latest enhancements to QuickBooks’ renowned simplicity. The new line of products and services focuses on what matters most to small businesses: making everyday tasks even easier to accomplish, while adding deeper functionality for specialized and growing businesses. With more than 25 products and services going beyond core accounting, Intuit offers small businesses owners the right solutions to help them prosper and thrive.
Full release after the jump.
Easy Does It! Intuit Announces QuickBooks 2007
New Features and Integrated Services Solve Small Businesses’ Most Important Problems
Sept. 25, 2006 – Intuit Inc. today announced the availability of QuickBooks® 2007. The new line of products and services focuses on what matters most to small businesses: making day-to-day tasks even easier to complete, while adding deeper functionality for specialized and growing businesses.
QuickBooks 2007 includes powerful new tools and services that help small businesses succeed in activities beyond accounting. For the first time, Intuit is offering customers integrated tools to market their business and attract new customers, as well as new services that extend QuickBooks’ functionality – from accepting credit cards to managing timesheets and running payroll. Combined, these create a strong ecosystem of distinctive solutions to help existing and new-to-the-world businesses be successful.
“No one serves small business and accountants better than Intuit,” said Brad Smith, senior vice president of Intuit’s Small Business Division. “For nearly 15 years we have remained laser-focused on ease, continuously improving the market-leading small business management platform. At the same time, we have developed a powerful mix of integrated services that our customers asked us for to help better connect them with their customers, vendors, partners and employees.”
Solutions Beyond Accounting
QuickBooks now offers more than 25 products and services that go beyond core accounting functionality. From QuickBooks Merchant Service for Web Stores to Intuit Small Business Payroll services, customers can leverage their existing QuickBooks data to better manage and market their companies. QuickBooks also offers easy solutions to process payments, such as the QuickBooks Credit Card Processing Kit and the new QuickBooks Time Tracker to easily collect and manage employee timesheets on the Web.
The latest addition to Intuit’s comprehensive small business ecosystem is a series of popular marketing tools from Google. The new integrated online tools include Google Maps™, Google AdWords™ and the QuickBooks Product Listing Service, designed to solve another critical small business concern – attracting new customers online.
Customers can also easily find more than 400 add-on applications that solve specific needs from sales force automation to eBay integration through the QuickBooks Solutions Marketplace (www.marketplace.intuit.com).
“Small businesses are increasingly interested in moving from piecemeal solutions to more integrated approaches to company operations,” said Merle Sandler, senior research analyst at IDC. “But this can be tricky, because small firms also want resources that can support company growth, but not be too expensive or difficult to use. With that in mind, Intuit’s strategy of extending beyond basic accounting to build a valuable network of available capabilities will resonate with both small businesses and the accountants that serve them.”
Focusing on What Matters Most – Ease
QuickBooks 2007 features numerous enhancements that simplify users’ most frequent activities, helping the approximate 3.7 million small businesses using the software be more efficient:
* Easier Setup: To help new users set up their income and expense accounts more accurately, QuickBooks 2007 features a simplified recommended Chart of Accounts. The new version offers users the 30 most commonly-used accounts for their business type – reducing the likelihood of incorrectly categorizing expenses down the road. Optional accounts to suit specific business needs can easily be added.
* Easier Payroll: The nearly 1 million businesses that use Intuit Small Business Payroll Services can now easily run payroll for all their employees at once, rather than one at a time. A new dashboard clearly displays the impact of payroll across the business, showing in one clear view what the company needs to pay employees and the government, and what forms they need to file. And, a new “review, confirm and submit” process gives users the confidence their payroll is correct and ready to go.
* Easy Data Sharing with Accountants: It is now easier than ever for accountants to make changes to their clients’ company files, while the business owner continues to work on their day-to-day business transactions without interruption. Previously, if a company needed to send files to an accountant, the business would have to stop entering data into QuickBooks to ensure version control. While the files were with the accountant, the business could not process financial information, including invoices, bills or payroll. With the new Dividing Date functionality, QuickBooks allows accountants to edit and review all information before a specified date, while giving the company the freedom to continue business as usual. When the accountant is done with the adjustment, the business owner can quickly review and import those changes directly into QuickBooks.
* Easier Customization: Small businesses rely on forms to communicate with customers, suppliers and partners. On average, a small business uses 168 forms per month, including invoices, letters and purchase orders. With QuickBooks 2007 small businesses no longer have to print their customized document, walk to the printer and look at the hard copy to see if the form meets their needs. New for this year, QuickBooks includes an auto-preview feature that makes it easy to customize forms with color schemes, logos and more, while showing users their changes as they are made. The software also consolidates the most commonly-used customization options all on one screen.
* Enhanced Features for Product-based Businesses: Inventory management is critical to the success of product-based businesses, but in order to keep accurate record of total inventory, they must often convert products from one unit of measure to another. For example, a company that purchases a product by the case from a supplier may sell the same product by the individual bottle to its customers. Available in select QuickBooks 2007 offerings, the new Unit of Measure feature removes the hassle of manual conversion, and the risk of costly errors, by automatically calculating the conversion from one unit to another in the appropriate forms including invoices, purchase orders and inventory reports.
* Online Time Tracking for Professional Services Firms: Businesses can now collect and manage employee and contractor timesheets on the Web with the new QuickBooks Time Tracker service, available by subscription. Freeing managers and employees from manually entering data into QuickBooks from hand-written timesheets, Time Tracker easily downloads data into QuickBooks saving hours of tedious work and reducing errors that can cause incorrect billing.
* After-the-Fact Payroll: Approximately 28 percent of the 250,000 accountants who work with QuickBooks perform after-the-fact payroll services, entering payroll data from paychecks that clients have prepared themselves. To save accountants considerable time and effort, QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants features a new After-the-Fact Payroll spreadsheet-style data entry tool that transforms this traditionally time-intensive task into a simple process.
* Increased List Limits for Growing Businesses: Mid-market businesses using QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 7.0 now have the capability to add a hundred thousand or more inventory items, customers and vendors as they grow – an increase of more than 400 percent.
.
Availability
QuickBooks 2007 products are currently available direct from Intuit at www.quickbooks.com
QuickBooks Pro 2007 Small Business Financial Software
Full release after the jump.
Easy Does It! Intuit Announces QuickBooks 2007
New Features and Integrated Services Solve Small Businesses’ Most Important Problems
Sept. 25, 2006 – Intuit Inc. today announced the availability of QuickBooks® 2007. The new line of products and services focuses on what matters most to small businesses: making day-to-day tasks even easier to complete, while adding deeper functionality for specialized and growing businesses.
QuickBooks 2007 includes powerful new tools and services that help small businesses succeed in activities beyond accounting. For the first time, Intuit is offering customers integrated tools to market their business and attract new customers, as well as new services that extend QuickBooks’ functionality – from accepting credit cards to managing timesheets and running payroll. Combined, these create a strong ecosystem of distinctive solutions to help existing and new-to-the-world businesses be successful.
“No one serves small business and accountants better than Intuit,” said Brad Smith, senior vice president of Intuit’s Small Business Division. “For nearly 15 years we have remained laser-focused on ease, continuously improving the market-leading small business management platform. At the same time, we have developed a powerful mix of integrated services that our customers asked us for to help better connect them with their customers, vendors, partners and employees.”
Solutions Beyond Accounting
QuickBooks now offers more than 25 products and services that go beyond core accounting functionality. From QuickBooks Merchant Service for Web Stores to Intuit Small Business Payroll services, customers can leverage their existing QuickBooks data to better manage and market their companies. QuickBooks also offers easy solutions to process payments, such as the QuickBooks Credit Card Processing Kit and the new QuickBooks Time Tracker to easily collect and manage employee timesheets on the Web.
The latest addition to Intuit’s comprehensive small business ecosystem is a series of popular marketing tools from Google. The new integrated online tools include Google Maps™, Google AdWords™ and the QuickBooks Product Listing Service, designed to solve another critical small business concern – attracting new customers online.
Customers can also easily find more than 400 add-on applications that solve specific needs from sales force automation to eBay integration through the QuickBooks Solutions Marketplace (www.marketplace.intuit.com).
“Small businesses are increasingly interested in moving from piecemeal solutions to more integrated approaches to company operations,” said Merle Sandler, senior research analyst at IDC. “But this can be tricky, because small firms also want resources that can support company growth, but not be too expensive or difficult to use. With that in mind, Intuit’s strategy of extending beyond basic accounting to build a valuable network of available capabilities will resonate with both small businesses and the accountants that serve them.”
Focusing on What Matters Most – Ease
QuickBooks 2007 features numerous enhancements that simplify users’ most frequent activities, helping the approximate 3.7 million small businesses using the software be more efficient:
* Easier Setup: To help new users set up their income and expense accounts more accurately, QuickBooks 2007 features a simplified recommended Chart of Accounts. The new version offers users the 30 most commonly-used accounts for their business type – reducing the likelihood of incorrectly categorizing expenses down the road. Optional accounts to suit specific business needs can easily be added.
* Easier Payroll: The nearly 1 million businesses that use Intuit Small Business Payroll Services can now easily run payroll for all their employees at once, rather than one at a time. A new dashboard clearly displays the impact of payroll across the business, showing in one clear view what the company needs to pay employees and the government, and what forms they need to file. And, a new “review, confirm and submit” process gives users the confidence their payroll is correct and ready to go.
* Easy Data Sharing with Accountants: It is now easier than ever for accountants to make changes to their clients’ company files, while the business owner continues to work on their day-to-day business transactions without interruption. Previously, if a company needed to send files to an accountant, the business would have to stop entering data into QuickBooks to ensure version control. While the files were with the accountant, the business could not process financial information, including invoices, bills or payroll. With the new Dividing Date functionality, QuickBooks allows accountants to edit and review all information before a specified date, while giving the company the freedom to continue business as usual. When the accountant is done with the adjustment, the business owner can quickly review and import those changes directly into QuickBooks.
* Easier Customization: Small businesses rely on forms to communicate with customers, suppliers and partners. On average, a small business uses 168 forms per month, including invoices, letters and purchase orders. With QuickBooks 2007 small businesses no longer have to print their customized document, walk to the printer and look at the hard copy to see if the form meets their needs. New for this year, QuickBooks includes an auto-preview feature that makes it easy to customize forms with color schemes, logos and more, while showing users their changes as they are made. The software also consolidates the most commonly-used customization options all on one screen.
* Enhanced Features for Product-based Businesses: Inventory management is critical to the success of product-based businesses, but in order to keep accurate record of total inventory, they must often convert products from one unit of measure to another. For example, a company that purchases a product by the case from a supplier may sell the same product by the individual bottle to its customers. Available in select QuickBooks 2007 offerings, the new Unit of Measure feature removes the hassle of manual conversion, and the risk of costly errors, by automatically calculating the conversion from one unit to another in the appropriate forms including invoices, purchase orders and inventory reports.
* Online Time Tracking for Professional Services Firms: Businesses can now collect and manage employee and contractor timesheets on the Web with the new QuickBooks Time Tracker service, available by subscription. Freeing managers and employees from manually entering data into QuickBooks from hand-written timesheets, Time Tracker easily downloads data into QuickBooks saving hours of tedious work and reducing errors that can cause incorrect billing.
* After-the-Fact Payroll: Approximately 28 percent of the 250,000 accountants who work with QuickBooks perform after-the-fact payroll services, entering payroll data from paychecks that clients have prepared themselves. To save accountants considerable time and effort, QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants features a new After-the-Fact Payroll spreadsheet-style data entry tool that transforms this traditionally time-intensive task into a simple process.
* Increased List Limits for Growing Businesses: Mid-market businesses using QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 7.0 now have the capability to add a hundred thousand or more inventory items, customers and vendors as they grow – an increase of more than 400 percent.
.
Availability
QuickBooks 2007 products are currently available direct from Intuit at www.quickbooks.com
QuickBooks Pro 2007 Small Business Financial Software
Web Numbers: What’s Real?
BusinessWeek Online:
Meebo, is an easy-to-use service that has solved one of instant messaging’s nagging problems: the inability to communicate with people who use an IM service other than yours.
The company is going gangbusters. It has raised $3.5 million and attracts almost a million people every day, who swap more than 60 million messages.
There’s just one hitch: founder Seth Sternberg has a hard time proving the site is as popular as he says it is.
The dirty little secret of Silicon Valley is that no one knows exactly who is going where on the Web. That flies in the face of the impression that online advertising is the most dependably trackable ad medium of all time, a big reason spending on Web ads is expected to grow 33% this year, to $16 billion.
But confusion over traffic measurement could cast a chill over the Web 2.0 craze. Valuations for startups such as Facebook Inc. and YouTube Inc. appear to be doubling every few months, but those numbers are based on traffic figures that could be misleading.
Some observers expect that in time a variety of metrics, such as time spent online, will be applied to different services until one measurement that combines a set of factors can emerge. Until that happens, though, the Internet will have to deal with the discrepancies. And Web metrics, like company valuations, will remain a crapshoot.
Monday, October 23, 2006
$25,000 Pet Product Invention Contest Starts Today
Pet Safe sent in the following press release:
Have you ever wished you had a product for your pet that hasn’t been invented yet? Now you have the chance to help bring that product to market and win up to $25,000 - just for having a great idea for your dog or cat!
Drs. Foster & Smith Partners with PetSafe to Present “My Pet Idea”
Drs. Foster & Smith, the nation’s most trusted name in pet supplies, has teamed up with PetSafe, the industry leader in pet training, safety and lifestyle product solutions, to search for the next great pet product invention in the United States. “My Pet Idea” is an innovative, fun and consumer-driven national contest to find new pet products that enhance the relationship between pet owners and their pets and ultimately improve a pet’s quality of life. You don’t have to be an inventor, engineer or have financial backing to enter; all you need is an idea and love for pets.
You’re invited to submit your creative pet product ideas via the contest web site - http://www.mypetidea.com - for a chance to win $2,500, $5,000, or the Grand Prize of $25,000! My Pet Idea contest categories include: products to eliminate a pet’s separation anxiety; giving pet owners more flexibility over their schedules while ensuring their pets are cared for; training ideas for puppies; health and well-being products for dogs and cats; products to eliminate destructive behavior and ideas for enhancing the pet/pet owner bond.
In addition to entering ideas, the public is invited to help select the contest winner by voting online for their favorite entry. Consumer votes determine the top 100 pet product ideas. From the top ten, three winners will be chosen. The contest begins Sept 6th and runs through Nov 30th, 2006. Finalist ideas will be open for public voting until Dec 11th.
All pet ideas submitted will be viewed and voted on by anyone who registers at the contest website. The most popular ideas will then be considered by PetSafe for cash prizes and future product development. By registering your idea or to vote on other peoples’ ideas, you also qualify to win a $250 Drs. Foster & Smith Gift Certificate. One winner will be randomly drawn weekly.
MyPetIdea.com also features fun stuff for all ages, including daily trivia, petcare tips, and a quiz to discover what kind of animal you would be. For more information, contest details, and idea starters, please visit DrsFosterSmith.com/mypetidea.
About Foster & Smith
Foster & Smith is the nation’s leading veterinary-owned pet supplier, providing pet owners with veterinary advice and quality pet supplies at affordable prices for over 20 years. Since their modest beginnings in the early 1980s operating four veterinary clinics in northern Wisconsin, Dr. Race Foster and Dr. Marty Smith have become the nation’s foremost authorities on pet care and education, earning a strong reputation for the scope of their veterinary expertise on dogs, cats, fish, birds, reptiles, pond life, and small animals. For more information visit: http://www.drsfostersmith.com.
About PetSafe
Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, PetSafe is the industry leader in pet training, safety and lifestyle product solutions. PetSafe introduced the first do-it-yourself electronic fence to the pet market in 1991 and the first wireless fence in 1998. PetSafe’s product line up includes: bark control systems, a selection of remote training equipment; electronic containment systems; pet doors, GPS and pet identification, heated wellness products, pet feeders and a growing line of lifestyle products. For more information about PetSafe visit: www.petsafe.net.
Top Five Tax Breaks For At-Home Entrepreneurs
Forbes.com:
By the Census Bureau’s last count in 2002, half of all businesses in the U.S. are home-based. The U.S. government encourages this kind of entrepreneurship. Dig deep and at-home entrepreneurs will find a few precious tax deductions.
Alterations to the tax code in 1999 made it easier to qualify for home-office tax deductions. Below are five deductions homebodies would be foolish to ignore. To increase your odds of success, be sure to keep your business and personal life separate–including all checking accounts, credit cards and phone bills.
1. Infrastructure (utilities, phone service, housekeeping services, landscaping) Run-of-the-mill homeowners and renters can’t deduct these expenses, but at-home entrepreneurs can.
2. Home mortgage interest and property taxes. U.S. taxpayers can deduct these anyway, but as a small business owner, you can save even more by applying a percentage of mortgage interest and property taxes to the home-office section of your tax form.
3. Travel expenses. You can’t deduct fuel expenses if you commute to work each day, but if you work from home, you can deduct the costs of traveling away from your home for any business-related activity.
4. One-time office equipment purchases. Section 179 of the tax code says you can take a one-time deduction–up to $105,000–for the purchase of office equipment, as long as you don’t purchase more than $400,000 of equipment in a calendar year.
5. Family affair. Sole proprietors with children under 18 who work for them can deduct their children’s “wages.”
By the Census Bureau’s last count in 2002, half of all businesses in the U.S. are home-based. The U.S. government encourages this kind of entrepreneurship. Dig deep and at-home entrepreneurs will find a few precious tax deductions.
Alterations to the tax code in 1999 made it easier to qualify for home-office tax deductions. Below are five deductions homebodies would be foolish to ignore. To increase your odds of success, be sure to keep your business and personal life separate–including all checking accounts, credit cards and phone bills.
1. Infrastructure (utilities, phone service, housekeeping services, landscaping) Run-of-the-mill homeowners and renters can’t deduct these expenses, but at-home entrepreneurs can.
2. Home mortgage interest and property taxes. U.S. taxpayers can deduct these anyway, but as a small business owner, you can save even more by applying a percentage of mortgage interest and property taxes to the home-office section of your tax form.
3. Travel expenses. You can’t deduct fuel expenses if you commute to work each day, but if you work from home, you can deduct the costs of traveling away from your home for any business-related activity.
4. One-time office equipment purchases. Section 179 of the tax code says you can take a one-time deduction–up to $105,000–for the purchase of office equipment, as long as you don’t purchase more than $400,000 of equipment in a calendar year.
5. Family affair. Sole proprietors with children under 18 who work for them can deduct their children’s “wages.”
New Ways To Strike It Rich On The Web
Business 2.0 Magazine:
One of the many remarkable aspects of the Internet is how easily people can use it to pretend to be something they aren’t.
David Carter has taken that capacity for misdirection and made it into a legitimate way to make money.
For instance, Carter didn’t know a thing about asbestos when he launched AsbestosSurveys.com - yet it sure looked as if he did. He wrote about regulatory changes in his native England by culling data from a government website. He explained what property owners needed to do to comply. He even posted local phone numbers for his “business” in London, Manchester, and Birmingham, each of which was forwarded to an answering service.
When inquiries flooded in, Carter steered them to an acquaintance who really was an asbestos surveyor. The requests were far more than one surveyor could handle, but Carter continued to book new customers.
In many cases, Carter simply becomes the middleman, using the Web to attract willing buyers that he hands off to others for a fee.
He identifies a business niche or a hot growth area like commercial real estate. He builds the sites, adds content, and waits for customers.
The whole strategy might sound slightly deceptive, and in a sense it is. But so long as the customer ultimately gets what he wants, Carter doesn’t see a problem.
Carter’s tips for setting up a web business:
Line up your customers first, then create a business around them.
Identify an overlooked need for services kicked up by, for instance, relatively obscure regulatory changes.
Construct a first-rate website with a generic domain name that will draw in prospective customers.
With clients in hand, create the business, providing the service yourself or subcontracting to established players.
Photo by trufflepig.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
You May Have A Successful Small Business Idea
By Sintilia Miecevole
http://www.finerbusiness.com/
You surely know that a small idea can lead to a great business success. The first movement is to think of an idea that would be suitable for the business market. After coming up with the idea, the next step is to put that idea into action. Of course, this is a very difficult step and having the idea is only the start of the journey. After that you will have to face many obstacles before being able to carry on with your business project. This is just the beginning of this process and there is a lot of questions you will have to answer before even start.
Some of the main aspects you have to concentrate on when you have business ideas are the abilities and gifts you can pour into the business. It is very important for you to be identified with your business project. Those ideas should be based on activities and actions you take pleasure in doing. For example, if we suppose that you dislike working in the open, landscaping business would not suit you. On the other hand, if you like working with children, setting up baby-sitting or tutoring business would be an excellent idea. In this case, without any doubt you business will be more successful because you will have put your mind, effort and also your heart on it.
Another vital step is to analyze the needs of a specific product or service in your region before setting up your business. Do people of your area need your product? Are there other business like the one you are planning to start? You should ask yourself whether or not you are the only one offering that service or product. If you are not, you will have to analyze the competence you will have to face. You have to think whether the service you are offering is one that customer would repeat, or if it is a one-time specialized service. Obviously, the former are more likely to succeed than the latter.
There are other aspects you have to take into account. These aspects are described below:
- One of them is that if the idea is unique, you will reign the market. But if there is much competition, it will be difficult to enter into the market.
- A second point would be if you can offer quality from the very beginning, otherwise, you won't succeed.
- Finally, you have to think about your capital to start your own business. There are many business ideas that require little investment and bring great profit. Some demand research, such as daycare service, and others need a large amount of money to begin the business. So take this recommendation into account before investing all your money in a small business idea.
http://www.finerbusiness.com/
You surely know that a small idea can lead to a great business success. The first movement is to think of an idea that would be suitable for the business market. After coming up with the idea, the next step is to put that idea into action. Of course, this is a very difficult step and having the idea is only the start of the journey. After that you will have to face many obstacles before being able to carry on with your business project. This is just the beginning of this process and there is a lot of questions you will have to answer before even start.
Some of the main aspects you have to concentrate on when you have business ideas are the abilities and gifts you can pour into the business. It is very important for you to be identified with your business project. Those ideas should be based on activities and actions you take pleasure in doing. For example, if we suppose that you dislike working in the open, landscaping business would not suit you. On the other hand, if you like working with children, setting up baby-sitting or tutoring business would be an excellent idea. In this case, without any doubt you business will be more successful because you will have put your mind, effort and also your heart on it.
Another vital step is to analyze the needs of a specific product or service in your region before setting up your business. Do people of your area need your product? Are there other business like the one you are planning to start? You should ask yourself whether or not you are the only one offering that service or product. If you are not, you will have to analyze the competence you will have to face. You have to think whether the service you are offering is one that customer would repeat, or if it is a one-time specialized service. Obviously, the former are more likely to succeed than the latter.
There are other aspects you have to take into account. These aspects are described below:
- One of them is that if the idea is unique, you will reign the market. But if there is much competition, it will be difficult to enter into the market.
- A second point would be if you can offer quality from the very beginning, otherwise, you won't succeed.
- Finally, you have to think about your capital to start your own business. There are many business ideas that require little investment and bring great profit. Some demand research, such as daycare service, and others need a large amount of money to begin the business. So take this recommendation into account before investing all your money in a small business idea.
Small Business Marketing Book Review - People and Your Business
By Craig Lutz-Priefert
http://www.marketingworkouts.com/
What if somebody told you one critical key to business success was to practice the principle of the Golden Rule in your business? The idea seems to somehow run counter to so much of what we’ve been taught about business, doesn’t it? Yet, what if that same source convinced you through case-study after case-study that application of the Golden Rule in business actually leads to success?
Let us introduce Frederick Reichheld and his book The Loyalty Effect. While not a small business marketer, but rather an expert business consultant, what Reichheld teaches us about loyalty is worthwhile reading for any small business owner or manager.
Did we say “worthwhile”? Scratch that; pencil in the phrase “urgently essential”, instead. This book is that vital to a small company.
The Loyalty Effect focuses on three groups of people critical to business success: Customers, Employees, and Investors. For most small business, the investor is the owner, so for our brief review in this article we will focus on Customers and Employees.
Reichheld is a definite advocate of customer retention. He convincingly demonstrates time and again that small percentage increases in customer retention have huge impacts on profits. This read will be a just-right fit for those of you having problems focusing on the right customers. If you will take the time to trudge through this book, and really understand most of its principles (we found Chapter 8 to be the toughest) then not only will the marketing of your business improve, but so will your profits.
Isn’t that the reason for all this focus on marketing, anyway?
And Reichheld really opened our eyes to how important employees are in retaining customers. If a company treats their employees right, those employees become more efficient and productive in their daily tasks. Profits go up, retention increases.
Reichheld stresses again and again that a company’s prime mission needs to be creating customer value. Most of you in small business realize this, but it’s reaffirming to see hard-and-fast facts to back up what many of us intuitively know. Customers don’t come to a small business looking to boost our profits; they arrive seeking value. If we consistently create value, profit will come.
Another key point for small business owners is the importance of leadership. If you need to go down to the bookstore and browse through The Loyalty Effect before you buy it, flip over to page 246. Reichheld has studied several large and successful businesses, and concludes here that most of them had leaders with an “intuitive grasp” of how important loyalty is. This is critical for business success, regardless of business size. While not written to be a rah-rah inspirational book, Reichheld’s arguments and his examination of the role strong leaders play in forming great companies reinforces just how important to the bottom line it is for a small business owner to be a good leader.
So much of Reichheld’s book seemed familiar; akin to common sense…after we read it. Treat employees well and they’ll perform well for you; we’ll that’s pretty basic, now isn’t it? But we tend to forget, we tend to think we need to cut corners or just “improve efficiency” and that’ll lead to greater profits. In the short term it very well may, but Reichheld argues effectively that in the long run it’s only by creating value for our customer that we build profitable businesses.
Remember, People is the third element--along with Brand and Package--of any small business marketing success story. Taking a week or so and reading Frederick Reichheld over lunch or before lights out at night is a great way to hone your “people productivity”.
© 2006 Marketing Hawks
http://www.marketingworkouts.com/
What if somebody told you one critical key to business success was to practice the principle of the Golden Rule in your business? The idea seems to somehow run counter to so much of what we’ve been taught about business, doesn’t it? Yet, what if that same source convinced you through case-study after case-study that application of the Golden Rule in business actually leads to success?
Let us introduce Frederick Reichheld and his book The Loyalty Effect. While not a small business marketer, but rather an expert business consultant, what Reichheld teaches us about loyalty is worthwhile reading for any small business owner or manager.
Did we say “worthwhile”? Scratch that; pencil in the phrase “urgently essential”, instead. This book is that vital to a small company.
The Loyalty Effect focuses on three groups of people critical to business success: Customers, Employees, and Investors. For most small business, the investor is the owner, so for our brief review in this article we will focus on Customers and Employees.
Reichheld is a definite advocate of customer retention. He convincingly demonstrates time and again that small percentage increases in customer retention have huge impacts on profits. This read will be a just-right fit for those of you having problems focusing on the right customers. If you will take the time to trudge through this book, and really understand most of its principles (we found Chapter 8 to be the toughest) then not only will the marketing of your business improve, but so will your profits.
Isn’t that the reason for all this focus on marketing, anyway?
And Reichheld really opened our eyes to how important employees are in retaining customers. If a company treats their employees right, those employees become more efficient and productive in their daily tasks. Profits go up, retention increases.
Reichheld stresses again and again that a company’s prime mission needs to be creating customer value. Most of you in small business realize this, but it’s reaffirming to see hard-and-fast facts to back up what many of us intuitively know. Customers don’t come to a small business looking to boost our profits; they arrive seeking value. If we consistently create value, profit will come.
Another key point for small business owners is the importance of leadership. If you need to go down to the bookstore and browse through The Loyalty Effect before you buy it, flip over to page 246. Reichheld has studied several large and successful businesses, and concludes here that most of them had leaders with an “intuitive grasp” of how important loyalty is. This is critical for business success, regardless of business size. While not written to be a rah-rah inspirational book, Reichheld’s arguments and his examination of the role strong leaders play in forming great companies reinforces just how important to the bottom line it is for a small business owner to be a good leader.
So much of Reichheld’s book seemed familiar; akin to common sense…after we read it. Treat employees well and they’ll perform well for you; we’ll that’s pretty basic, now isn’t it? But we tend to forget, we tend to think we need to cut corners or just “improve efficiency” and that’ll lead to greater profits. In the short term it very well may, but Reichheld argues effectively that in the long run it’s only by creating value for our customer that we build profitable businesses.
Remember, People is the third element--along with Brand and Package--of any small business marketing success story. Taking a week or so and reading Frederick Reichheld over lunch or before lights out at night is a great way to hone your “people productivity”.
© 2006 Marketing Hawks
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Buzzing Millions
Tina Wells Story
http://www.buzzmg.com/
Happening movies, hot TV programs, cool clothes, hip music--it all sounds like a lot of fun, but keeping up with youth culture and advising companies on how to market to young people is also a lot of hard work. “I work when I’m not sleeping,” says Tina Wells. “Sixteen-hour days are the average, but I have a rule about getting eight hours of sleep.” In a world where she is constantly traveling, taking business classes at Wharton and keeping her finger on the pulse of pop culture, the only constant in Wells’ working day is a morning cup of coffee at Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks is still hot and happening, according to Wells.
Wells has been blazing a trail in youth marketing for a decade, founding her company, which was initially called The Buzz, in 1996. Do the math, and you’ll discover she started the company at 16 years old. She wasn’t your typical teenager. “I’m a big daydreamer, but I didn’t have a clue that people would actually pay me to tell them what I thought about their cool products,” she says. Once Wells figured that out, she didn’t look back. What began from her parents’ home as writing product reviews for a newspaper for teen girls grew into a multimillion-dollar business. Says Wells, “I was a teenager, so it wasn’t like I had incredible startup costs.”
Buzz Marketing Group extends well beyond its 10 employees. A BuzzSpotters network of more than 9,000 teens and tweens helps feed the company’s research and keeps Wells in touch with what’s happening. “I talk to young people every day,” she says. “I also spend a lot of time talking to parents. I really think that’s the key to my business success. [I keep in mind that] with every child comes a parent.”
In 2005, Wells launched a youth marketing magazine called BuzzEd and is looking to branch out from there. “I’ve marketed other people’s products for so long that I’m going to start creating a lot of my own stuff,” says Wells, adding that she can see herself still doing what she’s doing 20 years from now. When it comes to a love of pop culture, age is just a number.
The best way to know your market is to dive right in and find creative ways to keep in touch with the people who can provide you with knowledge.
http://www.buzzmg.com/
Happening movies, hot TV programs, cool clothes, hip music--it all sounds like a lot of fun, but keeping up with youth culture and advising companies on how to market to young people is also a lot of hard work. “I work when I’m not sleeping,” says Tina Wells. “Sixteen-hour days are the average, but I have a rule about getting eight hours of sleep.” In a world where she is constantly traveling, taking business classes at Wharton and keeping her finger on the pulse of pop culture, the only constant in Wells’ working day is a morning cup of coffee at Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks is still hot and happening, according to Wells.
Wells has been blazing a trail in youth marketing for a decade, founding her company, which was initially called The Buzz, in 1996. Do the math, and you’ll discover she started the company at 16 years old. She wasn’t your typical teenager. “I’m a big daydreamer, but I didn’t have a clue that people would actually pay me to tell them what I thought about their cool products,” she says. Once Wells figured that out, she didn’t look back. What began from her parents’ home as writing product reviews for a newspaper for teen girls grew into a multimillion-dollar business. Says Wells, “I was a teenager, so it wasn’t like I had incredible startup costs.”
Buzz Marketing Group extends well beyond its 10 employees. A BuzzSpotters network of more than 9,000 teens and tweens helps feed the company’s research and keeps Wells in touch with what’s happening. “I talk to young people every day,” she says. “I also spend a lot of time talking to parents. I really think that’s the key to my business success. [I keep in mind that] with every child comes a parent.”
In 2005, Wells launched a youth marketing magazine called BuzzEd and is looking to branch out from there. “I’ve marketed other people’s products for so long that I’m going to start creating a lot of my own stuff,” says Wells, adding that she can see herself still doing what she’s doing 20 years from now. When it comes to a love of pop culture, age is just a number.
The best way to know your market is to dive right in and find creative ways to keep in touch with the people who can provide you with knowledge.
How To Sell Something You Know Nothing About
David Carter Story
http://www.asbestossurveys.com/
One of the many remarkable aspects of the Internet is how easily people can use it to pretend to be something they aren't. There are, of course, terrifying results, such as when crooks pose as your bank.
But David Carter has taken that capacity for misdirection and made it into a legitimate way to make money.
For instance, Carter didn't know a thing about asbestos when he launched AsbestosSurveys.com - yet it sure looked as if he did. He wrote about regulatory changes in his native England by culling data from a government website. He explained what property owners needed to do to comply. He even posted local phone numbers for his "business" in London, Manchester, and Birmingham, each of which was forwarded to an answering service.
When inquiries flooded in, Carter steered them to an acquaintance who really was an asbestos surveyor. The requests were far more than one surveyor could handle, but Carter continued to book new customers.
"I told them there was a big backlog," recalls Carter, who is 47 and lives in Birmingham. "Then I said, 'Oh, God. What do I do now?'"
To Carter, there was really only one answer: Become a surveyor himself. So with eager customers, Carter turned his site and follow-on properties into an actual business, called AsbestosServices.com. He took a half-week course, got certified, and teamed up with his friend. Today, once or twice a week -essentially whenever he feels like getting out of the house - Carter surveys a property, armed with a digital camera and notepad. The effort, he says, will net the pair about $350,000 this year.
Carter set up the site three years ago as an experiment to see what would happen if he dressed up a website to reflect a more serious and professional operation than it actually was. In doing so he stumbled across what turned out to be a clever way to cash in on the power of Internet search and marketing. The basic strategy: Build the customer base first, and then figure out how to sell to it.
How to Sell Anything to Anybody
http://www.asbestossurveys.com/
One of the many remarkable aspects of the Internet is how easily people can use it to pretend to be something they aren't. There are, of course, terrifying results, such as when crooks pose as your bank.
But David Carter has taken that capacity for misdirection and made it into a legitimate way to make money.
For instance, Carter didn't know a thing about asbestos when he launched AsbestosSurveys.com - yet it sure looked as if he did. He wrote about regulatory changes in his native England by culling data from a government website. He explained what property owners needed to do to comply. He even posted local phone numbers for his "business" in London, Manchester, and Birmingham, each of which was forwarded to an answering service.
When inquiries flooded in, Carter steered them to an acquaintance who really was an asbestos surveyor. The requests were far more than one surveyor could handle, but Carter continued to book new customers.
"I told them there was a big backlog," recalls Carter, who is 47 and lives in Birmingham. "Then I said, 'Oh, God. What do I do now?'"
To Carter, there was really only one answer: Become a surveyor himself. So with eager customers, Carter turned his site and follow-on properties into an actual business, called AsbestosServices.com. He took a half-week course, got certified, and teamed up with his friend. Today, once or twice a week -essentially whenever he feels like getting out of the house - Carter surveys a property, armed with a digital camera and notepad. The effort, he says, will net the pair about $350,000 this year.
Carter set up the site three years ago as an experiment to see what would happen if he dressed up a website to reflect a more serious and professional operation than it actually was. In doing so he stumbled across what turned out to be a clever way to cash in on the power of Internet search and marketing. The basic strategy: Build the customer base first, and then figure out how to sell to it.
How to Sell Anything to Anybody
Making Money Online - How to Start a Successful Business
By John Sullivan
How should I start an online business is probably one of the most often asked questions. Let's look at some of the best ways for a successful start to an online business.
There are various options available to make money online, whether it is as an affiliate marketer, selling on ebay or one of the other auction sites, building websites for adsense income or any other way you wish.
The newcomer (newbie) to the Internet business is often confused with all the offers being promoted by many people offering the latest products that promise great results.
If you have signed up for mailing lists, then probably your inbox is filled every day with many offers that leave the majority of newbies confused as to the best way forward.
The best way to proceed is to choose one area that you would like to work with first whether it is adsense, affiliate programs, ebay or anything else chosen, then do some research in that one area.
It is essential to concentrate on just one area at a time otherwise it is almost impossible to succeed.
The next step to avoid a difficult and lengthy introduction to making money online is to find someone who is already successful in their chosen field and study their methods and perhaps sign up for their course or buy their ebook.
Trying to learn every step alone will be a difficult learning curve, so use the advice from others to get a jump-start to making money online.
Sometimes signing up for a software program or buying an ebook will put you in a position to actually be able to succeed online.
Use the experience of successful people to find the best software to use, where to find information, how to start in the right direction.
Often when deciding to go it alone, newbies waste months if not longer trying to find the best way forward.
Get help at the beginning and find the best short cuts to making profits. Learn the best software to use for building websites; the best forums to visit that can really help.
It will mean the difference between success and failure if you follow an expert's advice on what software to use for building adsense websites for example.
What type of keyword tools should be used and how to find the best niches to start an online business.
How to get traffic to new websites, and then convert this traffic into a profit. There are many ways to improve the chances that visitors to websites will become a source of income whether through affiliate sales, adsense income or through selling your own products.
Find help on how to be a great seller on ebay. There are many ways to improve your chances for successful selling on ebay if the correct steps are taken. Learn how to sell more items for less and get more visitors.
And how to be a successful affiliate marketer. All this information is available if you know where to look. How to choose the best products to promote, the most in demand type of product and the most profitable.
A small investment in the beginning will normally lead to greater success in the long term. Find what worked for others and follow their methods.
John is the owner of 1st Make Money Online, and has spent several years studying the best methods for success online. Make Money Online
Internet Riches: The Simple Money-making Secrets of Online Millionaires
How should I start an online business is probably one of the most often asked questions. Let's look at some of the best ways for a successful start to an online business.
There are various options available to make money online, whether it is as an affiliate marketer, selling on ebay or one of the other auction sites, building websites for adsense income or any other way you wish.
The newcomer (newbie) to the Internet business is often confused with all the offers being promoted by many people offering the latest products that promise great results.
If you have signed up for mailing lists, then probably your inbox is filled every day with many offers that leave the majority of newbies confused as to the best way forward.
The best way to proceed is to choose one area that you would like to work with first whether it is adsense, affiliate programs, ebay or anything else chosen, then do some research in that one area.
It is essential to concentrate on just one area at a time otherwise it is almost impossible to succeed.
The next step to avoid a difficult and lengthy introduction to making money online is to find someone who is already successful in their chosen field and study their methods and perhaps sign up for their course or buy their ebook.
Trying to learn every step alone will be a difficult learning curve, so use the advice from others to get a jump-start to making money online.
Sometimes signing up for a software program or buying an ebook will put you in a position to actually be able to succeed online.
Use the experience of successful people to find the best software to use, where to find information, how to start in the right direction.
Often when deciding to go it alone, newbies waste months if not longer trying to find the best way forward.
Get help at the beginning and find the best short cuts to making profits. Learn the best software to use for building websites; the best forums to visit that can really help.
It will mean the difference between success and failure if you follow an expert's advice on what software to use for building adsense websites for example.
What type of keyword tools should be used and how to find the best niches to start an online business.
How to get traffic to new websites, and then convert this traffic into a profit. There are many ways to improve the chances that visitors to websites will become a source of income whether through affiliate sales, adsense income or through selling your own products.
Find help on how to be a great seller on ebay. There are many ways to improve your chances for successful selling on ebay if the correct steps are taken. Learn how to sell more items for less and get more visitors.
And how to be a successful affiliate marketer. All this information is available if you know where to look. How to choose the best products to promote, the most in demand type of product and the most profitable.
A small investment in the beginning will normally lead to greater success in the long term. Find what worked for others and follow their methods.
John is the owner of 1st Make Money Online, and has spent several years studying the best methods for success online. Make Money Online
Internet Riches: The Simple Money-making Secrets of Online Millionaires
5 Popular Home-Based Business Ideas
Since receiving child support payments and back-child support payments for over twenty years, it’s no secret how that support has helped to provide for my child’s well-being. Fortunately I was able to use a portion of my child support funds to make more money by starting a small business. If you really give it some thought I am sure you too can come up with a home-based business idea that will help you provide a little something extra for your family.
It’s no secret that these are difficult economic times for many parents but particularly for parents who have only one income. Today everyone appears to need several streams of income and in this volatile and often unpredictable economy operating a home-based business is one available option.
Consider operating one of the 5 home-based businesses. None involve a lot of start-up money and although they won’t make you a millionaire, they will allow you to provide for the additional needs of your family. Believe it or not a one time in my life I have had to do each one.
1. Home work Tutor
Do you like to listen to your children read? Are you patient and caring? Do you visit the teacher’s store in your area buying little books that can help your own children read, write or do basic math? Would you like to help another child in your neighborhood? If you think you might be interested in helping children with their homework, become a homework tutor. There are busy parents who do not have the time to help their own children and would appreciate someone making sure their children understand and complete their homework. Remember parents are not only paying for your willingness to review their child’s home work, they are paying for your time and expertise. Make sure you provide parents with a weekly progress report and ask them to let their child’s teacher know they are working with a homework tutor, so your efforts will not be in vain.
2. Letter Writing Service
Several hundred years ago only clergymen and professionals were literate. Today even literate individuals need help writing letters, particularly written complaint letters and letters seeking a resolution or response to a concern. If you enjoy the research involved in helping to resolve everyday problems this may be the home-based business for you. There is little doubt that you will encounter a wide variety of needs as a professional letter writer and your goal is not to solve a problem but to write in such a way that you bring the problem to light. Think carefully about who might need your services and why and remember there is power in the pen or in the keyboard.
3. Mystery Shopper
Can you shop till you drop? Would you like to get paid to shop? This may be the home-based business that fits your schedule and fore fills your need to make extra money. Mystery shoppers, also known as secret shoppers have been around for many years. Their purpose is to complete service checks, performance evaluations and frontline evaluations along with other checks and balances requested by the company employing the mystery shopper. Mystery shoppers enable trained researchers to take a “birds-eye-view” of a shopper’s experience. It also allows management the opportunity to quickly and efficiently evaluate their business practices, deliverables, and employees from the perspective of a non-bias consumer. If you would like to learn more about becoming a mystery shopper visit: www.nationalshoppingservice.com
4. Community Foody
Do you have a food specialty? Is there a dish you prepare that is always a family favorite? Have you ever tried to sell your special cheesecake or gumbo? Today everyone seems to be consumed with thoughts of food, and why not since most of us have little time to cook or even think about cooking. The old adage “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go” is more true today than ever before. Take a look around your community and visit bakeries and cafes, is something missing? Is there a café that would benefit from your double fudge pecan cluster ice cream or those lovely black currant scones? You may want to start small and deliver a few goodies to a local eatery in your area. You may want to sell your recipe to a local bakery or become a recipe developer for a number of restaurants in your area. Are you into recipe contest? Commercial food companies are always looking for a new original recipe and they are willing to pay. What have you got to lose? As Nike would say…”just do it!”
5. Teach Your Talent
Few people know that according to the No Child Left Behind legislation all school districts should be offering parent involvement opportunities to participating Title I parents. These opportunities may be in the form of a parent enrichment seminars/workshops. You can teach your talent and get paid for it. All Title I eligible schools have parent involvement funds that can only be used to provide parents with information that will assist them in helping their child achieve in school. Children cannot achieve when parents are homeless, jobless, illiterate and lack the skills to help their child do well in school. There are many people who have the skill and ability to teach resume writing, job seeking skills, tutor or teach adult reading, and help parents clean up their credit. If you think you could present this type of material in a professional manner, create a proposal and submit it to schools in your district. The funds available to provide these services to parent must be used or school districts will be penalized. This is a great way to make a real difference in your community.
About The Author
Detra D. Davis is a Consultant, trainer and technical writer with over 20 years of experience. She writes technical manuals, operations manuals, and offers business development trainings. She is a former Public Health Educator and has taught a number of workshops promoting the importance of establishing paternity and paying child support. Detra may be reached at 313-446-0896, at www.supportingourchildren.com or by mail at J. Davis & Associates Publishing, P. O. Box 44782, Detroit, MI 48244-0782, Attention: Detra D. Davis.
detra.davis@supportingourchildren.com
It’s no secret that these are difficult economic times for many parents but particularly for parents who have only one income. Today everyone appears to need several streams of income and in this volatile and often unpredictable economy operating a home-based business is one available option.
Consider operating one of the 5 home-based businesses. None involve a lot of start-up money and although they won’t make you a millionaire, they will allow you to provide for the additional needs of your family. Believe it or not a one time in my life I have had to do each one.
1. Home work Tutor
Do you like to listen to your children read? Are you patient and caring? Do you visit the teacher’s store in your area buying little books that can help your own children read, write or do basic math? Would you like to help another child in your neighborhood? If you think you might be interested in helping children with their homework, become a homework tutor. There are busy parents who do not have the time to help their own children and would appreciate someone making sure their children understand and complete their homework. Remember parents are not only paying for your willingness to review their child’s home work, they are paying for your time and expertise. Make sure you provide parents with a weekly progress report and ask them to let their child’s teacher know they are working with a homework tutor, so your efforts will not be in vain.
2. Letter Writing Service
Several hundred years ago only clergymen and professionals were literate. Today even literate individuals need help writing letters, particularly written complaint letters and letters seeking a resolution or response to a concern. If you enjoy the research involved in helping to resolve everyday problems this may be the home-based business for you. There is little doubt that you will encounter a wide variety of needs as a professional letter writer and your goal is not to solve a problem but to write in such a way that you bring the problem to light. Think carefully about who might need your services and why and remember there is power in the pen or in the keyboard.
3. Mystery Shopper
Can you shop till you drop? Would you like to get paid to shop? This may be the home-based business that fits your schedule and fore fills your need to make extra money. Mystery shoppers, also known as secret shoppers have been around for many years. Their purpose is to complete service checks, performance evaluations and frontline evaluations along with other checks and balances requested by the company employing the mystery shopper. Mystery shoppers enable trained researchers to take a “birds-eye-view” of a shopper’s experience. It also allows management the opportunity to quickly and efficiently evaluate their business practices, deliverables, and employees from the perspective of a non-bias consumer. If you would like to learn more about becoming a mystery shopper visit: www.nationalshoppingservice.com
4. Community Foody
Do you have a food specialty? Is there a dish you prepare that is always a family favorite? Have you ever tried to sell your special cheesecake or gumbo? Today everyone seems to be consumed with thoughts of food, and why not since most of us have little time to cook or even think about cooking. The old adage “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go” is more true today than ever before. Take a look around your community and visit bakeries and cafes, is something missing? Is there a café that would benefit from your double fudge pecan cluster ice cream or those lovely black currant scones? You may want to start small and deliver a few goodies to a local eatery in your area. You may want to sell your recipe to a local bakery or become a recipe developer for a number of restaurants in your area. Are you into recipe contest? Commercial food companies are always looking for a new original recipe and they are willing to pay. What have you got to lose? As Nike would say…”just do it!”
5. Teach Your Talent
Few people know that according to the No Child Left Behind legislation all school districts should be offering parent involvement opportunities to participating Title I parents. These opportunities may be in the form of a parent enrichment seminars/workshops. You can teach your talent and get paid for it. All Title I eligible schools have parent involvement funds that can only be used to provide parents with information that will assist them in helping their child achieve in school. Children cannot achieve when parents are homeless, jobless, illiterate and lack the skills to help their child do well in school. There are many people who have the skill and ability to teach resume writing, job seeking skills, tutor or teach adult reading, and help parents clean up their credit. If you think you could present this type of material in a professional manner, create a proposal and submit it to schools in your district. The funds available to provide these services to parent must be used or school districts will be penalized. This is a great way to make a real difference in your community.
About The Author
Detra D. Davis is a Consultant, trainer and technical writer with over 20 years of experience. She writes technical manuals, operations manuals, and offers business development trainings. She is a former Public Health Educator and has taught a number of workshops promoting the importance of establishing paternity and paying child support. Detra may be reached at 313-446-0896, at www.supportingourchildren.com or by mail at J. Davis & Associates Publishing, P. O. Box 44782, Detroit, MI 48244-0782, Attention: Detra D. Davis.
detra.davis@supportingourchildren.com
10 Ways to Grow Your Homebased Business
When the status quo just won't do anymore, these 10 ideas will help you take your homebased business to a new level.
By Rosalind Resnick
Small is beautiful.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Inch by inch, row by row, that's the way my garden grows.
While such homespun wisdom might be fine for common folk, it can be awfully frustrating for an ambitious homebased business owner determined to take his company to the next level of growth and profitability. Sure, a thriving one- or two-person service business with no inventory, rent or employees can seem like an easy way to make money at first, but when the phone starts ringing off the hook and customers keep coming back for more, homebased business owners who fail to plan often fall victim to their own success. Either they burn out trying to juggle everything themselves or they spend so much time and money hiring people to help them that their profits go down the drain.
Fortunately, there are some ways to take your homebased business to new heights without sacrificing your business's profitability or losing your peace of mind.
Follow these 10 steps to grow your homebased business into the personal and professional success it was meant to be:
1. Focus on a single product or service, and then market it, sell it, promote it-do everything you can to increase sales of that one product or service. While it's tempting to swing for the fences and try to be all things to all people, it's often less risky and more profitable to pick a product or two that you can execute really well and just try to get on base.
Richard Roy, a Sparta, New Jersey landscaper, started a homebased dog-waste removal business called Dr. Pooper Scooper when he got tired of picking up the dog poop from his customers' lawns. Instead of splurging on a retail storefront or an expensive Yellow Pages ad, Roy decided to use his truck as his primary advertising vehicle. Says Roy, "I decorated the truck as a Dalmatian, used full signage and put magnetic business cards on it. By using the truck as my moving billboard, by joining community groups and through word of mouth, I've turned what was once my nightmare into a thriving business serving 100 customers and making 1,100 pickups a week."
Thanks to Dr. Pooper Scooper's success, Roy is now planning to phase out his landscaping business and focus on his new venture full time. "When I scoop the poop, I do it 12 months a year and never have to fix or replace equipment," Roy says. "It's also three time easier than landscaping, and I can do it until I can't walk anymore."
2. Expand your product line to offer complementary products or services. Once you've hit on a product or service that customers really like, don't miss the opportunity to bring out related items to diversify your product line. Not only does that give your customers a wider selection, but it also makes your products more appealing to retailers who typically like to stock a line of products as opposed to a single item.
Meredith LiePelt, who runs a company called Contemporary Baby out of her home in Dublin, Ohio, started off making colorful burp cloths for newborns. Now she's expanded her line to include such "go along" products as receiving blankets, bibs and gift baskets. Says LiePelt, "Our retail customers have enjoyed having more gift-giving options, and our wholesale clients are able to offer their customers a wider selection to choose from."
3. Find ways to increase sales to your existing customers. It's a lot cheaper than finding new ones. Even if you can't expand your product line, you can boost revenues by selling more of your existing product or service to the clients you already have. One easy way to do this is through volume discounts. Especially if your products cost little to produce, offering your customers the chance to buy, say, two T-shirts for the price of one lets you ring up additional sales without sacrificing much profit. Another common practice is to reward loyal customers by giving them a punch card that entitles them to a free product or service for every 10 items they buy. This technique is common at hair salons, car washes and arts-and-crafts stores, but homebased businesses can use it, too.
4. Hire someone to help you out-an employee, a freelancer, an intern, an independent contractor, even your kids. Not only does this free up cash flow by adjusting your expenses to the level of work you bring in, but it also enables you to cultivate a large network of talented people you probably couldn't afford to hire full time.
Marc Kirschner, a neighborhood directory publisher in New York City, employs 50 to 75 writers-all of whom are freelancers-to develop his directory's content. This way, Marc saves on payroll taxes, medical benefits, employer liability insurance and all the other costs of hiring full-time staffers. There are other benefits, too. "Bringing in outside help gives you someone else to bounce ideas and strategies off of," Kirschner says. "It prevents you from feeling you're going it alone."
5. Create a Web site to advertise your company or sell products online. Thanks to the Internet, it's no longer necessary to open a store to reach retail customers. For marketers of specialty products like rare books, collectibles and gourmet foods, a Web-based boutique lets you reach millions of shoppers around the world without paying for rent, utilities or garbage collection.
And while creating Web sites once required a big investment and the skills of an experienced Web designer or programmer, do-it-yourself Web sites are now available for less than $30 a month with no technical knowledge required. Typically, the companies that help you register your domain name (Web address) will provide online templates you can use to build your site, host your Web pages on their server and provide you with multiple e-mail addresses as well. E-commerce capabilities can often be had for an additional charge. You can also set up low-cost Web sites through Web hosting companies and search engines.
6. Join forces with another business to promote your company. Partnering with a company in a related industry is one of the cheapest and easiest forms of marketing that you can employ. If you make spa products, for example, you may be able to convince a local health club to carry them in its store by offering a discount to its members. Likewise, you can send a free, one-day health club pass to anybody who buys your lotions and scrubs.
Nancy Tamosaitis, a homebased publicist, says her New York firm, Vorticom, has partnered with a graphic design firm to provide creative services such as Web design and brochures to her corporate PR clients. From time to time, she also joins forces with specialty PR firms to assist clients in fashion, finance and other industries. "Now that I'm working from home, my clients receive infinitely better service and results-at much lower cost-than when I managed a $3 million profit center at a top PR agency," Tamosaitis says.
7. Target other markets. If you sell to teens, start marketing to college students. If you sell to working moms, maybe your product will work for stay-at-home moms with a few modifications. Another strategy is to take a retail-oriented product or service and sell it wholesale. For example, a homebased catering business that specializes in cakes, pies and other tasty desserts can contact local bakeries to sell its goods on a wholesale basis. While the price you get from the bakeries will be lower (because the bakeries need to mark it up to their customers to make a profit), you'll sell more products and generate consistent cash flow that you can bank on.
8. Find new and different ways to market your business through e-mail newsletters or by doing guest-speaking gigs or by teaching a class. Marketing your homebased business doesn't need to involve spending big money on newspaper ads, Yellow Pages listings, or TV or radio spots. Grassroots marketing techniques cost far less and are often much more effective. Most chambers of commerce and community groups are more than happy to provide a forum to a local business owner who's willing to share his expertise at no charge. Sending out a weekly newsletter is also a great way to get your name out in front of new and potential clients. Thanks to the Internet, you can send out your newsletter via e-mail using online templates and automated delivery systems.
9. Expand to another location. That could mean renting "virtual" office space in a business center or by sharing office space with another growing business. Brad Taylor, a CPA in Springfield, New Jersey, spends most of his time at home preparing tax returns, developing tax-planning strategies and revising his clients' QuickBooks files. But when he needs to come to New York City for a meeting, he sometimes rents space at a Manhattan business center operated by HQ Global, a national provider of temporary office space.
For a monthly fee or a la cart, business centers like these offer everything from conference rooms and receptionist services to remote-access voicemail, high-speed Internet connectivity and tech support, offering homebased business owners as much or as little outside office services as they need. Taylor pays just $10 an hour to use the space and is able to bill the cost to his client. "While I still want to run my business from home, this has allowed me to pursue new opportunities and network with other professionals," Taylor says.
10. Think about turning your business into a franchise or business opportunity. While most homebased businesses remain small, yours may have the potential to hit the big time through franchising, licensing or wholesale distribution. The key question to ask yourself is if your business can be converted into a business format that somebody else could operate (a franchise) or if you have a standardized product or service that someone could resell multiple times (a business opportunity). While you may think that expanding your business requires raising capital, hiring employees, buying equipment and leasing office or warehouse space, it's often more profitable-and less risky-to license your product to a big corporation with manufacturing capabilities and an existing sales force to do the work for you.
Rosalind Resnick is president and CEO of Axxess Business Centers, Inc., a boutique consulting firm for startups and small businesses. She can be reached via her Web site at www.abcbizhelp.com.
By Rosalind Resnick
Small is beautiful.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Inch by inch, row by row, that's the way my garden grows.
While such homespun wisdom might be fine for common folk, it can be awfully frustrating for an ambitious homebased business owner determined to take his company to the next level of growth and profitability. Sure, a thriving one- or two-person service business with no inventory, rent or employees can seem like an easy way to make money at first, but when the phone starts ringing off the hook and customers keep coming back for more, homebased business owners who fail to plan often fall victim to their own success. Either they burn out trying to juggle everything themselves or they spend so much time and money hiring people to help them that their profits go down the drain.
Fortunately, there are some ways to take your homebased business to new heights without sacrificing your business's profitability or losing your peace of mind.
Follow these 10 steps to grow your homebased business into the personal and professional success it was meant to be:
1. Focus on a single product or service, and then market it, sell it, promote it-do everything you can to increase sales of that one product or service. While it's tempting to swing for the fences and try to be all things to all people, it's often less risky and more profitable to pick a product or two that you can execute really well and just try to get on base.
Richard Roy, a Sparta, New Jersey landscaper, started a homebased dog-waste removal business called Dr. Pooper Scooper when he got tired of picking up the dog poop from his customers' lawns. Instead of splurging on a retail storefront or an expensive Yellow Pages ad, Roy decided to use his truck as his primary advertising vehicle. Says Roy, "I decorated the truck as a Dalmatian, used full signage and put magnetic business cards on it. By using the truck as my moving billboard, by joining community groups and through word of mouth, I've turned what was once my nightmare into a thriving business serving 100 customers and making 1,100 pickups a week."
Thanks to Dr. Pooper Scooper's success, Roy is now planning to phase out his landscaping business and focus on his new venture full time. "When I scoop the poop, I do it 12 months a year and never have to fix or replace equipment," Roy says. "It's also three time easier than landscaping, and I can do it until I can't walk anymore."
2. Expand your product line to offer complementary products or services. Once you've hit on a product or service that customers really like, don't miss the opportunity to bring out related items to diversify your product line. Not only does that give your customers a wider selection, but it also makes your products more appealing to retailers who typically like to stock a line of products as opposed to a single item.
Meredith LiePelt, who runs a company called Contemporary Baby out of her home in Dublin, Ohio, started off making colorful burp cloths for newborns. Now she's expanded her line to include such "go along" products as receiving blankets, bibs and gift baskets. Says LiePelt, "Our retail customers have enjoyed having more gift-giving options, and our wholesale clients are able to offer their customers a wider selection to choose from."
3. Find ways to increase sales to your existing customers. It's a lot cheaper than finding new ones. Even if you can't expand your product line, you can boost revenues by selling more of your existing product or service to the clients you already have. One easy way to do this is through volume discounts. Especially if your products cost little to produce, offering your customers the chance to buy, say, two T-shirts for the price of one lets you ring up additional sales without sacrificing much profit. Another common practice is to reward loyal customers by giving them a punch card that entitles them to a free product or service for every 10 items they buy. This technique is common at hair salons, car washes and arts-and-crafts stores, but homebased businesses can use it, too.
4. Hire someone to help you out-an employee, a freelancer, an intern, an independent contractor, even your kids. Not only does this free up cash flow by adjusting your expenses to the level of work you bring in, but it also enables you to cultivate a large network of talented people you probably couldn't afford to hire full time.
Marc Kirschner, a neighborhood directory publisher in New York City, employs 50 to 75 writers-all of whom are freelancers-to develop his directory's content. This way, Marc saves on payroll taxes, medical benefits, employer liability insurance and all the other costs of hiring full-time staffers. There are other benefits, too. "Bringing in outside help gives you someone else to bounce ideas and strategies off of," Kirschner says. "It prevents you from feeling you're going it alone."
5. Create a Web site to advertise your company or sell products online. Thanks to the Internet, it's no longer necessary to open a store to reach retail customers. For marketers of specialty products like rare books, collectibles and gourmet foods, a Web-based boutique lets you reach millions of shoppers around the world without paying for rent, utilities or garbage collection.
And while creating Web sites once required a big investment and the skills of an experienced Web designer or programmer, do-it-yourself Web sites are now available for less than $30 a month with no technical knowledge required. Typically, the companies that help you register your domain name (Web address) will provide online templates you can use to build your site, host your Web pages on their server and provide you with multiple e-mail addresses as well. E-commerce capabilities can often be had for an additional charge. You can also set up low-cost Web sites through Web hosting companies and search engines.
6. Join forces with another business to promote your company. Partnering with a company in a related industry is one of the cheapest and easiest forms of marketing that you can employ. If you make spa products, for example, you may be able to convince a local health club to carry them in its store by offering a discount to its members. Likewise, you can send a free, one-day health club pass to anybody who buys your lotions and scrubs.
Nancy Tamosaitis, a homebased publicist, says her New York firm, Vorticom, has partnered with a graphic design firm to provide creative services such as Web design and brochures to her corporate PR clients. From time to time, she also joins forces with specialty PR firms to assist clients in fashion, finance and other industries. "Now that I'm working from home, my clients receive infinitely better service and results-at much lower cost-than when I managed a $3 million profit center at a top PR agency," Tamosaitis says.
7. Target other markets. If you sell to teens, start marketing to college students. If you sell to working moms, maybe your product will work for stay-at-home moms with a few modifications. Another strategy is to take a retail-oriented product or service and sell it wholesale. For example, a homebased catering business that specializes in cakes, pies and other tasty desserts can contact local bakeries to sell its goods on a wholesale basis. While the price you get from the bakeries will be lower (because the bakeries need to mark it up to their customers to make a profit), you'll sell more products and generate consistent cash flow that you can bank on.
8. Find new and different ways to market your business through e-mail newsletters or by doing guest-speaking gigs or by teaching a class. Marketing your homebased business doesn't need to involve spending big money on newspaper ads, Yellow Pages listings, or TV or radio spots. Grassroots marketing techniques cost far less and are often much more effective. Most chambers of commerce and community groups are more than happy to provide a forum to a local business owner who's willing to share his expertise at no charge. Sending out a weekly newsletter is also a great way to get your name out in front of new and potential clients. Thanks to the Internet, you can send out your newsletter via e-mail using online templates and automated delivery systems.
9. Expand to another location. That could mean renting "virtual" office space in a business center or by sharing office space with another growing business. Brad Taylor, a CPA in Springfield, New Jersey, spends most of his time at home preparing tax returns, developing tax-planning strategies and revising his clients' QuickBooks files. But when he needs to come to New York City for a meeting, he sometimes rents space at a Manhattan business center operated by HQ Global, a national provider of temporary office space.
For a monthly fee or a la cart, business centers like these offer everything from conference rooms and receptionist services to remote-access voicemail, high-speed Internet connectivity and tech support, offering homebased business owners as much or as little outside office services as they need. Taylor pays just $10 an hour to use the space and is able to bill the cost to his client. "While I still want to run my business from home, this has allowed me to pursue new opportunities and network with other professionals," Taylor says.
10. Think about turning your business into a franchise or business opportunity. While most homebased businesses remain small, yours may have the potential to hit the big time through franchising, licensing or wholesale distribution. The key question to ask yourself is if your business can be converted into a business format that somebody else could operate (a franchise) or if you have a standardized product or service that someone could resell multiple times (a business opportunity). While you may think that expanding your business requires raising capital, hiring employees, buying equipment and leasing office or warehouse space, it's often more profitable-and less risky-to license your product to a big corporation with manufacturing capabilities and an existing sales force to do the work for you.
Rosalind Resnick is president and CEO of Axxess Business Centers, Inc., a boutique consulting firm for startups and small businesses. She can be reached via her Web site at www.abcbizhelp.com.
How to Freelance Your Expertise
If you're tired of being on the employee treadmill, now may be the best time to consider freelancing your hard-earned skills.
By Andrea C. Poe
Are dreams of freelancing dancing through your head? If you're nodding yes, now's a great time to give it a whirl. As companies scale back on their expensive, benefit-heavy workforce, they're increasingly turning to outside--freelance--help. If you've got expertise in the right areas, there's a good chance you can parlay it into a freelance career by sharing your knowledge and skills with a variety of clients.
Let Freedom Ring
There's no question about it; freelance doesn't start with the word "free" for nothing. Freedom is a major perk of freelancing. As a full-time freelancer, you'll work when you want. You can take vacations when you want, for as long as you want. Weekend getaways won't have to be confined to weekends, and business suits are mostly a thing of the past. There's no boss breathing down your neck, nagging you. And there are no irritating co-workers slacking off at the water cooler, driving you nuts.
But in exchange for all those freedoms comes risk and insecurity. As a freelancer, your next paycheck is never guaranteed. Anxiety about where the next job is coming from plagues many freelancers, no matter how seasoned. But insecurity comes with the turf, and dedicated freelancers learn to make peace with it.
The best way to ensure your freelancing future is to offer a service you know people want. Just because you'd like to do something doesn't mean that there's a readymade market for it.
"'Follow your heart and do what you love' is just a slogan. You need to get real," says Kelly James-Enger, author of Six-Figure Freelancing. "If you're not offering a service people are willing to spend money on, you're not going to be in business [for long]."
Search your local paper and the Internet to see who's doing what you want to do, what they charge and who their clients are. Talk to everyone you know until you turn up freelancers doing what you hope to do. Then call them up and pick their brains about which segments of the market are growing and where most of their work comes from. This information is critical to helping you carve out a niche and fill a current opening in the market.
Think about this: Ten years ago, web designers made a pretty penny freelancing their services to corporations, but today the demand has lessened as all those laid-off dotcomers have created a glut in the market. On the other hand, small-business owners are more keen then ever to learn web design themselves, as are retiring baby boomers, so teaching web design may prove more lucrative than doing the actual design work right now.
Don't Quit Your Day Job--Yet
Once you've decided what aspect of your field to freelance, take the time to establish yourself. "The biggest misconception people have is that they're going to jump right into it and start making money," cautions Laurie Rozakis. "Not true. Just because you build it doesn't mean they'll come."
Rosakis, who is a freelance writer and editor, and the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Money in Freelancing, says it can take months--even years--to develop a reputation and client base. For that reason, many freelancers start by moonlighting while still holding on to their day jobs.
"Everyone thinks it's going to happen overnight, but I don't know a single freelancer who immediately started making a six-figure income," maintains James-Enger.
A good rule of thumb is not to give up your day job until you have between six months and one year's worth of savings, more if you're the sole support for your household. "Don't leave your job until you're confident you can pay your mortgage and healthcare and put money into a retirement account," James-Enger advises.
Of course, moonlighting while working for your current employer can be tricky-especially if you're freelancing in the same field. Let's say you're an advertising copywriter who wants to start freelancing on the side. You'll probably need to tell your employer, who may require you to sign a noncompete agreement in which you promise not to steal, or "borrow," clients. If, on the other hand, you're an advertising copywriter who wants to do freelance Japanese translations, your employer probably doesn't even need to know what you're doing after hours.
Generating Business
As in any business, your freelancing career is only as strong as the sales you make. Finding clients is the number-one challenge for any freelancer just starting out. It's almost a catch-22: How do you attract clients when you've never had any? Here are some practical steps that will propel you out of the conundrum and into business:
1. Develop a portfolio to demonstrate the scope of your skills. If that means working for no pay or low pay initially, do it. Samples of your work will be your best calling card.
2. Tell everyone you know--colleagues, friends, family, neighbors--about your new freelance gig. Referrals will make up the bulk of your business initially.
3. Join professional organizations--online or in the community--that serve your field. In addition to all the other benefits you'll gain, you'll also pick up insider tips of where to find work.
4. Join local organizations, like the chamber of commerce or Rotary club. "Creative people often overlook organizations like these, thinking they'll be filled with stiff bankers and businesspeople," notes James-Enger. "And they may be--but that's who'll be hiring you to do your creative work."
5. Volunteer in the community doing something you love, and you'll broaden your network of potential clients.
6. Cold call. Yes, everyone hates cold calling, but the reason freelancers need to do this is because it works.
Another important point to remember is that freelancing doesn't solely mean doing the thing you love. It also means knowing how to sell and market your services. When starting out, about 90 percent of your time will be spent on sales and marketing tasks. "Work won't just stumble upon you," says James-Enger. "You can be as talented as anything, but it won't mean a thing if you can't sell yourself."
Rozakis agrees. "A lot of people go into freelancing thinking, 'I've got the talent.' What they need to realize is a lot of people have talent. What makes a successful freelance business is how strong your client list is."
And building a client base requires that you plug away tirelessly without getting discouraged. Expect rejection. It comes with the territory--and often. But don't let that stop you from trying again.
"Think of a salesperson at The Gap who gives you a pair of pants to try that don't fit," says James-Enger. "A good salesperson doesn't sulk away, dejected. She hands you another pair and another pair until you buy something."
Get Serious
When you see that you're starting to make enough money that your freelancing is becoming a viable career, it's time to start putting the business building blocks in place that will ensure that you--and your clients--take your business seriously. That means going beyond ordering hot-looking business cards.
No matter what your field, contracts are important. Many freelancers overlook developing their own, instead letting clients design contracts or foregoing them altogether. That's a mistake--and it can be a costly one.
"Protect yourself," stresses Rusty Fischer, who wrote Freedom to Freelance. He recommends checking out contracts used by other freelancers you know, so you can borrow the best of what they've got and incorporate those ideas into your own contract. Then run your contract by a lawyer to make sure your rights are protected. "It's well worth a few hundred bucks to get it right," he notes.
Establishing an accounting system is also imperative. Not only will it help you keep track of what you're due, but it will simplify your life. Freelancers are on the IRS radar anyway, so good record keeping will give you peace of mind and make any possible future audit less painful.
"Get a great accountant or [take a] community college course and learn software programs like Quicken to keep your books," Rozakis recommends. "You skip this aspect of the business, and you'll be very sorry."
Depending on your industry, having a website may be helpful in marketing your services. If you have visual examples of what you do, say landscape design or theatrical costuming, a website will act as a portfolio and introduce your work to prospective clients. (Websites are obviously less useful to freelancers without visual examples, say, home inspectors or medical billing administrators.)
Know Thy Self
One of the most important decision you'll have to make before fully committing to running a freelance business is to determine if this type of lifestyle matches your personality. "Know thyself," says Rozakis. "Really think this through before you make a commitment to a lifestyle and work style you just may not be suited for."
And while you no longer have a boss, you do have to answer to someone--yourself. That's why self-discipline is key to taking your freelancing gig from an interesting hobby to a viable business. "It really helps to be a Type A personality because you have to be able to motivate yourself and manage your time," says James-Enger. "You can't be a slacker and have a successful freelance career."
Tempting as it may be to cut out mid-afternoon for a movie or a walk with the dog, most days those kinds of things just aren't going to happen. "Not only will you normally work way more hours per week as a freelancer, but your schedule probably won't wind up being as flexible as you think," warns Fischer. "Most of your clients are working regular hours, from 9 to 5. Being available to them means that most of time, you'll be working very regular hours."
The freelance life is a solitary life. If you're someone who feeds off the energy of other people, freelancing may prove too lonely a road to travel. Fortunately, for those who seek them out, there are solutions to the lack of daily social contact. Many freelancers fill their need to interact with other people by taking on-site freelance gigs, where they work--at least temporarily--among other people. Others turn to freelancer support groups where they meet once a month over a cup of coffee to swap tales of glory and woe. And others work on collaborative projects with other freelancers.
It takes time to grow a freelance business; it takes time to establish yourself; and it takes time to make money. All of this can be nerve-wracking and cause countless sleepless nights. But with talent, patience, tenacity and a touch of luck, freelancing can be among the most rewarding--and lucrative--ways to make money.
"Would I ever go back to working for the 'man'?" laughs James-Enger. "No way. For all the struggles and unknowns, I wouldn't give up freelancing and be somebody's employee for anything."
Freelancing Options
Think the freelance life might be for you? The good part is, if you do it, there's a good chance you can freelance it. Here are some of the most frequently freelanced gigs around:
Accountant/bookkeeper
Appraiser
Cartographer
Chef
Computer programmer
Corporate event planner
Data entry/processor
Editor/copyeditor
Engineer
Esthetician
Film animator
Financial planner
Floral arranger
Fundraiser
Furniture restorer/repairer
Grant writer
Graphic designer
Home inspector
Interior designer
Landscape architect
Massage therapist
Medical administration (billing)
Package design
Party planner
Photographer
Political consultant
Private investigator
Professional organizer
Sales/marketing consultant
Seamstress
Set designer
Telemarketer
Translator/interpreter
Tutoring
Upholsterer
Web designer
Writer
Andrea C. Poe is a freelance writer in Easton, Maryland, who specializes in business issues.
By Andrea C. Poe
Are dreams of freelancing dancing through your head? If you're nodding yes, now's a great time to give it a whirl. As companies scale back on their expensive, benefit-heavy workforce, they're increasingly turning to outside--freelance--help. If you've got expertise in the right areas, there's a good chance you can parlay it into a freelance career by sharing your knowledge and skills with a variety of clients.
Let Freedom Ring
There's no question about it; freelance doesn't start with the word "free" for nothing. Freedom is a major perk of freelancing. As a full-time freelancer, you'll work when you want. You can take vacations when you want, for as long as you want. Weekend getaways won't have to be confined to weekends, and business suits are mostly a thing of the past. There's no boss breathing down your neck, nagging you. And there are no irritating co-workers slacking off at the water cooler, driving you nuts.
But in exchange for all those freedoms comes risk and insecurity. As a freelancer, your next paycheck is never guaranteed. Anxiety about where the next job is coming from plagues many freelancers, no matter how seasoned. But insecurity comes with the turf, and dedicated freelancers learn to make peace with it.
The best way to ensure your freelancing future is to offer a service you know people want. Just because you'd like to do something doesn't mean that there's a readymade market for it.
"'Follow your heart and do what you love' is just a slogan. You need to get real," says Kelly James-Enger, author of Six-Figure Freelancing
. "If you're not offering a service people are willing to spend money on, you're not going to be in business [for long]."Search your local paper and the Internet to see who's doing what you want to do, what they charge and who their clients are. Talk to everyone you know until you turn up freelancers doing what you hope to do. Then call them up and pick their brains about which segments of the market are growing and where most of their work comes from. This information is critical to helping you carve out a niche and fill a current opening in the market.
Think about this: Ten years ago, web designers made a pretty penny freelancing their services to corporations, but today the demand has lessened as all those laid-off dotcomers have created a glut in the market. On the other hand, small-business owners are more keen then ever to learn web design themselves, as are retiring baby boomers, so teaching web design may prove more lucrative than doing the actual design work right now.
Don't Quit Your Day Job--Yet
Once you've decided what aspect of your field to freelance, take the time to establish yourself. "The biggest misconception people have is that they're going to jump right into it and start making money," cautions Laurie Rozakis. "Not true. Just because you build it doesn't mean they'll come."
Rosakis, who is a freelance writer and editor, and the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Money in Freelancing
, says it can take months--even years--to develop a reputation and client base. For that reason, many freelancers start by moonlighting while still holding on to their day jobs."Everyone thinks it's going to happen overnight, but I don't know a single freelancer who immediately started making a six-figure income," maintains James-Enger.
A good rule of thumb is not to give up your day job until you have between six months and one year's worth of savings, more if you're the sole support for your household. "Don't leave your job until you're confident you can pay your mortgage and healthcare and put money into a retirement account," James-Enger advises.
Of course, moonlighting while working for your current employer can be tricky-especially if you're freelancing in the same field. Let's say you're an advertising copywriter who wants to start freelancing on the side. You'll probably need to tell your employer, who may require you to sign a noncompete agreement in which you promise not to steal, or "borrow," clients. If, on the other hand, you're an advertising copywriter who wants to do freelance Japanese translations, your employer probably doesn't even need to know what you're doing after hours.
Generating Business
As in any business, your freelancing career is only as strong as the sales you make. Finding clients is the number-one challenge for any freelancer just starting out. It's almost a catch-22: How do you attract clients when you've never had any? Here are some practical steps that will propel you out of the conundrum and into business:
1. Develop a portfolio to demonstrate the scope of your skills. If that means working for no pay or low pay initially, do it. Samples of your work will be your best calling card.
2. Tell everyone you know--colleagues, friends, family, neighbors--about your new freelance gig. Referrals will make up the bulk of your business initially.
3. Join professional organizations--online or in the community--that serve your field. In addition to all the other benefits you'll gain, you'll also pick up insider tips of where to find work.
4. Join local organizations, like the chamber of commerce or Rotary club. "Creative people often overlook organizations like these, thinking they'll be filled with stiff bankers and businesspeople," notes James-Enger. "And they may be--but that's who'll be hiring you to do your creative work."
5. Volunteer in the community doing something you love, and you'll broaden your network of potential clients.
6. Cold call. Yes, everyone hates cold calling, but the reason freelancers need to do this is because it works.
Another important point to remember is that freelancing doesn't solely mean doing the thing you love. It also means knowing how to sell and market your services. When starting out, about 90 percent of your time will be spent on sales and marketing tasks. "Work won't just stumble upon you," says James-Enger. "You can be as talented as anything, but it won't mean a thing if you can't sell yourself."
Rozakis agrees. "A lot of people go into freelancing thinking, 'I've got the talent.' What they need to realize is a lot of people have talent. What makes a successful freelance business is how strong your client list is."
And building a client base requires that you plug away tirelessly without getting discouraged. Expect rejection. It comes with the territory--and often. But don't let that stop you from trying again.
"Think of a salesperson at The Gap who gives you a pair of pants to try that don't fit," says James-Enger. "A good salesperson doesn't sulk away, dejected. She hands you another pair and another pair until you buy something."
Get Serious
When you see that you're starting to make enough money that your freelancing is becoming a viable career, it's time to start putting the business building blocks in place that will ensure that you--and your clients--take your business seriously. That means going beyond ordering hot-looking business cards.
No matter what your field, contracts are important. Many freelancers overlook developing their own, instead letting clients design contracts or foregoing them altogether. That's a mistake--and it can be a costly one.
"Protect yourself," stresses Rusty Fischer, who wrote Freedom to Freelance
. He recommends checking out contracts used by other freelancers you know, so you can borrow the best of what they've got and incorporate those ideas into your own contract. Then run your contract by a lawyer to make sure your rights are protected. "It's well worth a few hundred bucks to get it right," he notes.Establishing an accounting system is also imperative. Not only will it help you keep track of what you're due, but it will simplify your life. Freelancers are on the IRS radar anyway, so good record keeping will give you peace of mind and make any possible future audit less painful.
"Get a great accountant or [take a] community college course and learn software programs like Quicken to keep your books," Rozakis recommends. "You skip this aspect of the business, and you'll be very sorry."
Depending on your industry, having a website may be helpful in marketing your services. If you have visual examples of what you do, say landscape design or theatrical costuming, a website will act as a portfolio and introduce your work to prospective clients. (Websites are obviously less useful to freelancers without visual examples, say, home inspectors or medical billing administrators.)
Know Thy Self
One of the most important decision you'll have to make before fully committing to running a freelance business is to determine if this type of lifestyle matches your personality. "Know thyself," says Rozakis. "Really think this through before you make a commitment to a lifestyle and work style you just may not be suited for."
And while you no longer have a boss, you do have to answer to someone--yourself. That's why self-discipline is key to taking your freelancing gig from an interesting hobby to a viable business. "It really helps to be a Type A personality because you have to be able to motivate yourself and manage your time," says James-Enger. "You can't be a slacker and have a successful freelance career."
Tempting as it may be to cut out mid-afternoon for a movie or a walk with the dog, most days those kinds of things just aren't going to happen. "Not only will you normally work way more hours per week as a freelancer, but your schedule probably won't wind up being as flexible as you think," warns Fischer. "Most of your clients are working regular hours, from 9 to 5. Being available to them means that most of time, you'll be working very regular hours."
The freelance life is a solitary life. If you're someone who feeds off the energy of other people, freelancing may prove too lonely a road to travel. Fortunately, for those who seek them out, there are solutions to the lack of daily social contact. Many freelancers fill their need to interact with other people by taking on-site freelance gigs, where they work--at least temporarily--among other people. Others turn to freelancer support groups where they meet once a month over a cup of coffee to swap tales of glory and woe. And others work on collaborative projects with other freelancers.
It takes time to grow a freelance business; it takes time to establish yourself; and it takes time to make money. All of this can be nerve-wracking and cause countless sleepless nights. But with talent, patience, tenacity and a touch of luck, freelancing can be among the most rewarding--and lucrative--ways to make money.
"Would I ever go back to working for the 'man'?" laughs James-Enger. "No way. For all the struggles and unknowns, I wouldn't give up freelancing and be somebody's employee for anything."
Freelancing Options
Think the freelance life might be for you? The good part is, if you do it, there's a good chance you can freelance it. Here are some of the most frequently freelanced gigs around:
Accountant/bookkeeper
Appraiser
Cartographer
Chef
Computer programmer
Corporate event planner
Data entry/processor
Editor/copyeditor
Engineer
Esthetician
Film animator
Financial planner
Floral arranger
Fundraiser
Furniture restorer/repairer
Grant writer
Graphic designer
Home inspector
Interior designer
Landscape architect
Massage therapist
Medical administration (billing)
Package design
Party planner
Photographer
Political consultant
Private investigator
Professional organizer
Sales/marketing consultant
Seamstress
Set designer
Telemarketer
Translator/interpreter
Tutoring
Upholsterer
Web designer
Writer
Andrea C. Poe is a freelance writer in Easton, Maryland, who specializes in business issues.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Home Based Business: Window Cleaner
by Steve Pavis
Everyone hates washing windows, but everyone also knows it needs to be done. Did you know that it's incredibly inexpensive to purchase the materials you need to become a professional window cleaner? And with only a few tricks of the trade, you can get started on this new business opportunity.
A window cleaner needs to do one thing well: clean a window until it's crystal clear. The two things you need to remember to be a perfect window cleaner are clean from left to right starting at the top on the inside, and from top to bottom starting at the left on the outside (if you're a leftie, reverse the handedness). This allows you to clean the dirtier parts after the clean parts are done. And because you start by crossing over your body, you have an easier time determining whether you're getting all the dirt off. In addition, if a window cleaner cleans horizontally on the inside and vertically on the outside, it's very easy to tell by the orientation of a streak which side of the window it's on.
Toxic chemicals are a hazard for a window cleaner. Many studies claim that lung cancer in housewives is as much as three times what it should be due to their use of toxic cleaning materials. In order to avoid damaging your health as a window cleaner, consider using primarily all-natural materials instead of bleaches and solvents. Vinegar-based window cleaner works pretty well, especially if you polish the window afterward.
A window cleaner, like any other professional, should start fairly small. Don't take on jobs for multiple-story buildings until you can afford the insurance to cover any accidents involving the rigging. You may also want to apprentice with a window cleaner who uses that sort of rigging before you invest in it. You can make much more money as a window cleaner who does multiple stories, but you need to do it safely before you start incorporating it into your business plan.
Steve Pavis at http://www.squeegee1.com is a leading expert 15 years experience in the window cleaning market sector based in the uk but has a vast amount of experience in the states too the bonus is his marketing and image methods are second to none apply both and you too can be successful too.
Everyone hates washing windows, but everyone also knows it needs to be done. Did you know that it's incredibly inexpensive to purchase the materials you need to become a professional window cleaner? And with only a few tricks of the trade, you can get started on this new business opportunity.
A window cleaner needs to do one thing well: clean a window until it's crystal clear. The two things you need to remember to be a perfect window cleaner are clean from left to right starting at the top on the inside, and from top to bottom starting at the left on the outside (if you're a leftie, reverse the handedness). This allows you to clean the dirtier parts after the clean parts are done. And because you start by crossing over your body, you have an easier time determining whether you're getting all the dirt off. In addition, if a window cleaner cleans horizontally on the inside and vertically on the outside, it's very easy to tell by the orientation of a streak which side of the window it's on.
Toxic chemicals are a hazard for a window cleaner. Many studies claim that lung cancer in housewives is as much as three times what it should be due to their use of toxic cleaning materials. In order to avoid damaging your health as a window cleaner, consider using primarily all-natural materials instead of bleaches and solvents. Vinegar-based window cleaner works pretty well, especially if you polish the window afterward.
A window cleaner, like any other professional, should start fairly small. Don't take on jobs for multiple-story buildings until you can afford the insurance to cover any accidents involving the rigging. You may also want to apprentice with a window cleaner who uses that sort of rigging before you invest in it. You can make much more money as a window cleaner who does multiple stories, but you need to do it safely before you start incorporating it into your business plan.
Steve Pavis at http://www.squeegee1.com is a leading expert 15 years experience in the window cleaning market sector based in the uk but has a vast amount of experience in the states too the bonus is his marketing and image methods are second to none apply both and you too can be successful too.
Dreaming Of A Web Business? Do You Have What It Takes?
by Claude Jollet
After many months of worrying, searching, and procrastinating you finally decide to take the plunge. Are you ready for this?
Here's what I found you absolutely need to start and run a successful small business on the Web.
Deceptively Simple
If you are reading this, you can obviously navigate on the Web. You also have a more than passing interest for the subject clearly stated in the title of this article.
Furthermore, I would be willing to bet that you can already use your personal computer to create written documents, such as emails, or a more elaborate document, such as your personal resume (curriculum vitae).
You may even be using your computer to do your budget, for all I know.
Intuitively, you know you will need a Web site to market your Web business. You believe that you should know something about how to build a Web site that will serve the purposes of the small business you are planning to start.
This is where most people hesitate, or even drop the idea of a business on the Web. They think they need to hire expensive web site creators, and Web designers, to do what they think they cannot achieve.
Some forge on blindly and fall for the many "easy solutions" that are constantly being offered on the Web. "Try our easy to use - free - templates, and just fill in the blanks. Presto! You have a Web site! Need content? No problem! Just subscribe to our free articles ... blah...blah...blah".
Yeah! Sure! But, will your Web site be a suitable marketing instrument for your business? Will it be an extension of yourself? Will it represent you, or someone else's efforts?
How are you going to be able to tell? You know (deep down) that you ignore practically everything about how to use the Web technologies to ·Validate your business idea, ·Research the best way to exploit it to it's maximum potential, ·And ensure the success of your small business.
The "get rich quick, it's easy" (GRQ) crowd remain conspicuously silent on these vital issues! Keep your eyes and critical mind open!
Be on the constant lookout for openly revealed answers that ring true and logical to you. Stay away from "secret" recipes. Use your own judgment to determine where the true solution lies. You have more common sense than you think. Don't be afraid to use it! It's in you best interest to exercise due diligence.
Marketing
You need to know the basic marketing techniques and strategies for the Web. They are very different from the ones you would successfully use on "land"! Seek competent advice on this.
Remember! The most reliable advice need not be the most expensive!
Look for reputable, knowledgeable people who have a vested interest in your success. They will want you to succeed because your success will be contributing to their success. These experts work for themselves as well as for you. Therefore, they do not charge extra for the privilege of contributing to your endeavor, and making your efforts worthwhile. It will be worth their while too, in the long run. They know it. So should you.
Guarantees?
Look for the guarantee behind the "GRQ" schemes. You will find none, of course.
If you don't believe you need a guarantee, think again! You are new to this business of ... starting a Web business. You a running the risk of failing, without appropriate and reliable help and support. You stand to lose your desire, perhaps forever! That would be a sorry mistake to make.
Keep searching until you find a solution provider that will openly "guarantee results, if you follow their plan ... or your money back!". You will know, then, that you will have found a solution worth looking into seriously.
You just have to use your brain, common sense, and your motivation to keep looking further, below the surface (apparently easy solutions).
Work
You will have to work at it. That should not come as a surprise. You did not really believe that it's possible to build a successful business without you contributing some level of effort, did you?
Just make sure your efforts are well supported by reliable expert guidance, and everything will turn out just fine ... given time, and your active participation, of course! You don't have to become one the many misguided start-ups that fail miserably, because they failed to do their homework!
You will have to be strong to resist the many temptations of promised "easy way outs"! Because, that's all they are. An easy way out of business!
Before you know it, time will have flashed by, and you will end up with a truly viable business. Your determined efforts will be rewarded, in more ways than one.
Drive
If you read somewhere that it takes passion to build a business, be it on the Web or elsewhere, believe it!
When you go to bed at night, and can't wait to get up in the morning to run your business, that's when you are well on your way toward a rewarding outcome.
Money?
You are considering a business on the Web. It does not require much money to start one. You will not be buying an existing one, nor will you be buying into one.
You will be building your Web business from scratch. It can even be done "on a shoestring", if all your will be offering your clientele is your knowledge, your know-how, or your services. You are already warehousing that in your brain, for free!
You already have a computer, and an internet connection. No extra expenses there.
Most people will think, at this stage, that "all they need next" is a Web host for their business Web site. Don't make the same mistake!
You will need more than a Web hosting company. As I explained above, you will need the company of Web marketing experts to guide you through the first critical steps toward building a successful Web business, not just a Web site!
A few (rare) Web hosting firms will provide all the "hand holding help" you will need ... as part of the basic (not extra) services you will be paying for. They do it because they want to keep your business.
They want to be able to show you off as yet another success story ... to which they dutifully, and respectfully contributed.
My Recommendation
Keep looking. Keep your eyes open for sharks. Keep a critical mind on full alert to distinguish between "fools gold" and the real stuff. Keep believing in your idea. Keep working at it. Above all, keep it real.
Keep your efforts honest. Do not try to fool yourself. You will be rewarded ... in spades!
Eventually, you will realize that you had what it takes, after all.
After many months of worrying, searching, and procrastinating you finally decide to take the plunge. Are you ready for this?
Here's what I found you absolutely need to start and run a successful small business on the Web.
Deceptively Simple
If you are reading this, you can obviously navigate on the Web. You also have a more than passing interest for the subject clearly stated in the title of this article.
Furthermore, I would be willing to bet that you can already use your personal computer to create written documents, such as emails, or a more elaborate document, such as your personal resume (curriculum vitae).
You may even be using your computer to do your budget, for all I know.
Intuitively, you know you will need a Web site to market your Web business. You believe that you should know something about how to build a Web site that will serve the purposes of the small business you are planning to start.
This is where most people hesitate, or even drop the idea of a business on the Web. They think they need to hire expensive web site creators, and Web designers, to do what they think they cannot achieve.
Some forge on blindly and fall for the many "easy solutions" that are constantly being offered on the Web. "Try our easy to use - free - templates, and just fill in the blanks. Presto! You have a Web site! Need content? No problem! Just subscribe to our free articles ... blah...blah...blah".
Yeah! Sure! But, will your Web site be a suitable marketing instrument for your business? Will it be an extension of yourself? Will it represent you, or someone else's efforts?
How are you going to be able to tell? You know (deep down) that you ignore practically everything about how to use the Web technologies to ·Validate your business idea, ·Research the best way to exploit it to it's maximum potential, ·And ensure the success of your small business.
The "get rich quick, it's easy" (GRQ) crowd remain conspicuously silent on these vital issues! Keep your eyes and critical mind open!
Be on the constant lookout for openly revealed answers that ring true and logical to you. Stay away from "secret" recipes. Use your own judgment to determine where the true solution lies. You have more common sense than you think. Don't be afraid to use it! It's in you best interest to exercise due diligence.
Marketing
You need to know the basic marketing techniques and strategies for the Web. They are very different from the ones you would successfully use on "land"! Seek competent advice on this.
Remember! The most reliable advice need not be the most expensive!
Look for reputable, knowledgeable people who have a vested interest in your success. They will want you to succeed because your success will be contributing to their success. These experts work for themselves as well as for you. Therefore, they do not charge extra for the privilege of contributing to your endeavor, and making your efforts worthwhile. It will be worth their while too, in the long run. They know it. So should you.
Guarantees?
Look for the guarantee behind the "GRQ" schemes. You will find none, of course.
If you don't believe you need a guarantee, think again! You are new to this business of ... starting a Web business. You a running the risk of failing, without appropriate and reliable help and support. You stand to lose your desire, perhaps forever! That would be a sorry mistake to make.
Keep searching until you find a solution provider that will openly "guarantee results, if you follow their plan ... or your money back!". You will know, then, that you will have found a solution worth looking into seriously.
You just have to use your brain, common sense, and your motivation to keep looking further, below the surface (apparently easy solutions).
Work
You will have to work at it. That should not come as a surprise. You did not really believe that it's possible to build a successful business without you contributing some level of effort, did you?
Just make sure your efforts are well supported by reliable expert guidance, and everything will turn out just fine ... given time, and your active participation, of course! You don't have to become one the many misguided start-ups that fail miserably, because they failed to do their homework!
You will have to be strong to resist the many temptations of promised "easy way outs"! Because, that's all they are. An easy way out of business!
Before you know it, time will have flashed by, and you will end up with a truly viable business. Your determined efforts will be rewarded, in more ways than one.
Drive
If you read somewhere that it takes passion to build a business, be it on the Web or elsewhere, believe it!
When you go to bed at night, and can't wait to get up in the morning to run your business, that's when you are well on your way toward a rewarding outcome.
Money?
You are considering a business on the Web. It does not require much money to start one. You will not be buying an existing one, nor will you be buying into one.
You will be building your Web business from scratch. It can even be done "on a shoestring", if all your will be offering your clientele is your knowledge, your know-how, or your services. You are already warehousing that in your brain, for free!
You already have a computer, and an internet connection. No extra expenses there.
Most people will think, at this stage, that "all they need next" is a Web host for their business Web site. Don't make the same mistake!
You will need more than a Web hosting company. As I explained above, you will need the company of Web marketing experts to guide you through the first critical steps toward building a successful Web business, not just a Web site!
A few (rare) Web hosting firms will provide all the "hand holding help" you will need ... as part of the basic (not extra) services you will be paying for. They do it because they want to keep your business.
They want to be able to show you off as yet another success story ... to which they dutifully, and respectfully contributed.
My Recommendation
Keep looking. Keep your eyes open for sharks. Keep a critical mind on full alert to distinguish between "fools gold" and the real stuff. Keep believing in your idea. Keep working at it. Above all, keep it real.
Keep your efforts honest. Do not try to fool yourself. You will be rewarded ... in spades!
Eventually, you will realize that you had what it takes, after all.
The Mystery Of Making Money
by Scott Michaels
http://www.articlehub.org/
One of the great mysteries of life concerns making money. How can you produce that sufficient capital in order to live well, pay all the bills, and have funds left over for retirement? Well, there is no simple answer to this question. The fact is, there are a number of them. For example, I make money dealing with stocks. Many Americans dabble in the stock market these days in order to invest for the future. I make money via the Internet with a variety of jobs that involve working from the privacy of my own home. This is not a miracle of any sorts; it is simply the money making industry of today.
How do you make a living? Did you graduate from college and tackle the job market with a BA or BS in some popular field? This is always a good route simply because it prepares us for the real world, but also makes it much easier for us to attain quality careers. However, many people don't make enough money to handle everything on their plate. This is where you should turn to the Internet for help. The World-Wide-Web is loaded with ideas and positions for all sorts of people to increase their income. I make money by selling on Ebay. Have you ever tried this? Start your own catering business. A co-worker at my wife's company sells chocolate treats online. She makes them all by hand in her own kitchen. This is a great idea for a home business, and the best part is she answers to no one. I was shocked at the money she makes this way. With the Internet on our side, there is no reason why anyone who owns a computer can't work from home. I make money by doing resumes. Since I achieved a writing degree, I might as well put it to use in any way I can. There are always more people in need of good resumes; so why not take advantage of this great opportunity.
When I told my brother that I make money from buying and selling on Ebay, he was immediately jealous. He said, "Why didn't I think of that?" If you are trying to find other sources of income, I highly recommend that you check out cyberspace. It is literally an infinite market where lots of money can be made. People around the world are constantly in need of products and services. There is no reason why you shouldn't put your talents and dreams to use. Start making money online today. If I make money via the Internet, so can you.
http://www.articlehub.org/
One of the great mysteries of life concerns making money. How can you produce that sufficient capital in order to live well, pay all the bills, and have funds left over for retirement? Well, there is no simple answer to this question. The fact is, there are a number of them. For example, I make money dealing with stocks. Many Americans dabble in the stock market these days in order to invest for the future. I make money via the Internet with a variety of jobs that involve working from the privacy of my own home. This is not a miracle of any sorts; it is simply the money making industry of today.
How do you make a living? Did you graduate from college and tackle the job market with a BA or BS in some popular field? This is always a good route simply because it prepares us for the real world, but also makes it much easier for us to attain quality careers. However, many people don't make enough money to handle everything on their plate. This is where you should turn to the Internet for help. The World-Wide-Web is loaded with ideas and positions for all sorts of people to increase their income. I make money by selling on Ebay. Have you ever tried this? Start your own catering business. A co-worker at my wife's company sells chocolate treats online. She makes them all by hand in her own kitchen. This is a great idea for a home business, and the best part is she answers to no one. I was shocked at the money she makes this way. With the Internet on our side, there is no reason why anyone who owns a computer can't work from home. I make money by doing resumes. Since I achieved a writing degree, I might as well put it to use in any way I can. There are always more people in need of good resumes; so why not take advantage of this great opportunity.
When I told my brother that I make money from buying and selling on Ebay, he was immediately jealous. He said, "Why didn't I think of that?" If you are trying to find other sources of income, I highly recommend that you check out cyberspace. It is literally an infinite market where lots of money can be made. People around the world are constantly in need of products and services. There is no reason why you shouldn't put your talents and dreams to use. Start making money online today. If I make money via the Internet, so can you.
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