Working From Home - Telemarketing

More and more people every day are looking for ways of working from home. Working from home has never been so popular and the choice of types of employment seems endless. You might decide to start your own home based business and work long hours to achieve a dream of supporting your family from the profits of the business. Perhaps you simply want a job you can do at home, maybe just for a few hours a week to bring in a little extra money.

Up until a few years ago, work from home opportunities were rare and poorly paid. This type of work from home slavery still exists but technology has caused a dramatic increase in the number of genuine work from home opportunities available, both for the home based business entrepreneur and for the stay at home mom who wants a job she can fit in around the kids' schedule.

If you have a professional qualification such as being a Lawyer or Accountant you can quite easily set up a home based office. If you have a practical qualification such as being a hairdresser, beautician or nail technician you can build up your own mobile business. If you have no particular qualifications but possess a talent for something such as carpentry or sewing or welding, you can make things at home and sell them at craft fairs and art exhibitions. If you have no particular qualifications or talents but possess some imagination and drive, you can carve out your own niche by identifying a need in your community and providing a service to fill it.

If you have no qualifications, no talent, no skills, no imagination, you could become a telemarketer. The only attributes a telemarketer needs are :

1. A phone

2. A friendly manner (optional in some circumstances)
3. The ability to memorise and recite a script
4. The ability to tell lies in a convincing way
5. A conscience on psychopath level
6. An inner radar enabling you to identify the least convenient time to phone people 7. the ability to talk for a long time without pause
8. Tenacity
9. A thick skin.

Recruitment advertising might mislead you by stating that a clear speaking voice is a requirement but I can tell you from experience that this is not so. Provided you can make your scripted speech without being sidetracked by questions from your prospective customer and have no qualms about the size or number of the lies necessary to close a deal, you will easily find employment in the field of telemarketing.

If you think this sounds mean, just think for a moment about telemarketers. You know, the people that make unsolicited phone calls to you when you are in the middle of bathing the baby or having dinner or when you are up a ladder trying to hang wallpaper. You dive for the phone trying not to drop a slippery baby or trying to swallow your food without choking or trying to control the gummy wallpaper that wants to stick to you, the ladder and everything else around you. You manage to pick up the phone without suffering a serious accident and find yourself listening to a complete stranger who wants to sell you something you don't need and don't want.

While the baby howls, your dinner gets cold or the wallpaper dries in creases, this person talks at you relentlessly and seemingly without the need to take a breath. Only when the dripping soap suds or congealing food or the fact that your hand is glued to the phone finally drive you to interrupt, will there be a pause. This pause, however, is nothing more than a brief mini-second's respite before the script is resumed. You won't get the chance to say enough to turn the soliloquy into a conversation. You see, telemarketers are trained to capitalise on the fact that most people are polite. Most people in this situation don't like to interrupt and won't hang up the phone until the caller has finished speaking and goodbyes have been said.

The only ways to end a call from a telemarketer are to agree to purchase whatever he is offering you or to hang up the phone while he is still reciting his script. If you are too polite to hang up, you might as well just agree to purchase right away. There is absolutely no point trying to reason with a telemarketer; if you say you don't want to buy his elephant because you can't stand grey, he will ask you to tell him your favourite colours and then he will swear a solemn oath that the elephant he is offering you is yellow with pink polka dots. A tempting offer! By giving him that tiny bit of information about your personal taste, you have given the telemarketer his hook: he is offering you something in a colour-scheme you said you like, how can you reasonably refuse?

Even though the baby might be blue with cold or the dinner completely solid or the wallpaper glued to your shirt, don't accept the offer. A yellow with pink polka dots elephant might sound like a real novelty and acceptance might seem like a way to end this miserable phone call. The thing here is that, when you receive it, that elephant will be of the grey variety. I don't like to say this but telemarketers lie and, the more incredible the lie is, the more they will protest that the offer they are making you is genuine and too good to be true. Well, they get it half right: it will undoubtedly be too good to be true.

Author Bio
Elaine Currie runs a work from home directory at her Plug-in Profit Site at: www.Huntingvenus.com. You could too.

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About Working from Home

by Colin Thomson

Why do so many people want to work from home and what is it that inspires so many to follow this avenue of earning an income? These are questions that I asked myself also when I first considered Home Based Business and contemplated the possibility of joining this growing community of people.

From my experience having been involved in working from home on and off for 8 years, I have found 2 main reasons.

Firstly, there is the financial aspect. People want to earn greater incomes and be rewarded appropriately for the effort they put into their chosen profession. Many people are not rewarded properly for their work output and when comparing themselves to the output of others, are disillussioned and depressed about the whole matter.

Secondly there is the time aspect. Most people seem to have to commit most of their life to an occupation that they really don't like and certainly don't enjoy. Time is spent travelling to and from work, especially in the larger cities, way beyond what anybody would reasonably expect to do. More is being demanded from employees today in the time that you are at work, to the point where you get home and go to bed through exhaustion.

You could summarise this by saying people basically want financial freedom to devote more time to families and to the things they would like to do more often. A Better Lifestyle.

These are very real and great desires, but I have learned that working from home brings rewards way beyond anything I ever thought possible!!

Life really is about relationships, with your God, with families and with those you meet on a day to day basis. Without relationships, of any sort, you will lead a very boring and depressing life. With home based business comes the added bonus of meeting many different people, in many different circumstances, in ways that really bless you and sometimes infuriate you!!!

You must learn and appreciate quickly that people are your greatest assett in life and indeed in Home Based Business also. Without day to day contact with others, your business will not grow. You may think that you can work the internet and grow a home based business devoid of contact with people, but at the end of the day, who is pushing the mouse and hitting the keys on the keyboards? You are still working with people. You still need to develop relationships with those whom you choose to work with. Without genuine relationships, your business will fail.

Can I suggest to you that to gain financial freedom and time to enjoy life more fully, you need to remember that people are your greatest asset. Whether you work online only or in network marketing, you need people. You need their input into your life and into that of your business.

You need to learn to treat people with greater respect, for who they are, for what they know and for how you may ''help each other'', not what can ''I'' get out of them!!

Look at successful business people or leaders that you know and learn from them, notice their good points and build those points into your own life, rather than noticing their bad points and just criticising them!! Learn to build people up, rather than knocking them down. Treat people as Jesus said to do, like you would have them treat you. There is untold wisdom in those very words alone!!!

In Network Marketing, in Home Based Business, your first step is to align yourself in an opportunity that you feel passionate about, one which you agree with morally and that you can relate to fully. The next step is to then become a disciple to your leaders, to your upline. You need to be teachable, able to adapt to change and with your own life experiences added, success begins to come, as you follow instructions and see your business grow.

As you grow as a person, as your business grows, you will notice that the 2 go hand in hand. I have seen many times over that those who succeed, are those willing to embrace change; and the major change occurs in themselves. Always remember this, if nothing else from this artcile; You are the sum total of all the decisions that You have made in your life. If you are not happy with your lot, then you need to do something about it, not anybody else, YOU need to change something.

As your business grows, as you grow into a stronger more able person you will see your downline grow. You will notice that you are teaching those you sell your product to, about correct usage, to gain the benefits they desire. You will notice that you are training those that become distributors in your organisation. You will notice that the Disciple has become a Discipler.

You will notice that when you fully commit yourself to any endeavour, especially Home Based Business, that you become ''richer as a person'' first, and then as you grow with your business, the rewards come, the financial freedom and the greater income begins to arrive at your door.

The greatest goal is to enjoy life and enjoy it to the full, again a great promise, made by a very wise man, who came to give us that life.

----------------------------------------------------
Colin Thomson works from home, part time, with his wife Cath in the Health and Nutrition Industry. They enjoy the fruit of leading a lifestyle that they have fashioned for themselves and will continue to do so, as they help others improve their health and financial situations too. www.cthomsonshomebiz.ws

A Successful Niche Matches Your Skills and Knowledge

When you’re trying to choose the precise niche that your business will fill, the best strategy is to make sure that you know what you’re doing with the product, so that you’ll feel much more comfortable in your niche and you’ll enjoy what you’re doing. The best successes are always achieved by those who like their work. Therefore, the first step that you can take for defining your own niche is to make a list of all the things that you like to do best. This may have to do with your current job, a job you used to have, a hobby you enjoy, an art form, a sport, or anything else that you happen to enjoy in life.

Begin by writing down your areas of interest, and then look at each parts of that list separately so that you can break it down into more focused sections. To help to inspire you in building your list, think about the following questions and get your mind moving. Write down everything at first, not really thinking about whether or not it really has potential. The key to this step is simply to get the ideas flowing and see what you come up with, getting it all down on paper. You never know; the idea you write down right now might not seem like much, but when you read it over later, it might stir much bigger thoughts.

• Would you like to be in this field every day as your job?

• Do you already have any skills or knowledge in that category?

• What type of person would be interested in the type of product that would come from that category?

• Would you enjoy working with your niche market target?

Once you’ve come up with your primary list of interests, use the above questions to go over it and narrow it down to those that have the highest chances of bringing you success. Give yourself a bit of time to mull over those topics that remain, and choose one of them that appeals to you the most.

Use that topic and begin writing down all of the basic things that you would require to learn or obtain in order to achieve success within that category. Put all of these things into a logical order, and then break them down into smaller parts which are then arranged in their own logical orders.

Once you’re done, you should have a much clearer idea of what you’ll be able to offer your prospective customers, and if you have the ability and motivation to work toward success in that specific category from your original list. To help determine if your successes are likely, go over your current list and ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you have any special knowledge about this topic?

• Do you have any skills that are related to this topic?

• Are you able to come up with a product that would help or please people in some way within this topic?

• Is there anything that you can offer in this topic that is outstanding and not already present in today’s marketplace?

Make sure that you’re always writing your ideas down. With all of the thinking and brainstorming you’ll be doing, you’ll be surprised how fleeting ideas are if you don’t get them down on paper. Even if some of them look rather odd when you write them down, when you delve into them, they might have a lot more potential than you first thought.

Once you have some substantial ideas in front of you, consider showing them to your friends and family. Listen carefully to their thoughts and opinions and let them inspire you for further ideas and details. You might be surprised at what the people around you might think of that may never have crossed your mind.

Another great resource is the internet. Do some research around your topic and prospective product(s), finding websites of general interest and potential competition. This will give you some great ideas about what’s out there and an understanding of what people are really looking for. It will help you to better polish your idea or develop a whole new one that you think is better.

Copyright 2006 Mark Nenadic

Mark Nenadic Mark is the director and face behind FifteenDegrees-North http://www.15dn.com , where you will find articles and resources to help with SEO, marketing and Web design.

Learn how to find your niche!

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How To Set Up Your Squeeze Page

By Karl Stadler

We are all working our buts off, or so we think, trying to make a living or an extra income on the internet. Many of you are affiliate marketers promoting someone else's products, through your web pages, websites or PPC campaigns.

I am quite sure that you have heard by now that you have to use squeeze pages in your marketing efforts. You may, or may not, have given it a look or a thought, but few have implemented this marketing tool.

Why?

It is extra work, you are very busy just getting your ads to work never mind tracking, doing split testing and priming every other ad to get the best results for your money. Which of course is the way to do it.

But think for a moment, if you could half this work, take 25% off your costs, and still make 25% to 50% more profit, would you be interested?

That is the beauty of squeeze pages also known as landing pages. At the beginning you will have to put more time and effort in creating and refining them, but once you've got it all up and running you can certainly expect more profits.

The basic purpose of a squeeze page is to gather email addresses and build your list. The list is where the money is, all successful internet marketers will tell you that. By building a list through squeeze pages you will gain the knowledge of who the people are that are interested in a specific type of product or service.

So the next time you market a new product in this line, you already have interested people who can easily become customers.

Now you see, the squeeze page is an essential tool in any marketers arsenal of marketing armory.

Now let's look at the elements of a squeeze page.

The all important heading. It has the same purpose here as on a sales page, you have to catch the attention of the reader to read on.

A sub-heading leading your prospect into the page. A short sales message containing 5 to 10 benefits of the product you are promoting. A submission form where he or she can enter their details. After submission they are taken to the sales page.

So,. how am I going to write a sales letter on my page asking for a name and email address?

The best way of going about this is to offer something for free, a report, ebook, some useful software, subscription to a newsletter, anything relating to the product you are selling.

Lets look at an example of a squeeze page for a new keyword analyzing software program.

In Search Of That Perfect Keyword Phrase Getting All The Sales?

How would you feel if I told you now you can:

Find out how many others are using the same word you are aiming at. Know what they are paying in an instant. What you should bid to rank first. Know which phrases have the best sales conversion rates. And which keywords are just going to cost you money.

Get yourself in the FIRST place in the race for sales, and easily beat the top guns at their own game.

Just fill in your details to receive weekly tips on keyword analysis and how it can increase your sales. You will then immediately be redirected to 'Name Of Your Product'.

A very valid argument is that if I have a squeeze page that is not well written, a person landing on the page might just leave the entire site and could have purchased if he or she was sent straight to the sales page.

There is however a way around this problem. If you feel uncertain about your writing or asking someone to give you their email address, just add a button with text below the form saying something like 'click here to go directly to the product page'.

Be assured though that by building your list will ensure more customers and sales for your products. It will also give you the opportunity to get to know and communicate with your subscribers.

Don't obliterate them with product emails every day, only send them quality products addressing their specific needs, that you either use yourself, or know is good, and write a small review on how it has helped you solving a certain problem.

Long term good relations with your subscribers will turn into good long term good relationships with paying clients.

Karl Stadler is a author and internet marketer. You can view or download a video showing step by step how to create and implement squeeze pages here http://www.yourenterprize.com/squeeze-page-video/squeeze.htm

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Right now, you are probably thinking to yourself that this sounds like another Get Rich Quick Scam. I totally understand. Get Rich Quick schemes are just that, scams. They don't work!

This is not a get rich quick program, but an actual home business that you setup following my detailed instructions. Even if you've tried all the other online business opportunities out there and failed, and think that every such website is just trying to scam you out of your money, I'd like the privilege to PROVE to you that what I'm about to share with you is COMPLETELY different because it works.

In fact, I'm going to share with you how I make over $30,000 per month using Google AdWords ... and have taught over 1000 other ordinary people, just like you, how to make a great living without leaving their homes, (and when they do leave on vacations, they still make money even while on vacation).

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Overcoming Call Reluctance

by Michael Beck - Copyright 2006 Exceptional Leadership, Inc.

Everyone in marketing faces it at one time or another - reluctance to pick up the phone and make calls. Logically, it makes no sense to feel that way. We believe in our product or service. We have a script that’s either been given to us or one that we’ve carefully written out. We have a list of prospects that are at least somewhat targeted. We know that when someone says “No”, it’s not directed at us. And still… the phone weighs a ton.

OK. You decide that the pain of being broke is greater than the pain of “cold” calling, so you commit to making calls each and every day. Or at least commit to try. Or try at least some days each week. For a while anyway…

We’ve all been through all of this before, and guess what? IT DOESN’T WORK! We’re still reluctant to make the calls we know we need to. So what’s the deal? Are you just “bad” at calling? Is it that calling only works for some but not most of us?

The answer, of course, is that calling can work for any one of us. It’s a matter of finding the right “key”(s) to open that door of calling success. We need to address why the typical “cold” call isn’t effective. We’ll start with the obvious issue. Calling strangers causes most people some amount of anxiety. Why does it make us feel so anxious and apprehensive? I’ve found that there are four reasons that cause people to feel anxious about calling. If any one of them exists, anyone would feel anxious about making a call. Here they are:

1) We feel that we sound like a telemarketer. Somewhat unprofessional and/or insincere.

2) We aren’t sure how to effectively start the call.

3) We aren’t sure how to effectively steer the conversation.

4) We aren’t sure how to comfortably and professionally end the conversation.

Let’s look at each one of these issues separately and find out how to put them behind us.

1) We feel that we sound like a telemarketer

What makes a telemarketer sound like a telemarketer? Think about it for a moment. You know the drill – we’ve all received telemarketing calls both at home and at work. What is it about that call that marks it as a telemarketing call? There are several factors that make us cringe at these calls. First off, telemarketers are either overly friendly to start with or they sound completely disinterested. Both make the caller sound insincere. Secondly, telemarketers talk and rarely ask. The call is all about their product and service and not about the person who received the call. Thirdly, they usually plow through their script, not allowing us to get a word in edgewise. And fourth, it’s always evident that they’re reading a script to you rather than speaking to you as a person. Those four factors generally mark the call as a telemarketing call.

How do you keep people from viewing you as a telemarketer? Simple. Don’t do those things!

a) When you call, don’t be overly enthusiastic and don’t be disinterested or matter-of-fact in your tone. Speak in an appropriate, natural tone and manner.

b) As you get into your conversation, ask questions. Be consultative. Remember, this is about your prospect, not about you.

c) & d) Practice your script so it is as conversational as possible. I always write out my script so it reads as naturally as possible. It’s usually not perfect writing but it is always natural and easy to say.

2) We aren’t sure how to start the call

The thing that annoys most of us when a telemarketer calls is that they dive right into some sales pitch without even knowing whether we have the time or interest in hearing about what they have to say. The most effective way to be viewed as a professional is to act like one. As an example, here is the way I start my marketing calls:

“Bob? Good Morning. This is Michael Beck. How are you today? (pause) Bob, I’m an executive coach (pause – I want to make sure they understood what I just said) and have worked with insurance managers for a number of years. Do you have a few minutes to chat?”

As simple as the above exchange is, it serves a number of important purposes:

a) In short order, I’ve told him who I am and what I do.

b) I said his name two times. (People love to hear their own name. Read “How to Win Friends and Influence People”)

c) I began to establish credibility. (“I’ve worked with insurance managers for a number of years.”)

d) I asked permission to take some of his time.

3) We aren’t sure how to steer the conversation

We ended the start of our phone call with a question: “Do you have a few minutes to chat?” There can only be three answers to that question – “Yes”, “No”, or “What is this about?”

* If the answer is Yes, you’re off and running.

* If the answer is No, you could say you’ll call back or ask when a good time to call back would be, but why not use the opportunity to get more information? Since you’ve already told him who you are and what you do, why not ask: “Would you like me to call back?” The answer will either be Yes or No! Either way you should be happy. Either you’ll know not to waste your time trying to reach a disinterested prospect or you’ll have a somewhat pre-qualified prospect on your list!

* If the response is, “What is this about?”, have a short explanation of why you’ve called prepared, something like: “I wanted to share some of what I do, find out what your initiatives are, and see whether what I do could help you reach your goals faster and easier.”

Pretty straightforward isn’t it? …

If you approach the meat of your conversation in a way to see if you can help your prospect, rather than sell them something, it’s quite easy to have a stress-free, effective conversation.

No matter what the goal of your call is, at some point the discussion needs to draw to a close with a “trigger” question. “Can we set up an appointment to go over this in more detail?” or “Here’s what we should do next…”

4) We aren’t sure how to end the conversation

How you handle the end of your conversation will determine you well you protect your attitude. We ended the middle of our conversation with a question (see a pattern here?). There can only be three answers to your question – “Yes”, “I need more information”, or “No”

* If the answer is Yes, again you’re off and running.

* If the answer is a request for more information, have a simple process ready to provide prospects with additional information and/or credibility-building materials, get a commitment for a follow-up call, and set it up as an appointment in both your calendar and theirs. Don’t leave the follow-up as a vague process. Inotherwords get a phone appointment and avoid endless voicemails and phone tag.

* If the answer is No, my preference is to thank them for their time and candor, ask them if they’d like me to give them a call back in 6-12 months, and then hang up!

Let me close with a couple of perspectives that have served me and others well over the years.

One perspective is that if you find that any one prospect means a great deal to you, it’s a sure sign that you aren’t finding enough prospects. Put in more effort. Then everything else takes care of itself.

The other perspective that I have found helpful pertains to rejection, and is illustrated in this story:

Imagine you have a recipe for fantastic chocolate chip cookies and bake them to perfection. They’re absolutely delicious! You take a tray of these cookies around to people, asking them whether they would like one. The first person takes one and loves it. The next person you offer the cookies to declines - they are full, don’t like chocolate, or don’t want sweets. Here is the key question: “Does the fact that the second person didn’t want your cookies affect the quality of the cookies or the skill of the baker?” Clearly the answer is no. Their decision doesn’t have anything to do with the cookies or the baker. Their decision was about what’s going on in your their life, not yours.

When you create an effective phone process – knowing how to get into and out of conversations – and understand that a “No” truly is not about you at all, calling becomes more comfortable and it becomes easier to make many more calls. The result? Financial Success!

------------
Michael Beck, “The Insurance Coach”is an Executive Coach and Recruiting Activist, and helps insurance professionals succeed faster and easier. He can be reached at 866-385-8751 or mbeck@theinsurancecoach.com Visit his website to learn more: http://www.TheInsuranceCoach.com You can subscribe to his newsletter here: http://www.theinsurancecoach.com/Subscribe.htm

Sell Your Knowledge: Turning Your Hobby Into Profits

by Antonio Thornton

Everyone has a hobby of some kind - most people have several. There are people who collect stamps; people who make scrapbooks or create graphic designs with their digital photos; people who love horseback riding, hiking or bicycling. Maybe you do something that you don't even know is considered a "hobby". Technically, anything that you engage in for fun that is outside of your occupational activities is considered a hobby- so chances are you have lots of hobbies!

Have you ever considered turning one of your hobbies into a business? You may be surprised at how virtually any hobby can be converted to profits, and without tremendous overhead or ridiculously high start up costs. What's even better, you aren't required to have a specific product to sell! In fact, you can make your knowledge your product to sell.

If you participate regularly in some sort of hobby, you are bound to know quite a bit about it. If you make scrapbooks of your family and friends, then you probably have extensive knowledge about where to get the best deals on your scrapbooking supplies, and how to create special effects on your photo album pages. Maybe you have magazines and websites that you refer to all the time for inspiration. You have the personal knowledge of what it took to get started in the hobby. For example, scrapbooking requires that you have access to supplies like paper, stickers, glue, photo albums and scrapbooking tools. Someone who has just learned about scrapbooking and thinks they want to start the hobby will need to figure out what they need to get started. You could offer this knowledge as your product to sell. Think people won't buy it? Think again.

If you've ever used a search engine to look up information, you know that it's time consuming to sort through all the data to find exactly what you're looking for. Often, you're given tons of information that doesn't seem all that reliable, and you have to determine what you can use and what you need to avoid! When you make your personal knowledge of a hobby your product to sell- you're helping everyone who wants to find that information without spending hours searching for it!

You do not need to have a physical product to sell in order to make a profit. In fact, having an inventory or having to create physical items from materials offers a lower profit margin than selling information.

Information products are among the top items to sell for a variety of reasons. They offer a low cost to get started, meaning you start earning a profit after just a couple sales. Informational products include eBooks, online courses or email courses, software, audio files, web sites- basically anything that can be downloaded from the internet. You aren't required to have an inventory and you can set up your business model to allow you to earn money by the work other people do for you.

So now, maybe you're thinking that this is all well and good- but you still don't have a product to sell! You haven't written an eBook, and maybe your writing skills leave little to be desired. Creating online or email courses are time consuming, and to create software you need special training. You can still sell your knowledge. Create a "package" of items that someone would need in order to get started in a particular hobby, and promote it as the "everything you need to know" about starting the hobby. Contact someone who has written an informative eBook on the topic; find someone else who has made an online video or radio show regarding it, and request permission to sell the items in your package. If they have affiliate programs, you can probably sign up for the affiliate programs and earn commission that way. Include your list of great providers for supplies or information that you refer to regularly, and anything else you know a person needs in order to get started in the hobby. This is a product to sell: selling your knowledge.

Once you've earned money from this type of information product business, you can invest in the creation of your own products if you want, or start offering more informational products that allow you to sell your knowledge!

------------
Antonio Thornton started with $37 and turned his "nerdy" computer hobby into a $500,000.00 per year business. Get the free Hobby For Profit Audio and discover how to turn your hobby into profit today! http://www.hobby4profit.com/freeh4p



Where do you want to start today?
Books on writing and edititing

Are You Doing Well As An Network Marketer?

There are some key things you need to grasp before you embark on finding that 'perfect opportunity' that is going to make you rich!!

Do you know what your strengths are?

Do you know what you are good at?

Do you know what your abilities are in relation to your creative streak?

Are you teachable?

Do you have a strong desire to succeed in this life?

How hungry are you for success?

How important is self employment to you that you will do what it takes to get there?

These are questions you need to answer before you go looking for a Home Based Business on the Internet. If you go to a search engine or to a traffic exchange and simply click on sites all day you will get lost in cyberspace.

Decide what you would like to become involved in for the rest of your life. Can you write good stories? Do you love the health and nutrition industry? Do you love the outdoor life? Do you love Information Technology?

Once you know the answer to all of the above then sit back down at your computer and type into a search engine those words that are relevant to who you are and where you want to go. Don't get caught up looking at every opportunity because marketing is all about attracting you to look at this or that particular opportunity.

When you find something you like investigate further, call someone, email them and find out:- 1. realistic earning potetnial and 2. will you get upline support and training.

In any business we need to be taught, in life we need to learn skills to get by.

Business is exactly the same. Internet marketing requires a good team ethos and with that success will come.

Ensure, when you find an opportunity that you feel good about it, then commit to it. Get it into your mind that you will give this a go for at least a year through thick or thin. Persist, be patient, be determined, be teachable, experiment and never give up. Don't be distracted by another opportunity that looks easier or has a better website!

Stick to your guns and prove to yourself that you have the potential to succeed as a Home Based Business Person.

Colin Thomson works the Internet part time around his family with his wife Cath. He has found an Opportunity that he is very exciting and gives me great pleasure. www.cthomsonshomebiz.ws

10 Tips On Working At Home With Young Children

By Angie Hewerdine

Working at home can be stressful, especially with small children in the house. Where is the balance between work and home when home IS work? Here are some suggestions to help both you and your kids make the most of each day at the home office.

1. Try to get up at least an hour before the children. This gives you some quiet time to assess your daily priorities, stretch your body and mentally and physically prepare for the day ahead. This is YOUR time. It is of the utmost importance. Meditate at least 10 minutes in the morning. Visualize your day going smoothly.

2. Make sure that your children have your full attention when they first wake up. Give them hugs and kisses. Make them breakfast. Enjoy some snuggling and laughter. These are precious times that will not always be here. Give your children the gift of being present in the mornings.

3. Develop a routine with your kids. Do it basically the same every day, but don't put yourself on the clock. Set up a selection of fun things to do that will keep them busy and tell them beforehand that you are going to be working.

4. If you can afford it, hire a nanny or a school aged mother's helper to come into your home for just a few hours a day to play with and attend to your children. This gives you total solitude at least for an hour or two, even if only a few times a week.

5. Don't devote a set block of time to your work each day. Instead, have certain objectives, such as "I will work for 4 hours today." Work during nap time. Sneak a few minutes during lunch or whenever the children are happily playing.

6. Allow for some flexibility, but don't just abandon your work if the kids are not cooperating. You can be creative. Take them outside for a while. Let them be active with you and they will most likely give you the downtime you need to get some work done later on.

7. Let the kids help with small tasks. Let them staple, paper clip and help you "sort" or cut. They may not actually be assisting you with your work, but they will enjoy it and it makes them feel important, as if they are helping Mom with her work. Be sure to thank them for their help.

8. Try to save things that can be done after hours, such as internet work, filing, paperwork, checking emails etc. for when they have gone to bed. You will find that an hour of quiet working time will enable you to catch up on your day.

9. Stay in the present moment. If a kid needs a hug or some juice, don't put them off or push them away. Remember the reason we wanted to work at home in the first place? So we can spend more time with our families. Give the hug...get the juice. Do it lovingly and be grateful for the opportunity.

10. Enjoy the journey! Life is too important to waste being stressed out about your business. Our children, their happiness and comfort are far more important that our business. The little things will take care of themselves when we are in the frame of mind to enjoy what we are creating for ourselves.

Angie Hewerdine is a successful home business owner with a driving passion for helping other people change their lives. She has assisted many in realizing and achieving significant personal and financial goals. You can learn more at http://www.TheTimeForChange.com or call 1-800-491-4758

Fire Your Boss Before He Fires You

By Andrew Shim

These days, people tell me I m a lucky man and that they envy me. My wife and I run a home catering business and I have a couple of websites that are making money. I get to work at home, have lunch and horse around with my kids every day and generally do what I please, when I please I m my own boss and in many ways already successful. It wasn t that way two years ago though. If you had known me then, you would have thought I was a ship headed for the rocks a nervous wreck on the brick of a mental breakdown!

Many of us can remember when our Dads worked all their life for one company but I learnt the hard way that employment for life is a thing of the past. Organizations today are constantly evolving to keep up with changes. If they can t keep up, they either get left behind or close shop. It all boils down to the survival of the fittest, and surviving means having to take drastic measures which very often means cost-cutting or down-sizing. It s a painful fact of life. Statistics today show that up to eighty percent of the working population will experience down-sizing either directly or indirectly during their working life. Being affected directly obviously means being laid-off and indirectly means having to perform the functions of two or more staff that have been laid-off.

A couple of years ago, the company I worked for was in a financial crisis. Cost cutting and down-sizing was taking its toll on everyone - myself included. When things started getting really bad, my wife and I decided we had to take control of our own destiny. We started a home catering business. I continued to work for my company while we ran our home catering business in the evenings. When we had built a steady base of customers, I felt it was time to leave my company. It felt like a heavy burden was lifted off my chest when I handed in my resignation letter. It felt so good to fire my boss!

Over the course of time (after I left), investigations by the authorities uncovered an accounting scandal in my previous company. This news resulted in it s stock falling from 1.58 to 8 cents! At the time of writing this article, the company has almost reached the end of the road as it continues to struggle with depleting resources, dwindling staff-force and public scorn.

I recently received news that six of my ex-colleagues were given 24 hours notice to leave the company. Despite the hopeless situation of the company, none of them expected to be laid off in that manner, probably because they were very senior staff. What happened to them could easily have happened to me (or to anyone) if I continued to put my hope in a sinking ship.

What saved us was our decision to start our own home based business. That do-or-die situation forced us not only to survive, but to triumph! I d like to encourage you to take that same step of faith! No matter how insignificant your business may seem to be or how little money you make at first, the most important thing is the realization that you CAN take control of your life. You DO NOT need to rely on a job that you hate! Don t continue to be a victim of today s volatile job market or continue to put yourself at the mercy of someone else s greed. What s worse, DON T work yourself to death making someone else rich!

You may not think you need a home based business right now but remember this if there ever comes a day when you ARE in danger of losing your job, YOUR home based business WILL give you the option of firing your boss before he fires you! So here s to never having to lose sleep over your job cheers!

Andrew Shim is the owner and editor of http://www.PositiveMoneyIdeas.com a website which offers FREE IDEAS for those interested in starting their own freelance or home based business and http://www.PositiveTones.com a FREE resource website for Positive Living. He and his wife run a successful home catering business.

Accepting Online Payments - Cost vs. Convenience

By John Tedeschi

If you rely on online marketing to promote and market your business, you know that you must accept credit card payments online to be successful. Immediacy and convenience are the hallmarks of online transactions. When you're making a decision about which online payment solution to use, you will ask yourself the following question.

Should I pay a bit extra for a professional solution or should I pinch pennies and hope that a free solution will do?

This is a fair and legitimate question for all online businesses especially those that are new and financially constrained. We all want to save money.
The question can be restated and better answered as Is it worth it to pay more to have branded payment pages, customized thank you notes and receipts, a level of automation in post-sales processing, and ease in reporting?

The answer, I believe, is yes it is definitely worth the extra expense because of the time and effort that you will save by not having to perform the non-revenue generating tasks that managing and dealing with a merchant account or a generic payment processor entails.

How much time does it take to answer calls from clients that are unsure what to do when they get to your free generic payment page, or track down payments from clients that didn't pay because they couldn't understand the generic payment page instructions (enter your account name etc.)?

How much time does it take to manually cut and paste email addresses or send thank you notes and receipts to clients? How much time does it take to change pricing or the language on your do it yourself payment page?

The non-revenue generating tasks required to manage a business are necessary but should not become the main activities of the business. If you are a service professional, i.e., a coach or consultant, your time should be spent in line with the 80-20 rule. That is; 80% of your time should be spent on revenue generating activities and 20% on other activities such as the administration of the business.

Think about it in terms of how much your time is worth. For every hour that you spend dealing with non-revenue generating activities, multiply it by the value of an hour of your time. The answer to this math problem is how much money you are losing by performing these tasks yourself. If the number of hours you spend on administrative tasks exceeds 20% of your work week you are cheating yourself out of revenue. And, aside from the lost revenue potential, you will soon find that administrative busy work is a drain on your motivation, energy and ultimately the success of your business.
If paying an extra 10 a month for a professional, managed online payment processing solution helps you to;

Reduce the time you'll spend searching for client payment information,
Automate post sales follow up and receipt delivery to clients,
Quickly get new payment pages up and receiving payments,
Reduce calls from clients making payments,
Look more professional and trustworthy,
Not have to pay a web developer for a secure site and
Save money by not paying gateway fees, statement fees and other variable merchant account fees

Then using a premium online payment processor isn't just worth the extra 33 cents a day, it's a necessary cost of doing business right

Can an online payment processor actually save you time instead of creating extra tasks? Go to http://acceptiva.com/news.html to learn more.

Working On Internet To Earn Money Online - Big Time Revenue And Dizzying Success Stories

This feature is for all those who have surfed the internet ATLEAST once! Some of you might be going online frequently and must be aware and impressed with the kind of information that's available online. You may also have a fair idea about the power of internet and the role that it has begun to play in our day-to-day lives.

Through this article, I want to tell you about the possibilities of earning money online using the same powerful internet. I have been working online since 2003, and want to share my experience with those of you who might be looking at or are open to using the internet to earn money online.

If you are ready to work on the internet, remember you can work at home. Imageine not having to step out of your homes to earn money! This is the biggest convenience of working online. This convenience has yet another advantage added to it. That, you can work online and continue with your day job. I mean a 9-5 job and working at home on internet can go side by side. Its a quiet job that can be done from a corner of your room.

Apart from it, I will share some other important aspects of working online to help you gain a better insight into the industry.

Nothing is mandatory here. I mean you don't need special qualifications or experience to start working online. All the skills required to work online can be learnt on the internet free of cost. Read, understand, interact with experts by visitng the relevant forums (free again!), execute and succeed. Patience, focus and perseverence are unwritten rules of succeeding online. Potential to earn money online is unlimited. UNLIMITED.

You don't require any money to start working online. On the contrary be wary of people asking for a fee or deposits to start earning money and working online. The basic requirements are that you have a computer at home and access to internet.

There are many ways to work online. You-could-write to you-could-sell! Find answers to all your questions before joining an opportunity. Safest is to talk to people who are already using that opportunity to earn money. What you should do, depends upon what would you like to do. Please understand that 'working online' career is going to last you a lifetime, so it's better to do something you enjoy.

Also keep this logic in mind: whether you decide to sell something that's hot and happening or sell a book written by you on any subject, or decide to have a website and sell combination of both.. its going to take time.... and since the time period and amount of effort is going to remain the same, my advise is run with what you enjoy..... you will be able to spread a word around more effectively and your level of confidence will be higher if you are passionate about what you do.....

Remember you are working online to earn money because of the conveniences. Similarly people will buy your stuff because its convenient for them to do so. If dog food that sells cheaper in the corner shop, than on your site including the shipping cost, I might as well buy it from the store next door! At the same time, if I can order a giftbasket from an online site because of their unique, well laid out theme and neat packing rather than the corner shop even if it required me to shell out a few pennies extra I will do it! Keep this logic in mind. Niche.. is also an important part of the game.

Don't jump at opportunities that promise overnite riches.. short term gains don't mean a thing. Yes you can take these chances side by side, along with a stable and steady work going on. I won't advise it actually.

The dot-com days are over. Internet business is thriving. Big time revenue, dizzying success stories... everything is happening on the internet. Don't lose or let the opportunity pass you by...


About the Author:

The author is Purva Mewar webmaster of two Work at Home Business websites http://www.yesearnfromhome.com and http://www.work-at-home-earn-extra-income.com

Have Your Own Business As Pet Sitter

Pet sitting can be a rewarding job but can also be tiring. If you are interested in making your own business as a pet sitter, here are answers to most frequently Asked Questions about this career.

1. What does a pet sitter do? What he/she is responsible for?
Pet sitters care for your pet just as a baby sitter cares for your children. While most pets do not demand the same amount of supervision and care that a child does every pet has a certain amount of physical requirements as well as social needs. What is necessary for your pet will depend on the personality as well as species you are looking to have cared for.

In addition, pet sitters perform a variety of tasks. They may simply check the food and water supply of your animal. Dogs may require a walk while cats and caged animals may need their litter boxes cleaned or the papers changed. If you have an exotic animal or bird you should look for specialized services that can adequately meet the needs of your pet.

With pet sitters, your pet will be allowed to stay in its own environment without the stress of travel or new accommodations. Pet sitters will follow the schedule your animal is use to and the diet it is accustomed to. Pet sitters also provide the one-on-one attention your pet will be missing when you're away.

2. What does a pet sitter cost?
You can expect to pay at least $15-25 for a daily visit of 30 minutes - possibly more if you require the sitter to walk your dog. Usually the cost for multiple animals is only a few dollars more per animal. If you need the sitter to stay overnight you will probably pay $50 or more. Holiday visits (during the day or overnight) will have an increased rate.

Please note that rates will vary according to region and specialty. Some pet sitters will visit twice a day or include other tasks, such as collecting the mail, with their pet sitting services.

3. How do I find a pet sitter?
You may find a pet sitter listing in your phone book or online. You can also ask friends, groomers and veterinarians for referrals.

It is wise to only hire pet sitters who are bonded and insured since they will not only be responsible for caring for your pet but must be trusted in your home and with your belongings. Even when trust is not an issue the sitter will be responsible for being respectful of your home and properly securing your home when leaving.

4. What do I have to do to become a pet sitter?
It depends on where you live you may have to have a business license to operate a pet sitting business. It is also important to acquire bonding and insurance, not only for the possibility of negligence but to assure customers of your professionalism.

While you do not need experience to start your own business you will need to research businesses in the area and talk to groomers, vets and others about the market. It is important to be organized and take your business seriously - others are depending on you. Use contracts to establish the tasks and costs agreed to and keep paperwork and schedules organized.

About the Author: Susan Wong maintains many interesting contractor websites, including Roofing Contractor Secrets, and Eczema Solutions.

Everyone Says, Work At Home, And Make Money Online… Please Tell Me How To Work At Home?

Absolutely right! Go to any search engine and type “make money online” or “work at home” or “home based business” and billions of sites come up. And they are all full of same stuff…. Work at home; earn a living online, but nothing beyond. Lots of times we do come across an idea or two, but we don’t get a hang of what’s being talked about.

In a layman’s language, let me explain what the options available are. But before that the logic and reasoning. Researchers in USA have found that more than 50% of the work that people do in the office can be done from home. It could be administrative or software related. Point No. 2. Most homes have a computer at home these days. And internet is being used widely. People are ordering things online. The practice is growing by the day. Lawyers enroll in forums, students take a degree online, women shop…. The list is endless.

Coming back to the topic, when so many people are buying online- let’s be selling! This is one way to work at home to make money online. Selling through your website. Have a website (register a domain name and build a website around it). Pick a product, idea or service, or as many of them as you want and sell them on your site. When people buy from your site you get commissions. From real estate to jewelry to an ebook, everything is sold and bought on the internet.

Another way of working online is by becoming a freelance writer. If you have the ‘creative urge’, go ahead and become a contributory/freelance writer and make a living online. Short stories, kids stuff or simply articles on variety of subject from aircraft to motherhood!! People across the web, buy content to use on their sites or ezines, you know!

If routine or monotony does not bore you, go ahead and start proofreading, taking up typing assignments online. Reading emails. If you have some experience in medical transcription, go ahead and join sites that give you MT assignments and pay you for it.

Once you are familiar with internet world, you can become moderator in the forums. Or a Search Engine Optimizer. The kind of money a good Optimizer charges is mind blowing. This is slightly advanced vision, but no harm to keep it in mind. The most popular way that people earn a living online is by doing surveys and participating in discussion or focus groups online. People are very happy do this online survey thing. You must check it out too.

These are basic jobs you can do from home. There is a larger variety of it on the net for all kinds of people. For newbie’s the choices are as mentioned above. As people get acquainted they explore newer avenues, better opportunities, and more money, needless to mention. It’s a whole new world of opportunities waiting to be explored. There is real money, real work, and real logic in working from home!

About the Author: The author is Purva Mewar, webmaster of two Work at Home Business websites, http://www.yesearnfromhome.com and http://www.work-at-home-earn-extra-income.com

Teleworking take-off

For nearly 20 million Americans, going to work can mean a short stroll down the hall, or taking a laptop to a coffee shop. US firms are increasingly organising growing numbers of teleworkers around networks instead of buildings, thus cutting costs and boosting productivity.

Typical telework has changed over the past 30 years. Anybody whose work is portable, in healthcare, retail, and even manufacturing, can work outside the office a few days a week without missing a beat.

Source: Personneltoday.com

Working from home gains in popularity worldwide

More than 82 million people worldwide worked from home at least one day a month in 2005, up from 38 million only five years earlier, according to Stamford, Conn.-based technology research firm Gartner Inc. Gartner expects the number to reach 100 million by 2008.

Clickbank Affiliate Super Tips

Just received a note from my friend William Charlwood.

He writes:

"Harvey Segal has condensed a lot of his knowledge into a book called ClickBank Affiliate Super Tips and it tells you, amongst other things

# The fastest way to ClickBank profits
# The number one method of promotion
# How to beat your PPC competitors (people advertising on Google
etc. alongside your own ads)
# The last ClickBank affiliate gets the commission. How to
make sure it's you
# Affiliate link theft - what you can do about it
# How to get paid for introducing others to ClickBank

Personally I think one of the best tips is about how to compete effectively against other people who are also promoting the same product. The information can give you a significant edge and it applies to any affiliate program - not just Clickbank products.

I use it myself for programs I'm involved in.

Thanks

William Charlwood"

Click Here for the book William is talking about.

Mystery Shopper 007

by Jon Castle

As a mystery shopper you are kind of like a spy. Just as James Bond gets briefed on his next top-secret assignment at some high-tech cave complex beneath a tropical island, you, the mystery shopper, are briefed in advance over the telephone or emailed at your own secret location -- your home. While James Bond gets shot at, you get free mugs of beer placed in your hand, steak put on your plate, and you have to deal with several more hazards that come with the job -- like dodging golf balls while teeing off on an 18-hole golf course. That's because your job as a mystery shopper is to shop. That's the best part about being a mystery shopper -- companies will pay you to buy their products and services. Imagine getting a back massage as part of your job. Sounds like tough work doesn't it?

Attentive companies are hiring mystery shoppers to get an impartial consumer evaluation on the quality of their customer service. Customer service is arguably the mot important factor contributing to a company's continued success. Every business has customers and if these customers aren't satisfied they can easily take their money somewhere else. There are several ways a company can screw up when it comes to customer service. A mystery shopper can inform a company about current business practices that might need adjustment or about employees whose attitudes need an even bigger adjustment. Companies use this feedback to improve the overall customer experience.

If you would like to mystery shop you have to be prepared to write a small evaluation report or complete a survey that grades the level of customer service you received from your client companies. In regards to that, you better have a decent memory and pay good attention to detail. You're probably not going to be allowed on the job with a laptop or a giant note pad and pencil. You will have to leave your, "I'm a Paid Mystery Shopper" t-shirt at home as well. Remember, as a mystery shopper, you are going in undercover.

You have several ways to get assignments:

1. Free lists of companies that hire mystery shoppers: You and everyone's uncle is going to apply for the same limited jobs because everyone else has the list. Good luck getting a call back.

2. Go business to business and offer your services: But be prepared for rejection, an empty gas tank, and sore feet.

3. Sign up with a professional mystery shopping referral company: The jobs come to you. Easily the best way to get assignments.

Mystery shopping is still a developing field but more and more companies are reaping the benefits of improved customer service through mystery shopping programs. Most mystery shoppers do it on the side for fun, free stuff, and supplemental income. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to get out there and sign up with as many mystery shopping companies as you can afford. This message will self destruct in five seconds (not really).

Copyright © 2005 Jon Castle

Resource box: We are each a single drop of rain strafed by the wind to merge with other droplets and thereby form an ocean. For unconventional home business wisdom, home business opportunities, and more please visit Jon Castle's website, http://www.AmericanHouseDad.com.

Contact the author

Become a paid mystery shopper

The Affiliate Business Blueprint Affiliate Program "Tool Box"

The Secret to A Steady Income Online Without Creating Your Own Product

Niche Marketing - How to Contact Your Audience

Author: Mike Law

Whether you are following the advice of top Internet Marketers or if you just happened to have a business that caters to a very specific target audience, you must be able to find them, and they must be able to find YOU.

One of the joys of niche marketing is the luxury of tapping into a favorite hobby, occupation or expertise and building a business around it.

If you are expanding an existing off-line business by setting up a webpage you may find your most valuable contacts right in your store. Make some brochures or cards that announce your online presence, or ask customers if they'd like to sign up for your online newsletter.

Now you can contact your customers about new products, industry news or specials with no postage costs or time consuming envelope stuffing.

Invite your subscribers to recommend the site to friends who are interested in the topic. Even better, have a place on your website to 'tell a friend'. Your visitor will enter their own e-mail address and name as the sender of the message to avoid spam complaints. Warning - do not start emailing the invitee unless they sign up personally for your newsletter.

Niche sites will really benefit from a newsletter. Create a small free gift, such as a special report or how-to manual that they will receive with their subscription. By providing valuable information related to your topic you will gain the trust of subscribers. By contacting them at least several times a year - up to once a week if possible - they will always be reminded of your website when looking for information or products in your niche.

Create a website that has informative content. Incorporate the keywords (words or phrases visitors type into their search engines) into the content to improve your place in the search engines.

Write articles that will set you up as an 'industry expert'. If you don't feel capable of writing them yourself you can hire a ghostwriter. End the article with your name, a comment about your business and a link to your website. Submit your article to relevant websites or ask if website owners would like to use your contribution. Be sure they agree to keep your name and website link intact.

You may find discussion groups that cater to your market. Involve yourself in their conversations and attach a signature with your website address if the policies permit. Do not advertise on these groups, however you may be able to offer your free item when the situation allows.

Try to determine where your market is. Are they parents? Retirees? Home owners? Pet lovers? If you are selling art supplies you may find hobby sites will cater to your audience. If you sell information for do-it-yourself projects you should show up in home decorating as well as financial sites ('Save Money on Home Building Projects!' for example).

Always look for new opportunities and offer your best, the rest will follow!

Copyright 2005 Mike Law

About the Author:

Bought to you by http://www.wealthontap.com/
Work at home opportunities and Internet marketing tips and tricks. Learn how to make money from the comfort of your own home and receive complete mentoring to fully maximize your earning potential.

10 Key Strategies For Success In A Home Based Business

When you finally decide to work from home in an Internet based business, you will need to follow certain steps to be successful.

Following are the basic steps in setting up for home business success.

1. Attitude

This is the key to your business.

Treat your business like a business.

This is critical no matter if you work part or full-time. One of my friends is a work at home mom. She has always put her family first whilst at the same time developing her business. She says, "I work part-time, but I have a full-time attitude."

Put another way, "If you have a hobby attitude you will have a hobby income, if you have a business attitude you will have a business income."

You can be successful working part-time and you can be successful working full-time but it is highly unlikely that you will be successful working in your "spare time".

2. Working Environment

A space that you can call your own, free from distractions for your scheduled time.

A comfortable chair and organized desk. Stationery supplies as required. For example:

- pens
- highlighters
- stapler
- hole punch
- sticky tape
- note book(s)
- a simple filing system
- ring binders
- manilla folders

Consider the value of a broadband connection. Your time is valuable and a broadband connection can allow you to get more done in a given time frame.

3. Schedule

Develop a schedule that works for you, your family (or "significant others") and your business. When you allot a block of time for work then use that time for work. Equally important is to schedule time for your other commitments - family time, self education ( reading, listening and viewing), "health time" (exercise, cooking and eating), and leisure time. During these other times don't work. After all if one of the reasons to work from home is to spend more time with your family then you don't want your working at home time to consume your family time.

You are working for yourself and your schedule (by your choice) is your "boss". When you have people calling you or dropping around unexpectedly or maybe out-of-town visitors may want to catch up with you then you need to make a choice. Are you committed to your own business success? What will be your choice in these situations? Only you can decide what is important to you.

In a family environment you may need to negotiate with your partner and children to have your business time agreed upon, during which you will not be interrupted. Put this schedule prominently somewhere so all family members are aware of your work schedule.

4. Describe Your Business

Be able to describe your business concisely; a powerful one or two sentence description that someone can repeat in describing your business to others. A unique and memorable tag line can also be invaluable for promoting your business.

5. Know Your Product or Service

Once you have selected your product or service to sell, it may or may not be something that you use yourself but you need to know your product intimately. If you are selling ebooks then know the content and its value. If you are selling software then use it know it "inside out". You will develop a reputation of providing quality information and because of your product knowledge you can become the preferred supplier.

It is not practical to use certain products (for example a woman may choose to sell man's shoes or vice versa) in which case the seller won't be a product user, however the seller can still know the benefits and features of the product intimately.

6. Administration

Use good record keeping practices.

This may involve a consultation with a tax advisor who can let you know about the optimal way to set up your financial records and what records need to be kept. Your advisor will also recommend record keeping systems and you can find out what software may simplify this aspect of your business. Additionally your obtain advice on the best arrangement for your bank accounts. You will most likely be advised to have a separate bank account.

You will also need to keep track of your various logins, usernames and passwords. A very handy little software tool for this is Treepad available as either the free Lite version (without password protection) or the commercial Plus or Biz versions. http://www.treepad.com

There are other useful tools for this also from a simple paper notebook to free and commercial password keepers. One popular solution is Roboform that will remember your login details and can automatically fill out your login and other registration forms. http://www.roboform.com

7. Computer Protection

Your computer is the lifeline to your business dealings and must be protected including the data that is stored.

You need a virus scanner, personal firewall, anti-spyware and anti-adware and preferably an email scanner with the ability to delete suspect of spam email from the server before it is downloaded to your computer.

Some suggestions are:

AVG Anti-Virus: http://www.grisoft.com
Spybot S&D: http://www.safer-networking.org
Microsoft Anti-Spyware: www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx Adaware: http://www.lavasoft.com/
Mailwasher Email Scanner: http://www.mailwasher.net

8. A Domain Name

You will most likely need a domain name for your business and one cost effective registrar is GoDaddy, http://www.godaddy.com.

9. Payment Processing

You will need a way to process credit cards; that may be using services such as: - PayPal https://www.paypal.com - Storm Pay http://www.stormpay.com - 2 Checkout http://www.2checkout.com - Clickbank http://www.clickbank.com or others.

This is the most economical way to get started. Once your business picks up you may need to look into your own merchant account for credit card transactions.

Consideration may also be given to other forms of online currency such as eGold http://www.egold.com

10. Email accounts

Once you have your own domain you can use an associated email account. This can further assist in the promotion of your business and promotes a more professional business image.

As a final comment on continuing in your Internet business, conduct your business ethically, provide extraordinary service and be proud to put your name to the products or services that you are selling and you will be on track to developing a sustainable long term Internet business.

Geoffrey Young


About the Author:
Geoffrey Young develops e-marketing solutions for people looking to start a home based business. http://www.CoolJobAtHome.com

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How To Turn Testimonials Into Traffic

Testimonials are *very* hypnotic because they can influence the readers to visit your web site without sounding or looking like an ad. People have trained their brains to ignore ads because they usually see hundreds of them everyday.

Most businesses or web sites usually allow the writer of the testimonial to include a small signature file (your little ad) at the end of the testimonial.

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The Top 10 Ways to Market your Business or Professional Practice

Every business and professional practice MUST be in the public eye. You need customers! Folks need your goods and services -- it's a mutual alliance for mutual benefit! But if potential clients and customers don't know you exist, or can't find you, you will go bankrupt! They won't benefit from your services, and you won't make any money. So, marketing is a necessity. Advertising is one form of marketing, but it's terribly expensive. Here are the Top 10 alternatives:

1. Contact 5 past customers or referral sources to thank them for their business and ask them to evaluate the quality of your service. Let them know they are the most important part of your research and development program. Listen to their suggestions!

2. Re-do your business cards, brochures or letterhead. Up-date your slogans, be certain your use of colors, textures and headlines is appropriate and represents precisely the image you want to convey. Hire a graphic designer. Don’t skimp on your first impression!

3. Announce a new program, new products, new hours, new personnel or new policies. So long as it is real and improves the quality and level of your service, this is news that customers, clients and the media will want to know about.

4. Attend and participate in networking opportunities. From business open-houses to neighborhood picnics, to greeting people you’ve done business with when you see them around town, always look for ways to remind people of who you are and the services and benefits you provide.

5. Cooperate with other organizations to achieve name and brand recognition you couldn’t achieve on your own. Sponsor a local softball team, join with a radio station to sponsor a contest, or participate in a charity golf tournament. Partnerships can bring huge rewards!

6. Offer a seminar, class or workshop. Local news media will often cover an interesting topic, and it’s a great way to make people aware of your services. Charge little or no admission, have great handouts and materials, and get a crowd together.

7. Use direct mail. Typically, we think of this as "junk mail" going to thousands of people, but more often it’s a matter of using your word processor to write a personal letter to 200 past customers, colleagues, or even competitors. Make it interesting, personal, and remind them of your special niche or unique services. Include a coupon or certificate. Make sure your direct mail is not "junk"!

8. Form an alliance with your suppliers, colleagues or (even) your competitors to offer a "combo" package that neither of you could offer alone and share the marketing expenses. Attorneys and accountants can offer compelling packages. A massage therapist might pair with a Chiropractor, a gym, or a weight-loss program. Who can you team up with?

9. Review everything a potential customer sees or hears when they do business with you. How do you answer your phone? Do your signs needs re-painting, is your lobby attractive and comfortable? Is your desk a mess? Do you take pride in your appearance and take time to make clients comfortable? It’s all in the details!

10. Re-submit your web page to at least 5 search engines this week. Each search engine has it’s own rules and you don’t want to flood them, but it is wise to up-date your listing at least every few months. (And, if you aren’t on the web, well, that’s tip #11)


Phil, Mary, and the Staff at
Resources for Success!™

© Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com

So, Can You Really Sell eBooks On eBay And Make Cold Hard Cash?

by Ian David Major

Selling eBooks on eBay, and making any worthwhile profit from doing so, is becoming more and more difficult.

Gone are the days when you could sell someone else's books on eBay, and it's becoming considerably more difficult to sell ebooks that you might have written yourself or via Public Domain Publications.

Many people seem to think that ebooks should be freely available (because so many good ones are)and there are some excellent ebooks for sale on ebay but rarely do they sell for more than a few pennies.

So purchase ebooks from eBay by all means, there's just no money in trying to sell ebooks on eBay.

There's also the problem of who owns the copyright to the ebook you are trying to sell.

This has become so much of a headache that eBay has come up with it's own policy to try and deal with this situation.

HERE'S AN EXCEPT FROM EBAY'S VERO POLICY.

* eBay's Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) Program

* eBay's VeRO Program was developed to facilitate cooperation between eBay and rights owners protecting their intellectual property rights.

* Highlights of the program include:

* Expeditious removal of listings reported to eBay by over 5,000 intellectual property rights owners

* Specific, detailed warnings designed to deter the listing of potentially infringing items before a listing is posted on eBay

* Voluntary daily monitoring and removal by eBay of listings offering potentially counterfeit or otherwise infringing items

* Voluntary daily monitoring and removal by eBay of listings that violate eBay policies designed to prevent the listing of infringing items on eBay

* Ability to save searches and have the results emailed to you through Favorite Searches

* Suspension of repeat offenders

* Continuing efforts to identify and prevent previously suspended users from reregistering for eBay

* Cooperation with rights owners seeking personal information on alleged infringers.

* However, because eBay is not an expert in your intellectual property rights, and cannot verify that sellers have the right to sell the millions of items they post on eBay each day, we need your help in identifying listings which do not appear on their face to infringe your rights.

To read the policy in it's entirety go to:-

http://pages.ebay.com/help/ confidence/ia/protecting_intellectual_property.html

KEEP IT SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD

Now there is a way around this that is easier to achieve than most people believe.

The easiest way of making sure that you don't fall foul of eBay's VeRo Policy is:

* Create The Products Yourself

The easiest way of overcoming peoples beliefs that your ebook should be freely availablen is.

* Don't have your ebook look like an ebook!

So when is an ebook not an ebook?

When it is perceived by the visitors to your eBay Sales Page as something else.

For example, if you bundled together your ebook with a printed version of the book, and or an Audio CD or Video DVD, your product would have a much higher perceived value.

SO.

* You create a printed version of your ebook contained in a nicely printed folder.

* You take a digital photograph of the cover of your printed version, surrounded by the audio CD and or Video DVD and use this as your Gallery Picture when you start to create your purchase It Now, eBay auction page.

* You use the same picture or pictures throughout your eBay Auction sales page.

People are used to seeing software generated ebook covers on eBay but by using the above method your product will not be perceived as an ebook.

* In your sales page include the information that the entire package can be digitally downloaded by the customer if they wish.

Do this and you will be one of the very few sellers on eBay using this technique and take my word for it, this technique is very powerful indeed.

Now this might sound like a lot of work or seem over complicated, yet when you come to think of it, most PCs and Laptops come complete with hardware and software for creating Audio CDs and DVDs? and if you don't have this kind of equipment you can get it on eBay relatively cheaply.

SO HOW DO YOU DO IT?

With this technology it is fairly simple to create Audio CDs and Video DVDs.

* You could record or have somebody else record your ebook onto Audio CD or DVD and provide it as an audio product within your product bundle. Many people find it easier to learn by "listening" than by reading.

* If the subject matter of your book included information on how to use a particular type of software for example, you could use a video capture program such as "Camtasia" (http://www.techsmith.com) to capture the sequence of steps that would need to be gone through in order to use the software effectively.

* If your ebook covered a practical subject like gardening for instance you could use a Camcorder to take actual "videos" of the various aspects of gardening, copy them to DVD and make it part of your "bundle". Many people find it easier to learn by "seeing" than by reading or listening.

Remember that your product bundle can be downloaded by your customer (assuming you have set your product up this way) but don't be afraid to provide them with the printed version of your book along with the Audio and Video DVDs if that's what they prefer.

Your ebook presented in this way will represent a much higher value than the traditional way of selling ebooks on eBay and therefore you can ask a much higher price than you would otherwise.

If all this sounds a little daunting to you I suggest that you carry out some research into what you've read here.

More information on how to create Books and Videos to sell on eBay can be found at the end of this article.

SO, CAN YOU REALLY SELL EBOOKS ON EBAY AND MAKE COLD HARD CASH?

Sure you can.

By following the methods described here, selling ebooks on eBay really can pay off Big Time and you wont have broken any of eBay's rules.

------------------------------------------------------------
For more information on how to create Books and Videos to sell on eBay visit:- http://www.ebay-articles.com/ Sell-Books-and-Videos-On-eBay.html
Ian D Major is the creator of www.eBay-Articles.com, the one stop resource for information, reports and articles that will help you use eBay to your best financial advantage.
eBay-Articles are freely available. To subscribe and get Articles, Reports and Bonuses delivered to your inbox weekly, just visit:- http://www.ebay-articles.com

Five Crucial Components Of A Business Plan

by Cavyl Stewart

The format of a Business Plan is something that has been developed and refined over the years and is something that should not be changed. Like a good recipe, a business plan needs to include certain ingredients to make it work.

When you create a business plan, don’t attempt to recreate its format. Those reviewing this type of document have expectations you must meet. If they do not see those crucial decision-making components, they’ll see no reason to proceed with their review of your business plan, no matter how great your business idea.

Executive Summary Section

Every business plan must begin with an Executive Summary section. A well-written Executive Summary is critical to the success of the rest of the document. Here is where you need to capture the attention of your audience so that they will be compelled to read on. Remember, it’s a summary, so each and every word must be carefully selected and presented.

Use the Executive Summary section of your business plan to accurately describe the nature of your business venture including the need that you plan to fill. Show the reasons why people need your product or service. Show this by including a brief analysis of the characteristics of your potential market.

Describe the organization of your business including your management team. Also, briefly describe your sales and marketing plan or approach. Finally include the numbers that those reviewing your business plan want to see – the amount of capital you seek, the carefully calculated sales projections and your plan to repay the loan.

If you’ve captured your audience so far they’ll read on. Otherwise, they’ll close the document and add your business plan to the heap of other rejected ideas.

Devote the balance of your business plan to providing details of the items outlined in the Executive Summary.

The Business Section

Be sure to include the legal name, physical address and detailed description of the nature of your business. It’s important to keep the description easy to read using common terminology. Never assume that those reading your business plan have the same level of technical knowledge that you do. Describe how you plan to better serve your market than your competition is currently doing.

Market Analysis Section

An analysis of the market shows that you have done your homework. This section is basically a summary of your Marketing Plan. It needs to show the demand for your product or service, the proposed market, trends within the industry, a description of your pricing plan and packaging and a description of your company policies.

Financing Section

The Financing section must show that you are as committed to your business venture as you expect those reading your business plan to be. Show the amount of personal funds you are contributing and their source. Also include the amount of capital you need and your plan to repay this debt. Include all pertinent financial worksheets in this section: annual income projections, a break-even worksheet, projected cash flow statements and a balance sheet.

Management Section

Outline your organizational structure and management team here. Include the legal structure of your business whether it is a partnership, corporation or limited liability corporation. Include resumes and biographies of key players on your management team. Show staffing projection data for the next few years.

By now you’re probably thinking that you don’t need Business Plan just yet. Well you do, and there is business plan building software that can help you through this immense project. These software packages are easy to use and affordable. Use one today and produce a professional-quality Business Plan – including all critical components – tomorrow!

----------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2005 Cavyl Stewart. Get more software tips, strategies and recommendations to help you create your business plan by signing up for my Exclusive 100% free, 100% original content ecourse: "How To Failure-Proof Your Business Instantly." To sign up please visit: http://www.find-small-business-software.com/ ec_failure_proof_your_business.php

How to Make Your Hobby a Paying Homebased Business

It's great to have a challenging and interesting hobby such as origami, papier-mâché sculpting, fine art – painting and/or sketching, rockhounding, photography, or jewelry making. It's even more exciting to have a specialty in one of these fields that no one else has, and then to turn your special talents into a successful home-based business. It's gratifying indeed to be able to take two or more of these and combine them into a paying proposition.

That's exactly what Loring Windblad of Sierra Vista, AZ, did.

But these aren't isolated stories. Men and women across the country are joining the ranks of entrepreneurs converting hobbies into moneymaking propositions. It's important to note that none of these women originally planned to start a business. On the contrary, interest by others in their hobbies convinced them to sell their work.

LORING WINDBLAD'S CUSTOM-BUILT COMPUTER BUSINESS

Loring Windblad spent 20 years in the US Army in Electronics, and retired from that position on January 1st, 1976. But in the course of those 20 years additional skills were picked up including teaching (electronics), typing (over 100 wpm), general writing and technical writing (electronics and communications, lesson plans, etc), photography and even SCUBA diving.

Years and miles later (read on below, also) found Loring in Canada playing in a major bridge tournament but also renewing acquaintance with his first love, whom he met in 1952. Strange things happened and they got married in June of 1990 and began their own business in July of 1990. The business took on a form of its own, evolving from humble beginnings into a Desktop Publishing and Graphic Design endeavor by September, when they purchased their own computer – and landed their first big job starting October 1st.

That same Friday night, September 30th, was portentous in several ways. Loring played his baseball games for his computer baseball league and then shut the computer down at midnight and went to bed. When the computer was turned on at 8 am to start the new job, nothing happened. Dead. No computer working. Obviously a dead power supply? No? Actually yes. The computer was two weeks old, under total warranty, but nothing could be done warranty wise over the weekend. So Loring called around to every computer business in the area and found one open on a Saturday morning, drove there, found a power supply that looked exactly like the one in the computer at home, made a deal to "rent it" for a week until a replacement could be gotten on warranty, took it home and put it in the computer.

It worked! The job began, a few hours late but on the day it was supposed to begin. And a new career was launched, even though we didn't know it at the time.

Calling upon his 20 years of experience plus lots of long talks with the Custom Computer Builder who had sold them their first computer, Loring slowly learned about computers and how to build them. Then, in 1992, a friend of a friend wanted a new computer. Loring "custom built" a computer for him, a brand new 486 CPU "screamer" type. The client was well satisfied. Time passed. Friends later in the year wanted computers, so Loring built them new computers. By 1994 Loring was building 5-6 custom computers a month, most months, in the "high profit" days of computers when they paid $400 or more profit per computer.

One of the biggest things was finding wholesale suppliers for a new computer builder to purchase quality components from. With a little help from their original computer salesman, i.e., making careful notes on everything he told them, June and Loring developed a list of possible suppliers, then applied for re-seller status. And sure, there were periods when no computers were sold as well as months when 6-8 were sold. It was obviously a struggle, but a good one.

Networking became a way of life. June joined all the women's networking groups and Loring joined all the missed networking groups. Both made presentations and work came in, both desktop publishing and new computers. From 1995 to 1998 Loring sold an average of 25-30 computers a year. However, by 1998 the profit margin was falling out of computers, the days of $400 were gone. By 1999 the margin was down to $100 a computer and when you are servicing a computer for 3 years warranty service on a total of $100 it starts getting pretty old pretty quick.

The sales kept up for a while, but by 2001 new technology, low profits and pending retirement for June and Loring caused a re-think of priorities. By the end of 2002 building custom computers was a thing of the past and a new era of life – retirement – was upon us. But the trip to and through building computers has been a fascinating one.

LORING WINDBLAD'S PHOTOGRAPHY VENTURE

Way back when Loring first met June he learned that June knew how to not only take pictures but to develop and print those pictures in her basement darkroom. Never one to take a back seat when he could be learning something new, when Loring a few years later went to Vietnam in the Army he took up photography, including learning how to develop and print his photographs. This was 1965 to 1967. And in 1966 Loring helped to establish and run the unit photo hobby shop in Vietnam.

When Loring returned to the US he became an electronics instructor at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and he quickly made contact with the Post Photo Hobby Shop and got a part time job, thus learning more about photography for himself but also helping to teach others the fine art of photography.

Loring's next posting was to Panama where he continued with the local Post Photo Hobby Shop as a Photo and Color Printing Instructor for 2 ½ years, and also picking up work as a free-lance photographer. Loring soon began photographing such things as kids visiting with Santa, then developing and printing and delivering the photos, Then action work such as youth Karate matches, Pop Warner football games, Little League baseball games, and both team and individual photos. And, of course, weddings. All these photo endeavors paid surprisingly well, and Loring was soon not only very busy but making enough money to more than support his photography needs. And teaching helped keep Loring up with everything in the photography field so soon everyone with a question about cameras and photography was coming to him.

Being around military bases there was always opportunity for youth sporting event photography. And wedding photography. From 1970 thru about 1977 Loring did a pretty brisk business in photography, made a lot of friends and took a lot of pictures. And made a pretty good "extra income" that not only paid for all his cameras and supplies but provided a lot of extra money supplementing his income.

But it was hard work and long hours and Loring's son, silver smithing and rockhounding were getting in the way. The transition was made leaving photography behind and embracing a new business – jewelry making and silver smithing.

LORING WINDBLAD'S SILVER-SMITHING BONANZA

Loring was always a rock collector. This gave him an eye for rocks that were different everywhere he went. As a soldier in the US Army he managed to live in France for four years, Panama for five years, and Southeast Asia (Vietnam) for 2 years, as well as extensive periods from coast to coast across the United States including California, Georgia, New Jersey, Kansas and Arizona.

Loring was divorced while he was in Vietnam when his son was three. Eight years later, in August of 1975, his ex- called and said, "I can't handle your son any more. You've got to take him!" Without getting into gory details…."Well, ok", and his son came to Arizona to live with him.

Loring, Jr., was an excellent artist and got straight A's in art in school. He was now in a new environment and Windy, as a way of keeping his son's interest up in the arts and new things, began taking Jr. and his friends out on camping and sightseeing trips in the Arizona desert. Loring also was taking Geology courses with the local Junior College, and began imparting that knowledge to his son and his son's friends while on their outings in the desert and mountain country of SE Arizona, the Basin and Range country.

Rockhounding gave the desert jaunts with his son extra meaning. Identification of various kinds of rocks and geological formations soon were followed with explorations of the old turquoise mines and an education in the copper-related gemstones of turquoise, malachite, azurite and chrisocolla. Use of the Army's lapidary hobby shop led to cutting slabs of the stones, revealing hidden patterns, then cutting the stone slabs into cabochons enhancing the pattern intricacies.

What are cabochons without jewelry? Silver smithing classes followed and then Junior turned his cabochons into some jewelry pieces for his mother and sister. Then came wax carving and lost wax casting, running the full gamut of classes and skills available. In order to keep expenses down Windy located wholesale outlets which supplied him with components to assemble jewelry such as chains, pendants, findings, etc.

After two years, Junior decided it was time to move back with his mother and Windy was left with all sorts time, of jewelry skills and pieces of original jewelry building up, some pieces rather unique. He turned to the local flea market and soon established himself as a regular jewelry maker, attending almost every weekend. Sales increased, and soon Windy began his jewelry business, The Stonewerkes, Southwest Originals in Wood and Stone. He was attending weekend flea markets and Art in the Park and Craft shows all over Arizona to sell his products. And he built up a chain of 8 businesses in two states which also handled his jewelry on consignment.

Loring actually took his "rockhounding" hobby turned jewelry business a large step further. He subscribed to all the commercial and trade magazines as well, and then combined his talents as a photographer and as a writer, photographed his silver smithing and lapidary projects, wrote photo-journalism articles on "how to" silver smithing projects and then sold them to the magazines.

Loring says "You never know when what you do as a hobby can end up being a very profitable business. Over the past 40 years I have had the rare pleasure of turning three hobbies into professions: photography, electronics and now rockhounding. And using other skills such as technical writing and typing in those endeavors. From humble beginnings…."

Copyright © 2004 http://www.organicgreens.us and Loring Windblad

About Loring: Loring Windblad is a published author, columnist, freelance writer and successful HBB entrepreneur over the past 40 years. His latest HBB involvement is with Organic Greens.
http://www.organicgreens.us
Contact the author