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June 25, 2007
How to Create a Home-Based Business Doing What You Love
If you're stuck in a cubicle, you've likely thought about creating your own home-based business. Imagine the luxury of spending your day doing whatever you want. Your schedule is yours, with no pointy-haired bosses giving you orders.
But the idea of a home-based business will be far too frightening for most people to consider. Ann Rae was not amongst the fearful, though.
Part of the dilemma you might face is the question of what to do. For Ann, as it should be with you, it's a matter of understanding both what you love doing and your skill set.
As a trained artist, Ann had a natural love for art and the skills to create beautiful paintings. But Ann knew she didn't want to be a starving artist. The idea of selling art to the home-based business seemed like a great idea.
Then, like Ann, you'll want to see your new home-based business as a business first, and something you love second.
Ann had worked at a variety of jobs in software, investment and fundraising until an encounter with a breast cancer patient made her realize that life is too short to spend it doing things she didn't like.
"I realized, 'I hate my life, I'm completely miserable, I want to paint,' " said Rea.
Ann drafted a 30-page business plan outlining how to make a living from her art. This is exactly what you should do as your second step (after getting clear on the nature of your business). Since Ann Rea loved painting landscapes. And she realized that she lived within driving distance of some very marketable landscapes -- California vineyards -- she felt he'd found the perfect niche market for a home-based business.
So she came up with a strategy of contracting with wineries to do oil paintings of their vineyards, sell them prints and postcards of her work, and then sell the originals to wine lovers through shows and receptions at tasting rooms.
"My assumption was that the wine lover is a collecting personality, and likely to collect art," Ann Rea said. "And I don't really care if I'm painting vineyards or some other scene. I'm painting the ambient light and color."
Ann Rea started painting full time two years ago. She sought free consulting from the San Francisco Small Business Development Center to learn bookkeeping and sales negotiation, and to help set long-term financial goals.
She now has seven winery clients, including Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves and E. & J. Gallo Winery. She is negotiating to publish a book of her vineyard paintings, and she expects to reach 150 percent of her sales goal of $100,000 for the year.
Success with a home-based business often depends on your creativity and perseverance with your marketing and business knowledge. It's not just about creating a better widget, or in Ann Rea's case, fine art.
Said Iain Douglass, VP of Marketing for Gallo Wines: "Wine is a live product, and her style of plein-air painting captures it live. Ann Rea's business approach was the best I've seen from the art world. Her flexibility in offering her paintings in so many different forms allows us to share it with our customers in many different ways, from thank-yous for key customers to postcards in our tasting rooms."
Even with the best plan, your first year will often be stressful. It's very scary, but in the end if you stick with it, you'll get to do what you want, when you want. This is one of the best parts of having a home-based business.
Why would you ever go back to a cubicle when you can be doing what you love and making good money in the process? A home-based business can be both profitable and rewarding, but you've still got to make it a business.
Rea's first year as a full-time painter was marked by constant anxiety, but she has moved past that. "It was very scary," she said. "But it's the best. I finally get to do what I love. I had chosen to abandon art, chosen to believe it was unpractical and I couldn't do it. Now I would rather stick a dull needle in my eye than go back to a cubicle.
Learn more about Ann Rea's home-based business and her unique wine gifts.
Posted by David at 6:44 PM | TrackBack
Are There Really Free Online Surveys That Pay People?
Many of us are intrigued by myths and legends, like the Sasquatch, the leprechaun or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Free online surveys have become modern versions of these legends. The promise of money for what most people do in their spare time is hardly anything new, but the prospect that it actually could happen to you tends to surprise a lot of people.
The reality is, is that there are, indeed, online surveys that do pay. Consumers that are looking for the opportunity to share their insight with major corporations and major corporations want their consumer input regarding their products, because it assists them in marketing their products. There is no point in designing a fish-flavored cough syrup, and putting it in plastic bags if nobody is going to buy it. This type of critical business error can end up costing a company millions of dollars, so giving a way a few dollars or a free product can actually save a corporate money.
Free online surveys that pay are available just about anywhere online, but in the midst of the free opportunities lie opportunities that aren't so fantastic. They offer a list of "free surveys" that you can take, but they end up charging a fee to get access to their list. The truth is that the lists of company's are available everywhere because the companies that are interested in consumers opinions make this information available for free.
Several internet sites have discussion forums in which you can find all sorts of tales. Everything from construction workers that gave up their jobs to do surveys on handbags, to stay-at-home moms that add income to the family by revealing information about their favorite deli meats. These sites are also great ways to hear stories of some of the more questionable paid survey opportunities.
There are free online surveys that pay anyone in the family as long as a responsible adult is around to monitor their internet usage. Many companies are interested in the opinions of children as much as they are adults. This is because children are frequent consumers of products like TV dinners and popsicles. Businesses are willing fork out millions of dollars for this type of seemingly "obvious" information. Just remember this important principle; be careful with your personal information. Giving away your time is one thing, but giving away your credit card number is quite another.
Posted by David at 2:04 PM | TrackBack
June 19, 2007
Making Money Online With Affiliate Programs
The first way is called Direct Linking. This is where you send someone directly to the merchants site, via your affiliate link. There are various ways you can do this, some of which will be covered in later articles. While this is the easiest method of Affilorama marketing, it doesn’t always produce the best results.
Another method of Affilorama review to merchant sites is by using what are called Landing Pages. Landing pages are designed specifically to make the visitor more likely to buy something and to then make sure they actually visit the merchant’s page. If used correctly, a landing page is usually more successful than direct linking, due to credibility.
The third method is to create Content Sites. These are sites packed with useful information that cause the visitor to return again and again. This way, the visitor will most likely make a purchase and in the meantime, you can make money off google Adsense, which will be covered in a future article.This is fantastic Affilorama review.
The last, but not least method is the Squeeze page. These are very basic sites whose aim it is to “squeeze” the visitors name and email. This can be very useful, because it allows you to build a list of potential customers. Most people will not buy the first time they visit your site, so being able to contact them until they unsubscribe off your list is extremely valuable.
Posted by David at 11:40 AM | TrackBack
June 18, 2007
How Traders Effectively Use Stock Options
Options have the ability to generate a substantial income quickly if the price moves in the right direction, and the options are exercised or traded before they expire. Options are appealing to a wide variety of traders because they don't cost very much to buy, even though there are substantial commissions and other charges that are involved in their purchase.
Since options traders only pay a fraction of the cost of actually buying stocks, Treasury note or what ever the underlying investment happens to be, the trader has leveraged the investment. This means that the trader has used a little bit of money with the potential to make a lot of money within a relatively short period of time. If the option that is being traded is profitable, it can be worth a hundred or even a thousand time more than the original investment price.
The premium, or the nonrefundable price of an option has several factors that can affect it, this also includes rumors. Officially the factors that affect the option are based on the type of investment the option is on, the options underlying price, how volatile the price of the option has been over the last year, the current interest rate, and the amount of time that is remaining before the option expires. Premium fluctuations allow traders too get back more or less what they paid for the option when they decide to sell it. The sellers get their money up-front when they write options. This is called a price premium and it is nonrefundable. Collecting the premium is the number one reason for writing the option in the first place.
Aside from the highs that speculating options can provide, stock options do have a practical purpose for traders that are following the markets closely, and specific goals in mind that they are trying to accomplish, like providing insurance for their stock market investments. A method that is used by traders to reduce the risk of buying options is to purchase a married put. this simply means that the trader is buying a stock and a put (sell) option on the same stock at the same time. if the price of the stock options goes down, the put option will go up in value. This allows the loss that is taken on the stock to be offset by selling the put. Another technique that is used is called a strangle, this involves writing a call that has a strike price that is above the current market price and a put with a strike price that is bellow the current market price. This technique allows the trader to collect their premium and neutralize their position at the same time.
Posted by David at 5:17 AM | TrackBack
June 16, 2007
Great Part Time Small Business Startup Ideas
Many more people are trying to achieve their dream of success through their own small business startup idea. This gives you the much needed extra time and opportunity you deserve to spend with your friends and family while still earning an income. With a small business start up, you will have an unlimited potential for earnings which is directly related to your ability to stay motivated and to market new products or services. If starting your own part time small business Startup is something you want to begin, you will have many opportunities that you can pursue to make your dream a reality.
One of the growing small business startups in recent times is the gift basket industry. Gift baskets continue to be one of the great small business startup ideas for people who find enjoyment in creating products that will bring a smile to people's faces. Making gift baskets has been a popular small business startup since it does not require much, if any, training to get started and you can do all the work from home and sell over the internet. Even though gift baskets can be very profitable during peak holiday seasons, this small business start up can also have a slow time during the non-holiday seasons. It also requires money and materials to create the baskets, so planning ahead is a big part of this business. Good planning is needed so that you can create the baskets and have them sent out to your customers in a timely manner.
Selling new and used items on eBay has become another one of the many popular business start up small information resources in recent past years. If you are a person who can sniff out something valuable at rummage sales, yard sales or in the attic, putting these items for sale on eBay can be a very profitable small business start up. Basically, you buy the items at various sales, clean them up, and turn an easy profit by selling it on eBay for a higher price. If you are good with crafts, you can make your own things to sell on eBay. If you know basic product marketing and how to attract customers, you are very much on your way to making a moderately to excellent good income by selling things on eBay from your home.
Other opportunities people have decided to start include a cleaning service that they manage on their own. Only a few cleaning supplies are required along with a little basic know-how, and a cleaning service can be a very nice profitable small business start up for self starters and motivated individuals. With societies busy lifestyle nowadays, more professionals and even multi-income non-professionals are hiring services to clean their homes for them and you can quickly cash in on this trend with very little or no training. This is an excellent idea because you can schedule your clients on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis so you can have a regular, steady income. If your business continues to grow enough, you can hire employees who will do the services for you while you manage the company from home.
Working at home with your very own small business startup is fast becoming the new standard in today's electronic society. People are worn out from the busy lifestyles and long work weeks and have chosen to pursue different opportunities. If you have small business startup ideas with a strong desire and motivation, you can create a profitable business which could eventually take the place of your normal "day" job. Or maybe you simply want to keep it part time to supplement your regular income. However, depending on your levels of motivation, experience, and passion, it is possible to create a small business startup which could generate an unlimited amount of income for you and your family.
Posted by David at 4:29 AM | TrackBack
June 15, 2007
Blogging through the internet
The internet is the best place to blog because it's truly the only place you can create a blog. "Blog" is actually short for "weblog."
A blog is a type of online journal that allows you to easily update content and publish it for all to see.
People can visit your blog to ready your rantings, or they can subscribe to a "feed," where they get your content pushed to their desktop via a "feed reader."
You can learn more about blogging at http://owen.singingnettle.com.
Posted by David at 9:51 AM | TrackBack
June 14, 2007
How To Get Results With Your Network Marketing Prospecting
How important is the word marketing in network marketing?
network marketing prospecting efforts fall flat on their face for most distributors who are taught the tired old methods of attracting people into their business. Why? Well, simply because they run out of people to talk too!
"Make a list of every one you know... write down every one they know... and then get the names of every one they know..." does this sound like a familiar scenario?
The truth is, those methods might have worked fine many years ago but they just don't cut it today. The problem with that is more often than not, you are sounding out people who just aren't interested in your business. Yes, no means no!
It's almost laughable when I hear uplines telling their people if the prospect says no they really mean yes. What's up with that? Direct response marketing tactics are becoming more the norm in people's network marketing prospecting efforts. And for very good reason.
Yes, work your warm market, you at least should let your friends and family know you have gone into business as a courtesy. There are effective ways to do this such a postcard mailout but for goodness sakes, don't alienate them by telling them they owe you or they'll be sorry if they don't join your business or buy your product!
With direct response marketing, the concept of developing a relationship with a prospect from initial contact to decision time is very important. Here is a shortlist of tips you need to make happen in your advertising efforts to attract interest:
1. You must get the attention of your prospect. If they're looking and your headline is compelling enough to get their attention then you've got their interest.
2. Arouse emotion in your prospect. They aren't interested in your company or product but more in what it can do for them. You've heard it many times... "what's in it for me?" If what you have can give them what they want then bingo, you've got their attention.
3. Earn your prospect's trust and create credibility with them. You see, they aren't really going into business by themselves but with you.
4. Create an incentive for your prospect to take action but it needs to be in a way that's easy and natural for people to do.
network marketing prospecting doesn't have to be a gut wrenching and a hazard to your health and well being. It should be a pleasant and fun experience and that's exactly what it is when you put the marketing back into it.
Posted by David at 7:46 PM | TrackBack
7 Top Reasons you should start Internet Marketing
Reason 1: Income. When it comes to earning potential, you are only limited by your level of motivation and your marketing skills. There are tons of people earning fantastic incomes online and there is absolutely no reason why you can't be one of them. Right? Check out Affilorama review.
Reason 2: Freedom. As an internet marketer, you are your own boss. You don't have to answer to anyone. And since all you need is a computer with an internet connection, you can work from just about anywhere. Mark Ling of Affilorama reviewed fame proves this. No more long commutes to work everyday. Can you imagine how it would feel to get up in the morning, take your time to really wake yourself up, then stroll over to your computer and get to work? You could even do your work while you were off holidaying overseas.
Reason 3: Lower Risks. Starting your own business in the "real world" can be risky. The high startup costs mean that if running your own business doesn't turn out to be any fun, then you're left with a large debt. However, internet marketing requires very little to get started. There are even things you can do for free (And I'll be going through them in later articles). With $20, you could get a website up and running and still be left with some change.
Reason 4: It's growing. As more and more people become comfortable with buying things online, more and more money is going to be made by the internet marketer. It wasn't that long ago that no-one had even heard of eBay, but now it is one of the biggest sites on the web.
Want to know more? You'll definitely want to read about my Affilorama reviewed.
Posted by David at 9:58 AM | TrackBack
June 13, 2007
How To Boost Your Network Marketing Business Opportunity In 2007!
Hands up if you are one of the thousands of network marketers currently "spinning your wheels" trying to edge closer to your dream?
It's a fact of life in the network marketing business opportunity that the majority of those who "dip their toes in the water" will ultimately throw their hands up in the air and eventually declare it's all too hard!
So what is the one important part of the MLM business you need to get right to give yourself a chance of progressing up the ranks? I consider prospecting the one single aspect of this industry which is vital to the growth of your business.
Okay, that's nothing new you say but there is a difference between prospecting and targeted prospecting. My first two failed attempts at building a network marketing business had me searching for reasons why. It wasn't because of a lack of endeavor. Heck, I drilled through my warm market like a machine. Apart from making a few product sales, this method simply left me "on the backfoot" with my friends and family and for a while after, had me tagged as a serial pest.
The problem is, while prospecting your warm market is fine, the fact remains; approaching people who are not looking for an opportunity will get you absolutely no where. So what's the answer? Well, you need to pre-qualify your prospects before asking them to take a look at your network marketing business opportunity.
It is a lot easier to promote your MLM opportunity to people who are actually looking. The old tactics in network marketing of making a list of every one you know might have worked fine two decades ago but today, we've leap frogged into a new era of technology; the internet has come into play as not only a medium of communication but also a means of promotion and marketing.
People are looking for home based business opportunities. Your task is to attract those people into your funnel but before you start ramming your opportunity down their throats, a process of relationship building needs to be observed. You need to build a degree of trust with your prospect in fact, it's not the products or the business opportunity which will ultimately attract them into your business but believe it or not, it will be you.
The simple truth about the network marketing business opportunity is that people don't join your business, they join you.
Posted by David at 6:50 PM | TrackBack
June 12, 2007
eVolution day is nearing
Have you heard the buzz about "evolution day"? Set to be unveiled at its pre-launch on "evolution day" (15 July 2007), it's the revolutionary new business combining three of the most exciting and fastest-growing markets today: online games entertainment, social networking, and social marketing.
This market today is worth approximately $5.2 billion USD. That equates to $164 USD per second; in the next 156 weeks that figure is expected to escalate to $412 USD per second: every minute, every hour, of every day, and growing.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE POTENTIAL OF THIS BUSINESS IS HUGE
- AND YOU ARE ONE OF THE PRIVILEGED ELITE TO HEAR ABOUT IT FIRST.
Go to : http://www.eplayme.co.uk to get the following FREE
1.You can download the full insiders' report on project e-play
2.watch all the latest eVo movies
3.read the eVo weblog and subscribe to its RSS feeds
4.keep up-to-date with regular exclusive eVo broadcasts
5.use the online "tell a " tool to send out pre-written promotional emails and track them using the "prospector"
6.get your unique guest page link to put in emails or on web pages, virally spreading your business
7.download eVo banners in two different shapes and sizes to include in your emails and web pages
8.download desktop wallpapers in three exciting colours and four different resolution sizes
9.book tickets to "evolution day" for you and your friends
You have been presented with the key that can unlock a fortune... your time starts NOW!
Miss this and miss out!
Posted by David at 9:03 AM | TrackBack
June 11, 2007
Outstanding Online Small Business Startup Startup Goals
A home small business startup is a growing pattern for many people in today's modern world. Rather than being stuck at the office for 60 hours or more a week, people are making the choice to start their own business so they can reap the rewards of having more freedom and time to enjoy their family and many other recreational activities. If you are motivated, your income potential will be greater along with being a person who is driven to achieve a great deal of success. If planning your own business startup is something you are considering, you will be able to pursue a growing number of profitable ideas that seem to be working for many others right now.
One of the growing small business startups in recent times is the gift basket industry. Gift baskets continue to be one of the great part time small business startup ideas for people who find enjoyment in creating products that will bring a smile to people's faces. Making gift baskets has been a popular small business startup since it does not require much, if any, training to get started and you can do all the work from home and sell over the internet. Even though gift baskets can be very profitable during peak holiday seasons, this small business start up can also have a slow time during the non-holiday seasons. It also requires money and materials to create the baskets, so planning ahead is a big part of this business. Good planning is needed so that you can create the baskets and have them sent out to your customers in a timely manner.
Selling new and used items on eBay has become another one of the many popular business start up small information resources in recent past years. If you are a person who can sniff out something valuable at rummage sales, yard sales or in the attic, putting these items for sale on eBay can be a very profitable small business start up. Basically, you buy the items at various sales, clean them up, and turn an easy profit by selling it on eBay for a higher price. If you are good with crafts, you can make your own things to sell on eBay. If you know basic product marketing and how to attract customers, you are very much on your way to making a moderately to excellent good income by selling things on eBay from your home.
Other opportunities people have decided to start include a cleaning service that they manage on their own. Only a few cleaning supplies are required along with a little basic know-how, and a cleaning service can be a very nice profitable online small business start up for self starters and motivated individuals. With societies busy lifestyle nowadays, more professionals and even multi-income non-professionals are hiring services to clean their homes for them and you can quickly cash in on this trend with very little or no training. This is an excellent idea because you can schedule your clients on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis so you can have a regular, steady income. If your business continues to grow enough, you can hire employees who will do the services for you while you manage the company from home.
Small business startup ideas vary widely in today's trend of people working from home. Once you have profitable small business startup ideas, you are well on your way toward creating a very respectable income working from home. After your business stabilizes and you have built a good strong, solid customer base, you can then consider the option of using your business as your main source of income rather than a part-time opportunity in addition to your regular job. If you continue to have profitable small business startup ideas which generate income, you will enjoy unlimited income potential.
Posted by David at 1:02 AM | TrackBack
June 9, 2007
Email Marketing : Improving Your Double Opt-In Rates
The Business Internet Marketing Dilemma:
You know that having a double opt-in* process for your newsletter/ezine list is a "best practice" in permission based email marketing. Several reasons:
- less chance of being called a spammer by someone who doesn't remember filling in the form (or because someone else filled out the form with their email address);
- fewer bad email addresses in your list;
- some mailing list delivery services require it!
BUT--sometimes your subscribers don't click that link they receive from you in the confirmation email. And so you lose 10, 20, even 50% of your "subscribers". Arghh!
How can you improve your opt-in rates?
Generally, the more compelling and relevant your "offer" is to folks, and the easier it is for them to complete the process, the better opt-in rate you will enjoy.
- Have some really strong copy that describes your ezine and the benefits they will receive.
- Provide an incentive for folks to subscribe. A free ebook, ecourse, etc.
- Remind folks that they must confirm (click the link in the confirmation email) to receive the incentive. You can do this on the signup or thank you page.
- Help them make sure they receive the confirmation email, by offering a page explaining how to add your ezine to their whitelist.
- Show them how to confirm. A snapshot of the confirmation email, with the confirmation link circled, is one way to make it crystal-clear.
- Make sure your confirmation email matches the description of your ezine. Use the same wording, etc. Nothing will reduce your confirmation rates like using the generic confirmation email text!
Get more marketing and small business tips for Solo Entrepreneurs
*Double opt-in defined:
- new subscriber fills out a form on your site
- your list management software sends a confirmation email with a special coded link
- new subscriber clicks the link
- subscriber is added to your list
Single opt-in eliminates steps 2 and 3.
Posted by David at 5:04 AM | TrackBack
June 6, 2007
Dealing with Overwhelm in Your Internet Business
If you have a very full business and personal life like I do you may be facing that common dream stealer: Overwhelm. Are you finding yourself more interested in the state of your house-cleaning or the mess on your desk than your internet business? If so, then you have met the overwhelm monster!
Overwhelm arrives when one or more of these conditions exist:
1. You feel inadequate, stupid, incapable or otherwise self-destructive
2. The task in front of you is too big and your brain can't wrap itself around it
3. You have over-scheduled yourself
4. Your subconscious has not yet solved the problem at hand
5. Your emotional life has taken over and you are on a roller coaster
6. Unexpected events have snatched up all your time, thoughts and emotions (i.e. a death in the family)
7. Whatever I didn't think of that contributes to overwhelm
The down side of this is that your dreams are stolen by this monster. I know. Its happened to me. And this is one monster who no longer steals my life force!
Read more about dealing with overwhelm in your business...
Posted by David at 10:50 PM | TrackBack
June 1, 2007
Learning to Sell on eBay
The first area you should be concerned about is customer service. This is an important aspect that many serious seller's seem to neglect. If you are serious and you want your Ebay business to succeed your going to need repeat buyers. If you really want to get a buyers attention provide them with excellent customer service that goes above and beyond your competition.
Selling your items on Ebay is really very simple once you have mastered the technical aspect of posting your items and filling the orders. Its much harder to convert your Ebay sales efforts into a consistent, and viable business. Putting the technical aspects of selling on Ebay aside, there are a few key areas that every serious Ebay seller needs to master if they are going to consistently profit from this type of business venture.
