How To Earn Money Online With These Best Home Business Ideas And Opportunities: April 2008

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Online Home Based Business Schedule

In order to run a successful online home based business, you need to create a work-at-home schedule that allows you to get all your work done each day. Even though you work from home, you still need to be productive in order to earn a living. If you are the type who procrastinates, then you may want to reconsider working from home. Those who are able to motivate themselves usually are successful. But this does not mean that people who lack self motivation skills can't learn, it may just be more difficult than for others. Creating a daily schedule may be necessary in order to maintain a steady pace.

In order to create an efficient schedule, you need to write down all the daily tasks that need to be accomplished during the day. Once you have these tasks written down, then you can begin to create a schedule. Based on the number of hours you want to work each day, you should set realistic times for completion so you aren't rushing through them. Instead, you can take your time to make sure they are done correctly. Many people believe they can accomplish more during the day than is actually possible, so learning how to budget time and gauge how much time each task takes can help you plan for your day.

Investing in a calendar, dry erase board, and other materials to create your schedule will help in the long run. Once you have a list, you can check off items as they are completed, add or subtract from the list, and determine how long you need to work each day. The more time you put into your business in the beginning, the more successful it will be. Online businesses are a wonderful opportunity for you to work from home, but you need to maintain a work ethic that is strong. Because you may have to complete various tasks that others in your previous job may have completed, you will find that there aren't enough hours in the day to get all the work done. This will change once your business is established, but you may need to put in extra hours in the evening and on weekends in order to make your business grow.

Online home businesses that sell products to others will require more work than selling services, or digital items such as books and manuals that can be downloaded onto a customer's computer. If you sell products on online auction sites or through a website, you will have to work out a packing and shipping schedule so you aren't spending all of your time running to the post office to ship an order. Selecting one or two days a week to pack and ship items will help your work load tremendously. Depending on the popularity of your product, you may need to increase these days, especially around the holidays. When you stay focused on running your business and sticking to a schedule, you will find that success is not difficult to achieve.

If time management is often an issue for you, check out the following free online service:
http://www.CashMoney4you.com/simpleology.html

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Why Internet Marketing Opportunities Can Be Fun & Fulfilling

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Many business operators know the importance of marketing and the role it plays in helping grow a business. While some may consider marketing a necessary evil in business operations and expense, internet marketing can fill many of the gaps created by advertising and offer many exciting rewards. If whatever you are doing to earn a living isn't any fun, then it is just a job. Being creative and having a ball can turn that job into an exciting career.

Too many people confuse the terms advertising and marketing and believe that marketing is an expense they can eliminate. Consider how much business might be lost with a reduction in advertising, as customers move to another business. Then consider how much business may be lost if another brand makes a bigger splash than your own.

The key difference is that advertising is for a specific product or group of products usually offered for a brief time. Marketing is an attempt to create brand awareness and sell the company. It is also an ongoing effort and many companies find that marketing will offer more long-term gains not typically seen with advertising and that is what makes it fun and more fulfilling to a company.

Since the internet began to grow, internet marketing has taken on a whole new approach to building a brand. It is not about placing advertising on high traffic sites, rather it is about getting the story about the company out to the public and the many different methods available in doing this makes it fun. With a newspaper or even broadcast ads, there is a time limit or space constriction about the amount of information a company can make available at any one time.

Most consumers do not mind if a few moments of their time is taken up while a company tells its story. But more lengthy stories they want to hear or see on their own time, when it is convenient for them. With the use of web logs, or blogs, as well as the use of videos inside web sites, a customer can learn all they care to about a company at their convenience. It can also be a lot of fun to put together a video to tell a company's story that presents the message in a fun way.

It can also be fulfilling in knowing the message is not restricted to any borders and that the message is being received in locations that many people may have never heard of before they started getting feedback from other countries. One of the amazing things about internet marketing is the translation capabilities. No longer does a company have to worry about telling their story in two or three dozen different languages. There are many computer programs that can make accurate translations instantly.

The wider audience, the longer and more informative messages as well as the various types of media available for internet marketing makes it a fun field to work in as well as a fun filled method of telling the company's story.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Is Your Work At Home Based Business Opportunity Causing You Too Much Stress?

Most people want to work at home due to the home based business trends of reducing the amount of travel required and the lack of a boss breathing down your neck. When first examined, it may appear like the perfect opportunity, working your own hours and not having anyone tell you what to do. Unfortunately, amidst all of this home business paradise, there will be some stress involved and if the stress begins to overtake the amount of fun you should be having while working at home, it may be time to step back to see what has gone wrong.

One the most stressful aspects of running your own home based business is sporadic paydays. During the time spent working for someone else, chances are you received a regular paycheck once a week or at least once every other week. You knew about how much to expect and when to expect it. If overtime was offered, it meant extra money and again, you knew when it would be given to you. Chances are there was also a health care plan you could join at a reasonable cost as well as retirement benefits. Paid vacations are another benefit usually enjoyed by employees and in some cases sick days and personal time.

When you are considering your home based business opportunity, all of those things are going to go away. When you are working at home you are earning money and most times you will get paid once the job is turned in and approved. However, each week the amount of your check may be a little different. Sometimes it will be more, other times it could be less. If you are working with different companies, the income may come at different times and although all the different streams of income can add up to a tidy sum, there will be some stress involved if one or more of the streams is running a little slow.

It will be a rare home business opportunity in which the pay is made on the same day of the week by all of the different clients or customers and until you learn to adjust to this new style of income schedule, it can be a stressful environment. Additionally, taking some of that pay every time you get it and socking it away for taxes can also put a strain on the family budget. However, if the right plans are not made it will make income tax time much more stressful than it needs to be.

Insurance concerns are high on everyone's list and while there are many programs offering affordable insurance for home based business owners, they may a different opinion as to what is affordable. You will also need liability insurance in case someone is injured on your property or if you cause damage to someone through your actions or inactions.

For most home based business opportunities, a regular, structured income can relieve a lot of the stress, but that is something you will have to design on your own. The income will come but not in one lump payment and getting used to it can take a few months of struggling until it finally sinks in.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Forum Marketing Network Business for the Beginner

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The numbers of fledgling marketers who take to forum marketing network businesses are legion! Unfortunately, so also are the numbers of marketers who will return to the same forum the next day and when attempting to log in will find out that their forum persona was deleted and accesses as well as posting privileges have been summarily denied. What happened?

Generally speaking, the odds are good that your forum posts were considered spam by enough of the other players that an administrator was contacted who eventually took action and banned you from the network. The fine line that exists between forum marketing network business and spamming is often a heated topic of discussion on said forums themselves and there is no hard and fast answer.

Yet in an effort to make it easier for the newbie, forum marketing network businesses for the beginner is a three step process.

1. First and foremost, you need to decide which angle you want to market. In other words, are you looking for down line candidates or for product customers? In the same vein, do you want to find individuals who not only want to buy your product but then also turn around and sell it? Each and every angle requires you to use a different approach. In other words, each and every angle requires you to write your forum posts with great care and expertise - perhaps this is one of the reasons that this is a task most commonly outsourced to an experienced freelance writer.

2. Secondly, you need to create your forum persona. Stay away from obvious monikers that will have other forum participants roll their eyes and instantly steal your credibility. Examples include "make money losing weight" or "wealthy marketer." Instead, opt for a persona with a respectable name or handle, if you do not want to use your real name. Next, you need to create a profile. This is a great opportunity to mention your business and also your role in it, but do not turn the forum profile section into a cut and paste job from the company website. There is not a person alive who will read through a lengthy promotional profile. Last but not least, if the forum permits, create a signature. This could include a link to your website, but it will be more effective if it includes a link to a personal blog or even online newsletter with a gripping teaser. Something like "how a candy bar at three in the morning cost me two hours of sleep and $10" is an example of a headline that will lead to click through traffic simply because it seems to implausible and everyone wants to know more about the story. Do not disappoint the website visitor but instead deliver a gripping tale or blog entry so when you change your signature to feature the next article, those who know you will come and look.

3. Last but not least, do not post lengthy wellness product reviews in a gardening forum. Similarly, do not post an explanation on how to lose weight in a forum dedicated to childhood diseases and autism. Two cardinal sins are incorporated in this approach: a lengthy posting and an inappropriate venue. Only post in forums that are somehow related to your business. Secondly, keep the posts short and simple, especially when you discuss your product.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Five Steps That Guarantee Article Network Marketing Success

If you have never familiarized yourself with the concept of article network marketing, the odds are good that you are missing out on an amazingly effective network marketing tool! The concept itself is surprisingly simple: much like product placement in movies, article network marketing relies on a general content article containing references to and facts about the product you are selling and the business you are in. Of course, with anything that is deceptively simple there is also a large margin of error.

For those who are intrigued by this completely legal way of reaching a whole new target audience, here are five steps that guarantee article network marketing success.

1. The content must be well written. Most network marketers will outsource this aspect of the business and if you do so, you will be wise to request some samples of the work first. This will enable you to understand the effect an article written by that individual or company will have on you and by extension most likely will have on other readers. Look for typos and be on alert for grammatical errors or punctuation mistakes.

2. The content of the article needs to relate to your business or product in some way. If you are selling a wellness product you will be hard-pressed to have it included in a movie review (although a highly skilled writer is able to pull off this feat) but it will shine in a general content article that discusses health, wellness, and related issues.

3. If you are using article network marketing to showcase your product, think of the attributes that best describe it. Is it a drink or a solid supplement? What is its color? How does it taste? Should it be consumed cold or hot? Could it be incorporated into a recipe or dish? What are the effects of the product and how long does it usually take until someone will realize them? All of these questions could and should be answered within the article to give the reader a solid understanding and also feel for the product without necessitating them to buy it first.

4. Do not let the article be little more than an advertisement designed to hype the product. This will not hold any appeal to the average reader. The trick to successful article network marketing is the skillful incorporation of the product into a well written article that is of general interest.

5. Utilize the article by posting it on sites inviting submissions, posting it in forums, and also sending it out as part of an email newsletter. Be very cautious so that you are not actually spamming a site or misuse your email address leads, but at the same time capitalize on the finished article in each and every way you can think of. The more articles you craft in this vein, the more impact you will have. Of vital importance, in that case, is that each and every article offers a new insight and is markedly different from its predecessors!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Factors to Look For In The MLM Company

The interest in MLM companies has increased so much in the last years. With this interest growth, many new companies have sprung up to join the ranks of the time-tested, older MLM companies. If a motivated person is considering a part-time or even a full time career in the MLM business or also known as network marketing, or just want to see how their current position measures up, there are certain critical factors to look for when choosing an MLM company. There are enough things to be concerned about when building a MLM business, such as sponsoring and advertising, without having to think about whether or not your company will be around next year.

The first factor to consider is stability. It would be the ideal situation to select an MLM company that has been around and in business for at least 2 to 6 years. The new start-up MLM companies can be exciting, but there really is something related to the idea of MLM companies that have been around for an extended period of time. Actually, the longer time the MLM company has been around, improves the chance of sticking with it. The person interested in a MLM company should realize that there are never any guarantees, but with a company that has a longer track record it generally has increased longevity.

The second factor is to look at the leadership within the MLM company. Factors to examine include the structure, track record, and other such internal factors of the MLM company. If a person does not know the answer to these questions, call or email the company to find out. It is critical to know the answers to these questions from the beginning. The most desired attributes in the MLM company leader is savvy, honesty, and integrity inside and outside of the MLM business world.

The third factor is an examination of the product or service being promoted by the MLM company. Discover if there's a genuine emphasis on promoting the product and not just the opportunity. Determine the value of the product for the MLM company as well as the value to the market. In addition, the products should be competitively priced, and unique.

The fourth factor is to examine the method of getting started in the particular MLM company. Can people join online, or do they have to fill out paper forms and meet with someone offline in an office? The ability to sign up online makes the whole process a lot easier. On the same page, having the ability and option to join free will open up your opportunity to even more people. Some MLM companies allow people to join at no charge or at least take a test drive to allow them to see the insides of the business. Once someone has joined free, they have partially committed to the business.

The last factor involves the automation capabilities of the MLM company. More automation in the MLM company is definitely a better option. The parent company should provide a MLM company website that prospects can be referred to. The prospect should be able to contact you from that specific page, and the MLM company should send emails that follow up with the prospects.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Exploring the Online Marketing Network

The internet and the World Wide Web (www) have attracted much attention since its appearance. The positive aspect of the internet is that businesses of all sizes have the same amount of exposure. Small business can now compete with the larger business in this relatively new environment. The internet is the most inexpensive marketing tool available in today's business world, as well as the most cost-effective. The internet is essentially a sales channel, directed towards the consumer.

Placing a business on the internet, will give it incredible exposure, and let a business owner reach millions of users. This opportunity includes the online marketing networker as well. The internet is so much less expensive, compared to other forms of advertising. The online marketing networker could have a website built and up and running for a whole year for the same cost as one day's advertising in the classified section of a local newspaper. The online marketing networker's message could be seen by people, from around the country and the world, for a fraction of the cost of any other marketing method. The online marketing networker will get more attention from the online prospect than any other method. The personal interaction is present which produces a very intimate selling situation.

Some people are uncomfortable with the internet, due to high tech phobias or to not understanding the associated jargon. The technology is not the relevant issue to the online marketing network. The relevant issue is that the internet represents a "high touch." The internet provides the online marketing networker a one-to-one relationship with prospects and builds lasting relationships with consumers in a very personal and individualized manner.

The internet is a different marketing medium that requires its own rules and regulations for doing online marketing effectively. Instead of the advertisers sending a message to a targeted audience that acts or dismisses the call to action, online consumers seek out information and advertising. The consumers are the initiators of communication. Yet the internet is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Success on the internet requires full understanding of the concepts, hard work, attention to detail, and constant promotional activity. The internet as a marketing tool is not about fancy graphics only; it's also about valuable industry information, professional marketing efforts and reliable hosting service, making it fast and easy to download information.

The online marketing networker requires a different approach for development of an online marketing network website. The following are four tips for the online marketing networker:

1. Building a professional online marketing network website with compelling copy, with the sole objective of obtaining more leads, more sales, and increased profitability, using fine, yet reasonable graphics and scripts to make it rich and appealing to the site visitors.

2. Use powerful, proven marketing strategies and techniques that allow your website to recognize excellent results and concurrently cutting online marketing network costs.

3. Improve the performance of the online marketing network website and transform it into a persuasive money making vehicle.

4. Employ customized and innovative marketing campaigns to increase online marketing network exposure and secure consistently superior results from the sales and marketing efforts.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Differentiate Generic Marketing Leads from Qualified Network Leads

If you can believe the hype propagated on the Internet, large quantities of leads are the lifeblood of the network marketing business. It does not matter if you are involved in multi level marketing (MLM) or any other kind of marketing network endeavor; the failure to generate leads is most commonly equated with the failure of the business venture while success in generating these leads is considered the surefire way of succeeding in the business of your choice. Even though there is a kernel of truth to this school of thought, it leaves out a most important object lesson and caveat: to differentiate generic marketing leads from qualified MLM network leads.

An unqualified lead is anyone and everyone you might meet on the street. Complete strangers whom you hand a business card in passing are unqualified leads. Your family and circle of friends are perhaps the best examples of unqualified leads! They could be leads simply because out of love and respect for you they will permit you to give them your sales presentation, but they are unqualified in that they have not actually expressed an interest in the product you are selling or the company you are representing. Do not misunderstand: there is a chance that any lead, no matter how generic and unqualified, may be turned into a qualified lead, yet this is a time consuming process that relies on the skill, product knowledge and determination of the network marketer.

On the flipside of this coin is the qualified lead. Usually it is a person who has sought out you or your website to get more information about the product you are selling, the service you are providing and also the business you are representing. Similarly, a qualified lead is someone who is familiar with the network marketing industry and wants to become involved but might still be searching for just the right niche to buy into. Such leads are worth their weight in gold! Does this mean that each and every qualified lead will turn into a customer or down line candidate? By no means! As a matter of fact, the individual may decide that your product or business and she or he simply do not represent a good fit. Fledgling marketers may also turn off qualified leads because of incompetence. Yet by and large marketing to a qualified lead is a lot easier than trying to turn a generic lead into a qualified one.

Thus it is a questionable practice for the beginning marketer to purchase leads, sight unseen. Nine times out of ten this transaction will cost a fair amount of money and net the marketer generic leads, such as may have been generated with a "make money while you sleep ad" or similar promotions. Conversely, purchasing qualified leads is a lot more expensive yet also an investment well worth making! These leads are usually collected during network marketing seminars when individuals are being introduced to the concept and express interest in learning more about the industry or the wellness aspect thereof. Yet keep in mind that even if you differentiate generic marketing lead from qualified MLM network lead and not spend even one penny on an unqualified lead, you may still not close the deal! There is no guarantee in network marketing, only a leg up.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Building an Affiliate Marketing Network via the Classifieds

Most everyone who discusses the merits of an affiliate marketing network likely focuses on the pay-per-click versus pay-for-performance aspects of this advertising tool, and rightfully so! Online these two programs alone have shown themselves to be the work horses of a successful and diversified affiliate marketing network while at the same time not demanding an undue strain on a company's promotions budget. Thus, start up companies in general and home based small business entrepreneurs in particular gravitate to this form of self-promotion like bugs to a strong light source in the dark of night. Yet just like the bugs, many of the smaller businesses get burned not because the product was unsuccessful or the presentation less than professional but instead because the interest simply could not be generated by the participants in the affiliate marketing network who chose to sign up.

In general, those signing up to post links and banners or search boxes onto their sites are looking for the heavy hitters which will lend credibility to the webmaster and her or his site, while smaller merchants are usually avoided because they simply do not offer that air of mainstream acceptance to a site. In the same vein, many of the webmaster who do sign up for the smaller business affiliate marketing network will most likely be startups themselves, thus in a way countermanding the business' efforts of reaching a large number of potential customers. Even though the money spent on this kind of advertising is low, it hardly merits the results that are being yielded.

Interestingly, a new trend is developing which is finding great acceptance with smaller businesses and which is proving to be a money maker to such an extent that it threatens to leave the tried and true pay-per-click or pay-for-performance affiliate marketing network in the dust for home based entrepreneurs: classified ads. Building an affiliate marketing network via the classifieds may sound odd but the more careful attention you pay to this trend, the more sense it makes.

With a few words you have the chance to advertise your network and generate a far-reaching interest in the business. While not each and every online or print publication will permit you to post your ads, in general you will find that you can start getting out the word about your network by posting in a few free, online publications. Research the high traffic sites and post your ads in accordance with their submission guidelines - a much overlooked fact that may get your ad buried if not carefully observed! Use strong marketing words that require a response by the reader, such as "clicking" or "visiting" and rely on heavy hitters like "proven" or "guaranteed" - only if you can back up the claims, of course. Add a measurable and real benefit to the action, and the odds are good that you will have a visitor for your site. Turning the visitor into a qualified lead, of course, is up to the quality of your site and actual network.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Direct Marketing Advertisements to Newsletter Subscribers

Do you know the number one reason why visitors to your website will not sign up for your free newsletter? They have been burnt before! Either their email address was abused for endless mailings, or the newsletter was so boring - usually because it was nothing more than one big ad directly cut and pasted from the advertisement brochures - that it was hardly worth their time to even read it only once.

Direct marketing advertisement to newsletter subscribers in small doses and do it carefully, judiciously, and respectfully. While some marketers will outsource this aspect of the business, fledgling marketers will not have the resources for this step. Do not despair if this is you! Instead, take heart in the fact that it is incredibly easy to draft a well thought out newsletter, insert your product information, and make it so interesting that you will have consumers signing up for it even if initially they are not at all interested in your product or the company you are representing.

As you direct marketing advertisement to newsletter subscribers, keep in mind that a reader of your newsletter is not reading it to be polite but because you are giving them something of value. Perhaps not surprisingly, the ads for your product or business are not the item of value they have in mind. Instead, the average reader will look for general content, such as gardening advice, cooking tips, exercise help, or even dog training tricks. Depending on the product you represent, ad text and the general content of your newsletter, all these elements can flow together seamlessly and actually support one another rather than being almost mutually exclusive.

The best tip for the fledgling marketer is to create a basic newsletter that has the business or product in mind but does not make reference to it in any way. You might design a trivia section, a word puzzle, a give away, and include a number of general content articles, poems, and other items. Stay away from politics and religion! Not only was mom right when she suggested not discussing these topics in polite company, but for the sake of marketing they can be the kiss of death if your readers are not on the same side of the political aisle or worship the same deity! Keep it neutral but informative.

Once your initial draft is complete, look for spots where you can include information about your business or product in such a way that it will flow naturally rather than being a contrived commercial break; after all, as you market advertisements to the reader of your newsletter, you want to make the experience enjoyable and also valuable! Commercial breaks detract from value while integrated product information ads value!

In the same vein, those who may not like the idea of signing up for anything that requires an email address, design a special page for newsletter signups and include your privacy policy which unequivocally states your intent for the use of any information you are gathering during sign up. Similarly, post a sample newsletter for visitors to read. This will increase interest and may overcome the objection of those who may still be teetering on the fence whether or not to entrust you with their email information.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Customer Relationship Management = Successful Network Marketing Business

The connection that exists between closed sales and a profitable quarter is equal to the connection that may be found between customer relationship management and a successful network marketing business. As a matter of fact, a successful network marketing business relies on customer relationship management as its one stock in trade that will promise to yield results no matter what the market does! Customer relationship marketing is somewhat complicated by the fact that although it is a widely applicable concept that applies across the board to all forms of commerce, it also varies greatly from one merchant to the next.

In spite of these differences, there are also some similarities which are a good starting point for your business, especially if you are uncertain if you are truly making the most of your network marketing business with respect to building, maintaining, and deepening relationships with your customers.

Perhaps the most important aspect that will help you to get a good idea as to how to treat your customers and manage the relationships they have with you will have to date back to the point of first contact. When, where, and why did the customer - or potential customer - contact you in the first place?

What made your product or network marketing business attractive enough to the individual to send you an email or call you? Find out what the words and phrases were that you used and the idea you were trying to get through, and in so doing you will discover which need of your customer you addressed on that day.

Once you have identified the need that the customer believed your product or network marketing business could fulfill, it is essential that you become familiar with your customer's time schedule. For example, if staying home with the kids during the summer vacation is of importance to the consumer, and you know that you have three months left until the first day of summer vacation, you will have just formulated your actual window of opportunity for closing the deal and introducing another candidate to your down line! Work with the time frame provided and help your customer understand how she or he can put this time frame to work in order to achieve their stated goal!

Do not be bashful, you must ask questions in order to better understand the needs of your potential customer. While this may sound like the proverbial car salesman question of "what's it going to take for you to buy this car today," this kind of question is not without merit, and while it is advisable to stay away as far as possible from sales related clichés, there are times when they do come in handy. Find out which objections, if any, the customer has, what constrains them, what concerns them, and what is that little push that you could provide in order to make the customer close the deal.

A successful network marketing business relies on customer relationship management more heavily than it is often given credit for. While the hunt for leads will almost certainly continue to receive the lions' share of the average network marketer's attention, it is important to note that the relationship savvy marketer will almost certainly become more successful than a marketer that focuses solely on lead generation with little or no customer communication and follow through.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

4 Things to Watch Out For From A Home Internet Based Business Opportunity

There are so many opportunities on the internet offering to set people up in their own home based internet business that it can be difficult to separate the real, legitimate opportunities from the ones that only want your money. Knowing what to look for hidden within the offers can mean the difference between finding a legitimate business to operate and ending up helping someone else make money while losing your own.

With most fraudulent offers for in internet business there are four red flags that need to be thoroughly investigated before signing up to work for the website. Understand that not all of the companies that make these claims are out to take your money, but these are four things that many less than honest companies have in common:

1. Large upfront investment
2. The chance to make big money with little work
3. Do not clearly state what you will be selling
4. Lack of available contact information

While it is not uncommon for a business to want a fee to become a representative for their business, you have to consider the amount demanded from you before you can start selling their product or service. You should also have a clear picture of what you will get in return for your investment. It is common for the term training to be listed, but many times the training consists of links to other sites where you are expected to learn about the company's business model.

The training may also focus on how to recruit others into the business, offering to pay a "commission" for bringing in new people. A company that focuses on bringing in more people instead of selling the product may be on the border of being illegal.

Anyone who has ever been involved in a business knows it takes work. One of the most common pitches is the promise of a big payday without having to work more than an hour or two a day…or even a week. There is no such thing as a free lunch and those who try to convince you otherwise are not being totally honest. That disclaimer about income may not be representative of the potential earnings, should beg the question about why even bother to list it.

If you have been reading an online based business opportunity for several minutes and have no idea about the product or service you are being asked to sell, it could be an indication of a scam. Many keep it a secret until you have spent your money and find out there is no way you can sell this to others with a clear conscious. Know what the product is, and how much it will cost, before considering the offer any further.

Look for contact information. If the only means of contacting the company is through an email address, it could be they don't plan to be around long enough to answer any questions or complaints. Money back guarantees are also only about as good as the contact information. Email addresses and post office boxes are not good contacts.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Tips for Successful Networking

Perhaps the biggest part of networking is convincing yourself to be social and not just a wallflower. Next time you attend a networking function consider the following tips to help yourself become more successful while looking successful and sounding smooth to others around you.

Before you attend the event write down what your strengths, attributes and special skills are in order for you to know why someone should be interested in what you have to offer. Keep these strengths in your head in order to boost your confidence and remind yourself of why people should be talking with you and listening to what you have to say.

Next picture the room in your mind, picture yourself shaking hands and talking with people. By visualizing everything you will be doing it can really help even the most shy individual. Visualization is a powerful tool used by many successful people whether it is in business, sports or entertainment.

Then when you finally show up make sure you have a confident posture, a controlled walk, a smile on your face and a firm handshake to those you meet. And never forget to make lots of eye contact. Then be sure to use the immediate environment to start a conversation such as the venue or the host. This will help you to find a common bond and to keep the conversation going. Always start with small talk before you get down to business.

When you need to get down to business have some questions prepared to ask people in order to find out what their needs are and then you can shape the conversation in order to reflect the way your services will help people in these areas. You don't have to be pushy, rather soft sell yourself and build interest. This will make people more receptive to be helped by you.

Talking is only half of the encounter. When it comes to your turn remember to repeat the individuals name back to them, actively listen to what they have to say and keep a mental database of as many details you can about the person to whom you are talking. If possible always get a business card and don't be afraid to ask for it. The best time to ask is usually after they have talked about what they do and then you can offer yours in return.

Then when you return home be sure to write out information on the back of the card or a sheet of paper that can be stapled to the card. This way you can maintain and build a rapport for future meetings, emails and phone calls. Everyone likes a person who remembers them. Then within twenty-four hours be sure to email everyone and say you enjoyed meeting them and mention a detail you remember and suggest that they keep in touch with you.

Friday, April 11, 2008

The Mechanics of the Sale

To be a successful salesman in any field, one must understand the psychological principles that go into making a sale. Without an understanding of what makes people buy what they buy, and eschew what they don't want, we can never hope to be more than a journeyman seller. Here are some things to consider as you enter the sales profession. These lessons are not just about sales, however. They relate to everything we do as human beings. How we interact with others, how we can gain influence over people. It's not magic tricks. It's just simple psychology.

When we buy something, there are a few steps we go through in every transaction. To begin with, we have to desire something. We have to feel some need, or want for the item in question. Without this initial interest, we merely pass along, leaving an item on the shelf, or on the car lot, or in the hands of the salesperson. A person must have an initial interest to even consider making a sale to them. Of course, this interest can be generated, but it is better if there is a certain amount of motivation there from the beginning. Cold calling is one of the least successful business practices, and for good reason. Yes, a skilled cold caller can make a living simply through the law of averages. But a person with a desirable product, a person with a product that draws people in-at least a little-will find a much easier road.

After we experience that initial interest, we then make a decision to purchase the item in question. This is not a final decision, but rather a warm up decision, and it can change, depending on the price and commitment to the product. Yes, we feel this is something we want or need, but there are still some questions. At this point, we may look to our friends, family, or business associates to reassure us that the purchase is a wise one. We may choose to heed or disregard that advice, but it is important that we seek it.

Finally, after making the purchase, we want to feel some sort of reassurance afterwards. This is where many salesman falter. They don't follow up if they don't feel there is any further sales opportunity with the customer. This can leave the customer feeling alienated, and even as if they've been taken. In most states, there are laws that give the customer a certain window of time during which they can change their mind on a purchase. If you as the salesperson do not follow up with your customer, the chances are that much greater that they will back out, leaving all of that hard work you did to make the sale in vain.

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Thursday, April 10, 2008

Surprising Info on Email Sign-offs: What it Means to Your Business

You may not think of it at all. Maybe you base it on whatever you speculate your relationship is to the person you're writing to. But email sign-offs mean a lot more than you might think. They say something to the person receiving the email, and what that says can be good or bad depending on your choice of words. You wouldn't dream of writing "Love, So-and-So" at the end of your business email, but there are those in the field who use equally ridiculous sign offs. Here are some of the more popular email sign offs and whether or not you should use them in your business emails.

One of the most popular salutations in the business world is a simple "Thanks,". It's safe, it's polite, and it's professional. However, it's also a little familiar and should be kept to those emails where you actually have a personal relationship with the person to whom you're writing. Avoid using it if you have nothing to actually thank the person for. Then it may come across as the slightest bit snotty, as if you're sarcastically thanking them for reading your email. Overall, however, this is a decent salutation you shouldn't be afraid to use.

One salutation to avoid at all costs is, "Ciao". This should only be used for personal friends or informal emails and never to business associates or customers. "Ciao" is not only informal, it can also come across as cocky and annoying, which is definitely not what you want to project to anyone you'll be doing business with.

The best work related salutation you can use is simply "Sincerely". Some may argue that this closing is best reserved for a letter and too formal for email, but it will never offend anyone and no one can argue that it's unprofessional. If you want to mix it up with some other closings there's nothing wrong with that, but few people are going to stop at that "sincerely" and think, "What? Does this fella know it's just an email?" It's perfect.

Other email tips include foregoing the use of caps lock in your messages. This is read as yelling or screaming in internet correspondence, and it's not appropriate for a business email (even if the effect you're going for is yelling or screaming). It should go without saying, but you should also avoid the use of foul language in your business correspondence. You may be tempted to forget this rule if you're writing to a business associate that has been known to have a salty mouth. Don't. Cursing in person and putting profanity in an email are two different things. Other than that, you know the drill. Keep it professional, and keep it interesting.

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Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Save Yourself from the Headaches of Doing Tax Returns

Tax returns are one of the major headaches for home business owners. Every year, hundreds of home business owners in the country struggle to get their tax returns right and avoid penalties. If you are one of those people who cannot seem to get their tax returns right, forget about doing your tax returns on your own. Get an accountant to do the job for you. Engaging the services of an accountant can save your life. Note that getting into trouble with the IRS can be very stressful and costly for you so do not mess around with the things that you feel you are not really qualified to do.

How to Find a Good Accountant

Finding a good accountant can be quite a challenge. Although there are many people who profess to be good accountants, not all of these people can really help you with your needs. Always remember that different accountants have their own areas of specialization so it is quite normal that some accountants may not really be familiar with the in and out of the industry where you belong to. To find a good accountant, never go to the yellow pages. It is never a good idea to just call an accountant listed in the phonebook and ask for appointments. If you really want to find someone who can help you deal with your income tax returns, ask for referrals from other business owners like you. The good thing about asking for referrals is that you get first hand information about the person recommended to you.

If you have problem finding a good accountant through other business owners, try to get referrals from your trade association. Most trade associations have their own database of accountants who are working in their industry. Now, if you do not belong to any trade association, don't sweat it out. Just because you are not a member of the trade association that does not mean that you cannot ask for help from these associations. There are many trade associations in the country that are willing to help even those who are not their members so do not hesitate to ask for their help.

Meeting with the Accountant

Before you hire the services of the accountant, you need to meet with him or her first. Meeting with the accountant is very important so do not skip this process. No matter how busy you are, you must find sometime to meet with your accountant. Now, meeting here does not necessarily mean that you have to meet face to face. With the advancement of technology, one can already meet with somebody through the internet. Teleconferencing with your accountant can be a good way to work with your accountant. Moreover, teleconferencing will save you a lot of time and efforts.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Promoting Your Website

Do you feel that you have a product or service that others will love to have? Perhaps having an online website is a great way to advertise your personal business. This will help others to know what products and services that you offer are, and how these products can improve their daily lives.

One of the easiest and most effective ways of promoting your website is to advertise it on several search engines. A search engine scans your website for meta tags or keywords that are related to a searchers request. Using several different key words can help more searchers hit upon your site. Applying to several search engines will increase the number of onlookers to your site, as this is the type of online searching that is used most frequently. Advertising your site online opens your site to customers at all hours of the day and night. People all over the world can browse your site and purchase items, even while you are asleep.

Printing business cards that include all of the necessary information, including your website can also draw in new clients. Shopping online is a growing trend and you do not want to be left out. Giving out business cards to potential clients or even leaving them at places such as public bulletin boards in nearby shopping centers. It may also help to include your web address to your office stationary and fliers. If this is not an option, you can print small labels on your home computer and add them to various advertisements that you send out. Add your web address as a tag line on your emails too, so that people you come into contact with will have the option to browse your site.

You may want to consider paying to have links to your site, posted on other web sites. These sites should be ones that are related to your business, but not sites that are competition to your site. Email the site that you would like to have a link from, and explain that you would like to be considered for placing an ad on their site. You may be asked to pay a small monthly fee for the link to your site, but it can be well worth it if it increases traffic to your web site, and helps to increase the financial stability of your business.

Do not forget to advertise in local area newspapers also and include your website in the ad. Many potential customers may be interested in your company, but are not sure exactly what types of products and services that you provide. Letting them browse your site before they contact you can cut down on the time that you spend on those that are not interested in what you have to sell, and allows you to focus on those that are interested in your products.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Is A Home Business Right For You?

When it comes to being self employed and running your own home based business, the fact is that you will work longer hours than you ever did for your employer. However, the main difference is that those who are self employed are being paid for work they really love to do. Every day more and more people decide to start their own home based business, allowing them to take control of their lives and income. Although, an even greater number of people who want to own their own business doesn't think it is for them. Often these people don't have the drive and determination that it takes to move from employee to employer.

When people do go into self employment they will set a variety of goals for themselves, each person will select different goals based on their expectations and desires. The goal you set for your business will be a strong influencing factor into every business decision you make along the way. Everything including the structure, legal form, marketing strategy, aggressiveness and even your products and services.

One of the main reasons why many choose self employment is for economic goals. Some want to increase their income and while there are risks associated with self employment the pay out is often worth it. Others use self employment as a means to replace earnings if they lose their job from downsizing. Yet others choose self employment to augment family income when situations change in their households.

Another goal for many self employed individuals is retirement. Starting your own business can be an excellent way to provide a nice nest egg before you retire. Many feel that if they are in charge of their own income then they can do a better job of ensuring their future and making sure they have the right money for their retirement. Some today even choose to prolong their career in order to start their own businesses.

Others will choose self employment for personal goals. While these people are thankful for the income that their business provides they are really driven by their own personal agenda and put more value in doing things by themselves. This allows people to have freedom in making their own decisions and not having to be subject to a bureaucracy. Often people will turn to self employment when they feel that their employers are not properly valuing their ideas and that they can start doing things their way with their own business. This allows them to make their living doing what they really want to do rather than working their whole life doing something they don't want to do. Flexibility is often a big influencing factor for these individuals.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Choosing Products for an E-Commerce Site

One of the popular home businesses today is that of maintaining an E-Commerce site. Depending on the products that you sell or promote, you can have quite a lucrative business in this area without having to do anything more than promote your site. You don't need inventory, and you don't have to ship any of the products-that is done for you. It's so easy that someone who has never run a business before will quickly learn how to operate one of these sites.

In the majority of cases, you contract with a company that already has an E-Commerce site, and they provide you with a "mirror" site of theirs with your own codes and URL. You are responsible for promoting the site, but you will not be handling the shipping or maintaining of inventory. For someone who has a busy lifestyle and has things they like to do without being tied down to a desk, this is a perfect business. You don't have to sit at your computer waiting for someone to buy something because it will be automated for you, including the installation of credit card links. The only thing you will have to do is promote your site so that you will have a steady flow of visitors in order to be ensured constant traffic and sales. You will receive a commission from those who purchase products from your site. This is not the only type of E-Commerce site though.

You may also choose to use your personal or business website to post links and banners from companies with whom you have agreed to be an affiliate such as Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and thousands more. In exchange for posting their banners on your site, they will pay you for click throughs that create a sale. These are not as profitable as an E-Commerce site as described above unless you generate a great deal of traffic as some of the companies only pay perhaps ten cents a sale. On the other hand, some others such as ClickBank pay much higher. If you have the time to promote your site, you may generate enough traffic to make it worthwhile.

Promotion is the key issue with an E-Commerce site whether it's a mirror site or affiliate programs. The amount of money you make is directly related to how much time you spend promoting your site and how visible your site is. With good promotion, your site will be highly visible and allow you enough visitors to afford you a reasonable income. How much you make depends on the scope of your site and your target audience, so it's not something you can guess ahead of time-you have to do the work first and reap the benefits later.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

All Season Home Businesses

When you are first starting out you may have an idea or two of what you want to sell, but you might not have thought of the changes in the seasons and other important factors that can affect your sales, and ultimately the success of your business. Hence, it is important to consider whether or not you can really consider your business an all-season business or not.

One good example of a business that may struggle throughout the year except for one month is a costume store. During October and around Halloween, these businesses can make huge profits, but during the other eleven months, they may struggle just to keep the doors open. On the other hand, an example of a year-round business is an interior design business. People are always looking for new ways to decorate their homes, especially as the season's change, so if you have the skills needed, this could really be the best decision you've ever made.

To decide whether or not your business can be considered year-round, think about the different activities, services, and products you partake of throughout the year. If your business idea falls into only one or two seasons or months, it is time to expand your plan, or modify it. For instance, if you wanted to open a business selling skateboarding gear, you should know that it is useless to try to sell skateboards while there is snow covering the ground. However, you could always expand your business plan to include both skateboarding and snowboarding gear so you are covering the entire year.

Once you have an idea of what it will take to market your business throughout the year, you can start to create a better plan for operating your business. Having all of your ideas set out from the beginning, it is a lot easier to plan ahead for possible downfalls and scenarios, and adjust for them accordingly. This will save you a ton of trouble that you otherwise might have realized at the last minute. It is much better to be prepared than to be caught blind and grasping for strategies to keep you above water.

In the end, knowing what it will take to keep your business productive through all twelve months is one major key to starting a successful business. If you have a plan ahead of time, and you budget for the costs of integrating all of your business plans into one, you will be much more successful during the months that your primary product may not be bringing in the dough. Make sure you think about all of the factors that can affect your sales throughout the year, not just the change in seasons, and make sure you have a plan to counteract their harmful effects on the productivity and growth of your new business.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Tips to Make Home Based Business a Success

What type of business you operate from the home is totally up to you, but there are certain things that you will need to do to help insure its success. While a vision of living large comes immediately to mind for many who choose to run their own home-based business, they often forget that it is a business. Running a home business often gives people the misunderstanding that they can dictate every part of their operation and while there are many aspects of a home business in which they are completely in charge, customers and clients will also have input on many functions.

The first thing needed to run a successful home business is a set schedule. It may be easy to stay up late to watch a movie and repeatedly hit the snooze button on your alarm clock, but when dealing with clients over the phone you really do not want them to think their early morning phone call rousted you from a sound sleep. While having a lot of free time may be appealing and taking naps in the middle of the day may be attractive, keeping regular hours is important to any business.

Make sure your office is only used as an office. In addition to the tax benefits of carving out a space used strictly for work, you will also have the feeling when you walk into the room in the morning that it is time to go to work. Similarly, when the day is over and you leave the office you need to feel as though you have gone home for the day. Just as you want to keep family distractions out of the office, you need to keep work distractions out of the rest of the house.

Being professional in all business dealings when in your home office will help preserve your image as a business owner. If you cannot afford a separate telephone line for the business, during your normal business hours answer the phone in a professional manner.

Unless your business is the field of dreams, simply building it will not guarantee customers will show up. Advertising ad marketing is essential to any business, even those run exclusively online. Chances are there is no sign in front of your home that indicates you are open for business, inviting passers-by to stop in and see what you have to offer. The only way anyone knows you are there is through advertising.

Build a website, even if you will not be conducting any business online. It can serve as your web-based sales pamphlet and include information about you, your experience and your business. Including prominent contact information on the first page of your website is a key to obtaining more business, but you should also have a contact form available for people to simply send in a request for information or for answering questions.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Verify Insurance To Cover Your Losses

Most homeowner or renter insurance policies will not cover equipment or supplies used in connection with the operation of a business in the home. Your insurance company will want a separate rider on your policy to cover loss or damage to your business-related equipment. Additionally, if you invite customers or clients into your home for business, if they get hurt while on your property there's a good chance your liability policy isn't going to pay the bills.

Protecting yourself against potential liability should be a consideration for people operating a home business. Persons who perform work for others in their home or place of business find that insurance is a necessary part of doing business and unless you can show proof of insurance, most companies won't let you in the front door. You should have the same opinion about those who do business with you.

Another consideration for operating a business, in the home, out of the home or even as a free-standing business is insurance that protects you against the loss of business through no fault of your own. For example, there is a major storm and while you suffer no damage or loss at your home or place of business, you may be forced to close due to lack of electricity or gas for heat for several days. Business interruption insurance can help keep other bills paid while you sit idly by waiting for the power to come back on.

Depending on the policy you choose and what the insurance company is willing to write, it will usually require detailed records about your earnings history. When you make a claim for loss of the ability to conduct business, you will have to prove what your history of income has been for a certain amount of time. Many business interruption policies will want to see at least one quarters worth of records, or 13 weeks, to make a determination of what their liability may be.

They also will want this broken down by day. For example, it may not be enough to show that your business has averaged $1,000 a day for the past 13 weeks. If you're out of business on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, they will want to see the average income for the past 12 Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If the bulk of your income is realized only during the weekend, you may be disappointed in the insurance company's claim pay out.

Your home car insurance also may not cover you if you use your private vehicle for business purposes. If you are delivering an order to a customer that is business-related and if you wreck your car or worse injure someone else, your insurance company may refuse the liability unless your policy includes business use of the vehicle.

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