08.05.04
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:00 am by admin
The Art of Knowing When To Say When
By DeAnna Spencer
When running your own business it is important that you develop the wisdom to know when to say when. It’s important to realize that there are actually other things in life that you need to pay attention to.
For example, I know this may come as a surprise to some of you, but you are human and sometimes you need to take breaks to do things like eating and sleeping.
Don’t forget about that family of yours.
They need to see more than the back of your head. After all, didn’t you start this business so you could spend more time with them?
Also, don’t be afraid to give yourself breaks
just to veg out.
It’s really easy to become a victim of information overload
these days. Do some fun things online.
There’s nothing wrong with taking some time out to just play some games or whatever it was you used to do before you started trying to make some money online.
Oh yeah, don’t forget to bathe. 
I know it sounds silly, but sometimes we need to be reminded of such things. If you have to schedule these types of breaks on your computer to remind yourself, then do just that.
Sometimes I amaze myself when I calculate how long I’ve been on the computer at one time.
Get up and stretch. Get outside(unless the smog alert is code orange).
Play with your dog. Play with your cat.
Read something totally non-business related.
I know it sounds hard, but I know you can do it.
You’ll be much more productive when you allow
yourself to take a break.
Okay, break over. Let’s get back to work.
DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this small business resource today.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 12:00 am by admin
Resume Tips To Take You From SAHM to WAHM
By Kim Bauer
When looking for a telecommuting position, it is very important to have your resume in tip-top
shape. This is often the only thing that a potential employer has to base a hiring decision on
since they most likely will not be interviewing you in person, your resume has to make that
great first impression for you.
When your resume comes across the fax line or is opened in an email, it needs to be presented as
professionally as possible. Besides the obvious typos and misuse of words, your resume needs to be
highly organized and make a great impression as quickly as it reaches your potential employers
hands. With some organizational skills and a little work your resume can be the one that stands
out.
Where should you start, I would suggest starting with a list of your skills. Most people would
probably not start in that manner but I think that it gives you a more positive basis to work from.
When I speak of skills, I don’t just mean how many words you type or that you can operate a hundred programs on your computer. Use skills from volunteering with every organization from the school PTO to your church. You might be surprised when you really stop and think of everything that you learned while being an officer in the PTO or organizing the volunteers for the Little League concession stand. All of these are skills can be effectively used when organizing your resume. Not only do they require leadership and organizational skills but an ability to work
well with others.
Now that you have your skills listed, you should be pretty proud of yourself. Sometimes making
a list of your attributes is the hardest part. We should all know what year we graduated and when
we finally got the nerve to resign from that dreaded 9-5 office position.
Next, I would recommend making a list of all previous positions with your job title as well
as a brief description. Make sure that you use some “key words” that will easily grab the attention
of the eyes scanning your resume. If you don’t have a solid work history , I would recommend a functional resume format. The functional format highlights your skills rather than the time line of your work history.
Remember to see your resume as a marketing tool. On a billboard you only get a few key words to
catch the attention of the traffic speeding by. Your resume needs to serve the same purpose. It
needs to spark the interest of the potential employer so that they will want to know more about you
and your assets. That is how you land the interview.
Kim Bauer is the President and Founder of www.wah-101.com
A Work at home web site that focuses on researching and providing legitimate telecommuting job
leads to her members. Keeping parents with their children physically while providing for them
financially is the goal.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 12:00 am by admin
How You Can Transform Frequent Flyer Miles and Hotel Points They Earn Into Dream Trips of a Lifetime
By Theo Brandt-Sarif
The best free room I ever had? There have been many, but one that comes to mind is the six-night stay my family and I enjoyed at the Park Hyatt in Tokyo. Incredibly, there was no check-in desk. As we entered the hotel, we were ushered straight to our room on the 40th floor by elevator, where we walked through the elegant lobby marveling at the spectacular views over Tokyo. Only after we were situated in our room did a staff person visit us. We signed the necessary paperwork in about 2 minutes—all from the luxury and comfort of the desk in our own room.
The amenities alone made our stay memorable. The huge bathroom greeted us with marble everywhere, while a giant tub invited us to sit, soak, and relax. Not only were the best shampoos, conditioners, and lotions provided each day, but also a new, top-of-the-line hairbrush and nailbrush. We lounged in complimentary silk kimonos and donned thick bathrobes after using the pool and spa—just a quick elevator ride away on the 52nd floor amid a dazzling 360-degree view of Tokyo.
For all of this, we paid absolutely nothing, not even room tax. But, as we all know, there is no such thing as “free.” It actually took 21 paid nights at Hyatt Hotels, using a promotional offer, to earn enough hotel points for that five-night complimentary stay.
But here is the key point: When you accrue hotel points or intend to use some promotion toward free nights, make the most of what they offer! Just as you would use those free nights you earn only at hotels which might otherwise be out of your budget, redeem your frequent flyer miles for the most expensive air tickets in business or first class.
Research consistently shows that almost two-thirds of all redeemed frequent flyer miles are used for free coach class trips within the US or between the US and Canada. This statistic amazes me. Because these awards usually cost 25,000 frequent flyer miles, travelers who cash them in towards domestic leisure trips—for which airfares are unusually low in today’s competitive travel market—receive a poor return on their investment. The savvy traveler can reach almost any domestic destination today in coach class for under $400 using an advance purchase ticket. With low-cost airlines such as America West now offering first class cabins for travel anywhere in the US priced under $1,000 (and frequently matched by the major competing airlines), even premium class is more affordable than ever before. Why not wait until you have accrued 100,000 to 200,000 miles and splurge on one or two premium class tickets for travel abroad?
You may argue that you want to use your frequent flyer miles quickly—before the airlines go out of business. Critics across the board are heralding the demise of all major airlines, and with it the frequent flyer mile programs savvy travelers have come to love—and hate! Countless “travel authorities” wax lyrical in newspapers and journals, and “knowledgeable” pundits on radio and TV continue to warn travelers to use up their miles quickly before they are all worthless. How utterly ridiculous….
With the exception of US Airways, which I believe will disappear from the landscape in the next few months, the majors are here to stay for the time being—so continue to accumulate frequent flyer miles and be ready to book your dream trip one day in the not-too-distant future. Will airline miles be devalued in the future? Of course they will—and so will the greenbacks in your pocket and mutual fund account, but that hasn’t stopped you going out and earning dollars each workday, has it? Get real now—the major airlines will need their frequent flyer programs for many years into the future, not only as a way to communicate with their customers, but also as a source of revenue from the thousands of businesses (banks, mutual funds, restaurants, long distance phone companies—how do we count the ways?) that offer frequent flier miles as rewards to their loyal customers. Your hotel points are even more secure, not least since the major hotel chains have not hemorrhaged money in the same manner as the major airlines. So keep earning those Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, and Starwood loyalty points to enjoy the kind of stay I describe in the opening story.
It’s really the exotic destinations—from Tahiti to Paris, Antigua to Rio de Janeiro—that should excite you, the sophisticated world traveler who lusts for the unique, the unusual, the spectacular experiences. Start imagining—and planning—the fabulous trips that will take you to a whole new level of exhilaration. Decide which portion of paradise has the highest priority on your wish list—and figure out the amount of miles you’ll need for one or two or more business or first class tickets to transform your dreams into reality. Then begin working on strategies to start racking up the miles as fast as possible to accelerate your quest toward mileage nirvana.
And bon voyage!
Theo Brandt-Sarif is editor of Lustfortravel.com and co-author of the newly-released book Guerrilla Travel Tactics, Hundreds of Simple Strategies to Save Road Warriors Time and Money. He is a frequent speaker at corporate meetings and national trade association conventions.
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Posted in Branding at 12:00 am by admin
Don’t Get Caught In the Trap: The BIG Difference Between Personal and Business Branding
By Kim A. Castle
When you’re all alone in the privacy of your home office, surrounded by your
computer, your phone and your business idea, have you ever asked yourself,
“Where’s the line between me in my business and the business in me”?
With hundreds of thousands of home-based businesses starting every year, and few
ever flourishing, the topic of branding has become hot, hot, hot. And thanks to
experts touting the need for a personal brand in sole proprietor businesses the
confusion is growing. It’s no wonder. Business… personal… personal… business–
what IS the big difference any way?
Last week, I was guiding a client (a service-based sole practioner) through the same
step-by-step process that I take every company (sole practioner, entrepreneur or a
business of any size) through to develop their brand and I noticed that as we got
deeper and deeper into the process, she was having more and more trouble coming
up with answers. The very answers that would separate her from other people
engaged the same exact business and distinctly establish her brand.
In the middle of working on the most important step in the branding process– the
brand statement–I asked her the simple question, “Why does she do business she
does?” she burst into tears. Halfway into the box of Kleenex she finally, revealed the
most amazing answer as to why she was in her chosen field in the first place.
Honestly, I think she stunned herself. We both sat silent for over a minute in awe of
the power she had tapped into with her discovery. (Don’t let anyone fool you, this is
from where the true power of branding comes.)
Then doubt reared its ugly head and like a butterfly emerging from a new cocoon, a
series of questions poured out of her: “Is this my business or is it me?” “Is why I do
what I do really that important?” “Why is it so hard for me to stand in the power of
my business and really make something of it?”
You get the picture? You may even be standing in a similar picture, even wrestling
with the same questions yourself. Bless you if you’re not. Let’s look at the
difference between ‘your business’ and ‘you the person’ and see if we can clear up
this question once and for all.
A business: (be it Niketown or Bob’s Shoe Bonanza)
Delivers a product or service to fulfill a customer need.
You:
Deliver a product or service to fulfill a customer need.
A business:
Establishes a certain value that a customer can rely on from every contact with their
product or service.
You:
Establish a certain value that a customer can rely on from every contact with your
product or service. (If not, get on it immediately!)
A business:
Communicates consistently to reach the customers that have a need for their
product or service.
You:
Communicate consistently to reach the customers that have a need for your product
or service. (If not, what are you waiting for?)
A business:
Enjoys a financial reward equal to the amount of customers that it serves, AND a
personal reward for the creator/C.E.O.
You:
Enjoy a financial reward equal to the amount of customers that you serve AND YOU
get to experience the personal reward yourself.
If you look at just these four basic, bottom-line points, the difference between a
business and you as a sole business owner is… nothing; unless you count the added
bonus of you getting a financial AND personal reward.
At the start of every single business, throughout history, there has never been a
separation between the person starting it and the business itself. If you asked any
business figure-head today, Bill Gates of Microsoft, or Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, or
if they took over a company like Meg Whitman for Ebay, or Carly Fiorina for Hewlett-
Packard, they would tell you that there is no difference in who ‘they are’ and what
‘they bring’ to their business. Why? Because there’s no room for a difference. It’s the
alignment that makes it possible to reach the highest of the heights.
It’s challenging enough to make any business succeed. It’s tough enough to make
any business reside in the mind of a customer. Why would you remove the very
power of ‘you’ in every shape and form from your business?! Why not every day do
the thing that moves you the most? You are the only thing that sets your business
apart– you just need a process of tapping into your power, connecting it to your
business, and a systematic way of communicating it to your customers over and
over and over again.
When developing your amazing business as a brand, throw the doors wide open.
Create it as you would if you were reaching millions. You can always decide exactly
how many millions later. Thinking of your brand as just a ‘personal’ one will do the
opposite. Keep it small.
If you work for yourself, be it your own business, network marketing, or even an
agent/broker condition under a corporate umbrella, you are the CEO of
your business. Every CEO brings themselves personally to their business. The great
ones bring every thing they are to their creation, every moment.
The majority of our lives are spent doing what we call work. As an entrepreneur or
business owner, you have the wonderful opportunity to make it more. Make it your
creation. Think of yourself as the Creator of an Entrepreneur Organization. When
you wake up tomorrow, instead of saying to yourself, “I’m going to work” say “I’m
going to create.” And the operative word is I’m. The true power of really making
something in your business will come from investing in it the most valuable
commodity you have– you.
There is no separation on the road to big business success: just because you’re
personally on it. True big business success comes to those who know, it’s not
just business– it’s personal too.
Written by Kim Castle, the Co-founder of BrandU™ — the home of only step-by-
step process for developing your business as a brand from the inside out!
To get information on upcoming BrandU one-day workshops: http://www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13“>http://
http://www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13
Get your Why You?!(sm) monthly ezine for easy-to-read tips and informative
insights on branding. To subscribe: http://www.whybrandu.com/
“BrandU™ — Big Business Success No Matter Your Size”
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Posted in Marketing at 12:00 am by admin
The Silver Bullet For Success: Revealed
By Kim A. Castle
Looking for the magic formula or the whiz-bang approach that will unlock your
business success? Are you willing to pay hundreds for it? How about thousands?
Guess what, you are not alone.
Just as people, for ages, have searched for the fountain of youth, entrepreneurs and
small business owners around the world are looking for the silver bullet for success: that one sure-fire way to achieve the success that they want without doing a thing.
This demand for this magic “success” pill has grown even more desperate and confusing. This need, especially for entrepreneurs, is understandable; time is limited, budgets are not yet created and… lives are at stake… yours.
Well you can rest easy. Your search is over. Are you ready for the answer? There is
no silver bullet…. or is there?
While speaking at seminars around the country with dozens of other experts in their
field, I’m amazed at the amount products that can… and will…help business owners
create more successful businesses. I mean we’re one of them. The plethora of
information available today is astounding and often… overwhelming.
This hit home a few weeks ago while I was speaking at a multi-day seminar for
small business owners. I was honored to be among a select few outstanding experts
speaking about marketing for small business owners. I watched the confusion grow
in the audience as program after program (mine included) was rolled out throughout
the three days, as the business owners tried to determine which product best served
their need at that particular moment.
I watched them. No, I studied them. And, my heart went out to them… mostly
because I’m just like them. I’m just like you– a small business owner with a vision
for my business and looking for help to accomplish it. While some people at this
seminar invested in a product that met their biggest problem at that specific time,
some didn’t at all. Often these purchased products are listened to for a short period
of time; some are even applied… for a short period of time. These tools are often
relegated to a closet or bookshelf– abandoned for another new tool at another
seminar at another time. Thus begins a vicious cycle that leaves the purchaser
feeling empty, without the business power they were looking for in the first place. I
refer to this to as “shelf-help”–serving only the shelf that these products sit on.
Watching and talking to these business owners… no wonder they wanted the silver
bullet.
And even though my business success tool, BrandU, breaks down the powerful
brand development process into a easy to follow step-by-step system, once in a
very blue moon one of my students finds themselves sitting with the power they got
from creating their brand asking “Is this it?” ”Am I done?” “Where’s my success?”
While they carefully chose, and found value in, BrandU what they really wanted
was… yep that’s right… that darn silver bullet.
The bottom line is no matter how much external work you do, learning and
application, emulating and testing, there is no single silver bullet to assist you
reaching your success goals. Success is more like silver buckshot– a shower of
focused impact full hits. These focused efforts can be distilled down to four major
“pellets” or keys of success:
• Deliver Value.
This may sound overtly obvious for most of you, however you must always think of
your customer first and be sure that you are delivering the most helpful and
valuable content.
• Consistency. Consistency. Consistency.
You just can’t get away from this key– and you shouldn’t. Everything you say,
write, show and do must support your vision and your… brand. In your
presentations, your e-mails, your web site, your content, your marketing materials.
The ability for your customer to completely experience your brand depends on
consistent communication from you. Only then, will they value you.
• Finish What You Start.
Once you commit to yourself, a partner, your staff, a client or customer always
follow-through– to a fault. The corollary of follow-through is under-promise and
over-deliver. Set and keep expectations where they belong– calm, reliable and
consistently in-favor of the other party. You will be rewarded.
And finally,
• Own Your Power.
Now for the most misunderstood key. You’ve heard it stated in a number of ways.
To us it means know your power and own the path you travel on and the results you
get from it. If your “inner house” is built on a solid foundation, it is imperative that
your own the power you know you have. No confusion, no avoidance, no
‘victimhood’ and no excuses. Be a voracious learning sponge. Stand strong, watch
for helpers, take bold steps, lovingly adjust and stand ready to reap the rewards!
With these pellets in your shell, your silver buckshot is sure to hit your target.
Come to think about it, the four keys do have one thing in common: they are all
completely in your control. Could that mean there really is a silver bullet for
success after all? There is one true, fail-proof thing that you can depend upon for all
your business success and that thing is… you. Weld yourself wisely; your success
depends on it!
Make a plan that is supported by your vision, surround yourself with the right
people and tools that specifically support that plan and put the silver bullet that is
you in action. You will experience all the success than you can imagine.
See, it all comes down to… you.
Written by Kim Castle, the Co-founder of BrandU™ — the home of only step-by-
step process for developing your business as a brand from the inside out!
To get information on upcoming BrandU one-day workshops: http://www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13
“>http://
http://www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13
Get your Why You?!(sm) monthly ezine for easy-to-read tips and informative
insights on branding. To subscribe: http://www.whybrandu.com/
“BrandU™ — Big Business Success No Matter Your Size”
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Posted in Business at 12:00 am by admin
Make More Money Self-Publishing Special Reports
By J. Stephen Pope
1. YOU CAN DO IT! WILL YOU?
You CAN succeed in your own information empire. Self-publishing
valuable, how-to information is in great demand by people
today. In today`s busy society, people are pressed for time.
They need concise, simplified, practical information. They will
pay dearly for it if it will improve the quality of their lives.
Even if you have never written for money before, you can do so
if you apply the information in this report. Lack of formal
education should not deter you. Large sums of cash are not
required. What is required is the application of the
information in this report.
You must have more than good intentions, though. Your strong
desire to succeed, not only in making money, but in making a
difference in other peoples` lives, will motivate you. Then,
following through, you will execute your planned tasks to reach
your goal.
2. WHY IS SELF-PUBLISHED INFORMATION THE PERFECT PRODUCT?
Information can be sold on the basis of its value. For example,
if you could receive a thousand dollar tax-free grant, would you
pay ten dollars for that information? Most persons would.
They`d be $990.00 ahead. Yet, that information might fit on one
printed page. So, the cost of producing the information has
almost no relationship to the value of the information. Thus,
the potential for high markups and profits exist in this business.
Information products (unlike other hard goods like cars,
refrigerators, et cetera) are relatively light and so incur
lower shipping costs. In fact, the post office gives
preferential treatment for shipping books.
You could sell other peoples` products, but then you would not
have control over your business. At any time, your suppliers
could change their commission structure, let your competitors
sell the product, or even discontinue your relationship. If you
own your own proprietary product, your own copyrighted
information product, no one can legally sell it without your
permission. You control its production, promotion, and
distribution.
3. WHY SELF-PUBLISH SPECIAL REPORTS INSTEAD OF BOOKS?
A Special Report (sometimes called a folio) is a written
document of from one to several pages on a specialized subject
of interest to certain readers. It should be concise and
practical information of value to a particular audience. It
might be professionally bound with a cover and personalized for
the reader or it might just be a few pages stapled together or
it may even take the form of a computer file or electronic
book. This publication is an example of a Special Report.
Books and booklets must be produced in certain minimum
quantities. This is fine, when you`re well-established
financially. However, Special Reports can be produced on
demand, one copy at a time, if necessary. This means that if you
receive one order, you can publish it from your home computer by
simply printing a copy of your file.
Even if you have no computer, you could type one copy of your
report and have it photocopied as required. This results in
virtually no money being tied up in inventory. You spend money
only when you receive orders.
Books are lengthier and require more time and effort to
produce. Therefore, it will take you longer to make money from
your efforts. A Special Report, being only a few pages long on
the average, is a product you can develop and produce quickly
and economically.
Many customers will appreciate the concise treatment of a
particular subject in a Special Report. They could pay forty
dollars for a complete book on home-based businesses, but maybe
they just want information on self-publishing.
Perhaps they have already bought books on How To Publish Your
Own Book, but the area of Special Reports wasn`t really
covered. For a few dollars (and often for considerably less
expense than a book), they can get the essential information
they need to accomplish their goal.
If time is money, then your customer will really appreciate your
to-the-point consideration of his selected subject. You are not
being paid by the word; you are being paid for results.
As you write further Special Reports in your area of expertise
and interest, you will find you will have a number of products
to sell, instead of just one. Then, you will have diversified
your income, having developed multiple income sources. Instead
of making money only when you are working, these products could
generate passive income for years to come. While on vacation or
while sleeping, orders could be coming in for these products you
developed.
As well, a series of Special Reports or folios on related
subjects could be combined later to produce a book. If, for
example, you produced twelve different folios on various ways of
making money from self-publishing, they could be combined in a
book on the same subject.
Thus, Special Reports can be used as the basis for creating
other information products, such as books, booklets, audio
cassettes, videos, courses, software, speeches, website content,
electronic books, business kits, and so on. The more products
you have and the more choices you offer your customer, the more
income streams you will generate for yourself.
4. WHAT SHOULD YOU WRITE ABOUT?
Of course, it is natural that you would want to write about
something that is of interest to you. However, is what you are
writing about of interest to others? You may be an excellent
poet, but the market is very limited for poetry.
On the other hand, practical and simple “how-to” information
sells. As an example, you presumably bought this report to
accomplish a number of objectives. First of all, you wanted to
make more money. Secondly, you wanted to learn how to create
valuable information of use to others, so that they could pay
you for it.
Is there a market for moneymaking information like this? You
bet there is! Just check out the business opportunity magazines
at the newstands to see that this is true. Use internet search
engines to find moneymaking or other how-to subjects and to
learn about what your competitors are doing.
The key to making money from your self-published information is
to write on a subject that is of interest and benefit to your
reader. There must be a sufficient number of persons interested
in your subject in order for you to justify the time and expense
required to undertake writing about it.
You must be able to reach these persons economically (through
the internet, magazines, or other means). Most important, what
you write should address a concern, want or need of your
reader. Provide the benefits implied in your title and
advertising. Provide good value for the money charged, and your
customers will be happy and buy other products from you.
5. HOW TO PRODUCE A SPECIAL REPORT
It is likely that you already possess information, knowledge,
and skills in areas of interest to others. Meditate on what you
already know. Sometimes we assume that other people already
know what we know. This is not the case. If this knowledge can
help others save money, increase their income, improve their
health, be better liked, improve their happiness, or give some
other important benefit, you can use this knowledge as the basis
of producing your information product.
As well as your own expertise, you can consult other sources to
add to your knowledge. Research at the public library, in
bookstores, on the internet, through personal interviews of
experts, and by taking educational courses on your chosen
subject will all help you develop additional expertise needed to
write your folio.
As for writing ability and skill, practice makes perfect. Get
constructive criticism from others. Have a friend proofread
your report. Check your grammar and spelling. Use simple
sentences. Don`t get too complicated or you`ll lose most of
your readers.
Use of a personal computer will help you immensely. Prepare
your document in text format so that you can use your
information in different formats, such as for your website, in
electronic books, for e-mailing to a printer, et cetera. If you
wish, you may export a copy of the text file you used to prepare
your own Special Report to a word processing program to format
it for printing. Only print the copies needed to fill orders.
Writing any information product requires self-discipline. You
must find a suitable time to write each day. Buy out the time
from less important activities such as TV viewing or idle
conversation. If you have specific goals and stick to them and
your schedule, you are likely to accomplish your objective of
making more money with self-published special reports.
If, for example, your goal is to produce one Special Report per
week, you will need to schedule the required time for research,
then writing, editing and corrections.
Be realistic about your goals. If you can only produce one
special report per month, don`t be discouraged. Adjust your
goals to what reasonably can be accomplished. Just think!
Producing only one Special Report per month would produce a line
of twelve different products in a year and could form the basis
of a newly published book!
6. HOW TO SELL SPECIAL REPORTS
Writing, although hard work and akin to giving birth, is only
part of the battle. Now you need to sell your Special Reports.
Remember, you didn`t just write on any subject that interested
you. You deliberately chose a subject that was marketable. You
wrote a subject others were interested in. Otherwise, you
wouldn`t be able to sell it.
Whether you use a website, magazine ads, direct mail or other
methods of advertising and promoting your Special Reports, make
sure that all your communications stress the benefits to the
target reader. They must be convinced that your folio is a
product that is needed by them and is worth the money.
Don`t forget to take advantage of free publicity for your
products. Send press releases and try to get your publication
reviewed or featured as a new product in appropriate magazines
or other media.
Special Reports can be adapted as articles that you can offer
for sale to magazines. Some consultants and professionals use
Special Reports to promote their own business and to establish
credibility as experts in a certain field.
7. THE BEGINNING OF YOUR INFORMATION EMPIRE
From small beginnings come big things. Your following through
on the information in this report could result in many
benefits. A steady production of appropriate Special Reports
will give you control and ownership of profitable products in
high demand. These products can create income for years after
they are produced. They can also form the basis of other
products: books, audio tapes, videos, courses, internet content,
software, and other salable, unique products. Establish your
credibility as a respected expert in your field.
Don`t delay; follow through. Best wishes to you in building a
profitable and enjoyable information empire!
RESOURCE BOX
J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc.,
http://www.popeconsultinginc.com/ has been helping
clients to earn maximum business profits for over
twenty-five years.
For valuable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/
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Posted in Branding at 12:00 am by admin
Branding Is Not Selling Out: IT’S SELLING IN
By Kim A. Castle
Ever see an amazing band perform and wonder why you’ve never heard of them
before? Ever see an astonishing artist on the street and wonder why isn’t their work
isn¹t in a gallery? Ever see an astounding independent film and wonder why people
all over the world don’t know about it?
Me too!
It breaks my heart to know that there are musicians, painters, sculptors, and
filmmakers everywhere starving. Starving… for their art.
Why is a branding expert like me, who mostly deals with entrepreneurs and small
business owners, addressing musicians, artists, and filmmakers? It’s simple. Artists
are the ultimate entrepreneurs.
Think about it. Some create products and look for a market; others look at a market
and create products. Every entrepreneur starts the same way! It’s the notion of
business that often trips artists up.
Creating any piece of music, art, or film, is like creating a product. I’m not
suggesting that all products, art-based or otherwise, are equal. We all know a good
product, or painting, or film or vacuum cleaner when we experience it. Its just with
some artists, imaginary barriers get created. These illusive barriers can keep them
from creating the very success they want.
All creators have the same goals: to make a good product that is useful or
meaningful, have it well liked by many people and to be paid portionally to the
market they reach. Who doesn’t want that? Making music, paintings, sculptures,
photography or film should be addressed like any business with the same attention
to the big picture, IF you want to make a great living from it. But something often
holds artistic creators back from making a great living from their art.
As usual fear is the culprit.
Artists sometimes fear that if they develop the recognition and financial success that
comes from branding from them ’selves’, their peers will think that they’ve ’sold-out’
if they ‘make it’. Fellow starving artists might say that on the surface, but what they
are really saying is that they are envious of the success that you have created. It’s
far easier to put down someone else’s success than to make it them self. What’s
more important: what your peers think OR having your ‘art’ enjoyed by as many
people as possible and having the financial freedom that comes along with it?
Another fear that may prevent artists from taking their craft mainstream is that they
think that they will lose control of it by becoming a business and, heaven forbid, a
BIG business at that. Just like the art you make, what your business becomes is in
your control. If you develop your brand based on your vision of it from the start, you
protect it from becoming something else. Business is not bad - people that run
them can make bad decisions. The power of your business is always in your hands.
The largest fear for some artists is that the very nature of getting paid, and paid
well, for their art will change it. This will then set in motion the loss of creative
connection with the ‘art’ itself. I would argue that those that get lost were not very
centered on their purpose and passion in
the first place.
It’s odd to think that financial freedom, the freedom to do whatever you want, could
cause one to lose their way. In one of our workshops, we were fortunate to have a
successful artist who was ready to take his brand to the next level. When I asked
him what does he do, he answered, ‘Whatever I want.’ Who doesn’t want that?!
With the money you get from branding your craft, you can set up systems so that it
doesn’t interfere with your focus; donate to causes, invest in real estate, create
other products/partnerships. You can even hire the people to manage it all.
Leaving you free to… create.
The bottom line is simple, everyone has control over what they do and what they
manifest, it’s just that most people haven’t been shown how. Commitment to your
‘art’ does not preclude your ability to make money from it. In fact, the more
financial freedom you create for yourself, the more art you can create. A branding
mindset is taking that control into your own hands and owning the future. And it
must truly start from the inside - from your innate talent and your grand vision for
your art. Branding your art comes down to your commitment to yourself and to the
art itself. Branding is not only slogans and TV ads; it’s the power to be who you are
and communicating it to everyone proudly.
The definition of artist:
1. somebody who creates art
2. somebody who does something with great skill and creativity
3. somebody who is very good at doing something
Nowhere does it say you have to starve to make good art or good products.
Remember that the next time a musician, or painter, or sculptor, or filmmaker you
know breaks through to success. Ask yourself, what are you really committed to?
Don’t cheat the world of your gift. Developing a
brand mindset with integrity from the inside out is guaranteed to reach more
people. Period.
If you do something that you really love, you’re really good at it, and people pay you
to keep doing it, then branding it is not selling out, it’s selling in… to you!
Written by Kim Castle, the Co-founder of BrandU™ — the home of only step-by-
step process for developing your business as a brand from the inside out!
To get information on upcoming BrandU one-day workshops: http://www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13“>http://
http://www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13
Get your Why You?!(sm) monthly ezine for easy-to-read tips and informative
insights on branding. To subscribe: http://www.whybrandu.com/
“BrandU™ — Big Business Success No Matter Your Size”
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Posted in Uncategorized at 12:00 am by admin
How To Safeguard Against Rape
By Carl Ellis
If you are a female, chances are one in ten that you will be a victim of sexual assault.
An attacker makes no distinction between race, age, appearance, or any other characteristic.
COMMON SENSE is your best defense against attack.
Because every rape is different, there is no one solution for thwarting an attack; however, keep in mind…
The attacker must have the opportunity and privacy to be able to assault you.
Be aware of your surroundings
Walk and talk with confidence
Don’t look or act like a victim
Have a plan in mind of what you will do if ever attacked
If you are attacked, evaluate the situation and look for ways to escape.
Some women have avoided rape by talking their way out of it,
by acting crazy, or by fighting back – A kick in the groin MAY NOT work successfully – you may lose your balance If you do decide to
respond physically, remember that your first priority is to get away
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO DO ANYTHING NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. Don’t worry about hurting the attacker.
YOUR safety and escape are the ONLY things you should worry about
Act quickly and decisively to throw the attacker off guard in your escape plan
After An Attack
Seek IMMEDIATE medical attention. Do NOTHING ELSE until you do this.
PRESERVE THE EVIDENCE, ie., Don’t change your clothes, wash off, or disturb the scene of the crime.
You call, or have the medical facility call the police immediately.
If the above steps are not available to you, at least Get to a safe place and follow the steps above as soon as you can.
Medical attention is vital!
Many hospitals provide free care for rape victims and offer venereal disease treatment.
REMEMBER: Even if you don’t get immediate help, follow-up tests for venereal disease (VD) are essential.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, be embarrassed to seek help. Though, it might be difficult to talk about, it is vitally important to tell the doctors what sex acts took place so they will know what medical attention is needed
Try to remember, even in the smallest detail, your exact experience, to assist the police.
It is extremely important that you give an accurate and complete description of your assailant.
Your complete cooperation with all authorities may help, not only in more attacks by your assailant, but in a swift capture and justice.
MEDICAL CONTACTS
___________________________________
___________________________________
Carl Ellis operates a home-based publishing company. You may purchase his entire 44-page e-book, “600 Tips & Pointers To Keeping Yourself, Your Home, and Your Loved One’s Safe” for the Special Price of just $9.00 by simply emailing for further details: cellis45308@yahoo.com
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Posted in Business at 12:00 am by admin
Work at Home Business Ideas
By J. Stephen Pope
Here are some excellent businesses that you can
start, operate and grow from your home. All these
work at home businesses have the following desirable
features:
**Low Startup Costs
**Ease of Entry
**High Income Potential
**Home Based and Operated
**Worldwide Sales Potential
**Residual, Recurring and/or Passive Income Potential
1. Consulting
A consultant is someone expert in a field who, for a fee,
advises businesses or individuals on various matters of
concern.
Many times we tend to feel that our knowledge, skills
or abilities are nothing unique. However, many lack
those same assets and would gladly pay us for our
knowledge and services.
Although it is possible to make a living from consulting
with individuals, the big money is in performing services
for businesses.
Do you have knowledge of bookkeeping, accounting, tax or
similar business matters? Some have made excellent money
specializing in small business consulting.
Are you a computer hobbyist with business or internet
experience? You could make money in web design, internet
marketing, search engine optimization, or some other
specialty.
Some lawyers have combined their legal experience with their
love of the Internet and specialized in intellectual
property and computer law.
For further information and resources about consulting,
visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/consulting.html
2. Finding
A finder is someone who, for a fee, finds something
needed by a business or individual. A finder`s fee
is the amount paid to the finder for locating what
was required.
Finder`s fees are paid for finding money (loans,
equipment leasing, et cetera), equipment (mining,
construction, et cetera), personnel, companies for
sale, locations (fast food franchises, vending
machines, et cetera) and just about anything else
that people are willing to pay for.
Simply match sellers with buyers and you can earn
finder`s fees.
For further information and resources about finder`s fees,
visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/finder.html
3. Auctions
An auction is an event where items are sold to the highest
bidders. An internet auction, online auction or e-auction
is an auction where you can buy and sell items on the
Internet.
Many thousands now make their living or fortune from
selling products and services on eBay and similar auction
sites. So can you!
For further information and resources about auctions,
visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/auctions.html
4. Drop Shipping
Drop shipping is a method of selling products without
stocking inventory yourself. When you make a sale you
contact the manufacturer or authorized distributor who
ships it to the customer with your invoice and shipping
label. Advantages include no warehousing, shipping, or
inventory costs.
For further information and resources about drop shipping,
visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/dropship.html
5. Affiliate Programs
An affiliate or associate program is a method of selling
products on the internet through commission sales. When
someone you refer to a website buys, the company you are
an associate of (or affiliated with) pays you a commission.
In many cases, it is also possible to make money from the
efforts of people that you introduce to the affiliate program.
You can also expand your product line by joining and
promoting more than one affiliate program.
For further information and resources about affiliate programs,
visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/affiliate.html
6. Webmastering
A webmaster is a an internet specialist reponsible for all
aspects of web sites.
Areas where businesses need assistance include web site
design, logo, banner or graphic design, web hosting,
e-commerce, internet marketing, web programming, scripts,
security, web site maintenance, copy writing, mailing list
management, and many other areas.
For further information and resources about webmastering,
visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/webmstrbus.html
7. Self-publishing
A self-publisher creates, produces, and sells information
products. Information products may be in the form of books,
booklets, videos, audio cassettes, compact disks (CDs),
electronic books, files, databases, private websites, and
other media.
The information products that you create are unique. You
have exclusive control and ownership of your own products.
For further information and resources about self-publishing,
visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/selfpub.html
8. Instant Publishing
An instant publisher sells information products produced by
someone else who grants them reprint (or resale) rights.
Often self-publishers will sell such products to complement
their own information products.
For further information and resources about instant publishing,
visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/instantpub.html
9. International Trade
International trade involves importing and exporting.
Importing involves buying goods and services from suppliers
in another country. Exporting involves selling goods and
services to customers in another country.
For further information and resources about import-export,
visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/impexp.html
10. Mail Order
Mail order is a method of conducting business through the
mail. Goods and services can be sold through direct mail
(and also via catalogues, magazines, newspapers, radio,
television, web sites, and other media). Customers can order
by mail or by other means (fax, telephone, internet, et
cetera). Delivery of orders can be made by mail or alternative
means (such as by courier for physical goods or by fax, e-mail,
telephone, or electronic files for information).
For further information and resources about mail order,
visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/mailord.html
RESOURCE BOX
J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc.,
http://www.popeconsultinginc.com/ has been helping
clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years.
For valuable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit:
http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/
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Posted in Marketing at 12:00 am by admin
Mission ‘Statement’ Impossible
By Kim A. Castle
Dant dant da da dant dant da da. Dant dant da da dant dant da da. (That’s the
theme from “Mission Impossible”…)FADE IN.
Your mission, should you chose to accept it is to create a fail-proof proclamation, a
road map, that not only serves ALL your business needs but also provides you an
endless source of fuel so you can thrive in your business. Beware of the well-
intentioned imposter called “the mission statement.” Should you choose to accept
this mission… this article will self-destruct in… you get the point.
If you’ve been is business in any sort of formal sense or have come out of a MBA or
business school, no doubt you have been told to “write a mission statement” to
assure that your business achieves the success that you want for it. So as any good
success-orientated business owners would do, you did as you were told and wrote
one; only to find yourself with a hard earned paragraph (or a page) that’s not giving
you the power you thought it would. Well no wonder, you sent the wrong agent to
do the right job.
The inherent problem with writing a business mission statement is that it’s an
external communication of what your business is about and what it could do. It’s
used to communicate your business’ mission to someone else. This power-zapping
situation has been created because you either:
a) you wrote it because someone told you that’s the way business is done,
b) OR more often than not you wrote it to prove to someone else that you deserve to
get something, usually money or some other assistance for your business. This type
of purpose is easily manipulated to paint a certain picture. Any picture you chose.
Some may teach that doing a mission statement is about communicating your
choice to others, therefore giving you the ‘illusion’ of power. Where’s the power in
the ‘illusion’? Certainly not in you, where it should be!
The mission statement communication point is focused externally on the receiver so
in essence you are giving the receiver the power of your communication. That’s
marketing! Which is all said and good if and only if your internal communication, to
yourself and your team, is built and is solid. If it’s not, creating a mission statement
only is like throwing a huge party in your penthouse when you haven’t even laid in
the concrete foundation of the building.
Don’t worry. It’s an easy fix. It’s as simple as calling that ‘mission statement agent’
back in, saving it for the right job, and training a new agent for the job.
The first and the most important part of developing any business with a big
business vision (a brand) is developing a solid, and I mean bullet-proof, brand
statement — which is your business’ internal reason to be.
in_ter_nal adj
1. located within or affecting the inside of something,
2. involving or existing within the mind or spirit
rea_son n
1. an explanation or justification for something
2. a motive or cause for acting or thinking in a particular way
3. a cause that explains a particular phenomenon
Your brand statement must be concise & clear, anchored in your passion & to your
vision of what you are bringing to the world. It is so completely anchored internally
that it actually becomes the ruler by which you measure every business decision.
(Important distinction to note is that your brand statement is an internal
communication and is not for public use.)
Without your business’ core internal brand statement firmly in place, every time you
communicate your well-intentioned mission statement, verbally or in-print, you will
essentially be giving your power away. No amount of re-phrasing or creating catchy
30-second elevator speech or “round-robins” will change that.
Makes sense doesn’t it? Without really knowing your business’ brand statement,
even shouting your mission statement off Mount Everest will still feel… empty.
I receive dozens of e-mails every day from people who’ve personal and business
lives have changed by working solely on this amazing statement.
So, you can begin today. Focus on your brand statement before of wondering why
your mission statement is serving you. You will be astonished at the power, clarity
and financial success it will bring you.
You and your business will experience the phenomenon known as financial success
when your “internal” house is in order and it provides the foundation for ALL your
external communication.
Good luck on your new mission!
Written by Kim Castle, the Co-founder of BrandU™ — the home of only step-by-
step process for developing your business as a brand from the inside out!
To get information on upcoming BrandU one-day workshops: http://www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13
“>http://
http://www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13
Get your Why You?!(sm) monthly ezine for easy-to-read tips and informative
insights on branding. To subscribe: http://www.whybrandu.com/
“BrandU™ — Big Business Success No Matter Your Size”
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