The Online Business

You already know a lot about credit cards. You've heard that consumer debt in this country-particularly credit-card debt-is at an all-time high, while our savings rate is lower than ever before. You realize that the boom in online shopping, with its absolute dependence on credit cards, is further fueling their use. You are well aware that running a balance on your plastic-and paying the unconscionable interest rates that come with it-is one of our most basic and widespread financial blunders. And you suspect that the sheer volume of direct-mail credit-card solicitations with low teaser rates must be devastating the forests of northern Idaho.

Still, credit cards are a fact of 21st century life, and it only makes sense to understand how to use them wisely. While it's probably impractical to keep all plastic out of your wallet, it is prudent to limit the number of cards you have, and, of course, to pay all balances in full every month. Indeed, having only a traditional American Express card, which doesn't allow you to carry a balance, can be an excellent way to impose fiscal discipline on you and your family-although, as the Visa ads point out, not everyone accepts American Express. For the rest of us, who do occasionally dabble in credit-card debt, here are a few ways to keep your habit under control.

1. Take advantage of frequent-flier programs tied to credit cards, but keep in mind that interest payments on a high balance can quickly turn "free" flights into outrageously expensive ones. At a dollar per mile, running up a debt of 25,000 may get you a plane ticket, but it will also saddle you with $4,500 in yearly interest payments, assuming an 18% annual rate.

2. Look very closely at credit-card offers before you bite. Obviously, most of those 2.99% and 3.99% rates will be in effect for only a few months. But there may be other catches as well. Making a late payment, even if it arrives only a day after it was due, may immediately trigger a permanent rate hike. Also, low initial rates sometimes apply only to transferred balances, and you could get charged a fee for making the transfer. Check, too, to see whether there is an annual fee, or charges for exceeding your credit limit or even for closing an account.

3. Avoid amazing grace-period tricks. What you're looking for is a provision that says you'll never be charged interest as long as you pay your bill in full by the due date. But some cards have no grace period, calculating interest from the moment you make a purchase, while others give you only a limited time after making a charge before interest is imposed. That period of 20 days or so may end before your payment is due.

4. Don't forget to cancel cards you no longer use. If you don't, they'll show up on credit reports, and that could be a problem, particularly if you're applying for a home mortgage. Your would-be lender may be reluctant to make a loan to someone who has a cumulative credit-card limit of $50,000, $100,000, or even more.

There are a few secrets that I'd like to share with you.  You may have been privy to a few of them before.  Actually you may have heard of all 4, but I can promise that you will finish each article with a fresh perspective.  I will show you how 4 simple secrets can create a powerhouse web business.  This is the first part of the 4 article series.

Before I divulge the vault of successful web business secrets I must warn you of one thing.  All the information in the world will not take the place of determination and persistence.  A web business is just like an offline business.  It takes hard work and resolve to succeed.  However working smart is heads and tails better than plain old working.  These 4 secrets will turn any smart working, dedicated average Joe or Jane into a successful web business owner.

Web Success Secret #1) Content is king.

Heard that before?  I know I have.  The thing I never knew was how to use content to my advantage.  Content is useless unless it is optimized for the search engines.  It must also be optimized for your reader.  You have two customers- readers and search engines.  You must satisfy both with the same exact content.

Content is king only if you have exact and highly specific keywords placed in correct locations.  Unfortunately the hard part is determining what keywords to use.  A keyword can be a single word or a phrase.  It is the term that web surfers use to search for information.  Place yourself in their shoes and try to discover what search terms they use.  You must then evaluate the search term.  How many people search using that term?  How many sites already deliver information on that search term?  Simple demand and supply rules.  The more demand with the less supply equals more profitability.

You have several options for determining keywords and their profit potential.  Search yourself, pay a company to search for you or have your hosting company do a complete keyword search for your niche or web business topic.  If your hosting company does not offer this service I recommend you switch to a plan that does.  This feature alone can make or break your business' future.  If you would like my recommended hosting plan, please contact me.

Without a proper keyword search and analysis you may as well forget about becoming successful with an Internet business.  Investing in this one secret is literally the start of planning your website.

Your next action step is to plan your site layout based on the 50-175 high-demand and low-supply keywords. Your site should be structured in three tiers.  Tier one is your home page.  Tier two is made of all of your main topics and also constitutes your navigation bar buttons.  Tier three keywords are sub-topics of tier two pages.  Organize your 50-175 keywords into three tiers.  Doing this makes it easier for visitors to navigate through your site and it makes it easier for search engine spiders to find all of your pages.

Search engine spiders do not like to fish around for all of your pages and links.  This is why many sites offer a “site map”.  A site map is one page that contains links to all of the content pages.  This is a fine route to take; however most people agree that pages with a lot of links on it are valued less than content pages that casually link to other content pages.

Using three tiers allows you to go from topic to sub-topic to sub-sub-topic all by natural in-content links.  For example, tier 1 is the homepage on a fitness site.  Tier 2 is a page all about cardio activity and its benefits.  A tier three page off of that tier 2 page is about different treadmill routines.  Do you see how the site visitor would like this structure?  They click on “Cardio” and are given links to more specific pages about cardio topics.  Search engine spiders like the three tier structure too.  It means they do not have to dig through layers and levels of useless links.

There is even more to content than finding profitable keywords and structuring your site into easy-to-navigate tiers.  You must optimize each and every page on your website to perform well and rank high at search engines.  Many people devote their working life to optimization secrets.  A full length article just on optimizing is possible.  Heck, a full length book is possible.  My recommendation is to use a hosting company that automatically teaches you how to optimize web pages for the engines.  Doing that will cause less headache and frustration and it will keep you focused on building content.

A quick education in optimization: place your specific keyword in the file name, title, description and keyword section of your page.  Then sprinkle the keyword throughout the content.  Also provide a link using your specific keyword in the link text.  If all of this has you spinning your head, I recommend going the hosting company I use.  They literally teach you to build a website using blocks.  It’s all simple and easier than you think.

There is one last piece to content.  It must effectively pre-sell your product or service and position you as the expert in your field.  When your website has 50-175 optimized pages for your visitors to read through it will start to position you as the expert.  Your site will become known as the place for information about (insert your niche).

When visitors find your site through search engines they are seeking information about a problem or question they have.  If they land on your site and you try to sell them something right away one thing is sure- they click the back button and find another site that will give them information.  This is why pre-selling your product or service is paramount.  Give your visitors what they want.  Answer their question and in the process let them know about your services and products.

All of the information develops rapport and trust with your site visitor.  It positions you as an expert.  It keeps your visitor on your site longer since they are actually reading content.  Search engines notice this and rank you better.  How well your site can keep visitors is known as "stickiness."  Your site must attract and keep visitors for as long as possible.

Provide content that pre-sells your products, positions you as the expert and focuses on highly profitable keywords.  You cannot go wrong with your web business if you do those things.  The secret to content is to satisfy both your visitor and search engines.  Lose one or both and you are doomed.  As I mentioned earlier, it is best to work smarter and not harder.  Your hosting company should be providing most of these services to you free of charge.  There are a small few that do this, but it is well worth the investigation.  Contact me for further resources and information.  Having a successful web business starts with effective content.  Stay tuned for parts 2-4!

Debt is a way of life for many Americans. We owe money on our homes, our cars, our possessions (from furniture to clothes), and our education. Many Americans are so mired in debt they aren't even sure just how much they owe and to whom -- even worse they sometimes don't even remember just what caused their debt.

Some debt is good for you. For example, what you owe on your home can provide a nice way to balance out your income tax. A little debt is not a bad thing either as making regular payments to various creditors helps build your credit rating which makes it easier for you to obtain loans at good rates. However the truth is that most Americans have more than a little debt -- and many owe far too much money and are already, or soon will be, in financial trouble as a result.

Finding yourself owing a lot of money is not the end of the road and you can stop your cycle of debt by taking four positive steps to break the cycle.

First, attack your high-cost debts. This likely includes credit cards where you may be paying high minimum payments and high interest rates. Pay off the balances on credit cards carrying the highest interest rates first. Continue making your minimum payments for lower-interest cards but concentrate on paying off the highest interest. When the high-cost cards are paid off then work to eliminate the balances on your other cards.

Second, reach out to your creditors. If you are going to be late or have difficulty paying your minimum payments then contact the credit card company. Even if you can make all your payments in a timely fashion there are two benefits you can reap from contacting the card issuer. First, you may be able to negotiate lower rates or more favorable terms. Second, they might be able to recommend alternatives that can minimize damage to your credit rating.

Third, consolidate your debts as much as possible. You can accomplish this a number of ways. One possibility is simply transferring balances from one credit card to another with a lower rate, but be aware of transfer fees before choosing this option. Another possibility, if you own your own home, is to take out a home-equity loan or line of credit which should have a lower interest rate than most credit cards can offer as well as offering tax deductions. Finally, you can also consider a secured loan offering the value in another form of property, your vehicle for example.

Fourth, don't sacrifice your retirement savings. Obviously paying off your debt should be a high financial priority but cutting what you save for retirement to do so may not be the wisest course -- especially if that becomes a long term habit or if you are losing out on your employer's matching funds as a result. Perhaps you may be able to borrow against (or from) your retirement funds at a lower interest rate which will allow you to continue to save for retirement while also getting out from under your debt.

While owing money may well be the American way it can also be a tremendous burden to bear. You can shed the weight of your load or at least trim it down to a more manageable level by taking these four steps.

Getting out of debt can be a long, drawn out process. If you spent years wrestling with financial problems, the solution will not come to you overnight. It can take months, even years to unravel debt difficulties but it can be done. You have some options to help you get started; let’s take a look at four of them:
1. Credit Counseling. Credit counseling companies are vying for your business. This can be a good option as you shop around to find the best plan out there, but bad as you learn that many companies will charge exorbitant fees or do work for you that you can do yourself. Some government agencies and nonprofit firms provide credit counseling too. For little or no money you may be able to find a professional who can help you navigate through your debt dilemma.
 
2. Debt Consolidation Loan. Replace your high interest credit cards with one, low interest rate credit card. You could also see if a lending institution will give you a debt consolidation loan. However, you may have to pay for an application fee, whereas with a credit card you would not.
3.Home Refinancing. Even with rising interest rates, refinancing your mortgage may make sense and allow for you to save hundreds of dollars per month on mortgage payments. With the monies saved  with a new, lower mortgage payment you could use your savings to pay off your other debt.
4. Cash Out. Alternately to home refinancing, you may have enough equity in your home to cash out and pay off your debt. Importantly, although credit card debt is not tax deductible, a home equity loan is. Ultimately, you can reduce your debt as well as reduce your tax obligation by cashing out.

You have some viable solutions to help you reduce your debt. Learn all you can about each option and select the plan that is right for you.

A carpenter uses a set of house plans to build a house. If he didn’t the bathroom might get overlooked altogether.

Rocket Scientists would never begin construction on a new booster rocket without a detailed set of design specifications. Yet most of us go blindly out into the world without an inkling of an idea about finances and without any plan at all.

Not very smart of us, is it?

A money plan is called a budget and it is crucial to get us to our desired financial goals.

Without a plan we will drift without direction and end up marooned on a distant financial reef.

If you have a spouse or a significant other, you should make this budget together. Sit down and figure out what your joint financial goals are…long term and short term.

Then plan your route to get to those goals. Every journey begins with one step and the first step to attaining your goals is to make a realistic budget that both of you can live with.

A budget should never be a financial starvation diet. That won’t work for the long haul. Make reasonable allocations for food, clothing, shelter, utilities and insurance and set aside a reasonable amount for entertainment and the occasional luxury item. Savings should always come first before any spending.

Even a small amount saved will help you reach your long term and short term financial goals. You can find many budget forms on the internet. Just use any search engine you choose and type in “free budget forms”.

You’ll get lots of hits. Print one out and work on it with your spouse or significant other. Both of you will need to be happy with the final result and feel like it’s something you can stick to. 

1-Make List of Your Debts
First of all know how much deep you are in credit card debt. Many credit card holders are shocked when they know the total credit card debt to be paid. They unconsciously stay away from compiling this list. But you will have to know your total debts. List down lender name, date of debt, total amount to be paid and interest rate. Arrange list according to interest rate. Highest interest rate credit card debts should be shown first.

2-Pay Credit Card with Highest Interest Rate
Now start paying highest rate credit card first. Always pay more than minimum amount. If you are addicted to minimum payment traps then you will never be out of debt for whole of your life. Banks have arranged minimum debt trap in such way that a loan could take many years to be paid off if you are just paying in minimum amounts. Always pay more than minimum. These small extra payments will save you literally thousand dollars.

3-Start Frugal Living
For as long as you are in debt, start frugal living. Cut off your credit cards. Ask companies to not offer you more credit cards. Discard impulsive buying. Try to save every penny if possible. These few dollars added to minimum payment amounts will create a snow-ball effect towards your credit card debt payments.

When it comes to consolidating debt, the internet offers three very good options. When you want to choose between a consolidation loan, debt management, or debt settlement, it is important to have an understanding of each one so you can choose the option that is best for your needs. Many people confuse these three services, but each one brings unique aspects to the job of helping consumers pay off their debts.

Debt Consolidation Loan

A consolidation loan takes all of your high interest credit card debts and turns them into one low interest loan. Often you have to be a home owner to qualify for this type of loan. The idea behind a consolidation loan is that with a lower interest rate, you will actually be able to afford to pay on the principle and that will help you to eventually get yourself out of debt.

Debt Management

Debt management companies work with consumers to help them learn to get control of their finances. The companies teach individuals how to make a budget and stick to it and often help them make a schedule to follow for paying off their debts. Most debt management companies are non profit and exist solely to help consumers get on track. These companies don’t offer loans or negotiations and seldom work with creditors. Instead they work with you so you will have the tools to secure your financial future.

Debt Settlement

Debt settlement companies actually go to your creditors on your behalf. The work hard to negotiate with credit card companies to reduce what you actually owe. They can often lower interest rates, have penalties and late payment fees removed, and even get credit card companies to lower the balance of what you owe. Many of them will set up a system where you pay them one amount each month and then they in turn make payments to your credit card companies.

Nobody likes a bully… especially small business marketers.  If you’ve ever felt like the little guy taking punches from a heavyweight champion, you know what I’m talking about.  Big business has donned its gloves, and is waiting to put small business down for the count.

I’ve got good news!  Sometimes the little guy wins.  Heck, it isn’t easy and sometimes it’s a close call, but little guys do win and when they do… victory is sweet!

What can you do when you’re being threatened by the bully down the street?

1. Take a careful look at the Competition
Every business has its strengths and weaknesses.  You need to be aware of both… your competitors strong points, and the places where room for improvement is quite obvious.

2.  Be Flexible
Don’t expect your competitor to broadcast his next move so that you can be prepared to block it.  You’ve got to think a step ahead, and be ready to outsmart his next maneuver.

3. Use a little Judo
You don’t have to be big and brawny to successfully use Judo.  Why?  It’s an art that uses your opponent’s momentum to trip him up.  So what if you don’t have thousands of dollars to invest in a campaign.  When you’re competition has invested his tens of thousands in one, you’ll be able to make a quick about turn and counteract quickly with a smaller campaign of your own.  He’ll either forfeit his investment or continue through, but loose steam.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about your competitors that might encourage you.  Although big businesses often have a wide variety of products filling their shelves, they often don’t have depth.

Think about it this way.  You may run to your local department store and find everything ranging from make-up to camping equipment.  The problem with that?  …chances are they don’t have an extremely wide assortment of their products.

This means that if you’re an avid outdoorsman, you probably wouldn’t be satisfied choosing between two cheap brands of tents when there is an amazing variety on the market.  An outdoor related store could get one over on the big department store by offering the widest variety of fewer products in a focused field.

Another asset about being the small guy, is that it’s easier to make a quick turn.  Hey, how many managers do you have to get okays from to make a quick decision?  Think of the weeks it takes for a local department store to send a request from a customer for a certain product to the regional or national management?  Yeah, too long!

As a small business, you can have a new product on your shelves within a week.  If I were a customer wanting a new tent, I’d prefer to not wait until summer was half over to get it.

There are a lot of benefits to being the small guy.  Don’t take bullying lying down.  You have what it takes to get the best end of the stick and come out a winner.

If you have never gone to an online marketing seminar, you're missing out.

I know what you're thinking...

"Seminars are expensive."

That's true. They are. Some of 'em cost over $5,000. Even the lower-priced parties are around $2,000.

"It's a pain in the butt to attend."

Again, that's fair. In order to go, you have to get on a plane and fly somewhere. And you have to take time from your work and family to do it.

But, there are at least 3 reasons that attending seminars should be on your priority list (even if you DON'T plan to do a major product launch).


1. You Are Surrounded By Like-minded People.

Scoff if you want. But, I'm telling you, there's huge POWER in being around folks who are driven to the same goal as you are.

To this day, my friends and family don't really get what I do. They nod their heads and smile, but I can tell their eyes are glazing over.

Well, picture being at a party with a few hundred people who not only know what you do... they do it, too! You'll be amazed at how inspiring that can be.


2. You Meet People Who Inspire And Drive You.

I know it sounds flighty. But, when you're downing drinks with someone and sharing strategies back and forth about what's working, your mind ignites.

You find yourself wishing you'd brought your laptop so you can start taking action that moment!

And here's something better... you exchange phone numbers (yep, remember that thing you used to use before becoming a recluse?) and follow up with each other.

That's accountability, baby and it can drive you to major success.


3. You Remove Yourself From The Daily Routine.

Ever wake up and have trouble getting your engine started? (I'm not talking about your car here.) And if you ever DO get the thing to turn over, you can't seem to get any speed?

It happens to me all the time. I'll wake up and the day will pass without my having done one truly productive thing! It stinks.

I'll tell you why it happens to me...

I get bored of my routine! Now, don't get me wrong. Routines are good. In fact, they're CRITICAL to your success. Humans need routine.

But, it's JUST as important to get OUT of your routine. And going to a seminar does that for you. It makes you leave your boring daily routine behind.

Going to a seminar can give your brain (and motivation) the jump-start it needs.


Last Thoughts

I'm not trying to sell you on a seminar here. I'm only trying to get you to think about going to one.

There are a lot of benefits to going. Benefits that aren't always clear until you're there, in the hallways, in the bars, at lunch... talking with folks who are doing EXACTLY what you are doing.

It's empowering. It's inspiring. And chances are, one you attend a seminar, you'll be excited to go to another.

Every copywriter's nightmare. We write beautiful copy for a client, who takes one look and says, "You can't be serious! This is too sales-y...or too simple...or too different..."

And I'm reminded of the days, many years ago, when I volunteered as a Pet Adoption Counselor with the San Francisco SPCA. Looking back, I must have been training for what I do now. I had lots of enthusiasm. People often teased, “You’re selling cats!” Sure enough, many visitors went up with a crate holding a furry bundle of joy.

Our Volunteer Coordinator kept reminding us, “Don’t judge the visitors. You’re not going home with this person. The adopter who drives you crazy may be the best thing that ever happened to a dog.”

True.

And copy works the same way. We don’t judge our friends the way their dogs and cats do. And we don’t read our copy like our own customers.

I tell my own clients, “You may not like this copy. But you’re not the target market, even if you think you resemble your clients.”

Here are 3 reasons why.

1. Customers live on a different planet.

If you hang around the Internet, you develop a unique lifestyle. For instance, some of my best friends are people I’ve never met. We exchange emails and phone calls for years. My favorite web designer is an American living in Brazil.

And you hear the same promises over and over. “Bring traffic to your website.” “Attract all the clients you can handle.”

But if you’re targeting ordinary people (i.e., those who have actually met their best friends in person), many of our ho-hum phrases will seem fresh and exciting.

“Hype-free marketing? I like that,” purred an earth-dwelling prospect recently. “That’s a whole new way of looking at marketing.”

Your world may not be the Internet. Maybe you live fitness, coaching, cooking, or finance. But chances are your familiar phrases will seem fresh and exciting to your target market.

2. Customers want to be sold.

They know you’re not putting up websites and creating brochures so you’ll feel good and collect gold stars for your Permanent Records.

And if they want your service, they’re looking for reasons to say “yes.” Think of all those Madison Avenue ads with the theme, “You deserve it.” Or, “You’re worth it.” They’re giving us permission to spend our money.

As long as you’re tasteful and – drum roll – meeting their real needs, your customers will actually appreciate learning about what you offer.

Recently I was pitching my services to “Frank,” a prospective client who sells fitness services. Hesitantly, I referred him to a website I’d written for “Tom” – a financial professional who was terrified we were selling way too hard.

Frank was impressed. “This isn’t the least bit pushy. It’s so warm and friendly! Tom sounds like such a nice guy.”

We’re still talking. But when Frank sees his own fitness site, I bet he says, “Um – do you think we’re selling too hard?”

3. Customers don’t want to stop and think.

Some words and phrases slow us down. For some good examples, pick up your college textbooks and maybe a couple of academic journals. You’ll see words like “moreover,” “counterintuitive,” “although,” and more. (I know. I wrote many.)

How did you read your college textbooks? I bet you read slowly, made marginal notes and hung on tight to your yellow highlighter pen.

Alas, website visitors don’t study our copy the same way. We have to help them create highlights and move along fast.

Which gets read more:

(a) “Although you can work very hard, you may not see results for a long time.”

(b) “But you can work really hard and wait forever for results.”

Bottom Line: Expect surprises when you unveil your copy to your clients, especially if you’re new to marketing yourself and your own products. When I first wrote the title Your 21-Day Extreme Career Makeover, I cringed: Was my site becoming the virtual equivalent of a used car lot?

But my target market – professionals and senior executives – started buying. And the rest, as they say, is history

The concept is really simple, if you think about it. The publisher or the webmaster inserts a java script into a certain website. Each time the page is accessed, the java script will pull advertisements from the Adsense program. The ads that are targeted should therefore be related to the content that is contained on the web page serving the ad. If a visitor clicks on an advertisement, the webmaster serving the ad earns a portion of the money that the advertiser is paying the search engine for the click.

The search engine is the one handling all the tracking and payments, providing an easy way for webmasters to display content-sensitive and targeted ads without having the hassle to solicit advertisers, collect funds, monitor the clicks and statistics which could be a time-consuming task in itself. It seems that there is never a shortage of advertisers in the program from which the search engine pulls the Adsense ads. Also webmasters are less concerned by the lack of information search engines are providing and are more focused in making cash from these search engines.

The first reason why Adsense is essential for content sites is because it already has come a long way in understanding the needs of publishers and webmasters. Together with its continuous progression is the appearance of more advanced system that allows full ad customization. Webmasters are given the chance to choose from many different types of text ad formats to better complement their website and fit their webpage layout.

The different formatting enables the site owners the possibility of more click through from visitors who may or may not be aware of what they are clicking on. It can also appeal to the people visiting thus make them take that next step of looking up what it is all about. This way the people behind the Adsense will get their content read and making profit in the process.

The second reason is the ability of the Adsense publishers to track not only how their sites are progressing but also the earnings based on the webmaster-defined channels. The recent improvements in the search engines gives webmasters the capability to monitor how their ads are performing using customizable reports that has the capacity to detail page impressions, clicks and click-through rates. Webmasters and publishers can now track specific ad formats, colours and pages within a website. Trends are also easily spotted.

With the real-time reporting at hand, the effectiveness of the changes made will be assessed quickly. There would be time to sort out the contents that people are making the most clicks on. The ever-changing demands would be met while generating cash for the webmasters and publishers. The more flexible tools are also allowing webmasters to group web pages by URL, domain, ad type or category, which will provide them some accurate insight on which pages, ads and domains are performing best.

The last and final reason is that the advertisers have realized the benefits associated having their ads served on targeted websites. Thus increasing the possibility that a prospective web surfer will have an interest in their product and services. All because of the content and its constant maintenance. As opposed to those who are no using Adsense in their sites, they are given the option of having other people do their content for them, giving them the benefit of having successful and money-generating web sites.

Adsense is all about targeted content, the more targeted your content is, the more target the search engines’ ads will be. There are some web masters and publishers who are focused more on their site contents and how best to maintain them rather than the cash that the ads will generate for them. This is the part where the effectiveness is working its best.

There was a time when people were not yet aware of the money to be achieved from advertisements. The cash generated only came into existence when the webmasters and publishers realized how they can make Adsense be that generator. In those days, the content were the most important factors that is taken quite seriously. It still is. With the allure of money, of course.

Dear Fellow Internet Marketer,

  It is vital to create a product that will allow you to eventually expand into other markets. The goal is for the people who initiallly buy your product to also buy your next products. Since you have proven that you can be trusted by delivering a product to your clients they love it should be much easier to obtain their business when your new item hits the online marketplace. We need to understand a seed is truly important indeed. You need to see your first product as that seed.


You see this is about creating an Internet marketing kingdom, a virtual empire of products that all start with one tiny seed that is planted in the fertile soil of those hearts that are eager for your particular product. For example, I am in the process of creating a set of onlline videos where I teach students the various techniques needed to speak English. My area of expertise lies in the field of ESL(English as a second language) of which I have been blessed to have over 10 years of experience teaching to adult learners. My target market would be foreign adults who wish to learn English via video. I realize though that if I wish to branch out and sell different yet similar products later I will have to pick a product that these learners would also enjoy. This led me to recall the great end of the semester food parties in the classes that I taught where both myself and my students brought in dishes from other countries that many enjoyed. Now I know that my second product launched will be an esl cookbook with recipes submitted from actual students. The cookbook will be sold to other esl students online. Branching out even further, a cooking forum would be established as well as an online cooking class with graduates of my esl video courses eventually teaching the course. It is amazing to see how all this began from the planting of one little seed. The online esl videos seed grew to become a cookbook, an online cooking school and a cooking forum. As we all know marketing is a numbers game and the bigger number of people you have on your marketing list the better your chance of survival and dominance.


Think about your online marketing seed before you plant it. You want to plant something that will grow into something huge. When you look into the jungle you see an incredible array of trees. That is what you should want your seed to turn into. The trees in your Internet jungle will be represented by the vast amount of names on your email list who want your first and additional products. The product you create should also appeal to as many people as possible. I know those who may not be interested in esl may be interested in cooking and vice versa. I could use the cooking bait to reel in the esl fish and use the esl bait to reel in those who love cooking. When your Internet marketing seed is sown you will reap the harvest of personal freedom. This translates into having the freedom to spend time doing what is really important. Even though I am blessed to be doing well working from my home right now, my goal is to create an online marketing kingdom. God is of course the king, I am the king, my wife is the queen and my daughter is the princess. I plan to give my little girl the choice to attend college or as the princess of the family become the boss while the queen and I enjoy our travels. It all starts with that tiny Internet marketing seed. The Bible talks about having the faith of a mustard seed and what can happen if we have just a bit of faith. We have to have dreams, big dreams and seeing those dreams become realities is quite inspirational and shows that this Internet marketing thing is real. No one in your circle of naysayers can argue with your results unless they choose to be up against the truth of your success.  


Much Continued Success,

Setting a health and safety program in place will reduce costs. Having a program will reduce accidents and will lead to lower company worker’s comp premiums; further business insurance companies prefer their customers to have health and safety programs. These insurance companies might even discount the premium if a program can be proved to exist. The average cost of an accident is $68,000. Direct costs in accidents such as worker’s comp and fines levied can close a business. Indirect costs such as low morale of employees, legal fees, and retraining can be as costly if not more.

A working program will:
    1) Improve employee morale – Shows care in their well being
    2) Reduce revenue loses – Fewer accidents keeps all employees at work
    3) Give a boost to the customer – Makes sure business is operating     optimally


Small businesses that have a voluntary health and safety program in place have fifty percent less accidents and reported insurance claims than that of their counterparts according to OHSA stats. Most small businesses fall below the legal requirements for having a formal health and safety program in place due to number of employees on staff. Sixty eight percent of reported accidents are in the service industry which shows even businesses such as retail establishments are not free of accidents.


A health and safety program can be started by writing a health and safety policy; this is simply values that a company wishes to convey in its work processes. Secondly, is how communication between all employees and owners will function. And lastly, put procedures in place to ensure safe practices.

To find unseen hazards and unsafe practices, an audit needs to take place. Take a hard look at the workplace and record all factors that may lead to injury. These hazards might be dangerous chemicals or as simple as a letter opener. Identifying these hazards will lead to procedures to controlling them. Controls such as “Don’t run with scissors in your hands” are effective. Write all procedures in a manual.

Implementing these health and safety procedures will be done with behavioral change. Some programs become weak and non effective because of:
1)    No definition of safety practices – No written processes
2)    No teamwork – Safety is communication from the top to bottom and vice versa. A well written plan will describe what roles everyone plays in safety policies.
3)    No effective goals – The “accident free days” poster will come as a result of sound safety processes.
4)    Wrong incentives – Money as a reward does not work well. Health and safety should be fun and worth employees effort. The right incentive plan can be cost effective and have obtainable goals. Incentive plans can include movie passes or simply “free coffee on the boss.” The insurance industry reports for a dollar spent on health and safety yields four to six dollars in savings.

Once all of the hard work of developing and implementing the health and safety program is done, set aside some time each month to review the workplace. Record what is found; this is a good practice to see dangerous trends that might occur such as a fire exit constantly being blocked. On the quarters of the year post a meeting with employees. These meetings are a great way to get vital feed-back from employees and keep them involved. At least once a year, do an audit to make sure your health and safety program is current with present business operations.

 

Yeah, sure it's easy, and of course, that title is a little tongue in cheek. It takes a lot of hard work to get a business off the ground. But, it's worth every hour I've spent getting to where I am now.
When I decided to start my communication and image consulting business, I tried hard to find a good startup guide. I couldn't find any that had all the steps. So, I decided to write one. So far, it's mostly just the bare-bones outline (which is long enough as it is) you see in this article.
 I'll be adding to it every week or two, and writing more detailed articles on all the steps, so try to stop by and check it out from time to time. Let me know how I'm doing. Shoot off an email to me if I've forgotten something or you have questions.

Before you spend so much as a dollar, talk to a few experts.  Go to the library or get on the internet and research, research, research.  Take a little time to make sure entrepreneurship is right for you.

Make a pro and con list of business ownership, and evaluate yourself honestly.  How many characteristics do you have in common with successful entrepreneurs?  Is your financial position strong enough?  Do you have the necessary technical and management skills?

You’re not going to be the perfect entrepreneur.  Nobody is.  But in order to make yourself the best entrepreneur you can be, consider ways to compensate for any weaknesses you might have.

I’m from Canada, so the government agencies I’ve mentioned in this guide are Canadian, but really, it can be used by anyone. All you have to do, if you’re from somewhere other than Canada, is find out where you need to find some of the things I’ll talk about. Some of the steps might be slightly different, and you may not have to worry about things like GST for example, but I’m sure you’ll find this discussion helpful all the same.

These steps to starting a business are in reasonably good order, but you might find yourself varying from it under your particular circumstances. That really isn’t a big deal, as long as you get most of it done. There are some steps you’ll be able to skip as well, but please don’t skip any of the “big ones”, which I’m sure you’ll pretty much figure out from taking a look at the list.


So, assuming you’ve done your evaluation and you still want to start a business, take a deep breath, and let's get started.

1.    Conduct a feasibility study of your business.  Describe your typical customer, your product and your competitors.  Who will your suppliers be?  What will you charge for your product?  How will you market your product?  These are just a few of the questions you need to answer.

2.    Write a complete business plan for your company, using the information you gathered from your feasibility study.  This vitally important, often overlooked step needs to include a description of your company, its goals, competitors, market, financial information, and of course, how you intend to meet your goals.

3.    Get your financing in place.  There are many ways to finance your business, from your own savings to personal credit cards to bank loans.  If you need credit, know your business plan from front to back and maybe even sideways.

4.    Decide what kind of structure your company will have.  From a legal standpoint, there are three basic choices, sole proprietorship, partnership and incorporation, each with advantages and disadvantages.

5.    Choose a name for your company and check on name availability. Naming your company is highly individual, but it’s the first thing associated with your business, so choose your name carefully.  You’ll need to do a NUANS (Newly Upgraded Automated Name Search) report, which checks your name choices for uniqueness against a database of other business names.  A reserved name is valid for 90 days.

6.    Decide whether you want to register federally or provincially and register your company.  If you register federally, you’ll also have to register provincially, which almost doubles the cost. You don’t have to have a lawyer process them for you, but it might be a good idea to at least consult with one.  You can get the forms from your local government office, have them faxed to you or download them.  You can fax or email printed copies, or complete the forms online

7.    Contact Canada Revenue Agency Business Window for your business number, and to register for GST/HST, payroll, corporate income tax and import/export (if applicable).  You can also contact the CRA if you need general information about business expenses.  Chances are you’ll have to collect GST, but you may want to register for a GST number even if you don’t have to collect it because of input tax credits.

8.    Decide whether you need to collect PST.  If you do, you need to submit “Registration as a Vendor” documents with your province.

9.    Determine whether there are special permits or licenses in your municipality.  It’s highly unlikely that your municipality does not have special permits or licenses.

10.    Develop the marketing materials you decided on in your business plan.  They should include at least a company identity package, press kit and website.  Your identity package is your logo, business card and letterhead.  A press kit can include letters of introduction, biography sheets, press releases, articles and a brochure.  In today’s electronic age, printed materials aren’t enough.  You need a website that looks professional, matches your printed material and has great copy.  You’ll also want to make sure it’s optimized for search engines.

11.    Set up your business bank account and record-keeping system.  Your banker will need to see your incorporation documents, and you should probably set up more than one account so you can keep track of your finances better.  Record-keeping is required, and can be done manually or with a computer program.

12.    Purchase insurance.  There are many different types of insurance, but most probably your company will need at least one.  For example, if you’re going to have employees, you need to contact the Worker’s Compensation Board.  Depending on your type of business, you might want to contact them even if you don’t have employees to insure yourself.

13.    Contact potential creditors and set up credit terms.  You should have researched suppliers when you were doing your feasibility study.  Now is the time to contact them.

14.     Decide where your business will be located.   Lease your business’ space.  Alternatively, you could choose to start your business from home if it’s feasible.  There are advantages and disadvantages to starting your business from home.  You have tax write-offs for example, but sometimes your image suffers.

15.    Purchase supplies and office equipment.  You’ll need too many things to list here, and of course, each business has different needs.  You might need a fax machine and printer.  You’ll probably need a computer.  You’ll definitely need paper, pens, pencils and a calculator.

Congratulations! Go out, buy yourself a bottle of champagne and celebrate. You're about to embark on a most exciting journey. And may I be the first to wish you good luck and prosperous times in your business venture.
As promised, here’s my email address so you can ask questions, make comments or add steps to my list. Or, if you want, you could just drop me a line to let me know how your small business is doing. I’d really like to know.

The purchase of a site or an online business is no different than buying a real business or land. The basic principles are the same, and certain conditions must be met for the purchase of sites, how to buy the property.
There are several advantages to buying an existing site, or I-Business. The most important is that all the foundations were laid. The estate was purchased, the site was designed and implemented, and there is also a customer. Even if you make changes, no need to start from scratch.
These five steps will help you when you start with I buy a property to observe:
1) Start by defining your goals. Most likely, your main goal, to make money. Identify other important objectives. For example, I want a portfolio of businesses to create a brand building? Want to buy a website exclusively for the backup connection to another of your sites? Identify and define your goals are in the right direction.
2) If you do not have to decide what type of products or services they promote. It is much easier for a company on the Web (or companies) whose products or services are running on the media with passion. Passion rather than greed is always the best fuel for a successful business relationship.
3) Communicate with an agent. Just like in real life, you have the habit of buying a website through an agent. The Internet has a number of popular sites, where you can browse websites for sale. The pages are ranked by their owners, and the list usually contains the information necessary for the purchase.
It 'can also buy bonds through auctions. This often happens when the owner I'm having a site that fits in your wallet. In this case, would personally contact the owner through an email survey. to do, in fact, many owners prefer to do business this way. best deals can sometimes be made in this way, and often more flexible in negotiations.
4) Pay attention to detail. Once started negotiations to buy a site, make sure you have a good grip on all the details. And 'the transfer of property and domain names, and many other things that occur prior to the rightful owner. Looking at one of these details, such as the purchase of a website, and not your domain name can give your company devastating.
5) Create a secure payment system. If your entire transaction online, make sure you have some sort of guarantee on payment. Make your payment via a trusted source, such as a credit card, financial security for the event you do not know that there are benefits to costs.
Another possibility is to use an online escrow service. This service allows you to money in an escrow account to the seller that you must file that shows serious about buying. The Trust has the resources, have been completed until all conditions for the sale and are transferred in full ownership. Only then will the money be sent to the seller.
If you buy online website, decide, make sure you have all the information provided. Do a background check for the seller and verify that the site is legitimate and that all certificates are required to demand. tasks hard to ensure that you get what you pay when you buy a website.

Today is the new mantra of the Internet to make money online from home. Everyone knows that all the evil in the world economy perform is really a matter of serious concern, how can we afford to increase our income. Since there is no obvious sign of economic improvement in the near future, it is high time to find an alternative source of income, less investment. The Internet is the best option.
Sure, the Internet is the only platform that anyone can make decent money online from home. You only need an Internet connection, have a basic computer, and you're done.
Of course there are countless ways to make money on the Internet. You can make your site by promoting products of other companies', the Commission on the monetary base. If a product is sold, you will receive commissions from these large companies. In this way, be very lucrative if done well. Everything you need for research on the Internet for these companies.
You can even earn money while you want a site full of content or a blog on your niche. Once your site or blog has begun to attract a decent guest, you can use pay-per-click advertising to generate revenue. But all that is needed to identify the niche first decent traffic, and that's all. Remember that a lot of money to be made in this direction, ordered on the Internet at home. A little research on the Internet is possible, eg cost per click provider of service can be found.
Even if you have any unique content and value for a specific niche, you can earn money online in the price. Here's another simple way to earn money on the Internet.
Even if you do not have a website or blog, you can still make money selling things that interest you most. All you need is a decent marketing platform with a phenomenal movement. Just look at this company on the Internet. There will certainly be a bit '. So, you can easily win on the Internet at home.
What are some of the most powerful, you can earn decent money on the Internet at home. But remember, money is very profitable, as always from your own site.

SEO is  Search Engine Optimization and we must use of good SEO, making it easier for Google and other search engines to your blog, site, or content on the web.
There are many Internet entrepreneurs who are happy about the importance of SEO because of the way in which they claimed are working het internet.
If a person has to find a specific product, they succumb to Google (or Yahoo or Bing, for example) that the field of research, given the availability of sites on the Internet for their research through research.
SEO considers how search engines work and what people want. Optimizing a website, sometimes, to modify the content and HTML code, because it increases the relevance of keywords, which helps search engines to find a suitable location for researchers.
Benefits of Branding on the Internet and search engines
Visitors Trust
If you're in the market for a new camera and have decided to do some research on digital cameras ... How would you feel if the results are a list of manufacturers and a Canon unknown.?
Most people have some exposure to Canon cameras. So if you have some research and got this list of "unknown" Most of Canon, it seems understandable when Canon went with a brand are more familiar. Why do you trust more than others.
This is an example of "trust" developed by the mark.
Branding on the Internet, most visitors are familiar with the site, and if you have a logo, I can not see with your logo, Become more familiar personality to your brand, have more confidence in your website and you .
Search engines look at the amount of time spent by a visitor on a particular site. So you look at it more as a site visitor is in the eyes of search engines. The more you trust your users to your brand, the better for your business.
Higher click-through rate success rate /
CTR or CTR is shorter than the number of clicks per cent defined impressions. This is usually expressed as a percentage. This means that for every 100 ads displayed, it is true that the number of clicks on those ads will be compared. This is your CTR.
In the past, visitors to a site only has a greater impact on site traffic was generally regarded as the accepted way to measure success. Now, there is less interest rates and more interest clicks to conversion rate.
If an online brand that is reliable, the more likely that the site has a higher CTR and conversion rate that followed have created.
Social Media Conversation
Social Media is on the Internet every minute of every day, there are lessons in these pages on any topic imaginable. What is important for the Internet entrepreneur, is that these discussions can be about them, their sites or their products. What to tell them where you focus on you?
The more your brand identity is the subject of media ... Interviews for all the reasons why, of course, you're probably more traffic on your site. In this case, increased for all visible in search engines and more traffic is generated.
More searches for keywords and brand on the Internet
The most famous and familiar you get, the more people on the Internet for what they have to offer, look. It 's always more visitors to your site. Not only that, but if visitors who are looking for the site, the more likely they will buy from you.
Top search engines can be seen as an authority in place
People use search engines for information. The more content and information on your site that is the actual research, the more your site as authority sites Sites.Authority and rank as the most important information and the largest amount of information.
The stronger your brand on the Internet, the more confidence you get from search engines.

Many people do not know how much time should be invested in an Internet start-ups. If you are looking for business opportunities on the Internet, which makes the probability can be very difficult. Many business opportunities are looking to invest, you have no time or money in the effort, with the exception of an early start-ups. But starting a business online takes time because the company down and give some important advice for the decision to engage in lucrative and satisfying for you to follow.
If you are the type of person who is not in a country where the MLM-based business processes are involved, you probably do not want to invest the time to launch an online MLM. Remember that the basic structure of an MLM, if you do in your neighborhood or online. They should both sell products and recruit downstream to take full advantage of financial options to take.
There are several ways MLM on the Internet are available and if this is a company you are considering, it is important to research companies before you connect to the company. Some MLM companies on the Internet for a very fine line between a legitimate MLM gray and a pyramid scheme. A simple way to see if the MLM is a legitimate opportunity to dispose of it. Products are sold in a position to themselves, stands are tangible, and are made with high quality materials.
The cost of participation in an MLM may vary, but not the cost of goods received. And if "receive" products. A MLM Education "or" information "is not selling a tangible product and sales should be carefully studied so that the income does not take the valley.
Some people are developing a business for selling other people's products through an online store. If you intend to leave this type of question will have more money and may develop a broader customer base, if your products are always in a specific niche. Thus, the sale of products to your hobby or interest marketing your site through articles and advertising more fun.
Marketing your site is to establish your presence and visibility on the Internet is crucial. Develop an effective marketing strategy is to take the time and if a distribution service article, with the money. calculation to determine your budget for your business and your objectives will help the site before you, a good basis for determining growth.
CONCLUSION
Through extensive research of business opportunities related to your interests and passions, you can actually make things I love most to do with your business. The Internet is a great way to get a worldwide audience that has the same interests and is based on information obtained from your products or services to perform the action.

You probably have the new "Instant Google displays search results from Google, just type note. This is not necessarily a permanent change (still in testing). Perhaps it will, but maybe not.
One wonders if it is easier or more difficult for potential customers to your business to the "places of Google to find local search results.
In general I would say that Google is instant - if you really take - if your impact on the visibility of local customers, with one exception (more in a moment).
First "instant" is not earth shaking, two reasons why you might think:
First Basically, this means that you do not press "Enter" so often. It 's a bit faster for the customer (and other) research, but this is not a huge improvement. It 'very easy to find something on Google.
Second type, the keys get sticky, because Google has so many calculations as you type. This may be the discovery process (fast, especially for those who so slow). Although only a minor inconvenience if it continues to emerge from this new form, you are not alone.
But there is one important way that Google Instant visibility influence your potential customers premises:


Instant Google some of your potential customers with a layer of small size. If you are looking for a landscaper in Atlanta, all they need is the kind of "land in Atlanta." Before he finished the letter, which will see seven local scenic sites in local search results on Google. You'll probably never see the local businesses that are not on the front page of local results.
What does this mean for you? This means ensuring that your company listed in Google Local for Really Simple local search, including half-words.
What I suggest you do now, is in a couple of simple local search terms you enter will be retrieved, and see exactly where your business is first on the Google map for local authorities. See how a customer must type before you find it. If you type in search terms and take not see your local company to appear, you know you're invisible to your potential customers.

Search engine marketing is the easiest form of marketing you do for your business today. More people will get information about local businesses than anywhere else, including the infamous yellow pages of Google. Marketing on search engines, you can maximize to new heights and make sure Revel in mediocrity.
The challenges of search engine marketing are endless. Candidates extraction to your website is attractive, but it's harder than you might think to do. The more your site is all the more difficult it may be.
There are two types of research, also called natural organic results and pay, also known as advertising sponsors. organic results are by far the best available when people are talking about search engine optimization, we talk about how your site pages will be displayed in the first organic search results. About 80 percent of researchers on organic search results with respect, unlike paid listings.
internships are unpaid on their webpage that appears in response to a claim particular search term, as input, regardless of the majority of the page, that flesh Applicants. Research paid for the silver bullet called Google AdWords to attract visitors to a site. The program provides paid search felt $ 11000000000 in 2011th Although I personally believe that organic is definitely the way forward for the long term.
Professional services referred to may be able to offer a quality search engine marketing campaign for your company a long-term growth and a steady recovery of profits. Sure, the money is well spent.