What to Watch for in MLM Business Opportunities

Any MLM business opportunity worth considering will either have a track record that you can investigate and evaluate or it will have a clear statement of the plan, the potential, and the up-front costs.

Before investing any time or money in a specific MLM business opportunity, there are some questions you should consider first.

How long has the business opportunity been in business? Before investing time and money in marketing an MLM business opportunity, it is important to determine how long it has been operating.

If it is a new concept that has not been proven in the marketplace, you have no assurance that it will even work.

Does the company have a fixed address and phone number? This may seem obvious to you, but the fact is, thousands of companies operate with nothing more than a website and an email address.

Many of them are here today and gone tomorrow. Make sure the business you intend to deal with has a fixed address, physical location, and established phone number.

Does the MLM business opportunity have some successful members you can talk to? Most business opportunities will show you testimonials. But these are often untrustworthy.

They could even be completely fabricated. Ask the owner of the business for names of real people you can talk to. Call them on the telephone and ask them to share their experiences with the program.

This will not only provide you with valuable first-hand information about the program, but it will give you a list of advisors who might be willing to help you along the way.

How much initial investment is required? In many cases a proven MLM business opportunity with a successful track record will involve some kind of initial investment.

You should not assume that a business opportunity that is free to join is a better investment. Usually a free-to-join business will involve other costs such as marketing and advertising fees. Just keep in mind that nobody gives away “opportunities” for free.

What you have to determine is whether a specific MLM business opportunity has a successful track record, is managed by honest people and offers you a realistic chance of actually making some money.These are the things you must weigh against the entry costs.

What is the realistic income potential of the business? Have a careful look at the numbers and projections provided by the business opportunity. Then talk with actual members who are using the program to determine if they have been able to turn those numbers into reality.

Are there extra fees such as yearly or monthly subscription fees, shipping costs, or minimum purchase requirements? Make sure to get a detailed list of all the fees involved in operating the new business. These things may not seem significant now, but they can easily eat into your profits later.

How much control of your new business will you have? Be clear on who owns the business, and who controls the way it is developed and marketed. You may want to diversify your product offerings in order to avoid being at the mercy of a "head office.

The MLM business opportunity should require low initial investment and have high profit potential both in the short term and in the long term. It should allow you to build a profitable business of your own that will be a source of income far into the future.

3 Things You Can Do To Stop Wasting Money NOW!

1. Create a budget and stick to it
2. Improve your credit score
3. Refinance

Understanding Re-Financing

Understanding the process of re-financing can be quite dizzying. Homeowners who are considering re-financing might initially be overwhelmed by the number of options available to them. However, after taking some time to educate themselves about the process, they will likely find the process is not nearly as daunting as they had imagined. This article will discuss some of the options available to those interested in re-financing as well as some of the important factors to consider in order to determine whether or not refinancing is worthwhile.

Consider the Options

Homeowners have quite a few options available to them when they are considering the possibility of re-financing their home. The most significant decision is the type of loan they will choose. Fixed rate mortgages and adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are the two main types of mortgages the homeowners will likely encounter. Additionally there are hybrid loan options available.

As the name implies, a fixed rate mortgage is one in which the interest rate remains constant throughout the duration of the loan period. This is an especially favorable type of loan when the homeowner has credit which is sufficient enough to lock in a low interest rate.

ARMs are mortgages where the interest rate varies during the course of the loan period. The interest rate is usually tied to an index such as the prime index and is subject to rises and falls in accordance with this index. This is considered a riskier type of loan and is therefore often offered to homeowners who have less favorable credit scores.

Although ARMs are considered somewhat risky there is usually a certain degree of protection written into the loan agreement. This may come in the form of a clause which limits the amount the interest rate can increase, in terms of percentage points, over a fixed period of time. This can protect the homeowner from sharp increases in the interest rates which would otherwise considerably raise the amount of their monthly payments.

Hybrid loans are mortgages which combine a fixed element with an adjustable element. An example of this type of loan is a situation where the lender may offer a fixed interest rate for the first five years of the loan and a variable interest rate for the remainder of the loan. Lenders typically offer a lower introductory interest rate for the fixed period to make the mortgage seem more enticing.

Consider the Closing Costs

The closing costs associated with re-financing should be carefully considered when deciding whether or not to re-finance the home. This is significant because when homeowners re-finance their home they are often subject to many of the same closing costs as when they originally purchased the home. These costs may include, but are not limited to appraisal fees, application fees, loan origination fees and a host of other expenses. These costs can be quite significant. The closing costs will be significant when the homeowner considers the overall savings associated with re-financing.

Consider the Overall Savings

When deciding whether or not to re-finance, the overall savings is one factor the homeowners should carefully consider. This is important because re-financing is typically not considered worthwhile unless it results in a financial savings. Although some homeowners refinance to lower monthly costs and are not concerned with the overall picture, most homeowners consider whether or not they will be saving money by refinancing.

The amount of money the homeowner will save when re-financing is largely dependent on the new interest rate in relation to the old interest rate. Other factors come into play such as the remaining balance of the existing loan as well as the amount of time the homeowner intends to stay in the home before selling the property. It is important to note that the amount of money saved by negotiating a lower interest rate is not equal to the entire savings. The homeowner must determine the closing costs associated with re-financing and subtract this sum from the potential savings. A negative number would indicate the new interest rate is not low enough to offset the closing costs. Conversely a positive number indicates an overall savings. With this information the homeowner can decide whether or not he wishes to re-finance.

Click here to learn more about financial success.

How to Learn Blogging Software

A lot of blogging software is specifically designed to be
simple to use, but even the least intimidating blogging
program can feel very overwhelming to somebody who
has not spent a lot of time learning the ins and outs of
different kinds of software. Particularly for newer
bloggers, learning how to use the interface of blogging
software is the most difficult part of blogging. If you are
somebody who feels comfortable expressing themselves
in another medium, it may prove to be well worth your
time and effort to learn blogging software, but that
doesn't mean that the task will be easy.

The main thing that will help you find success as you
learn how to use a new kind of blogging software is to
try and take things slowly. Many people get so excited
about learning to blog that they try to rush into the thick
of it and start exploring the most complicated features
of a program right away. This can lead to getting
confused and feeling frustrated, and all too many
potential bloggers burn out during this stage of the
process. If you take your time learning the basics of
your blog software program before you move on to
more advanced techniques, you will be more likely to
retain what you have learned, and to keep feeling
positive about your ability to understand the world of
blogging.

HAVE 5,000 PEOPLE MARKET YOUR PRODUCT IN 30 DAYS

An excellent source for distributing your merchandise is by
"independent salesman".

There are individuals who sell on their own and are always on the
look out for good items to carry along with their regular
merchandise.

The best way to contact them is through magazines such as;


Making Profits
6255 Barfield RD.
Atlanta, GA 30328

or

Money Making Opportunities
11071 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604

Insert a good ad in the Classified Section of one of these
publications, for example; "brand new opportunity! Independent
salesman wanted nationwide. For information, contact (your name
and address). You will find yourself receiving thousand of
replies and you can be sure these independent salesman will do a
terrific job of selling for you, as they make money on
commissions only.

Another way is to contact "Wagon Jobbers"
A wagon jobbers is someone who takes any number of products from
different jobbers or manufactures, puts them in the truck or
station wagon and travel along his "route" selling to people whom
he knows will buy from him because they are his customers.

They are excellent salesman, and when given a decent commission,
can do a terrific job of selling your products.

The best way to contact them is to rent a "wagon Jobber" mailing
list from a mailing broker, and then write a detailed letter
describing the product you want to sell and what kind of
financial arrangement or commissions you are offering.

The more people you get to sell, the larger your profits will be.

EBook Writing Business

If you are a savvy writer with great English grammar skills, you should consider writing eBooks. It pays very well and you can do it in the comfort of your own home. It is very simple to write up an eBook. All you need to do is have Microsoft word and the internet. Do some research first on the topic. Know everything you can know about it, read up on it and save some quotes in your favorites area. You may want to stop by the local library to pick up some books on the topic too. That will help you when writing up your eBook. EBooks should be between 50 – 75 pages depending on the topic and what the assignment is. After you have thoroughly researched your topic and you know a lot about it you want to create a table of contents. You want the chapters to flow freely from one thought to the other. Make sure you cover as much as you can about the topic and title each chapter, writing a few notes about what you want to write about -which you will delete later.

The next step would be just to get started on it! Start writing creatively, from your heart, not just spitting out facts on a paper. People are reading your eBook because they do not want to read and search for information located everywhere about a specific topic. They want a concise, easy to read; interesting eBook they can print out and curl on the couch with. It goes without saying that no one should ever plagiarize; not only is it unlawful, it is disrespectful.

Always spell check and edit your work by reading it when you have finished. Polish it off by organizing each chapter into an eBook. Come up with a savvy title that catches the audience. If you really enjoy this line of business, you could do this full time and quit your day job.

Help for Entrepreneurs

There’s good news for entrepreneurs who need help but aren’t ready to hire full-time employees. Between January and July 2004, the ranks of part-time workers grew from 24.3 million to 25.5 million according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was also learned that from June to July the increase came from people who wanted to work part-time and not because they couldn’t find full-time employment.

It seems that 1.7 million part-timers hold two or more part-time jobs, and do this by choice. Such workers will be harder to convert to full-time employees because they like the diversity of different jobs.

This all translates into benefits for the entrepreneur who needs help but can’t hire full-time employees. The employment gurus don’t expect this part-time preference to pass anytime soon. It seems that the appeal of a reduced schedule is strong both for seniors and baby boomers nearing retirement. Parents who have interrupted careers to care for their children but still want to work may also explain the boom.

Entrepreneurs should eagerly look to this pool of workers and eagerly employ part-time help. A big reason is that employer-paid health insurance and other benefits add costs equal to more than 50 percent of the average employee’s gross earnings. A part-time employer can get by with a low-cost factor, and still find somebody reliable and efficient.

Looking at the boom of part-timers seems like a win-win situation for entrepreneurs and workers alike. Check the prospect out with your accountant and you may find that you come out a winner and less stressed.

Email Promotions

Opt-in email marketing works with any business model, you can make money following some key rules. When you have someone’s email address, they are practically inviting you to come sell them something. They want to hear from you, hear the updated news; they want to receive your information. This means lifetime valuable relationships with customers who are interested in what you have to say. You can see the results of the email you have just sent out within hours, which means no wasted advertising dollars, you know what works and what doesn’t, simple as that. Opt-in email marketing is not only effective and instantaneous, but free.

You can utilize opt-in email marketing if you already have an online business, or an offline business, or no business at all. For offline business, collect email addresses from your clients and send them an occasional email with a discount and watch the appointment book get filled up quickly. Drive qualified buyers to your web site by sending your customers a free report or newsletter subscription which entices them to buy the full version. So, what if you do not have a business at all. Everyone has an interest that they are passionate about, whether it is yoga, or fishing. Start writing information packed newsletter about your favorite topic and recommend other people’s products or services for a commission on any sales you send them. Post your free newsletter offer on online newsgroups, or other newsletters. You will get a lot of subscribers because it is free.

Best of all, there are thousands of companies willing to pay you to sell their products on your newsletter. Here are a few websites to check out to find those companies:

www.affiliateguide.com
www.associateprograms.com
www.affiliatematch.com

You will earn commissions every time one of your newsletter subscribers buys a product from the company.

Finding your “Niche”

When you are considering starting an online company, you want to make sure you find the right product. What do you want to sell. What is your passion. What subject or topic do you have a lot of knowledge about. Let me start by telling you that selling an information product online is easier than selling a service. But, selling a service online makes more money with monthly memberships.

Before you spend all your time working on a website and writing up eBooks, you want to be sure that your customers are going to be interested in what you are selling. Do your market research. Start by seeing how many competitors you have -this is a good sign. Read through newsgroups, discussion boards, and chat rooms and learn about your target market customer base. If you already have an email list, send them a survey to see what they are most interested in.

Most internet marketers preach that there are three reasons why a customer will want to buy your product. Your product has solved a problem for your customer. Your product has made life easier or more comfortable for your customer. You are very passionate about your product and it shows in everything you do.

When researching your niche, you may want to use www.Amazon.com and find the current top sellers. Find out what people are reading about. You will want to research keywords with keyword tools such as www.wordtracker.com. You need to discover which keywords are being searched for frequently.

Doing a little poking around your competitors sites isn’t a bad idea. This is one way to come up with ideas on what would make your company different or better. Take a look at their traffic rankings and their related links. By analyzing this information, you can see how many visitors they have each day and how profitable their company is.

Once you find your passion, ask yourself does this serve my customers. You want to provide an excellent service to each and every person that spends their money with you. This cuts down on complaints, bad reputations, and, worse of all, chargeback’s.

5 Qualities For Affiliate Marketing

More and more people these days are turning to one
of the most popular businesses around - the business
of affiliate marketing. In this business, there are
no bosses, deadlines to meet, or piles of work that
have to be finished by the end of the day. In
order to succeed, you only need the necessary
tools.

There are basically five things you can't do without
if you want to make it in the business of affiliate
marketing. Below, you'll find each quality you'll
need.

1. Desire to learn
The first quality you must possess is the desire
to learn, coupled with the willingness to be
trained. Treading through unfamiliar territory
is tough indeed, especially if your lacking the
right knowledge. This is a combination of the right
frame of mind, coupled with a strong work ethic.

When starting out, you'll need to be willing to
keep your eyes and ears open, using the experience
of others to learn more as you go.

2. Invest time and effort
The second quality you must have is the willingness
to invest time and effort in helping your business
grow, even if you don't see immediate results. Even
though weeks may pass without hearing good news,
it's very important for anyone who wants to get
their foot in the business world.

3. Determination
The third quality you'll need is determination. If
you want to make it in the world of affiliate
marketing, you must possess to push yourself
forward. The ability to push yourself to greater
heights will determine what type of future you have.

4. Discipline
The fourth quality is self discipline. If you
teach yourself to work everyday with all of your
heart and soul, you'll be that much closer to
reaching your goals and making your dreams come true.

5. Optimism
The last quality you must have is optimism. Bad
attitudes should never discourage an affiliate
marketer from pursuing their dreams in order to
make life better for themselves or anyone around
them.

The attitude you have towards the business should
always be good, because you'll have to realize that
you're the captain of your ship and your the one
steering it towards destiny.

If you put the above tips to good use, you'll go
farther than you ever thought possible in the world
of affiliate marketing. You'll need these qualities
to succeed, as affiliate marketing can be a cutting
edge career. With the above qualities, you'll do
just fine in the industry.

To Join a Blogging Site or Not to Join

Joining an established blogging site like live journal or
blogger has plenty of advantages, especially for the blog
novice. Sites that host a lot of different blogs often have
very useful tutorials about building and updating your
blog, and you are likely to encounter a very user-
friendly software interface at an established blogging
site. In addition, these sites provide a kind of instant
community of fellow bloggers who can provide advice,
insight, and feedback. These established sites often
keep directories of their members, which can be great
news for your traffic logs because it means that other
bloggers on the site will find out about your pages.

However, there are also some downsides to linking up
with a large blogging site. By posting within the
established templates of a site like blogger, you run the
risk of having your blog look and feel like everybody
else's. The blogging movement is very much about the
creation of distinctive sites and the development of
individual voices, so it makes plenty of sense that many
bloggers would shy away from the cookie-cutter look
and feel that these blogging sites often promote. Many
bloggers feel that the content of a blog is what makes it
distinctive, not the look of the blog, but many members
of the blogging community feel that the visual impact
of a blog should match the originality of the writing.

How to Build your Opt-In List

Some companies decide to send customers a free newsletter to get an email list. But there are other ways to collect email addresses. Sometimes having a newsletter just doesn’t make any sense for your company. For instance, if you happen to sell dishwashers, how much information could you send your customer, daily, on dishwashers. So, instead here are a few other options for increasing your email list.

You could run a contest. The puzzle, game or task should be easy and straightforward so that you don’t frustrate the customer and you still get their email address in the end.

A great incentive to collect email addresses would be a free eBook. People love getting free stuff, especially eBooks that interest them. Remember, it doesn’t have to be 100 pages long; five to ten pages will work fine.

Surveying the customer is a great way to collect email addresses. You can find out what the customer likes/dislikes, and what they have problems with or need solutions for.

Advertise your opt-in offer in an e-zine or classified ad. It actually doesn’t cost tons of money and if you find the right place to advertise, you could see dramatic results.

Email signatures, or electronic signatures, also referred to as a, sig file is a three to six line footer that you can add to the bottom of each email message you send out with your name, company and a free report with a link attached. You will be surprised how many visitors you get this way. Make sure you track where you are getting your traffic by the different links you send out.

If a customer is interested in downloading an article from your web site, they will definitely have no problem providing their name and email address. They will love to receive more articles from you or have access to a members only area of your site with plenty of resources.

Offer your customers a free course or a free download to collect email addresses. They will love to get something for free. Customers who opt-in when something free is being offered think to themselves what have I got to lose. It a great deal for both of you.

The Right Blogging Platform For Your Needs

Choosing which blogging platform to use is one of the
most important decisions that you can make as a
blogger. The right platform can make blogging a
breeze, and the wrong platform can make blogging a
chore. Because the program that you use to blog with is
such a powerful part of your blogging experience, it is
well worth putting in the time to find a platform that
provides your ideal balance between a user-friendly
interface and a flexible framework that allows you to
make your blog look and feel unique. Finding the right
platform isn't always easy, but with a little bit of
contemplation and a little bit of research, you will be on
your way to finding the perfect blogging platform.

Deciding what your priorities are in terms of ease of use
versus customization. Most highly customizable
blogging platforms, like moveable type, are a bit more
difficult to use than very automated platforms like
wordpress. If you are new to blogs and to internet
technology, you might want to sacrifice the ability to
create a custom background design or to integrate a
unique font into your template in order to find a
program that will be easy for you to use. On the other
hand, if you are a veteran web designer with knowledge
of html or javascript, you will probably find the
limitations of a user-friendly platform to be frustrating.

There is no such thing as a blogging platform that is
objectively the best platform, because every blogger has
unique needs. The blogging movement is very much
about individuality, so it makes plenty of sense that
there would be many different platforms available that
are designed to meet the needs of different kinds of
individuals undertaking different kinds of projects. This
diversity is a good thing, because it means that you will
almost certainly be able to find a program that suits
your level of technical aptitude.

However, the fact that no two bloggers need the same
thing from a blogging platform can make your search
for the right platform a bit tricky. When you are reading
reviews of different platforms, try to keep your
priorities in mind and do your best to take into account
the position that the reviewer is coming from. For
example, a negative review written by an accomplished
software designer who complains that a popular
platform is too limited may tell you that the platform in
question is ideal for a beginning blogger. There is no
such thing as the perfect platform for everybody, so
instead of looking for the "best" platform, look for the
best platform for your specific criteria.

The Pros and Cons of Video Blogging

Video blogging has a lot of advantages over text-based
blogging, and it is little wonder that this new
technology is catching on all over the globe. Video
blogs very effectively grab the attention of web surfers,
and people are much more likely to become excited
about the dynamic content of a video blog than they are
likely to find a written posting very thrilling. The more
enthusiastic viewers are about a site, the quicker the
word of mouth spreads, and the more traffic the site will
get.

Of course, there are plenty of disadvantages to video
blogging as well. Hosting a v-blog requires quite a bit
of server space, which can make it difficult to get
started. It takes more time to process and upload a video
file than it does to dash off a quick bit of text, which
means that running and updating a video blog can be
quite a bit of work. In addition, web surfers sometimes
grow frustrated with the slow loading times of the files
on many video blogs. Whether you opt for a video blog
or not depends on what kind of subject matter you want
to cover, and how much time you can devote to video
blogging. Before you decide to pursue a video blog,
consider if there is an easier way for you to get your
message across.

FREE IS BETTER!

FREE PRINTING, ADVERTISING AND FREE BUSINESS ADVICE

Believe it or not, there are plenty of opportunities out there
for you to get your written materials free of charge, for free
advertising space, and free business advice.

For free advertising space, many publications will write an
article about you or your product if you purchase advertising
space with them. One way publications sell advertising space is
to agree that if the advertiser purchases the ad, he will also
receive a certain amount of free editorial space. This free
editorial space essentially doubles the amount of space you get
for a given amount of money. This editorial space is devoted to
an article about the company or individual or product, and it has
the added cachet of seeming to be work of an outside source. The
editorial company be written by the publication staff, or the
advertiser may provide the copy.

Press releases can be another excellent source of free space. A
well-written press release on an interesting subject will attract
the editor's interest. The editor may even follow up with a phone
call for more details. The result can be anything from a
paragraph to a feature article. All this comes for the price of
mailing the release. Keep in mind that you want to target the
publication that write about the kinds of things you are doing.

Many telephone call-in shows will take calls from entrepreneurs
with interesting products or stories. DTC Publishing Company,
P.O. Box 1606-MM, Ozark, AL 36360 has a list of 500 stations
around the country that you can contact to work out possibilities
for free air time. Note that in approaching these stations you
want to come across as something of an expert in your field
rather than appearing to be nothing more than a salesman flogging
his wares.

A source of free advertising and marketing advice is Mr. Carroll
Rollin, a former advertising manager for such magazines as Wealth
Secrets and the Business Opportunities Journal, and a current
associate of Direct Response Television Productions Mr. Rollin
can be reached at (619) 263-0582 for free advice on how and where
to get free advertising, how to start and promote a business, and
how to do television and magazine advertising.

For free printing, look for such printers as Advanced Printers
(705 S Union Ave., Dept MM, Ozark, AL 36360, (205)774-7743).
Advanced Printers offers a "24 HRS OR IT'S FREE" guarantee on
flat sheet printing. The company also offers information about
it's Elite Dealership Program.

THE SECRETS OF FREE ADVERTISING

The opportunities for getting free advertising for your product
or services are limited only by your own imagination and
energies. There are so many proven ways of promoting your
objectives without cost that it literally boggles the mind just
to think of listing them.

One way is to write an article relative to your particular
expertise and submit it to all the publications and media dealing
in the dissemination of related information. In other words,
become your own publicity and sales promotions writer. Get the
word out; establish yourself as an expert in your field, and
"tag-along" everything you write with a quick note listing your
address for a catalog, dealership opportunity, or more
information.

Another really good way is by becoming a guest on as many of the
radio and television talk shows or interview type programs as
possible. Actually, this is much easier to bring about than most
people realize. Write a letter to the producer of these programs,
then follow up with an in-person visit or telephone call. Your initial
contact should emphasize that your product or service would be of
interest to the listeners or viewers of the program--perhaps even
saving them time and money.

Other ways of getting free or very inexpensive exposure include
the posting of advertising circulars on all free bulletin boards
in your area, especially the coin-operated laundries, grocery
stores, and beauty and barber shops. Don't discount the idea of
handing out circulars to all the shoppers in busy shopping
centers and malls, especially on weekends. You can also enlist the
aid of the middle school students in your area to had out
circulars door-to-door.

Some of the more routine methods include having a promotional ad
relative to your product or service printed on the front or back
of your envelopes at the time you have them printed with your
return address.

Be sure to check all the publications that carry the kind of
advertising you need. Many mail order publications just getting
started offer unusually low rates to first-time advertisers; a
free-of-charge insertion of your ad when you pay for an order to
run three issues or more; or special seasonal ad space at greatly
reduced rates. And there are a number of publications that will
give you Per Inquiry (PI) space--arrangement where all orders
come in to the publication, they take a commission from each
order, and then forward the orders on to you for fulfillment.

Many publications will give you a contract for space. In this
arrangement you send them your ad, and they hold it until they
have unsold space, and then at a price that's always one third or
less the regular price for the space need, insert your ad. Along
these lines, be sure to check in with the suburban neighborhood
newspapers.

If you send out or publish any kind of catalog or ad sheet, get
in touch will all the other publishers and inquire about the
possibilities of exchange advertising. They run your ad in their
publication in exchange for your running an ad for them of
comparable size in yours.

Finally, there's nothing in the world that beats the low cost and
tremendous exposure you get when you advertise a free offer.
Simply run an ad offering a free report of interest to most
people--- a simple one page report with a "tag-line" inviting the
readers to send money for more information, with a full page
advertisement for your book or other product on the backside. Ask
for a self-addressed stamped envelope, and depending on the
appeal for your report and circulation of the publication in
which your ad appears, you could easily be inundated with
responses!

The trick here, of course, is to convert all these responses, or
a large percentage of them, into sales. This is done via the
"tag-line," which issues an invitation to the reader to send for
more information, and the full page ad on the back of the report,
and other offers you include with the complete package you send
back to them. As mentioned at the beginning of this report, it's
just a matter of unleashing your imagination. Do that, and you
have a powerful force working for you that can help you reach
your goals.

How To Live Up to Your Greatest Potential

If you want to make more of your talents - live up to your full potential
- you have to learn to use them. You have the power to change your habits
- to acquire new skills and fully use the skills you now have. You can
improve your performance, your productivity, and the quality of your whole
life.

What makes a high achiever? Is it luck, intelligence, talent, dedication?
All of these things figure in - they all make a difference. But we all
know intelligent, talented, hard-working people who do not consider
themselves very successful or even happy. And we know people who are not
exceptionally bright but seem happy and successful.

So there must be something else, some secret to success. Actually there
are several secrets to achieving your peak performance - living up to your
full potential.

Your success at business, friendship, love, sports - just about anything
you try - is largely determined by your own self-image. Your unhappiness
is something you choose. So, you're thinking no one chooses to be unhappy.
Well, maybe not - but you have to consciously choose to be happy,
self-confident, and successful.

Happiness is elusive when we go after it directly. So is self-confidence.
Both seem to be more "side-products" than something you can achieve in and
for itself. So how, then, can consciously choosing to be these things be
of any value? Well, the secret is to focus on other things.

First, focus on your potential. Begin by making a complete and accurate
assessment of your potential. To do this you must take an inventory of
yourself - you will make a few lists. Sit down and make a list of all the
things you can do well. Be honest with yourself. When that list is done,
make a list of all the things you like to do, even if you think you can't
do them well. Then, make a list of all the things you would like to do, if
you could. Now list your hobbies.

Then, go back to the list of things you can do well. You are probably
being much too hard on yourself. Most of us are. We have this little
voice in our heads telling us things like: "You're so dumb," or "You can't
learn to do that," or "You never do anything right," or similar nasty
things. And even worse, we listen to that voice as if it's telling us the
gospel truth. So now, shut off that voice - you can do it - and add a few
more things to the list of things you can do well. Pretend you are your
best friend - it's amazing how much more forgiving and charitable we are
with our friends than we are with ourselves. Now that you are your best
friend, you should be able to add a few more items to your "do well" list.
But do be honest - don't list things you feel you really can't do well.

Next, go to your list of things you like to do but you feel you don't do
well. Speaking as your own best friend, do you think there are some things
on this list that could be moved to your "do well" list? There probably
are. If you like to do it, chances are you do pretty well at it. Treat
your hobby list in the same manner.

Next, go to your list of things you would like to do if you could. Ask
yourself, "Why can't I do this, if I'd like to?" Put your reasons on
another list. OK. So you have a lot of lists going - what good is that
going to do? Well, you have just made an assessment of yourself. If you
have been truly honest in making these lists, it may even be a fairly
accurate assessment. Probably it isn't, but that's OK. This assessment
isn't carved in stone. It's subject to change. But for now we will work
with what's on the lists. At least you have a place to start.

Look over your lists again. You are focusing on all the things you feel
you can't do and the reasons why you can't do them, right? Well, don't.
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO - FOCUS ON YOUR POTENTIAL. Make it a habit to
focus on your strengths. Don't forget to include your undeveloped
potential, as well. Train yourself to focus on your potential instead of
your limitations.

Now that's not to say that you should ignore your list of reasons for not
doing some of the things you would like to do. Not at all! But look at
them from the viewpoint of your strengths. For instance, you'd like to
play basketball but you think you are too short, so you don't even try. In
this case, you are looking at it from the viewpoint of your limitations.
Now, when you look at it from the viewpoint of your strengths, you would
say, "Well, I may be pretty short to play, BUT I am fast. I can handle the
ball well. I have a lot of stamina. I can't change being short, but I can
refuse to let my limitations overcome my strengths."

You see the difference? Focusing on your limitations lets those
limitations make your decisions for you. Focusing on your strengths lets
YOU make the decision. To go back to our example: when you've decided to
overcome your height limitations to play basketball - something you really
want to do - you will be more determined to develop your strengths to
compensate. You will do well, because you will be doing what you really
want to do and you will be determined to develop the full potential of your
strengths. Very few people concentrate on fully developing any of their
strengths. That's where you will have the edge. You know your true
disadvantages but your determination, your singleness of purpose, will
inspire you to fully develop the talents and skills you do have.

OK. You probably have no interest in playing basketball. Then go to your
assessment of yourself. What do you have a major interest in? What do you
have a natural aptitude for? Go for it. Devote yourself to something you
really like to do. Don't choose something just because you think you could
make more money at it than you could by doing something else that you would
really rather work at. You won't work to develop your full potential. You
may start out with enthusiasm, but you will soon flag. It will be a chore
to go to work. You'll probably find yourself hating to go. It'll be
difficult to work on improving your skills because you don't like what you
are doing. You probably won't be working up to your potential. Your
success will probably be limited by your growing lack of interest and your
happiness will surely be affected.

If, however, you devote yourself to something you really like to do, you'll
enjoy your work, you'll be enthusiastic, and you'll probably find yourself
working on improving your skills just for the sheer joy of it. You will be
working to reach your full potential. You'll probably soon find you are
making more money at this truly interesting occupation than you ever
dreamed possible. And because you like what you are doing, you will be
happier.

When you know you are working to your full potential and you enjoy your
work and begin to feel successful, you will find that self-confidence and
happiness soon follow.

But, you must be realistic and honest with yourself. If you set goals that
you can't possibly reach, you are setting yourself up for failure. You
will make yourself frustrated and unhappy. The key here is a realistic and
honest assessment of your potential.

Although most people will be unnecessarily harsh in their assessments, it
is easy to become too hopeful when you start breaking down barriers. If,
for instance, you're extremely interested in and fond of music and would
love to be a singer, it would be unreasonable to set a singing career as
your goal if you can't sing a note (some talents are inborn). But if you
are knowledgeable about the music business and would be happy being
involved in some other capacity, then it would be reasonable to pursue a
career in the business.

Be wary of making otherwise perfectly reasonable goals unattainable because
of stringent time frames. When you set a goal, you will most likely set
times for achieving certain steps along your way to achieving your final
goal. Even if you don't set the time frames formally, you will probably
have a pretty good idea of how long you are giving yourself. It's wise to
sit down and formally set these goals. Think about it and give yourself
reasonable time to achieve them. Make a deal with yourself to view these
time limits as flexible.

Don't get discouraged if things don't work out as planned. Sometimes
finding our place takes both time and error. All of us experience failures
of one magnitude or another. The key is to view the failures as a learning
experience - if nothing else, failures teach us what not to do. Remain
flexible. As long as you keep focusing on your strengths and potential,
the right thing will come along - and probably sooner rather than later.
But don't quit at the first sign of boredom. Even if you have truly found
your niche, you will not feel enthusiastic 100 percent of the time.

Don't worry about others - don't compare your progress with that of others.
No matter how successful you are, there will be someone else who, to you,
looks like she's got it made - who looks like she's getting where you want
to go faster and easier than you are. Maybe she is. Maybe she isn't. Who
cares? Focus on your own achievements. Work to develop your skills and
talents to their full potential. Compete with yourself - your short term
goals should be based on today's accomplishments. If you have reached
Point A today, make Point B your next objective - improve yourself and
don't worry about the other guy.

OK. You have decided what your ultimate goal is. Make sure it is a
definitely defined goal. "Someday I want to be famous" just won't cut it.
Define exactly what you want to do. Define a reasonable time frame. Know
what you have to do to get there. You don't need to know every little
detail, but you do have to have the big picture and many of the details.
If you have a goal in mind but don't know what it takes to reach it, then
you need to find out. Do some reading, talk to people who know, ask
questions and LISTEN to the answers. Think that sounds like a lot of work?
Well, remember what you are preparing for - your success and happiness.
Surely you want to put a little effort into that! Anyway, a little
reseach into what it will take for you to reach your goals isn't too
difficult.

Train yourself into making this "research" the next focus of your life.
You will be focusing on your strengths, on your purpose, and on learning
and doing. If you have chosen a goal that is right for you, focusing on
these things and devoting the necessary time should not be too difficult.
It may take a bit of self-discipline at first, but your determination and
interest will carry you through until the focusing process becomes a habit.
When you have a real desire to accomplish something, initiatative should
only require an occasional shove - but you may need to give it a nudge now
and again.

Get into the habit of visualizing your success. Now sitting around and
daydreaming in generalizations about it is not what we mean. You need to
visualize specifics. To return to the basketball example, daydreaming
about being carried off the court on your teammates' shoulders is just
daydreaming. Picturing in your mind how you will work a play if your
opponent makes a particular move, picturing your exact response to it, is
visualizing specifics. If you run through specific moves in your mind, you
will be prepared when the need for those moves arises.

Don't be afraid to use your imagination to visualize new and better ways to
accomplish things, as well. Here in your mind, you can try doing things in
ways that are different from the usual. This is a creative process - you
may have heard of creative thinking. Training yourself to think creatively
is largely learning to let your imagination work on methods that are
different from the "way things have always been done." It's breaking away
from the idea that a thing can be done effectively in only one way. It's
looking at a problem from all angles. Just play a game of "what if." Ask
yourself, "What if I did this thing this way?" It's OK to get a little
crazy sometimes. But, you must also spend some of your thinking time at
specific visualizations of the moves you need to make to accomplish your
goals.

Visualizations are important but actual physical practice of your skills is
important, too. Practice the boring little skills that are necessary as
well as the skills that you enjoy. Don't let yourself rely on just the
things that come naturally and easy to you. Develop your limited
potentials as well as those that you feel are your assets.

Work on developing the more general attributes that are important to almost
any goal:

Success comes more easily to those who have a pleasing personality. This
is not to say that you should bend to eveyone's wishes or scrape and bow.
Rather, develop an attitude that is respectful of other's opinions but true
to your own beliefs. Be flexible - don't be so rigid that you can't accept
another's opinion when it is superior to your own. Be willing, even eager,
to learn from others. Changing your opinion in light of more facts is a
sign of strength of character, not weakness. Be willing to extend a
helpful hand, be a team player. Develop a sense of humor. Be polite and
caring - but be your own person.

Learn to guard against emotional responses. You are susceptible to errors
of judgement when you let your emotions get in the way. Of course,
everything we do is done based somewhat on our emotions, but strong
emotions have little place in decision making. Hold your emotions in
check. Try to delay decisions if you are in an emotional state. Learn to
ignore your emotions and use reasoning to arrive at your decisions.

Develop the habit of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm works like a magnet - it draws
people and success. It's a pleasing personality trait that people like to
be a part of. It seems to be contagious - the people around you become
enthusiastic, too, and become more cooperative. Enthusiasm sparks
initiative and singleness of purpose.

We've talked of working to develop habits - the habit of focusing on your
goals, the habit of focusing on your strengths, the habit of learning and
"researching," the habit of visualizing, the habit of enthusiasm. Now we
will talk of habits in a little different light - breaking them. First,
assess your habits looking for the ones that may be displeasing to others.
Offensive habits can hold you back from success - they are often a part of
an unpleasing personality. Look for things like grumbling or grunting at
people instead of answering, gazing at anything but the speaker when
conversing, smirking or sneering when you don't agree - anything that is an
automatic, displeasing mannerism. It will be very difficult to assess your
habits accurately. After all, a habit is something that we do without
thinking much about it. You will have to spend some time at this and be
very conscious of yourself. Ask someone you trust to help you with this
assessment. It may take a lot of work to break yourself of displeasing
habits. Try substituting a different, more pleasing behavior for the habit
you wish to break.

OK. You have set definite goals, you have a definiteness of purpose, you
have researched and know the specific steps to take to achieve the goals,
you have resolved to be flexible and to develop a more pleasing
personality. Now what?

Well, just because you have a clear purpose, know what you want, are
willing to work on developing your potential, and willing to be a nice
person, success will not drop into your lap overnight.

You will probably find that one of your first steps in achieving your goals
will be to take a job somewhat below where you hope eventually to be. But
you've already analyzed the steps to your goal, so you presumably have
planned for this. However, you do want to advance and, of course, as
quickly as possible.

As you advance toward your goals, you will undoubtedly run up against some
difficult people (maybe even difficult bosses), and there will be times
you'll need to deal effectively with them. Since you are working on
becoming a nice, enthusiastic person and a team player, you already have
half the battle won. Your attitude is as important as the other guy's
attitude when you are dealing with difficult people.

Always keep in mind that your job is a training field for you. You are
getting paid as you learn the things you need to know to achieve your
goals. Pretty good deal, right? If you view your job as a paid
opportunity to advance toward your goals, you will be an asset to your
boss. You will also be a happier, more productive person. Viewing your
job in this manner will allow you to view the difficult people you will
inevitably need to deal with as an opportunity to grow. From them and the
situations they create, you will learn to negotiate with, side-step around,
and draw out the best in others without letting yourself become upset.
Each time you successfully deal with one of these people you will gain
confidence and probably friends to add to your support network. The skill
of negotiating with difficult people and the confidence you have gained
from these encounters comes in handy when you are ready to ask for a
promotion or raise - even if your boss happens to be a nice person.

Successful negotiation is not a contest of wills - it is working together
to solve a problem or come to an agreement. It is an opportunity to learn
how others feel about the issue.

Always be prepared. Know who you are talking with. Always know as much as
possible about the person. Know about the person's marital status, family,
hobbies, education, difficulties, attitudes, and whatever else you can
learn. The information may give you an understanding of the person. If
you know the circumstances, you will more easily find the most effective
way to get your point across. At the very least, the information will make
the person seem more familiar which will give you more self-confidence.

Know the issue - not just your opinions about it. Be able to back up your
opinions with reasons and research. If you are asking for a promotion,
know the demands of the job in question. Know and be honest about how much
of the job you are already qualified to do and how much additional training
you will need. If you may not be as qualified as someone else applying, be
prepared to negotiate for a smaller-than-offered salary until you are fully
trained - remember the training is worth a lot to you. Be enthusiastic and
focus on your strengths - don't boast but give an a simple and accurate
listing of the strengths you feel make you a good candidate for this job.
The strengths you cite can and should include specific job related skills,
your present accomplishments on the job, your interest in the field (not
just this job), your enthusiasm, your ability to work as a team member, and
other personal traits that will be an asset on the job.

Always enter into negotiations with a calm and reasonable manner. Don't
let emotion and emotional outbursts have a place at the negotiating table.
You must be in control of yourself if you want to get your point across.
People are more likely to listen to your views if you present them in a
calm and reasonable manner. Present your ideas with conviction but don't
try to intimidate others or be demanding. State your views simply,
completely, and orderly. When you are expressing an opinion rather than a
fact, use a qualifying "I think" or "In my opinion." When others are
expressing their views, listen carefully and ask questions if something
isn't clear. Don't disagree until you are sure you understand their
position. When you do disagree, do so in a pleasant non-threatening way.
"I see what you mean, but . . ." or "I can understand why you think that,
but . . ." are a couple of good ways to begin a statement of disagreement.
Be courteous and leave them a chance to save face.

Be prepared to face people who are not calm and reasonable. Don't let them
get to you. Remain calm and reasonable and even be a little sympathetic.
Let's say you have entered into negotiations with your boss for a raise and
he blows up with, "I can't afford to give you a raise. This business isn't
exactly a gold mine. Don't you realize how tough times are?" Remain calm.
Put yourself in his shoes. Try to find something you can agree and
sympathize with. For instance, look sympathetic and agree, "I know you
have a lot of expenses and you work hard to keep this business going. It
must be really difficult for you sometimes." This will probably not be the
response he expects. It will probably take the wind out of his sails.
Most likely he will calm down, and since you are sympathetic to his
problems, he'll be more willing to listen to you. If you remain calm,
reasonable, and sympathetic, he will calm down. When he is calmer, discuss
with him the reasons you are a valuable asset to him. Don't threaten but
calmly and reasonably discuss the bargain a small raise is. With that
small raise, he'll be keeping a happy and fully trained employee who knows
the company. When you consider the expense of finding and training another
individual, giving you a raise is a bargain for your boss.

Play "Let's Make A Deal." Be prepared to deal. Don't expect to get
everything you want. If you are willing to gracefully make some
concessions, you will be more likely to arrive at a satisfactory deal.
After all, a negotiation has at least two opposing sides. This means
someone else has something they want, too - even if that something is
simply to leave things as they are. Arrive at a compromise that everyone
can live with. Remember, you are working at long-range goals, and you may
be negotiating with them again.

Developing your potential more fully is a key to happiness and fulfillment.
Although we have primarily discussed this in terms of a job, these same
concepts can be used in many other areas of your life.

In developing your potential to it's fullest, you will want to become a
more efficient person - get more done in less time - so you can take full
advantage of the opportunities that you make for yourself. You will note
that most effective, successful people seem to accomplish a great deal.
It's true that this is partly due to enthusiasm, but there's more to it.

The first barrier to efficiency is procrastination - putting off getting
started. Sometimes you know you are procrastinating. You may not want to
do the task at hand so you keep putting it off until tomorrow. The thing
to do is to look at it from a different angle. If it'll have to be done
sometime, tell yourself, "why not do it now, and get it off your back."
And that's just where it is! On your back dragging you down. Putting
things off makes everything harder to do. If you keep putting things off,
you'll soon have several things piling up, and then the sheer number of
tasks you have backed up will make it seem impossible to ever get caught
up. This affects everything you do try to do.

Sometimes you don't even realize you are putting things off. You may keep
yourself extremely busy doing things of little importance to unconsciously
give yourself excuses for doing the things you really should be doing. You
say to yourself, "Look how busy I am. I just can't get everything done."
But the result is the same as when you know you are procrastinating. It
soon bogs you down. All you are doing is "running in place."

So how do you beat procrastination?

The first step in beating procrastination is to admit to yourself how often
you do it and assessing your methods of doing it. Not very difficult,
really, when you become aware of the tactics some of us use to hide from
ourselves what we are doing.

The key in overcoming procrastination and becoming more efficient is
organization. Plan ahead. Know what you want to accomplish today, this
week, and in the long haul.

Make lists. The lists for today will probably be more detailed than the
longer-term lists. That's OK. Now look over the lists and rank the tasks
in order of importance. Make three or four groupings based on importance.
Within each group, star the things you least like to do.

Each day you will have a "today" list to work on. Tackle the tasks that
are most important first. If you have several "most important" tasks on
your list, take on the least liked things in that grouping before you do
the better liked ones. When you have accomplished a task, check it off.
You'll be surprised what a good feeling you have when you check things off.
What a sense of accomplishment! It's an incentive to do the next task on
the list. When you have completed the tasks in the first grouping, begin
on the list of next importance. Again do the starred items in that group
first. Keep on checking things off as you get them done.

Do you see what is happening? You get the most pressing, least liked tasks
out of the way early in the day when you are fresh and rested. As the day
goes on you will feel less and less pressure. You have reserved the less
important tasks for the end of the day when you will be more tired.

With this system you will have not only increased your efficiency but also
reduced some of the stress in your day. Stress can get in the way of
efficiency. Your new efficiency will help you develop your potential. It
is, in fact, a part of living up to your potential.

Another important part of efficiency is in delegating work. If you are in
a position where you have assistants or designated people under your
supervision, you need to learn to delegate. If you are not in such a
position yet, you still need to know - since you're working on developing
your potential you very likely will be some day.

Delegating work is difficult for many people. Some find it hard to ask
others to do things for them - others find it hard not to demand that
others do tasks. Delegating is an art.

First, you need to realize that the people under your supervision are
PEOPLE. Seldom, if ever, should you demand - that takes away self respect.
In order to achieve a happy and co-operative crew, you need to help them
build self-respect and self-confidence. A happy and co-operative crew is
an asset to you. Demands do not promote self-respect and co-operation.
Oh, it's probably effective to demand in the short run - but in the long
run you will be better off to gain co-operation without demanding.

People who are asked to do a task, are given explanations and clear
instructions, and are praised for a job well done will grow in
self-respect. They will also respect you as a good supervisor. If you
hesitate to ask for their assistance, your crew will feel that you do not
trust them or have faith in their abilities. This affects their
self-respect and, as a reaction, will affect their respect for you, as
well.

When you delegate work, don't delegate just the "junk" tasks. Your crew
needs to be given some important tasks to do as well as unimportant ones.
The important task gives them a sense of the respect you have for them and
the faith you have in their abilities. It's a good idea to save some
"junk" tasks for yourself. Perhaps the most respected and effective boss
is the one about whom the crew says, "She never gives us anything to do
that she wouldn't do herself." Why? Because, by her actions the boss is
saying that, though her position is above theirs, she is still just "plain
people."

Delegation of tasks is important because you can gain in effectiveness and
get more done if you properly supervise a crew. Don't feel embarrassed or
hesitant about delegating work. If it helps you to shine, it helps your
crew shine, too. A well-run, effective department is a credit to the whole
team. With proper delegating, you can help your crew achieve their
potential as well as achieving your own.

All of us have untapped potential - perhaps even areas of genius - that we
have neglected to develop. Whether your concept of success has to do with
business, love, friendship, sports, a combination of these or something
else, more fully developing your potential will help you achieve your
goals. If you can learn to assess your potential, set realistic goals,
and go after those goals with determination, organization, and purpose, you
will use your potential more fully, gain confidence, and be a happier and
more successful person.

Low cost advanced website traffic tactics for everyone

Advanced website traffic tactics might sound daunting, but if you make it low cost then you have nothing but a win-win situation. Employ low cost advanced website traffic tactics and you're in for a huge online success. What are these low cost advanced website traffic tactics anyway? Surprise yourself by finding out that some of these tactics you can practice without having to spend a cent! 1. Write an article. You write an article, mention your site, submit it to e-zines and garner traffic from curious visitors. It's as simple as that. Don't just stop at one website - post your site anywhere possible! Who knows how many hits this low cost advanced website traffic tactic will bring! 2. Exchange links. Never underestimate the power of link exchange. This is a low cost advanced website traffic tactic that people tend to overlook. How to find out where to do the link exchange? Easy: type your website's keywords in a major search engine, visit each and every of the top results and ask for the link exchange. 3. Get involved in forums. Look for forums highly related to your website and make your presence known. Make online friends and let them know about your website. This is an advanced website traffic tactic that advertises subtly but works effectively. Good thing about this is it doesn't cost you anything at all! 4. Advanced website traffic needs advanced tools. The www world is rich with tools that churn out impressive results. Software to try out are those which take care of links and keywords. Once this is taken care of, the rest of this internet marketing job will be easy! 5. Power up with meta tags. Meta tags are what search engines are looking for so it can include your site in the top results. Putting up meta tags in your HTML code is an advanced website traffic tactic that must not be missed! Low cost you ask? Oh yeah! 6. Direct to directories. Keep submitting your site to directories like there's no tomorrow! Just take a look at your website and see if it's directory-worthy. Web directories don't waste their time on poorly-done websites. 7. Conduct a survey. Visit a site similar to yours and announce that you have a survey they can answer. The site and yours reap results so no one's on the losing end here! There are sites available that specialize in low cost advanced website traffic tactics. Search for them online and let your site rise to online popularity!

3 Things All Affiliate Marketers Need To Survive Online

Every affiliate marketer is always looking for the successful market that gives the biggest paycheck. Sometimes they think it is a magic formula that is readily available for them. Actually, it is more complicated than that. It is just good marketing practices that have been proven over years of hard work and dedication.
There are tactics that have worked before with online marketing and is continuing to work in the online affiliate marketing world of today. With these top three marketing tips, you will be able to able to increase your sales and survive in the affiliate marketing online.

What are these three tactics?

1. Using unique web pages to promote each separate product you are marketing. Do not lump all of it together just to save some money on web hosting. It is best to have a site focusing on each and every product and nothing more.

Always include product reviews on the website so visitors will have an initial understanding on what the product can do to those who buys them. Also include testimonials from users who have already tried the product. Be sure that these customers are more than willing to allow you to use their names and photos on the site of the specific product you are marketing.

You can also write articles highlighting the uses of the product and include them on the website as an additional page. Make the pages attractive compelling and include calls to act on the information. Each headline should attract the readers to try and read more, even contact you. Highlight your special points. This will help your readers to learn what the page is about and will want to find out more.

2. Offer free reports to your readers. If possible position them at the very top side of your page so it they simply cannot be missed. Try to create autoresponder messages that will be mailed to those who input their personal information into your sign up box. According to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospect.

Only two things can possibly happen with the web page alone: closed sale or the prospect leaving the page and never return again. By placing useful information into their inboxes at certain specified period, you will remind them of the product they thought they want later and will find out that the sale is closed. Be sure that the content is directed toward specific reasons to buy the product. Do not make it sound like a sales pitch.

Focus on important points like how your product can make life and things easier and more enjoyable. Include compelling subject lines in the email. As much as possible, avoid using the word “free” because there are still older spam filters that dumps those kind of contents into the junk before even anyone reading them first. Convince those who signed up for your free reports that they will be missing something big if they do not avail of your products and services.

3. Get the kind of traffic that is targeted to your product. Just think, if the person who visited your website has no interest whatsoever in what you are offering, they will be among those who move on and never come back. Write articles for publication in e-zines and e-reports. This way you can locate publications that is focusing on your target customers and what you have put up might just grab their interest.

Try to write a minimum of 2 articles per week, with at least 300-600 words in length. By continuously writing and maintaining these articles you can generate as many as 100 targeted readers to your site in a day.
Always remember that only 1 out of 100 people are likely to buy your product or get your services. If you can generate as much as 1,000 targeted hits for your website in a day, that means you can made 10 sales based on the average statistic.

The tactics given above does not really sound very difficult to do, if you think about it. It just requires a little time and an action plan on your part.

Try to use these tips for several affiliate marketing programs. You can end maintaining a good source of income and surviving in this business that not all marketers can do.
Besides, think of the huge paychecks you will be receiving…

GETTING YOUR ARTICLES PUBLISHED

1. Test Your Idea:

To lead to a sale, your query must convince the editor that you have a clear idea of what you plan to cover in the article, and what approach you ‘re going to take.

So before writing the letter, think your article idea through carefully, and picture yourself describing the article to a friend.

2. Find Your Angle:

Finding your angle is often a matter of narrowing your topic. A topic like “Sports” is far too general, narrow it to say, “Table Tennis” is better. Often, reducing the story to a single dimension e.g., focus on a key person, place, or event – gives a salable angle.

When your subject is popular, you must give the editor a fresh approach. One way is to take an idea like “Overcoming Failure” and give it a twist to something like “Failure Can Be Good for You.” It needn’t be exotic to sell, something as mundane as “New and Improved” has worked by adding a new ingredient to the usual.

3. Research Helps:

While many queries can be written entirely from your own knowledge, a little research can pay big dividends by seducing the editor. Facts sell editors on an idea. Editors look for queries with many specifics: Don’t just write that “Last year millions of people suffered from yeast infections.” Tell how many millions – and why!

Research both the topic and the markets you’re aiming it at. A common reason for rejection is because of inadequate knowledge of the magazine.

4. Shaping Your Raw Material:

After you have the basics:
a. the idea
b. the slant/facts, and
c. the market

then you’re ready to write your query. A good query starts strong, and never lets up until the editor is sold. Follow the two newspaper dictums; The five W’s (who, what, where, when, why) which explains the story immediately, and “the inverted pyramid” which emphasized putting the most interesting information first. You’ll lose the editor’s interest if you save the best for last, and always remember EDITOR’S CUT FROM THE BOTTOM UP!



5. 3 Main Sections to a Query:

a. The Lead Paragraph
b. The Summary
c. The Author’s Bio.

Each has a specific purpose: first, tell the editor what the story is, then why she/he should buy it, and finally who is going to write it.

The Lead – is aimed to hook the editor and make them want to continue reading.
Once you’ve aroused the editor’s attention, move directly to a summary of the article.

Summary - This section should convince the editor that you know where you want to go with the article; it should outline the points you plan to cover or provide factual information about your topic – giving only enough to prove that your story is real. Here you can mention your sources. Tell the editor who’ll you’ll be talking to, and if experts are they on the cutting edge of today’s technology. Also include here a working title for the article. Don’t spend a lot of time trying to get a provocative headline, because titles are often changed by the editor before publication.

Author’s Bio – is where you sell yourself as a writer to the editor now that you’ve sold him/her on the idea. Don’t be bashful; editors expect a bit of sell in the bio. There’s nothing wrong with saying, “I’m highly qualified to write this article because…” if a convincing reason follows. Start your bio with your publishing credits, and include magazines similar to the one you’re pitching if you can.

HOW YOU CAN GET FREE RADIO ADVERTISING

The greatest expense you're going to incur in conducting a
successful business is advertising.

You have to advertise. Your business cannot grow and flourish
unless you advertise. Advertising is the "life-blood" of any
profitable business. And regardless of where or how you
advertise, it's going to cost you in some form or another.

Every successful business is built upon, and continues to thrive,
primarily, on good advertising. The top companies in the world
allocate millions of dollars annually to their advertising
budget. of course, when starting from a garage, basement or
kitchen table, you can't quite match their advertising
efforts---at least not in the beginning. But there is a way you
can approximate their maneuvers without actually spending their
kind of money. And that's through "P.I" Advertising.

"P.I." stands for per inquiry. This kind of advertising is most
generally associated with broadcasting, where you pay only for
the responses you get to your advertising message. It's very
popular--somewhat akin to bartering--and is used by many more
advertisers than most people realize. The advantages of PI
Advertising are all in favor of the advertiser because with this
kind of an advertising arrangement, you can pay only for the
results the advertising produces.

To get in on this "free" advertising, start with a loose leaf
notebook, and about 100 sheets of filler paper. Next, either
visit your public library and start poring through the Broadcast
Yearbook on radio stations in the U.S., or Standard Rate and Data
Services Directory on Spot Radio. Both these publications will
give you just about all the information you could ever want about
licensed stations.

An easier way might be to call or visit one of your local radio
stations, and ask to borrow (and take home with you) their
current copy of either of these volumes. To purchase them
outright will cost $50 to $75.

Once you have a copy of either of these publications, select the
state or states you want to work first. It's generally best to
begin in your own state and work outward from there. If you have
a moneymaking manual, you might want to start first with those
states reporting the most unemployment.

Use some old fashioned common sense. Who are the people most
likely to be interested in your offer, and where are the largest
concentrations of these people? You wouldn't attempt to sell
windshield de-ice canisters in Florida, or suntan lotion in
Minnesota during the winter months, would you?

At any rate, once you've got your beginning "target" area decided
upon, go through the radio listings for the cities and towns in
that area, and jot down in your notebook the names of general
mangers, the station call letters, and addresses. be sure to list
the telephone numbers as well.

On the first try, list only one radio station per city. Pick out
the station people most interested in your product would be
listening to. This can be determined by the programming
description contained within the date block about the station in
the Broadcasting Yearbook or the SRDS Directory.

The first contact should be in the way of introducing yourself,
and inquiring if they would consider a PI Advertising campaign.
You tell the station manger that you have a product you feel will
sell very well in his market, and would like to test it before
going ahead with a paid advertising program. You must quickly
point out that your product sells for, say $5, and that during
this test, you would allow him 50% of that for each response his
station pulls for you. Explain that you will handle everything for
him: the writing of the commercials, all accounting and
bookkeeping, plus any refunds or complaints that come in. In
other words, all he has to do is schedule your commercials on his
log, and give them his "best shot." When the responses come in,
he counts them, and forwards them on to you for fulfillment. You
make out a check for payment to him, and everybody is happy.

If you've contacted him by phone, and he agrees to look over your
material, tell him thank you and promise to get a complete
"package" in the mail to him immediately. Then do just that.
Write a short cover letter, place it on top of your "ready-to-go"
PI Advertising Package, and get it in the mail to him without
delay.

If you're turned down, and he is not interested in "taking on"
any PI Advertising, just tell him thanks, make a notation in your
notebook by his name, and go to your next call. Contacting these
people by phone is by far the quickest, least expensive and most
productive method of "exploring" for those stations willing to
consider your PI proposal. In some cases though, circumstances
will deem it to be less expensive to make this initial contact by
letter or postcard.

In that case, simply address you card or letter to the person you
are trying to contact. Your letter should be positive in tone,
straight forward and complete. Present all the details in logical
order on one page, perfectly typed on letterhead paper, and sent
in a letterhead envelope. (Rubber-stamped letterheads just won't
get past a first glance.) Ideally, you should include a
self-addressed and stamped postcard with spaces for positive or
negative check marks in answer to your questions: Will you or
won't you over my material and consider a mutually profitable
"Per Inquiry" advertising campaign on your station?

Once you have an agreement from your contact at the radio station
that they will look over your materials and give serious
consideration for a PI program, move quickly, getting your cover
letter and package off by First Class mail, perhaps even Special
Delivery.

What this means is at the same time you organize your "radio
station notebook," you'll also want to organize your advertising
package. Have it all put together and ready to mail just as soon
as you have a positive response. Don't allow time for that
interest in your program to cool down.

You'll need a follow-up letter. Write one to fit all situations;
have 250 copies printed, and then when you're ready to send out a
package, all you'll have to do is fill in the business salutation
and sign it. If you spoke of different arrangements or a specific
matter was discussed in your initial contact, however, type a
different letter incorporating comments or answers to the points
discussed. This personal touch won't take long, and could pay
dividends!


You'll also need at least two thirty-second commercials and two
sixty-second commercials. You could write these up, and have 250
copies printed and organized as a part of your PI Advertising
Package.

You should also have some sort of advertising contract written
up, detailing everything about your program, and how everything
is to be handled; how and when payment to the radio station is to
be made, plus special paragraphs relative to refunds, complaints,
and liabilities. All this can be very quickly written up and
printed in lots of 250 or more on carbonless multi-part snap-out
business forms.

Finally, you should include a self-addressed and stamped postcard
the radio station can use to let you know that they are going to
use your PI Advertising program, when they will start running
your commercials on the air, and how often, during which time
periods. Again, you simply type out the wording in the form you
want to use on these "reply postcards", and have copies printed
for your use in these mailings.

To review this program: Your first step is the initial contact
after searching through the SRDS or Broadcasting Yearbook. Actual
contact with the stations is by phone or mail. When turned down,
simply say thanks, and go to the nest station on the list. For
those who want to know more about your proposal, you immediately
get a PI Advertising Package off to them via the fastest way
possible. Don't let the interest wane.

Your Advertising Package should contain the following:
1. Cover letter
2. Sample brochure, product literature
3. Thirty-second and sixty-second commercials
4. PI Advertising Contract
5. Self-addressed, stamped postcard for station acknowledgment and
acceptance of your program.


Before you ask why you need an acknowledgment postcard when you
have already given them a contact, remember that everything about
business changes from day to day---conditions change, people get
busy, and other things come up. the station manager may sign a
contract with your advertising to begin the 1st of March. The
contract is signed on the 1st of January, but when March 1 rolls
around, he may have forgotten, been replaced, or even decided
against running your program. A lot of paper seemingly "covering
all the minute details" can be very impressive to many radio
station managers, and convince them that your company is a good
one to do business with.


Let's say that right now you're impatient to get started with
your own PI Advertising campaign. Before you "jump off the deep
end," remember this: Radio station people are just as
professional and dedicated as anyone else in business---even more
so in some instances--so be sure you have a product or service
that lends itself well to selling via radio inquiry system.

Anything can be sold, and sold easily with any method you decide
upon, providing you present it from the right angle. "hello out
there! Who wants to buy a mailing list for 10 cents a thousand names?"
wouldn't even be allowed on the air. However, if you have the
addresses of the top 100 movie stars, and you put together an
idea enabling the people to write to them direct, you might have
a winner, and sell a lot of mailing lists of the stars.

At the bottom line, a lot is riding on the content of your
commercial---the benefits you suggest to the listener, and how
easy it is for him to enjoy those benefits. For instance, if you
have a new book on how to find jobs when there aren't any jobs.
You want to talk to people who are desperately searching for
employment. You have to appeal to them in words that not only
"perk up" their ears, but cause them to feel that whatever it is
that you're offering will solve their problems. It's the product,
and in writing of the advertising message about that product are
going to bring in those responses.

Radio station managers are sales people, and sales people the
world over will be sold on your idea if you put your selling
package together properly. And if the responses come in your
first offer, you have set yourself up for an entire series of
successes. Success has a "ripple effect," but you have to start
on that first one. We wish you success!

Personal Blogging, Documentary, and History

When it comes to personal blogging, documentary is
the default genre. There are plenty of blogs that serve
other functions, but many blogs are primarily catalogues
of the life experiences of their author. Although there
are quite a few blogs that focus on collecting poetry and
other forms of creative writing, the vast majority of
personal blogs are in some sense documentaries.

For many years, the act of making a documentary was
meant to be an objective act of reporting the sights and
sounds that the filmmaker, writer, or photographer
encountered. However, in contemporary times there has
been a movement towards embracing the subjectivity
inherent in the documentary form. This means that
modern documentaries often reflect the distinctive
voice and sensibility of their creator, and the fact that
todays documentaries often revolve around personality
blurs the lines between documentary and memoir. Blogs
rest somewhere between these two genres, muddying
the distinctions even further. Personal blogging,
documentary, and memoir are now irrevocably
intertwined, for better or for worse.

Although few bloggers think of themselves as making
documentaries in any formal sense, every time
somebody sits down in front of a computer and types up
a record of their day, they are documenting their own
historical moment. The things that we take for granted
about our daily lives, like the way that we use specific
modes of transportation, or the kinds of products that
we buy, often seem quite fascinating to people who live
in circumstances different from ours, and it is this kind
of fascination that is at the heart of many documentary
projects. When people think about blogging,
documentary is not very likely to be the first adjective
that crosses their minds, but a few decades down the
road it is very likely that todays blogs will be seen
primarily as very subjective documentaries of our era.
The people of tomorrow will almost certainly look to
the blogs of today for insight into our historical
moment.

When it comes to blogging, documentary may not be
the aim of most people who spend their time posting
their thoughts and ideas on the internet. In some ways,
the documentary aspect of blogging is more of a side
effect than a primary goal. However, the fact that so
many people are interested in publishing these public
online diaries shows that personal blogs are about more
than just rumination. The fact that bloggers are so
stimulated by and interested in sharing their ideas with
each other reinforces the idea that personal blogs are, in
some ways, documentaries meant for public
consumption. Documentaries appeal to people who are
curious about other ways of life, and many people who
regularly read others personal blogs are looking for this
same kind of new perspective.

How to Design your Web Site

When a customer visits your website, you have roughly ten seconds to capture their attention, so you better think carefully about what you want to include. Some websites go directly into the navigation and content of their websites on their first “index” page. Customers can surf around the site and decide if they want to buy the product or service. This is not really the wisest option available. Of course, every site does need the standard index page chock full of frequently asked questions, testimonials, order form, etc. But there is a better way to “capture” your visitors by using a squeeze. A squeeze page captures your audience with a screaming headline and brief key points about the customer’s problem and how you intend to solve it. Sometimes a squeeze page offers a free report or newsletter. Either way, all squeeze pages purpose is to retrieve the customers name and email address, or sometimes they ask the customer a burning question.

So what is the point in retrieving the customer’s name and email address? Have you heard of opt-in lists? An opt-in list is gold to an internet marketer because you can send your customers information which will hopefully attract the customer back to the website to either purchase a product or service being offered. Spamming is illegal and having a great opt-in list is really necessary to any Internet marketer. You can also use your list to make money as an affiliate with another company. You can send customers an email from the site you are promoting and make profits as an affiliate. This is a great way to earn extra income indeed.

Squeeze pages are sometimes the first page found on a website. Sometimes they are pop ups on the index page of a website. They are very crucial to any Internet marketer’s business.

Choosing The Right Free Blogging Tools

There are many free blogging tools on the market, but
loading up your blog with all of the free accessories that
you can find isn't necessarily a good idea. While it may
be tempting to add a visitor counter, a flashy
background, an exciting new font, and a cluster of
quirky animated gifs to your blog, this kind of plan can
easily backfire. The key to getting the most from free
blog tools is being selective.

It is a great idea to learn about all of the kinds of free
blogging tools that are available so that you can make
an informed decision about what to add to your blog,
but try to remember that just because you can have
something doesn't mean that you need it. Practice
restraint and only choose the options that you think will
really be useful. If you can find out how many visitors
are reading your blog by checking your traffic statistics,
a visitor counter is likely to add unnecessary clutter to
your page. If your blog is text-based, a flashy
background can be more of a distraction than an benefit.
Be realistic about assessing what kinds of blog
accessories will help you realize your vision and
improve your site. Remember that even a blog tool that
doesn't cost you any cash may not be an asset in the
long run.

3 Things You Can Do to Stop Wasting Money Now!

1. Create a budget and stick to it
2. Improve your credit score
3. Refinance

Understanding Re-Financing

Understanding the process of re-financing can be quite dizzying. Homeowners who are considering re-financing might initially be overwhelmed by the number of options available to them. However, after taking some time to educate themselves about the process, they will likely find the process is not nearly as daunting as they had imagined. This article will discuss some of the options available to those interested in re-financing as well as some of the important factors to consider in order to determine whether or not refinancing is worthwhile.

Consider the Options

Homeowners have quite a few options available to them when they are considering the possibility of re-financing their home. The most significant decision is the type of loan they will choose. Fixed rate mortgages and adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are the two main types of mortgages the homeowners will likely encounter. Additionally there are hybrid loan options available.

As the name implies, a fixed rate mortgage is one in which the interest rate remains constant throughout the duration of the loan period. This is an especially favorable type of loan when the homeowner has credit which is sufficient enough to lock in a low interest rate.

ARMs are mortgages where the interest rate varies during the course of the loan period. The interest rate is usually tied to an index such as the prime index and is subject to rises and falls in accordance with this index. This is considered a riskier type of loan and is therefore often offered to homeowners who have less favorable credit scores.

Although ARMs are considered somewhat risky there is usually a certain degree of protection written into the loan agreement. This may come in the form of a clause which limits the amount the interest rate can increase, in terms of percentage points, over a fixed period of time. This can protect the homeowner from sharp increases in the interest rates which would otherwise considerably raise the amount of their monthly payments.

Hybrid loans are mortgages which combine a fixed element with an adjustable element. An example of this type of loan is a situation where the lender may offer a fixed interest rate for the first five years of the loan and a variable interest rate for the remainder of the loan. Lenders typically offer a lower introductory interest rate for the fixed period to make the mortgage seem more enticing.

Consider the Closing Costs

The closing costs associated with re-financing should be carefully considered when deciding whether or not to re-finance the home. This is significant because when homeowners re-finance their home they are often subject to many of the same closing costs as when they originally purchased the home. These costs may include, but are not limited to appraisal fees, application fees, loan origination fees and a host of other expenses. These costs can be quite significant. The closing costs will be significant when the homeowner considers the overall savings associated with re-financing.

Consider the Overall Savings

When deciding whether or not to re-finance, the overall savings is one factor the homeowners should carefully consider. This is important because re-financing is typically not considered worthwhile unless it results in a financial savings. Although some homeowners refinance to lower monthly costs and are not concerned with the overall picture, most homeowners consider whether or not they will be saving money by refinancing.

The amount of money the homeowner will save when re-financing is largely dependent on the new interest rate in relation to the old interest rate. Other factors come into play such as the remaining balance of the existing loan as well as the amount of time the homeowner intends to stay in the home before selling the property. It is important to note that the amount of money saved by negotiating a lower interest rate is not equal to the entire savings. The homeowner must determine the closing costs associated with re-financing and subtract this sum from the potential savings. A negative number would indicate the new interest rate is not low enough to offset the closing costs. Conversely a positive number indicates an overall savings. With this information the homeowner can decide whether or not he wishes to re-finance.

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