Home Based Businesses

Good news for you!

2005-02-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

Start Making money NOW instead of later,……. for FREE!

I have written about Referralware before and I continue to say that it is the best affiliate Program you can sign up with. And as I said earlier the beauty is that it is designed to manage multiple income steams, all from one control panel.

Well, just as I was telling you all how wonderful Referralware is, I got invited to be part of a new addition to the overall system and I attended a conference call with about 1500 other people. This conference call apparently broke all records and we maxed out the capabilities of all western communication servers. This had never been done before at this magnitude.

Anyways,….. the call proved to be the best and most exciting development within the Referralware organization in recent history.

During the call we were introduced to the new Coaching For Profits Concept. This new concept follows some easy to follow steps, taking any newbie sign-up through Referralware and coaching them through a 30 day (FREE) step by step process to success. The significant difference between most affiliate programs out there and Coaching For Profits is that the newbie sign-up will be able to start to earn income immediately.

The basic premise is that the old adage of teaching a person to fish to feed themselves misses one important point. Many people need to put food on the table now and pay the rent and the phone bill etc. If you can’t afford to live today, how are you going to be able to invest in the future? They sure aren’t able to invest in even small sums of money into things like advertising and affiliate sign-ups.

If a person can be taught how to earn a living and become financially independent over time that is great, but if you can have that person start earning the money to do that immediately….before they have to dish any out……now that is revolutionary!
Under this system a new sign-up can test drive the system for free for 30 days and begin earning immediately.

In addition to this, the Coaching For Profits has taken all the guess work out of how to do this and what to write in your e-mails to your down-line by developing a systemized e-mail campaign that is so well written, it is worth a fortune.

The training and coaching through the process of becoming financially independent is so well put together that if you follow the steps you can not help but start making money immediately. It has all been made so simple and so brilliantly put together that this will without a doubt propel the Referralware organization through the roof.

As with any affiliate program, it is best if you get in on the ground floor. Kind of like two years from now everyone saying ……I wish I had been there from the beginning….I’d be rich now. Already people are lining up for an encore to the original conference call so that they too can become a part of Coaching For Profits.

Now the decision is up to you…………..Referralware has taken all the risk out by making this tremendous offer. Try it for free for 30 days and test the system. If we are right, you start earning money in the first month and only then YOU DECIDE if you want to see that income grow and continue or not. I bet you won’t want to opt out.

Another promise is that when you sign up, you will get personal support from me and my partner Justin. Already we are signing up people every day and we have talked with many of them on the phone to answer any questions they have.

Go and have a look at the website your boss doesn’t want you to see and take the first step towards FINANCIAL INDEPENDANCE.

CLICK HERE TO CHANGE YOUR DESTINY: http://bizopz.referralware.com/

BIZOPZ BOB is an entrepreneur with a number of successful ventures on the go. He has an extensive business background and has ventured into the on-line community with a passion. While maintaining healthy skepticism, he explores many different opportunities and reports on his endeavors, good or bad. He tends to shoot straight; aim high and load for bear! You can contact Bob at: http://bizopz-online.com/

What If??

2005-02-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

What if?

What if you just signed up with one of the many on-line Home Business Opportunities?

Good for you! This is an important first step to financial independence. You probably are an optimist and you are excited to see the results that are to come. But it won’t be long and you are second guessing yourself as to whether it will really be paying off. If you are like me, that first sign-up gets you all excited and you are checking the commission earned tab many times before it actually started to show a profit.

What if the organization you signed up with, actually starts to cut you checks?

This will be one of the most exciting days you will ever experience. The first checks should be savored and a photocopy should be made to remind you what it felt like.
Soon however you realize that the income stream is smaller then you anticipated and it takes much longer and more work before you reach your goals.
Don’t give up because the first steps are the hardest!

What if you decide to sign up for a second affiliate to speed up the process of financial independence?

Good for you! This is a wise move. If one program can earn you some money, then two should double your chances,…… right? But just a minute, the work is starting to pile up too. All those e-mails that need to be checked and responded to; the many passwords you need to remember;……..and not least of all the different fees that need to be paid to receive the right tools.
Don’t despair, you are on the right path. Did you know that most on-line entrepreneurs are involved with an average of 4 different programs? The successful ones are into as many as hundreds.
The problem is that you have only so many hours in the day to work on these projects. You still have a full-time job. Your income stream is still just a trickle.
Most of the really successful on-line entrepreneurs have hired help or a spouse that dedicated his/her life to the business. You don’t…..your spouse still thinks you’re nuts.

What if you are starting to realize that to earn a fulltime wage requires fulltime hours.

I know soooo many promise that 3 hours a week will earn you a full-time income…..but let’s get real. Maybe that happens over a long period of time.
You want success sooner ….right?

What if you could actually sign up with many programs but not have to duplicate all the work over and over.

And ………………………..

What if such a program would give you the tools to manage the different aspects of all the affiliates and product sales?

And…………..

What if such a program would teach you how to manage all aspects without having to spend 40 hours a week.

This would be like having your own staff. Secretaries, web managers, accountants, sales people etc. Heh,……just a minute, that is what the big guys have, and do………Right?

What if you can do this by enrolling in one centralized area where you can pick and choose which affiliates to sign up with?

Sounds pretty good to me! Create multiple income streams and manage them all by one program that tracks everything and a program that has built in tools like autoresponders, shared advertising programs and gives advice, tip and tricks to be more successful.

This is exactly what I did and believe me I am so happy that is they way I went. It makes the difference between struggling for years to get to the top with countless hours behind the computer. Yes I still spend countless hours behind the computer but now because I have the time and can afford to……………………much better that way………Right?

If you are at the point where I was, in the beginning stages of building your business, why don’t you come and check this out for yourself. It is free to look at and you can even take it for a test-drive. http://bizopz.referralware.com If you want to start slow, and use just one affiliate to begin with……that’s ok too. Soon you will realize you have too much time on your hands not to get another…and another….and another….!

What if you do what I did….you will get what I got……..a lot of money, sooner then you thought possible!

When you join me and our team; we will guide you every step of the way……right to FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE……….and you will be the one writing these articles…..!!!!

CHECK IT OUT YOURSELF AT http://bizopz.referralware.com

BIZOPZ BOB is an entrepreneur with a number of successful ventures on the go. He has an extensive business background and has ventured into the on-line community with a passion. While maintaining healthy skepticism, he explores many different opportunities and reports on his endeavors, good or bad.He tends to shoot straight; aim high and load for bear! You can contact Bob at:http://bizopz-online.com/

...........................BIZOPZ BLOG.............................

2005-02-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

How Do You Treat Customers In An Online Home Business?

2005-02-13T00:46:00.000-08:00

With an online home business, many people wonder what the right way is to treat customers. After all, you can't see their grumpy faces and therefore don't know whether they're happy or annoyed with the purchase.

Let me tell you a secret.
In an online home business the ancient rule still applies - "Treat your customers as if they are your boss for they pay your salary". Yes, it's just as important on the internet as it is with a normal business.

So how do you make your customers happy when the internet business is so impersonal?
The key is to be as personal and as warm as possible.
Below are my personal tactics which I've used over the years. Some gained via reading information products and some gained via errors with my own online membership site. Enjoy.

1. Thank you emails

Often after a customer has bought your product the relationship ends there. They'll receive the receipt for their payment and nothing more.

What if we immediately followup with a 'thank you' email and also tell them what other products they can buy which they may find interesting? Your customers would appreciate you for being thoughtful and think "wow, I didn't think this kind of service existed online".
You have surprised your customers and you're selling to them at the same time. Kill two birds with one stone.

And who says you need to stop there? You can send them an email every two weeks reminding them that they have bought from you before and that you have some other products which they may be interested in.

If you have not already done so, go and send your thank you emails and sell to your customers. This sort of work can be automated by using auto responders.
I recommend http://www.onlinemoneymachine.com/auto which is reliable and has worked wonders with following up with my customers.

2. Meet the expectations.

A lot of people are angry if what they bought does not match the description as advertised on your web page.
Think about it.
If they bought what they expected and your sales page is clear, they have nothing to complain about. This applies to normal customers of course :-)
So read through your sales page again and carefully say to yourself "does my product or service really deliver what it says?"

3. Over Deliver

This is one of the most powerful techniques to use to make your customers go "WOW".
I remember the first time I had dinner at a Chinese restaurant with my girlfriend when I was studying at University. The owner asked me that if it was my first time there. I told him so and in the middle of my dinner, he asked if he could have a chat with us. He sat down with an orange juice and offered us an orange juice as well on the house.
We had a quick chat for about 5 minutes. He got to know our names and also what we studied and we learnt he was called Eric - a happy restaurant owner. Eric left us to get on with our meal and smiled to us when we left. We felt the service at the restaurant was top notch with Eric being our new friend.

Needless to say we became a regular there. We called him by name and so did he. We didn't get any more orange juice on the house but it didn't matter.

Please learn from Eric. Try and over-deliver when someone buys from you. With your business, offer unadvertised bonuses and offer additional help for them such as installing the software for them at no extra cost.
Do something which they don't expect you to do. In turn they'll stick with you like glue.

4. Personal Approach

Your business is online and people are afraid to do business with you. So add a bit of personal touch to your business:- show your photo on the web page.

- send emails to your prospects calling them by their first names. People feel closer to you when you address them by their first name.

- crack a joke now and again and show that you are an actual person writing them an email.
With these advice on how to treat your customers, your next step now is to study your own online home business and think of ways to implement the techniques. Make your customers buy from you again and also make them advertise for you.

Go and take action now. Reading a useful article becomes useless if you don't act on it.

Alan Cheng, is the owner of http://www.onlinemoneymachine.com the membership site with everything to help beginners setup a profitable online business website.
You can contact Alan at mailto:alan@onlinemoneymachine.com

Make Your Voice Heard!

2005-02-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

This is an open invitation to share your thoughts and experiences on this

Home Business Blog.
Whether your experiences are good or bad, we like you to share them with

our Blog audience.

This is real opportunity for you to plug your own business by telling us what it is you are involved in. Let the readership know what works for you and what has not.

We are also interested in learning more tips and tricks that are paying off.

This Blog is for you to learn from, and share with, your fellow entrepreneurs.
You don’t need to be a professional writer. All articles submitted will be checked and edited as little as possible.

Just a few rules to follow.

1 All articles need to include the writer’s name and E-Mail address.
2 Limit articles to 500 to 750 words
3 No profanity or hateful language is acceptable
4 Topics have to be Home Business related.
5 We do not accept any articles related to the porn industry
6 All articles are for public use and can be shared freely
7 Check all links in your article to make sure they are current.
8 We will maintain editorial control at all times and may refuse to publish certain articles.
9 Old articles will be archived and/or deleted when space gets limited.
10 Any republishing of all articles must be accompanied by the original writer’s name and links
11 Any requests by original authors to remove their article(s) will be granted as soon as practical.

Don’t be shy and get ready to submit your take on Home Businesses.

E-Mail your article to BizOpz Bob;

just click on the little E-Mail Icon below to submit.

Advertising: Coming Soon to a Blog/RSS Feed Near You

2005-02-07T09:14:00.000-08:00

Advertising has always been part of our society. online it's no different, and the number of ad options seems to increase daily. The latest target of advertisers is Blogs/RSS.

A Blog is similar to an online journal where daily or weekly rantings by the publisher are posted. RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" and is a way to distribute your Blog or Web page updates via the Internet.
Anyone can subscribe to your RSS feed, which they'll do using a "news reader," and be notified of any new updates or postings.

This new type of advertising is still growing and evolving and the majority of ads being served are not graphical but text-based in nature. Advertising in Blogs and feeds has a slow growth area, as Blogs still have not reached the mainstream, primarily due to the fact that readers are not yet included within a browser's interface.
In the future, browsers will come with this option built in.

One difficulty with RSS feed advertising is the number of different software packages (news readers) available. Instead of one or two standards, there are hundreds of options to choose from.

As a publisher, you can earn cash by selling ads on your Blog yourself, or you can use a third party ad service and run their ads on your site.

So what are some of the benefits to Blog/RSS advertising? Well, unlike email ads, there is no problem with filtering/blocking and this format is 100% opt-in, so delivery of your messages is assured with no S-p-a-m complaints.
You're also not competing for attention with hundreds of other messages in an already over crowded inbox of the end user.

Let's take a look at some of the options and trendsetters in this new advertising arena.

1) Simple Ad Feed Management & Server: http://pheedo.com/publishers/
Service that allows you to place ads into your RSS or Atom feeds. Easy to use turnkey system, they have a large pool of advertisers or you can send your own advertisers to sign up thru their site. All ad activity is trackable and reports can be generated showing click thrus and ad views.

2) TypePad: http://www.TypePad.com
An online Blogging service starting out at only 4.95 a month. Typedpad has recently partnered with Kanoodle to integrate their contextual ads into their Blogs. This is an add on option for users and is not mandatory or forced on subscribers.

3) Blogger: http://Blogger.com
Owned by Google, this free online Blog service allows its users to sign up for their AdSense Program. By displaying their contextual ads on your Blog, you'll be paid for every click thru. For more on Adsense see http://www.tinyurl.com/4uakh

4) Overture: http://Overture.com
Overture has partnered with Feedburner.com to deliver ads into several feeds, including mobiletracker.net. Overture's contextual ad technology is relying on Feedburner's processing expertise for help in delivering the ads.

5) Feedster: http://www.FeedSter.com
Feedster has started placing sponsored links in their feeds and recently started offering Kanoodle's context ads. Users of Feedster who want "ad free feeds" will have to pay an annual fee.

6) MoreOver: http://MoreOver.com
Moreover can deliver ads thru RSS, but the publishers don't make the money; Moreover does. To see a listing of their free RSS news feeds, go to http://Moreover.com/RSS They also offer free "ad supported feeds" that non-commercial websites can display on their websites. For more see http://FeedDirect.com

7) SimpleAds.net: http://www.SimpleAds.net
A free ad network for Bloggers to promote their Blogs via other users Blogs. You can create your own ad that is rotated across their ad network.

8) BurstMedia.com : http://BurstMedia.com
BurstMedia recently launched their own Blog advertising service. Currently they have over 22 Blogs in their network that all together generate over 9 million pageviews a month. Advertisers can choose to target by location or content.

Anytime you see the Net's "Big Boys" involved in a new technology, you can bet there's money to be made.
Blogging and RSS feeds advertising is indeed the wave of the future, so if you don't want to be left behind, catch a ride while there's still room on this trendsetter train.
-------------------------------------------------
Merle of WebSiteTrafficPlan.com offers a F-r-e-e ebook and an e-course that will teach you how to promote and market your website. Grab your copy now by going to http://WebSiteTrafficPlan.com

SFI FREE AFFILIATE PROGRAM

2005-02-05T01:07:00.000-08:00

Join now for Free!

Unlimited Potential!

Serious players only!

SFI Marketing is BizOpz-Online #1 recommendation!!!

SFI marketing has been the online #1 home based business for the last 2 years running now!

BizOpz-Online recommends SFI for the following reasons:

1) It's designed for busy people.
With less than 5 hours per week, you can parlay that into a full time income.

2) You can set your own hours.
It won't interfere with the rest of your life.

3) Guaranteed to make money.
You'll read a lot of programs that promise the same. We've gone through the program, and BizOpz-Online can back up that guarantee!

4) Huge tax benefit potential.

5) No limit on how much you can make!

There are so many benefits to this program. What's best? It's completely free!

No fee to signup, no fee to stay with them!
We guarantee that you'll be hooked within the first day, to the potential income replacement this program can provide you!
If you are a motivated person who doesn't mind putting in a little work to make a potentially life changing decision, follow the link below to learn a little more about the SFI system.

We look forward to seeing you at the top of the ladder!

Click here for more INFO!!!

How To Save BIG In Your Online Business

2005-02-04T22:33:00.000-08:00

When you're first starting an online business, it can be a struggle finding the money to invest in the things that will grow your business most. only later do you discover things all the guru's know that could have saved you a small fortune.

Here are a few things that will help you save on Internet marketing business necessities.

In order to be in business on the Internet you DO need a website. Hosting that website doesn't need to cost you an arm and a leg. Here are two ways to save:

1) Don't register your domain through your web host.
Instead go to a discount registrar. Your web host will charge you up to $40 or more (per year) just to conveniently handle your domain name registration. You can register or renew your domain name yourself for as little as $8 per year. I've set up a service for my subscribers and clients to do just that at: http://WillieCrawford.com/domains/

How am I able to offer you such a bargain?
I have a domain name reseller account at Wild West Domains. For around $100 per year, practically anyone can become a domain name reseller. You are charged a wholesale price for domain name registrations (and other services offered on my site above).
You decide how much you want to mark up your prices above that. I have practically no markup because I enjoy helping beginners get off to a good start. I know that you'll be back for other products and services that I offer - after you're a big success :-)

2) Consider getting a web hosting account here: http://www.profitautomation.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=119107
I have an account that lets me host up to 50 domains for only $109 per month. That equates to about $2 per domain, per month. The $109 package that I have gives me 4400 meg of disk space and 100 gigabytes of monthly bandwidth to spread among my 50 domains in that account any way that I want to.

The account above is intended for people who want to open their own web-hosting business. Basically, you can get one of these accounts and then charge your online or local customers whatever price you choose. Find 50 local customers and charge them $100 each and you've just turned $109 into $5000. That's a nice monthly revenue stream and it's also in-line with what offline businesses expect to pay.

The above account isn't for everyone. It doesn't come with a lot of free tech support. You have to go through some online tutorials and then you're the tech support. If you need help, you can get it through an online forum or through a trouble ticket system (where you pay by the minute). When one of your customers needs help, their trouble tickets go to you. If you pass them along to the parent company, you are billed by the minute.

I use the above account to host many of my own domains. I have numerous very simple sites that are only a few pages. Some are only a one-page sales letter. I save a bundle by paying only $2 per month to host these. When you're paying only $2 per month for hosting you don't need to make a lot of sale for a site to be profitable.

Another necessity is basic Internet access. For that I use my local cable company but I also have a backup dialup connection. That account, which offer decent service cost me less than $10 per month. Because I transfer many 30 meg or larger files back and forth regularly, this account probably isn’t robust enough to be my primary.
However, my local cable company does sometimes have outages for various reasons. That's when I use this dialup account most. I also use it sometimes while I'm traveling. You can checkout the company I use at: http://47928.yourdialupservice.com/
They offer thousands of local access numbers in the U.S. and Canada.
I have not located a comparable resource for outside the U.S. and Canada, but will pass it along when I do.

Another way to save big is to get your own merchant account. When you use Paypal or Clickbank, your initial investment may be less. However you pay much higher processing fees, and your less professional appearance DOES cost you sales. Savvy customers who understand Clickbank and Paypal will recognize that you're not processing enough volume to consider a merchant account worthwhile. They may consider you an amateur that they don't want to risk major purchases with.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't use Paypal or Clickbank when you first start out and you're not confident that your product will even sell. I AM saying that "when you're ready to run with the big dogs, you need to look like one of them." Top marketers that I know who are processing tens of thousands, and even hundreds of thousands of dollars per month in credit card transactions use: http://WarriorProcessing.com Take a look at the site and you'll see why it's who we use.

As you get your online business rolling, the other thing you'll need is traffic. When you first get started, the fastest way to get it is from the pay-per-clicks. I use Google AdWords to drive initial traffic to all of my sites when I need that traffic fast. That allows me to quickly get enough traffic to test and improve my conversion rate. None of the other pay-per-clicks usually deliver the volume of traffic that I want quickly enough.

After I refine things using Google AdWords, I do set up accounts at some of the other pay-per-clicks. I use Google AdWords at first because I place a very high value on my time and I don't want to spend months just getting enough traffic to refine the sales process on a single site.
Unless you have lots of free time, I wouldn't waste time on any other traffic source initially EXCEPT for the one I am using right here. Writing and submitting articles to ezines and article directories has proven the single best source of free traffic for me. It works so well that I've written over 300 articles on various aspect of Internet marketing. To prove that this works, just enter my name at any search engine. You'll see millions of returns and most of them are simply from my article writing activities.

The other thing that will save you time is studying and practicing copywriting. Minor improvement in your web copy can easily increase your conversion rate by 100 times. Not learning copywriting is practicing false economy for most of us. If only 1 out of every 200 visitors to your site buys and just by changing a headline you can change that to 1 in 20, that shows just how important copywriting is. There have been countless documented cases of people getting improvements this dramatic from minor but important improvement in their web copy.

To learn copywriting, I went through and highly recommend Yanik Silver's Ultimate At-Home Internet Copywriting Workshop. This will be your largest initial expense, but it's a necessary one.
Words sell, and if you're not willing to learn to use words properly in your marketing, then you probably shouldn't waste time setting up a website.
You can get all of the details on this course at: http://www.ultimateonlinecopymanual.com

We've just gone over a number of way that you can dramatically cut the expenses associate with operating your online business. I'm willing to bet that I've just told you things that NO onE else has told you. They aren't all trying to take advantage of you. However, they are hoping that out of ignorance you'll spend more on the same items through them.
Save that money and plow it back into growing your business.
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This article is excerpted from Willie Crawford's Revised, Free 20-lesson Internet Business Success Course.
To sign up for the entire course today, simply visit: http://WillieCrawford.com

The Best Internet Marketing Secret Of All Time

2005-02-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

Do you want to save up to 10 years of internet frustration and thousands of dollars in advertising & testing? You're about to find out an amazing secret that the gurus don't want you to know about.

Now at first you may think this isn't a big deal, but I'll explain why this is so powerful in a moment.

The amazing secret is simply this: `Copy The Experts, Mimic The Gurus.' Find the Gurus in your related business and do what they're doing. Especially look at their websites/sales pages and make yours very similar.

Now let me say this right now - I am not telling you to steal their words or images that would be illegal.

What I am saying is study their sales letters and pay close attention to how they use: size of text, color, font, bold, italic, word spacing, paragraph spacing, length of paragraphs, use of color, background color, keywords and phrases, titles, headlines, and sub headlines just to name a few.
Why should you do this? Because it is working for them.
Their webpage/sales letters are the final results of years of trial and error, and thousands of dollars spent on advertising and testing.

One of my favorite internet marketing gurus to learn from is John Reese. He's been studying and improving internet marketing since 1990 and has had over a billion website visitors. He's always testing everything he does. Why? Because this is how you find out what really works and what will produce the best results - and ultimately brings in the most money.

He made over a million dollars in one day on the internet. Do you think we could to learn a thing or two from him? You bet we can! What if our salepage looked a lot like his? How much would our sales increase? If you want to spy on him right now just to see what he's doing visit:
http://www.trafficsecretsuccess.com

By studying his style and technique you should be able to learn a lot in a very short time. Save a copy of his site to your desktop for future reference. And if your guru has a coffee stain in the upper right hand corner of his sales letter then make sure you have one on yours too. It was put there for a reason - to make money.

Also this is just a starting point. After you have revised your own sales letter then start testing other things to improve it even more.

Remember by using this one simple idea you will save yourself a tremendous amount of time and money, and it can take you from a novice to looking like the pros almost overnight.---------

Duane Marx is the author of `The Best Internet Marketing Secret Of All Time'.
For other free marketing tips please visit: http://bizopz-online.com/www.internetchecklist.com

10 Killer Ways To Multiply Your Sales For Affiliate Success

2005-02-02T10:18:00.000-08:00

1. When you make your first sale, follow-up with the customer. You could follow-up with a "thank you" email and include an advertisement for other products you sell or invite them to join your affiliate program. You could follow-up every few months.

2. You could upsell to your customers. When they're at your order page, tell them about a few extra related products you have for sale. They could just add it to their original order and this will increase your revenue, a vital step to affiliate success and financial freedom.

3. Tell your customers if they refer four customers to your web site, they will receive a full rebate of their purchase price. This will turn one sale into three sales.

4. When you sell a product, give your customers the option of joining an affiliate program so they can make commissions selling your product. This will multiply the sale you just made. Affiliate success is built on this principle.

5. Sell the reprint/reproduction rights to your products. You could include an ad on or with the product for other products you sell. You could make sales for the reproduction rights and sales on the back end product.

6. You could cross promote your product with other businesses' products in a package deal. You can include an ad or flyer for other products you sell and have other businesses selling for you for financial freedom.

7. When you ship out or deliver your product, include a coupon for other related products you sell in the package. This will attract them to buy more products from you.

8. Send your customers a catalog of add-on products for the original product they purchased. This could be upgrades, special services, attachments, etc. If they enjoy your product they will buy the extra add-ons.

9. Sell gift certificates for your products. You'll make sales from the purchase of the gift certificate, when the recipient cashes it in. They could also buy other items from your web site.

10. Send your customers free products with their product package. The freebies should have your ad printed on them. It could be bumper stickers, ball caps, t-shirts etc. This will allow other people to see your ad and order.

Affiliate success and financial freedom can be your with focus, focus, focus!
---------------------------------------------------------
Martin Boyd, Your Home-Biz-Success Partner publishes HBT News, a bi-weekly informative newsletter dedicated to supporting online Home businesses.
If you're looking for the #1 rated home business opportunities, the latest resources and helpful support from an honest friend in the business, come by and grab a F-R-E-E subscription, http://www.theworkathomesuccessbusiness.com/affiliate-success.html

Be an Affiliate Site AND a Sales Site

2005-02-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

Are you just a sales site reselling affiliate products and services?

You have probably seen sites that are selling a product or service and noticed that they also offer an affiliate programyou can join.
There is often a little link at the top left orat the bottom of the site that says "Affiliate Program". Not only can you buy the product or service but you can sell it as well and earn a commission.

Well, how about using the same concept for your affiliate programs.
How about setting up your site like this but not actually developing the product or service yourself.
You can with 2 tier affiliate programs! Not only can you earn commissions through the sale of products or services at your site directly, you can sign up 2nd tier affiliates to earn commissions for you as well.
Many of the best affiliate programs offer ‘2nd tieropportunities’. You should make sure you join ones that do.

How should you design your site to accommodate sales AND affiliates?

There are 2 ways to do this:

1. If you have a number of products or services you are selling at your site then underneath the affiliate link to BUY the product or service have the "join affiliate program" link.
Most likely your affiliate program will provide you with 2 different affiliate links. Chances are, people you sign up into the 2nd tier via your affiliate program link will end up buying the product themselves. So not only do you get a direct commission from the sale to this person, you also get 2nd tier commissions from any sales they make in the future.

2. Set up a mini-site for one of your affiliate programs so that you are only reselling this one product or service.
This would be a site with just 2 pages.
On the first page is the link to the product itself.
On the 2nd page is the description of the affiliate program and the link to the affiliate program sign up page.
Your goal is to actually direct your visitors to the 2nd page where they can sign up to the affiliate program.
Why? You will get more commissions from signing up affiliates into your 2nd tier than by visitors directly buying the product through your affiliate link.
This is because more people will be interested in the affiliate program rather than the product. But when they join the affiliate program, many of them will buy the product or service.

In summary, think about using your site as an affiliate programsite as well as a sales site.
It gives you 2 bites at the cherry and having 2nd tier affiliates means you can be earning commissions for many years

David McKenzie of http://www.brisney.com produces a free twicemonthly newsletter for affiliates.
Sign up by sending an email tomailto:brisney@getresponse.com?subject=REF005 and receive thefree Special Report "7 Secrets to Making Money With AffiliatePrograms."

Two Big Mistakes

2005-01-30T11:39:00.000-08:00

Two Big Mistakes By Jim Daniels
"They Took Minutes to Fix and Yielded Huge Results..."

Today I'd like to share with you just two tiny changes I made in my online marketing campaign recently. While the changes I made took literally minutes, the results have been nothing short of spectacular.
Chances are, you are making at least one of these two mistakes as well. If so, I urge you to fix them as soon as possible. I promise you'll be thrilled with the results.

MISTAKE 1: Sign up form missing on Home Page

For over two years my main page did not contain a signup form for my BizWeb eGazette, my free, weekly email newsletter. Sure, I had a link to my sample issue and lots of other pages at my site contained a signup form, but I never got around to adding the short form to my main page.

THE FIX:

I added a short sign up form with a testimonial on my main page and my new subscriber signups nearly doubled, from 300 a week to close to 600. Geez, if I had smartened up a year ago I could be at 50,000 subscribers now instead of 34,000. Learn from my mistake! If you are not using a signup form on your main page to collect email addresses of your visitors, you are making a big mistake. It really is as simple as asking for their email address using a form like the one I have at my main page. Feel free to copy the html code of that signup form if you want. Then change each instance of my domain to your own. All you'll need to make it work is the "formmail" script on your web server. Most web hosts offer that basic script - my host includes it for free.

MISTAKE 2: Including the same signature file with all outgoing emails.

If you're not familiar with what a signature file is, click here for an explanation. Although most online marketers know how to use a sig file, nearly all are limiting themselves with this tool. Here's how...
My old Sig looked like this: JDD PUBLISHING - Home of "The BizWeb E-Gazette!" Low Cost, Powerful Internet Marketing! Mailto:JDDinfo@bizweb2000.com
Any time I replied to an email message it included that short signature at the end.
Sure, I dabbled with other longer sigs but I never noticed much of a difference. That is, until I wised up and started targeting my sigs to each prospect...

THE FIX:

Rather than use the same sig with every email, I now select from a menu of four separate signatures. Each one I created is geared to assist different people. It's usually pretty simple to tell from an email message what type of product or service a each person may be most interested in.
Now, before I click "send" on any message, I simply use Eudora's drop down menu and select one of my four pre-written signature files.

They are as such:
Sig 1: For newer contacts who may not have made a purchase yet. This introduces them to my online catalog. Be sure to drop by my online catalog. I just updated it to include new products and services guaranteed to help grow your biz... www.bizweb2000.com/products.htm

Sig 2: For people who have expressed an interest in automating some of their website marketing tasks. P.S. Stop by www.bizweb2000.com/software.htm and download the software we use to get site traffic. You can try them all for FREE today!

Sig 3: For folks just getting started who may be in need of a web host. Do you need your own website? You can save lots of time and money at: http://www.bizweb2000.com/v ; come test drive "HiRize", where you can create, maintain and manage your website, all through one simple interface!

Sig 4: For people who appear willing to spend a little more for faster results online.
P.S. I've been working with a few cybermarketing pros you may have heard of. We put together a private site at www.bizweb2000.com/imc/ that literally guarantees success in your online business. Take a second and visit!

These sigs work wonders for me! They are all mini-ads I designed to assist specific customers and prospects. I recommend YOU take a few minutes and set up a sig that promotes each of your top products and services. You'll quickly find that each client you deal with really does fit in well with one particular recommendation.
This simple strategy can increase your online income more than you can imagine.

Article by Jim Daniels of JDD Publishing.
Jim's site has helped 1000's of regular folks profit online.
Visit http://bizweb2000.com for FREE "how-to" cybermarketing assistance, software, manuals, web services and more.
No time to visit the site? Subscribe to their Free, weekly BizWeb E-Gazette: mailto:freegazette@bizweb2000.com

What Type of Home Business Owner Are You?

2005-01-29T16:20:00.000-08:00

Are you the type of home business owner that works your business like it is a fortune 500 company? Or, are you one of those home business owners that do next to nothing other than hope you will be successful?

There are plenty of both of these types of home business owners on the net today. They are really easy to spot as well.
Let's examine each of these two types of home business owners to find out which category you fall into.

The successful home business owner

They treat his/her business like a real business.
Whether they are running their business out oftheir basement or from a laptop computer on the beach, they are hands on in every facet of their business. The successful homebusiness owner will have a budget and business plan complete with cash flow projections. They will set goals for their business. They won't waste time on things that don't work for them.

The successful home business owner will undoubtedly work longhours, and study other successful business owners in hopes of emulating that same success. These people are 'go-getters' and dreamers. Successful home business owners plan every action theytake and have a healthy attitude towards being successful andmaking money.

Another trait of successful home business owners is that they will surround themselves with similar types of people. They will network with other's that are in a similar situation as themselves. For the most part these successful business owners are all to happy to help other people out with their homebusiness.

The above attributes of successful home business owners should be emulated if hope to successful with your home business. Now let's look at the home business owner that hopes to become successful.

The Hopeful Home Business Owner

The hopeful home business owner is the person that starts a home business in hopes of being successful. More times than not they will treat their home business as a side project or hobby.They very rarely will do any research on their own, they don't seek out new ways of doing business.
Most of these people will not attempt to network with other home business owners, but instead keep doing what they have been doing hoping that the results will change.

The hopeful home business owner will spend more time thinking about ways to become successful, then actually taking action.Goals, business plans, and budgets mean nothing to these types of home business owners.

IF in fact, you are one of these home business owners and you are only in it to make a little extra money, then that is fine, but if you want to become financially successful then you must either change your way of thinking or try something else.
The one thing that both these types of home business owners have in common is that old saying 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail'. You can obviously tell how that saying relates to both categories of home business owners.

Good luck!

Dirk Wagner is CEO and owner of http://www.team4success.biz and the free, easy to install #1 home business toolbar with automated updates.
A website dedicated to helping the home-basedbusiness entrepreneur start and succeed with their very own home-based business by publishing his free online course for successful Home Business.

How To Survive With Your Online Business

2005-01-27T16:18:00.000-08:00

So you decide to start your own Internet business with some really great products.
You have a great looking site and everything is set up, so you're now ready to jump into the online shark pool and dominate the Net right?

I know that you're saying "shark pool"? Yes, that’s right it's truly a shark pool out there. You didn't think it would be that easy did you? We all have to prepare ourselves for some big changes that will be happening on the Net.

I have already started seeing the prices for leads, banner impressions, and other forms of advertising going up as well as the hundreds of thousands of web pages being added daily to the search engines.
All of this points to one thing. That we all have more competition on the Internet than ever before and it will just get worse.
So the question is: How can a small business or even an individual compete on the Internet? Just because you have a great looking web site or a great product doesn't mean that you can dominate your market without some help. What you need is a competitive advantage.
So that is just what I'm going to give you. Just follow some simple tips in this article and you will soon be running circles around your competitors.

1) Use ALL Forms Of Marketing

I know that this might sound obvious but most people on the Internet are only using one or two methods of marketing their website.
For example some people might just focus on search engine marketing by spending all their time trying to be listed #1 in a search engine. Then after they spent countless hours on this, the search engine changes their algorithm and they can no longer be found.
What a waste of time!
I am not saying that you shouldn’t be concerned about search engine marketing, but that you shouldn’t put all your eggs into one basket. If you use all avenues of Internet marketing then you can feel safe that you are getting traffic from several places and are not relying on just one source.
If you would like to learn more about the different types of internet marketing you can sign up for eBiz Updates at: http://www.webcashlink.com/home.html

It’s also important that you stay current and up to date
about any new forms of Internet marketing. The Internet is constantly changing and there are always new methods of advertising available. In fact one of the more recent discoveries in advertising is RSS. RSS is a great marketing tool to use to get more traffic to your website and more prospects.
If you haven’t got a chance to read about RSS then you can read all about it here: http://www.webcashlink.com/rssanswers

2) Add More Value To Your Product or Service

There are so many websites offering the same thing in the
same cookie cutter fashion. In 2005 you really need to set yourself apart from the crowd and be unique. Just go the extra mile and increase the value of your product or service. It really doesn’t even have to be that hard. Just take some extra time to offer something that your competitors aren’t willing to offer.

For example if you sell ebooks, why not offer your customers the option of receiving it as a physical product. Such as in a DVD, CD, CD-R, or even Audio Format. By making your ebook a physical product you will drastically improve the value and you can also charge more for it. This idea is not just for people who sell ebooks though. You can add value to just about any product or service that you have.
For example, why not make some joint ventures and offer a huge discount for a service or product that compliments what your offering. I’m sure that if you put some thought into it, you can think of something yourself.

3) Maximize Your Web Sites Profit Potential

Most people are so focused on making money with their own product that they often forget about other income streams that they can profit from on their website. For example, have you thought about publishing ads on your site? I’m sure that you have noticed that all the big websites on the Net publish ads, but even small websites can easily increase their revenue by 20 or 30 percent by publishing ads on their site. It’s not hard to implement either. Usually you just copy and paste a code to your website and you can start delivering targeted ads to your visitors within a few minutes.

How about exit strategies?
Are you making any money from the people leaving your site?
Its just a fact of life that eventually everyone leaves your website. Why not add an exit popup to your site that directs them to an affiliate program or even better a web page where they can opt in to your email list. Also a lot of people just want to find what they’re looking for quickly without any hassles. So why not add a search box to your site where people can instantly find what they’re looking for by typing in a word. There are several sites that you can earn money by placing a search box on your site.

I know that these suggestions might seem obvious but if you actually utilize everything I talked about here you will be ahead of 90% of the websites out there.
------------------------------------------------------------
Jordan Williams
Get the tools, software, and resources to maximize your online profits!http://www.webcashlink.com

6 Ways to Increase Traffic to your Website

2005-01-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

"How can I increase traffic to my website" has got to be the biggest question of the new Internet age. Whether yours is a one man/ woman show or a large corporate website, traffic is the need of the day.
Most websites fail for lack of adequate traffic, but you can avoid this fate if you follow sound Internet marketing methods. Here are five methods that you can use to increase traffic to your website.

1. Optimize your existing site.

If your site is already up and running and you are not getting any traffic, one of the possible reasons for this is that your site is not adequately optimized. In order to get a good search engine ranking in queries related to your site, your web pages must be focused on your target keywords, and these keywords need to be placed strategically in the meta tags (title, description and keywords), in the headlines of your page, in the opening paragraph of text, in the anchor text of links on your page and even in file names. Thorough and proper placement of key words and phrases is what optimization is all about.
However, one thing to remember, if you target the wrong keywords you may not get any traffic. Do some keyword research and find out how people actually search when looking for products or services such as yours. What words or word combinations do they use? Your pages should be optimized to highlight these proper combinations. You can see which key words and key word combinations are used by visiting Overture's Search Term Suggestion tool located at: http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

2. Add more content to your website

This is the method of increasing traffic that is most ignored by website owners. Many people don't realize that each of the inner pages of any website functions like a mini-website, in that they are doorways through which the site will be found in search engines and through which people will enter. If you add more pages with optimized content you will increase the chances of being found in search engines for a wide variety of search terms, and this will result in an increase in traffic.

3. Increase the number of inbound links to your site

If other sites around the Internet link to your site this will increase traffic to you directly and indirectly. The direct boost is given because surfers who see your links may click through and visit your site. The indirect traffic boost given by link popularity is that your site will get a higher search engine ranking in search engines which measure link popularity as an index of a website's value. The search results in Google are based in a large part on this factor. You can increase the amount of inbound links by engaging in reciprocal links campaigns or by looking for directories where you can add your url, usually through a form on the site.

4. Publish your content on other websites with a link back to your site.

This method also works in a direct and an indirect way. Whenever an article by you is published somewhere, with a link back to your site, you can expect that some people will click through and visit your site. Many webmasters and ezine publishers are hungry for good content and if you provide it, then you have a good chance of being published.
Suppose you have a website promoting your ebook entitled "A Step by Step Guide to Internet Marketing". If you write a 600 word article on "The Basics of Search Engine Optimization" and get it published in high volume ezines or on a well visited website, then you will get a stream of targeted traffic, people who are already predisposed towards buying your product.
This method also helps indirectly in that it builds up the amount of incoming links, and boosts search engine ranking. You can get your material disseminated to other webmasters and ezine editors by posting your articles at http://www.articlecity.com ,
http://www.ideamarketers.com or through the many free article groups at Yahoo Groups http://groups.yahoo.com/

5. Don't forget Offline Advertising

Most people still spend most of their time offline. Put your url in your print advertising, TV advertising, on your stationary and in your brochures, on your vehicles, in your shop window, on T-shirts and other apparel and any other place where it will be seen. When it comes to offline advertising, an easy-to- remember url is an advantage.

6. Try Pay Per Click Advertising

Search engine optimization, reciprocal linking, content creation, and publishing all take time to deliver traffic to your site. If the main sections of your site are ready for public viewing and you want to see how well you can do, then buy some traffic. The most popular and probably most effective pay per click advertising program is Google's Adwords. It only takes a few minutes to set up an Adwords account and you will get traffic immediately. But remember, your site has to be good enough to convert this traffic into orders if you want to recover the cost of the advertising.
So, roll up your sleeves and start working. Choose the website promotion methods that are most appropriate for you and you will be well on your way to providing the answer to your own question about how to increase website traffic.

Donald Nelson is an editor, social worker and web developer.
He has been working on the Internet since 1995 and is currently the director of A1-Optimization ( www.a1-optimization.com ) a firm that provides affordable search engine optimization, website copywriting and other promotional services.

Post your article here!

2005-01-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

This is an invitation to have your article posted on this blog.

The rules are simple; while we maintain the right to publish or not, we will post articles as much as possible, as is.

We are looking for stories on the Home Business Ventures you either know about or preferably those you have tried. Whether your experiences were good or bad, share them with our audience.

Be sure to include a link back to your home page and include a short bio for the readers.

For regular contributors we have some free help to create more traffic on your web site.
Submit your article through the e-mail links below.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

BizOpz Bob

BIZOPZ BOB is a home business entrepreneur with a number of successful ventures on the go.
He has an extensive business background and has ventured into the on-line community with a passion.
While maintaining healthy skepticism, he explores many different opportunities and reports on his endeavors, good or bad.
He tends to shoot straight, aim high and load for bear!

http://bizopz-online.com

Selling Products On-Line CAN GIVE A FAST RETURN

2005-01-24T14:00:00.000-08:00

Many on-line Home Business Opportunities involve the setting up of web sites and creating traffic to these sights. Everything evolves around creating as much traffic as possible. Once an acceptable level of 'hits' has been created, all kind of doors open you can take advantage of by adding links that pay, commission based selling banners, promotions and commission based sign-ups.

This takes time and the pay-off is mostly in the medium to long term. (pay off can be geat!)

What if you want to generate income in the short term!

This is what we at BizOpz found.
Start up an on line store and advertise the site through 'per click pay'. The best is to get a hold of a store with a wide range of products at good prices. It is valuable to have control of pricing and promotions but most important it must be drop-shipped and administered by the web host.

There are many different packages available that will offer you such a set-up. The costs range greatly but with a budget of about $200 to $300, you should be off and running.

The next step is to set a small budget for advertising and use the pay per hit system. (we started with Google @ 8 cents per hit) You can limit the maximum hits you are willing to pay so that you limit your risk. The idea that you can start up a store without spending any funds is just not true. You can however limit your risk or rather manage it quite easily.

Best is to get help from someone who has tried it and can give you (on line) help through the steps. The first stage is the testing phase. You spend a little to see if the results are there and if they are, you can choose to duplicate your efforts or increase your budget. We found it worked best for us to start slow and reinvest the profits for the first month. Get a feel for what works and what the $ return is for every $ spent.

What works can usually be duplicated and this is the key. Gamble small amounts and duplicate and increase the results.

Some on-line stores let you 'test drive' the system but it usually is very limited until you sign up for a longer term (which always involves some payment for the service) Many come with built-in courses to familiarize yourself with the set up and most will use Paypal to pay out the profits/ commissions.

There is definitely money to be made here and the encouraging thing is that it can be done in a short period of time. Always check references and look for membership in the BBB (on line Better Business Bureau); this is a reputable organization which registers complaints and rates the service.

If you are at all interested in exploring the possibility of owning your own on-line store and make some money in the short term (and a lot in the long term), why don't you e-mail us and we can help you get started right away.

Bizopz Bob

BIZOPZ BOB is an entrepreneur with a number of successful ventures on the go. He has an extensive business background and has ventured into the on-line community with a passion. While maintaining healthy skepticism, he explores many different opportunities and reports on his endeavors, good or bad.He tends to shoot straight; aim high and load for bear!You can contact Bob at: http://bizopz-online.com

Is a home Business right for you?

2005-01-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

Every morning as people wake up and make the commute to work, many dream of the day when they will finally work for themselves. Every time the boss lets someone know that they must give up their weekend plans for the good of the company, people contemplate the benefits of being the owner of their own business.

Are you one of these people?

If you are, it is important to ask yourself some very important questions before you make the uncertain leap into self-employment.
Many dream of the benefits of home business ownership, but few take into account the sacrifices that must be made to bring the dream to fruition. Please don't make this mistake yourself.

You must approach home business ownership with your eyes wide open. Ask yourself the important questions, and more importantly, answer your own questions openly and honestly.

AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION

Are you the type of person who relishes every chance to gather around the water cooler for social interaction?

If so, then home business ownership may not be the right decision for you.

Instead, if you feel that you can be quite content sitting alone at your desk; speaking only to clients and really minding your own home business, then you might have what it takes to succeed as a home business entrepreneur.

If you feel at ease with your own company and don't need a dozen coworkers milling around your desk, then you, too, could savor the freedoms that will allow you and your family, to live the lifestyle you know you want and deserve.

THE KEY TO HOME BUSINESS SUCCESS

Self-motivation is the key to success when you start a home-based business. You need to possess the ability to push yourself ahead. Your drive and determination will be reinforced with every new sale.

The level of success that you will achieve greatly depends on the time and effort you are willing to plow into your new home business. Your organization, planning and marketing skills, will all be put into practice when you embark on your liberating journey from employee, to being your own boss. In fact, you will be the wearer of many hats and gain a wealth of business experience along the way, when you finally make that commitment to work at home.

YOUR SUCCESS RESTS ENTIRELY UPON YOUR OWN SHOULDERS

You will now be the boss. Are you truly able to work independently? Do you have the drive; the tenacity, to persevere with your home based business? Will you be able to invest the necessary time to nurture it, to watch it grow and see it through, from germination to full, glorious bloom? When you're the boss, you are responsible for the success of your home business, from A to Z, from disappointments to victory.

When you work at home, it will empower you to achieve many things you were unable to do when you were stuck working for that tyrant boss. Remember him? He's the guy that wouldn't let you take time off when your baby was sick...the same guy that called you in to work on Thanksgiving Day.

A home business means that you can take good care of your family and make money from home, simultaneously. You will have the best of both worlds! Just think--no more dirty laundry piling up--you can do it while you work. No more scurrying around at the last minute searching for a babysitter either. And no more worrying about getting fired; you'll be the boss!

IN CONCLUSION...

Stay positive and focused on your home based business, even if, when sales aren't up to par, you get occasional negative remarks or derogatory comments from people with stuffy, dead-end jobs. Ignore their cutting words and bear in mind that success is the best revenge! Keep your admirable, positive attitude at the forefront and show them what you're made of!

Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy can help you launch your very own money making website today that's 100% ready to take orders and pull in massive profits for you right now ... guaranteed!
Visit: http://www.theworkathomesuccessbusiness.com

Earning money from affiliate programs

2005-01-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

Affiliate programs allow you to refer visitors/subscribers/customers to someone else's website and if your referrals purchase anything, you get a commission. For digital products, this can be as much as 75% of the purchase cost!

Used correctly, affiliate programs can be extremely lucrative. Used incorrectly, they will earn you absolutely nothing. I should also add that you don't even need a website to promote affiliate products so they are incredibly flexible. The following tips will help you to use affiliate programs wisely and hopefully, in a way that earns you some money :-)

If you plan on placing affiliate links on your website (or in your newsletter), you should only link to products that are relevant to your own content. It is a complete waste of time linking to irrelvant products just because they pay a high affiliate commission.

Always try and review the products that you link to before making any sort of recommendation - if the product sucks then this will reflect on you.

Don't expect each affiliate link to earn you a fortune within a few weeks. Some affiliate programs won't make you any money at all and it is just a case of testing to see which ones work and which ones don't. Instead of taking the view that you want one program to earn you a thousand dollars a month, aim a little lower - maybe $50 or $100 - but work with several programs. To illustrate this point, I promote a number of affiliate programs and each one earns me between $150 and $1000 a month. Most of the commission payments I receive are for less than $300 a month BUT I receive lots of them. Last month, these 'small' amount added up to over $3,000!!

The beauty of affiliate programs is that you don't have to deal with customer enquiries, payment collection, delivery, complaints or any of the administration tasks that go with selling a product - the product owner does all of this for you. Your role is simply to direct traffic to the appropriate site (sure, this is not always an easy thing to do but it does mean that this is the only thing you need to concentrate on).

Ok, so what if you don't have a website?

No problem! There are numerous ways of advertising your chosen affiliate program without the need for a website or newsletter. For example, it is quite common to set up a pay-per-click advertising campaign with a company such as Google Adwords which links directly through your affiliate link to the main product website. The visitors never even pass through your website and as long as you are earning more in affiliate commissions than you are spending in PPC fees, then this really is money for nothing.

From a personal point of view, I have been using affiliate programs to earn money for some time now and I have recently built several small websites specifically to promote affiliate products of one sort or another. I am not looking for these sites to make me huge profits - just a couple of hundred dollars a month each. But remember, this is a couple of hundred dollars EVERY month for doing NOTHING (once the initial site is set up).

There are so many advantages to promoting affiliate products, not least the fact that you don't need to create your own product in the first place and there are considerable financial rewards if you get it right.

Richard Grady has been helping ordinary people earn online since 1998. He writes a free newsletter which is published every two weeks. To subscribe (and claim your free gifts), visit: http://www.thetraderonline.com/newsletter.html

Taking a Leap of Faith

2005-01-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

Many times each month, I hear from folks on my affiliate team or read posts on different business forums dealing with the subject of spending money.
Many of these folks are concerned that they don't have any extra money to invest in their businesses, and want to do everything for free.You might even say, that investing money in any business requires a leap of faith.
For those who are new to the business world, I give the following piece of advice. Whether you are involved in affiliate marketing, or own a brick and mortar operation, the advice applies equally.
There are only three things that you can spend when it comes to generating a profit in any business.

1. Time - It may seem free, but if you think about it, it is one of the most expensive things that you can spend on a business. Just consider the amount of time that it takes to produce a newsletter. If I had to send them individually, even cutting and pasting the completed product into an email and sending it. It would take many days of hard work to get it out to every member of my team (about 550 letters). Time is money, so therefore, I use an autoresponder to send the letters out to everybody in just a few minutes. Imagine how much time this would save if there wer several thousand members on my mailing list.

2. Effort - As you can see from the above paragraph, I spend quite a bit of effort in order to share information with my team each month. But, lets look at another example of effort.
One of the first marketing methods that I used to build my business was free advertising. If you have looked into this method, or tried it, you are painfully aware of the amount of work that goes into creating a series of ads, finding places to show them, sorting through the tons of junk mail that result from these ads, and trying to track and duplicate your efforts in an ever changing marketplace. This method works, but it is vey labor intensive.
All of this in the name of trying to save a few dollars and do something for free!

3. Money - This is something that is probably in short supply for many new folks, but if used wisely, it can save an incredible amount of TIME, a ton of EFFORT, and increase your chances of earning a large PROFIT in a short period. I spend only a few dollars on my autoresponder, but it saves me hundreds of hours each month. Not to mention, it comes with an affiliate program, and pays for itself in commissions each month AND returns a small profit!

There is an old saying in the business world, and it applies to all of us. Ya Gotta Spend Money To Make Money!

In many affiliate programs, there is a strong incentive to spend some money on some of the company's products or services. I will use SFI as an example, but many other companys have similar incentive programs. By spending a few dollars with SFI each month, you can become an Executive Affiliate. It only takes about $30.00. By spending this $30.00, you stand to make a few bucks through the T-Net Network! You qualify for wholesale pricing on many SFI products! You can qualify for the VIP program, get your vitamin products at a drastically reduced price, and your commissions are doubled on all retail sales! There are also several valuable tools made available, such as a basic autoresponder called the contact manager, a hit tracking system, and a CO-OP management system.

Sure you have to invest a few bucks each month to be EA qualified, but many of the products that are available through SFI can replace other products that you are paying for now. You can buy things like Long Distance Service, Internet Service, Business Advice Resources, Nutrition Supplements that are better than anything on market and some of the finest and safest cleaning products in the world. By simply replacing products that you use at home already, your costs can actually decrease.

The above strategy can be used in many affiliate opportunities besides SFI, so whichever affiliate program you are part of, take a close look at the incentives that are offered. They aren't simply gimmicks used to make sales. It is actually to your benefit to use them to build your business. You might just find, that the products that you buy are superior to the ones that you are already using, you can save a few bucks, and you can learn about the products that you are actually marketing to your potential customers.

Go ahead, take that leap of faith, invest a few dollars each month, and watch your business take off!

Robert Thompson is retired from the United States Air Force. Since his retirement, he has operated several successful businesses. He is a proud Team Leader with SFI and enjoys helping others to create wealth from the privacy and comfort of their own homes.

For information on how you can share in the multi-billion dollar home business industry, visit http://www.stay-home-and-earn.com
He also owns and operates Stay at Home Jobs. For a free copy of the Stay at Home Jobs Newsletter, send a blank Email to News@badbobrst.par32.com
badbobrst@aol.com

How to Save a Bundle on Google AdWords

2005-01-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

I did it myself. I am apparently not as sharp as you. I spent a fortune in advertising with Google and my ROI was hideous.
Does this sound familiar? I bet you did it too!
Don't waste your money on Adwords!

Let me give you a typical new Google Adwords advertiser scenario.
You have or find a product to sell. You sign up for a normal Google Adwords account. You follow their instructions, pick a few key words from your brain, choose the suggested click through amount, create your Ad, and start paying for clicks almost instantly.
Does this sound normal? Of course it does. This is the standard process for building a Google advertising pay per click (PPC) system.
What have you just done? YOU JUST PAID GOOGLE TOO MUCH!

Now, you should know, I am not new to the web or Internet e-commerce business. I began ImageLink Incorporated back in 1999 and have developed many successful Internet ventures since then. Namely, one that I recently turned over to another to run: ImageLink USA Web Hosting. as well as, promoting several software and telecommunications products. I have spent probably over half million dollars in Internet advertising since 1999. There have been all forms of it, banners, text links, animation, pop ups, pop unders, newsletters, PPC, and Google Adwords. You name it, I have probably done it.

However, when I first tried Google Adwords, I was caught up in the excitement too! I thought it was working great, my advertising was turning some business and I made a few sales. Not so bad. The month was ending and I just received my credit card bill and WOW , I had spent without realizing it over $1500! Then it was time to check my ROI. (Return on Investment), it was a sour negative -66.2%. (that is a minus 62%) In other words, I spent $1500 in one month on Google advertising our DSL and T1 Quote Systems and only came up with $657.00 in one time sales. As you can see, one will not stay in business long throwing money out the window like that.

Believe it or not, the excitement about the Adwords was still there. I was hooked. Addicted. Stuck. AND BROKE on my DSL Quote advertising budget. And its not the DSL Quote system, the product is quite dynamic and sales are coming in. But, there had to be a better way ...I began looking for advice and found Perry Marshall who offered a great Adwords Course, which inturn introduced me to Chris Carpenter. They both are experts on making money with Google. I read Chris’s book, and changed my whole Google outlook.

Immediately, I logged back into my Google Adwords account, changed my keywords as instructed, then changed the dollar amount I am willing to pay, and its hard to believe, that I had 100 times the amount of impressions, and ten times the click through's for one tenth the amount of money! Sales for the month were about the same, therefore, I had spent just $49.00 on a book and changed my ROI by approximately 4000%.
Unbelievable. This really worked. I am the biggest skeptic when it comes to buying special reports and marketing books on the Internet. But the simple step by step, no nonsense information just works.

What did I really do? In my case, it was simple. I looked for search phrases, not necessarily search words. I added near 750 of them. Different phrases, different spellings, etc. I used Overture's Keyword Suggestion Tool Then I added about 10 Text Ads within this Google campaign. MOST importantly, I changed the maximum amount per click to just ten cents (.10). My original Adwords clicks were running near $2.00 per click! Now, I am getting more click thru's at ten cents per click, than I was at $2.00 per click. I am now getting actually 200 times the amount of traffic for the same price.

I am now enjoying great sales, with little advertising investment. You can do this for your company too. Do yourself a favor and read Chris's book. Do what he teaches, and you will save money and increase your bottom line. Actually, Perry Marshall has a 5 day course that is very detailed as well (its of no charge), be sure to check it out.

Good luck!

David JacksonImageLink Incorporated
David Jackson is the founder of ImageLink Incorporated.
Operating since 1999. Contact: mailto:djackson@imagelink.us
ImageLinkNetworks.com - Broadband Quote Tool,You owe it to yourself to do research on the Internet.

What is the future of On-Line business? Should you still get excited?

2005-01-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

Let’s get out the crystal ball and see what is becoming apparent.

In North America the statistics are such that soon more then half of all homes will have access to the internet. The thought of this must just tickle Bill Gates to bits. The computer Guru not only will be in the forefront of this development but he (through Microsoft) often creates the very scenarios that ultimately make him even richer.

I like this guy (most of the time); he is so powerful that on any given morning he can come to his office and decide how to change the world that day. Watch closely as Microsoft will move into the direction of controlling and building the new information highway. New… because the old one is too slow. Fiber-Optics is the new accepted minimum standard. Next stage will be wireless, direct satellite, high speed connections. (Just like satellite cell phones)

This where my crystal ball tells me to watch carefully because the New Highspeed info highway will allow almost everyone to experience the internet in an interactive way that will compete with the real world. Only Super Highspeed can do this and can't just be available in metropolitan areas. Once we reach that pinnacle of highspeed access available anywhere (even in the third world) a few things will change significantly.

When the rural farmers can go shopping in a virtual mall and have fun doing so, we will see explosive growth in the online industry. Even the recent threats of terrorism make it a more viable choice to shop while at home. The internet connections will be such that going to the mall will be totally interactive………try on clothes…test drive a car on line on a virtual road…….experience the sounds, sights and excitement of an on-line community that can offer everything on demand.

When you are an entrepreneur that looks at investing, you would pay particular attention to future trends. You would want to get there early and have everything in place to ride the wave. Some said e-commerce had peeked and the recent .com market crash was proof that the wave had crested. While many companies experienced serious losses it should be seen as a much needed re-alignment and reduction of terminal hype.

The reality is that the Internet and its vast network of opportunities are just getting started. We are seeing a new acceptance of conducting commerce on the internet. Security issues are being addressed constantly and the general public is becoming more comfortable with on-line financial transactions. Bill payments are made on-line at such a rate that Banks are redesigning their branches with a focus away from the over the counter service.

All in all it looks like we still are only at the start of explosive growth. Global changes are coming which will change consumer buying habits.

Now we are back to predicting the future; on-line business and in particular....the Home Based On-Line Business. Skeptical 'experts' have said for quite a while that it had been milked dry. These 'experts' usually were the same people who got burned in the past or were given a litany of false promises. Unfortunately there have a lot of people that fall in that category.
When I look at the industry as a whole I see a transformation taking place that is driven by sophistication and high technology.
Hype no longer does it alone. The MLM (Multi Level Marketing) promoters have run out of unsuspecting prospects. The ‘Amway’ age is over.
The new successes are much more based on EMM (Exact Method Marketing)

These EMM organizations use sophisticated, duplicatable, high tech methods to recruit and to market their wares. They no longer depend on individual skills to create a ‘down-line’ nor do they depend on people being strong ‘closers’ of the pitch.
Instead members are educated in duplicatable methods that anyone can learn. The system is set up in ways that take advantage of existing marketing programs with strong tech support for even the most novice entrepreneurs.

Marketing is strongest when it follows proven methods with predictable outcomes. Marketing as large group on behalf of individuals has many benefits. Look at McDonalds. Although the branches are individually owned, they follow Exact Methods for the preparation of their products as well as a Global Marketing Program which continues to drive customers through its doors. Global Marketing on behalf of individuals.

If you are part of the Home Based On-Line business community, make sure your organization follows these EMM principals. If you are experiencing insurmountable challenges of trying to develop the MLM ‘Downline’, consider joining a EMM organization and watch how different the results are.

I did join an EMM organization, it has proven to me the principal of ‘Exact Method Marketing’ over and over again. No need for me to recruit my friends (and turn them into enemies sometimes); no need for me to create my own ways to Market; no need for me to personally interact with people I don’t know; I just follow the predetermined actions as my organization prompts me. It does require Trust and that is the hardest part of it. Trust is earned, not bought. The EMM solution for that is to try before you buy.

If you are interested to learn more about the program I enrolled in; you can check it out for yourself. No up front fees….. a free test drive and free course on how it all works and how to get started. Follow this link and check it out yourself : http://1275972845.freestoreclub.com

As they say, The Proof is in the Pudding. Go ahead and have some ‘pudding’.
I would love to hear from you; drop me a line and tell me what you think.

Bizopz Bob

BIZOPZ BOB is an entrepreneur with a number of successful ventures on the go. He has an extensive business background and has ventured into the on-line community with a passion. While maintaining healthy skepticism, he explores many different opportunities and reports on his endeavors, good or bad.
He tends to shoot straight; aim high and load for bear!You can contact Bob at:
http://bizopz-online.com

Manage Information Overload

2005-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

You've been working around the clock to get that up-and-coming home based business running smoothly, when you check your email to find 50 e-mails screaming for your attention and everyone wanting a response, now!

Sound familiar?

Here are some of tips to help keep you afloat in this information-heavy age

* Be ruthless in filtering information.
Keep what is absolutely relevant and delete everything else. Don't hoard. It is the "just in case" syndrome that contributes to information overload

* Use and optimize organizational tools.
Make use of functions accompanying e-mail and Internet programs (e.g. Outlook Express) that allow you to organize, sort, automate, mark and perform other functions to make life easier. For example, tag "follow up" flags to e-mail messages as reminders.

* Create and use smart filing systems.
Create filing systems for both electronic and hard copy documents and sort regularly to avoid pile-ups. Remember, ten minutes spent filing smartly now can prevent a frustrating two-hour search next month.

* Minimize clicking "cc" and "Forward."
We all know how frustrating it can be to sift through unnecessary e-mails (frequently jokes). Avoid contributing to the cycle.

* Take time for family and friends.
Running a home based business can be extremely exhausting at times. Be sure to always surround yourself with people that are there to cheer you on. There is nothing better than the feeling of those you love pushing you to do better!

* Perform efficient Web searches.
Familiarize yourself with search engines and directories to avoid millions of results. Set up folders and sub-folders to compile bookmarks/favorites systematically for future use.

For an on-line tutorial on OUTLOOK 2000 use this link:
http://ipr.iupui.edu/outlook/ or http://www.publicworks.ab.ca/outlook_tutorial.htm

For a tutorial download direct from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/Education/O2kTutorial.aspx

Everyone that runs a home based business will at some point feel like they are in overload sequence. Be sure to sit back, relax and assess the situation. A business flows much smoother when the captain is in charge!

BIZOPZ BOB

BIZOPZ BOB is a home business entrepreneur with a number of successful ventures on the go.
He has an extensive business background and has ventured into the on-line community with a passion.
While maintaining healthy skepticism, he explores many different opportunities and reports on his endeavors, good or bad.
He tends to shoot straight; aim high and load for bear!

You can contact Bob at:http://bizopz-online.com

Dispelling a Myth

2005-01-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

You don’t need any computer skills to create an on-line business.

I hear this lot…….it must be believed by many because examples are quoted that all it took was a few clicks and thousands of dollars started to pour in.

I don’t know about you but I consider myself to be of novice to intermediate skill level.
I have a lot of problems with clicking till the cows come home only to discover the cows went elsewhere. My cows sometimes end up in the twilight zone.

I am fortunate to have a partner that is a computer whiz (Justin Hawkes).
Without him it would be a lot more difficult to attain the results we are getting. Clicking and writing articles is the easy part but when it comes to codes, protocols and html and trouble shooting; I am often lost, real fast. Am I an idiot or are there some people who are just born with that natural ability?

All I know is that I am not born with it. I try to learn as fast as I can and I think I am pretty quick to catch on but don’t ask me to repeat last weeks lessons because it all gets mulled up into a pile that is hard to retrieve.

I can only conclude that you need significant computer skills to be successful in running an on-line business. It is like driving a racing car and Grandpa might not be an Andretti. I can drive a small car, preferably an automatic, but a racecar (although tempting) is best left to the professional. I like taking lessons from the professional and sometime he lets me try out the real thing but only with him as a co-driver. A race car is just too expensive to crash.

So it is with the on-line business (in my humble opinion). My livelihood depends on it and why would I take the risk of ‘crashing’ it.
I love this business and all it entails. I believe that one of my strengths lies within the ability to know my limits. When it comes to computers and technical stuff I gladly bow out to my esteemed mentor; no pride lost here.

My suggestion is for those of us that are in the same category….find yourself a competent partner that has skills you don’t and I am sure it will pay off big time!

BIZOPZ BOB

BIZOPZ BOB is a home business entrepreneur with a number of successful ventures on the go.
He has an extensive business background and has ventured into the on-line community with a passion.
While maintaining healthy skepticism, he explores many different opportunities and reports on his endeavors, good or bad.
He tends to shoot straight; aim high and load for bear!
You can contact Bob at:
http://bizopz-online.com

2005-01-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

Visit us at BizOpz-Online and find an amazing resource center for online home based businesses! View our recommended ventures that we are also a part of, and have had them actually work for us!
http://BizOpz-Online.com

The art of discernment re on-line business.

2005-01-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

This is where you are expecting some profound words of wisdom…Right?
Well maybe but more likely just more opinions on a topic that is so broad that it is hard to see the trees because of the forest(s).

I have been looking at what seems to be, hundreds of sites that offer a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity. No doubt you have too….Right?

So here we are trying to learn how to discern as to what is legit and what is hype and what is totally false.

Let’s start with the totally false; probably the easiest to uncover. I could include some links for you to see the ones I mean…but I don’t want to get sued neither….yes I am chicken. But let’s see if we can identify some commonalities of the totally false.

The term ‘once in a life time opportunity to get rich quick’ is a dead give-away! Any variations of this statement is likely to be nothing more then a ‘hook’ to lure the desperate and the ignorant.

The promise of making money within days by paying a ‘small’ fee is also right up there with the worst.
The attempt to lure you in with great promise for only such a small amount of money is very common.
I really like the statement: How can you afford not take this opportunity.
This will ALWAYS include the requirement to part with some of your hard earned money!

Another indication of a false statement is the one where you are told you don’t have to do anything; the program is an auto-pilot program and it just sits there making money while you sleep.

Do these statements sound familiar? I think so. I bet a good 50% fall in this category without question.

Now about the harder to distinguish task of sorting out hype.

This is much more common and can be found even with the better on-line business opportunities.
Hype means exaggerated feelings of wants, hopes and dreams.
It is not always untrue but rather a stretched truth or a very selective form of part truth.
Example: Follow our system and you will be able to join us on those fancy cruises with fellow millionaires.
Or talk about getting that yacht or fancy car and sit leisurely on your porch with a cocktail in one hand a babe on your lap and a laptop for your free hand.

We all like dreaming and there is nothing wrong with that and goal setting and dreaming about all those riches, toys and beautiful companions is fun.
Here is the problem: these dreams make for poor judgment on business decisions to be made today.
Today has concerns that relate to immediate needs and limited resources.
If you are like me you can’t afford to gamble with those resources.

So let’s agree that the false and the hype is something we need to identify as a hindrance to making sensible business decisions.
Let’s look at some statements of truth that are more likely to help us get to a, well considered, sound and reasonable business decision.

Try us out for free and see what you think!
I like that….. little risk here, just some time spent on test driving.

This is going to be possible only with dedication and hard work!
This is much more reasonable, nothing comes without dedication.

Follow our course on how to succeed for free and then decide if this is for you.
This I can buy into as the risk of checking it out is shared.

Talk to some of the people that have done this for a short while and to those that have done this much longer.
I always like talking to people who are a little further then I am but still new and then talk to those who have been at it much longer.

If you don’t like what you paid for or change your mind, we offer a money back guarantee for 30 days.
I like this especially if backed by membership in some recognizable Better Business Bureau.

I can go on and on but you probably get the drift. Even if we get all our ducks in a row and try to discern good from bad; remember it still is a calculated risk to enter into a home business, especially the on-line kind.

I would love to hear from you and maybe share some bad / good experiences you have had.

BIZOPZ BOB

http://bizopz-online.com

BIZOPZ BOB is a home business entrepreneur with a number of successful ventures on the go.
He has an extensive business background and has ventured into the on-line community with a passion.
While maintaining healthy skepticism, he explores many different opportunities and reports on his endeavors, good or bad.
He tends to shoot straight, aim high and load for bear!

Contribute to the Home Based Businesses Blog!

2005-01-16T01:49:00.000-08:00

We know there are a huge number of fantastic writers out there who are just itching to showcase their talents. What a better way to showoff your work and advertise your home based businesses story or venture then on a blog that is read by so many!

If you are interested in contributing to this blog, you can send a quick email to myself. All I need is your email and we'll invite you to be a member of the Home Based Business Blog, with full access to add appropriate additions to the blog!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

BizOpz-Online

Is making money online possible?

2005-01-16T01:47:00.000-08:00

Let me say first off that I am the biggest skeptic in the world. However I felt it was only prudent to check out those claims of "make money at home by clicking”.

I started out with checking the promise of making a decent income from filling out surveys.
This is what I found. I reside in Canada and I found that a lot of the sites advertised, were not available to me as they required US, or other, resident status.

From my research, it takes approximately 300 prescreened survey company sign-ups to reach anywhere close to a full time wage (say $2500 to $5000 per month Cdn$)

I went as far as signing up with the top rated http://www.surveyscout.com and for a relatively small fee; I got access to their data base. I found about 100 sites that were open to Canadians (out of about 450). However most of the survey companies were offering prizes or draws with few actually paying hard cash. Some were offering a point system with redeemable pay-outs in coupons or product discounts and/or free products.

While it is nice to receive products for free I felt I worked for them and really it was the payment for the work I did. The prize draws are nice but if I really want to gamble with my time I probably would have a better time going to Vegas; although odds are much better in Survey Prizes.

I managed to sign up with about 100 companies through the Survey Scout and I am receiving about 3 to 6 requests to complete surveys every day within a couple of weeks of the initial sign-up. That is not bad for a response but a long ways off from my goal to earn a living at this.
While I was pleased with the general responses and the amount of e-mail I received, I quickly learned that it is going to take a long term, sustained effort to reach my goal.

During this process of registering with the survey companies I came across some information that got my attention. There is a marketing group out there that seems to come up over and over. This company had created a way to work the internet to a level that seemed to outdo most. The SFI marketing group has come up with a system to create internet traffic surrounding niche marketing that has proven to be very successful.

People that sign up under this program are guided through a step by step process that proves the motto: “Do as I do and you will get what I got”. Sounds corny but upon further investigation I had to conclude that these people know what they are talking about.

Nothing comes for free or without effort……..and I am OK with that. I don’t mind taking chances if they don’t involve my entire life savings. As it turns out I got started with a friend who is much more at ease with a computer and as you may guess…..it is turning out to be the best decision I have ever made.

At this point we are in the middle of building an awesome site and money is already starting to roll in. The hits on the site are increasing every day and at this rate we will be gathering a nice income with huge potential down the road.

Yes I am still at it as far as the surveys go. But I already know that the SFI model is going to be our ticket to a financially secure future.

Maybe you should check us out yourself and guess what ……….maybe you want to take the same chance as I did and sign up as well. I know you won’t be disappointed.

For more info go to http://bizopz-online.com and if you have any questions or comments, drop Justin a line at Justin@BizOpz-Online.com. By the way ….signing up is free!

Justin Hawkes runs BizOpz-Online and a number of computer service companies in Western Canada. A self proclaimed "doubter" of online business methods until recently, when he started learning the internet could be used to more than quadruple his net income in one year.http://bizopz-online.com

Balancing Home & Work: The Challenge of the Home-Based Business

2005-01-08T01:43:00.000-08:00

Operating a home-based business has many benefits as you already know, but its main drawback is that it often causes the line between your work and your personal life to become permanently blurred.

Unlike those individuals who work outside the home and who know their day at the office ends when they get in their car and start the commute home, home business operators do not usually have a definite end to their day.The reverse situation is also possible: they may not have a definite start to their day either. If you have a hard time breaking free of your work responsibilities or if you sometimes have trouble settling in to tackle them, these tips will help you bring both aspects of your life into equilibrium.

Separate Your Office From Your Home

If your work computer is in the living room where everyone in the family congregates, chances are you are being bombarded by distractions. Plus, when it is time for you to relax, you may find it difficult with the computer right there as a constant reminder of all the work you still need to finish and all of the communications you still need to respond to. The answer is to set aside an area of your home just for work. If you have an office or an extra bedroom where you can set up your space, then you can block out the distractions simply by shutting the door. Also avoid putting anything in your home office that might prevent you from getting your work done, such as a television.

If you don't have an entire room to dedicate to your office, move your computer and materials into a room that is rarely used or that is normally unoccupied when you need to be working, such as a bedroom. once you have separated your home from your office, you will find it easier to stay focused on your work but also to leave your work in its space so you can relax and enjoy the remainder of your home.

Create Specific Working Hours

One of the best things about running a home-based business is undoubtedly the flexible schedule, but it can also have negative consequences. on the one hand, your schedule may be so flexible that you only work 30 minutes a day or so hectic that you find yourself working at all hours of the day without taking a break. The answer is to set your own office hours. Creating your own schedule still has benefits. For one, you can decide what time of the day you start, so if you're not a morning person, you don't have to get up at the break of dawn. Also, if you prefer to stop working when your children come home from school, you can consider that when you decide when to stop for the day.

Another benefit is that you provide clients and customers with a specific times when you are available to work with them. The most important thing to remember, however, is to set hours for yourself that you can live with. once you decide on a schedule, you need to stick with it long-term, so be realistic about how long you can work without taking a break and how much time you'll need to accomplish everything that needs to get done.

And, no matter how much you may be tempted to keep working, you need to stop when you say you are going to stop. Taking a break allows you to come back refreshed and more alert, so you can be more productive. An overworked, overly stressed person simply is not an effective worker at home or in an office.

Draw the Line Between Home and Work Communications

Has this ever happened to you? You and your family have just sat down for a dinner around the table when a client calls to talk about your current project or a customer phones with questions about a recent purchase.The easiest way to prevent work from interfering with your family is to keep communications separate. Start by having a second phone line dedicated to your work and attaching an answering machine or voice mail to the line.

When your work day ends, you can turn on the machine and let it handle any after-hour calls. An extra phone line also allows you to maintain professionalism. Imagine the embarrassment of having your young child answer the phone when an important customer calls.
You may also want to set up a post office box for all of your business-related mail. Not only will this prevent your important mail from accidentally getting thrown away with the junk, but it will also offer you and your family a level of privacy.

After all, you do not want to make your home address available to everyone; it's just not safe. If you use email or instant messaging as part of your business communications, you'll also want to establish separate accounts for those as well.

The key to running a home-based business is balance. While it may be difficult to stop working on that important project or to concentrate on work while your preparing for the holidays, striking that balance is essential for your well-being, your family's security, and your business's success.
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Vishal P. Rao is the owner of Home Based Business Opportunities - one of Internet's leading website dedicated to starting, managing and marketing a home based business.
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Justin Hawkes
BizOpz-Online Enthusiast
www.BizOpz-Online.com

Welcome to Home Based Businesses Blogs!

2005-01-08T01:39:00.000-08:00

My name is Justin Hawkes.

This blog is for getting more info out to people regarding the success with online, at home businesses.

Imagine, being able to do all your work from the comfort of your own home, at your leisure! Please use this blog to share your stories and read the success stories of thousands out there who have found out just how easy it is to replace your income with a home based business!

If you are interested in helping contribute to this blog, please send me an email. All I need is your email address! It's a great way to get out free links back to your own home based business site!

Justin Hawkes
BizOpz-Online Enthusiast
www.BizOpz-Online.com