Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Dot Com Secrets

"There's gold in the American river!
There's gold! There's gold!"


Dot Com Secrets


Tuesday, April 29, 2008

How Would You Ever Know?

Robert A. Kelly 2003.

How Would You Ever Know? Your important outside audiences behave in ways that stop you from reaching your objectives. Because you haven't paid much attention to their care and feeding, is it likely you'll know they are placing a hammer lock on your business in time to limit the damage?

With some luck, you might save the day, but why let matters fester until you have a bad situation like this on your hands? Especially when a proven sequence can help you alter the perceptions, and thus behaviors of your most important external audiences making the achievement of your business objectives much easier.

Take a quick look at what makes it all possible, the fundamental premise of public relations: People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done.

When we create, change or reinforce that perception by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Now, put it into action this way. First, think about those groups of people whose behaviors can really affect your organization. The test for placing a key, external audience on your action list is this: does its behavior affect your business in any way. If the answer is yes, list it.

Let's take the target audience at the top of that list and work it over. Obviously, you need to know how members of that audience perceive you, and that requires that you interact with those members and ask a lot of questions.

This is the monitoring phase. How do they think of your organization, if at all? Do they have any problems with you? Do negative thoughts creep into the conversation? Are misconceptions, inaccurate beliefs, even rumors apparent? As unsettling as these data may be, the silver lining is the fact that they let you establish your public relations goal.

Straighten out that misconception, or correct the inaccurate belief, or knock down that rumor once and for all. Reaching your goal isn't going to happen if you don't have the right strategy.

You're fortunate that there are really only three strategy choices: create perceptions (opinion) where there isn't any, change existing opinion, or reinforce it. Now comes a real challenge - writing the message that will alter that perception.

It must make a compelling case, so think like your target audience thinks. Examine what is important to them. Use that line of thought to change a perception -- if you can. At least do what's natural to them and make a smaller adjustment that they will accept. You can take on this task in more than one step when the problem is big enough.

I can never lose with the Powerful strategies used for my online business.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

3 Ways To Jumpstart Your Home-based Business

Knowing the obvious financial rewards and the important role to society of business owners, many individuals aspire to be entrepreneurs. The fact remains, however, that several business start-ups fail and never take-off from the ground because of one thing: the lack of adequate and sufficient knowledge on how to start a profitable business. In this article, I will attempt to give practical strategies on how to run a successful business start-up.

First: find opportunities in your own backyard. Look at the demand side by observing your neighborhood. It is good to assess the close-to-home demand for starters. Aside from familiarity with the area, familiarity with the customer will be an enormous advantage.

Your neighborhood is not strictly your home address. It can be any area that you may be familiar with. It can be the university vicinity. After all, a student spends more time in school vis-a-vis his home. Familiarity with the demand in the area will reveal these business opportunities.

Therefore, an aspiring entrepreneur would simply continue this statement: ”How I wish something like this was available in school while I was a student! And this is…” Similarly, one could say about home: ”How I wish that something like this were available near the place where I stay! And this is….”

To cite an example: you are into baking cakes. Why not check if there is an opportunity to supply your local diners with your baked products? Find out if the neighborhood needs another supplier of baked goods. If there is no such demand in your familiar area, look for another area where your supply has its demand.

Statements like these indicate a desire for something that is not yet available in the area. This approach is based on one’s familiarity with the demand.

Secondly, choose an opportunity that brings out the best in you.

Do not choose an opportunity purely because of its income potential.

Income is a natural consequence of the entrepreneur’s passion as expressed in the enterprise set-up. Nevertheless, before choosing the opportunity, spend sometime defining your personal vision, mission, and values. This is a key foundation of great entrepreneurs.

They know what they want for themselves, (personal vision). They know what they live for (personal mission). They know what they live by (personal values). These three items constitute the foundation of passion.

Equally important is doing a personal assessment. What do you desire personally? What would you do if you already had all the money you needed? This is a way to discover your passion.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Are You "Set Up" For Success

Before I get too deep into this article, just let me say that the intention of this article is NOT to make people angry or depressed. The real purpose for this article is to help the reader determine if he/she is doing a few key things for their business. Let's take a look at the three main things that I feel any business owner needs to have in place if they are serious about making their business profitable.

more ...


Friday, April 25, 2008

Are You Profiting From O.P.P.?

Article by: Sue and Chuck DeFiore
Are you profiting from O.P.P.?
If not, why not?

We know many of you have the desire and dream of running your own home-based business. But, like so many people, you're not sure where or how to start. You're not sure what type of business you should look for.

You're not sure if you could do it. You're not sure if you really can achieve the financial freedom you want for yourself and your family. You're confused by all the get rich quick scams you see all around you. You can't pick up a newspaper or get on the web without falling over an ad telling you that yes, you too, can be a millionaire by next Tuesday if you just buy my Secret Formula. You'd happily make the investment of time, money and energy, if only you could find a business that was legitimate.

You're smart enough to know that any business worth having takes effort and requires time to grow. But what to do? Well, let us ask again. Are you profiting from O.P.P.? If not, why not?

What would you do if you found a business that: could generate multiple streams of income would work in any area of the country could be worked both in your local area and nationally could be worked both on and off the web would allow you to build your long term net worth and, can be started either in your spare time or part time.

Would you possibly think you should take a serious look at this business? We'll ask one more time. Are you profiting from O.P.P.? If not, why not?

OK, we know you really can't answer this question yet. Why, because we haven't told you what O.P.P. is. We can tell you the business we described above is real and it revolves around the O.P.P. principle. We can hear you now, enough already.

What is O.P.P.? Very simply put, O.P.P. is Other Peoples Property. Yes, you can build a great business and make a wonderful income, all from your home office, using Other Peoples Property. And no, we are not suggesting you break into your neighbor's homes, steal their belongings and sell them.

What we are talking about is a wonderful business that allows you to generate immediate cash flow and also build your long term net worth. So, what is this wonderful business.

Lease Purchasing.

Lease Purchasing is a specialized niche in the field of Creative Real Estate, which allows you to control property without the trouble of ownership; and profit from this. Lease Purchasing affords wonderful benefits and opportunities to those who would like to operate a home-based business.

Every year, thousands of people get wealthy in their home business. A good place to put their positive cash flow is onto Lease Purchasing to build a real estate portfolio to retire on after they move 0n and sell their business.

You Generate a Worldwide Income From Home.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Personal Financial Planning : How To Find The Right Estate Planner For You

That is, an objective and skillful adviser provides more than investment strategies or financial planning advice. When looking for the right estate planning adviser, consider these key questions:

What is your previous estate planning experience and have you worked with clients like me?
Do you have in-depth knowledge of relevant legislation such as income tax law, provincial family law and probate acts?
How do you set your fees?
Do you sell life insurance, mutual funds or other investment products?
I would like to set time lines and how can you help me meet those deadlines?
Can you refer me to other professionals, as needed, such as a lawyer or an accountant?

For more information, visit http://www.grantthornton.ca/

Grant Thornton LLP is a leading Canadian firm of chartered accountants and management consultants.

About The Author: News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items.

Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often.

Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

In recent industry surveys (FP500, Bottom Line), Grant Thornton ranks among the top five largest firms of chartered accountants and management consultants in Canada.


Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Data Delivers Credibility

I'm always impressed by how much respect I get when speaking or writing with specific, solid numbers. For example, when I talk about the number of visitors who came through the gates of my association's event on a specific night, I don't talk about "a lot" or "a few" or "more than the night before." Instead, I can say something like, "2,348 visitors came through last night, compared to 1,852 the evening before."

That specificity makes a difference when it comes to credibility, and if I propose a certain course of action based on those numbers, I'm likely to get the support I need from other members of the board. Data, you see, represents very specific information, and often, the more specific you can be, the more credibility you have. Similarly, direct marketing gurus encourage their clients to use specific numbers in headlines, rather than generalizations.

That's why effective direct mail, and now online advertising, uses claims like "Learn how one sales rep earned $2,216.78 last week..." rather than "Learn how one sales rep earned more than $2,000 last week...

"By being specific, the headline writer converts a boast ("more than $2,000") into a conceivably credible claim. What's implied is that it must be true or the writer wouldn't use that specific figure.

You'll find other professionals get credibility in the same way. For example, lawyers get it by citing precedents. Rather than talk to a judge in generalities, good lawyers cite previous case law and decisions by other judges. You also know the clergy gain credibility by citing passages of scripture, along with the chapter and verse numbers.

And, how about the medical profession? For example, physicians and others don't speak of "heart attacks;" instead they speak of different kinds of heart disease and conditions.

By being specific they gain credibility, credibility that sets them apart from lay people.The concept works for just about anyone, in any profession or occupation. Suppose, for example, you're a sales manager attending a budget meeting, and the general manager wants you to increase your sales by 15% next year, far more than you're likely to achieve.

To argue persuasively that the target should be lowered, you might explain that the economy of your city is only expected to grow 2% next year, that your main competitor recently cut prices by an average of 4.5%, and that your company's production will be just 5% greater next year. Now, you've got ammunition when you argue for a lower sales target. Instead of being non-specific and general which just sounds like negativism.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Your Traffic Magnet Secret Weapon

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The Traffic Magnet Secret Weapon is an Explosive combination of Technology, executed to provide you with Maximum Advantage, Maximum Benefit.


Monday, April 21, 2008

Medical Receivables Funding

Payment cuts 18% over four years, together with soaring malpractice premiums and other overhead costs, have threatened to put such practices out of businesses. More than 50% of doctors have deferred plans to purchase much-needed new equipment, and 30% either have laid off staff or are planning layoffs in the near future.

What is medical receivable funding?

Medical receivable funding is a means by which health care providers (Hospitals, Doctors, Outpatient Facilities, Physical Therapists, Dialysis Facilities, MRI Centers, Durable Equipment Suppliers, Rehab Centers, Medical Labs, & Substance Abuse Clinics) receive immediate cash for their billings to third party payers (i.e. commercial insurance companies, HMOs, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Medicare and Medicaid).

What Factoring "Is Not:"
A Loan - Factoring is the sale of your medical claims for services already delivered Offered By Banks - Factoring is not an asset-based loan, nor is it a debt facility similar to those offered by banks.

Why not simply pick up the phone and call a bank for a loan to get through the crisis? Many of you already tried that and have been surprised to find that the average practice may not have sufficient credit and assets with which to secure adequate working capital.

Additionally, the traditional banking loan application and approval process is long and involved. Debt is created for the practice to repay, and personal guarantees are required. The practice becomes less desirable for resale or acquisition.Unlike bank lines that can tie up all of your assets, factoring involves only your third party medical claims. No collateral other than accounts receivables. No financial guarantees. Unlimited amount of dollars. Factoring provides working capital without adding debt to your balance sheet.

There is no predetermined maximum limit. This working capital arrangement is not limited in amount as many bank products are nor is it subject to banking "regulations."

Surveys of physicians have identified the following immediate needs:

The creation of solid dependable cash flow.
Decrease in the reimbursement interval between the time service is provided and payment is received.
Increase in the overall percentage of claims collected.
Reduction in administrative costs.
Ready availability of cash for new equipment, expansion of office space, the addition of new partners, and practice marketing.

This "wish list" would be complete if access to this working capital could be created debt-free. The physician practically needs up to date legal advice to stay current.

This is my Global Financial Adsense Empire powered by The Home Income Portal.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

New Book Demystifies How To Protect and Grow Wealth With Ease

Frush demystifies the entire process of protecting and growing wealth and shows readers how to take charge of their investments to build financial independence, control and security. Presented in an easy to follow format, "Optimal Investing" reveals the 15 golden rules for building optimal portfolios (also available in the free report 15 Golden Rules for Building Optimal Portfolios at www.AssetAllocationExpert.com) and the eight biggest mistakes made when designing portfolios.

Included are model portfolios for different investors, checklists for ease of use and the Optimal Allocator worksheet to help create a winning portfolio for safety and growth. This book concentrates on those choices investors have the most control over and which have the greatest impact.

From start to finish, this book has it covered. Asset allocation is the strategy of dividing your wealth among the different asset classes and asset subclasses to achieve the highest expected total rate of return for the amount of risk you are willing and able to accept. "Numerous landmark studies have concluded that how you allocate your assets, rather than which individual investments you select or when you buy or sell them, determines the majority of your investment performance over time," says Scott P. Frush, president of Frush Financial Group and editor of the Journal of Asset Allocation (free subscriptions available at www.AssetAllocationExpert.com).

The singular aim of Optimal Investing is to empower readers to protect and grow their wealth to ensure their financial independence, control and security, all while keeping things simple and uncomplicated. The information is very clear, easy to understand and best of all, makes sense.

Even if you already know the basics of asset allocation, "Optimal Investing" will show you how to gain an even greater edge. Optimal Investing will tell you what to do and how to do it.

Optimal Investing is very well organized and packed with highly useful information. Given the investment challenges of the past couple of years, this book has never been more relevant. The information in this book will help to revitalize your portfolio. Optimal Investing will become your constant guide on how to manage your investments with ease.

A must read for investors looking to protect and grow their wealth.

This book should take up permanent residence on your bookshelf. To find out more, purchase your copy of Optimal Investing.

Author: Scott P. Frush

This is my Global Financial Adsense Empire powered by The Home Income Portal.


Saturday, April 19, 2008

Look Past the Bottom Line for a Property's Potential

After asking and answering them, investors might try taking off the blinders and thinking outside of the box. Our population is growing, and land -- unlike cars, furniture, or other structures -- cannot be remade. Real estate investors might ask themselves these simple questions:

1. Is there growth in the area where the property is located? Is there anywhere for the growth to go? If so, is it headed towards your property's location?

2. Has the city or county zoned the are for revitalization or economic development? If so, are there any special funds or benefits available?

3. Is the property accessible to public transportation?

4. Are people beginning to look for homes in this area? If so, investors want to be looking far in advance of others to secure the best property deals.

5. Is the property value in the neighborhood in a slump or an upswing? Purchase during a slump for maximum profits. The truth is, an investor not make a profit from the property for the first two years. Investment property owners should be looking at the long-term, because they may make money over the next 15 years, while others are not.

Check County Records for Property Value. Do your research, or hire a REALTOR who is motivated to do it correctly. Speak to neighbors to understand the benefits of living there. Look at the neighborhood surrounding the area, and try to determine if those homes have increased in value. For a solid indicator, consider county property tax figures.

In some areas you will find a slight increase in the tax base of 1-3%. In other areas, like Williamsburg, Virginia, taxes have increased 15-13%. Tax base increases are linked to improved property value.

Are Revitalization Funds Available? If your investment property venture is a legitimate business, contact the local Chamber of Commerce and county government to see if there are special funds available for revitalization projects. Most Chamber of Commerces provide such programs as well as classes where investors learn how to access these funds.

There are lots of great examples of properties with potential. I'd like to share some background about one of my own listings, a motel in Williamsburg that has not been open for three years. The owners do not know when it was built - probably in the 50s or 60s. The motel sits on 2 1/3 acres of land, which is all zoned commercially. The motel is situated right on a main thoroughfare that was once called "The Golden Mile" of Williamsburg. It's geographic location has real potential.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Negotiating Rates with Your Credit Card Company

In fact, it can be very easy indeed if you know what you're doing. In this article we will discuss the ins and outs of credit card negotiating to ensure that you get the best possible rate with the least amount of effort.

First and foremost, you should figure out if you even want to continue using your current credit card company. Are you pleased with the overall service that you are receiving? Do you like their benefits? If the answer is yes then you can proceed. If not, you should stop reading this article and start looking for a better company.

Second, you should evaluate your paying history and make sure that it is positive before you call to negotiate. If it is positive then you have real power and if it isn't then you'll be negotiating from a position of weakness and that might not be good. Instead, you should wait until it is more positive before you call them to negotiate rates.

Third, if you have a good history then remember this when you call.

In essence, you'll have extremely high negotiating power. The company needs your business in order to be successful and with poor paying history clients they lose big time. Therefore, you should always display this "take them or leave them attitude" while conducting your negotiations.

Draft up a script and memorize it. It can be as simple as "Hello, my name is Bill and I have been a cardholder for X years and I consistently pay my bills on a time. Well recently I have been receiving all types of credit card offers from XYZ bank indicating that I qualify for an extremely low interest rate of Z% and am considering leaving you and going there if you can't offer me a lower rate. Is this something that you can help me with?"

Practice, practice and practice some more with your script until you are completely and totally used to it. Once you are, contact the company. Read your script and see what happens. If you get a hard nose customer service representative then don't threaten her. Be agreeable and ask to speak to his/her supervisor. If that is not possible, be nice to her and try again, she may have some kind of leeway.

If you like your present company, you can even try negotiating interest rates, annual fees and even those yucky late fees. However, if you're fed up, have an alternative company in the wings, and your current company won't budge with their rates then be willing to take your business elsewhere.

After all, you hold the power so don't be afraid to use it! They key on how to use it is simply to ask for what they can offer. And be persistent -- most credit card companies will lower your rate or improve your standing somehow at least once or twice a year based on your good account payment history.


Thursday, April 17, 2008

Anxious About Your Public Relations?

Know your customer -- that could increase the chances they'll get the results they want. Why waste resources this way when a little more effort can bring public relations success? I mean, firing off communications tactics without knowing precisely how that target audience perceives your organization, and who your tactics should be aimed at, then failing to decide what changes in perception, and thus behavior you need and want, is like pouring resources down the you-know-what. How much better to do it this way.

Who's the real public relations target? Is it not that external audience whose behaviors have the most important impacts on your organization? Shouldn't you eagerly court such people and focus your public relations efforts directly on them because your enterprise may be at stake? Of course. One way to approach the challenge is to decide up front which groups of people - which external audiences - really DO affect you the most. Could it be those residents in a certain geography? Or those folks you know regularly use your services or those of your competitors? Or those who are members of trade unions? Or those between the ages of 21 and 35.

Doesn't really matter which, as long as you have solid reasons for targeting that #1 target audience.

Namely, that their behaviors, good or bad, really DO have the most serious impacts on your organization. What now? Take nothing for granted. Get out there as soon as possible and interact with members of that key audience.

Monitor their perceptions by asking questions:

What do you think of our organization? How about our products and services or, if you are an association or non-profit, our programs? Do you sense an undercurrent of negativity? Probe deeper to see if some basic misconceptions are at work. Or inaccurate perceptions or damaging rumors that may be at fault.

The answers to such questions should be studied carefully and a public relations goal created that, when achieved, corrects the problem you uncovered. It might be as simple as knocking down that trouble-making rumor once and for all.

Or, you may want a goal that clarifies an unfortunate misconception, or an inaccurate belief about your organization. Even a "confused feeling" about your people will need attention. Your brand new public relations goal leads directly to your next step - a strategy that shows clearly how to reach that goal. Will you attempt to create opinion (perceptions) where none may exist? Or will you strive to control your reputation through persuasive messages??.

I can never lose with the Powerful strategies used for my online business.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

How to Create Well-Defined Processes

But after they finish with their classes, they think to themselves: so now what I can I do with all of these terms like process mapping and control? How can I use these tools in my job, and why is it important for my business - in the real world?

A Fresh, New Look Management Effectiveness.
Even though these business men and women are feeling a little discouraged, they still know the importance of attaining this knowledge. So, for their jobs, they look to take further courses out there like "How to Create Well-Defined Processes to Build Effective Management Systems."

They are a little skeptical going in, thinking that they will get just more of the same quick and simple definitions. But, surprisingly, they are happy to say that such a course shows them something quite different. These courses fill in the missing context that they need. It thoroughly shows them the how, and thoughtfully explains the why.

They receive a fresh outlook, and many highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to improve their business.

Easy Learning Process.
Fortunately, because of such a course's open classroom environment, the instructors can answer both general and specific questions. The setting welcomes participation and discussion to develop solutions, which on-the-go business professionals very much appreciate. And so did Otis Jones, PMO Manager at Sara Lee Baking Group, who attended such a course. He was especially impressed with the user friendliness of the course content.

"Process mapping, process variability and the various process diagnostic tools were all excellent lessons to learn," Jones said. "The detail that they gave me in these areas was exactly what I was hoping for." Jones also said that he would push for other Sara Lee managers to take such a course so that they can better prepare for their business discovery phase. Next Jones will implement the information he learned into his company's internal training documents.

Gain Process Knowledge.
And many others too are encouraged. Such courses prove to them that a business does not have to just hope for the best of luck. Business owners and executives can clearly define processes, and then monitor and improve them to keep the system consistent, efficient and effective. With Plan-Do-Check-Act, this can let one see if there is any waste in the system, and also how to reduce this waste and save money.

Walk Away Empowered Individuals can walk away energized with a sense of empowerment. They can walk away with the profound knowledge of what is working today.


You Generate a Worldwide Income From Home.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The Art of Succession Planning

They wait for someone to step down or even worse, be removed. Then and only then do they entertain thoughts of who or what should happen next? One of the reasons little forethought is given to succession is evident in the fact that it rarely shows up in corporate business plans.

Companies are quite diligent in forecasting out 3, 5 and even 10-years but most of what they plan has more to do with finance, P&L, product evolution and little or no emphasis on who or how future leaders will captain the corporate ship.

It's no secret senior executives, especially those new to the position, see themselves as bulletproof. In their minds, talk of succession is analogous to talk about potential failure - they will be there forever - so they have little appetite for negativities like that preferring rather to concentrate on positive things like how they will make the company successful - perhaps in perpetuity?

Professional consultants like Pat Micallef, VP of international consulting firm The Meta Group, takes a strong position when he says, "The success of any corporate succession, is predicated on the strength of the company business plan, and, it goes without saying," he says, "leadership change is integral to future corporate strategies and should be built-in. The success of which, however, [succession planning] hinges expressly on whether or not the architects of the plan have a clear understanding of three important criteria:

a) What will it take to keep the company running and profitable?
b) What will it take to Grow the company? and,
c) What will it take to Change the company?"

It is here we begin so see more clearly that succession planning is an integral part of a much larger stratagem, more complex, perhaps, than seen at first blush. Senior executives rise to the top based mostly on their unique and proven skills tacitly believed by corporate board members or company owners to be the stuff necessary to champion the needs of the corporation.

In a perfect world, the corporate cream rises to the top in a comfortable and timely fashion - but we don't live in a perfect word - in fact, one could argue we live in a more imperfect world than we'd like to believe. With that in mind, companies and industries the world over, are addressing the reality that a decade from now, their entire business landscape will be completely different!

Randy Moore, VP of York Region based Mister Transmission, knows the future looks bright for the products and services he sells. Mr Moore would do well with a long term succession plan.

I can never lose with the Powerful strategies used for my online business.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Five Major Ways to Save Money

But cutting costs, that's a different story!
You're in complete control in this area. And all it takes is some imagination and discipline-both of which are free. Below are five major ways to save money in the basic areas of food, shelter, clothing and transportation. They're major expenses in your life - and places for major savings.

1. Home Cooking.
Food is a major expense in everyone's budget. But, in today's convenience food society, it's easy to overlook how much money can be saved by cooking meals at home.

Plus, it's fun, creative, and healthier to make your own meals. The key is to cook in "bulk" to stretch the food you buy over several meals. If you're a busy person with little time to spare, a good investment is a slow cooker (or crock pot.) Generally, they run from $20 to $80, depending on the size.

With a slow cooker, you can set aside some time on the weekend to cook stews, soups, and other delicious meals that can be frozen for weekday use. After a hard day at work, all you have to do is pop the meal in the microwave! More than likely, you'll enjoy an additional benefit - your taste buds will wake up from mass produced food and thank you for the delicious taste of a home-cooked meal!

2. Drive less, exercise more.
Is owning a car expensive? You already know the answer to that question, don't you? Gas, maintenance, insurance costs. Plus the mental aggravation of being caught in traffic jams! Why not carpool or take public transportation-the bus, train, or light rail? Or, if you live close to work, walk or bike.

You'll lose weight, lower your blood pressure, and see the world at a slower pace. And, oh yes, you'll save a couple of thousand dollars in the process.

3. Cut housing costs.
This is an easy and fun way to cut costs. Instead of paying a contractor to come in to make changes or repairs, make them yourself.

Local hardware stores love your business and will help you with tips and tricks on home repair.Also, do your own decorating and painting. You get two benefits by doing your own changes and repairs - you get the pride of accomplishment and you save money.

4. Cut clothing costs.
This can be another major area of expenses, especially if you have a family. So, try buying used clothing... dry clothes on the clothes line instead of in a dryer... learn how to mend clothes...

...well, you get the idea!

5. Quit your addictions.
Okay, so this is not really an easy category, but if you enjoy cigarettes and a drink, this is where you can realize some major savings. Assume you can do anything you want... and start choosing where you are heading in life.

I always recommend following "Rich Dad Poor Dad" advice and investing in a home business.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Are You PR-Challenged?

Robert A. Kelly 2003.

Are You PR-Challenged?

Yes? You won't be if you accept a very simple premise. Here, in just two sentences, is your pathway to effective public relations.

A pathway that lets you target the kind of stake-holder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your objectives.

People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished. And what behavior changes they can be. Legislators who see you as a dynamic member of their business public; prospects deciding to patronize your enterprise; customers buying from you again and again; local thought leaders strengthening their relations with you; employees who value their employer, and on an on.

What it boils down to, is that people in your marketing area behave like everyone else - they take actions based on their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your organization. So, you need to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what you need to do to reach them with the right message.

Your job is to persuade your stakeholders to your way of thinking and move them to take actions that lead to the success of your organization. Here's one way to do exactly that.

Who are those important outside audiences whose behaviors have the most positive OR negative impacts on your enterprise? List them in the order of how negatively or positively those impacts affect you. Working on the target audience in first place on your list, let's look at whether any of those perceptions out there are likely to morph into behaviors that can hurt your organization.

Assuming you don't want to make a large investment in a professional opinion survey, you and your colleagues must interact with members of that target audience and ask many questions: "What have you heard about us and our products or services? Have you done business with us? Do you have a bone to pick with us? Keep an eye peeled for hesitant or evasive responses, and watch for any negative undertones. Notice a misconception, inaccuracy or rumor? Jump on it right away! The data you gather from such interaction lets you form a specific public relations goal.

I want you to enjoy and explore complaints for the opportunity they present to improve your business.

I can never lose with the Powerful strategies used for my online business.

Friday, April 11, 2008

How To Sell A Website or Domain name URL

The domain name "Loans.com", for example, sold for $3,000,000 just a few years ago. The key to deciding whether or not to sell a domain name you own is to determine its worth to you if kept and, alternatively, how much a buyer is willing to pay.

You may have heard "rags to riches" type stories of cheap domain names resold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. During the good old days of the Internet boom this was possible. However, things have slowed down considerably since then and there it is very rare to hear of a domain name sold for more than $10,000.

However, while big deal domain sales do occur less often in today's domain market, selling domain names can still be very profitable.

Short, catchy, top level domain names are selling for upwards of $5,000 on the domain name after-market. Other longer, but still usable, names may be worth hundreds of dollars. Pricing is relative. Relative to your desire to sell, the type and timeliness of bidder inquiries (individual or corporate) and how well the sale price is negotiated.

Don't try to fit your domain name into some 'proprietary pricing model'. Every domain name is applicable to a different target market.

Determine who your potential buyers are before determining your asking price so you don't over or under estimate that price. Most names (~85%) sell for between 15%-40% of the asking price.

Exceptions to this trend:

Fantastic names - Truly great names can command what a seller requests, unless that amount is unreasonable.

High asking prices - Names that have ridiculous or greedy asking prices rarely sell. Important!

Poor names - Names littered with hyphens, adult names, "4"s for the number "four", "2"s for the number "two", "U"s for the word "you", etc. Don't waste your time listing names like these.
They rarely sell.

How Do I Determine My Site's Worth?
Selling virtual real estate is a lot like selling physical real estate. Just like with the housing market, website "homes" (also known as domain names) can be purchased for a low cost, remodeled and decorated to look very attractive to potential buyers, and sold for a considerable profit. To understand how this works, first consider that you were in fact selling an actual house built on land instead of an abstract entity on the web.

It would be impossible to price your home without doing extensive research to determine its worth. You'd need to take many factors into consideration, such as: size, landscape, curb appeal, the value of other properties in the area, the buzz and any special history about the property.


Every Day, a New Unique Content Driven Income Website Grows on every domain Worldwide.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

The Death of the Loyal Customer

This is not a new concept. We’ve all heard the term “the customer is always right”. And then there is the movie we watch every Christmas where Macy tries to out “customer satisfaction” Gimbel.

I prefer to take that concept one step further with what I consider the most valuable asset of a business, the loyal customer. The loyal customer is one who will buy your product or service even when it is more expensive or at a personal inconvenience. The loyal customer is one who will recommend you to his competitors.

The loyal customer is one who will stand up and defend your company against unfair comments.
The loyal customer is one who will teach his children to purchase your product or service because they can depend on your company to treat them with fairness and honesty. The businesses of America, large and small, have been built on the backs of the loyal customer. In his inauguration address, President Bush stated, “ as citizens we must uphold the principles of civility, courage, compassion, and character that a civil society demands from each of us.” Civility is a word we don’t hear much anymore.

As companies have merged and as pressure from investors has increased, businesses have lost their civility. The concepts of respect and fair dealing that have been the cornerstones of American business are crumbling.

In the age of the computer and voice-mail, companies are ignoring the fact that on the other end of the line is a living breathing person. They will spend millions on advertising to gain a new customer and then banish them to what I term “Customer Service Hell.”

Take the case of Denise in New Mexico “I have been MORE than patient with Dell Computer Corporation. It has taken me 6 months, a minimum of 100 hours of my time, 20 different people, 10 phone calls to service, 5 to the rebate ripoff department, close to 30 mails, several faxes, daily blue screens which switched to daily black blank screens, all three drives not working, still not receiving a confirmed rebate on a machine I ordered in August, 2002, an ordered part I've yet to receive, two individuals saying they will call RIGHT BACK who still haven't called, and problems growing on an EP Purchased machine literally by the day to get THIS upset.

I'm sick of being jerked around by large corporations who make it impossible to reach their corporate offices who are only interested in SALES and could care less about SERVICE. The accumulation of wealth at the expense of civility is not the way to expand our society.

I'm very proud of my home based business with SharingProfitStrategies with a solid income opportunity and excellent customer service.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

3 Simple Keys Will Make Your Customers Stick

How do you turn a pile of dusty invoices and sales receipts into profit generators for your business? How can you create loyal customers who will return time and again to increase your small business bottom line? There are three keys to creating customer loyalty.

1. Know Who They Are Do you? Compile and maintain a list of your customers.
Track their habits. Monitor your list so you know when they are doing business with you differently. Then ask why.

2. Know What They're Worth I overheard a remark the other day. It was, "Oh, that lady. I barely pay attention to her. She comes in twice a week, but only spends about five dollars.
What a waste of my time." Have you had the same thought about any of your customers? Before you dismiss the customer that only spends five dollars, take a look at her long-term value.

How often does she purchase over time? How many people does she refer to you that have the same spending habits? A $5 customer can really be worth over $50,000 in the long term and should be treated like a queen.

3. Take Action Your customers are busy people. They need to be reminded that you exist and how you can eliminate their pain (wants or needs). Have you ever received mail from a company and decided to save it so you could "check them out later?" Then you find that piece of mail in your "to do" stack months later and realize you never contacted them. Your customers do that too.

You have to remind them. Often. Customer loyalty is not rocket science. But it does take consistent effort.

Over 90% of small business owners are letting money walk out the door of their business each and every day. Are you one of them?--Use Guidelines: May be used in any medium online or off that is opt-in. Resource box must be included with active link (online).

About The Author: Denise O'Berry helps small business owners identify and execute the steps necessary to grow their business.

Find out more at http://www.targetreferrals.com denise@whatspossible.com .