10 Super Reasons to Start Your Own Information Marketing Business

Here are 10 Super reasons why you should start your own information business. But before we begin, we need to clarify that Information products do NOT just cover online money making or business related niches. Any topic where you can teach people can be the basis of you very first information product and the cornerstone of your information empire.

Super Reason #10 : All your information products would be digital - ebooks, videos, newsletters - so you will have a business with a low, low production cost. As long as you can speak and write, you can create your own information product.

Super Reason #9 : Unlike a regular brick and mortar store, you don't need to invest in store renovations, warehousing and staff. All you do need is a computer and an Internet connection to start building your own information business empire.

Super Reason #8 : No need to go through the hassle of getting a business loan because your start up costs are really minimal. Like I said in Super Reason #9 - you only need a computer, an Internet connection, and a desire to make money.

Super Reason #7 : The Internet is overflowing with information and the lots of these resources are free. More importantly, lots of them are freely available to you to re-use commercial purposes. You just need to repackage, rebrand and rework this information to suit your product's niche and you will have your own hot-selling range of information products!

Super Reason #6 : Your production costs is low, you don't have any warehousing costs and you don't need to pay rental, so your profit margins are going to be a lot more than if you were selling a physical product. Profit margins can be based on perceived value - if you have a reputation for producing highly valuable information, or if you are savvy enough to GIVE that perception, then customers are not going to grumble about the price they're paying and your profit margin.

Super Reason #5 : The Internet marketplace is growing at an incredible rate. If your worried that the market will be saturated, don't. As long as people are looking for information, you will have a market. Your information doesn't have to be totally new inventions, but they should give your customers value - a fresh perspective on a niche, a new twist to performing a task, an updated list of top-ten way etc. And if you find yourself wondering what niche to go into, just look around you.Find a highly active niche in the information marketplace and copy what the successful leaders are doing. In some cases, being an affiliate and selling other people's information products can be just as rewarding as creating your own. As long as you don't steal other people's products, slap your own label on it and sell it word for word as your own, the information product business is quick, easy and profitable.

Super Reason #4 : There are more people buying online each year. With the advancement of technology and online security measures, making purchases online is become, easier, safer and faster. Add too that a continuosly growing and hungry market looking for information and you have a mind-boggling sized market. Stats revealed that over 150 million people spent well over $100 billion online for purchases last year alone. Imagine how great your business would be if you had a store where 150 milliion people with over $100 billion spending money were browsing everyday?

Super Reason #3 : You can work anywhere. You are not tied down to a brick and mortar store where you have to be there to keep an eye on staff, take delivery of products and cash in your daily takings. All you need is an Internet connection and you are connected to your office and your customers. You can sit in a Starbucks in downtown New York or in London or on a beach in Bali and you would still be connected to your money making information empire.

Super Reason #2 : You are your own boss. You set the rules. You decide when to work, where to work and how you should work. You are the big kahuna.

Super Reason #1 : Residual, passive income for the rest of your life. I don't mean to say that this is a hands-free plug and play business where you can just relax, turn on a switch and the money will roll in like crazy. That would be irresponsible of me. However, once you've done the main job of producing your information products and put in place a solid, reliable marketing, and sales system, your information product empire can potentially be a source of residual, passive income that works even when you sleep and lasts even after you're gone - for your family. Now if that's not good enough reason to start your own information business empire, I don't know what is.

Information Marketing and Short Reports

Selling information online is without any doubt one of the most lucrative forms of making money online, since day one I have been a huge fan of information marketing. However this isn't for everyone. But at some point most are very interested in creating their own information product online. Whether its to compliment an affiliate product, or be part of its own site, dedicated to that product.

Writing in general makes some very nervous, it certainly is for me to this day. I was intimidated at the thought of sitting down to write an ebook. tons of questions like how long should it be? and what if I make mistakes?? Well I'm here to tell you, if you don't write like a 3rd grader and have decent grasp of the Queens English, then your really not going to have a lot of trouble.

Part of making this an easy process, is being in a niche that you are very comfortable and knowledgeable in. One of the reasons why, it becomes very easy for you to come up with ideas for the chapter titles that you want to write about and once you have that, then the rest gets pretty close to writing itself. Another key to being able to write, is writing like your sitting and talking to a friend.

People don't want to read complicated vocabulary. There is no need for it. Remember you are not writing a scientific paper and your audience is a bit simpler about things then you may think. You also don't have to be overly entertaining. Ebooks are informational in nature, and you simply want to make sure have enough meat in it that makes the purchase a worth while investment.

One of the very best ways to get yourself into the the information marketing business model, is to start with writing short 12 to 20 page reports. And there is no better guy to listen to, than Jimmy Brown. This does a few things for you. First and foremost it makes it manageable. It takes the weight of writing 50 to 75 pages out of the equation. It also teaches you how to do it quickly, and still deliver valuable content.

When done right it is pretty easy to put together a number of successive reports that eventually become an ebook. It's fast, its easy, and pretty much can be done in a couple days. I had only wished this had been around when First got started. Life would have been a ton easier.

Important Ways To Keep Your Staff At Their Best While Manning Your Business Trade Show Stand

Every veteran convention participant recognizes that, when it comes to successfully working the trade show display circuit, there are two critical components that come into play. What's the first factor to consider when striving to achieve a positive return on investment? Unquestionably, this falls on the business' trade show stand itself.

It's no secret that garnering the attention of the wandering masses at these industry functions is of paramount importance. In order to effectively entice and inform the consuming crowds, each attending organization needs to have a trade show stand that delivers something distinctive that the competition just doesn't offer. Whether utilizing an elaborate stand replete with several attention grabbing features, or opting for simple banner stands that visually compel the wandering crowd, having a unique display is an important piece of the achievement equation.

Beyond The Trade Show Stand: Consider Your Most Valuable Asset

However, beyond the stand design, businesses truly looking to capitalize on the many opportunities presented at these events also need to consider what should be their most valuable asset: their employees. It is vital to never underestimate the importance of staff members manning the trade show display in the overall success of the event. Once visiting guests stop into the stand, it is completely up to your team to connect with and, hopefully, convert each person into a viable lead for your organization. Just like your business' stand, you need your staff to stand out from the competition. They not only need to consistently be dynamic as they engage with the attendees, they also need to embody a professional and polished representation of your organization.

Key Methods To Help Your Staff Shine At Every Trade show Display

Want to make sure your staff makes as big of an impact as your trade show display? Employing a few simple techniques can help ensure that your team is always the one to watch at every event. Always consider:

Trade show display training: Professional training can make a huge difference in your team's polish and performance. Even offering a few onsite sessions can make a major impact.

Customized stand flooring: Most events can stretch on for hours, leaving your staff on their feet all day long. Partner with a reputable design firm that offers customized (aka padded!) flooring. An experienced provider will offer various options that meet a range of price points to ensure you get an ideal complement to your already existing trade show display.

Wardrobe requirements: Beyond flooring options, always consider other ways to help keep your team feeling energized and comfortable. Wardrobe is a great way to help ensure that your employees are ready for the long day of standing they have ahead of them. While looking professional is always a must, always encourage them to wear their most comfortable shoes while manning the exhibits.

Scheduling needs: If you want your employees to always look refreshed, offer scheduled breaks throughout the event. The hours manning the stands can prove grueling. In order to keep their energy levels high, create a specific outline of breaks that allows staff members to get away from the stand, but still maintains adequate coverage at all times.

Social Media Is Here to Stay - Use It To Drive Traffic to Your Trade Show Exhibits

As soon as businesses started promoting Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, it became pretty obvious that social media was here to stay. It's easy to see why: social media is a phenomenal marketing tool when used correctly. Businesses can connect with their clients and receive feedback in ways they couldn't before. They can share new product information and announcements, conduct surveys or just get to know their customers a little better at little to no cost.

So how can you integrate this amazing marketing tool into your trade show exhibits?

Pre-Event Marketing

Just as you would any other marketing tool, start using your social media accounts to promote trade show exhibits and your presence at such. You can create Facebook posts asking who plans to attend the event and what they are most looking forward to. You can announce that a new product will be unveiled at the event or provide a teaser that doesn't quite give away all the details. This gets the conversation going and starts to generate buzz about the trade show exhibits and your business.

Don't forget that catching up with friends and colleagues is as important to many trade show attendees as seeing new products. Make it easy for them by creating an event on your Facebook page. This allows your Facebook friends to RSVP to the event. It is a quick and easy way for clients to see who's going to be at the exhibition and who isn't. In a similar fashion, you can send out invitations to your colleagues on LinkedIn and start to generate excitement there as well.

Best of all, these techniques don't cost anything other than the time it takes you to update your status or send out an email. You're still providing the same information that you typically provide with more traditional marketing methods, just in a new way.

Integration Into Trade Show Designs

Even when the event is going on you can use your accounts to keep customers apprised of what's going on. If you do unveil a new product, announce it and post pictures of it. If you've won an award, let all your followers know about it. It doesn't have to be a press release worthy announcement. A simple Tweet will get the news out and generate interest in your company.

Another idea is to provide running updates about the event on your social media pages. This can be done via status updates or even live feed. Providing these updates helps keep those customers who couldn't attend the event in the loop and keeps your business front and center.

If you plan a giveaway, Tweet about it! It'll remind attendees to swing by your booth. Make sure you "Check-in" at your booth and post it to your pages so your followers know where to find you. Or create a Foursquare location and let smartphone GPS apps guide attendees to your booth.

Modular trade show designs offer plenty of opportunity to welcome social media into your booth. Set up some seating or an open area when attendees can take a break and check their messages. A display for a trade show may contain a QR code that links to your website or Facebook page that visitors can quickly scan and then read later.

Use Informal Connections To Develop Formal Relationships

Social media is a fun and informal way to get your message out there and meet and understand your clients better. It allows you to shine through as a business full of people with personality rather than just a company to do business with. It can provide that people to people connection that exhibitors value so much. Get a head start on building those connections through social media then solidify the relationships in person at trade show exhibits.

Social media isn't going away. Used wisely, it can generate big results with little work.

4 Benefits to Buying Business Cards Online

It has become increasingly popular to buy nearly anything online. There are many advantages which can be gained from this shopping medium. Some of the most obvious advantages are:

Easier to Use

Nobody really wants to have to get into their car, drive somewhere, buy something and then have to drive all the way home. Driving to and from the store means dealing with all the traffic and then inevitably standing in long lines just to give a cashier your hard earned money. Online shopping lacks any of these problems. You shop in the convenience of your own home. There is no traffic to deal with and no long lines. You get on a site, pick what you want and buy it. Like all online shopping, buying business cards online is just plain easier than buying them in a traditional store.

Anonymity

Online you have the advantage of shopping anonymously. This can lead to your design team remaining confidential so your competitors can not easily mimic your most effective marketing designs by getting friendly with your local printer.

Shorter Turnaround Time

This definitely applies to buying business cards. Most stores which offer printing solutions work as middlemen often outsourcing the work to these very same companies which offer their services online. By going directly online you're cutting out the middleman so the overall time from request to creation can be significantly less.

Lower Cost

In most cases online businesses offer lower prices. Buying business cards online can save money because the companies offering it have lower overhead. Beyond this fact many of the companies offering business card services actually act as middle men between companies which actually design and manufacture business cards and are available online.

There is simply no doubt about it that buying online just plain makes sense. However, there are some things which need to be taken into account when buying online. Too many people make the mistake of simply looking for the best price when in reality they should be looking for the best value. The problem is that many people simply don't really appreciate what the best value really is when it comes to buying online.

The best value when buying business cards online is a combination of the cost and the quality of service. A high quality business card company should offer excellent design and printing capabilities. What this means for the consumer is they should be able to design a beautiful and brilliant business card which is going to catch the attention of your customers quickly and effectively. They need to put together a design that is not only going to catch your customer's attention but also improve your company's image. Well made business cards are not business cards built from a template.

Well made business cards are business cards which have been designed from the ground up by someone who understands how to catch someone's attention and do it in a professional and attractive fashion. They are designed by someone who takes the time to know your company so as to ensure that the design exemplifies what your company stands for. After this design has been made it needs to be able to be implemented. It can't be printed on low quality paper or in black and white. It needs to be done in full color with high quality paper.

The key to buying business cards online is simply about recognizing the good from the bad. It's an unfortunate truth that like most businesses there is more bad than good but getting truly unique, high quality, and well designed business cards online is an achievable goal.

Shop Online and Save Money

When we shop, we want the best product for the lowest price. One way to save money on your purchases is to look at online shops. Often, online shops can deliver your products at a very competitive price. But there are some things you should do before making your first online purchase.

Many online shops are cheap, because they can run a more efficient business online than offline. Therefore they can offer lower prices. But they are businesses, too. They want to get as high a price as possible. It is your job to find out if they are worth shopping with or if you have better options in another shop. You have to make a comparison of the price with different shops, to find out which one is really cheapest.

When you compare prices, there are especially two factors you have to focus on. First of all, you should pay attention to make sure you are comparing the same brand or quality. Some companies will make items that look or sound just like a well-respected brand. That way, they can take advantage of the good name of the brand company. If you shop on an international website, you should also be aware that some identical products will be slightly differently packed in various countries, making them seem like different products although they are the same. The only way to be absolutely certain if it is the genuine product is to contact the producer and ask if they do business with the shop you want to shop at.

Secondly, you should make sure you compare the offers for the same quantity of the product. If they are not sold in the same quantity you will have to calculate the price for the same quantity. It could be useful to calculate the unit cost of each product. When you do these calculations, remember to include shipping. Some companies will charge a high shipping expense while others deliver free of charge. Of course you should also consider if you can buy the number of units you need, or if you have to buy larger quantities.

Before you do your shopping, there is one more thing that is necessary to do when you shop online. You need to check the online shop to find out if they deliver on their promises. Today it is very easy to set up an online shop, so anybody can do it. This opens the door for some dishonest people. You can do this check by doing a search on them or by going to an independent review site and seeing what their customers think of their experiences with the shop.

Once you have found the shop with the best offer for you, you can make your purchases. But, just as in any other shop, you have to make sure you only buy what you need and don't fall for the temptation to buy more than you need, just because the products are cheap. If you do buy too much, you haven't really had any benefit from the good prices, but if you don't, you will soon experience how much extra money you suddenly have. Especially if you make sure to use these extra savings to pay back your loans or deposit them into a savings account.

Staying Private While Shopping Online

As a really busy person you do most of your shopping online. You can update your wardrobe for the season, find great deals on your kids' toys and even buy your groceries all before you go to work in the morning. You are such a discerning shopper it only make sense that you should be just as savvy about your security and privacy while online. Find a program that will change your IP address to hide your shopping and surfing habits. Your online activities are nobody's business, but criminals and marketers are dying to get their hands on it. Keep your personal information private with an IP changer.

If you've been shopping online without taking steps to hide your trail you've probably noticed a lot of highly targeted pop up and other kinds of ads. Marketing professionals have spent a lot of time and money developing ways to track your every click. They know what sites you visit and in what order. They know what you buy and what you look at. They know that you spend a lot of money looking at expensive shoes but buy a lot of children's clothes. It's as if someone put a GPS system in your purse while you shopped in a regular store. They do it using a unique number called an Internet Protocol (IP) Address. But you don't have to put up with that. Hiding your activity with an IP changer will keep your online movements hidden away from the prying eyes of the marketing spies.

This issue goes beyond privacy though. If someone watches your surfing and shopping habits they can learn a lot of personal information about you. If you buy diapers and formula online they know you have a small child. Criminals can determine where you live, your gender, your age and other information about you and your family just by tracking your online activity. When a criminal gets his hands on this information he can use it in all sorts of nefarious ways. Luckily you can thwart this when you change your IP address. After all, criminals can't use information they don't have.

When you conduct financial transactions online you want to make sure that your credit card and bank account details stay secure. Look for a padlock symbol whenever you make an online purchase. That tells you that the site developer has taken steps to ensure your security. Make sure you only do online banking with an institution that takes your privacy and safety as seriously as you do. Even with all these precautions you can take the easy extra step to change your IP address.

When you are shopping in your pajamas at your home it is easy to assume that your internet activities are private and secure. Unfortunately that just simply isn't the case. The simple act of using an IP changer is an easy way to ensure your personal security. By hiding your surfing and shopping activity you make it so much harder, if not impossible for marketers and criminals to track your habits. When you change your IP address you ensure that your private information remains just that, private.

Everyone Wants to Know How to Play Better Golf

Millions around the world play golf. It is a great sport that gets you outside and allows you to enjoy the company of friends. Many people also use golf in their business life by taking potential clients to the course so they have several hours to get to know them and try to sell whatever it is they sell for a living. And of course there are golfers who do so professionally, some of them making millions of dollars per year just to play a game. But all those people have one thing in common. They want to play better golf. But to they all know how to play better golf?

The best way to get better at anything is to practice. The act of repeating whatever it is you are doing over and over will help you improve a great deal. In this case, you are practicing the basic golf swing. The key to playing good golf is not having a perfect swing, but in being able to replicate the swing every single time you grab a club.

To that end, the best way to improve is to get out to the driving range as often as possible. Most professional golfers visit the driving range every day, even days they are playing in a tournament. Most working people can't afford to hit the range every day. There just isn't enough time in the day, but it can be very beneficially to hit balls before and after every round you play.

It is also important to go the driving range with a plan. You can't just go and smack a few balls and think that your scores are going to improve. You need to be organized and know what your strengths and weaknesses are. The range is the place to turn those weaknesses into strengths. If you can drive the ball well, but have trouble with the wedge in your hand (as is my case) you need to spend a little extra time with the wedge in your hand. If you can chip like Phil, then you should make sure that you are smacking a lot of balls with that driver. You cannot score well if your balls are going out of bounds or into lakes and rivers.

For some people, going out and hitting balls for hours on end will not produce results. This could be because they are complete beginners or it could be because they have reached a point where they are not able to understand what the problem with their swing really is. At this point, both types of players need to seek the help of a teaching professional. A teaching professional will be able to analyze your swing and see what needs to be corrected. This can really speed up the process of improving your game because it is far easier for an expert to see what part of your swing needs work and what part does not.

Most driving ranges and golf clubs will have a professional on staff to teach those who are interested. This can be an expense way to improve, but almost everyone can benefit from the time and expense. Even the best golfers like Tiger have a full time coach who sees to every part of their game.

Lastly, when it comes to ways to play better golf, we come to equipment. There are lots of products on the market that will help improve your game. The fact is that if you are playing with old outdated equipment, you are at a disadvantage. Let's say you have two golfers who hit the ball the exact same distance. Now put a brand new, state of the art club in one golfers hand and a hand me down, rusty out of date club in the other. I think we all know what will happen. The golfer with the new club will hit the ball much farther and will have a great advantage when it comes to hitting the next shot. There are many new clubs on the market that can lower your score by as much as 7 strokes in 2 rounds.

So if you want to know how to play better golf follow the advice above. Spend time practicing whenever you can, find a teaching professional to analyze your swing and make sure that your equipment is allowing you to keep up with your playing partners. You don't want to be the one in the foursome that has the nickname "Shorty".

Build a Strategic Plan For Business Growth - Connecting the Plan

Once your company's strategic plan has been completed and a "growth map" is in place, it is time to execute it. But unfortunately, the reality of business, with all its pressing concerns, can quickly cause plan execution to falter. The answer is not to try harder or make the plan an urgent priority. Instead, the solution is to integrate the plan into the company's ongoing activities so that execution takes place as part of the normal course of business.

The most common and deadliest enemy to strategic plan execution begins the moment that a company's long and involved planning process comes to an end. When executives finally turn their full attention back to running the company, there is often a pent-up demand for their time. Customers have issues, suppliers bring challenges and shareholders want immediate results. And that doesn't include regulatory demands, legal considerations, human resource needs, etc. The list goes on, and unfortunately the "dust gathering" process for the strategic plan often begins before the ink is dry.

Even when executives make time to execute their plan, initiatives can falter as part of the company's "project list". The problem is that when projects are prioritized, strategic plan initiatives are nearly always labeled "important" rather than "urgent". And urgent projects, like the ones that customers are waiting for and those that will increase cash flow, tend to be implemented first. So as the year progresses, strategic initiatives often fall behind and executives must be content to report the reasons. At year-end, it can become embarrassing for a company's executive team to realize how little of their strategic plan has actually been implemented.

Instead of attempting to keep the plan in better focus or placing its execution ahead of urgent matters facing the company, the permanent solution is to integrate the plan into the company's normal operations. This way, plan initiatives will not be seen merely as additional projects.

The first step to effective plan integration is to separate each plan initiative into "action plans". For example, let's assume that there is an initiative called "Build A Marketing Program That Targets Small Businesses". This initiative can be split into 5 separate action plans, as follows:

1. Identify the products and solutions that will be required.

2. Develop tailored presentation materials

3. Prepare advertising and promotion plans

4. Initiate relationships with appropriate trade organizations

5. Create a sales target list, with contact information

Once action plans have been established, the next step is to assign responsibility for each of them. Although the company's marketing executive would likely be responsible for the overall initiative in the above example, each of the 5 action plans should be assigned to an appropriate employee team. For instance, the Customer Service team can be responsible for action plan 1, the Promotion team can handle action plans 2 and 3, the Sales team can initiate the relationships with trade organizations in action plan 4 and the Sales Support team can create the target list in action plan 5.

At this point, the initiative has been pushed deep within the company. But an even further step towards integration is to make timely action plan completion a part of employee compensation. For example, when teams meet their goals for the quarter, which should include completion of assigned action plans, the members of those teams would receive performance pay in addition to their regular pay. Similarly, completion of the overall initiative can be one of the components of the executive team's compensation.

With this level of integration, it will likely be rare for initiatives not to be completed on time. And yet, execution is not forced or placed ahead of other pressing projects. Instead, it is spread throughout the company and connected to routine employee compensation. While development of a powerful and insightful strategic plan is essential, execution by the entire company can make all the difference!

Social Marketing For Free Network Marketing Business Leads and Traffic

Everyone wants something for nothing. It's true. In a Network Marketing business, it is no different. Why is it, then, that we still think we have to pay out loads of money, particularly when it comes to business leads, to make money? Well, there are a lot of business opportunities out there that would like you to think you must pay to play. You can get plenty of things for free if you just take the time to look around.

We all want to believe that because we think our Network Marketing opportunity is great, so will everyone else that sees it. That belief alone will not help us generate Network Marketing business leads. That still doesn't mean we can't learn how to market our Network Marketing opportunity for free. That reminds me...your prospects have to be able to find you on the Internet in order to become your business leads!

So, before I get off on a tangent, I want to state that you CAN expect to get tons of business leads and traffic to find you on the Internet, without spending any money at all!

Start Getting Free Business Leads with Social Marketing.

Social Marketing is a form of Internet marketing that attempts to reach marketing goals by communication and participation in various Social Media markets such as MySpace,Facebook, YouTube; and bookmarking sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, Squidoo, and others, like Blogs.

What this means is that you can change the way you obtain business leads for your Network Marketing business opportunity, and remove some stress from your life. Be more social; take time to learn new Internet Network Marketing training concepts, and spend less money by learning free methods of attracting business leads to you, instead of paying for them, or hounding them. Think about what a unique tool this could be for your Network Marketing business!

How to start Attracting Free Business Leads:

By using Social Marketing methods, and socializing on social media sites to attract leads to you instead in hunting for them, you can enter the Social Media Sites and set up house with this new Internet Network Marketing style. This is a form of Attraction Marketing, which is the practice of attracting pre-qualified prospects, or business leads, to find what it is that you are offering on the Internet. So get started on setting up some new social marketing sites and make some friends! Try those listed above, or there are tons of other sites to choose from.

How Does Social Marketing Bring You Business Leads?

Just think of the extremely successful people you know in Network Marketing...what is different about them? In most cases, they are extremely likable and charismatic; some may say...lucky. People are drawn to them like a moth to a flame. Business leads just seem to appear. I think that's the key...business leads come to them! They've established themselves as a "likable leader". I doubt they chase any prospects, or pay for them.

That's the way I want you to think...that success comes easily to you by just being yourself. You are already a leader. Your prospects just need to know "who" you are...without your "sales hat" on. You can do all this with Social Marketing; on sites like FaceBook, MySpace, YouTube, StumbleUpon, and others. Work on being a friend and sharing your knowledge, but in a giving way, and not selling. People usually do business with people they like and trust. Business leads will be attracted to you! Doesn't that sound a lot less stressful? And, it doesn't cost you a dime!

Next: To learn techniques on how these Social Media sites work best for business and Internet Marketing, just search the Internet for free training on Internet Network Marketing. You can find valuable training information at a support site for Internet Network Marketing trainees. I found that I really needed this type of support to keep my training on track when I was just starting out as an Internet Marketing Coach.

You can quickly learn how to set up these sites correctly and then learn how to get business leads and traffic to find your sites without sending unsolicited network marketing information. You can find tons of free Internet Network Marketing training on how to learn Social Marketing in order to help prospects, or business leads, find you and your business opportunity.

Once these wonderful, free business leads start coming to you, you must have a way to find out who's interested in what you are offering. You need to have a "lead capture page" in place in order to capture the information of those who have "asked" for more information, or to be kept informed. After all those years of verbally bludgeoning people over the head to pay attention to your network marketing business opportunity, they simply ask to be associated with you, the leader! It's a beautiful thing! I initially joined a free Internet Marketing training class to help me set it all up.

Last: There are Internet Network Marketing coaches out there, like myself, that enjoy teaching how to successfully bring in free business leads for your Network Marketing business. We are all beginners at some point, in something. And, it's much easier to learn from someone willing to share what they've learned, than to stumble around and learn everything the hard way. I have plenty of my own examples to share about that subject!

Just remember the principles about being yourself, having fun, making friends, and presenting your Network Marketing business opportunity in a giving and "Attractive Marketing" manner. And don't forget the Golden Rule, "Treat Others as You would Like to be Treated".

10 Simple Ways to Grow Your MLM Or Network Marketing Business Online

Building your Network Marketing business online is not necessary but typically at some point in your MLM journey you will find yourself out of leads and your warm market as you know it exhausted. This of course brings up the fact that you never actually run out of leads or your warm market. I find when people on my team hit this wall they just need to change their perspective. One way to do this is to take another approach to attracting new leads for your MLM opportunity. Here are 10 simple ways to grow your MLM or Network Marketing business online that anyone can implement:

1) Facebook - Make sure to update your profile and let people know you have a business. When you connect with old friends send them a message ask them to call you to catch up. Just like any meeting ask them questions, learn what has been going on in their life. When they ask about you share what you have done since your last conversation and talk about what is really exciting in your life now! (MLM, Network Marketing, or Direct Selling opportunity)

2) Twitter - Twitter is a virtual gold mind for leads and resources. Follow people with your same interests and engage them in conversations. Conversations lead to site traffic and site traffic leads to more leads for your Network Marketing business.

3) Linkedin - Network Marketers have a huge opportunity on Linkedin! It's not about spamming people with your opportunity but looking for good connections that you can learn more about and convert to a live conversation. Learn about their business, find out how you can help them, and tell these connections how they can help you!

4) YouTube - YouTube is the #2 search engine online! If you are passionate about your Network Marketing, MLM, or your Direct Selling opportunity start making videos! Talk about all aspects of your business and opportunity. Each video should be entertaining or educational, people want to be entertained or they want to learn something. Don't be boring and make sure to have fun. You will attract people with your passion!

5) Craigslist - Free adds! Need I say more? Be creative, think outside of the box. If you have a weekly opportunity meeting make sure it's listed on Craigslist. Try different ads, be authentic, and test, test, test. Determine which adds result in new leads for your business opportunity and then expand on these ads.

6) Plaxo - This is a great online address book that is used by business professionals. I think of it as an old school social network but it works. Setup your profile and engage each new connection! Start out by sending a friendly email. Please note, friendly emails do not include your Network Marketing link, video, or pitch. Always remember you want to date the person a few times before asking them to marry you. Too many Network Marketers try to sign someone up before their prospect even understands what it is you do.

7) Forums - Look for forums about your MLM business and things you are interested in. Once you find the right forum online that you enjoy make sure you become active, leave comments and be helpful. In your signature have your opportunity link or better yet your blog or personal website. When people get used to seeing your comments they will naturally click on your links to learn more about you and your business.

8) Yahoo Answers - Very under used but a great way for you to be a category expert. Create a profile and start answering questions. This is a great way for people to discover you and want to learn more about what you do. You can easily answer a few simple questions a day and attract new leads for your business.

9) MLM Lead System - I can't recommend the value of having a great Network Marketing Lead system. By lead system I mean a system that you can create your own lead capture pages, add leads to your auto responder like Aweber or Get Response, and funnel all the leads from the above online marketing activities. Growing your MLM online requires you to have a great lead capture system.

10) Blogging - Create your own blog and write often. Your blog can me about your company, you, your industry or all three. A blog is a hub where you can drive traffic to. Similar to your MLM Lead System but different as this will be a place for you to continue to write and attract new leads over a long period of time. If you want to be successful in growing your Network Marketing business online having a blog is essential.

You don't have to do all 10 of these strategies to successfully grow your MLM online but each of these strategies will make a huge difference in attracting new leads to your business opportunity. If I was to pick two to focus on it would be setting up your MLM Lead System and creating your Blog. Over time these two strategies alone can propel you to online success.

Information Marketing is the Hottest Internet Trend in Home Business

After investing most of my time, wealth and education in career building as a scientist with several honors, awards and peer reviewed publications to feather my cap but with no substantial money in my bank account, I stumbled upon a story of a brick and mortar business man who from being broke rose to amass more than one million dollars in just 15 months in an Internet home business. It caught my eye and I seriously began to pay attention to the hottest trends in the home business arena.

Knowledge is the most valuable resource

Today, knowledge is the most valuable resource that is marketable. The exponential growth of Internet worldwide has created a huge market of more than 1 billion users. Information Marketing or Webucation has emerged as the 'Mega trend' (www.forbesarticle.info) converging on more than $150 billion market. Online degrees and online informational tutorials are the talk of the day connecting people from any corner of the globe through advanced technology.

Major global trends are driving the Industry

More than 8-10 major global trends are currently driving the Information Marketing Industry including imminent retirement of baby boomers looking for financial freedom, globalization of economy, broadband internet technology facilitating streaming video and audio information exchange, online marketing, lean workforce in corporate world due to outsourcing of most of the technology jobs overseas, the ever increasing pursuit of quality life by the majority of workforce, etc.

As retirement approaches, uncertainty pervades and more than 90% of the workforce is coming on the internet looking for a home business opportunity. Baby boomers constitute a large fraction of those approaching retirement age and they are actively seeking to secure financial freedom. Information is the driving force to today's online market. Internet and broadband phone technology is revolutionizing information exchange on a global basis with direct impact on Information Marketing Industry.

As the jobs are getting scarce and workload getting heavier in the corporate world, more and more people are seeking financial freedom and quality of life to go hand in hand. Work-at-home moms and home education of children are on the rise in attempts to raise both quality of life and standard of education in addition to providing for a safer environment to bring up the kids.

Position yourself in front of the emerging Mega trend

The best way to capitalize on an emerging mega trend is to position yourself in front of the trend at the earliest signal like Microsoft workers did a few years ago. Having the right information at the right time is an inevitable advantage for success. If you are looking to boost your income, be sure to check out Information Marketing that provides the killer home business opportunities of the next decade.

Shop Online For Free!

Do you love online shopping and online auctions? There are several different ways to shop using the internet and signing up to shop with them is totally free! What a deal.

There are companies active right now in Europe and have proven themselves. These are cutting edge trading portals. This summer, some will be making their way here to the United States and Canada. How cool is that?

These companies use internet marketing to promote e-commerce and worldwide trading. This trading knows no boundaries or country borders. You can shop anywhere, in any language and any currency. Up until now this was only a dream. Many times you can even open your own shop to sell your products worldwide for a fixed price. They do all the heavy lifting for you by setting up your web site and uploading your products to your page. You just tell them which countries you want to market to, prices, etc.

Maybe you do not want your own shop, but just want to buy items and products. If you choose to buy something from one of their online auction sites, you have several different options. Unique bid is one of my favorites, almost addicting. The winner of the auction item is the lowest unique bidder! These are all name brand, top quality items like cell phones, flat screen TV's, laptop computers and more. Nothing is too big or small. They auction cars, property and even vacations and you will pay just a fraction of retail price for any item. You only need to have the lowest offer. Crazy, huh? Right now, this is so hot, that many of these companies limit you to only three winning bids per month for this particular type of auction.

There are so many different ways to make money. You can, of course, sign up to shop for free and save tons of money when you purchase products or you may decide to take this one step further and join one of the companies as a Business Associate. This type of home based business allows Business Associates to refer customers to their personal web site. When a customer buys from one of the shops or online auctions the associate receives commissions on each and every sale, and the very best part is you keep these customers for life!

You can also refer other business minded people, you know, those that really want to make money on the internet, to join as Business Associates. You will get a commission when they join and when their customers purchase products. It just gets better and better!

The time is now for serious network marketers to make their move to position themselves with Internet marketing businesses in the United States. There is only one beginning ...

So, if you are committed and desire to make money online with a home based business that is unlike any other you need to do your due diligence. Check it out today.

Shop online for free and make money in too!

Home Based Internet Marketing Business - 6 Best Internet Marketing Strategies to Your Success

For internet entrepreneurs, there are many internet marketing strategies to increase sales and maximize profits online. You will discover and learn the best internet marketing strategies in this article. With those strategies, you will boost skyrocket your profits and grow rapidly your home based internet marketing business.

Strategy #1: Research Everything You Need to Know Effectively.

It is obvious that research hot niche keywords to attract more traffic, maximize the benefit of your pay per click (or PPC) campaigns, and find new hot niche markets with high demand are required in this strategy. Of course, this is the first important strategies you must do for your own home based internet marketing business. With those well-researches, you will understand everything you must know for your markets, particularly needs and want in the market. There are many resources on the internet to help you to discover hot niche markets and keywords. The highest recommendation for discovering those markets and keywords is to use both of Overture and WordTracker keyword search tools to generate a massive list of keywords. With the list, you can analyse and evaluate the market, competitors and keywords.

The first key success of home based internet marketing business is to discover niche keywords with low competitors. With those keywords, you can: (1) Set up your high quality content website with high quality and tightly targeted traffic (2) Improve your ranking in search engines (3) Build your unique & high quality content/articles with keyword-rich (4) Create your profitable pay-per-click campaign and (5) Build up profitable successful blog online.

Strategy #2: Approach the Front-Back Sell through Great Sale Letter.

Second of the best internet marketing strategies you must concern is to provide a great and easy to understand sale letter on your website. This internet marketing strategy is all about writing a great sale letter with high conversion rate and builds your online mailing lists. The sale letter on your website is the first place for visitors to walk through your products, services, testimonial, bonuses and your required action. You should state all required information for what they are looking. You should definite clearly what you want visitors to do in your website. For example, you might want them to order your products, you want them to subscribe your mailing lists or you want them to download your bonuses. The highest recommendation in this strategy is to focus on how to convert those visitors to buyers through your own sales letter. You will not earn any dollars if you can not convert those visitors into your buyers. Also, you are losing your time to drive traffic to your website if you can not convert into sales. Remember, the more conversion rate you have, the more sales you get!

Apart from trying to sell your products through sales letter, it is obvious that you should capture visitors' information in order to sell your products or other products to them after they leave. Without capturing the information, you are losing the opportunities to earn money in the future.

The real keys to your success in this strategy are: to create a powerful sales letter with high conversion rate and sell products in the future. With capturing the visitors' information, the opportunities to make money in the future are opened.

Strategy #3: Do Not Reinvent the Wheel.

The core concept of this strategy is that you do not reinvent the wheel all the time. You must utilize the full use of others' expertise to maximize the opportunities to make serious money online from home based internet marketing business. There are many websites, expertise and other successful entrepreneurs on the internet. You can ask them to minimize your mistakes and grow your home based internet marketing business. The highly recommendation is to join other membership sites and utilise the others' expertise as much as possible. The more you learn, the more you know! With others' support, you will minimize your mistakes and can grow your business easier.

The real keys to your success in this strategy are: (1) to research effectively from others and (2) utilise those others' expertise to minimize your mistakes and maximize your profits. Many studies reveal that those truly successful internet entrepreneurs are willing to help people who are serious and passionate with the internet marketing and success.

Strategy #4: Automate Your Home Based Internet Marketing Business.

Without the automation internet marketing strategy, not only you would get fewer sales, you simply would not have more time to research ideas for new home based internet marketing businesses. By building home based internet marketing business that is fully automated. You can withdraw from your daily business as usual works and you will have more time to look for more untapped niche markets and other opportunities. Many studies show that this strategy is the best of the best internet marketing strategies to grow your home based internet marketing business in the long term. The rules of thumb, 80/20 rule, for your business are: (1) put 80% of your effort and time for your day-to-day operation tasks and (2) put another 20% for growing your business.

The real keys to your success in this strategy are: to find automated tools to help you and automate your online business. With those tools, you will have more time to think and grow your business. Otherwise, you will live in the daily business as usual works.

Strategy #5: Set up Your Own Affiliate Program.

There is no doubt that affiliate marketing business is a win-win relationship business between merchants and affiliate entrepreneurs. If you have your own products or even profitable products, it is a great idea to boost your sales through the affiliate marketing business. You will pay the affiliate commission to those affiliate marketing entrepreneurs when they gain sales for you. All you have to do is to support and follow up with those affiliate marketers in order to maximize your profits online. With those super affiliate marketing entrepreneurs, your sales will be increased rapidly and consistency.

The real keys to your success in this step are: to build a great relationship with affiliate entrepreneurs and support them as much as possible. Their sales are your sales too.

Strategy #6: Improve Yourself Consistency.

The last best internet marketing strategies for your home based internet marketing strategy is you. You are the most important and valuable asset in your business. You have to improve yourself all the time. Learning everything you need to know for your business is a must. Also, you should not give up too quickly if you can not earn big money in the short term. Truly entrepreneurs are always looking forward to the long term success. The online internet marketing business is a real business. With this sense, you have to treat it as real business.

The real keys to your success are to improve yourself, the best valuable asset in your business, and to build consistency your online internet marketing business always.

Final thoughts, the best internet marketing strategies for your highly successful in home based internet marketing business are: well effective researches, front-back sell, smart utilization, automate effectively, and self-improvement consistency. With these things, there is no doubt that you will success in the home based internet marketing business.

Business Trademarks: What Your Small Business Needs to Know

This article will look at what a business trademark is (and what it isn't), how to make sure it's available for use, and how to register your logo for protection.

What is a trademark?

A trademark is a word, phrase, image, or other sign or signifier that connects a product or service to its source. (For services, the term "service mark" is sometimes alternately used.) It can be either registered or unregistered.

For example, the Pepsi logo is commonly recognized in conjunction with the company; if you saw the logo on the side of a soft drink or other product, you would know without a doubt that Pepsi-Cola is responsible for that product.

How can you be so sure? Federal law states that no other company would be able to use the logo on their own product, since this would cause confusion in the eyes of the public.

(Fun fact: Trade and service marks have ancient origins! Blacksmiths, weavers, and other producers of high-quality merchandise used to place a unique symbol on their work so their customers could be assured they weren't purchasing a cheap knock-off a premium prices.)

How does a trade or service mark differ from a copyright?

While both types of intellectual property protection can cover a logo, the scope of this protection varies slightly.

Trade or service marks protect the connection between the logo and the company, the product and the source.

Copyrights protect the unauthorized use, display, or reproduction of an image, regardless of its connection with a product, service, company, or similar.

(Fun fact: Not all trademarks are eligible for copyright protection. For example, "names and short phrases" cannot be copyrighted, so business names and slogans could only be trademarks. And a logo made primarily out of text typically cannot be copyright protected as an image; to be eligible, there would need to be a significant amount of original authorship outside the use of letters.)

How do I know if my logo is already in use?

First, it must be said that it is exceedingly difficult to track down all potential matches, simply because by its very definition there is no central database in which all unregistered trademarks are recorded (because they're unregistered). However, there are a few places that you can look to greatly reduce your chances of infringement:

Internet Search

Just by running Google and other search engine searches of the trademark in question, as well as any potential alternate spellings, you will narrow down a great deal of your search, since in today's world most businesses have some sort of an online presence. (And while you're at it, it's not a bad idea to see if your trade or service mark is available as a domain name; just type "trademark".com, -.net, and -.org into your browser and see what comes up!)

ThomasNet

Calling itself "an industrial search engine, this is a database maintained by Thomas Industrial NetworkSM, a leader in industry and product information. This is one of the largest sources of unregistered trade and service mark information in the country.

Network Solutions

This database is like ThomasNet, but for domain names. If a person or company has reserved a domain name, you'll be able to find out -- and you can presume that a domain name for a website used commercially is a business trade and service mark.

Business Records

Unregistered trade and service marks are going to be more of a concern if they're in use in your industry and in your geographical area, so it isn't a bad idea to check your Secretary of State's database of registered businesses. Depending on your state, your County Clerk may also hold its own separate registry of unincorporated businesses.

How do I register my trade or service mark?

It's probably clear by now that its much less problematic to register your business trade or service mark, creating an official record of its commercial use.

The US Patent and Trademark Office is the government entity in charge of these registrations (and, unsurprisingly, patents as well). However, it is generally a good idea to go through an attorney familiar with intellectual property and commercial law, as the application process can take up to two years and is very complex. There are also many excellent third-party companies that can apply with the USPTO on your behalf.

For further reading, the USPTO provides a wealth of great information on the topic.

Young Entrepreneurs Get the Most Benefits

Young Entrepreneurs Get the Most Benefits

There are a lot of things that can happen in the business world. Many people say that the gadget industry offers better sales while others see getting into the fashion industry as a more favorable move. But there's one secret that has been proven beneficial when starting a business. According to experts, starting entrepreneurship at a young age is a great plus factor.

Various statistics have shown that almost all reputable entrepreneurs who attained success started at a very young age. Take Michael Costigan and Jennifer Smart for example. Michael started earning money at the age of 13 by coding apps and developing websites. On the other hand, Jennifer started participating in radio shows as early as 6 years old. Most of the businesses that young entrepreneurs started are in the fields of music, sports, technology and academics.

Unfortunately, statistics have also shown that many people today lack self-confidence. They believe that they are not fit to become business owners. And with the lack of guidance and encouragement while growing up, the rate of the number of people who accomplish many things in life is getting lower.

But what really are the benefits of starting a business at an early age?

1. Time is a great advantage.

Starting at an early age, gives you all the time needed to do assessment, planning and implementation. Because you have sufficient time to evaluate the results, you have more opportunities for improvement and change. Therefore, running a business while you're still young is more convenient.

This isn't the case for people who start late as time is no longer a luxury for them.

2. Entrepreneurship at a young age offers more time to absorb a lot of knowledge and to perfect work to meet objectives.

Like they always say, knowledge is power. Of course, it would be more powerful if you absorb more knowledge as well. But the plus factor of this is that you get to learn how to work positively. This is a perk that you can never procure in classrooms and seminars.

3. Running a business at a young age is a great opportunity to work with mentors, hence, enabling self-improvement and better understanding of the business.

Under the supervision of a good mentor, a young entrepreneur learns more strategies in running the business more smoothly.

Early business starters truly have a huge advantage with regards to time. They get to start a business and make mistakes. But the difference is that they still have sufficient time to correct these mistakes. Young entrepreneurs don't have any problem with trial and error methods. They can test different ideas but still have a lot of time in picking which idea works best for them. Furthermore, they can always conclude on what kind of business can give them the greatest return on investment. This is not the case with late business starters. In the long run, they get to produce more dynamic results.

In the case of the parents, it's highly recommended to be the guiding light of their kids should they wish their children to become young entrepreneurs. Through this approach, it is a guarantee that more smart children will be developed in the succeeding years.

Information Marketing - 5 Ways To Create Streams Of Never-Ending Income

One of the benefits of having an ebook on the web is leverage. You can use it in so many ways to generate backend income and also generate viral traffic to your web page. There's just so many things you can take advantage of.

Here are 5 ways you can look into to create streams of never-ending income from your information product:

1. Set Up An Affiliate Program

One of the surest ways to create passive income from your information product is by setting up an affiliate program. You can set one easily on Clickbank. It only takes 3 days for approval and you are ready to get started. An affiliate program allows others to promote your product to earn a commission from every sale.

2. Pass Resell Rights To Others

Give the resell rights to others, meaning you allow others to resell your ebook and keep 100% of the profits. If you include your domain name on the cover, this is free publicity and branding for you.

3. Cross Promote Products In Your Ebook

You can cross promote and recommend affiliate products in your ebook. You can also recommend your customer to take a look at your other products that you have created.

4. Pass Giveaway Rights To Others

This is usually for free reports that you create to giveaway. You can pass the giveaway rights to others and they will give the report to others too, further spreading your 'virus'.

5. Set Up A Membership Site

Compile a set of your information products and create a membership site. Every month, you can release a new product to your subscriber base. A membership site lets you collect payments on a monthly basis with very little work!

Wholesale Lots - How to Run Your Wholesale Products Business Online Without Wasting Your Money

It is a human nature that all of us want to succeed. Same thing with online business, once you start with this online selling business, you cannot stop to aim high. We need to prove to our existing and future clients that we are one of the best online shops that are available in the market. Being on top is only possible if you sell quality products. You must know where to look for the best suppliers. You need to consider some important points for you to be the best.

1. You need to know what type of commodity you want to sell.
2. Consider the type of supplier you want to deal with.
3. Do you want to sell only the original ones or even the fake ones.
4. Are you considering other items in your shop.

It is really important in your online business to get a nice and reliable supplier. eBay a reputable auction powerhouse, tried and tested for several years now is a very reliable wholesale products source. You can go to their website and type in right product categories. For example, you are looking for make-ups, type in cosmetics or if you are interested the latest gadgets, you can type in electronics. You also need to check their customer's feedback. If they have more negative feedback, you need to stay away from that supplier.

Another great source for your wholesale products business is China. The first thing you must think is its location and the language barrier. It is important that you have constant communication with your supplier. It is so hard for you if your supplier in China and they do not have offices around the world. However, you must still consider them as one of the best supplier because it is already a given fact that they produce really low prices.

Lastly, the business-to-business portals. They give you the right to use the long list of reliable wholesale business suppliers. However, some of them will require you to register immediately to their system without the chance of checking their authenticity and fraud. So you really need to be careful in selecting companies in the list.

Information Marketing For the New Information Economy

What is information marketing? Have you ever bought a how-to book or a self-help book? Then you've bought information. Ever paid for the right to access a website? Again, you've paid for information. Information marketing is the business of marketing, promoting, and selling information.

What is the information economy? Look around you. On the train the other day, I saw people sending and receiving email, and surfing websites, from their phones. I saw a man writing a report on a laptop. Two people talking about a commercial they saw online. That's the information economy. More and more people are buying, selling, and consuming information than ever before. To a large degree, this has been made possible by the internet.

So what is information marketing for the information economy? Quite simply, it's about taking full advantage of the infrastructure of the information economy (electronic communication, the web, portable devices, and so forth) in conducting the business of information marketing. Another, simpler, way of putting this is, it's using the web to sell information.

Here are just a few examples of how people and companies are already doing this: Look at Amazon. This company sells mostly books and music (information), and it sells these things entirely online. Have you heard of Clickbank? Clickbank is a web based business that is the world's largest marketplace for downloadable digital products. Someone, somewhere in the world, buys a digital product at Clickbank every 3 seconds. Clickbank has paid out more than a billion dollars to its vendors.

One big difference between Amazon and Clickbank is that most of Amazon's sales are of physical products (in Amazon's case, physical information products), like books and cds, while Clickbank sells only downloadable digital products like e-books and software. Because there is no cost to make a copy of a digital product, the profit margin on digital products is much higher than that for physical products. Digital information product marketing is one of the most profitable business models of the new economy.

How can you get a piece of the online information marketing business? What kind of skills, programs, and strategies does it take to succeed at information marketing in this new economy? Is this something that only big businesses like Amazon and Clickbank can do, or is it a business that can be done on a smaller scale for the individual entrepreneur?

The great news is that the information infrastructure has made it possible for small businesses and individuals to create their own online information marketing businesses with very low startup costs and, potentially, very high returns. All you need a computer, a connection to the internet, and an idea. It helps if you also know a few things about promotion strategies, and it really help if you know something about search engine optimization, but these are things you can learn from online tutorials.

If you want to start your own online information marketing business and get yourself a piece of this multibillion dollar pie, where should you start. One way is to browse the Clickbank Marketplace and look for information products that teach how to start an online information marketing business. Easy IM Profits, a new product scheduled for release in early 2010, is one of the most complete and up to date products teaching online information products, but there are many other such products available on Clickbank. You could be running your own online information marketing business by this time next year!

Latest Ways To Make Money - Start Your Own Information Marketing Business!

If you are looking for the latest ways to make money, then you should stop and consider the marketing information.

If you have a business marketing information, you are no longer bound by the restrictions in the office for the boss...and you can start making their own rules. Moreover, there is no limit to the amount of money that you can do...Which can accumulate rapidly in a short period of time.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet...so how on earth to start your own business marketing information?

Well, it's simple. First, you will find specific areas of interest that people will pay to have information on solutions to their problems... And then begin to create a wide range of information products.

Well, this is a very bird bird marketing information, but in the end is what really comes down because if you have answers to the questions that people consistently asked for, and will gladly pay for these answers, you are in business.

An example of this might be people who are looking for information on how to handle their taxes. If you have such information at your fingertips, you can pack it in any media you like (online report / ebook, audio recording, screen capture video, etc.), and then charge a fixed amount of money for people to gain access to this information. If your customers are satisfied with the information that you offer, you will find yourself flooded with customers for life.

But do not get hung up on taxes... You may provide information about almost anything! Knowing how to play a musical instrument, such as the piano? Why not create a product showing beginners how to start playing simple songs and music lessons. In short, the possibilities are virtually endless!

The 10 Best Home Based Business Ideas - Online Businesses Are Here to Stay

You may have noticed that Sacramento's economic condition has not exactly been strong, of late. In fact, while conditions across the country are trying, to say the least, Sacramento, and California as a whole, seems to be leading the pack in economic devastation. With a State budget on the verge of collapse, years of arguing and posturing over the use of public funds, and what appears to be the breakdown of our State's entire public service sector, local entrepreneurs are turning to online businesses to supplement, and in some cases actually replace their income streams.

Over the last several years, but specifically in the last six to nine months, direct sales companies have seen a surge in their membership numbers. Those companies experiencing the highest growth are companies utilizing the internet as a primary means of member recruiting as well as well-developed web purchasing interfaces.

We know this economy has been hard on everyone, and we felt that this list would be timely and helpful to our readers. What follows is a list of the 10 best home based business ideas.

Leading the pack of home-based direct sales companies are those that offer access to goods and services used by people on a regular basis, and especially those that offer discounts and/or rebates on these every day purchases. People are not interested in buying things they don't view as necessary any more. Today what they are looking for is access to those items they have to have, and they are looking for ways to buy them cheaper and more efficiently.

And clearly in this list, the online options dominate. Fully six of the top 10 best home based business ideas we researched were online opportunities. There is no doubt that online commerce is just in its infancy. According to one report this $305 Billion industry is likely to triple in the next 5 years, and that is allegedly a conservative estimate. More and more businesses are finding online sales to be lucrative, as well as more efficient and cost effective. There are less employees required and businesses can sell to a broader range of clients spread out over a greater geographical territory. The potential is limitless.

So, without further ado, our list of the 10 best home based business ideas (in reverse order).

10. Home Day Care Center

Believe it or not, the home daycare center still ranks in the top ten for home-based businesses. The reason is that in these economic times it is becoming more and more difficult for families to stay afloat on just one income. Everyone is looking to supplement their incomes, and those with two spouses working, and kids at home, must have an alternative to the daily care of their children. Parents of young children looking to supplement income from home may find day care an excellent way to bring in income as well as spend time with their own children. There are some other benefits to this profession as well, such as the opportunity to socialize your own children at a young age. But, beware of the potential pitfalls of this industry: many children find it hard to share their personal space in their own home for lengthy periods of time, this may result in frustration for the care-giver's own children. Also, licensing is required in most jurisdictions, so be sure to check with your local authorities before you launch a home day care.

9. Medical Transcription

This is an excellent choice of careers for people with excellent English language skills and typing ability. Many doctors outsource their transcription functions rather than pay employees to handle them. It is more cost effective for the doctors since they do not have to pay Medicare, SDI and other taxes that accompany hiring employees. This business is excellent for start-ups since it requires very low overhead and equipment purchases, and can be done in a minimal amount of space. In fact, most people already have the necessary equipment such as a desk, computer, and tape recorder. Incomes can range from $25,000 per year for part-time work to more than $90,000 per year for full-time efforts.

8. Accounting

For those would-be stay-at-home working parents, especially those with a strong background in accounting and/or financial skills, an accounting or bookkeeping career may be just the right choice. This career option offers a tremendous amount of flexibility to the working parent, and an excellent income opportunity. You can start the business right from your own home, building on referrals and low cost advertising, but it has the potential to grow with you as your children age and become less dependent, entering school, and freeing up more of your own time. Look heavily to building relationships with other professions, such as attorneys, insurance professionals and real estate agents as they will often refer clients to you. You can begin this business from scratch, or you can buy a tax and accounting franchise (a slightly more expensive option, but perhaps a shorter start-up period). Again, check with local authorities for licensing requirements in your area. Regulations can change from state to state, and there is also a wealth of information available at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

7. Catering

Many parents love to cook and entertain, and catering can provide Moms (or Dads) an opportunity to work from home, but still get out and socialize and do what you enjoy. Most of the upfront preparation work can be done from your own home while looking after children, and then meals can be delivered, or in some cases even picked up, for delivery to the event. Parents with a modest approach can make an excellent income by simply providing the meals, those looking to satisfy a larger dream can also provide staff for set up, waiting, and tear down, or even do it themselves. Income potentials can be very good with catering services, and the most successful home-based caterers might make close to six figures.

6. Online Affiliate Programs

One of the internet's greatest introductions to home based business owners over the last decade has been that of the affiliate marketer. This is the first of our online business opportunities, and is a position that does not require you to work for a company, purchase products, carry inventory, or even to interact with customers. You can easily start a successful and lucrative affiliate marketing business by simply finding products on the internet that you are interested in, joining the company's affiliate program, and then marketing those products online. Most affiliate programs pay directly to a Pay Pal (or other payment processing service) account on a monthly basis. Of course, this business may require some start up capital if you choose to market through pay for service venues, such as pay per click. There are plenty of free marketing sources online as well, but they may require more effort. Still, this can be an excellent way for work-from-home parents to supplement a one-income family. You can find out all about it by Googling "Affiliate Programs" or on resource sites such as Affiliate Programs and Affiliate Scout. While this is a viable internet opportunity, it does require you to seek out and market individual companies and their products. In my opinion, a far better opportunity to consolidate this effort into a more lucrative, efficient and profitable business exists in item number one below.

5. Freelance Writing

Everyone has considered writing a book at some point in their lives, or at least liked the sound of that idea. Today's market for writers is wide open, everything from relevant articles on travel, the arts, local scenes and business to fully fledged e-books on both technical as well as tactical topics. Especially if you are already familiar with a specific subject, this is a great way for you to share that expertise with a very broad market. There are literally millions of people searching the internet every day for information on specific subjects, and they are willing to pay for that information. Try your hand at writing first with shorter venues, and as your skill and experience grow, branch out into more aggressive projects. An excellent resource for freelance writing on the internet can be found at the Freelance Writing Jobs Network or, become an Examiner in your area.

4. Business Coach

While this opportunity is not necessarily an "online" opportunity, it is a bit of a hybrid, and it really plays to those individuals at the top of their game. This opportunity requires someone with a very strong business background, or at least some formidable business training. In today's climate with so many people becoming displaced or seeking opportunity outside of the traditional corporate walls, there is a tremendous need for someone off which to bounce ideas, to assist in the business planning activities and to keep over-energetic CEO's feet on the ground. If you have experience in corporate management, business acumen or other specialized skills then you can share them with those who have ideas but less experience. There is even a coaching certification program and referral service provided to the members of the International Coach Federation.

3. Web Design

Web sites are a must in today's business climate, even for traditional brick-and-mortar type businesses. With online shopping and information dissemination becoming more and more a requirement companies are jumping onto the web in droves, and they need excellent web site designers to guide them through the process. This is truly a case where it is difficult to see the forest for the trees. There are so many facets to web design and a web presence that it is almost impossible to get started without some heavy duty assistance. For anyone familiar with html programming, CSS, SEO, or even WYSIWYG editors, this opportunity can be a gold mine. Much of your work can be done after hours when the kids are in bed, and this is one thing that makes this opportunity perfect for moonlighters and all-day parents.

2. Online Shopping Portal

Online shopping is already a $305 billion industry, and according to most reports, we have barely scratched the surface. There are several companies on the internet now that allow entrepreneurs and home-based business owners to purchase a web portal and profit from sales that occur through that web portal. Several of these companies will not only pay owners for purchases they have made through their websites, but also for the purchases made through the web sites of people they have personally referred. This is the affiliate program on steroids. This business is poised for tremendous growth, and companies also capitalizing on the "green" movement will benefit even more. Recent earth day articles and studies pointed out that online shopping is far more efficient and less harmful to the environment than traditional shopping. Watch this market explode in the next 5 years.

1. Online Marketing Education and Financial Training

Our number one pick of the 10 best home based business ideas - drum roll please - CarbonCopyPro. Whatever business you are in, and whether it is online or brick-and-mortar, these days you have to be able to market yourself online. It is essential in today's marketplace, and will be indispensable in the future. The best money you can spend is to invest a little in your own training before you begin your online marketing campaign. And if you are going to spend a little on yourself, why not do it in a place where you can also earn while you learn? By far, the best training (and income opportunity) we have found for internet marketing, both free and paid, is through CarbonCopyPRO. At CarbonCopyPRO you will learn from the best of the best, internet marketers earning tens of thousands of dollars online every month, and they have a rather auspicious goal of creating 100 millionaires by 2012 - will you be one of them?

So, now you have the 10 best home based business ideas. Of course, there are a number of other considerations you must keep in mind, such as which opportunity best fits your lifestyle, avoiding scams, etc.; and we will delve into some of these issues in future articles. All that is left now is for you to do your own homework and decide which opportunity is best suited to your tastes. Happy hunting.

Information Marketing - 3 Secrets To Growing Your Information Marketing Empire

Do you wish to profit from information marketing online? Many people do. But few actually go out there and make it happen. Well, here are 3 secrets to growing an information marketing empire right out of your home:

1. Build Your Subscribers List

One of the first things you should do is to get an autoresponder subscription. This is because building your email list is one of the most important activities your business should have. Having your own email list is an instant traffic source right there you can tap into and follow-up with relevant products or offers.

2. Outsource What You Can

The golden rule in Internet business is to outsource what you are weak at if you can afford it. For example, let's say you are poor at graphic design, then you'd definitely want to outsource that to a professional to get some cool graphics done. Personally, I know almost nothing about PHP and can't design professional graphics, so I hire them out to quality freelancers.

3. Master One Traffic Generation Source

Master one traffic source before moving on to others. This lets you become an expert in generating traffic from that method and you'll be able to maximize it to get the most traffic out of it. Then move on the next method and maximize that as well. Focus on one traffic source for one month each, and you'll start seeing some real results. This is what I did from day one. I got to studying and really taking action on traffic source, and once I was generating traffic from that, I moved on to mastering another strategy.

Can Being Green Aid In Marketing Your Business Online?

Going green can open all sorts of new marketing opportunities for your business - but can it help with marketing your company on the internet? The answer isn't a simple or an easy one, but in certain cases going green can help your marketing just as much as it helps the environment...

There are myriad ways to promote your business, and to ensure that your online profile is working for your company. Some of them will be influenced greatly by making the effort to go green, while others will only be subtly affected in minor ways.

The online marketing opportunities that will be affected to a greater or lesser degree by an environmentally friendly business model are as follows:

Conversion rates - YES

No matter how you choose to market your website, whether it's through search engine optimisation, pay per click marketing, writing and distributing articles or just crossing your fingers and wishing really hard, you'll need to pay attention to conversion rates.

And being green can really help those rates. 80% of consumers have expressed a preference for environmentally products and services. That means that if they see that you're an environmentally responsible business, they're more likely to buy from you - increasing your conversion rates and your profits.

Pay Per Click Marketing - YES

When you're paying for a pay per click advert, you need to make a big impression, fast.

That means standing out from the crowd in a very small number of characters. And being environmentally-friendly can help you do just that.

We've already learned that people prefer green products, so which AdWords headline do you think they'll click on?

Buy Printer Ink

Eco-Friendly Printer Ink

The chances are that the majority of people will click the second link, because they're paying attention to the environment, and want to make an ecologically sound choice. If you are that choice, you'll generate much more business.

Search engine optimisation - MAYBE

Search engine optimisation means putting your business' website at the top of search engines such as Google and Bing for terms that your customers are searching for. Being green won't help that, because the search engines don't care whether you recycle paper or club seals to death.

But searchers do. And they're starting to search specifically for environmentally friendly businesses.

By going green, you'll be able to attract those customers, and you'll benefit from more search traffic and more online sales.

Directory Marketing - MAYBE

The only way going green can help your directory marketing is if you choose to be listed in a carbon neutral directory.

Get your business listed as eco-friendly, and you'll market your company to a whole new set of environmentally-conscious customers.

So what are you waiting for? Go green today!

Formula For Successful Business Online Step 3 - What's in a System?

In Step 2 of my previous articles, I outlined what a successful sales process should look like. Today, I'd like to talk about it in more details of what it actually involves.

Lead Capture

Once you are getting exposure in your targeted market, you need to collect contact information of those who show interest. This is what a capture page does. You would need a web page and a data base to store your leads. You would also need a good copy that grabs attention of your potential customers, and some irresistible value they can gain without making any kind of commitment.

Contact System

Next you will need to contact all of your leads, not once, not twice but systematically. This is where you will be building a relationship with your leads and continue to provide value to them. You will need an auto-responder, and a series of emails packed with information that will show your potential customers why they should do business with you. This works best if you have something new, such as articles or free webinars that you can provide on a consistent basis.

Multiple Income Streams

The fact is, most people who come in contact with you will not purchase your product. However, you will still need to make the effort on promotion, marketing and relationship building. Find a way to capitalize on that effort. If you have alternative products to offer, you increase your chances of making a profit regardless of whether or not you make a sale on your primary product. If you don't monetize on your leads who turn down your main offer, you'll be leaving off a lot of cash.

Residual Income

Why are some of the top moguls such as Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki associated with network marketing? It's because of the residual and passive income you can generate in this business. Robert Kiyosaki illustrates in his Cashflow Quadrant - your goal should be to move into the Business and Investor categories by having a system working for you and earning passive income. Network marketing makes this possible at low cost, and in a short amount of time.

All sound good, but how do you accomplish all of this? If you are reading this article, you may not have all the resources or knowledge necessary to pull this off. You will need a good training on how to market and build your business effectively and successfully. Finding that resource will be the key. If you would like to learn about this system and receive free marketing training, continue reading below.

Three Key Benefits of Shopping Online

If you happen to be a newbie in making purchases through the internet, discover three key benefits of shopping online. Shopping online is rapidly becoming the main avenue in which most transactions occur. More and more visitors are finding out how fantastic and rewarding it is in acquiring products and services from merchants online. Seasoned online shoppers understand the values of online purchasing and ultimately have made it their way to receive goods. What are the three key benefits? Time, Convenience and Money

Time

Online shopping allows for more time in your life for other activities. Depending on your routine in getting ready to venture to the brick and mortar stores, it could possibly take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 ½ hours. Considering travel time, depending on traffic, may use 30 minutes to 1 hour of your quality moments. Once arrived at the destination, it will take a certain amount of time to look for the item/s. Let us not forget how long it will take to get back to the home or office. You can easily see how 2 to 4 hours will whisk by.

Purchasing online takes only a few minutes. This can allow for more time with loved ones, your business, or for yourself. In today's busy society, it is more important than ever to find ways to save time. Be sure to choose online shopping.

Convenience

When it comes to convenience, nothing comes closer than online shopping. You have access to 24 hours, 7 days a week of acquiring products all at your fingertips. From the comfort of your home, bed, living room, the patio, or by the poolside, you are able to shop at your leisure. Imagine the convenience for a family with young children.

There is no need in getting yourself or the children dressed and ready to go, deal with traffic, and be confronted with pushy or inattentive clerks and hundreds of other shoppers. All of this and the amount of energy expended can have unfavorable consequences to one's temperament.

Money

Probably the most important key benefit that you will find to be quite rewarding is money saved. Many merchants will have great deals and savings sometimes up to 80% on selected items. Merchants may offer other generous savings through coupons, special offers and discounted items. Another wonderful incentive is shipping cost. Some will absorb the shipping cost for free after a certain amount of purchase (each merchant's guidelines will vary). Additionally, you will increase your savings by not using gas for transportation to the brick and mortar store.

It is not surprising that online sales are increasing each year. Shoppers desire all of the benefits that will help make their lives much easier.

Starting a Business - Trade Marks, Company Names, and Domains

Your business name can develop to become one of your most valuable assets, through marketing and the development of a relationship between the public and your brand. This is why it is important to protect your name from misappropriation. When you start a business you might naturally be aware of the need to clear the company name with companies house, and if you intend to develop an online presence you may also check the availability of domain names for your brand, but too often businesses are not aware of the importance of trade mark registration.

Differences between Company names, Domain names, and Trade Marks

Registration of your company name, and your domain name do not offer the level of protection necessary to prevent other businesses from using your brand names and logos in connection with competing products or services. Also if someone else has trade mark rights over the name, then your company or domain registrations can be cancelled. To properly protect your brand it is necessary to search the trade mark registers, and if the name is available to you to register, then apply to secure a trade mark.

Unregistered Trade Marks and Passing Off

Since 1994 unregistered trademarks are not afforded protection under the Trade Marks Act. So, if you want to stop someone using your unregistered brands, you can only do so through a different type of legal action called 'passing off'. This action arises out of the common law, and its success involves proof of damage to your reputation, and confusion by members of the public, among other things. This type of legal action can be extremely expensive, and is difficult to establish.

It is important therefore to register a trademark, and to do so before you begin to use a name for your business. As part of the process you will discover whether someone else has rights over a similar name, allowing you to make a change if necessary, rather than trading with a name that you cannot own, and that you may later be prevented from using. If the name is available, then it is advisable to register and thereby secure the necessary ownership rights straight away. If you instead delay registration, waiting to see if your venture succeeds, you may find yourself unable to secure. This could happen if someone else, in the meantime, registers a trademark which prevents your registration succeeding.

Protecting the Goodwill in your Brand

So, trade marks are an investment in the future success of your business. The more established and well known your brand becomes, the more likely others are to piggy back on your brand success. Goodwill in your business name is built up through substantial investment and marketing, and to avoid wasting this investment it is crucial that you check the availability of the trademark beforehand.

A proactive strategy for protecting your brand will save business funds in the long run, providing a powerful tool to dissuade imitators and counterfeiters, and to take action to enforce your rights when necessary.