Top Home Businesses: Is an Online Business Right for You?
(contribution)

In making a selection from the multitude of home business opportunities available for you to choose from, there are significant advantages of picking some form of online business, rather than going with a more conventional business.

We've discussed turning a hobby or an interest into a business, and while this may have much appeal at the first impression, the disadvantages are usually linked to the logistical issues, like marketing your products. Most conventional businesses also require significant capital costs, especially at start-up.

The big plus for an online business is the minimal costs involved in getting started. It's unnecessary to have special premises, with the associated rental costs, which can cripple a new business. You're not going to need special planning or licensing permission, which can also be a bureaucratic nightmare, in some countries.

All you need is a computer, with internet access, preferably by broadband. You don't want to block your telephone line, by using a dial-up system, while this also helps to contain the day to day costs of working online. You'll be spending long periods online, so the ease of access by broadband is a definite plus.

If you're not a computer expert, don't be too concerned - there is nothing too complicated that you can't learn with a little determination. The internet business community is amazingly supportive, and any worthwhile business will include comprehensive training and support.

What options are out there if you're then going to look at starting an online business from home? If you do some searching on the internet, you'll be inundated with a barrage of information, resulting in an information overload! Your next problem is how to make the right selection from this huge range of possibilities, most claiming to make you wealthy in just a short time. It's a good idea to spend some time searching the 'net, if only to get an idea of the massive range of options out there.

Be careful, though! The internet is loaded with clever ways of separating you from your money - scams abound! Do have a look around, as you may come across something really great.

Let's look at some ways of helping you to sort the "wheat from the chaff."

1. Have a close look at the website in each case. Is it professionally presented, or is it merely loaded with gimmicks?

2. How long has the business offered been in existence?

3. Read the personal profiles of the key personalities involved. Do they look like the kind of people you want to do business with? Do they offer something that at least (sounds) genuine?

4. Avoid anything that offers an instant conversion into millionaire status! Business doesn't work like that. Most offers have a Disclaimer window. Read it carefully, to form your own impression of the earnings to be made.

5. What products or services are on offer? Would you be happy to be associated with the products? Anything that isn't linked to real, credible products or services might well be a scam, or at least may be a pyramid scheme.

6. How much do you have to pay, and what do you get in exchange for your hard-earned cash? Be sure that you are aware of all the costs involved. Be careful of giving away your credit-card details to anyone, until you're sure that this is the right opportunity for you. Make sure that there's an unsubscribe link, in case you have second thoughts.

About the author:

About the Author: Mike Muir writes informative articles aimed at assisting new home business owners. For more useful information please visit his Blog at:
http://www.mikeshomebiz.com/blog

5 Marketing Lessons From the 'King of Make-up' - Max Factor

(A Contribution)

Did you know that Max Factor was a marketing genius? Yep, the Polish-born emigrant-turned-cosmetic-industry-giant virtually pioneered the make-up business as we know it today. And you won't believe the strategies he used to get the rich and famous of his era to clamor for his services and products.

But what's even more important is that his strategies can be simply replicated in your business to attract all the new and repeat clients you want.

Here is how...Five marketing lessons from Max Factor.

LESSON 1 - Transform ordinary people into dazzling super- stars. .That's what Max did - he turned ordinary people into movie stars.

Whether he knew it or if by pure accident, Max tapped into one of the most powerful marketing weapons - the human desire for fame and fortune.

He wasn't selling make-up. He sold a chance to be a bit more like Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland or other famous movie stars of his time.

Simple, right? But take a look at all your marketing materials...- Are they promoting what you do or what people get out of working with you?- Are you boring people with lengthy descriptions of your company's consulting approach or painting an exciting vision of the dazzling success you could help them achieve?

LESSON 2 - Help clients SEE the need for your service or product.

One of Factor's most bizarre inventions was the "Beauty Calibrator" - a weird gizmo for measuring the face, which looked more like a medieval torture device than anything you'd find in a local beauty parlor.

It's hard to imagine that people would voluntarily put this contraption on their heads - but they did. You see, Max's invention was designed to discover what was "wrong" with client's face and how they NEEDED to use his make-up to correct the flaws.

Why is this important? Just like we don't argue with a doctor sharing with us the results of a medical test he or she might have put us through, we tend to take for a fact something that was measured and is presented in a structured and organized way.

If you find your prospects a bit resisting to taking the "final step" with you, it's likely because they are not sure they really need it and how they will benefit from your help.

But find a structured way to illustrate the need for your services and watch the resistance melt away.

-Create an assessment to quickly gather critical data and present your findings in a visual way. Create a table or a chart that allows people to see at a glance what's "wrong" with them.

-Develop an online quiz your web visitors can take to discover their competency/need in the area of expertise you provide. - have a list of standard value-building questions you always ask during your sales presentation.

LESSON 3 - Make everyone feel good (and unique and special.)

At his famous Studio Max Factor built four special "celebrity make-up rooms" each designed to bring out the best in women of a particular hair color: one room labeled "For Blondes Only" (decorated in flattering shades of blue); other rooms were solely for Redheads (done in mint green), Brunettes (dusty rose pink), or Brunettes (pale peach) - all designed to make them FEEL GOOD!

So you may not have an office where people visit you, but it's still important you find ways to make clients feel good about doing business with you. Here are few tips how.

- Hand written notes and greeting cards take little effort to send out but make a long-lasting impression. Are you regularly taking advantage of this powerful marketing strategy? - Send out small gifts shortly after clients buy something from you. Gift certificates to a local coffee shop or a massage place won't cost you a lot, but will make people remember you forever! - We love talking about ourselves - give people an opportunity to do so more often. In all conversations with prospects and clients make it all about them. They will think you are the best person to talk to in the whole world.

LESSON 4 - Let your clients be your most effective marketing weapon.

Many of Max's clients appeared in his advertising campaigns promoting his products. The magnetic power of celebrity endorsements is nothing new, but are you using it in your business?

You don't need world famous movie stars to be your clients. Turn your regular customers into mini-celebrities by asking them for testimonials and featuring their success stories on your website and in other marketing materials.

LESSON 5 - Create an enduring brand.

I doubt that Max Factor was overwhelmingly concerned with branding, yet over 70 years later the company he started still thrives as one of the global power-players in the cosmetic industry.

The company still uses his photo on the front page of their website and his story is listed on the "about us" page. I believe it's because Max Factor was his own brand.

Everyday I run into people who try to make their marketing materials look like they are a world-wide, multi-billion dollar heartless corporation. What they forget to show through is their PERSONALITY.

Here is a newsflash 'we don't do business with corporations - we do business with other people!

With the explosion of professional service providers starting their own businesses, chances are you've got more competitors than you care to count - all appearing to offer the services and products identical to yours.

The solution? Take it from Max Factor and make YOUR PERSONALITY count and let people get to know YOU. The more competitive your field is, the more this matters. Because no one can duplicate you!

Copyright © 2008 Adam Urbanski

Building Your Own Affiliate Marketing Empire


How would you like to have passive income flooding your bank account every month?

The Secret behind all these is basically to create multiple streams of income generating businesses. Many would consider having multiple stream of income as a way to secure themselves in the future. Therefore if one business is going down stream, it would not upset your momentum.

Depending on just one source of income could bring about problems and anxiety when it is downsized or laid off. Look around at most successful online entrepreneurs, and you will discover that they have diversified their investment in multiple online businesses.

A wise man once told me that the very first step you must take in creating multiple streams of income is to evaluate your personal resources.

Assess yourself and jot down your answers to the following questions:

1) What are my talents, abilities and strength?

2) Do I have creative writing skills?

3) Am I sales orientated?

4) Do I have good communication skills?

5) Do I have a unique talent that others don't have?

After answering those questions, you can then properly decide the kind of business where you can best excel in.

To move on, jot down your various assets and physical resources such as computer, printer, scanner, mobile phone, digital camera, DVD or CD burner etc. Writing these down is important as you have a clear picture of your available resources.

Consider your family and friends as possible assistance to your business. Remember that no man is an island, therefore you can tap the knowledge and resources of people you know.

If you are already a website owner, this would gain you an added advantage to creating multiple stream of income. Joining various affiliate programs will gain you extra income out of your website.

An affiliate marketing program is one of the fastest ways to create multiple income sources. There are hundreds and thousands of various affiliate programs that you can join immediately and start gaining big bucks from them. You can generate income both by reselling an affiliate product and also by recruiting new affiliates.

As you are re-selling the affiliate products, you will also discover a wide array of training materials to enhance your marketing abilities. You can be sure that in this market, there are legitimate products out there to generate legitimate cash.

Create multiple income streams through affiliate marketing whether you are doing it part time or as a full time job. It is as simple as promoting various products or services from various merchants. You do not have to worry about product creation or fulfillment as you get affiliate commissions once a sale is made. You just have to re-direct your site's visitors to the merchant's site, it is that easy!

The trick is to promote as many affiliate products on your site to give your visitors a wide variety of destination to choose from. The more merchants and niche you have on your site, it would increase your chance to close a sales, therefore creating various income streams. It is all good about this business model as even if one of the merchants closes his/her program, you still have other merchants to count on.

However, it is still important to choose your affiliate programs wisely. A good tip is to choose one of your interests, therefore you can be confident to promote and advertise them. Do not sell anything you have no knowledge about. Your passion in the topic would drive your traffic to the affiliate link.

It is important to have patience, persistence and hunger for knowledge. Continue to upgrade yourself and learn more about affiliate marketing techniques and strategies. This would assist to make your income more stable.

Remember this "Don't put all your eggs in one basket". If one of them is lost, you can still make your omelets. The more streams of income you create, the stronger and wider your money lake becomes.
-A Contribution-
Copyright © 2008 Jeremy D'Monte

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.