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CAREER ZONE MENU ****
01.How to Attract Business?
02.How to To Improve Your Company?
03.Tips on How to Get a Job
04.45 ideas to promote your business
05.Are You Making Any Business Mistakes
06.Building An Internet Based Business
07.Email Marketing Methods
08. To making money on the Internet
09.How to ask your boss for a raise?
10. 10 tips of leverage that small business has
11.How to be a Successful Sales Professional?
12.How to Choose and Keep Customers?
13.How to Developing Personal Creativity?
14.How to get media coverage for your business?
15.How to Grow Your Business Through Publicity?
16.How to Improve Your Goal Setting Skills?
17.How to make your hobby into a business?
18.How to organize your paperwork?
19.How to Promote Your WebSite?
20.How To Set and Achieve Goals? 21.10 keys of International Marketing Plan
22.How to Work Effectively At Home?
23.How to work effectively in a home office?
24.Internet Business Guides, Tips and New Ideas
25.Most Common Mistakes in Selling
26.9 Ways to get free PR-media coverage
27.Starting a Small Business Going Into business
28.Ten E-Mail Courtesy Tips For Businesses
29.Ten Keys to Making Money On The Internet
30.Ten Keys To Small Business Success
31.Ten Keys To Successful Negotiation
32.Ten Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make
33. Strategies To Build Solid Business Partnership
34.Ten Strategies To Increase Your Sales
35.Tips for getting FREE Publicity for your business
36.10 Myths About Selling
37.How to run Internet business from home?
38.What to DO When a Customer Says NO
39.Why you need a Website
40.Words That Limit Your Success

How to Attract Business?

1. How effective your product or service is.

2. Seek to serve instead of just seeking to sell.

3. Add value by network all of the time: Be a matchmaker every single day.

4. Add value to your potential customers by expanding their professional vision/goals

5. Add value to your current customers by making sure they're maximizing the use of the product/service.

6. Turn your customers into your company's R&D Department, not just a focus group.

7. Improve your communication skills/relating style so that people WANT to be around you - a LOT!.

8. Turn your customers into your sales deputies; have them feed you business instead of "prospecting."

9. Teach others how to sell in an Irresistibly Attractive way -- this guarantees you a strong future.

10. Strengthen your Personal Foundation/Reserve Levels so that you don't need the money anymore.


How to To Improve Your Company?

1. Know your personal values.
What's most important to you personally? When you know your values, you'll better filter new information and opportunities and can rely better on your intuition because you know what you're hearing and how it fits in with you.

2. Get candid input from at least 5 other people who know you well.
While it's nice to get input from experts, it's as valuable to get points of view from colleagues, family members, key employees who know you -- they know your tendencies, your moods, the way you think, your blind spots, your passions. Let them guide you.

3. Have a really big, big picture.
When you know your long term goals, have a vision or have a helicopter view of the current situation or opportunity, you'll be "seeing more" and thus have more information on which to base your decision.

4. Always have a Plan B, Plan C and Plan D ready to go!
You can improve your good judgment by having back up plans, whether you need them or not.

5. Don't put yourself in situations where you are forced to rely too much
On your "good judgment." This one is important. After all, shouldn't you be enough ahead of the curve to have been making good decisions along the way so that having "good judgment" doesn't become critical? Don't confuse good judgment with crisis management.

6. Separate the facts from the interpretation of the facts.
There are very few facts that aren't also coupled with someone's (even your) interpretation of the facts. Either sales are down 20% or they are not. An explanation is just that. There are great explanations, few of which are worth banking your business on. If sales are down, assume they'll stay down until you do something about it.

7. Always include a worst-case scenario -- and make it a really bad scenario.
For a decade or two, Detroit kept factoring in worst-case scenarios, yet they continually came up short because they took incremental actions based on what they wanted to believe would happen, not what was so clearly a long-term trend of foreign-made cars slicing up their market share. Living in denial is always expensive -- yet we all do it. A good way to get out of denial is to assume that sales will drop 50% in the next year (think Volkswagen) and "be ready" for that possibility. Just by including that option and developing options at that level, one will make a better decision about what is more likely to happen.

8. Always look at the downside of every decision you make.
If you're adding a new product, increasing the customer service budget, reducing overhead, permitting use of your name/trademark, entering into a co-venture agreement, make a list of the 10 potentially negative and even deadly consequences of even a no-brainer/excellent change. Everything affects everything today -- and unexpectedly. If you respect this ecological truth you'll realize that every decision affects, in some way, you, your employees, your shareholders, your profitability and your viability.

9. Seek to enhance your reputation first; bottom line second.
I used to base most of my decisions on whether or not my company would make more money. But in 1994, I realized that the future of my business came from my current customers, their word-of-mouth and from the press we were beginning to receive from the national media. At that point, it occurred to me that if I'd just invest more money in our reputation and make my decisions based more on reputation than quarterly profitability, I'd be a lot more financially successful --- and more proud of my company, too.

10. Hang out with others who have excellent judgment.
There are so many subtleties about acquiring and developing good judgment that most of the process comes best from friends, colleagues, competitors and staff who already have great judgment. Learn from them, in every conversation.



Tips on How to Get a Job

1) Decide what type of position that you want.
The usual choices are: teaching instructorship; research instructorship; industrial job; computer programmer, etc. An Assistant Professorship sometimes is tenure-track, which is then a prize position. Otherwise, it is little different from an Instructorship, which is almost always 1, 2 or 3 years and then out to look for another postdoctoral position.

2) For a research position
For a research position, emphasize your research by listing papers submitted, or even better, published. Emphasize any fellowships or other academic awards you have received. Note, they really don't care much about what classes you have taken. If you have taught well, say this somewhere, like under accomplishments: consistently rated very highly in department teaching evaluations. But be truthful, and if you say something like this, you must document it with teaching evaluations

3) For a teaching position
For a teaching position, emphasize your teaching. They will not hire you for your research. That is something you hope to keep doing after you get the job. So, emphasize success at teaching and other teaching activities. For example, participation in the PDP and other student-help programs is excellent. Also, list working at tutoring lab in Taft Hall as an item if you have this experience. For a teaching position, they might actually care about your courses. Especially, if you feel competent to teach some computer science courses, then list these as courses taken amongst a sampling of other courses that might be useful to the level of school where you are applying.

4) For an industrial position
For an industrial position, hiring will be decided on different criteria from teaching positions. For example, they might prefer to hear that you categorically failed one-half of the class (This will qualify you for a management position.) Not seriously, but you must think about what in your background might induce them to hire you. Emphasize any hands on computer experience beyond theoretical training. And they probably care little for your courses, unless you failed them all. On the other hand, they are very interested if you have other activities or have organized special events, not necessarily at the university. Just things to show them that you are a doer who will do good for them.

Finally, make copies of the vita(e) onto bond paper at a commercial copy shop (e.g., the University copy shop, or to Kinko's north of the Ike). They keep their machines in good repair, so the copies will be clean and crisp. Also, good bond paper gives the application a feel that helps it stand out. It cost you some money, which will make you think carefully about what you are putting on it.

5) Arrange for three or four letters of recommendation from faculty members.
They should know you or your work (hopefully both) and are willing to write a letter in support of your application for the type of positions that you seek. This can be one of the hardest steps; after all, you have to guess what person will write the most helpful letter, and the more enthusiastic the letters for you, the better the application is received by the employer. So get a letter from:

- your advisor;
- someone who is in your field and might know that your thesis work or other accomplishments are notable and can describe them independently of your advisor;
- someone who gave you praise in an advanced graduate class (and hopefully still feels that way);
- someone who knows about your teaching or TA experience, and can certify that you are a reasonable or excellent teacher.

If you are after a teaching position, then the teaching letter is absolutely crucial, and must have glowing praise for your teaching. If available, it is even worth asking for a second letter in support of your teaching. Your job search depends on strong teaching letters, especially if you are not a native american. As a recent testimonial to this point, a recent graduate got several offers of teaching positions a few years ago, and the inquiry calls from the hiring committee at the schools considering him were often to certify that his letters on teaching were true - they had rarely seen bond paper glow in the dark:-) Implore the faculty member writing the teaching letter to visit your class at least once. It is hard to write a sincere letter without having seen the person teach. It is also very helpful to have some form of course evaluations for your work as a TA or Instructor.

6) Select the advertised positions that are likely to want you.
They should be looking for someone with your experience (Ph.D., some teaching or TA experience) and a certain area (research in a particular area of applied or pure mathematics). Make a list for each type of job you are after: a list for the research positions, a list for the teaching positions, a list for the industrial positions. It is not unreasonable to have 50 to 100 places you will apply to. In fact, the recent horror is that some people now send to over 200 places. As ridiculous as this is, after all, if you don't get a job, you don't eat. One strategy is to send out 100 applications to your A-list in late November, then in late December or early January send out a bit more if you can stomach it. With enough applications, you can increase your chances that someone will find your vita to be what they are after. But there really seems to be diminishing returns in this strategy. Your best efforts should be made in preparing and putting your file together. If you have to rely on mass mailings, you are following a poor strategy - though sometimes, there is little choice.
WARNING: It is a mistake to assume that someone doesn't want you because they don't advertise for someone in Étale Homotopy Theory, or whatever your research area may be. If they don't specifically say do not apply, and it is one of the schools you really would like a chance to go to, then spend the money on copying and postage and apply. However, if the ad says "Looking for applied mathematician in queuing theory", then take your expertise in Étale Theory somewhere else.

7) Request the letters of recommendation as soon as possible.
The writers will surely take two or three weeks to write them. This is an optimistic estimate. Two weeks after requesting, check which letters have come in. It is polite job etiquette to then inquire with the writers of the missing letters if they have given your request any further thought. This request should be done with a wan, starving look to ensure that the letter writer feels the edge of guilt for not having done it yet. It can be maddeningly hard to get all of your letters out, so be persistent!

8) Write a cover letter for the jobs you are after.
Your cover letter should be clean and professional looking. In practice, this means use a word processors with spell-checker. You need a basic letter that states:
what position you seek (instructorship, CEO, etc)
your field and thesis advisor
what else is enclosed with the letter.
For the most important places on your list, you can then personalize the letter in some way. For example, if you know someone at the school in your thesis research area, you might add
a pointer towards one of their faculty members who might know your advisor or your work.
(This person is probably on sabbatical, so don't get your hopes up. But it is always worth the effort.)
In the early days of email, it also made sense to send inquiries to particular faculty members about the job possibilities in his department. But this has become trite, and almost counter-effective due to the nuisance factor. So stick to the written application you submit. However, it is always reasonable to send copies of preprints or reprints to a faculty member you might know of at an especially important position you covet. Preprints are always interesting, if not always read.

9) Mail your applications out as soon as possible.
The application should consist of:

- Cover letter

- A copy of the curriculum vita for the position you seek. If industrial, an industrial vita, etc.

- A copy of the Thesis Summary

- Documentation of teaching ability, if you have it.

- If you are pursuing a research instructorship, a copy of the Research Proposal.

If you have written a research paper (or better yet, published one) then for the most preferred positions, enclose one or two of your best papers.
On this last point, you do not need to send a whole stack of papers if you have them. The goal is just so the committee looking at you application can see that you are a serious researcher already. Enclosing a paper gets very expensive, both in the copying charges and for the First Class Postage, so reserve this for only about 10 to 20 selected positions.

10) Create a Homepage for you
The World Wide Web is now an established, essential tool in the job search. If you have not already done so, it is highly recommended that you create your own professional web homepage, which at minimum is a hypertext version of your Vita, and but can be much more, including listings of your expertise and projects completed, and even include online versions of papers you have written.
Attention can be called to your homepage by including a short phrase on your Vita, saying something like:
For additional information, see my WWW Homepage at
http://www.Smilefast.com/~your_user_name

Just be sure that the homepage you post represents you professionally. It probably does not help your job search, if your homepage has a picture of your latest tattoo - save that for your personal home page.




45 ideas to promote your business

1. Advertise in the classified advertising section of your community newspaper.

2. Advertise in the Yellow Pages.

3. Advertise on a grocery buggy.

4. Approach your prospective customers over the phone.

5. Approach your prospective customers in person.

6. Approach your prospective customers through the mail.

7. Be a guest speaker at seminars and present on your area of expertise.

8. Be a guest speaker on radio talk shows.

9. Build and maintain a customer mailing and contact list on database software.

10. Build your image with well designed letterhead and business cards.

11. Design a brochure that best explains the benefits of your services.

12. Design a mail order campaign.

13. Design a point of purchase display for your product.

14. Design a telemarketing campaign.

15. Design an image building logo for your company.

16. Design and distribute a quarterly newsletter or an industry update announcement.

17. Design and distribute company calendars, mugs, pens, note pads, or other advertising specialties displaying your company name and logo.

18. Design and distribute a free "how to do it" hand-out related to your industry (e.g. Tips for conserving energy in your home).

19. Design buttons, decals and bumper stickers or balloons with your company name, logo or slogan.

20. Design T-shirts displaying your company name and logo.

21. Explore cross promotion with a non-competing company selling to your target market.

22. Explore the costs of advertising in newspapers, magazines, on radio, television, billboards, bus shelters and benches.

23. Explore ways to share your advertising costs using cooperative advertising.

24. Follow up customer purchases with a thank you letter.

25. Follow up customer purchases with Christmas or birthday cards.

26. Have your company profiled in a magazine or newspaper that is read by prospective customers.

27. Hire an advertising agency or public relations firm.

28. Hold a promotional contest.

29. Hold a seminar on your service, product or industry.

30. Include promotional material with your invoices.

31. Look for prospective customers at trade shows related to your industry.

32. Look for prospective customers in associations related to your industry.

33. Look for prospective customers at seminars related to your industry.

34. Look for prospective customers in magazines and newspapers related to your industry.

35. Package your brochure, price lists and letter in a folder for your customers.

36. Place a sidewalk sign outside your store or office.

37. Place flyers on bulletin boards and car windshields.

38. Place promotional notes on your envelopes, mailing labels.

39. Place signs or paint logos on your company vehicle(s).

40. Prepare a corporate video.

41. Prepare a list of product features and benefits to help you plan your advertising and promotional campaigns.

42. Prepare proposals offering solutions to your customers' needs

43. Provide free samples of your product or service.

44. Provide public tours of your operation.

45. Sponsor a charity event.




ARE You Making Any of These
Small Business Mistakes?

1. Getting Wedded To an Idea And Sticking With It Too Long.
Don't marry a single idea. Remember, ideas are the currency of entrepreneurs. Play with many ideas and see which ones bring money and success.

2. No Marketing Plan.
A marketing plan creates the kind of attention you need to get in front of the right types of people, companies, etc. It is what attracts people to you! There may be as many as 25 ways to market your business at no or low cost. A good marketing plan implemented effectively, efficiently, elegantly and consistently, will eliminate the need for "cold calls!" (See below for how to create a results driven marketing plan).

3. Not Knowing Your Customers.
Changes in your customers' preferences and your competitors' products and services can leave you in the dust unless you get to know your customers well, what they want now and will likely want in the future, what their buying patterns are, and how you can be a resource for them even if you don't have the right products or services for them now! (See below for low cost techniques to gather facts about your customers and the people you'd like to have for customers).

4. Ignoring Your Cash Position.
The world (aka customers) doesn't respond to even superior products in the timeframe that you think they should. You'll need plenty of cash to sustain yourself in the meantime. (See below for how to forecast your cash needs and protect yourself from cash crisis situations).

5. Ignoring Employees.
Motivating, coaching and managing your staff is probably one of your toughest challenges as an entrepreneur/business owner today! Without your patience, persistence and "people skills," your problems can multiply quickly. Morale, productivity AND PROFITS can easily be destroyed!

6. Confusing Likelihood With Reality.
The successful entrepreneur lives in a world of likelihood but spends money in the world of reality.

7. No Sales Plan.
Without a sales plan, there's no serious way to gage the financial growth and progress of your business. You need a realistic map for where the sales will come from, how they'll come and from whom.

8. Being a Lone Ranger.
You might be the key to everything BUT you cannot DO everything and grow at the same time. Even modest success can overwhelm you unless you hire the right staff and delegate responsibility. (See below for effective delegation techniques)

9. No Mastermind.
Get an advisory board or a mentor! Sounds crazy for a small operation? It's not! The board can be family members that you trust, or friends. Ask them to be your board of directors and review your business plans and results with them. Having someone to bounce ideas off and get an objective opinion is critical.

10. Giving Up.
Some of the most successful entrepreneurs failed several times before doing extremely well. So, if you're failing, fail. And fail fast. And learn. And try again, with this new wisdom. Do NOT give up. Yet, do not suffer, either.


Building An Internet Based Business

Designing Your Site To Attract Visitors
Your Web site promotion campaign begins with the design of your site. Why? Because the design of your HTML pages affects how your site will score on the search results pages of the search engines.

Appearing at the top of search results pages translates into more hits and more traffic. Plus, certain parts of your HTML pages control the way your title and description appear on the search results pages, and you want these items to be appealing so that searchers will click on your link.

Submit Your Web Site To Search Engines And Directories
How can your potential visitors hear about you? They might search for you in a search engine or a directory or they can stumble upon your link in a "what's new" "what's hot" type site. In order to be listed you need to submit your site's URLs.

I recommend you submit manually at list to the major search engines and
directories, This means visiting each one individually. If you have properly prepared your website for promotion, then use the following links and Submit Away!

Submit your Website URL to The top search Engines
- Alta Vista
- AOL Netfind
- Excite
- Google Search
- Hot Bot
- Lycos
- Nothern Light
- Open Directory Project
- Yahoo
As for the rest of the hundreds of search engines, directories, "what's new", "what's hot", etc., You may use a submission service , or you can use a submission program.

Send Press Releases To Magazines And Online Publications
Magazines and online publications are always on the lookout for new and interesting stories. Mention of your site in such publications can bring you scores of visitors. The way to be included here is to send announcements and press releases upon launching your new web site and whenever you have something new that people might want to hear about.

Trade Reciprocal Links With Other Sites
Trading reciprocal links means that you approach other sites asking them to place a link to you in their site in exchange for a link in your site. Naturally you would want to approach busy sites that attract visitors with similar interests to your own. One good way to find such sites would be to go to a search engine and type in one of your keywords. The sites that appear at the top of the search results page would be good prospects.

Bear in mind that your site must contain interesting and useful information in order for others to agree to trade links with you.


Email Marketing Methods
UNTARGETED EMAIL MARKETING
Untargeted email marketing on the internet usually takes on the form of "Unsolicited Bulk Email". Whether you are doing it yourself or hiring one of the thousands of email blasting companies online, it makes no difference. Bulk email is NOT a smart way to market.

Let me explain exactly why...

"Spamming", or sending mass email to "unqualified" email addresses is considered bad "netiquette". If you send unsolicited email to addresses that do not want commercial email, not only do you risk the reputation of your business, you can get into more trouble than you would expect.

What kind of trouble? Well, since many ISP's do not allow this activity, they will discontinue your account as soon as the inevitable complaints start to trickle in.

If you want better results without the risk, consider the following alternatives...

TARGETED EMAIL MARKETING
Targeted email marketing works. Truly targeted email means getting your email to recipients that HAVE approved of it. Not only do your get better results, you won't have to worry about ISP cancellation and more importantly, the reputation of your business.

Here are the best targeted email marketing methods I've used. (Listed from most expensive to least expensive.)

- "Opt In" email list rental.
- Ezine advertising.
- Ezine publishing.
- Email Discussion group participation.

Here are details on how I utilize each...

"Opt In" email list rental
Did you know that you can actually rent email lists of people who have approved email about certain topics. (Just about any topic imaginable!)

This method is not the cheapest form of targeted email marketing, but it works! On average, you'll have to spend about ten to fifteen cents per address. The companies that rent the addresses even do the mailing for you. You just sit back and wait for the orders!

When I released my book, "Insider Internet Marketing", I used this method and sold a few thousand dollars worth of books in a two day span. The company I used is called Postmaster direct .

Ezine advertising
I'm a big fan of Ezine advertising and regularly utilize this low budget technique. I'm not just saying that to drum up advertisers for my own newsletter, actually I have a waiting list of about a month just to get an ad in here. Why? Quite simply, email advertising works!

Take a look at the advertising section of your favorite email Ezine. The reason there are so many ads there is because the advertisers get results. Not only do you reach your target audience, you reach them by the thousands. Of all the online marketing methods available, Ezine advertising could be the most effective.

Many larger companies are just starting to realize this and are entering into this exciting new advertising medium. Compared with the high costs of web site banner advertising, Ezine advertising is a bargain.

Ezine publishing
One step better than "advertising" in ezines, is actually publishing your own. If you are not already publishing your own e-newsletter, I highly recommend you do so. It is much easier than you might imagine.

Your customers and prospects will constantly be "in touch" and your Ezine can keep them abreast of new products and services as you make them available. You can also generate income offering classified or sponsorship advertising if you wish.

Unlike traditional newsletters, there are no printing or postage costs. Since your own cost is zero, you can offer free subscriptions, thus insuring a steady flow of new prospects.

To get started publishing your own Ezine, you do not need to pay for list management. You can manage and deliver your Ezine yourself with a good email program like Qualcomm's Eudora or Pegasus Mail by David Harrris. These are the best email programs available on the internet and
they can be downloaded for free at the following URL's


Once you have your email program installed, practice mailing to a few people at once by using the BCC (blind carbon copy) feature. It's important to use the BCC field when mailing to a list. This insures that everyone on the list does not see other email addresses on the list. No one wants their email address publicized all over the net.

After you've perfected your emailing skills, all you need is some subscribers. That's easy, simply post a message announcing your newsletter to the "NewList Announcement List".

Email discussion group participation
An email discussion group is delivered via email like an email newsletter. But a discussion list differs from an email newsletter in one major way -- you are allowed to voice your opinion, usually through a moderator.

Discussion lists also allow you to ask for help from others with similar interests. What's more, you can assist people in need while your sig. File (the footer you include at the end of every email message you send) invites readers to your site. Discussion group marketing works because the posts are delivered directly TO a targeted audience. Once again, push marketing at it's finest! In addition to posting to discussion groups you should consider advertising if the group you join offers it.

No matter what you are marketing online, participating in discussion lists makes sense. Not only will you learn some valuable information, it's is a great way to soft-sell some of your wares.


Now that you are armed with the facts about email marketing, go out and start your email marketing campaign today! And remember, whatever email marketing method you choose, be sure that every single email you send out includes your URL and a brief description of exactly how YOU
can be of service to anyone who may be reading that email!



TO MAKING MONEY ON THE INTERNET
#1. Provide Value
Let's look at two of the most successful online ventures: Yahoo and Amazon.com. Why are they so successful? They provide tremendous value to the Web. That's what they've been doing all along. Your website must provide free resources, foster a sense of community and show real value to your visitors. Without useful information and real content, your website will just be background noise. Provide real value and the revenues will follow.

#2. Quality Presentation
Providing content, community, and utility is not enough. It must be presented well. Quality means fast, clear web design that looks good and is easy to understand. It should be easy on the eyes, as well as the brain. Your users will make quick determinations about the quality of your site. High quality will result in repeat visitors and more traffic. The word about your awesome site will spread!

#3. Be Unique
Your site must be unique. You should own something no one else has. In most Internet business opportunities you're nothing but pitching something you don't even know anything about with a web site that looks exactly like thousands of others. It's depressing to see people waste their money promoting some "get rich quick scheme" or advertising the same programs as everyone else. Not to mention those rip-off cybermalls. So, if you don't have your own unique website which fosters the Five C's (content, community, consistency, capability and commerce) then you're nothing but a cyber-static sales pitch.

#4. Build Your Brand
Why is Yahoo! valued at 10 times more than Infoseek? It's their brand name. Yahoo! is now virtually synonymous with the Internet. Amazon.com has also attained great name recognition. Both companies have formed a name that people can easily remember and with a comfortable ring to it. Today the key success factor is not about gaining market share, but rather gaining "mind share." This means brand recognition. Your name needs to be catchy and meaningful. Your name needs to express a feeling or image in the mind of the consumer. For example, the name Yahoo! is exciting and makes me feel like I've struck gold. The name Amazon.com paints a picture in my head of a vast and great jungle where anything is possible.

#5. E-commerce
Let's face it. E-Commerce is here to stay. According to Forrester Research, Online retail sales will hit $108 billion by 2003. Your site must have a fully-functional E-commerce system built into it. It's expected if you want to actually make sales through the web. Visitors need to be able to purchase your product or service at any time with just a click of a button. Your site needs to make shopping a fast, fun and easy experience. Cater to the impulse buyer and provide a simple yet effective shopping cart system. How else do you expect to make any money on the Net?

#6. Form Affiliations
One of Amazon's biggest success factors is their affiliate program. Wherever we go there's an Amazon book being sold on a website. It is so important to form solid partnerships and affiliations. Set up your own affiliate program and you might just see your profits soar. Develop joint venture partnerships with those web sites that fit with the "theme" of your business. Remember, you won't survive very long if you're trying to do it all by yourself.

#7. Technological Knowledge
No one accomplishes all of the above key factors without substantial technical know-how -- or at least ready access to it. It goes without saying Yahoo! and Amazon.com have many very technically savvy people on staff. Surely you wouldn't expect to build a substantial online business without doing the same. Of course, you don't have to be a programmer, but you must have access to those people who can support you technically.

#8. Promote
Advertise! Promote! Tell the world about your site! And I don't mean spam. I'm talking about a constant, strategic and aggressive promotion by using opt-in lists, ezine advertising, classified advertising, search engines, targeted email marketing and other online promotional tools. Advertise on the radio, newspapers, and television. You have to let everyone know that you exist and that you mean business. A web site is, in reality, infinitesimal bits of data buried in a computer. It only means anything if people come see your site.

#9. Patience
You have to be patient and think long-term. It takes a lot of hard work to be successful and it won't happen overnight. Plan ahead. Focus on your strategy and develop the right moves for the right time. Take your business step by step and you'll be greatly rewarded. I see too many people trying to make that fast, quick buck without putting much work into it. It's just not going to happen that way.

#10. Investment
In order to reach your goals and dreams, you have to invest time and money. If you're short on finances, then try to gather friends, family or investors to fund your project. If you think you have a really great idea then you should approach angel investors and venture capital firms. According to the Small Business Administration, angel investors pour as much as $20 billion a year into some 30,000 small companies.



How to ask your boss for a raise
Thinking of asking for a raise? You're not alone. Most of today's work force is just waiting for their chance to ask for more money. But be wary-there are many do's and don't surrounding this issue. Use the following tips to find out what to do when the moment is right for your to make your move:

1. Consider Your Position
Look at the position you are currently holding. Are you a college-hire, a seasoned veteran, a part-time employee? Its a fact that employees must climb the work status ladder to get anywhere. If you are a college hire, your chances are slimmer for a raise than those of a seasoned veteran. If you are part-time, employers may not be able to consider you for a raise until you take full-time status. Put simply, position is everything.

2. Consider Time
If you are a new hire, you MUST wait at least six months before approaching your boss for a raise. If you've got a few years under your belt, its still advisable to wait at least three months from your last raise before asking for more money.

3. Consider Experience
How solidly do you know your area? If you are an expert, your chances are great for a raise. If you've got only a seminal knowledge of your area, consider training yourself to become more knowledgeable. If you are a valuable commodity and your boss knows it, they'll do whatever they can to keep you.

4. Feel Around
Try and see what the other employees in your office are earning. Ask them tactfully, or ask the employment office in your building. Chances are, they'll be able to give some good hints at what those around you are worth. Consider your raise question accordingly.

5. Spread Hints
Before asking for a raise, it's always good to exhibit a huge burst of company loyalty. Bustle around for a week or two, and do even more than you normally would. Stay later at the office, and contribute highly to company meetings. Try and showcase the fact that you are of great value to the company.

6. Give Hints
It's nice to spread some hints so that you don't take your boss completely by surprise. Schedule your meeting at least a week in advance, and tell him/her that you'd like to discuss your "position in the company."

7. Make a Case
Compile a list of all the reasons that you feel you should be earning more. Type a paper listing all of your projects and what you did to contribute to them. List your assets, and what you've learned. If your boss seems unconvinced of your worth, give them your compiled list of these projects. Practice expounding on all of topics in front of a mirror.

8. Stand Firm
If you feel that a raise has been long in coming, make sure that you stress how much you need it. Indicate to your boss that your comfort depends on the raise. Avoid speaking directly of issues such as a car or rent. Simply tell your boss that you'd appreciate some extra help in the areas of housing and transportation.

9. Watch for Signals
Read your boss carefully. If he/she appears to be having a bad day at the time of the meeting, switch the topic of the meeting, and schedule another one for the next week. The best time to ask for a raise is just after you've been lauded for a project or assignment. If praise is a rare thing in your office, then at least make sure that your boss appears to be in a jovial mood at the time of your talk.

10. Know When to Give Up
In the area of office politics, your boss always knows best. If they give you a definitive "no" to your question, do not press the issue. Instead, work hard, and watch for your next chance to speak to them on the issue of a raise.

10 areas of leverage that every small business has
1. Customer-base
Ask yourself: If I just bought this company, how would I sell more/expand what I sell to this customer base?

2. Cash
Ask yourself: If I could invest this cash in any one part of this business/niche/product line for the biggest cumulative return/profit over the next 5 years, where would I invest it all?

3. Market Leadership
Ask yourself: To remain the market leader for the next 25 years, where should I invest my time and company's resources right now?

4. Reputation
Ask yourself: What can I do to double the strength of our current reputation, within the next 6 months?

5. Momentum
Ask yourself: What's working well right now and how can I keep it working well?

6. Key Staff
Ask yourself: Who are the 5 key people in my organization and what game/plan can I create with them so they'll stick around for a long time?

7. Systems
Ask yourself: What systems work so well that we take them for granted? How could we improve them?

8. Responsiveness
Ask yourself; How quickly and completely do we respond to changes in our customers, market, technology, staff needs or economic conditions?

9. Intellectual Property
Ask yourself: What do we have, IP-wise, that just isn't being as leveraged as it could be?

10. The X Factor
What do we have that's very, very special and that we could really maximize, just for the pleasure of it?


How to be a Super Successful Sales Professional
Tip #1
An obvious and compelling Passion for People, not just the for product or service. (OLD: Really believe in the product/service.)

Super Sales Professionals care SO much for people and helping them to solve their problems/get their buying needs met that the buyer FEELs this. It's not an act; it's a calling.

Tip #2
An ability to help the prospective customer to FEEL. (OLD: Find/create pain.) The Super Sales Professional doesn't just look for the hot buttons as a way of getting the person to buy. Instead, they help to create a possibility that EXCITES the buyer.

Tip #3
A willingness to sell to the buyer's buying strategy instead of using a collection of selling techniques and hoping for a connection. (OLD: Using a technique that works for you.)

This requires a certain humility because the Super Sales Professional makes the buyer more important than the Super Sales Professionals collection of selling skills. Every buyer has their preferred way to purchase; get to know these in general and quickly discover the preferred way that your potential customer buys/makes a decision, etc.

Tip #4
An ability to peg/discern who is going to be a buyer and who is not. (OLD: Ability to qualify prospects quickly.) Super Sales Professionals have a sixth sense that helps them to distinguish between tire kickers and real buyers. This sixth sense is develop-able. And, it saves LOTS of time and frustration when mastered.

Tip #5
Ability to easily match the EXACT features/benefits of the product with the client's spoken or unspoken needs or wants. (OLD: Sell the sizzle, not just the steak.)

No buyer cares about ALL of the features and benefits; they usually only care about 1 or 2 of them. Your mission: Sense, feel or discover (by asking questions, guessing) the key benefits that turn this discussion into a sale, quickly.

Tip #6
Not needing to have to make the sale. (OLD: Don't appear too hungry.) Hungry salespeople scare away the meal.

Tip #7
Discerning the appropriate next step for the buyer and helping them to see how your product/service is the obvious choice. (OLD: Sell to the need.) This requires some thinking and feeling. When you can size up your buyer and look "ahead" for/with them, you'll see a picture of what's next and be better able to language how your product/service can assist them in their progress.

Tip #8
Having enough evidence of how REALLY effective valuable your product/service is and then sharing that with confidence. (OLD: Know your product/service well.)

When you've seen enough customers do extremely well with your product or service (not just well, but EXTREMELY well), you'll not be hesitant to share how well your product/service works. Facts inspire confidence. Get to know the real facts about how effective your product or service performs and delights customers, and you'll be a FEARLESS sales professional.

Tip #9
Naturally adding value to everyone you touch, buyer or not. (OLD: Be a resource to potential customers.) Either you seek to add value to everyone or you don't.

Tip #10
Be human, be light and be real with everyone. Don't perform or act. (OLD: Create rapport.) Drop the pretense, the false sincerity, the I'm-your-new-best friend, the I'm-here-to-SERVE-you-at-least-as-long-as-I-think-there's-a-chance-that-you'll -buy-something-from-me.

How to Choose and Keep Customers
1. Do you know who your customers are?
It may sound automatic, but many businesses simply don't keep track of who actually buys their products. And, those that do, rarely analyze buying behavior. A customer database is essential. If you don't have one, create one. Start by capturing the basics: customer contact information, product preference and purchase frequency.

2. Have you ranked your customers?
Not all customers are created equal, yet most businesses treat them exactly the same. That's why you need a customer ranking system. Look at those variables that are most relevant to your business -- purchase frequency, revenue, selling costs, referral potential, and so on and score your customers accordingly. Marketing research firm CRI, for example, ranked their 157 customers using a simple quadrant that bucketed customers according to the kind of business they generated each year, i.e. High Volume/Low Margin and Low Volume/High Margin.

3. Do you know which customers are your most valuable?
The ranking exercise may help explain puzzling disparities in company performance. The 'Why aren't we growing/more profitable/gaining market share when we have more customers than we ever have?' dilemma can be crystal clear when you really look at how each customer is contributing or subtracting from the bottom line. CRI found that only 10 of its customers fell into the preferred category-High/High.

4. Do you have too many customers?
In CRI's case, they concluded they were 'spending much too much time and valuable employee resources on too many unprofitable customers' -- in fact, 101 of them essentially contributed nothing to the bottom line. Smart CEOs understand precisely who their target customers are. And, they know how to go after only the right customers. Is there room in your business to be more customer-selective?

5. Which of your customers may be worth firing?
Less can definitely be more when it comes to unprofitable customers. Like CRI, who cut its customer base in half, getting rid of some customers may be your company's secret growth strategy. Also think about the costs you would NOT incur if certain customers went away. Are some draining the business? The process of raising your customer standards and paring automatically opens space to attract the flow of new, more profitable business.

6. When is the last time you checked customer satisfaction?
If you're not regularly taking the pulse of your customers, they may be sacrificing, rather than being satisfied. 'Customer sacrifice = What the customer wants EXACTLY minus what the customer settles for' say B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore, authors of The Experience Economy. Check to see if you can shore up the areas of your product or service that may be cracking or settling.

7. Are you spending too much on finding new customers?
Determine all of the costs (people, time and dollars) you incur to grab new customers. Are more company resources focused on customer acquisition vs. customer retention? Consider putting more attention on holding on to the ones you already have. It can have a profound impact on the bottom line -- current customers are 5-10 times LESS expensive to sell to than new customers. And, you can avoid nasty customer defections due to neglect.

8. Are you actively converting first-time buyers to long-term customers?
In some businesses, such as car or life insurance and credit cards, companies actually lose money on first-year customers. Check to make sure you don't have a 'leaky bucket' --- losing mature customers and replacing them with new ones. It takes many new customers to compensate for the loss of just one veteran, according to Frederick Reichheld, author of The Loyalty Effect. And, the bigger the leak, the harder you have to work to keep it full.

9. Are you fortifying relationships with your best customers?
There are 4 strategies to keep great customers, say Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, authors of The One-to-One Future:
#1) Recognize your Most Valuable Customers (MVCs) with special treatment (unique services).
#2) Reward loyal buyers, i.e. frequent buyer programs.
#3) Deliver Consistent Product Quality and Satisfaction.
#4) Customize Product/Service For Individual Customers -- the ultimate way to keep customers loyal longer is to spend more time catering more to their individual tastes. What can you do to better personalize each customer's experience with you?

10. Are you earning customer loyalty?
Strategic CEOs treat customers like assets and do everything they can to invest and safe keep them. Customer loyalty standouts, such as Lexus, State Farm and MBNA, engineer their entire company (not just the customer service dept.) around customer loyalty -- manufacturing, pricing, sales incentives, and all operations inside and out are built for lifetime customers.

How to Develop Personal Creativity
Creativity is a complex, multi-faceted process. Many myths have grown up around the process, one of which is that creative people have no say in the matter; that somehow creativity strikes certain people and misses others. Nothing could be further from the truth. Creativity can be developed, sharpened, amplified, because it is a factor of nurture as well as nature.
1. Believe You Are Creative
Everyone is. Or has the potential to be. It is part of being human.

2. Broaden Your Interests
Consciously seek out what you have not sought out before. Be open to new experiences, new sources of information.

3. Prepare to Create
Gather information, hunches, impressions, colors, textures, sounds. Keep Notes!

4. Look for (or, better still, make) Connections.
The more varied your interests, the greater the chance of cross-fertilization; of combining two or more things that have not been combined before. Look for relationships between things that are not related.

5. Break Habits.
Our own habits are what often keep us from being more creative. The more you follow the script, the less you can improvise. Breaking even little habits can shake up the system enough to allow new connections to happen, new points of view to form.

6. Provide the Right Environment (for you).
Some people like to listen to music, others prefer silence once they are in the creative flow. Experiment until you find what works for you.

7. Provide Time To Create
(1) Time to sleep on it. Time without your conscious manipulation. Time for seemingly random thoughts and bits of input to percolate and bump into each other.
(2) Time away from the immediate demands of work and/or home, dedicated to the creative task at hand. In certain environments, time is so precious that this seems like an unrealistic element of developing your creativity. But even five minutes could make a difference.

8. Persevere
Don't give up on yourself or your project. Creativity is not necessarily easy. Make lots of mistakes. Learn from them. It is to be expected. It is a part of the process. Keep going. There is a paradox here because sometimes an important part of being creative is knowing when to abandon an unproductive idea.

9. Maximize All Of Your Senses
The more you utilize all of your senses to gather and process information, the greater the chance of those bits of ideas bumping into each other . . . and sticking together to create a new something.

10. Forget How Much You Know.
Adopt the beginner's mind. Conventional wisdom may say this or that cannot be done and then unconventional wisdom goes right ahead and does it. Learn to look at things with a fresh eye. Don't be afraid to ask the "dumb" questions.

How to get media coverage for your business
1. Write a book on something you like or do, become an instant expert.

2. Challenge an existing institution and show that you're making progress.

3. Find/create a way to do something in 10% of the time/hassle/cost as it used to, before your product/service came along.

4. Create a website or email newsletter and wait for a reporter/writer to start your media coverage.

5. Hire a PR firm and ask THEM to achieve coverage for you.

6. Build a track record of serving a particular niche and then call your local newspaper, tell your story and see if they're interested.

7. Take an existing product or service, and change/customize it so that it's revolutionized or a different niche is using it.

8. Link what you do/offer to an already existing trend or news event.

9. Add an electronic or free component to what you offer and pitch the story with an Internet angle.

10. Get someone important/known to endorse you or what you're offering.


How to Grow Your Business Through Creative Publicity
Small businesses sometimes fail because their owners fail to use creative tools and techniques to get the added exposure they need. The following ideas are geared toward the smaller business, but would work for larger businesses as well. Some of the concepts are simple, and they have also proven to be effective over time with millions of small and large businesses.
1. Put your business and your name in highly visible places, no matter how unusual.
We all see billboards, Yellow Pages ads, and ads on the place mats at pancake houses and local restaurants. Try putting your business name and or logo on bus stop benches; ballpark walls; city buses; pens people sign charge card slips with at your business (often they take the pen anyway...might as well have your advertising on it!); T-shirts you, your friends, and clients and relatives wear(not unlike "Coach wear"); symphony, auto show, or concert program "inside ads;" plastic cups or mugs you use for your guests/clients in your office, etc. Keep the ads neat and the message clear. People DO remember names from events and places they go where they have personal or special interests.

2. Join or volunteer time to a few good local business organizations.
This can be the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, Variety Club, United Way, small business clubs, breakfast clubs, business associations, your neighborhood business groups; anything that will expose you and your face and name and services to others who might need it, know someone who needs it, or even be your competitor. Knowing your competitors, what the *successful* ones are doing, and where THEY "mingle," can help you strategize where you might get some exposure of your OWN! If you can see what your competitors' strengths are, chances are you can also see where they have *weak* areas. If you can, use YOUR business and your expertise to fill in where they are weak.

3. Speak or write publically about your profession or your business.
This sounds self-serving. Of course it is! The KEY is to make it very subtle! Media folks will accept a story if they see it is interesting and about something where there is an "angle" that would appeal to many people. They will NOT be drawn to interview you or publish an article strictly on *your* business! Famous authors do not travel the country signing books in small town book stores to learn U.S. geography! Any good, honest exposure you can get through an article in a trade journal, one of the clubs you have joined, or a charity function, puts your face, your name, and your business name, its services & *results*, in front of the public. If you dislike public speaking, write an article for a business magazine related to your specialty or the service or products you sell. Most of those trade publications are looking for contributors with knowledge who will write for free or little money, to fill space and keep their readers interested. It's FAR better than having an ad in the same magazine! It gives you ten times the credibility to WRITE for a magazine than to have an ad in one! Make sure your name and all other pertinent short author "bio" copy is current and accurate. The "pen is often mightier than the ad."

4. Look for (or, better still, make) Connections.
4. Get with the times and get "online!"

Sure there are millions of people competing with one another on the Internet! Turn it around and know that there are *many* times the same number of consumers, looking for the best deal, the best service for the money, and the most qualified person to meet their needs. Here you can spend next to nothing or you can spend a lot. Learning how other people in your business use the "Web" will give you ideas as to where you might "beef up" your services, the quality of your goods, and the way you present your business and yourself as the owner to the public, who can either help your business sustain itself and grow, or not. See what other similar businesses do *not* offer that you could or do and play on that. The information is right before you. You have but to learn to access it and then the world and all of the world's businesses are in front of you!

5. Sponsor or be a co-sponsor for a local charity event.
Pick an event that is well-attended, and also one in which you might already have some interest. Taking the time off to man the telethon phones, attend a dinner or party or play or gaming event for a charitable function serves you in several ways. The two most important are that you are doing something for the benefit of others, which helps you spiritually and will give you a good feeling, and it gives you and your business some public exposure within a very positive and a very humanistic environment.

6. Get involved with civic groups and committees.
Pick your interest or one that you feel would be of interest to potential clients or current customers of yours: school boards, hospitals, libraries, art centers/museums, zoning committees, city council, neighborhood improvement, PTA, Boy Scouts, church groups, etc. Depending on the size of your city, you will have more or less choice. If your town is very small, get involved with something in the closest large town from your home. The more people you know and meet, the more people will know about you and "what you do" and what you have to offer. Simple truth.

7. Voice your opinion in print.
This "attention getter" has pros and cons. If you send a letter to the editor or write an article for your local paper's "editorial page," you are sure to have people who agree with you and will possibly give you some business or mention your name, as well as people who disagree with you BIG time and who you might even LOSE as a customer. If you write about something that is lighthearted, not related to religion or politics, and something you feel certain most of the people you really would want or already have as clients or customers would enjoy or be "neutral" on, you're safe. Again your name and maybe your business (many people use their business address in letters to the editor to keep their private address private) will be where many people from town and out of town might see it. Careful thought on the right topic, well phrased, can affect many people in a positive way for you.

8. Advertise or offer to give your clientele more than your competitors are giving.
Reason number one why to check out what your competition offers, gives, sells, and is all about with their business! It sometimes takes only a few cents less, better value for the money, extra courteous service, or other services or options, to make a client or customer choose you over one of your competitors...including the much larger ones! Develop or hone some skill or special "extra" you can offer people if they use your firm or buy from your company. Advertise that special extra! Small but thoughtful or useful gifts or services can actually make a difference in the kind of highly competitive marketplace of the late 20th century. This will be even more important in the 21st century. Know your strengths and play them up. Know your competition's weaknesses or things they simply cannot or do not give and find a way to fill some or all of those weak areas and voids yourself! Provide the best and most comprehensive and professional services or merchandise for the best prices, delivered in the best manner, on time, and you will be ahead of all but the very TOP people in your field. Much of what you can do will cost nothing but an investment in time and some extra "personalized" effort.

9. Send out a newsletter to clients and potential clients.
Simple newsletters can be done at home or office and copies can be made and sent out to mailing lists of your current clients/customers and other mailing groups. Don't make the mistake of filling the newsletter with ads and specials like everyone has in newspaper inserts! Write about what your business offers, what you do and how you do it, your staff, *special features or skills your business or firm has to offer*. Give the reader free hints, advice, etc. Let them see you are knowledgeable, friendly and not just out to send them junk mail filled with coupons or ads for products or services you are selling. They will be pleasantly surprised and they will remember you and your business if you do things with thought and good intentions. It's also a form of advertising, so it is a legitimate business tax deduction for most people.

10. Give free workshops or seminars to draw your special interest "target group."
If applicable and possible, decide on a topic or an aspect of your business, product line or knowledge gained from your business or the skills you sell. Advertise a workshop or seminar open to the public at your store or other appropriate place. (If demonstrating a skill, you may need to be in a place where you have the equipment to do so and where people in attendance can all see you doing it.) It can be all day long or last 1-4 hours, depending on your topic and your business. Again, the point is to offer some free, useful, interesting value and information to people who are used to paying you or your competitors for it! You need not tell them all you know so they would never need you again! Just give them enough to let them see that you know your business and are personable. You'll be surprised how many people will walk in the door or call you the week following a free weekend seminar or talk! Cost to you? Nothing but time, unless you pay to rent a room for your seminar or speech. If it is well publicized, and on a topic that you know, you will bring out the crowds; it will pay for itself with one or a few new clients or customers within a short time.


How to Improve Your Goal Setting Skills
Life is a journey. Not just any journey, but the most fantastic journey in the universe. Life is a journey from where you are to where you want to be. You can choose your own destination. Not only that, you can choose how you are going to get there. Goal setting will help you end up where you want to be.
Here are some tips to Improve your goal settings skills
* When it comes to setting goals, start off with what's important to you in life. Take out a sheet of paper. Sit quietly, and on that sheet of paper, brainstorm what you want to accomplish between now and the end of your life.
* Second step-use another sheet of paper, and this time consider yourself and your personal goals for the next 12 month period. Some key areas in which you might set personal goals include: family, personal growth, financial, health, social, career, hobbies, spiritual, and recreation. Write down the things that you plan to accomplish or achieve or attain during this one-year period?
* Now, as a third step, go back and compare the two goal lists you have made. Make sure that the items on your short-term list will, as you attain them, be helping you attain your long-term or lifetime goals. It is important that what you are doing short term is taking you in the right direction toward your lifetime goals. Please rewrite your short term goals now if you need to.
* As a next step, looking at the goals that are on your list at this time, if there are any that you are not willing to pay the price for, go ahead and cross them out, leaving only those items you are willing to cause to happen in your life. This does not necessarily mean you have the money or the other resources for attaining the goal right now. However, when you do have it, would you spend it on or trade it for the goals you have on your list?
* Now, on still another sheet of paper, create the job goals that are important to you during this upcoming 12-month period. Identify what outcomes you wish to attain or achieve during this one-year period in your specific area of responsibility and authority.
* Some key areas in which you might consider writing job goals, if you did not already, include: quality, quantity, cost control, cost improvement, equipment, procedures, training, sales, financial, and personnel.
* As a next step, look for the blending between your job or work goals and your personal goals. Anywhere you notice that you are attaining a goal on the job while at the same time you are attaining a personal goal, note this relationship: it is in these areas you will be most highly motivated.
* For each of the three lists that you have just created, take an additional sheet of paper and list the activities that you must do to attain the most important goal that you have on each of your lists.
* Now on another piece of paper titled "Things To-Do List" identify from the activities you just listed, the ones that you must do tomorrow to move you toward your most important goal.
* Rewrite your goals in these categories at least every three months.
* The only thing in life that is constant is the fact that everything is changing. It makes sense that our goals will change as we change.
* Recognize how focusing on what you do want, what you do intend to accomplish, also defines what you choose not to do in your life.
* Daily rewrite your list of "Things To-Do" after first reviewing your desired goals.
* Success is defined as "the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal." If you are doing the things that are moving you toward the attainment of your goal, then you are "successful" even if you are not there yet.
* Every step along the way to achieving a goal is just as important as the last step.
* It is not the achieving of a goal that is so important, it is what you become in the process.
* Set goals with your family also. Help children learn this process early in life.
* Decide what you should be accomplishing and then stick to your knitting. Do not attempt to be or do all things for all people.
* Dreams and wishes are not goals until they are written as specific end results on paper.
* Written specific goals provide direction and focus to your activities. They become a road map to follow.
* Being busy with activities does not pay, only results do. As in baseball you only get points for getting to the goal of home plate. Just making it to the bases does not count.
* It has been said that the amount of information available to us is now doubling in less than 30 months. We must learn to focus on only what is truly important to our self and our job.
* Be sure the goals and activities that you are working for are yours and that you really want and desire to achieve them. The commitment is vital to your success in achieving them.
* When you have a goal that is exciting to you, the life energy flows through you. You are excited about accomplishing it because it is personally meaningful.
* Create a time line or matrix chart on which you display your goals visually and the dates when you will have them accomplished.
* Continually look for ways to integrate or blend personal and professional goals.
* Setting a goal, that you believe is unattainable will result in frustration. To be challenging and motivating, goals must be perceived as realistic and attainable.
* Those people with dreams are the ones most likely to experience them.
* Set goals carefully for you will attain them. This also means if you set none, you will attain that.
* Goals, when thoughtfully set, can provide strong motivational direction.
* Clear cut, understandable and realistic objectives leading to the goal help to maintain the sense of realism and the hope of attainment of the goal.
* Establish measurement criteria to monitor progressive movement toward your goal. Then you will experience progress.
* Set goals that you will be proud to have achieved, then sense your having completed them.
* Have a vision that you know is unquestionably right and you will be internally driven to achieve that vision.
* A goal is "reasonable" when you can see the entire process needed to get to its attainment.
* Good planning assists in sensing reasonableness of challenging goals.
* Use picture goals.
* Develop an emotional reason why you should attain your goal.


How to make your hobby into a business
Life is a journey. Not just any journey, but the most fantastic journey in the universe. Life is a journey from where you are to where you want to be. You can choose your own destination. Not only that, you can choose how you are going to get there. Goal setting will help you end up where you want to be.
Here are some tips to make your hobby into a business
* 1. Register your business name by filing a "doing business as" statement with your local county clerk. * 2. Use business cards and stationary. * 3. Take out a company listing in the Yellow Pages. * 4. Keep a log of the business contacts you've seen during the year. * 5. Advertise in local papers. * 6. Send promotional mailings to prospective customers. * 7. Setup a business bank account. * 8. Get a business telephone. * 9. Buy a postage meter and a copying machine. * 10. Hire at least some part-time help


How to organize your paperwork
You can become a "self-publisher" by taking your material (book, manual, report, newsletter, etc.) and by-passing all the "middlemen" by going directly to a printer and handling all the marketing and distribution of the product yourself. As a self-publisher you invest your talent, time, energy and money. The benefits you receive are complete control over your product and all the profits! Here is a condensed version of 10 good reasons why you should self-publish.
1. Self publishing may be the only way to get published.
You may not be able to get anyone to professionally look at your idea. Self-publishing may be your only realistic solution at a given point in time.

2. As a self-publisher you get to keep all of the profits from your sales.
It's not a matter of greed; but ask yourself why you might settle for 4%-6% in royalties from a publishing company when you can have it all!

3. You have absolute marketing and editing control when you self-publish.
According to a Writer's Digest poll, 60% of the largest publishing firms do the final editing; 23% select the final title; 20% will not even consult an author on the cover design, and 37% do not involve authors in promoting their own material.

4. Major publishers may receive up to several hundred manuscripts a week.
Unless the have already published your work, the odds they will even look at your material aren't very high. There are thousands upon thousands of manuscripts, etc. being sent to publishers continually.

5. When you self-publish you are in control every step of the way.
By depending on another publisher to make things happen for you, you take the chance of never getting anywhere.

6. By self-publishing you gain a different perspective.
You will be able to see the complete marketing picture from a publisher's point of view, and gain the credibility of "walking the talk" regarding something creative that you believe in.

7. Self-publishing will save you valuable time.
Even if a publisher did accept your work, it takes an average of 18 months before the first copy reached the market place. This can become a toleration, especially if you can't afford to miss a market that may quickly pass by.

8. Self-publishing eliminates the waiting and wondering.
Waiting for a letter from a publisher that may never come can be a frustrating and embarrassing experience. Self-publishing is a proactive process!

9. You get more directly involved in the entire process.
When you self-publish and get more directly involved in marketing you will obtain a more total business picture, and develop greater skills than you otherwise would have.

10. As a self-publisher you will receive greater business tax advantages.
This can be important - especially if it means off-setting some of the income received from the sale of your work; something royalties alone cannot provide!

How to Promote Your Website
Many people believe that if you open a Web site, customers show up automatically. It just ain't so. You must drive customers to your site. That requires some work and a plan.
1. Get prominent listings on search engines and in Web directories.
The key word here is prominent. When Alta Vista returns 70,000 listings to someone searching for your type of product, you don't want to be buried on the bottom. You want to be in the first page of results. For most Web sites, search engines and directories are the most important sources of qualified visitors. They account for 70 percent or more of the visitors to many sites.

2. Rent or collect "opt-in" e-mail addresses and e-mail invitations to your prospects.
"Opt-in" lists consist of people who have asked to receive e-mail about a specific subject. One country music site rented three separate e-mail lists of country music fans, combined them, and e-mailed an announcement about a country music contest. Within eight hours, 11.6 percent of
recipients visited the site. A week later, 30 percent had visited. E-mail lists like these are one of the best ways to build traffic quickly.

3. Beg, swap, or buy links to your site from other sites your prospects visit
Associations, educational sites, and other companies are likely candidates for links. What other Web sites do your prospects visit? See if you can get a text link from those sites to yours. Over time, they could send you a steady stream of highly qualified visitors. Sometimes you can get a link from another site just
by asking. Try that approach first. Most of the time, however, you'll scratch their backs and they'll scratch yours as each of you adds links to the other. If the other site's visitors are valuable enough to you, you might even offer to pay for a link.

4. Promote your site URL offline everywhere you can
You ve seen other people s URLs (Web site addresses) on buses, billboards, t-shirts, and TV commercials. You can do the same with yours. Put it on your letterhead, business cards, and checks--anyplace you print a phone number. Make sure all your employees include your Web address in their e-mail signature files.

5. Send e-mail and "snail mail" press releases to announce your site.
When you launch your site, add something, or hold a special activity on your site, you can generate traffic through press coverage. Press releases are cheap, and they can produce stories in both electronic and traditional media. Those stories send a temporary burst of visitors to you, and the leads are qualified because the respondents are interested in the topic of your release.

6. Swap or buy banner advertisements on other sites.
As opposed to text links (#3, above), banner ads deliver short-term bursts of visitors to your site. That can be expensive, but there are services that swap banner space on your site in exchange for displaying your banners on other sites. Swapped banners usually generate less-qualified traffic than targeted banner ads, but they cost much less.

7. Pay commissions to affiliates who send customers to you.
You may have noticed that some Web sites have recommended reading lists, and when you click on the title, you are sent to a page selling that book on Amazon.com. This is no accident. If you buy the book from that page, Amazon pays a commission to the site that referred you. Those commissions have resulted in more than 50,000 sites selling millions of books for Amazon. Obviously, that method of driving traffic is suitable only if you, like Amazon, sell your products on the Web. An affiliate program of that sort is more complicated to set up than other traffic-driving methods, but it delivers the most rewarding visitors of all: paying customers. You don't pay for "clickthrough lookie-loos"; you pay only when somebody buys your product.

8. Carefully promote your site on newsgroups, chat lines, and e-mail discussion lists.
The key word here is carefully. Discussion groups can be worthwhile, but only if you move slowly and keep your eyes open. If you don't watch your step, this method can be the quickest way of alienating
your prospects instead of attracting them. The reason is that online discussions tend to attract the people who are passionately interested in a topic. If you become a valued contributor to a discussion, not selling your products overtly but just answering questions, other participants may spread good electronic word-of-mouth about your company. This technique often translates into
increased traffic on your Web site--and sales. Conversely, if you pepper online discussions with sales announcements, participants will get angry and drive traffic away from you.

9. Buy sponsorships of sites or pages that your prospects visit.
Whereas banners are short-term traffic-drivers, sponsorships are long-term, suitable for driving ongoing traffic. You sponsor a page, an article, or a section of a site for a specified time period, say a month or a year, perhaps longer. You usually pay per time period, regardless of how many visitors see the content that you sponsor. If you have chosen to sponsor content that's related to your prospects' needs, the response should be strong, and your site will be swamped with qualified visitors. Another benefit of sponsorship: It blocks competitors from running banners in your sponsored area.

10. TIP
Tip: Don't Spam your prospects! All those e-mail messages you receive promising, "One million e-mail addresses for $20!!!" and similar stuff fall into the Spam category. If you buy or rent a list like this, beware. One marketer purchased 27 million addresses but, after removing duplicates, found that only 2.2 percent of them were actual addresses, and half of those were unusable. The names on such lists are not selected because they are interested in your product or service, so they are marginal prospects at best. The people have not asked to receive e-mail, so many will be irritated by your message, and some may retaliate. If you want to grow your business by building relationships with repeat buyers, Spam is not for you.


10 keys of an effective International Marketing Plan
1. KNOW YOUR TARGET MARKET
Select your market (country) based on the need you perceive for your product in that market. To find out IF there is a need for your product there are several sources you can tap: That country's embassy or consulate. Embassies are generally in Washington D.C., and depending on the size of the country, consulates are located in major or strategic cities around the USA. The local library. Find o t if they are on-line. If so, they might have access to a National Trade Data Base (NTDB) which is updated monthly. You can also subscribe to their service and receive monthly CD Rom.

2. KNOW YOUR COMPETITION
Find out who your competitors here in the USA are and where they export to. Who are their distributors or sales outlets in your target country. Find out who potential local competitors are in that country and where their products originate from. Find out pricing information if you can. Again, embassies and consulates as well as that country's trade mission (if any) and their chamber of commerce (here and local) may be helpful.

3. SHOULD YOU GO INTO THAT MARKET?
Now that you have this basic information you need to decide if it will be worth your effort to proceed with this country. Usually the decision to market in a new country has far reaching effects on product development, pricing, financial and staffing. Do you need to conform to special laws and standards? (i.e. ISO 9000, metric etc.). Does your product come under export restrictions? (strategic high tech products). Does your product require specially trained technical support? Do you need to translate documentation? (Warning! Translations need to be done into the translator's native language; he/she must be familiar with your industry).

4. DISTRIBUTOR vs [OWN] SALES REPS
Should you market your product yourself, or through a distribution network. Using your own sales reps means they are your employees and therefore you have "control" over their sales efforts. It also gives you "presence" in that country. The downside is, that it is expensive, you pay them whether you sell anything or not. Unless you are there physically you don't really have "control" over their activities and there is a ramp up time since most likely they don't hit the ground running. Distributors, in contrast, are established companies with their own presence, infra structure and [hopefully] success. They are already staffed and have a market established and they may have already a pipeline (prospects) for your product. The downside is, that they usually represent many other products as well.

5. HOW TO CHOOSE A DISTRIBUTOR
The U.S. embassy in that country can help locate distributor candidates for you. There is a fee associated with that; check with the Department of Commerce (DOC). You can also check trade directories for the Region (where available) and local trade publications for ads from distributors. You may want to ask another company which has similar products to yours (not competitive) and find out who they are using in that country. That country's embassy/consulate often has such directories as well. After you contact potential distributors find out who they are representing, how many products, how many sales reps they have, what their annual volume is, what they feel the market for your product might be, if they have technical support people (if that's what's needed for your product). When you have interviewed several potential distributors (on the phone, fax or e-mail), spend the money and visit the country and meet them personally. You will also get a first hand feel for the market. That is very important. You may want the same distributor represent you in several countries. (i.e. all that use the same language such as Austria, Germany and parts of Switzerland). Be cognizant of cultural and language differences! It, might however, be better to have one distributor for each country (not all eggs in one basket). In South East Asia it is different. Often one distributor has several countries because the markets may be small (Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia etc.).

6. AGREEMENTS
It is of utmost importance that you execute a distributorship agreement (or sales rep agreement) which has been reviewed by an attorney with international contract experience. It should contain, aside from the boiler plate clauses, length of term, information to what degree the distributor has the right to disclose information, pricing policies, discount policies, technical support policy, training, customer training, who pays for documentation, translations (if applicable), commissions and/or royalties, and sales quotas. If a distributor wants and gets exclusive geographic rights, then quota requirements are a must. If distributor does not make quota for a specified number of times, h can lose the distributorship or the exclusive status. Establish policy on multi-national accounts, "house" accounts, third party sell, etc. Will you provide sample product and/or demonstration products?

7. SUPPORT
You have to consider what kind of support your distributor or sales rep will get. If it is an "easy" product may be very little technical support is required. High tech products like hardware and software require skilled technical support not only from you to the distributor but also from the distributor to the customer. You need to maintain a state-of- the-art level of support at the distributor level. For that he either needs to attend training at your location here in the USA or you need to provide that training at his location. Who pays for it? (needs to be in the agreement). US Manufacturers often provide frequent visits to their distributors. Some technical support visits, some marketing/sales political visits.

8. POTENTIAL FOR YOUR PRODUCT(S)
Establish what the potential market for your product is. Although a variety of market research may be available from the country's embassy/consulate or DOC, trade publications etc. you may have to do some reach yourself through local channels. What is the "life" for your product? Is it something consumers will purchase on a long term continual basis or is it a seasonal product or fad. Is it a capital purchase which requires regular maintenance long term. Is there residual income from maintenance, support, value added services?

9. COST OF MARKETING OVERSEAS
When putting together the marketing plan, cost of marketing overseas is a major consideration. If you decide to market in one country, how much more expensive would it be to market to a number of countries in the same region. Cost factors are travel and related expenses, regional and local trade shows, local training, documentation, translations, added technical and other support, communication cost (tel/fax), licensing (export and local), adaptation to local standards and laws (i.e. 220V/50Hz), conversion of CCIR and not the U.S. format).

10. LONG TERM COMMITMENT
When a decision is made to sell a product in foreign markets, it is a long term commitment. The first 12-18 months are difficult at best and most likely will not show our company and product must build a customer confidence. Only a long term commitment will provide this. When making a marketing plan, it should contain sales and cost figures for at least 5 years, which are updated annually and reviewed quarterly. If approached properly, a comprehensive business plan is essential.


How to Work Effectively At Home
Most of the suggestions below use external means to keep you working, instead of going down the willpower track, which is fraught with effort!
1. Have deadlines with a consequence.
Ouch. When one HAS to get something done, they usually do.

2. Have a buddy, colleague, coach or staff members who keep you focused.
Rely on others to help you stay focused and productive.

3. If you don't love what you do, change it so that you do.
Then, you don't need to TRY to stay focused, because you'll naturally be.

4. Develop a schedule/routine, or not.
Some folks work better with a schedule, others don't. Get to know YOUR style and preference, which by the way, may change with the seasons.

5. Train your family members what work time means.
Lock the home office door if that doesn't work.

6. Make your home office absolutely perfect.
A great home office will naturally keep you focused.

7. Keep your beverages/snacks close at hand.
If you leave your home office to go to the frig, you may get distracted by what's going on in the rest of your house.

8. Set daily goals.
And time line your day, if that works for you.

9. Get off to a great start for the day.
Whether it's a walk, or time with the paper, or a cup of coffee or tea, have your rising/getting started routine something that you genuinely like!

10. Have something interesting/exciting to work on for the next day.
The afternoon/night before, have something you're looking forward to working for the next day. This will get you into the home office. If you don't have something exciting to work on the next day, invent something that is exciting.


How to work effectively in a home office
There are many successful home business models ranging from total chaos to very structured. So there is no single recipe that must be followed to be successful. Many home businesses are started by refugees from corporate America who are used to the structure and socialization aspects of the corporation. For these owners, the following secrets will help provide the structure they may need when they first start.
1. Negotiate an agreement with the other inhabitants and live up to that agreement.
Frequently there is a re-entry problem with the other inhabitants. Your spouse may be used to being alone during the day, and may be unhappy with your increased presence. Have a kick-off meeting to negotiate an agreement that will avoid conflict.

2. Set aside a separate area for the business.
If possible, dedicate a room or part of the basement to the business. This helps everyone feel that the home is still a home. It also provides a basis for a home office income tax deduction.

3. Schedule separate blocks of work time and free time.
There can be many distractions during the day. It is helpful if you have a schedule for the day so you can minimize interruptions and distractions.

4. Start every work day at the scheduled time
Form a habit of starting on time and keeping to the schedule. This makes it easier to minimize distractions.

5. Don't sleep late or watch daytime TV during work time.
It's tempting sometimes, but successful businesses are built on the days that you don't feel like it, not on the days that you do feel like it.

6. Wear your work uniform when you are working.
When I started my consulting practice, I found it helpful to dress business casual (for men this is wearing a tie without a food stain). It made me feel more like I was supposed to be working.

7. Work on high value tasks during your peak productive hours.
Most people have specific part of the day that they are more productive. I find my optimum schedule is to start about one hour after sunrise, work continuously for four hours, then go out. I can work another two hours after I return. That six hour work schedule has consistently produced more work product than I used to produce in two days in the corporate environment.

8. Accomplish your Single Daily Action before you finish the workday.
Have a Single Daily Action every day which is the most important action for that day. When you are starting your practice, this is likely to be marketing-related.

9. Build a supportive community and nurture it every day.
I think the chief complaint about home business is that it can get lonely and isolated. Make it a practice to talk to people every day, even when your focus is on completing an important project.

10. Manage your thoughts.
Sometimes it is easy to become discouraged and/or negative. Create a method of maintaining a realistic positive outlook and reenergizing yourself when the voice of your Evil Twin intrudes.



Internet Business Guides, Tips andNew Ideas
1. To making money on the Internet
Read this guide before you start your online business. It covers the basic essentials of an Internet based business.

2. Getting Top Search Engine Positioning
Over 80% of Web users find what they are looking for by visiting the top 6 search engines. Here's a guide that will teach you how to position your web site at the top of search engine results.

3. How to Make Money With Reseller Programs
"The Seven Keys to Success for Affiliates", an excerpt from Declan Dunn's excellent book "Winning the affiliate game".

4. How to Promote Your Website
You have a website, but it isn't getting the number of visitors you'd like. What can you do to stimulate traffic? Here's 9 items you need to consider. While we're not breaking any new ground here, we've tried to summarize some of the most important techniques.

5.Email Marketing Methods
Email is one of the best marketing tools available to web marketers, here's how you can use it to your advantage.

6. Online Business Links
A list of links pointing to some very good guides and articles covering many aspects of online business.

7. List of Media Email Addresses
One of the most cost effective ways to get the word out about your online business is to send press releases to the media via email. Here's a list of email addresses of media contacts that will accept your press releases.

8. Free Internet Marketing Software and Tools (valued at $195)
Click Here! to download for free a package of Internet marketing software programs and useful tools. You'll also discover here a unique system to help you make money on the Web, this system seem to be working tremendously well for a considerable number of people. Highly recommended!

9. Discover the Amazing Formula that Sells Products Like Crazy!
I stumbled across a very simple formula anyone can use to sell products like crazy. Marlon Sanders convinced me. It will work for you or triple your money back!

10. Have a business homepage in Smilefast.com
We make your business faster, easier and more intuitive. From now you can customize and automate your business. Smilefast.com makes your business sense now and for ever.



Most Common Mistakes in Selling
Do you wish that your quest for clients and customers were more fruitful? It will be if you avoid falling into these common traps.
1. Does selling often feel like begging?
Too often, salespeople fail to think of their time with a prospect as an interview to find out whether the prospect qualifies to do business with their company. Instead of asking the questions that will determine whether it's possible to move the prospect to the level of customer, salespeople often find themselves hoping...wishing...and even begging for the opportunity to "just show my wares" and maybe make a sale.

Think of yourself as a doctor instead. A physician examines the patient thoroughly before making a recommendation, using various instruments to conduct the examination. In selling, questions are the instrument to conduct a qualifying examination of the prospect.

2. Do you talk too much?
Salespeople who are too focused on their pitch end up dominating the time with a prospect with their talk, while the prospect must listen (whether they're interested or not. As a result, for every hour spent in front of a prospect, five minutes is spent selling the product or service - and 55 minutes saying things that might actually be buying it back. Result: no order, canceled order or "I'll think it over."

The 80/20 Rule (80 percent of your business comes from 20 percent of your clients) applies to selling, as well. The goal should be to get the prospect to do 80 percent of the talking, while you do only 20 percent.

3. Do you make too many presumptions?
Most companies are no longer in the business of selling products but of providing solutions. This is fine, except that often salespeople try to tell the prospect the solution before they even understand the problem. If salespeople were held accountable for their solutions, as doctors are for their prescriptions, they would be forced - at the risk of malpractice - to examine the problem thoroughly before proposing a cure. The salesperson must ask questions up front to get a complete understanding of the prospect's perspective.

4. Do you answer unasked questions?
When a customer says something like, "Your price is too high," salespeople often switch into a defensive mode. They'll begin a lengthy speech on quality or value, or they might respond with a concession or price reduction. If customers can get a discount by merely making a statement, they will reason that they shouldn't buy before trying something more powerful to get an even better price. "Your price is too high" is not a question; it does not require an answer.

5. Do you fail to get the prospect to reveal budget up front?
How can the salesperson possibly propose a solution without knowing the prospect's priority on a problem? Knowing whether money has been allocated for a project can help distinguish someone who is ready to solve a problem from someone who is merely fishing around. The amount of money the prospect is willing to invest to solve a problem will help determine whether a solution is feasible, and if so, which approach will be best

6. Do you make too many follow-up calls?
Whether because of a stubborn attitude that every prospect can be fumed into a customer or ignorance that a sale is truly dead, salespeople sometimes spend too much time chasing accounts that don't qualify for a product or service. This fact should have been detected far earlier in the sales interview process

7. Do you fail to get a prospect's commitment to purchase before making a presentation?
Salespeople jump too easily at any opportunity to show how smart they are by making a presentation about their product's or service's features and benefits. They forget their true goal - to make a sale - and end up merely educating their prospects, who then have all the information they need to buy from a competitor.

8. Do you chat about everything and avoid starting the sale?
Building rapport is essential, but not if the small talk doesn't end and the sale doesn't begin. Unfortunately, the prospect usually recognizes this before the salesperson. The result: the salesperson is back on the street wondering how he or she did with that prospect.

9. Do you prefer to hear "I want to think it over" rather than "no"?
Prospects frequently end a sales interview with the standard "think it over" line. The salesperson often accepts this indecision. It's easier to tell a manager or convince yourself that the prospect may buy in the future than to admit that the prospect is not a qualified candidate for the product or service. After all, isn't it the salesperson's job to go out and get prospects to say yes? Getting the prospect to say no can make you feel rejected or a failure. But a no allows you to go on to more promising prospects.

10. Do you hove a systematic approach to selling?
When you find yourself ad-libbing or pursuing a hit-or-miss approach to a sale, the prospect controls the selling process. Salespeople who are disorganized in their presentation often leave a sales call confused and unsure of where they stand. This happens because they don't know where they have been and what the next step should be. Following a specific sequence, and controlling the steps through the selling process, is vital to an organized, professional sales effort.


to getfreePR/media coverage for yourself or your business
1. Send out 1,000 press releases and/or press kits to everybody.
Include a great portrait photo and/or action shot of your product or service. PROVE that it's legitimate as best you can. The media WILL cover stuff as long as they aren't afraid it will come back to make THEM look bad.

2. Focus on the benefits, novelty-ness, timeliness, newsworthiness of your product or service.
Don't try to sell it! Tell it, instead. Stand in the shoes of the jaded/suspicious/bored person reading your press release/press kit and ask yourself how you can make THIS appealing to THEM! Give it a twist.

3. Create a STORY around your product or service.
Did you lose your shirt at something, but then CAME BACK to make a lot of money? (turnaround...) Did you start to create one product, but ended up with another? (fate/chance...)

4. Link your product or service to something else that IS newsworthy.
For example, if the trend is entrepreneur ism/home based offices, what do YOU have or do that supports folks doing this?

5. Link your product to the Web/Internet.
Creating an online product/service, take an existing profession and make it cyber-oriented one, etc.

6. Create controversy.
Sue somebody. Get sued by somebody. Challenge someone well known. Go against the status quo; David vs Goliath, etc. Add your two cents worth to an existing controversy. Make fun of an institution/spoof them. Call a press conference.

7. Give an award or give something away.
If you don't have the credibility needed, create an "institution/organization" that will get it for you. Or give $1,000 to the local NEEDY/DESPERATE charity, etc. Give SOMETHING interesting away to a group that is INTERESTING.

8. Issue a report or survey or index/measure.
These work. And as an unusual example, create a HIGHLY VALUABLE measure of the human condition, like the Happiness Index or the Misery Index or SOMETHING that tells us more about ourselves in a surprising way. The nice thing about a survey/report/annual pool is that you'll likely get lots of coverage out of it, perhaps even long term if it's annual.

9. Help the reporters do their job.
Return their calls within an hour. Have background info on you or your firm available for faxing. Answer their questions; don't try to convince them of anything. Be gracious but not too friendly.
Always know the 3 major points that you want to get across and find a way to weave these in AS YOU ANSWER THEIR questions.


Starting a Small Business
Going into Business
1. Are You the Type?
The first question you should answer after recognizing that there are two sides to the prospect of establishing your own business is "Am I the type?" You will be your most important employee. It is more important that you rate yourself objectively than how you rate any prospective employee. Appraise your strengths and your weaknesses. As a prospective operator of your own business, acknowledge that you are weak in certain areas and cover the deficiency by either retraining yourself or hiring someone with the necessary skill. Numerous studies have been made of small business managers over the years. Many look at traits and characteristics that appear common to most people who start their own businesses. Other studies focus on characteristics that seem to appear frequently in successful owner-managers. First, consider those characteristics that seem to distinguish the person who opens a business from the person who works for someone else. These studies investigated successful and unsuccessful owners, some of whom went bankrupt several times. Some were successful only after the second or third try. The characteristics they share might almost be said to predispose a person into trying to start a business. Of course, not all of these characteristics appear in every small business owner-manager, but the following seem to be most predominate.

2. Strong Opinions and Attitudes
People who start their own business may be members of different political parties, feel differently about religion, economics and other issues. They are like everyone else. The difference is they usually feel and express themselves more strongly. This is consistent. If you are going to risk your money and time in your own business you must have a strong feeling that you will be successful. As you will see later, these strong feelings may also cause problems. If you want to start your own business you probably have mixed feelings about authority. You know the manager must have authority to get things done, but you're not comfortable working under someone. This may also have been your attitude in a scholastic, family or other authority structure. If you want to open you own business you are likely to have a strong "Need for Achievement". This "Need for Achievement" is a psychologist's term for motivation and is usually measured by tests. It can be an important factor in success. The person who wouldn't think of starting a business, might call you a plunger, a gambler, a high risk taker. Yet you probably don't feel that about yourself. Studies have shown that very often the small business owner doesn't differ from anyone else in risk avoidance or aversion when measured on tests. At first thought this seems unreasonable since logic tells us that it is risky to open your own business. An Ohio State professor once explained this apparent contradiction very simply. "When a person starts and manages his own business he doesn't see risks; he sees only factors that he can control to his advantage." If you possess these traits to some degree or other it doesn't mean you will be successful, only that you will very likely start your own business. Some of these characteristics in excess may actually hamper you if you are not careful. The characteristics that appear most frequently among "successful" small business managers include drive, thinking ability, competence in human relations, communications skills and technical knowledge. Drive, as defined in the study, is composed of responsibility, vigor, initiative, persistence and health. Thinking ability consists of original, creative, critical, and analytical thinking. Competency in human relations means emotional stability, sociability, good personal relations, consideration, cheerfulness, cooperation. and tactfulness. Important communications skills include verbal comprehension, and oral and written communications. Technical knowledge is the manager's comprehension of the physical process of producing goods or services, and the ability to use the information purposefully. Motivation or drive has long been considered as having an important effect on performance. Psychologists now claim you can increase the motivation and the personal capacities that will improve your effectiveness and increase your chances for success. Much of the development of such achievement motivation depends on setting the right kind of goals for yourself.

3. What Business Should You Choose?
Many of you have already decided what business to choose. Others may still be seeking answers from counselors. Whether you have decided or not, you will find it helpful to continue your self-evaluation. Begin by summarizing your background and experience. Include jobs. schooling, and hobbies. Then write down what you think you would like to do. Does what you would like to do match up with what you have done? It is helpful if your experience and training can be put to direct use in your new enterprise. What are your prospective needs? What are your prospective customers' needs? You may make money doing something you don't like if people will pay for it. On the other hand, you will never make money if people don t need your product or service no matter how happy you are doing it. Experts have said more companies fail because they are in the wrong business than because they are "doing business wrong". Read, listen to the experts, talk to business people, try to determine where growth will occur. Most new businesses can only get customers by taking them away from someone else, or by attracting new people entering the area. In other words, don't start a contracting business in a community where the population is decreasing even if you are a good contractor. At this point, try to match your background and interests with what you see the needs to be. If they match, wonderful. Now all you have to do is discover how to offer the customers more for their money than do your competitors. If the needs and your background don't match, don't despair. Get training by working in a company that provides a product or service that is needed. Find a job in a well managed, successful company of the kind you are contemplating. Then absorb as much management know-how as you can while learning the technical skills. Education can help too. While there may be no educational requirements for starting your own business, the more schooling you have along the right lines the better equipped you should be. (Some fields require licenses, certificates, even degrees in specific educational areas.) Certainly it is helpful if you have had courses in record keeping, sales and communication. These needn't be college or even high school courses. They can come from adult education programs and the like. Is there a need for what you want to sell or do? Are you prepared to fill that need? Are you interested in the area? Can you learn what you need to? Will there be a continuing and growing need for your product or service?

4. Your Chances of Success
What are your chances of success if you go into business? New businesses are always being started. Almost as many are failing or being discontinued. A year of poor business conditions is likely to be followed by a greater than average number of failures or closings. A year of good business conditions tends to be followed by large increases in the total number of businesses. In general, the number of firms increases with increases in human population, total personal income and per capita income and since these factors have increased regularly, the total number of small businesses usually rises every year. This growth is not free of growing pains, however. At the same time new businesses are being born other businesses are being discontinued. Some of these discontinuances are legally business failures; other owners give up to avoid or minimize losses and are not failures in the strict sense. Still others discontinue for reasons such as the death or retirement of the proprietor, the dissolution of a partnership, or the sale of the business to a new owner. Younger businesses tend to discontinue first. Many do not make it through the first year. The discontinuation rate of those that survive this first year "burn-in" declines steadily until at the end of several years the rate has dropped dramatically. So, your chances of success improve the longer you stay in business. Poor management is the largest single cause of business failure. Year after year, the lack of managerial experience and aptitude has accounted for around 90 percent of all failures analyzed by Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. Many factors may adversely affect individual firms over which owners have little control. In such cases, the astute manager can often soften the blow or, sometimes, change adversity into an asset. Examples of factors over which the owner has little control are overall poor business conditions, relocations of highways, sudden style changes, the replacement of existing products by new ones, and local labor situations. While these factors may cause some businesses to close, they may represent opportunities for others. A local market place may decline in importance at the same time new shopping centers are developing. Sudden changes in style or the replacement of existing products may bring trouble to certain businesses but open doors for new ones. Adverse employment situations in some areas may be offset by favorable situations in others. Ingenuity in taking advantage of changing consumer desires and technological improvements will always be rewarded. In the final analysis, it is up to you. Will your management be competent? Will you be able to judge, and then satisfy, your customers' wants? Can you do this accurately and quickly enough to more than compensate for risks due to factors beyond your control? Such accomplishment requires expert management.

5. Your Return on Investment
Will the rate of return on the money you invest in your business be greater than the rate you could receive if you invested your money elsewhere? While your decision to go into business for yourself may not depend entirely upon this, it is a factor which should interest you. Too frequently people invest money in their own businesses under the misapprehension that the financial return will be far greater than the return from other investments. Investigation of the average annual returns in the line of business in which you are interested may be worthy of your time. Your decision to go into business may not depend entirely on financial rewards. The size of the potential return on your investment may be overshadowed by your desire for independence, the chance to do the type of work you would like to do, the opportunity to live in the part of the country or city you prefer, or the feeling that you can be more useful to the community than you would be if you continued working for someone else. Do not overlook such intangible considerations. But remember, you cannot keep your own business open unless you receive an adequate financial return on your investment.


Ten E-Mail Courtesy Tips For Businesses
1. Answer your e-mail and answer it promptly. The Internet is FAST. It gives people information in a much shorter amount of time than having to go through a more traditional route of finding what they want. Customers expect FAST replies. An appropriate response time in my opinion should be 48 hours. No longer. If you wait a month to answer a request from a customer - forget it. They are GONE.

2. In addition to regular inquiries, answer your customer *complaints* immediately. Within 24 hours. Nothing irritates a consumer more than to order from you, receive a product with a problem, then have to wait over a week for your reply as to how they should handle the situation. If you wait longer than one day to respond to a customer with a complaint, you might as well kiss future sales to that person goodbye. Even if you don’t know what the customer and/or you can do to rectify the problem, at least make contact with the customer. Assure them you are working on it, and then DO IT. There aren’t too many *easy* sales on the net - you have to work for them, and this is one way you can accomplish your objective.

3. Address letters to your customer or potential customer in a business-like manner. Dear “Mr./Mrs. So & So” will suffice. When addressing other businesses on the net and you don’t know the name of a contact person, try something like “ATTN: Director of Marketing”.

4. If you offer something FREE for the client, whether it be information or a sample product, be sure to send it. If it is to be sent via e-mail, send it the SAME DAY. If you are not able to send information daily as it is requested, use an auto-responder. Don’t wait two weeks until the potential customer forgets they’ve ever heard of you. If you are sending a free sample, send it the SAME WEEK. Customers would expect a snail-mail package or product to arrive slower than e-mail, but no longer than a week.

5. When sending an unsolicited marketing pitch to a potential customer via e-mail, keep it short. I learned this the hard way. :)) Now, my pitch goes something like this -- “If you’d like to consider a unique, personal, and colorful advertisement for your company -- and at a reasonable price compared to traditional online advertisers -- please e-mail me or visit my web site for more information.” That way if the prospect is interested, the pitch isn’t forced on them before they’re ready. They can look at their leisure. Which is what you want them to do, so they’ll have the proper time to consider your offer. And of course, it doesn’t hurt to comment positively on their web site and give your impressions. :) It also will help if you buy one of the company’s products while you are visiting.

6. If someone mails you a pitch and you’re not interested in the product or service, don’t blast them will a slew of obscenities. If you’re not interested, don’t answer. Or maybe consider replying in this fashion: “Dear Mr. So & So, Thank you for making me aware of your fine service. I am not currently in a position to employ such services, but will definitely keep you in mind if and when I decide to do so. And since you visited my site, I’d like to offer you a free copy of___________ (or free sample of our most popular herb) (or 10% discount on our gold watches, good for this week only).” What does this do? It turns the selling party into a potential buying party. For one, they will appreciate the fact you took time for a personal reply. And they might just buy your discounted product!

7. If someone gives you an award, recognition, or other form of positive communication, THANK THEM. And do so promptly. That person giving that award or special mention of your company name didn’t *have* to take the time to do it. You can assure great future relations if you immediately zip them off an e-mail expressing your thanks. After all, how long does it take? Three seconds to type “thank you” and hit “send”.

8. Follow through. If you are corresponding with a customer via e-mail on a situation, be sure to keep the contact going until the situation is resolved. The customer will appreciate your attentiveness to both them and whatever the situation might be.

9. Never, ever, ever address the customer by the *wrong name*. Always look at their letter, observe the spelling of their name, and get it right. A person’s name is an individual trait, specific to them. When addressed by the wrong name, or misspelled name, people tend to feel they don’t mean much to you, or you are showing lack of attention to detail -- not a good trait for an online vendor to display.

10. Always remember...the way in which you deal with people online - either within e-mail, on mailing lists or newsgroups -- will reflect back to you. If you make negative comments about another online vendor, the customer could lose respect for you as a business person. After all, who’s to say the next negative remark won’t be made about *that customer*?


TO MAKING MONEY ON THE INTERNET
#1. Provide Value
Let's look at two of the most successful online ventures: Yahoo and Amazon.com. Why are they so successful? They provide tremendous value to the Web. That's what they've been doing all along. Your website must provide free resources, foster a sense of community and show real value to your visitors. Without useful information and real content, your website will just be background noise. Provide real value and the revenues will follow.

#2. Quality Presentation
Providing content, community, and utility is not enough. It must be presented well. Quality means fast, clear web design that looks good and is easy to understand. It should be easy on the eyes, as well as the brain. Your users will make quick determinations about the quality of your site. High quality will result in repeat visitors and more traffic. The word about your awesome site will spread!

#3. Be Unique
Your site must be unique. You should own something no one else has. In most Internet business opportunities you're nothing but pitching something you don't even know anything about with a web site that looks exactly like thousands of others. It's depressing to see people waste their money promoting some "get rich quick scheme" or advertising the same programs as everyone else. Not to mention those rip-off cybermalls. So, if you don't have your own unique website which fosters the Five C's (content, community, consistency, capability and commerce) then you're nothing but a cyber-static sales pitch.

#4. Build Your Brand
Why is Yahoo! valued at 10 times more than Infoseek? It's their brand name. Yahoo! is now virtually synonymous with the Internet. Amazon.com has also attained great name recognition. Both companies have formed a name that people can easily remember and with a comfortable ring to it. Today the key success factor is not about gaining market share, but rather gaining "mind share." This means brand recognition. Your name needs to be catchy and meaningful. Your name needs to express a feeling or image in the mind of the consumer. For example, the name Yahoo! is exciting and makes me feel like I've struck gold. The name Amazon.com paints a picture in my head of a vast and great jungle where anything is possible.

#5. E-commerce
Let's face it. E-Commerce is here to stay. According to Forrester Research, Online retail sales will hit $108 billion by 2003. Your site must have a fully-functional E-commerce system built into it. It's expected if you want to actually make sales through the web. Visitors need to be able to purchase your product or service at any time with just a click of a button. Your site needs to make shopping a fast, fun and easy experience. Cater to the impulse buyer and provide a simple yet effective shopping cart system. How else do you expect to make any money on the Net?

#6. Form Affiliations
One of Amazon's biggest success factors is their affiliate program. Wherever we go there's an Amazon book being sold on a website. It is so important to form solid partnerships and affiliations. Set up your own affiliate program and you might just see your profits soar. Develop joint venture partnerships with those web sites that fit with the "theme" of your business. Remember, you won't survive very long if you're trying to do it all by yourself.

#7. Technological Knowledge
No one accomplishes all of the above key factors without substantial technical know-how -- or at least ready access to it. It goes without saying Yahoo! and Amazon.com have many very technically savvy people on staff. Surely you wouldn't expect to build a substantial online business without doing the same. Of course, you don't have to be a programmer, but you must have access to those people who can support you technically.

#8. Promote
Advertise! Promote! Tell the world about your site! And I don't mean spam. I'm talking about a constant, strategic and aggressive promotion by using opt-in lists, ezine advertising, classified advertising, search engines, targeted email marketing and other online promotional tools. Advertise on the radio, newspapers, and television. You have to let everyone know that you exist and that you mean business. A web site is, in reality, infinitesimal bits of data buried in a computer. It only means anything if people come see your site.

#9. Patience
You have to be patient and think long-term. It takes a lot of hard work to be successful and it won't happen overnight. Plan ahead. Focus on your strategy and develop the right moves for the right time. Take your business step by step and you'll be greatly rewarded. I see too many people trying to make that fast, quick buck without putting much work into it. It's just not going to happen that way.

#10. Investment
In order to reach your goals and dreams, you have to invest time and money. If you're short on finances, then try to gather friends, family or investors to fund your project. If you think you have a really great idea then you should approach angel investors and venture capital firms. According to the Small Business Administration, angel investors pour as much as $20 billion a year into some 30,000 small companies.


Keys To Small Business Success
1. Stay current
Join an industry association related to your product or offering. Subscribe to all the magazines that cover your business. (They are tax deductible!) Look at joining an organization like NASE ( National Association of Self employed). They have great sources of advice and information as well as great discounts on insurance, rental cars, and other business expenses. Read and constantly be researching topics about your business. It's easy on the internet!

2.Make sure you have a financial plan
Also a budget and a measurement process to keep track of how you are doing monthly. If you don't know where you stand financially and have no short term and long term financial goals, then you are just letting fate dictate your success and we know those odds aren't too good. Control your own destiny!

3. Cash forecasting
It sounds boring and difficult, but it's not. Keep it simple. Look at your next 3 months projected income or revenue, then just lay next to it all the expenditures you need to keep the business running. The difference is your cash flow. You must do this to avoid surprises. Most businesses hit the brick wall because they fail to understand their cash flow.

4. Get an advisory board or a mentor
Sounds crazy for a small operation? It's not! The board can be family members that you trust, or friends. Ask them to be your board of directors and review your business plans and results with them. Having someone to bounce ideas off and get an objective opinion is critical. Or, hire a Business Coach.

5. Maintain a balance between work, play and family
This is critical for long term success. We all put in crazy hours on a short term basis to get a hot project done or the product out the door, but if you do this on a long term, regular basis it is a dangerous sign that you are losing perspective. You need to be able to step away on a regular basis and get your batteries re-charged. And also have time for family because if they suffer it is almost a sure bet your business will suffer too.

6. Network
It's easy to get isolated in a home business or your own small business operation. Force yourself to get out and meet with others that can provide a business support structure for you. One of the benefits of a corporation is the workings of teams and the on going support structure it provides. You need to create that for yourself. Don't think you can do it all by yourself; By talking to others in business you will find out great ideas and it will help motivate you.

7. Discipline/Motivation
One of the hardest aspects of a small business or home based business is creating the discipline or motivation to work each day. It is so easy to get distracted and put off the essential tasks that need to get done. Keep your work place and hours separate from the rest of your responsibilities. Develop a to-do list EVERYDAY. Set goals for the week. Review how you are doing against them. We all struggle with this and it is one of the key elements of success.

8. Don't rest on your laurels
Be prepared to always change. Force change. Look for things to do more efficiently or how to improve your offering or product. Constantly evaluate your competition and benchmark yourself against them.

9. Do something you love
If you are in a business that you hate, then it is a good bet you won't be successful. Find where your true talents and skills are and get in a business that exploits them. The saying, " if you do what you love and the money will follow" is so true. Remember success is more attitude than aptitude and never forget that failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.

10. Don't Give up
Some of the most successful entrepreneurs failed several times before doing extremely well. So, if you're failing, fail. And fail fast. And learn. And try again, with this new wisdom. Do NOT give up. Yet, do not suffer, either.


TenKeys To Successful Negotiation
1. Know what you REALLY want.
Many people enter negotiation only to find they did not have a clear desired outcome defined in their own mind. Write down your desired outcome as concisely as possible and use this outcome as the center point of your preparation.

2.Know your opposition
Learn as much as possible about who you are negotiating with, what they want, their strengths and weaknesses, and their likes and dislikes.

3. Consider the impact of timing and method of negotiation.
Whenever possible, negotiate face to face. It is easier to say NO over the telephone and in writing. Initiate the negotiation process so that you have the advantage of preparation and timing.

4. Prepare your presentation...point by point
Outline your presentation carefully. Place emphasis on benefits to the other party.

5. Anticipate reactions, objections and responses
If possible, brainstorm with others who have had similar negotiations to get a jump on what to expect. For each objection or reaction, list positive responses, alternatives and examples that contract the negatives.

6. Structure your presentation to ensure agreement on one or two points at the beginning of the negotiation.
For example, "I think we can agree right away that we have a problem and that we both/all want to resolve it." Initial agreement on minor issues or points early on in the negotiation process sets a positive atmosphere for agreement in later, more significant stages.

7. Determine paybacks and consequences for each party in the negotiation.
A clear understanding of paybacks and consequences makes it easier to determine when and how to make concessions and when and how to stick to your demands/requests.

8. Prepare options rather than ultimatums
An ultimatum should be used only as a last resort when you are sure you can back it up and the other party knows you can back it up. Even then, in virtually every negotiation there are options and alternatives that reduce defensiveness and lead to positive resolution for all parties.

9. Get comfortable with silence.
Many negotiators feel compelled to jump in with arguments and comments each time there is a pause in the interaction. Practice withholding comments and responses. Silence can be a very powerful negotiation tool.

10. Close all negotiations by clearly outlining agreement
When agreement or conclusions have been reached and you are ready to end your negotiation, review the agreement that has been reached. Then, end your negotiation on a positive note...commending those involved and emphasizing the progress made.


Ten Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make !!!
1. Not Having a Clearly Defined USP
Do you want to fit in or stand out? In order to thrive in today's cluttered marketplace, every business owner must be able to clearly articulate an answer to the question, "Why should someone do business with you rather than your competitor?" "What makes you unique? Your answer to these questions constitutes your Unique Selling Proposition. Do you offer 24-hour, 7 day a week service? Do you offer the lowest price? Do you offer a no risk guarantee? A strong USP helps you to stand out in a crowded field.

2. Selling Features Rather than Benefits
Someone once said, "No one ever bought a drill bit. Millions of people have bought a hole" People don't buy features, they buy benefits. They are tuned into Radio Station W.I.I.F.M. (What's in it for me?) Tell them clearly how the features of your product/service will help them, make their life easier, etc

3. Not using headlines in print advertisements.
You have at most a couple of seconds to grab someone's attention when they read a newspaper, magazine etc. Using an attention-grabbing headline ensures that the reader will continue to read the rest of the advertisement. The headline is an ad for the ad. Take a look at some newspaper ads. Which ones attract your attention? You will probably find they have utilized an effective headline.

4. Not testing headlines, price points, packages, pitches, everything.
How do you know what ad, what price, what offer most appeals to customers? By putting them to a vote. Test everything. Rather than running one newspaper ad for three weeks, why not run three different ads for three weeks and measure which draws better? Rather than putting all your advertising into newspaper, why not split between newspaper and direct mail and measure the results? Why not price your products/services at different points and see which sells more? Is cheaper always better? Not necessarily. Each situation is unique. One price may outperform another for a myriad of reasons. Your job is not to know why, but to find what works. Test, test, test.

5. Making it difficult to do business with you.
Are your sales staff knowledgeable about your products? Does someone answer your phone promptly and in a friendly manner? Can people find your phone number, location? Can customers find things easily in your store? Put yourselves in your customer's shoes. Don't make them work-they won't. I've seen a web site that undoubtedly cost the company thousands of dollars and NOWHERE could I find a phone number or email address. Your customer has better things to do than struggle to do business with you.

6. Not finding out what your customer's needs are.
What is the first step in filling your customer's needs? Discovering what they are. What's most important to them? Don't even try to guess. You may think price is most important when what they really want is fast service. You may believe fast service is what they want when what they desperately want is a friendly, personal touch. How do you find out? People won't tell you unless you ask. So ask

7. Not maintaining an up to date customer database.
Your customer list is pure gold. Rather than always working to bring new customers in the door, why not take advantage of the good will you have already built with your existing clientele? Experiment with extending special offers to your customer base. Ask for referrals. Send them a card on their birthday. Call and ask what they most enjoyed about doing business with you (or what they disliked doing business with you). You worked hard to develop these relationships. Recognize their value and work hard to "re-delight" them.

8. Not eliminating the risk
What stops a customer from buying from you? Are they unsure that your offer is worth their hard-earned money? Make it easy to decide to buy from you. How can you reduce their risk? If you are in a service business, let them try your service at no cost. If you are a lawyer or consultant offer them a free consultation. Offer them a money back, no questions asked guarantee on any product they buy. Why not? Are you afraid people will take advantage of you? Give it a try for a month. You may be very pleasantly surprised. Not confident in your product or service? Then go to work on improving your service.

9. Not educating your customers
Don't just claim that your service is better. Explain why. Are your staff better trained? Do you utilize a technology that increases service turnaround or quality? Don't expect people to just take your word for things. Quality, Service and Value mean nothing. Everyone claims to offer these. Make these claims real for the customer by offering credible explanations why they should do business with you.

10. Not knowing what works, and sticking with it.
Do you know which ads are effective? What media pulls best? What offer gets the best reaction? By testing (see above) you will. When you find something that works, don't change it until you find something that works better. Just because you're sick of an ad/offer isn't a good enough reason to change it. You can supplement with other ads and offers. If it works, keep it.


Ten Strategies To Building a Solid Business Partnership or Alliance
1. After choosing one another as potential partners, establish mutual ideas, goals, and philosophies operating in the team you are developing.
Look for enough compatibility to challenge and stimulate one another over time, as well as the presence of mutual trust.

Choose a partner whose strengths complement the limits of the other partner, and vise versa.

Establish the project or core focus of the partnership that is being created.



2. Determine the kind of Partnership that will be created
Will it be Equal, or possibly an Associate relationship, or any other possible combinations in between? Factors such as determining level of financial risk, availability of time and energy for the project, and prior existence of any intellectual property tied to the project are some key items to consider. Hiring a Coach that has expertise in this area is recommended during the formative stages of the partnership, and at any time such support is needed in the future, in order to protect the best interests for each partner involved.

3. Develop a sound financial compensation plan for profits received that both partners agree to in a signed document or contract.
Legal representation for the partnership may be appropriate at this juncture.

4. Determine what roles each partner will play during the course of the project, defined and clearly documented for future reference.
Be accountable to your role, until both partners change the structure of roles established.

5. Create and support the intent to continually place a working plan into action...
Review the results of the action taken, and making expedient and necessary shifts that will support the health of the partnership over the lifespan of the alliance.

6. If possible get the support of your immediate support system established before entering into partnership.
You will need to educate them about expenditures of time, money, energy and other resources that will be needed to successfully launch the project(s) your partnership represents.

7. Have planned, regularly schedule meetings on a weekly basis
These meetings will be set up for the purpose of discussing the wins and challenges, what's working and what's not, areas of discord and mutual planning for future growth and expansion..

8. Set a minimum time period that both partners will agree to a "no exit" clause.
New ventures take time to be planted, watered and nourished, weeded and ultimately harvested.


Ten Strategies To Increase Your Sales
When potential customers are shopping around, how can your products or services stand out? Try these 10 tips to increase your sales.
1. Begin by differentiating your services or products by who you and your company are.
What differentiates you? More training, more experience, better methods, a better team? Come up with your key points.

2. If people can buy a similar product or service for less, be ready to overcome that obstacle.
Agree with the potential customer that they can buy for less but show them that they may be comparing apples to oranges

3. Sell based on value
Describe what they will get from your product or service

4. Stress the quality of your product or service
Point out what you are providing for the same investment as the competitor

5. Talk about dependability.
- How long have you been in business?
- What's your experience or background?
- How about testimonials and benefits?

6. Have some advantages that differentiate you.
What can you provide that others don't? Come up with something special or exclusive. Ask your customers what they might suggest.

7. Give outstanding follow-up services
Frequently, customers complain that after the sale, there is no follow-up. Differentiate yourself by providing a unique follow-up service. That alone will be a refreshing change for customers!.

8. Offer a money back guarantee
Great point for differentiation.

9. Take credit cards if most of your competitors don't.

10. Target a niche that your competitor doesn't sell to.
Want to be different - just sell to people that no one else has marketed to... it takes a bit of research but can really pay off


Tips for getting FREE Publicity for your business
Getting your business mentioned in the press is an extremely good way to achieve a positive image and attract new customers to your business.
1. What is a Press Release?
A press release is a document that is written out in a specific format
that is used to pitch a reporter or editor or to make an announcement
that you believe is newsworthy.

The basic outline for a press release is as follows:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Further Information Contact:
Full Name of Contact
Email Address
Direct Phone Number
URL

Headline

Some City, Some State -- Date (i.e. January 27th, 2001) -- Introductory paragraph that answers Who, When, Where, What and So What?

A second paragraph offering more information.

Third paragraph includes a quote that's attributed to somebody important, for example: "It's a revolutionary product," says Joe Smith, CEO of Big Company Inc.

Fourth paragraph includes some more information, perhaps another quote.

Fourth paragraph often includes history and background information about the company.

# # #
----------------------------------------------

The entire press release should be no more than 400 words, or one printed page.

2. Five Things That You Must Do In Your Press Release
NO-1. Make your press release newsworthy. Make sure that you have something to say that'll be of interest to the readers of the publication that you're sending the press release to. Keep in mind that the media love news stories with a human side to them. Make your angle on the story entertaining, interesting or newsworthy or don't bother sending out a press release at all.

NO-2. Target your releases. There's no point in sending a press release about the launch of your jewelry store to "Fishing World" magazine.

NO-3. Use the proper press release format. Have a professional check the press release for grammar and spelling.

NO-4. Keep the press release concise. Get to the point in the first paragraph. Use clear, concise, vivid language. There's no better way to get your story ignored than sending a lengthy release which doesn't state it's purpose (Who, When, Where, What) right upfront. Don't fill the press release with
buzz-words, hyperbole and exaggerated claims.

NO-5. Write an excellent headline. The headline is 90% of your press release. Here are a few headlines that worked extremely well

- I Can Help Anyone Find the Love of Their Life in 90 Days Or Less!

- Abraham Lincoln's Office Is Being Given Away... For Free!

- Brooklyn Bridge Sold By New Jersey Man... For $14.95!

Write headlines that attract attention, stir emotion and create pictures in the mind of the reader.

3. More On Targeting
Be careful who you send your press release to. When compiling your own media list don't waste your time getting the email addresses or fax numbers of every newspaper and magazine in the country, just the ones who would be interested in your story. Likewise, when you purchase a media list, don't send your press release to every contact. Take some time to filter out all the ones who wouldn't care about your press release, no matter how good it is.



10 Myths About Selling
Are you anxious about selling yourself and your services because of a negative view of selling? Let's bust a few myths!
1. A salesperson can sell you something you don't want.
People buy to satisfy needs and wants. A salesperson may help a customer to identify their needs and wants but customers only buy when they believe the product or service they are offered will satisfy them. Selling is not about seducing or coercing the client into buying something for which they have no use or desire.

2. Successful salespeople use a lot of tricks and gimmicks.
Tricks and gimmicks are the tools of the old style salesperson. Today's buyers are too sophisticated to put up with these tactics. Tricks and gimmicks may still be used by some salespeople in some industries but these techniques are not the skills used by today's sales professional.

3. Successful salespeople are aggressive.
The best salespeople are not aggressive, by the usual definition of that word. They are self motivated, enthusiastic and personable. The irritating pushiness that the public tolerates as part of buying is the trademark of the untrained, unprofessional salesperson. Top salespeople in any field are sincere, knowledgeable, considerate, helpful and empathetic.

4. Great salespeople are born, not made.
Great salespeople are not born, they are trained. They resemble star athletes or entertainers in that they may have personality or physical traits which enhance their abilities. However desire, training, practice and experience will enable anyone to reach a successful level of sales performance.

5. Selling is something you do to people
Selling is something you do with people, not something you do to them. A sales presentation is conversational in style. It should be comfortable, not confronting. The client needs information and looks to the salesperson for guidance and advice. The salesperson is helpful and supportive as the client considers the presentation and makes a decision.

6. Selling a professional service requires a compromise in ethics.
The salesperson is motivated only by a desire to satisfy their customer's needs and wants. Professionals always place their client's best interests ahead of their own. Trust is essential to a successful sales relationship and a professional never compromises his/her integrity to achieve success.

7. The public does not trust or like salespeople
People do not like or trust poorly trained, poorly informed, ineffective 'salespeople'. They often share stories about unethical and pushy sales service, but in the next breath praise the experience of dealing with their stock broker, real estate agent, or car dealer. They say, "She's different, you can trust her." Today's consumer wants sales service they can trust and rely on, and they will remain loyal to salespeople who provide it.

8. To be effective in sales you must adopt a new personality.
The more open you are with your client, the more you reveal who you are, the less you try to role play an imagined sales personality, the more effective you will be. The more you share your values, feelings and experiences with your clients the more comfortable they become.

9. Marketing is replacing selling.
Selling is part of the marketing process. Sometimes, professionals use the term 'marketing' instead of selling, believing it is more acceptable. There is also a mistaken belief that marketing can replace selling and eliminate the need for direct, one-to-one customer contact. This may be true for some products or services where the salesperson acts simply as an order taker. For most products and services, however, selling is a necessary and valuable part of the marketing strategy.

10. All successful salespeople are hard closers.
Surveys show that today's top salespeople seldom spend much time on closing. Instead they focus on finding customer needs, demonstrating benefits and asking for customer feedback. The professional salesperson, after making sure his client has all the information needed to make a decision, simply asks if they would like to take the next step.


What it REALLY takes to run a profitable
Internet business from home!
WARNING:You may not like what you read here!
1. First understand
Not everyone is cut-out to be an entrepreneur. Some people are actually better off sticking with their 9 to 5 job. And when it comes to build a home-based internet business, most people fall short of what it takes. Sound harsh? But what I say is try. You should at least have the following traits intact:

1) understand the importance of goal setting
2) can make and follow-up on commitments in a responsible way
3) value long-term relationships with others
4) are well organized
6) efficient
7) prompt in response
8) dependable
9) motivated, not discouraged, by the inevitable set-backs which occur along the road to ultimate success.

On the other hand are you this type of person:

1) jump from "opportunity" to "opportunity", who, that is, do not approach the achievement of success with determination and consistency
2) cannot assume responsibility for your own actions
3) expect success "yesterday" without working for it
4) create problems without working to solve them
5) think you should be spoon-fed success without considering that success must be earned, not given
6) make promises you have no intention of keeping
7) think that the world owes them a living.

2. You Need To Bring Financial Resources To The Table!
Everybody and his brother wants "success." Sadly, most bodies and their brothers don't want to work hard to achieve it.

The older I get the clearer I am that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Everything comes with a price. And because success is the thing most people want, it comes with, perhaps, the highest price of all.

Every single day I am contacted by people who tell me they want to:

1) be successful
2) be a millionaire
3) be financially independent
4) work the hours they want
5) be their own boss, etc..

The vast majority of these people also tell me they

1) have no money
2) can't get any money
3) have poor credit
4) want me to bankroll them to see if my "program" really works, etc.

3. How To Build Your Profit-Making Internet Business
There are certain tools you need to build a successful online business. They include:

1) get a "real" domain (not a free website. NO!)
2) get your Banner Exchange to help build traffic to your site.
3) sell in demand products.
4) develop or connect with income-producing affiliates
5) add other money-making products or services to your site as you go along
6) produce a money-making newsletter/ezine
7) make offers to all prospects
8) work with your prospects to maximize sales.

Let's look at these points in greater detail.

1) A domain is "land," virtual land to be sure, but land nonetheless. When you go on the Internet you go into the property development business. You must give continual attention to how to develop the most lucrative, income-producing property possible. A domain hosting company maintains your "land" for you, making sure that all systems are fully operational at all times. Thus, you can focus on money-making, not site maintenance.

2) Land never produces profits. People produce profits. Thus, focusing on traffic-development is vital. The more people you have coming to your website, the more money you can make. That's why need a method to generate CONSTANT traffic. A Banner Exchange can do the trick. A Banner Exchange is the most important traffic development tool available to website owners worldwide. It produces GUARANTEED traffic growth.

The Banner Exchange is an absolutely vital part of your Internet success, because when you use it conscientiously you have GUARANTEED traffic growth, something which 99% of other Internet sites do not have and can never have.

The key is spending a portion of every day to get people into your exchange so that more people have access to your sales message/strip banner. When you get 200 such people into your exchange you are at the first vital stage in your traffic growth, because that growth continues automatically beyond this point!

3) Sell in demand products. Seems obvious, doesn't it? But I can assure you that there are people on the Internet right this minute, who think they can sell products that are not really popular. Stupid. But true.

4) Develop or connect with income-producing affiliates. If you join a traditional business opportunity they get mighty possessive of you mighty fast. They demand that you associate yourself with them and with them only; such a prohibition is generally included in their very restrictive by-laws. They want to own you and they make their ownership perfectly clear, with dire threats if you represent anything or anyone else. We think that point of view is rubbish.

Thus, it's in your interest to either have or belong to as many money-making affiliate programs as possible. In short, treat your domain like the "land" that it is, building on it the biggest, most lucrative "city" you can, while placing in that "city" just as many money-making stores (read affiliates) as you can. The game, then, becomes evaluating your options and selecting the most stable, professional, and lucrative companies to do business with, not gambling on one opportunity which demands 100% dedication from you, while providing much less in return. We say, add store after store after store, only stopping to ensure that the things you add (including any affiliate program based on your own products) are really worth being recommended by you.

5) Add other money-making products or services to your site. This point naturally follows the one above. While you want to add the best affiliate programs to your site, you should also constantly be reviewing other products and services not part of existing affiliate programs to further develop your property. To my complete consternation and astonishment, when you go to many websites, you find the individual there representing merely one thing, or one company, thereby truly putting all his eggs in one basket. This doesn't make sense to me as a businessman or investor, and it certainly makes utterly no sense on the Internet, where the constant goal is continual diversification.

6) Produce a money-making ezine. One of the ways to insure that your Internet business grows big and profitable is to produce an informative e-zine that you transmit by means of a list server. In other words, we understood that the Internet is essentially divided into two parts: the domain/city and subscription lists.

You grow on the Internet to the extent that you grow -- and use -- your subscription lists. This is another reason why the Banner Exchange is so important. The Banner Exchange brings more and more and more traffic to your website. Without a determined, calculating subscription-development program, those people come, sniff, and leave, not benefiting you unless they happen to purchase something immediately, something most people just don't do.

When you have a subscription-development program in place, however, people can come to your domain, subscribe to your list -- and thereafter be regularly communicated with by you through your listserver. The listserver, thus, is your premier profit tool, giving you as it does the means to administer, manage and instantly communicate with an unlimited number of subscribers, as often as you like, yes daily -- all for just about a buck a day!

The people who are making money on the Internet are adept at both list building and subscriber communication, sending a steady stream of important product and service information to their subscribers, including product descriptions, upgrades, special offers, sales, etc. and doing this as frequently as possible.

7) Make offers to the people on your list. This point goes along with the one above. Success on the Internet isn't about posting information and hoping that people will find it and, entirely on their own volition, buy something. It's about

i) daily developing your list ii) daily communicating with the people on that list iii) making offer after offer after offer, all designed to motivate the prospects to act now.

In short, there is nothing passive about making money on the Internet. It is an intense, active, 100% people-centered process, designed to get more people onto your list and, once there, providing you with the means to work with them to make deal after deal.

8) Work with your prospects to maximize sales. That is, so long as the prospect has the funds to buy, you must do what is necessary to make that sale. In short, our objective is to work with the prospect, to make that prospect see the benefits of what you offer, until such time as the prosper has purchased or shown, in one way or another, that present purchase is impossible


What to Say or Do When a Prospective Customer Says No
1. Clarify the No. "Is that no right now, no forever, or no I don't like you?"

2. Identify the No. "Most people say no to this product/service at first. Would you tell me which part you are saying no to?"

3. Accept the No. "I understand completely. It worth thinking about first."

4. Keep talking/listening. "I accept your No, Bob. But can we discuss it/keep talking about you?"

5. Ask a thinking question. "Would you tell me where you want to be financially in 10 years, Bob?"

6. Ask an empathy question. "Is it the price, Bob?

7. Ask a trick question. "If I can completely resolve your concerns about this product/service, would you be inclined to buy?"

8. Ask for permission to ask again. "OK, Bob, I hear you. Will you give me the option of letting you know of any news regarding this product/service over the course of the next 12 months?"

9. Get some other energy in there. "Bob, would you find it helpful if I asked a happy customer of mine call you this week to share THEIR experience of this product/service? They won't sell you; but you can ask any question of him/her.

10. Get permission to keep in touch. May I send you my quarterly newsletter for a year?


Why you need a Website
We all know the Web is a resource for fun and information. Have you ever stopped to really think about WHY it's such a wonderful marketing tool? If you already use a Web site to market your business, or are considering doing so, the following concepts may give you something new to consider!
1. A Web site is a fun and creative way to express yourself.
The idea of "marketing" seems to make many of us a bit uncomfortable. Using a Web site as a marketing tool is a way of hanging up your virtual shingle, where you can really have fun and get creative in the process!

2. Anyone can have a Web site.
Financially speaking, the Web is "The Great Equalizer" of the marketing world. Whereas other forms of advertising and marketing, such as television, radio, and print media, are often prohibitively expensive for small companies or individuals, ANYONE can use the Web to advertise and market their products or services for approximately the same reasonable rates. While the cost of creating a Web site may vary (based on the size of the Web site, the nature and amount of graphic design used, and the experience level of the designer), the cost of running or maintaining a Web site over time is minimal as compared with other media. It is a means of advertising that is financially within reach of everyone!

3. Your Web site is a direct reflection of YOU.
As the "owner" of your own Web site, YOU control the message and image you want to portray. You get to decide what you want to say with it -- it's your own personal billboard! You have as much space to get your message across as you need, so use it well! Make it attractive, professional AND functional, make it well organized. Be sure the REAL you comes through on that screen! Imagine you are a potential client visiting your site for the first time -- as a new client, what are you looking for? How easy it is to find pertinent information about you and your business? What's in it for the client -- why should they not only do business with you, but repeatedly visit your site to enhance their experience of your product or services? [Tip: Think about Web sites you've visited that you either loved or hated -- and why -- and apply those standards to your own site.]

4. This is one time where it's considered OK to be a "work in progress".
With the Web, you're "virtually" unlimited (pun fully intended)! You can change it as often as you see fit -- and frequent Web site updates are, in fact, highly desirable! The more fresh and innovative the content, the more valuable it will be to others. It is critical that you periodically review your site to see if it's getting stale and outdated, and that you use your Web site to keep your target market informed. [Tip: Even if your site is more or less under construction, dump those "under construction" messages or graphics on your site -- a site is ALWAYS a work in progress, and using those messages marks you as an amateur!]

5. You'll have room to experiment freely -- the Web is a very "forgiving" medium of self-expression.
The great thing about the Web is that by its very nature, it is intended to be changeable and flexible. Don't worry about getting it "perfect" or that you are locked into a design or "look" .


Words That Limit Your Success
1. When I.. Uh huh. 2. If I can do x, then Y will result... Big if. 3. It should... Yeah, it should, but WILL IT? 4. I could... Yes, but WILL YOU? 5. If I could just... Nah, it ain't that easy. 6. Done deal... It ain't really done until the client's check has been cashed and the services/goods have been delivered. 7. We're very close... Close to what, reality? Dream on. 8. If only... If only pigs fly. 9. If you'd just support me... Support yourself. 10. No one understands what I am trying to do... Very likely, but that means you're really an entrepreneur. If they DID understand, you wouldn't have much to offer, then, would you?




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