| Home-Business-and-Marketing.Com |
|
Date: April 11, 2006 If you run a home based online business or have your own website and are trying to come up with new ideas and new material for it you'll run into a problem that almost every online marketer and work at home business owner faces some time or the other. Mental Block. There have been countless times when I've sat in front of my computer with an idea and just stared at the monitor with a total "block". Often, this can be so over-whelming that many good ideas get thrown away. Or good ideas never reach their full potential. This is a huge problem if you're just starting out. And sadly many people end up giving up just when they start because they can't seem to beat the "brain bloack" syndrome. Here are a few simple ways to beat it. I've used them myself and hope that they will help you break the block and unleash your true potential. * Plan your projects The first mistake when you try to tackle a project is the lack of a plan. If you sit down and jot down a few action points and set goals for those points you will have a basic plan on how you will achieve your ultimate goal. And thus will have a "roadmap" to a successful project. You will benefit from a good plan even if it's a small project. Make sure that you have something "tangible" at the of an action point so that you'll have a feeling of accomplishment once you complete that step. This helps to keep your motivation high. Breaking down your projects into smaller ones with a drawn out plan is always a good idea. * Researching on the internet. The most notorious areas that present mental blocks are in the information technology fields. Simply, tech problems. How many times have you tried to get your website to do what you want and had to fight HTML to do it? Many work at home businesses die in their infancy because the owners couldn't figure out a few tech problems. You can find the help you need with blocks like this by simply going to your favorite search engine and typing in your problem. Chances are that you're not the only one with that problem and someone would have found a solution. Taking an hour or so to research on the internet can save you a ton my money on tech support etc. * Take a break Sometimes you just have to get away from it all to let your brain relax. If you experience a brain block, get up, walk away and maybe take a nice long walk. Go play with your kids or your pet. Give your brain a welcomed rest and a break from the problem at hand. When you get back you'll feel more relaxed and your brain will be less "blocked". And many times you'll be able to get going at once. * Keep a clutter free work area It helps greatly to start brain storming or start a new project in a place that's neat and tidy. I do all my projects at my desk and I try to keep it as neat and tidy as I can. Organizing the area that you do your work helps put your mind into an organized state. This helps in the thought process. A cluttered desk would throw the mind off because subconsciously your mind is trying to organize the clutter while you sit there trying to figure out how to do your project. Your mind is not a single processed machine. It can handle many tasks at the same time. That's why you can talk and chew gum at the same time without swallowing it. Tackling projects is the same. So don't give your mind subconscious chores that takes it's attention away from the main task. You wondered why it's so quiet in a library? Sound snaps our minds out of focused study. A cluttered work area or desk will do the same thing. So keep your work areas neat and tidy. * Talk to others It helps a great deal if you can get the input of others. Sometimes you could sit at your desk for hours and not come up with a way to do something and then you talk to a friend who's done it and tells you how to do it easily. Don't bare the weight of the world alone. Get help from your friends and your loved
ones. You'll be surprised at how easily your mental block can be freed. * Outsource If you can't do it yourself - pay someone to do it for you. This will cost you a few dollars obviously. But it's the most direct way to beat the "block". If you come up with an idea and get stuck the easiest way is to get someone else to do it for you. You can find many freelancers at sites like elance.com or ifreelance.com. Hiring a freelancer isn't as expensive as you might think it is. If you post your projects you'll be pleasantly surprised on how cheap the bids are. But keep in mind that outsourcing a simple project might in its own become a big project. So make sure that the project size justifies the outsourcing in the first place. No point outsourcing a simple task of changing the font color of your site when you can spend a few minutes researching it on the internet. Mental blocks are a part of your work at home business projects. Beating them takes different methods for different people. Hopefully the methods I've shown you will help your beat YOUR mental block and unleash the next million dollar home based business. Khemal Dole owns and operates
http://www.PaychecksDirect.com, a completely F*R*E*E
service which helps many first-timers and even
experts find their perfect Work At Home job. Visit
http://www.PaychecksDirect.com right now and see for
yourself why so many are flocking to his site. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Khemal_Dole Regardless of what type of internet business you plan to start, the process is the same. Once you've set up your business, there are some steps that you can eliminate, like your start up. However, if you follow the other steps repeatedly, you can generate mulitiple streams of income, which will increase your profits. 1. Set Up Your New Business When you first decide to start your business online, there are several things you need to do. First, you need to choose an accounting system and open a bank account. You need to keep your money for your business separate from your personal accounts for purposes of accountability. You can choose either a single entry or double entry accounting program. If you live in the US, single entry is recommended. 2. Choose Your Product The products or services you choose to market on the internet will depend on what your interests are, how much money you have to get started, and whether or not there is a market for what you want to sell. You can choose to create your own product, join an MLM, promote affiliate products, or offer your services. 3. Write Your Unique Selling Proposition You want to make your business different from your competitors. The easiest way to do this is to decide what makes your business different. When writing your USP, decide who your ideal customer is, how your product will benefit that customer, and what makes your product better than your competitors. If you understand these things, you'll have a stronger focus in your business, and you're more likely to make the sale because you'll focus your energies where your actual market is. 4. Build a Website Once you've taken the first three steps, it's time to build a website. Do your keyword research. Focus on keywords that are popular but don't have a lot of competition. You can build either a direct response site or a content site. With a direct response site, you'll basically build a website that's a sales letter. A content site will be more varied. You can include news, product reviews, articles, a FAQ, and interactive elements like a forum or discussion group. The possibilities with this type of site are endless. Since the internet is an information driven media, you're more likely to find success with a site that is tightly targeted to a niche, with lots of content and interactivity. 5. Write Your Marketing Plan Once you've built your website, it's time to decide how you want to market your new site. During this stage, you'll gather your marketing tools, as well as decide what methods you use. Examples of ways to market your website are: press releases, writing articles, posting on forums, posting to safelists, etc. Once you've decided how you want to market, bookmark those sites where you will market. 6. Promote your new business Once you've written your marketing plan, you'll need to write your promotional materials and then send them out. Testing and tracking are key here to see how your marketing is doing. This way, you can make adjustments and discard marketing methods that don't work for you. Consistency is also important, and you'll need to market on a regular basis. 7. Maintain your new business Once you've completed the first six steps, you'll want to apply the 60/30/10 rule of maintaining your new business. If you sell products, sixty percent of your time will be spent marketing. Thirty percent will be spent on product development, and ten percent will be spent doing administrative tasks like answering email and keeping your business records. If you sell services, you'll spend sixty percent of your time doing your service and thirty percent of your time marketing. Keep in mind that regardless of whether you sell products or services, marketing is an integral part of your success. Once you've created a successful business, then repeat the steps. You'll see more success for years to come. Jinger Jarrett is the "Internet Marketing for Free" lady. She will show you how to use free techniques to market your business. Get thousands of dollars in free internet marketing stuff when you Visit her blog at http://www.askjinger.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jinger_Jarrett
Home Home Business Options Home Business Training Home Business Marketing
Ezine
Bryan Thorby
Publisher
webmaster@home-business-and-marketing.com
http://www.home-business-and-marketing.com
In This Issue:
Thoughts of the Day
Article 1: Affiliate Success Checklist
Article 2: How To Beat Mental Blocks And Launch Your Work At Home Ideas
Article 3: 7 Steps to Starting Your Internet Business
Resources
Disclaimer & Privacy Statement
I hope all is well with you and yours.
In operating your Home Based Internet Business a majority of
your time and effort goes into Promotion And Marketing. I like
the 60/30/10 rule in the third article today.
Sixty percent of your time will be spent marketing.
Thirty percent will be spent on product development.
Ten percent will be spent doing administrative tasks.
The success of your home based business depends on your
marketing efforts and I know from experience how easy it is to
get overly involved in product development and administration
which at the end of the day do not bring in new customers.
Product development is really important but make sure your main
focus is on marketing.
When you are starting a home based internet business one of the
most important aspects for the growth of your business is the
promotional and marketing strategy you are following. There a
million and one ways to promote your business online and
learning the most effective strategies for your particular
situation and knowing how to implement them effectively is
crucial to your success.
To your success,
Bryan
SPONSOR AD
New Adsense Tool That Doubles Up As An Affiliate Income Booster!
Product Review at:
home-business-and-marketing.com/adsense-software
THOUGHTS OF THE DAY
"To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also
dream.
Not only plan but also believe."
-- Anatole France
"You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up
your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist
anywhere except in the mind."
-- Dale Carnegie
ARTICLE #1
Affiliate Success Checklist
(c) Charlie Page
------------------------------------------------------
You have probably heard that you have to be in
'affiliate programs' to get ahead on the Internet. We
all hear about people making huge incomes being a
'super affiliate' and how these programs are the
greatest thing since sliced bread.
But what IS an affiliate program and can we really make
any money with them? Sometimes it's very confusing.
To help clear up that confusion, following are some
basic definitions along with a checklist that is useful
when examining any program.
>>> What Is "Being An Affiliate"?
Being an affiliate simply means that you sell someone
else's product and earn a commission when you do so.
Webster's Dictionary defines the word 'affiliate' this
way...
Affiliate: [verb] To associate as a member [affiliates
herself with the local club]
That's exactly correct. When you become an affiliate
you are associating with the product or service you
will be selling. You are loaning them your reputation.
Don't forget that. Every email you send, every contact
you make, reflects on you. And the company's action
will reflect on you as well, so choose wisely.
Being an affiliate is simply a fancy Internet way of
saying that you are going to be a commissioned
salesperson.
>>> Does It Really Work?
Yes, it does. It is true that you can make very good
money with affiliate programs, but it is not automatic.
You must still understand the process of marketing and
do the work. And it's not always quick.
But if you choose great programs, do some of the work
(and take advantage of the tools they offer) you can
grow a powerful income in a short period of time.
It's equally true that you can waste tons of time and
money on them and your reputation can suffer if you
don't choose carefully.
Here is my checklist for choosing affiliate programs. I
hope it works for you too.
>>> Affiliate Success Checklist
1. Make Sure The Product Being Offered Matches You
If your passion is embroidery, you probably won't do
too well with car parts sites. Stick with what you know
at first and, once you learn how to promote on the
Internet, move on to different products.
2. Check It Out
Don't just jump in because it's easy. Ask yourself this
question; is the product or service you are affiliating
with something you would bring to your best friend? If
not, you may want to keep looking.
3. Talk To Current Affiliates
Ask for a list of happy affiliates. Ask them some key
questions such as did they get the help and support
promised? Are they being paid on time? You get the
idea.
4. Think Long Term
If your first arrangement doesn't pan out, don't give
up. Many people on the net are making excellent incomes
with affiliate programs. You can too.
5. Go For Quality
Make a checklist of everything you want, find two who
meet the criteria, and go all out with those two.
Remember that it will be your reputation on the line.
6. How Well Do They Sell?
You need to ask how well the product or service you
will be promoting 'converts'. Conversion is simply the
number of people per 100 who buy something. At the
Directory of Ezines we convert 7 of every 100 visitors
to buyers.
You can expect this number to range from .5% to about
10%. Anything higher or lower and you need to be
careful about them telling you the truth.
Also, be aware that 'hot' products convert well while
they are hot but conversion drops with time. So be sure
to get *current* conversion figures.
7. What Is The Cookie Duration?
Most affiliate programs track using 'cookies' that are
set on the visitor's machine. You need to know how long
this cookie lasts and if it can be overwritten.
The reason this is important is that people don't buy
the first time. If the cookie life is short (say 90
days) and someone you refer buys six months down the
road you loose your commission.
It's the same if the cookie can be overwritten. If it
can, then someone who first learned about product X
from you, but clicks another link to buy, will not earn
you the commission you deserve.
8. Do You Earn 'Backend' Commissions?
This means do you get paid when someone you refer buys
a second product? This is vitally important. People
often buy two, three or more products from one site.
You should earn commissions for every product they buy.
9. Do You Earn Renewal Commissions?
If you send someone to a site where they pay a monthly
or quarterly fee, do you get paid every time or just
once? You should get paid every time.
10. Do They Support You?
Most people don't know, or have the time, to write ads
and create banners or graphics. You should expect the
program you join to provide these tools as well as some
training on how to sell their products.
>>> Where To Find Good Affiliate Programs
My favorite tool for finding great products to sell as
an affiliate is Affiliates Alert. They offer a free
version, which does an excellent job.
As soon as you've earned some affiliate income, you
might want to consider the Pro version, as I did. You
can get the free version here ...
FORUMS are excellent resources to learn what really
works. Here are my top three forum choices.
1. Anthony Blake's Marketing Forum
2. The Warriors of Internet Marketing. You must be a
Host 4 Profit customer or buy an eBook with Warrior
membership to become a member of the Warriors. We sell
a good book (Internet Tycoon) that offers Warrior
membership at
3. Michael Green's Marketing Forum
Here are FOUR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES that will help you
succeed as an affiliate fast.
Allan Gardyne of Associate Programs.com. Great advice
from a guy who has been there.
Jim Daniels of BizWeb2000 fame. He started an affiliate
portal a while ago that seems to be working well. A
great site to learn and earn.
And of course, Terry Dean (the undisputed master of
practical advice) at http://www.netbreakthroughs.com
Without a doubt, using ClickBank to find products is
the smart choice for a serious affiliate. It costs
nothing to become an affiliate and they offer over
11,000 products. Many a real-life fortune has been made
promoting ClickBank products. http://www.clickbank.com
If you are committed to quality, and only offer your
people quality resources, time will become your ally
and your affiliate commissions alone can quite
literally pay for the lifestyle of your dreams.
The best way to start is to choose three programs that
meet your criteria, and let them teach you how to be
successful with their program. After all, when you win,
they win. And that's a beautiful way to make a living
online.
*******************************************************
Charlie Page helps people succeed online. How can he
help you? Find out now at his main site or call his
toll free number. http://www.RealWorldTactics.com
ARTICLE #2
How To Beat Mental Blocks And Launch Your Work At Home Ideas
By Khemal Dole
ARTICLE #3
7 Steps to Starting Your Internet Business
RESOURCES
WebSite Hosting
My recommendation - ThirdSphere Hosting
ThirdSphere is much more than just hosting.
It is a completely integrated solution that gives you all the
tools you need to effectively design, automate & promote a
highly successful internet business from scratch.
First month is FR.EE Go here to register;
ThirdSphereHosting.Com
Recommended Services
In addition to hosting options you will find my recommended
payment processors, autoresponder and list management.
home-business-and-marketing.com/hosting
Business Management Tools
PromoBuddy - 36 databases which allow you to organize your entire Internet marketing
business.Great software plus Affiliate Program
Cure Your Spa*m Problems with SpamBlitzer
Read How SpamBlitzer can help you
Research Tool (fr*ee)
searchit.sitesell.com/
Advertising and Promotion
Click here for Advertising rates for Sponsor Ads and Solo mailings
Ezine advertising submission services resources and options here
Post your Classified Ad on the Adlandpro Network
A Swarm of Traffic to Your Site - Targeted prospects
Traffic Swarm.Com
FREE Marketing Information
Sign up for the FREE Nitro Knowledge Learning Series for your weekly dose of Internet success learning
FREE weekly audio Internet marketing training sessions by
Paul Barrs. This weeks session
Subscribe to The Guru Marketer ezine
The 6th Pillar Program. How to succeed at any program, in
8 quick-and-easy Action Steps, one per week.
The 6th Pillar Program
Subscribe to the Freee ClickBank Guru Mini series
Click to get freee series
Articles on Home Business and Marketing related subjects
Freee Ebooks
List Building Options
OptinStorm
ListInferno
ListFlyer
Ezine Fire
The List Machine will help you build a list
The List Machine
Search for Information Products & Software
Search the ClickBank MarketPlace
Training Seminars
How to Attend Powerful Seminars from Home
Seminar Aces
Nitro Webcasts:
NitroWebCasts
DISCLAIMER & PRIVACY STATEMENT
I accept no responsibility whatsoever for the content,
profitability or legality of any published articles or
advertisements contained within the
Home Business & Marketing Options ezine.
And, although all of the articles have been selected for
their content, the publishing of such articles within
this newsletter does NOT constitute a recommendation of
the products or services mentioned or advertised within
those articles.
Be responsible! Always do your own Due Diligence before
responding to any offer.
I respect the privacy of my readers.
I will NEVER supply or sell your personal
information to any Third Party!
CONTACT DETAILS
Bryan Thorby
Marton, New Zealand
webmaster@home-business-and-marketing.com
Home Business & Marketing.com
Mini Site Mastery.Com How to Create and Profit with Mini Sites
4 CD audio training program. Affiliate program
eBooks to Succeed.Com Ebook membership site. Affiliate Program
Career-Related.Com Career advice, information and resources.
Search-For-Jobs.Com
Job Search resources.
Oneworldbiz.net Niche Market Products. Business Opportunities.
www.free-article-directory.com
Submit your articles - receive articles for your website or ezine
www.managing-your-finances.com
Credit Score ebook plus information and resources on Finance
related issues.
© Copyright 2004 - 2006 All Rights Reserved
HOME-BUSINESS-AND-MARKETING.COM
Resource Directory
Link Partners Affiliates Ebooks and Software Books on Home Business
Articles Site Map Contact Us About
© COPYRIGHT 2004 -
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED HOME-BUSINESS-AND-MARKETING.COM