Email Marketing And Your Natural Soap Business

You run into an old customer at the grocery store. She tells you how much your soap has helped her husbands skin condition and you remind her that she can reorder from your website. You wonder if you will ever hear from her again. In todays super-hectic culture, convenience is the key to getting repeat orders from customers. It is very easy for one product or another to slip the mind of a customer even if they are fond of your product.

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways for the handmade soap maker to keep in touch with customers is with email marketing. Start a product announcement marketing campaign. Send it once a month. If you do more than this, it can seem pushy, especially in the beginning of a marketing effort. When a customer buys from you offer them a 20% off coupon if they will sign-up for your announcement list. They will get the coupon via email, this way you will get a legitimate email addresses. Friends, family, neighbors - ask everyone you meet to join your list. Keep mini samples with you. It can be an icebreaker when you meet new people. Tell them that you give away a nice item once a month in a drawing from your email list. If this does not entice them to join, you are probably better off without them. As the list grows, your business will grow. Offer a nice sample item to customers who get someone else to join your list. This type of word-of-mouth advertising is the best type!

of advertising you can get. When you have a winner from one of your contests, be sure to announce it in your email.

All this marketing takes is some dedication, a few samples and some of your time. It does not take a large budget. If you happen to be the crafting type that does not interact with customers as well or as often as you would like, you might consider teaming up with someone who does. Handmade soap making and marketing are two completely different skill sets. We all have that friend or relative that seems to know everyone in town. This is the type of person who should be first and foremost on your sample list. You need not have a formal arrangement with this person as Im sure if they genuinely like your product they will not be able to contain themselves when talking to their circle of friends.

If you decide that having some type of marketing agreement is necessary, be careful, as they can go awry very quickly. Keep it simple and dont make too many demands on this person as he or she is the one who is doing you the marketing favor. Remember their time is valuable also. Offer product in lieu of cash for their efforts. Manufacturers reps typically get anywhere from 7% to 15% of sales they generate. This is a great way to go as you dont have to pay anything until a sale is made.

Once you get a customer, keep in touch with them yourself through your email marketing campaign. I have found customers generally like to talk directly to the crafter. Many customers are involved in a craft of their own and like to share experiences with other crafters. Having a monthly email list is a surefire way to expand your business at a very nominal cost.

Jeffrey Dorrian is the webmaster at http://www.thesoapguy.com. He has been making handmade soap for six years. "Handmade soap is a little luxury anyone can afford". Premium wholesale soap.Fawne Blog1380
Evie Blog3550

Top Tips On How To Make Easy Money Online

Who wouldnt want to make money online? You choose your hours, you can work from any location in the world and you can leverage your time in a way that makes having a job seem like the biggest waste of time imaginable!

However, its only easy to make money online if you do your homework first. The best way to make easy money online is surely to follow what other successful internet entrepreneurs do, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. You could waste a ton of money and a lot of time trying to make money with, for instance, Google Adwords, or on eBay or with affiliate marketing and so on, if you simply log onto the website, create an account and start trading. There are proven techniques, tricks of the trade and short cuts to enable you to make money online quickly and successfully. There are also a lot of mistakes to be made and a lot of money to be wasted if you dont know what you are doing.

Tip One is to study first, make money second.

So many people want everything for free and feel that if they have to buy information, they are somehow being ripped off. I bought a stack of information when I started out, and dont feel that any of my money was wasted yes, some information helped me more than others, but it was all a learning curve, and saved me wasting a fortune making mistakes. I learnt from the mistakes others had made instead. Think of it this way if, in one year from now you are earning enough to walk away from the day job, would it be worth going back to school and studying your new career path before you get started?

Tip Two is to have a variety of online businesses some you will take to more than others, some will pay out sooner than others, but at the end of the day why put all your hopes on one business stream when you can have several?

Tip Three. Be patient. Give yourself a year or 18 months to really give your online career a chance. If you dont see results as soon as you want them, dont give up only to try something else that you may not stick at either. It takes time, for instance, for new websites to get ranked in the search engines, and although you can learn how to create a website that will rank well, you cannot cheat the system. What you can do, is learn search engine optimisation techniques and put them all into practice, which will reap you big rewards further down the line. (Theres a free e-book on my website about this).

Making money online can give you total financial freedom you have to want it enough to work hard initially, so that you can then sit back and enjoy it. Follow the leaders, dont imagine you dont need anyones help, be a sponge and learn all you can and kiss the day job goodbye.

For a free ebook that details all the different and best ways to make money online just click on my website and download your copy.

http://www.easymakemoneysite.com

Joanna G PaygeFeodora Blog72805
Frannie Blog21309

Niche Market Secrets 5 Crucial Questions That Will Make You Successful With Your Online Niche

When you find out that you have a profitable niche market, dont you want to know how to be more relatable so that you can form a better bond with them?

Of course you do because if your niche can sense that you are one of them your sales conversion will increase. So a great strategy for you is to be relatable to your customers and find out what goes through their minds.

It is a good idea to hang out with them in online forums, message boards, blogs, etc., on your particular niche and get a feel about their thinking patterns.

Think about it; if your customers sense that you are their friend that truly understands their deepest fears and desires, how much more effective will your messages be to your niche?

If you adapt and cater to your niches actual wants rather than what you think they want, I guarantee your success with your niche will be dramatically increased.

This gives you more trust and relation with you customers. So, now that you know why its important to truly know about your customers, here are five basic questions you must answer about your niche.

1. What frightens them?

2. Who and what makes them furious?

3. What frustrates them?

4. How do your customers talk to each other?

5. What keeps them tossing and turning in bed and keeping them up?

Lets make up a hypothetical target audience

It may be this lonely group of males that is frightened of being virgins their entire lives, and think of resorting to becoming monks at the Shaolin Temple so they have an excuse for their failure with women.

Maybe youve narrowed it down even further and found out that they are furious about girls laughing at their pathetic, flabby bodies. This in turn frustrates them that they are labeled as runts.

Then you found a forum where they hang out and find out that they all talk like Andy Stitzer from that wonderful movie 40 Year Old Virgin.

And finally youve found out that they stay up all night because their sexual frustration is built up to a peak. So they lock their doors, get some lotion, and stay up all night surfing the internet for somevideo games! (what else relieves more tension than pounding at a video game control pad?)

When you found out this much information about a target audience, wouldnt it be MUCH easier to sell the product that can instantly solve their problems? In this case, wimpy men that is desperate to find an easy way to approach women. (By the way, I've addressed the 5 questions in the bold words above)

You can have book sets, seminars, and coaching sessions on your Score Tonight Successful Dating System. Also show them that you were like one of them and after using this incredible system, you have so many girls on you that you have to beat them off with a stick!

Now that trust and relationship is established, give them more of what they wantfitness products! They did mention their frustrations with being runts remember? There are many other ways you can go about this, but the bottom line is to have a deeper understanding of your niche before you market to them!

Alan Quan is a certified Internet Coaching Empire coach and specializes in helping people build their own successful internet marketing business. Visit his website at http://e-bizcoachalan.com/success.htm and find out how he can help you to quickly accomplish your goals and boost your internet profits.Evvie Blog57616
Fara Blog54217

10 Easy Ideas To Attract Client Like Crazy - Online

Youve got products. Youve got a website. Youve even got some traffic (hey, even a little traffic is some!) Now comes the clincher for any business. To make money, you need to entice online visitors to buy your stuff.

How can you do this? Well, you cant grab hold of their hands and make them click the Buy Now button. But you can do specific things that may help them decide to click on it themselves.

In my line of work as a client attraction marketing coach to small businesses, Ive seen many business owners who consistently let visitors click off to web wonderland rather than convincing guests to buy their wares. These businesses may have products or services that are just as good or better than their competitors, but theyre missing out on some key information about how to convert page views into sales.

Relationship-Building: The Missing Link to Online Money-Making

To understand how your visitors online experience can lead them down the buying path, first become your visitor. What convinces you to buy things from other websites? Being human, most of us are more eager to buy from companies or people whom we feel we like, know, and trust.

An online customer cant look you in the eye, shake your hand, and think, Hey, I like, know, and trust this person! The good news is that by taking shrewd advantage of the the multimedia nature of the internet and the power of good writing, you can give your visitors the experience of having a positive, personal relationship with you.

Here are some tips for boosting your personal relationship with customers to help them feel an intimate connection that makes them more likely to buy from you.

Before I share the tips. I ask that you make an intention. Intend to use tips that reach you. You are reading this article for a reason.

Ten Relationship-Building Tips

1. Show

Post photos of your employees and your workplace. This helps visitors feel more like they know you.

2. Tell

Add audio clips of you speaking about your products or services. Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) tells us that many of us learn with our ears as well as our eyes -- dont miss out on this additional way to connect.

3. Educate

We all like learning new things. Help customers like you more by providing them with useful articles.

4. Share

Showcase your generosity by providing visitors with other peoples articles and links to pertinent websites.

5. Care

Ask for feedback and comments. This helps customers know that youre in the business of serving them and that you take their opinions seriously.

6. Clarify

Define any confusing terms in your copy. Let them know exactly what you want them to do for you. People like to follow clear instructions. When people feel comfortable with their online experience, theyre more willing to purchase.

7. Be an Expert

Don't let people choose between you and your competitors. Let them know that youre the only one who can help them. Write articles, create presentations, and demonstrate your expertise.

8. Be Genuine

When writing website copy, direct your message to one person who represents your target audience. Personalize your marketing emails by using peoples first names and other personal information.

9. Relate

Convince your target audience that you know and understand their problems by sharing stories and specific examples.

10. Stay in Touch

Don't let prospective customers slip away. Make every effort to get them to give you their first name and email address by offering them a free ebook or report. Stay in touch with prospective customers by sending them a regular e-newsletter with useful tips and friendly updates about your company.

Case Study: Tracys Picks

One of my clients, Tracy Jones, sought out my coaching services to help her brand and market a new program in Austin called Tracys Picks. Tracys company helps restaurants serve portion-controlled meals to their customers and educates customers on the benefits of purchasing these meals.

Like many small businesses, Tracy had a website that wasnt taking full advantage of the internets potential to help customers know, like, and trust her business. Its a good, clean website, but it needed to be tweaked to help customers really feel a connection to Tracy and her business.

I recommended that Tracy:

1. Change her photo to a more intimate shot that would help customers feel a greater sense of closeness with her.

2. Move her opt-in box higher up on the page to encourage more visitors to sign up for her newsletter.

3. Add a picture of the free ebook that people receive when they sign up for her newsletter.

4. Post a blog, which serves the dual purpose of providing fresh content for search engines and helps people learn about a company in a more personal way.

5. Provide articles and outgoing pertinent links.

Your Homework

As a client attraction marketing coach, I cant leave you without assigning some homework to help your rev-up your site up to its full relationship-building potential.

Go to your website now and take a good look at it. Go on, Ill wait.

Now ask yourself:, If I were a new visitor to this site, would I feel that I know, like, and trust this business? What could be added or changed to make my experience with this business feel more personal and inviting? (Hint: re-read my Ten Relationship-Building Tips above).

Write down what you as a prospective customer would like to see that could help you make a decision to purchase your websites products. When I say write, I mean write. Get out a piece of paper and pen and jot down your ideas.

Now make a commitment to implement these ideas on your site.

Presto, youve just increased your potential visitor-to-buyer conversion rate. And youve done it without paying a penny in advertising or pay-per-click fees.

It just goes to show that a personal touch still goes a long way, even across the wires.

Jen Blackert, Attraction Marketing Coach, is a results-driven marketing strategist that teaches entrepreneurs how to attract all the clients they need. Her methods are based on the universal laws of attraction. Visit her website at http://www.jenblackert.com and her marketing podcast at http://www.insightsintomarketing.com.Faydra Blog48462
Erinn Blog1774

Choosing A Good Automotive School Is Crucial To Your Career

Automotive school is a necessity for anyone who wants to pursue a career as an auto mechanic. However, the school you go to can affect the path your career takes after graduation. Factors such as quality equipment, knowledgeable instructors, strong degree and ASE certification programs, the schools qualifications and reputation, and student services all lend themselves to the overall quality of your education. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly research the automotive schools you are considering before making a final decision.

Your goal in attending automotive school is to learn as much as possible about auto mechanics; therefore, it is important to ensure that the school will provide the training you need. Part of this training is plenty of hands on experience. A good automotive program should include not only classroom lectures about automotive principles and mechanical theories, but also ample opportunity to work on cars and practice your skills. Be sure to ask how the school gets an ample supply of cars for students to train on; some schools may rely on donations, while others may attract paying customers in the community with discounted rates.

The school you attend should also have an ample supply of up to date equipment. A school with a shortage of the proper tools will make it difficult for you to get sufficient practice, and old or damaged equipment can be a safety hazard. Since your education depends a great deal on the amount of hands on experience you get, the automotive school you attend should be fully equipped to meet the students needs.

Naturally, the curriculum is a major factor in the quality of your education. The school you attend should have several different degree programs to choose from, allowing students flexibility in choosing their career paths. A good automotive school also offers an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification program, where students can become certified in different areas of expertise, adding to their qualifications and increasing their potential salaries. ASE certification requires passing at least one of more than forty available tests, as well as proof of at least two years of relevant work experience; the school you attend should fully support students in acquiring these certifications.

Accreditation is also an important indicator of the quality of education a school can provide. Accreditation verifies that a school meets a predetermined set of standards; however, there are many different accreditation agencies, so it is important to research not only a schools accreditation, but also the accrediting agencys reputation and standards. If being able to transfer courses you have taken is important to you, be sure to find out how many other schools are accredited by the agency, and whether the credits you earn at the school can be transferred.

Additionally, you should consider the schools reputation: an education from a school with a good reputation can make you stand out from the other applicants and help you get a job, but an education from a school with a bad reputation can also hurt your chances of getting a good job. By searching the Internet and talking to other mechanics, you can find out whether a school is known for providing quality education. You may also want to contact several dealerships and garages and ask whether they would hire a graduate of one of your top choices. After all, your education must do two things: not only provide you with quality training, but also indicate to potential employers that you have received quality training.

Similarly, student services are an important part of a good automotive school. Examples of student services are financial aid and loan offices, student housing or assistance in finding housing, and the availability of internships. Job placement services are particularly important; most good schools will offer some type of job placement assistance to students and graduates. A school that guarantees job placement after graduation may indicate a high success rate among its students. Also, many schools have relationships with local dealerships and garages, which is a considerable benefit to students and alumni of the school.

Naturally, there are other, more personal deciding factors when choosing an automotive school, such as the cost of tuition and the schools location. Ultimately, your decision will depend on which features are most important to you. Whether you make your decision based solely on the quality of education the school offers, or on a more tangible benefit such as affordability or location, be certain that you choose a school that will help you achieve the career you seek.

Andy West is a freelance writer for VC Tech, The Automotive School. VC Tech offers world-class training in many exciting automotive programs. Please visit http://www.vctechnical.com to learn more.Frederica Blog28645
Fanya Blog11210

Advertising Market from a South African Perspective

Advertising and marketing in the South African market is one of the toughest in the entire world, just for starters 22 different languages can be identified in our market. You might say this is common in many countries the world over. But do they have 11 official languages as is the case in South Africa.

Capturing a broad market in South Africa is virtually impossible unless you have an internationally acclaimed product, something that has built up a reputation overseas either in the USA or European markets. This is not to say our own big brands have not captured a broad South African audience or an international market but they a few and far between.

Our advertising and marketing techniques in South Africa must be simple yet effective if a broad customer base is to be achieved. Many South African advertising and marketing gurus are applying international principles to our market, wrong thing to do in my opinion. The basics, but add the South African flavour if you wish to succeed. Our biggest market in this country is largely illiterate and of a lower income so using expansive techniques to advertise and market your wares is generally not a good idea.

Proper market research for your products is essential, target a market and research every angle from language to demographics. If you have an excellent product made and produced in your country don't think this is a winning recipe in other countries. Do not expect that a pizza delivered in a box and a truly American way of doing things will work for a customer base in Iceland for example.

By all means promote pizza's in Iceland but ask your market how they want it delivered. Advertisers and marketing experts often forget this very simple marketing tools. Ask your market what they want, ultimately they are the ones buying the products.

Using opinion leaders in South Africa to create brand awareness is an essential tool to promote your products, this does come at a huge price and is usually out of reach for the small to medium business sectors. Creating good solid brands that are directed at a specific target market is often considered as not worth the cost.

Managers rely on hunches or intuition when designing their marketing mix. In the absence of feedback from their customers, they sometimes institute practises that customers object to. Over time, the customer base begins to erode and the business collapses.

Knowing your product and target market inside out is a great start to creating brand awareness.

Andrew SmitErin Blog95416
Evita Blog50269

Are You Ready For Son of Sarbox?

Just when corporate America thought it had met all of the reporting and auditing demands resulting from the Sarbanes Oxley Act (http://www.tidwelldewitt.com/sox.htm), another piece of Senate legislation is pending that would assess huge fines for financial service companies and other data managers that fail to adequately protect personal data.

The Personal Data Privacy and Security Act (S1332) is a regulatory hammer pending in Congress that supporters say will help ensure that data brokers utilize adequate data privacy and security systems. The pending legislation provides for fines of up to a maximum of $35,000 per day for violations of certain sections of the act. Its a sign of the times, and no one is going to be off the radar. Get ready for son of Sarbox.

This legislation underscores the need for companies outsourcing their business processing services to make sure their vendors have the necessary internal and external safeguards in place. The SAS 70 (Statement of Auditing Standards No. 70) (http://www.tidwelldewitt.com/sas70.htm) audit is quickly becoming the industry standard for making such determinations. We are seeing a significant upsurge in demand for the SAS 70 in this era of heightened awareness about maintaining confidentiality of personal information.

Companies outsourcing their business processing services such as claims management, credit card processing, information technology and other data-based processes should now insist their service vendors undergo a rigorous examination under the SAS 70. The SAS 70 is simply an auditing tool that outsourced financial service providers use to demonstrate to their clients the integrity of their processes.

For companies not already utilizing SAS 70, the pending S1332 bill which may come up for full Senate consideration in this term of Congress is a prudent step toward meeting expanding federal data security regulations. U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt), one of the co-sponsors of S1332, puts it this way: Insecure databases have become low-hanging fruit for hackers looking to steal identities and commit fraud during a time when we are seeing a troubling rise in organized rings that target personal data to sell in online virtual bazaars. His co-sponsor on the bill is U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), so it is a bipartisan initiative that has a reasonable possibility of passage.

HOW TO CHOOSE A SAS 70 AUDITOR

In choosing a SAS 70 auditor (http://www.tidwelldewitt.com/), you should:

Make sure the audit will not be done with a standard template, but will be customized for you and your data vendor.

Choose a firm that has significant experience in SAS 70 audits, one that can take it to full completion and then stand by its work if you come under regulatory scrutiny or face a legal challenge.

Ask for examples of their SAS 70 work in the past or at the present time.

Ask if their clients have survived a regulatory or legal challenge to their data control standards.

Find out if the firm has a specialized SAS 70 unit that performs only that type of work.

Determine if the potential auditor is a consulting firm only. If so, they cannot legally sign off on the audit (only a CPA firm can do this).

TWO TYPES OF AUDITS

There are actually two levels of SAS 70 audits service organizations must complete:

In a Type I report, the service organization provides a description of its controls at a given time. During the audit, the service auditor evaluates the accuracy of that description and whether the controls were suitably designed to achieve the specific control objectives.

A Type II report includes the information from the Type I, as well as an analysis and results of detailed tests conducted on the service organizations controls over a period of at least six months.

In order to be sound, SAS 70s must be performed by outside auditing firms with significant experience in this specific type of audit.

MARKETING VALUE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED

Service organizations receive significant value from having a SAS 70 engagement performed. A service auditors report with an unqualified opinion that is issued by an independent accounting firm differentiates the service organization from its peers by demonstrating the establishment of effectively designed control objectives and control activities.

Rather than look at the SAS 70 as just another audit process to be endured, smart service providers see having an SAS 70 as a seal of approval they can use in their marketing efforts, similar in industry to the ISO 9000 designation or Underwriters Laboratories seal of approval. Having completed a SAS 70 audit also helps service organization build trust with their customers and get repeat business and referrals to others.

It has reached the point that the SAS 70 is no longer optional for outside vendors providing financial and I/T services to clients. Given the stakes now, companies just cant run the risk of assuming that an outside service provider is doing all of the right things. The SAS 70 audit (http://www.tidwelldewitt.com/) is one way they can be certain those vendors meet all of the requirements of Sarbanes Oxley and the new Senate legislation under consideration.

SAS 70 was first developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 1992, but was not widely applied until the Sarbanes Oxley Act became law in 2002. Following implementation of the Sarbanes Oxley Act in 2005, SAS 70 audit reports became essential to full compliance with the acts external service control requirements. If you havent asked if your service provider is SAS 70 compliant, you should do so right away.

Mitch Poole is an Atlanta managing member of Tidwell DeWitt and directs the Sarbanes Oxley and SAS 70 initiatives within the Regulatory Compliance Group. Mitch Poole has more than 30 years of experience and direct responsibility in financing, financial reporting, acquisitions and divestures, shareholder / owner relations, strategic planning, accounting, risk management, IT management, human resources including employee benefit plans, labor management, and equipment management.Faythe Blog1608
Vicki Blog95429

Choose Pixel Advertising Sites Wisely, and Know Who All Profits

A new form of Internet advertising has exploded and it is receiving a lot of response lately - pixel advertising. Essentially, it is where people purchase a set of pixels on the homepage of a Web site, inserting their company logo that links back to their own site. Potentially, the end result can be increased Web site traffic to both the pixel site and the advertisers placing their images there.

As a potential advertiser seeking unique online exposure and increased traffic for your Web site, use precautions before spending your money on just any pixel advertising Web site.

Dont be impulsive with your advertising dollars. Do some comparison shopping online first. Take a few moments to browse different pixel sites, read the content on their sites about their company and what makes them unique among other pixel ad sites. Compare their pricing, the sizes of pixel ads available, the placement of your ad on their homepage, and the length of time your ad will be placed on their Web site.

Choose pixel advertising sites devoted to a charitable or worth while causeAlex Tew, a UK college student, started MillionDollarHomepage.com (the first known pixel advertising site) so he could save enough money to go to college. There are others like him out there whose primary goal is to use pixel advertising as a way to donate to a charity or help others who are less fortunate. Sites like BannerCanvas.com by owner Chad King were started to raise money to help tear down his mothers old dilapidated trailer and build her a brand new house on the same property. These sites are definitely worth checking out first.

Seek out pixel ad sites whose owners already believe in natural search engine optimization, and are paying an SEO company for natural and ethical search engine optimization. How can you tell without directly asking? While it may not be the best indicator, one method is to look for keywords in the META titles, META descriptions and META keyword tags on many pages of the Web site. Look for those same keywords throughout the content on the site.

Find pixel advertising sites who will genuinely keep its word on leaving your ad on their Web site for the 5 or 10 years as promised. Many of these new pixel sites popping up everywhere will no longer be around one year from now, because they will have taken everybodys money and stopped paying for their domain and hosting fees. You do not want to advertise on a fly-by-night-take-your-money-and-run type of pixel site.

Before paying for a pixel advertising site, actually contact the owner of the pixel ad site by phone or email and get to know him or her. Ask that person questions like what he intends to do with the money generated from pixel advertising, or what percentage (if any) will be donated to charity. What charity will the money be donated to, or what individual or family will be the recipient of the donations?

Pixel advertising is fast becoming the latest online trend. As a potential advertiser, first take the time to shop around before choosing which pixel advertising site to pay for, and find out who will profit from your advertising dollars.

Wendy Suto is president of SearchCircus.com, an SEO firm in Cleveland, Ohio. She specializes in natural and ethical optimization, link building and article submission tactics. As a certified SEO consultant, she teaches SEO training classes. http://www.searchcircus.comViv Blog39234
Valida Blog55401

7 Ideas For Increasing Your Internet Marketing Presence

Marketing online is a critical part of any marketing plan. Here are seven Internet-based marketing ideas you can integrate into your 2007 marketing plan:

Volunteer for Internet Interviews

Podcasts, Webcasts, blogs, RSS feeds and newsletters (ezines) are all venues for online interviews or discussions. You'll want to approach publishers who regularly conduct interviews with guests of your caliber, so finding opportunities will take some research. Do this by searching general search engines (such as google.com) or directories. Some directories to get you started: podcast.net (podcasts), ezinehub.com (ezines), syndic8.com (RSS feeds/blogs)

Approach Bloggers Interested in Your Type of Product

Send your product to bloggers as a gift. You are doing this to expose your product to influencers in your category by giving them an opportunity to try it free (not to bribe or beg them to mention the product). If the bloggers like it, they may give it a mention in their blogs. Note that this is a subtle Internet marketing technique. Choosing to mention (or not mention) your product should be solely up to them.

You can find and read blogs by searching blogging directories such as technorati.com.

Join One or More Online Networks

Online social networks allow you to set up a profile page and interact with others who have your same professional (or personal) interests. Each network has different features and may appeal to a different kind of user. As with all Internet marketing techniques, there are dos and don'ts, so you'll want to read some of the profiles and learn a particular site's rules before aggressively working the network. Some networks to explore: linkedin.com, ryze.com, myspace.com, orkut.com, friendster.com

Send Out One or More Press Releases

First and foremost, the release must be something newsworthy to the media (if you need ideas, read the article here: http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/pr/NewsAngle.htm). Also, be sure to include a link to your Website or blog in the press release. Finally, distribute the release through an online press release service such as PRWeb.com.

Survey Your Website Visitors

Surveys can help you identify opportunities for improvement. Since online attention spans are very short, try asking a single two-part question such as Fred Reichhold's Ultimate Question: "On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend __________." Fill in the blank with your Website name (or other relevant product). To those who reply with a 6 or lower, ask why they are not more likely to recommend. You should see a pattern in the comments. These will lead to ways of improving your site. There are software packages to help you set up an online survey. Also, surveymonkey.com is a popular Web interface for producing online surveys.

Convey Patrick Hanlon's 7 Primal Branding Pieces Online

According to Hanlon, the seven "Primal Branding" pieces -- a creation story, creed, icons, rituals, sacred words, nonbelievers and leaders -- form belief systems that inherently attract people who want to believe in a product. Those people form the communities that surround successful products and services. Conveying as many of these as you can online can help build followers online.

Study Your 5 Closest Competitors' Websites and Online Marketing Activities

By studying the competition you will not only gain a better understanding of trends in your industry, but also gain new insights into promotional strategies for your own business. As you research, brainstorm a list of ideas and use that list to plan a new online strategy or technique for your own business.

There you have it -- seven ideas for improving your Internet marketing presence. Integrate one or more into your 2007 marketing plan and you'll be on your way to greater success.

Bobette Kyle draws upon 15+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, online marketing experience, and marketing MBA as inspiration for her writing. Bobette is proprietor at Web Marketing Place LLC and runs http://WebSiteMarketingPlan.com -- http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com -- where you'll find free marketing planning articles and resources. She is also author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business."Flower Blog19629
Vinnie Blog13907

Local Real Estate Agent Marketing

Local real estate agent marketing to increase your commissions by 25% to 50% this year, interested?

Ive concluded that 99% of real estate agents local marketing challenges are because they are you using A) push marketing B) not getting a tangible ROI in the name of getting their name our there (are advertising on benches???).

Furthermore, only 1% of real estate agents solve both of these challenges, not surprisingly they are also a part of the top 1% of commission earning agents. By the end of reading this local real estate agent marketing article, you will have a simple solutions for getting local leads and increasing your 25% to 50% in commissions this year.

SOLUTION: Internet Marketing for Real Estate Agents

Typical Internet Marketing for Real Estate Agent Approach:

WEBSITE + NO TRAFFIC = FANCY BROCHURE

Top 1% Internet Marketing for Real Estate Agent Approach:

WEBSITE + LOCAL GOOGLE + BIG ACTION = NEW BUSINESS

WEBSITE. If you have one, Ill let you in on a little secret, it doesnt matter what your website looks like (within reason), all that matters is getting targeted local traffic and having clearly defined BIG actions for successful local real estate agent marketing.

NO WEBSITE. Before you hire anybody to design it, consult a website design company that specializes in real estate agents and internet marketing because they will be able to incorporate the next three solutions.

GOOGLE. What is it and why is it so important? Google is a search engine, where people search for websites, information, videos, etc. Its important because 67% of U.S. adults use search engines as a research tool before making a purchase decision*."

When potential clients (targeted traffic) search for the keyword your city + real estate agent (example, Miami real estate agent) wouldnt it be great if they found your website? When your website appears, let me say welcome to the 21st century of local real estate agent marketing.

(*iCrossing, How America Searches: Online Shopping", August 2005)

If youre not found in Google for terms such as, your city + real estate agent, and within the first three pages of results, its like a selling a home without putting a for sale sign on the lawn or a listing on MLS, only a select few are going to know its for sale. Getting ranked in the first three pages doesnt just happen, you need to incorporate two simple solutions: Google pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and search engine optimization (SEO).

SOLUTION #1: GOOGLE PAY-PER-CLICK (PPC) ADVERTISING.

Pay-per-click (PPC) is an online advertising format, where you buy web traffic that's 100% customer targeted. Immediately (within minutes) after signing up with an account, your Ads will be placed on search engine result pages (SERP) for the searched "keywords" (phrases) relevant to your business.

The best part is that you only pay when someone clicks on your ad and not for the number of times (impressions) it appears on the screen. Secondly, because its a bidding system, you only pay as much as you want to, with no monthly minimum. To set-up a Google Adwords account go to: http://www.google.com/intl/en/ads/

SOLUTION #2: SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION.

Instead of paying for being in the sponsored links portion, you could appear in the natural (aka organic) portion of the search engine result page (SERP), internet marketers use a simple and powerful marketing concept called search engine optimization (SEO). There are two forms of SEO techniques, I only recommend using "white hat" (ethical) SEO. The other form called "black hat" SEO, will most likely get you banned from search engines and tarnish your brand image.

How to search engine optimize your website is well beyond the scope of this article, entire books have been written on the subject of SEO. I highly recommend Michael Wongs Search Engine Optimization Strategies eBook.

SOLUTION #3: BIG ACTIONS.

What is the one action you want a first time visitor to take at your website? How are you going to get their email address or phone number?

A BIG action will answer both these questions. Here is a sample list of BIG actions for real estate agents' websites:

-- Call for a free property consultation
-- Sign-up for new housing listings
-- Sign-up for home buyer and seller education
-- Sign-up for a free current market assessment (CMA)
-- Sign-up for free virtual tours of property listings
-- Sign-up for a free property consultation
-- Sign-up for a free first time home buyers eBook

What your websites BIG actions are, needs to be the #1 answered question. If you dont know what your BIG actions are, then a first-time visitor to your website wont know either. If you have a BIG action it also needs to be up front on your homepage and limited to a maximum of three BIG actions.

Define and implement up to three BIG actions today, get their email and follow-up with automated emails, and get them to call you or sign-up for a property consultation, its that simple.

Implement these three local real estate agent marketing solutions and become a seven or six figure commission earning agent today.

JP Richards is a Google Qualified Adwords Professional, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Consultant, and the founder of Toronto SEO Company.Fayre Blog97771
Faith Blog31884

Two Steps to Google -- How To Achieve High Rankings That Last!

Everyone knows that there is big money to be made ranking well in the search engines, and (almost) everyone has their little secret or trick to help you do it. In other words, people are usually technique oriented, focusing on what you are suppose to do and how you are suppose to do it. There is, no doubt, great value to knowing what works, but there is also a problem and that is that what works today doesn't seem to work tomorrow. The search engines, it turns out, are rather dynamic and they are constantly changing the way in which they determine which sites rank well for any given search term. This leads us to a question, is there a long term strategy for ranking well in the search engines? The answer is a resounding yes! You simply have to learn how to think like the search engines.

If you can learn to think like the search engines, then you can start to build and market the type of sites that they want to rank well. And guess what, with billions of dollars of cash, and some of the brightest minds that roam this planet, the search engines are getting rather good at ranking highly those sites which they want to rank well. What that means is that if you can create and market the type of sites that the search engines like then you can build long-term, stable rankings in the search engine.

All you have to do is find out what do the search engines want? And what do they want? They want sites which are relevant and popular. All you have to do is create a highly relevant and popular website and you are on your way to high rankings that last. And while that may not sound so easy, it's not so hard either, if you go about it right. Indeed, it's basically a simple two-step process.

Step number one - creating a relevant website

As we mentioned above, the search engines crave relevant results. Indeed, their entire business depends on it (people don't like using search engines that return irrelevant results). What that means for you is that you need to create high quality content for any and every keyword that you want to rank well for. The key is to always stay ahead of the game (and your competitors). Stay up-to-date, come up with creative insights, make a video presentation, whatever it takes to make sure that your site has the best, most relevant content out there for the terms and phrases that you want to rank well for. And don't forget about presentation, make it easy-to-understand and enjoyable.

Now, there are many ways that you can accomplish this. Look around at all of the different types of content online and pick one (or a few) which you are most capable of reproducing. And then just keep doing it day in and day out, each time working to make it better than the day before.

Step number two - creating a popular website

It is important to understand that the search engines are actually somewhat democratic. They like sites that other people like (it's how they determine whether or not a site is significant). That is why that put so much emphasis on links. However, as is well known, they are not totally democratic. They don't value everyone's "vote" the same. The most significant vote comes from sites which are topically related and popular. Less significant votes come from sites which are either popular or relevant (but not both). The worst votes are from sites which are neither relevant nor popular. This means that in order to rank well you need to find a way (or numerous ways) to get large numbers of sites which are at least either relevant or popular to link to your site. What's the best way to do that? Find the people with the power to influence those sites? Where can you find them? Blogs, forums, del.icio.us, dig.com, press release sites, people with large email lists, etc. There are thousands (if not millions) of people who actually want your to link to good sites. After all, they also need to provide their visitors with quality content. As such, the moment that you have created a quality site you have created something that people want (bloggers love linking to good sites). What's more, you can also rework your content and offer it to other sites in exchange for a link.

So, at the end of the day, high rankings which last revolve around one word, content. Create lots of it, make sure that it is relevant and of the highest quality, and you and Google can live together happily ever after.

Moshe Morris is president of SEMBasics (http://www.sembasics.com) - a leading resource center for search engine marketing. SEMBasics provides free search engine marketing tutorials and other valuable search marketing products and services.Frederica Blog67452
Ertha Blog35535

Business Text Software Means Success Is Just A Finger Click Away

Regardless of what size your business is, the single most important part of its success are your customers. You may have the best staff in your field, with the best management team to lead them, but without customers, how are you going to enjoy enough success to keep that team together? Thanks to mobile text advertising software, the answer may be easier than you think.

What Is Mobile Text Advertising Software?

Simply put, mobile text software is the next generation of advertising to both your existing customer base, and any potential new clients at the same time, using technology that everyone is familiar with. With the mobile phone industry playing such a crucial part in any business, you can see why a service such as mobile text advertising is virtually a no-brainer - after all, wouldn't any business like a potential client base of over 200 million contacts?

It's so easy to use as well, and the best part of all is that it's absolutely free - simply pay a one-off fee for the software itself, and there's no need to worry about individual text costs, different service provider charges, etc. All you need is for your company website to support the software we provide, and that's it - no hidden costs, no provider charges and no monthly administration costs. Just one simple payment for the software, and it's yours to use for life!

How Does Mobile Text Advertising Work?

Unlike many other online advertising campaigns, mobile text advertising is simplicity itself to set up and maintain. The software itself runs in conjunction with your product, so no matter what industry you're in, you'll always be ahead of the game when it comes to advertising to your customers, both new and old.

If you already have an email permission form on your website, you'll be familiar with how mobile text advertising works. When the software is installed on your site, every visitor will automatically be asked if they want to receive information about your products. However, the difference is that instead of that information going to an email account, where it could be ignored or filtered out with anti-spam software, the advertisement goes directly to that user's mobile phone.

Since everyone has their mobile phone on them at all times (especially businessmen for whom it's often the make-or-break tool in any sale), you're guaranteed that your message is getting read. And what better way to attract new sales or repeat business than an already receptive audience?

And since all the legwork is done by the automated software, you don't even have to worry about maintaining a database, leaving you to concentrate on making the best profits! Profits which are made even larger since there is no cost to send texts via mobile advertising, since it uses Web-to-mobilephone software.

Setting Mobile Text Advertising Up

One of the truly great features offered by mobile text advertising is the ease in which it can be set up, particularly if you're a small to medium sized business with little or no IT support teams. The software is already pre-programmed to be tailored to any website, and because of this, you don't even need to know how to programme - all you need to know is how to copy paste text onto your website, and you can be up and running within 30 minutes.

Couple this with full updates whenever mobile phone carriers have their own software updates, as well as the fact that you can change the text and advertising images to anything that you want to tell customers about, and you can see why mobile text advertising is the only way forward for your company.

What Do I Do Now?

Now that you know how it works, you can surely see the numerous benefits your company can expect when you purchase the mobile text advertising software. What you probably don't realise is how inexpensive it currently is to get it for your own company.

For the one-off payment of $39.99, not only will you get the software to install on your website, but you'll also receive a full digital user guide, to make sure you get the best possible results. Also included are four bonus pieces of software, from marketing tips and strategies to a full resource directory to show you how to maximise sales and follow-up advertising.

So, if you want to get ahead of your competitors, there's really no need to wait any longer - get started with mobile text advertising today, and watch your sales fly in.

http://www.faxnumbersoncd.com/freetext.htm

Sean Derfield is a bar owner, and online marketer. He has many sites that deal with bringing more business thru your doors.Ethel Blog63132
Fatima Blog79579

How I increase my Internet Network Marketing Blog Page Rank with Free Back links ?

I recently just pick up a neat trick on how to increase my blog page rank through backlinks with anchor text from high page rank sites for free. How do I do it and why high page rank sites allow this ?

Although I am a newbie blogger but I would like to try this out on my "Internet Network Marketing Blog"(http://www.mlmJedi.com) as anchor text and sees if it works because presently my Internet Network Marketing Page Rank is "0" !

Its pretty easy and simple. First research for blogs of your Niche or Industry.For me will be the Internet Network Marketing MLM niche.Look for those with Page rank 3 and above.Just Leave a comment, not just those spammy short comments like: Good work or well done.

Contribute and write something worthy of passing their comment moderation.The better or longer you write the higher chances of your comment being approved and thus attract their readers attention to your Blog.

Now come the most important part, you need to fill in your name, email, website URL .We all know that our blog URL will Leave a backlink but if I fill up my name as :"Internet Network Marketing Blog" and yes that is my anchor text and Google will know that "Internet Network Marketing Blog" is my anchor text and its important to my Blog URL .Check out Youtube Video in my blogpost where I test this in http://www.JohnChow.com 's blogpost title:"The John Chow Effect"'s comment.

Is this tactic workable ? Come watch Youtube video and comment in my blogpost http://www.mlmjedi.com/seo-blogging/how-to-increase-my-internet-network-marketing-blog-page-rank-with-free-backlinks

"How I increase my Internet Network Marketing Blog Page Rank with Free Back links ?" is brought to you by The MLM Jedi.

May the Force be with You

David Gwee author of THE Online MLM Blog : http://www.mlmJedi.com an Online MLM Expert shows you How -INSIDER BLUEPRINT- a 100% Profit Affiliate Program featuring "Pay It Forward" & MLM Funded Proposal Advertising Concept, Can EXPLODE Your MLM Leads Online! Go http://www.WhoisJoeschmo.com NOW!Vitia Blog9329
Evania Blog95034

Are You A Duck At The Fairground Shooting Range?

Once you own or start operating as an Internet Business Owner, you are obligated to abide by established legislation, regulations, and codes of practice. Unfortunately as with most legislation, being ignorant of the law is not a defence. It is up to you to ensure you are legal, and the fact that you didnt know, or didnt mean to contravene something, only means that you are at fault, period.

It is extremely easy to innocently step outside the boundaries of the law. Mike Filsamine in his latest report, The Death of Internet Marketing tells of a frightening story where he used an online program to generate the wording of legal site documents, only to discover that the application had unwittingly breached another persons copyrighted material to generate those documents. Heres the kicker, because Mike used those generated documents he breached the copyright and had to resolve the issue with the copyrighted owner.

But it is even easier to fall foul of the law. If you purchase Private Label Rights to a product and for example a photograph that has been used to generate the ebook cover, graphics, or in the content has unwittingly been used without the correct permissions, you could be the one paying damages.

Imagine the nightmare of waking up to find a summons in your mail. Maybe it is for something totally petty. But you start to think that its nothing to worry about, youre only an ordinary person trying to make some extra money (probably not too successfully). Perhaps you are only selling someone elses product, or a simple ebook or software program, so you shrug it off.

If you think, heck it cant come to much, Im only a very small operation, think again!

That simple summons is the start of devastating stress, legal fees, travelling, administration costs, and loss of earnings (if you have to take time off work). Even if you turn out to be right, in the meantime you could be reported to several agencies, (actually I think the real figure is around 17 different agencies), depending where you are in the world. Even if you are from outside the country of the complainant, you could still face a legal nightmare.

That omission, improper claim, or complaint from someone who has visited your site might mean you now face an investigation for Internet Fraud, a serious criminal offence in any country.

In America the Federal Trade Commission investigates numerous such cases. If you go to their web site you will see real cases listed.

So what else can go wrong?

What if a child wanders onto your site, or someone else who reads something, or sees something that they claim to find upsetting? Are you legally protected?

Even writing an article such as this one could get you into copyright issues. If you cut and paste pieces of other peoples work, you could, if found out have to pay damages to the author. So if you write articles, do it the hard way, and write them yourself as original content. Besides, original content is king! Right?

The point is, while it is easy to fall foul of problems, it is equally easy to protect yourself against nearly all of these types of problems. How?

By having a proper legally prepared Terms of Use (or service) document, Privacy Policy (including childrens privacy), and Purchase (or license) Agreement, that includes proper legal disclaimers, and liability protection.

What you absolutely must not do is to use free online generators, or free legal packages which can be found on the Internet. You must make sure that your documents are prepared by an attorney, or solicitor, who know or specialise in Internet Law.

I suggest you immediately revise your position in this area before it is too late. Look up the information on the internet and carefully consider your need for protection. If you wish to see an example of the licensed material, you may find it on my site.

Article by Mark McGimpseyFannie Blog87258
Fawnia Blog50511

Get Interest Free Cash With 0% Balance Transfers

If you have a great credit rating and no debt, then you could be in line to make some money. And you can do it using the tools that credit card tarts have been using for years.

The Credit Card Tart System

Credit card tarts have used the incentives offered by lenders to their advantage for quite a long time. These incentives often consist of 0% interest on balance transfers for a fixed period of up to 12 months. Borrowers who have a debt apply for a new 0% credit card and transfer that debt to the new card. They make repayments as they normally would, but the balance owed is reduced since no interest is being charged.

When the incentive period is due to end, credit card tarts look around for a new 0% deal. They apply for the new card at least six weeks before the expiry of the old 0% deal, so they have plenty of time to transfer the outstanding balance onto their new 0% card.

This serial card switching allows borrowers to clear debt without paying any interest. Lenders have begun to fight back as they are losing hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth of interest. Many of them now charge a balance transfer fee of about 2%. However, there are still some fee free balance transfers available, which is good news fro debt-free consumers looking to use the system to make some money.

How To Earn Money On A 0% Card

To make money from a 0% balance transfer card, it is necessary to have a good credit rating and to get two new credit cards. One credit card has a 0% balance transfer rate. This must be a card that does not charge a balance transfer fee. The second allows credit card cheques at no additional charge.

The borrower can use the balance transfer card to transfer a sum of money onto the card that allows credit card cheques. The borrower can then write a cheque for that amount and pay it into a high interest savings account. This strategy only works if the interest earned is more than the amount being paid. Borrowers can use the same technique to get a low interest loan. Long term balance transfer rates are lower than standard interest rates on loans.

But Is It Legal?

There is nothing to prevent borrowers from using their cards in this way. As long as they make repayments on time and in full, there are unlikely to be complaints. It is also essential to keep credit card applications to a minimum so there are no red flags on the borrower's credit report. There's no reason why borrowers who stick to these rules and make payments on time shouldn't make a bit of money from their credit cards. And while they're shopping around for the perfect credit cards, it's worth checking out the other incentives as well.

Joe Kenny writes for the personal finance sites http://www.cardguide.co.uk and also http://www.ukpersonalloanstore.co.uk.Farrand Blog1292
Viva Blog5244

Affiliate Marketing: What Is It, And How Can It Work For Me?

Affiliate marketing seems to be one of the Internet buzz-phrases that keeps coming around and around. You go to various website where products are sold and you typically see a banner add or text link that says something about 'You can become an affiliate and make 75% for each sale," or something like that.

But, what is affiliate marketing? Simple. You are essentially directing traffic around the Internet with simple ads or text links on a website that you operate, from merchants or other organizations that have a product or service to sell. Each time that merchant makes a sale based on your forwarding traffic - you get a percentage of that sale. Call it revenue sharing if you like.

The amount you make per sale varies from company to company and product to product, but in some cases the affiliate can make 80% of the profit from the sale. For example, affiliate marketing is a popular work at home way for e-book authors or sellers to get other people's help to market their product. Since they have little overhead (sales page maintenance), they can afford to give affiliates a larger piece of the pie - usually over 75% of the total sale. That means as an affiliate, you can make significant dollars, and do very little work - except promote products on your site.

Many people have set up web pages with the specific intent of providing information about a topic, and then having web-generated affiliate links appear on that page, along with the related information. Each time a web-surfer clicks through that link and then buys a product - you collect money! How is that for being able to make money around the clock! It really is an ingenious work at home opportunity that can make you a great deal of money - with only a modicum of work.

Affiliate marketing can also work for you and your own Internet sales site. Attract affiliate advertisers for your own product, and you can open up the vast sales net on the Internet. If you localize your marketing and only sell from your own website, you are probably missing millions of other potential sales by limiting your product to only one sales funnel. You know the laws of averages - the more people that visit your site - the more people are going to buy your product.

If you are looking for a great work at home opportunity, or just another stream of cash to help you get through each month, then you might take a look at the world of affiliate marketing. Done right - you can make hundreds, or maybe even thousands of dollars per month.

As far as work at home opportunities, it doesn't get any easier than affiliate marketing. If you already have a website, you can add text links or button links to hundreds of different merchants - many of which will work hand in hand with the theme of your website. You can generate dollars while you sleep - which is something most people would dream of - rather than putting it into action!

Bob Saville has had a great deal of success working from home over the past three years. His website http://www.internetmarketingatoz.com/ helps people find the information they need to start their own successful home business!Violetta Blog28236
Erika Blog31274

Business Finance & Financing Decisions

The goal of corporate finance is to raise sufficient capital at the least cost for the level of risk that management is willing to live with. The risk is that a business will not be able to service the debt and be forced into bankruptcy.

Broadly speaking there are 5 main ways of funding a company's needs:

* Receive credit from suppliers
* Obtain lease financing
* Obtain bank loans
* Issue bonds
* Issue stock

Supplier credit

This is the easiest way that companies obtain funding. Companies buy goods and services and have anywhere from seven days till 6 months to pay for them; when companies need more credit from suppliers the financial controllers will negotiate longer credit terms or larger credit lines. The payment terms can also be stretched and this can work well because the creditors do not want the customer to go into bankruptcy taking their money with them.

Lease financing

Instead of buying equipment, many companies choose to lease equipment - this is a form of franchising.Cars,computers and heavy equipment can be financed for short periods or indeed longer periods.

If it is a short period it is referred to as an operating lease and at the end of the lease the property is still useful and is returned to the finance company.

Long term leases are, in substance, ways are ways of funding a purchase rather than buying the temporary services of a piece of equipment. These are often referred to as capital leases.

For capital leases the leased assets and the financing liability are recorded on the leasing company's books as though the company had bought the equipment outright.

Bank financing

The next level of financing involves banks. If a company has a credit line or revolver with a bank it draws down and pays back up to set limits of credit as cash is needed and generated by the business. The credit is often secured by assets of the firm however if a business runs into trouble it may not be able to pay the bank and go into bankruptcy

Bond Insurance

Bonds have fixed interest rate contractual payments and a principal maturity. The risk comes to the firm's owners if they cannot be serviced. The principle bond owners can then exchange them for ownership of the company and oust the owners.

The After-Tax cost of Borrowing

Interest payments for borrowing from vendors, bankers or bondholders are tax-deductible, while dividends to shareholders are not. The after-tax cost of borrowing is the interest cost less the tax benefit.

Stock Issues

Stock issues have non-contractual, non tax deductible dividend payments. Stock represents an ownership in the business and in all of its assets. If additional shares of stock are issued to raise cash, this is done at the at the expense of the current shareholders' ownership interest. New shareholders share their ownership interest equally on a per-share basis with the current shareholders - this is why analysts say that the new shareholders dilute the interest of existing shareholders.

Summary

In summarising, the higher the percentage of debt to total capital, the higher a company's value, to a point. At the point where the risk of bankruptcy becomes significant, values fall. The cost of financing decreases as a company adds lower-cost shielded debt to displace the higher returns required by equity investors.

Naz Daud is the Founder of the CityLocal Internet Business Franchise Opportunity.Ernesta Blog34875
Verine Blog61023

Boost Your Business With Effective Financial Management

Working Capital, to put it briefly, refers to a business organization's total current assets (short-term ones), marketable securities, accounts receivables, inventory, and cash. Management of the financial segment is a great responsibility that demands equal attention on investments as well as sources of income (both long term and short term). In fact, a business firm can never enhance its value if it fails to survive initial hiccups in the short run. Hence, efficient management of finances is essential for any business to survive.

Strategies to finance short-term working capital needs much greater attention than are usually practiced. Precisely speaking, there are two short-term working capital financing options; business cash advance programs and short-term commercial mortgage loan programs that have been often overlooked. But these two working capital funding options are excellent for small and new business ventures to ward initial financial obstructions off their way. Business cash advance is one of the best financing options for businesses accepting credit cards as mode of payment. Speaking of benefits, business cash advance offers great help even to prospering businesses. For instance, even thriving businesses need working capital that might not be borrowed from a bank. Under these circumstances, business cash advance or merchant cash advance programs come to the rescue. Retail chains, bars, and restaurants, service businesses are highly benefited from these finance programs.

Receivable factoring or "credit card factoring" is another unique working capital management strategy, whereby the businesses sell their future receivables at a discount. However, it is not possible for all small businesses to document their receivables in order to qualify for this financing option. The documented sales volume and credit card sales activity of these small businesses serve as financial asset to attain a business cash advance or a merchant cash advance.

Not negating the importance of short-term working capital loans, it is also necessary to understand the importance of long-term working capital management. While planning to finance your business long-term, make sure to get hold of a long-term commercial mortgage for at least 15-20 years. In a few cases though it becomes essential to avoid long-term commercial mortgage loans and opt for its short-term counterpart. This would especially be applicable for those who intend to sell or refinance their business within one to five years. In fact, availing short-term commercial mortgage loans comes with the added advantage of negating prepayment penalties and "lockout" fees, normally associated with long-term loans.

There are few lenders providing effective services for both these financial strategies. Hence, working capital loan in the form of business cash advance programs or commercial mortgage loans should be chosen with great care.

Suzanne Macguire is an Internet marketing professional with expertise in content development and technical writing in a variety of industries.Veronika Blog84141
Venus Blog13848

Email Marketing Software - Is It Hurting Your Business?

Ten years ago I started my first online business venture out of the basement office of my home. I put together a Web site selling scrapbook products on my wifes suggestion that scrapbooking was emerging as a hot niche in the crafting industry.

Keeping up with the day to day chores of running my own business challenged me to manage my time wisely. Preparing my email newsletter each month consumed many hours of my time. I wrote the sales copy and made sure all the links in the newsletter worked correctly. Cleaning my mailing list of email addresses I dreaded the most.

I wanted to make sure that all unsubscribe requests got properly removed from my list. The software maintaining my list had no reliable way of accomplishing this task so I did it all manually. I broadcast my newsletter to my squeaky clean list but how much time did it take me to keep it that way? Answer: Way too much time.

Penny wise and pound foolish means being cautious with small amounts of money but careless with large amounts. What large amounts of money was I being foolish with? My time. Time is money and being cautious with my money by purchasing inexpensive email marketing software (penny wise) resulted in using way too much time (pound foolish) because the software woefully lacked features I needed.

Building trust and relationships is what email marketing is all about. A big part of that trust is built upon how well I managed my subscription lists. When someone on my list asks for removal, I want to respond accordingly. Not complying with these requests puts my business reputation at risk. But there are additional concerns.

Domain registrars are taking spam complaints more seriously and many openly provide complaint forms on their Web sites. Too many complaints reported to my domain registrar could give them reason to disable my domain. I didnt want to have my thriving online business suddenly brought to a standstill because my domain got shut down.

Also, the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 dictates that email sent to the requestor's email address must stop within 10 business days. Each violation of CAN-SPAM provisions is subject to fines of up to $11,000. Ouch!

After several software trials, I found that Mailloop 7 from Internet Marketing Center met my needs of processing subscribe and unsubscribe requests automatically through a list of filters and rules. Now I maintain as many lists as I need to keep up with the demands of my business. But most important, I will never again worry about marketing to anyone who unsubscribes from my list as the software automatically maintains a Master Unsubscribe List to make sure of that.

Another part of my online marketing strategy is using an autoresponder to cut down on the daily chore of answering frequently asked questions. Though Ive provided the answers in a convenient FAQ, I still get email inquiries on a daily basis.

Autoresponders use my customers' desire for instant gratification to my advantage. A single autoresponder frees me from the tedious task of responding to each and every requestsuch as manually sending out purchase confirmationsgiving me time to focus on more profitable areas of my business. But that's not all.

Unlimited sequential autoresponders enables me to send a personal response instantly; and then a personalized follow-up message a few days later; and then a friendly reminder a week later; and on and on! Using this method of communicating with my customers greatly increases my sales.

Cheap alternatives for email marketing abound on the Web but the question remains: "Are you being penny wise and pound foolish?" Think of a carpenter who frames houses for a living. Is he using a hand saw or a power saw? Is he using a hammer or a nail gun? If the carpenter doesn't take advantage of the tools of his trade that will boost his productivity, he will soon find himself looking for a new career.

If you are still using inferior software to help you maintain your subscriber lists, it's likely that you're wasting lots of precious time trying to maintain a competitive edge in your field. Find a robust software solution that is well worth the money invested in its cost. Compare it with other email marketing solutions in its class. Ask if it has spam checking, statistical reporting and my favorite, unlimited autoresponders. If you do your homework and invest in good software, you will save hours and hours of time that could be better used in more important matters of your businessand you wont be accused of being penny wise and pound foolish.

Geoff Charles has over ten years online marketing and Web promotion experience and currently runs NetTopSites.com, a free advertising venue for Web sites. Read his review of Mailloop 7 for automating Internet marketing campaigns. http://www.nettopsites.com/mailloop.htm.Felita Blog74340
Filia Blog13951

Indianapolis Sees Success Involving Fathers

Superintendent Calls for Fathers on the First Day of School

Superintendent Eugene G. Whites call to fathers in the Indianapolis schools has met with strong success. Mr. White asked fathers to bring their children to the first day of classes in order to establish a stronger presence on campus and hopefully continue to stay involved with Indianapolis schools throughout the school year. The event was dubbed, The First Day is Dads Day, and encouraged fathers to have a more active role on campus.

As Mr. White states: "Mothers are the backbone of IPS, but dads need to know they have a role to play in supporting their children's education, too. I look forward to seeing more dads in schools throughout the school year." Mr. White hopes programs like The First Day is Dads Day will help change the way fathers view their role in their childrens education and encourage more fathers to take an active interest in what their children are doing in Indianapolis schools.

Public Reaction to The First Day is Dads Day

News stations across Indianapolis turned out to record The First Day is Dads Day programs. WTLC, WEDJ, WISH-TV, WRTV, WTHR, WXIN, the Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis Recorder all participated in getting the word out about the event as well as following up with the story later to see how dads, teachers, and students felt about the shift in the role of the father on campus in Indianapolis schools. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Many fathers took their children to school for the first time and saw the process from a parent perspective that they had not had before. The networks of fathers meeting each other and seeing their children at school should have a positive effect throughout the year as fathers feel more comfortable being involved in the Indianapolis schools.

Reverend Emory Davis watched The First Day is Dads Day proceedings and collected many interesting anecdotes:

"Well, it was a wonderful day. I went to School 55. I got there shortly after 8 a.m. and was greeted by one of the staff members. As I told her what I was doing she got excited that someone was there to help.

"Given the title of 'stand-in' parent, I greeted children and parents as they came into the school, helped them with directions to either check the assignment board or that they were welcome to have breakfast. I met the principal, Mrs. Johnson, and she also thanked me for coming.

"I picked School 55 because one of the young men in our men's group at church attended that school when he was younger.

"One thing, I greeted a young man with I think two children, one of whom was there for kindergarten - although he looked as though in stature to only be about three years old. The parent already had a room assignment for his older child but needed information for the little one. I told the parent to see Mrs. Johnson. As they turned to their left toward the office, the little one came back and looked at me with eyes that would melt the hardest rock and said, 'Hello.' I had to bend down and obviously say 'Hello' right back. And with the he caught up with his dad and brother. That just made the whole day.

"Tell Dr. White 'Let's do it again!' "

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information on Indianapolis schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Indiana/indianapolis/index.htmlVera Blog4149
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Revenue Flat? Sales Stagnating? Get Inspired and Take Action!

Your sales team is working really hard, chasing every lead, making lots of customer presentations but sales continue to be flat. You cant work any harder, yet revenue isnt growing and you cant seem to get at the real problem. Youre not alone and finding the right answer is feeling maddeningly impossible. And thats because the truth is that there is no one answer.

Solving the problem of flat sales requires taking an honest, hard look at the organization and its management. The answer will usually not be found in the easy excuses: the economy is down; there are new competitors in the market; or, my personal favorite, We need to replace the sales team.

In way too many business situations where sales are flat the answer lies instead in the very definition of flat. According to Websters dictionary there are 19 different definitions of flat and there can be just as many answers to flat sales. Two of those 19 definitions are particularly relevant to this issue:

Having little or no sparkle (or taste)
Having little or no interest

Ask yourself if the sales team, your marketing team and your management team still exhibit the same enthusiasm and energy they did when sales were growing. Has that lack of energy filtered throughout the company and right down to your customers? When you do the tough self examination, do you see:

Tired products or services?
Re-formulated marketing with little real sparkle or energy?
Maxed-out, tired, bored sales reps?
Re-energized competitors?
Customers who no longer turn to you as the industry expert?
Customers who have stopped saying how great and innovative you are?
Uninspired management?

Look first at your products and services. How do they stack up against improvements or advancements in your industry? Do they meet the needs of a marketplace that changes almost overnight or have you merely repackaged old products in an attempt to look current? Get out there and get in touch with the market all over again. Whats the buzz at the conferences, in the industry trade journals? What are your competitors doing that youre not? Are there new features or enhanced services you must add to get that edge back? What are the new trends coming out of the university research centers or business schools?

Once you identify whats tired about your products and where you need to update or reinvent, move to the next stage, re-energizing your marketing efforts. In this case, dont be pennywise and pound foolish by short-changing your marketing and PR budget. If youre going to get back into the game and lead, you need charismatic marketing that will tell people that youre on top, i.e., marketing that convinces customers and prospects once again that the old energy is back! Complacent marketing departments that ignore new design trends, new delivery technology or that just plain dont see the excitement themselves must be re-energized themselves in order to spread new energy to your market.

When your products, services and marketing are tired so are your sales reps. No one can continue to sell lackluster products or services every day without physically leaving the company or intellectually leaving it by going into auto-pilot mode. Sales reps may look like theyre working hard and may still be asking the customer the right needs-analysis questions, but your product may no longer solve that need. Or maybe now its only a partial solution of the need. Despite the old Eskimo-and-ice selling metaphor, no one buys what they dont need. And flat sales can be the first indication that the need for your product is waning.

While your company was snoozing and its life getting sucked out of it, your competitors were likely watching and cheering. While your company became complacent, they got themselves energized, their market redefined and as a result they surely stole business that would have been yours. So watching out for the new kids on the block should never draw your attention from that long-time competitor who may just be gearing up to clean your clock.

How do you begin to put the excitement back into the company? How do you not only become relevant again but essential to your customers? This is in fact the easy part you ask them! If any of the problems described so far apply to your company its because youve lost touch with your customers. Just ask them and theyll tell you what they want. Listen and theyll tell you how to sell to them. Your customers know whats relevant to their needs and how you can reinvent your products to meet those new needs.

Focus every aspect of your company on your customers, from your people to your processes to technology. When you truly communicate with your customers and focus on them, they dont let you become complacent, tired or bored again. Theyll force you to stay nimble and to change with them. Try calling your top 10 customers and the last 10 prospects you didnt close. Ask why they buy from you, why they didnt buy from you and what you should be doing to earn their business in the future. THEN DO IT! Once you institute their recommendations, you then tell your customers or prospects of the roles they played. Thank them for saving your keister!

And finally, give your management team a kick and get them moving again by involving them actively in the process of reconnecting with your customers. Assign each member of the management team three clients to speak to. Prep your managers to ask customers how their respective departments can better serve them. Set up innovation/ brain storming sessions with your management team and all corresponding teams that service your top clients. Go off site, bear your soul, ask for forgiveness for forgetting your customers. Then encourage them to lead you back to relevance!

Shelley F. Hall is Principal of Catalytic Management Consulting (Dedham MA), specializing in business performance and growth consulting. Catalytic's mission is to enhance its clients' profitability by delivering customer-focused solutions for increasing revenue and improving operational efficiencies. Website: http://www.catalyticmanagement.com. Telephone: 781 326-7711.Eugenia Blog42799
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Why Do Outdoor Advertising?

Outdoor advertising actually encompasses a number of different marketing approaches and can vary a great deal, which is beneficial for companies since they can then go with whatever approach or method would be more effective for them, individually. Not all companies are able to get the maximum exposure that they need when it comes to different types of outdoor advertising. As a result, it can sometimes be difficult for these companies to come to a conclusion as to why they should invest in outdoor advertising and make that type of trial and error maneuver. The fact is, outdoor advertising in virtually any capacity is influential on many people because of the way in which individuals are exposed to the marketing campaign. There are so many different types of outdoor advertising that can be used and many companies will have no problem finding which method works best for them.

Exposure is the number one reason as to why people should consider outdoor advertising for their professional or personal needs. We see all the time cars in traffic that are for sale by the owner, complete with a sign saying the vehicle is for sale and the contact information for interested parties. As cars interact with each other, we see the powerful effects of outdoor advertising. So many more people are exposed to outdoor advertising as opposed to other methods, such as advertising in a newspaper which is an approach only beneficial to those that read the newspaper. Compared to those that regularly read the newspaper, including the ads, more people are exposed to outdoor advertising.

Another reason that individuals would benefit from considering outdoor advertising is because of the fact that these are the approaches in which the individual will be able to have more diversity when it comes to the different specific methods of marketing. Car advertising or mobile marketing, billboard, bumper stickers and signs are all different forms of outdoor advertising that people are exposed to over time. Outdoor advertising is literally everywhere we look outside in the world today and because of the different methods it is easier for companies or individuals to find the approach that works most successfully, as a result of the individual needs, desires and marketing investment cap which have been put into place. Thanks to outdoor advertising, companies, products, services and ideas can all be revealed to individuals that may have otherwise not been able to learn about the different centerpieces of the products of outdoor advertising attempts.

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Searchforithere The New Age NO Pay Per Click Search Engine

It often happens that we search for information on the Internet and log on to the search engine websites to find the right stuffs there. The searches that take place in the search engines are related to diverse subjects and issues. Accordingly, the scope and utility of the various search engines are widespread and covers various subjects.

In this era of specialization, search engines are also not far behind in its implementation. With many of the search engines becoming more specific to one or few subjects, this whole procedure is likely to become more user- friendly day by day. One such search engine is searchforithere, which in addition to covering a wide array of general categories, specializes mainly for web marketing and advertising. This website has of late attracted attention of the numerous web users who log on to the internet to buy commodities and services online. This site provides a strong platform for online business for organizations engaged in e-commerce and online marketing.

Searchforithere provides you the right platform to effectively communicate with your targeted internet users and make them aware about your website and business. While it might take a long time for your website to feature on the first page of various search engines, in searchforithere you can display your website on the desired page with the unique advertising options of this website. Searchforithere help in developing e-commerce business for small, medium sized or large organizations. Their business plan consists of a nominal monthly fee. The advertisers and clients are not charged for each click, whatever may be the website traffic. The company is also working in tandem with the SEO service experts and manual submitters so as to enhance the technical development of the site.

Based on page popularity measured by the number of links (the rank of the page depends on the optimum number of links you have submitted) the SEO services implemented by this website has earned for its clients greater profit and helped them in successful web marketing. As globalization is picking pace, concepts like internet marketing and advertising on the internet are on the rise. In this form of marketing, products and services are advertised on the internet that generate successful leads and increase business turnover of organizations. Concepts like back links advertising, banner advertising, e-mail marketing, interactive advertising, and email advertising are some of the well known phrases as far as web marketing and advertising is concerned.

Searchforithere helps its clients in driving up their sales and revenues. It also takes special care in answering the queries regarding the facilities provided by the website and affordability of this search engine. They believe that their search optimization is designed for the customers to shop easily and find items they have been looking for. Searchforithere is the combination of all these services. It encompasses the concepts of web directory that in the long run gives a solid platform in linking to other websites and categorizing those links. Other than these, online shopping and online businesses is also promoted through this search engine. The company also offers excellent customer support facilities along with its service offerings.

This new age search engine with several useful features is definitely a website to ponder upon. It offers the opportunity to advertise your website so that you can reach your customers instantly. The websites featuring in searchforithere are so well categorized that customers searching for their desired products and services will be able to find them in the most convenient manner. So if you want to drive your online sales and also want to publicize your website, searchforithere can be the best option in your endeavor.

Paul Festian is the author of this article. This newest Search Engine offers Advertising and Web Marketing with no click charges. For more information visit SearchForItHere.com. Please Visit :-Fiann Blog56824
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I Just Lost $2,548 For Doing 5 Deadly Ad Copy Sins (Part 2)

How many ads have you written to promote your online business? If you have started for a very long time ago, I am sure some of your ads have worked tremendously and some of them have bombed. If you are a beginner who just learn how to make money online, go through this article before you proceed with your ad copy.

The key to make money online in writing ads is to keep changing and testing your ad copy, dont just write one and then stop. Most of us here dont even have a college degree in copywriting, but you have to learn from your mistakes and never give up to make money online.

Below, I add another list of 5 deadly ad copy sins for you. If you have been following my Part 1 article, you have a total of 10 deadly ad copy sins already.

1. No proof of benefits offered

If you are selling a weight loss product that can guarantee people will lost 10 pounds in 3 days, what proof do you have to backup these words? If you have none, people will know straight away that you are just interested to sell the product and make yourself some money online. To overcome this, it is best to put a testimonial from a real people who actually try your product. It can be in a form of images, writing, audio or even videos.

2. No contact information for questions

This is one of the deadliest mistakes you could make. You only care to make money online without caring about your customers. Once they have purchased your product, they will definitely ask some questions regarding the product. You can make some serious money online if you leave your email address or even your house / office address. This way, your customer knows that you are a real person and willing to help them in any way you can.

3. No conversational writing

This is not compulsory but if you manage to write your ad copy like you are writing to your friend, you will make money online and make a lot of profit than before. Describe your potential customer as You and yourself as I. By doing this your customers feel like they are talking to a real person instead to some sales pitch.

4. No deadline to order

Believe it or not, if you put a deadline to your offer, you can make more money online compare to an ad copy without a deadline. Tell your customers if they dont buy it before the deadline, they are making a huge mistake and the price of your offer will increase. When they realize that the offer is just too great, they will click on the Buy button without hesitation.

5. Spelling and grammar mistakes

Well, some business owner could not even be bother about their spelling and grammar mistakes. All they care about is quickly make money online. Let us put it this way, if you read someones ad copy with lots of spelling mistakes, do you still want to buy the product? If they are too lazy to correct their mistakes, do you think that they will help you if you are having problems with their product?

There you have it, another 5 deadly ad copy sins that can cost you lots of money. You do well to remember not to the same mistakes like I did if you are serious about making money online.

Izrul Fizal has made a living earning himself a residual income every month. Visit his website Make Money Online at http://make-money-online1.blogspot.com and http://www.highprofitbizz.com to find out how.Felicia Blog82572
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