The other day my radio show cohost, Paul Finley, mentioned that he had received an email from his dentist. The point of the email was to let Paul know that his office would be closed for a week and included instructions on what to do in case of a dental emergency.
Obviously Paul’s dentist reads my column because I’ve been preaching about using email to keep in touch with customers for years. OK, maybe he doesn’t read my column and is just a brilliant guy in his own right. Either way, the point is clear: using email – no matter what type of business you’re in – is an excellent way to keep the lines of communication buzzing between you and those folks who keep you in business.
You’ll notice that I didn’t say to keep the lines of communication “open.” I said to keep the lines of communication “buzzing,” as in active, as in constantly communicating messages that will entice them back into your business.
The difference is huge. “Open” simply means that you’re there if and when your customers happen to think about you. “Buzzing” means that you proactively do things to keep your business in the forefront of your customer’s mind. Instead of waiting for them to come in only when they need something, you send emails that give them reasons to come in as soon as possible. You don’t wait for Mohammed to come to the mountain; you send the mountain to Mohammed via email.
It’s called “email marketing” and every business – including yours – should be doing it. Don’t confuse email marketing with spamming. The emails you send your customers are never unsolicited or intrusive. You get their permission to send them occasional emails that are of benefit to them. And by benefiting them you increase your business and solidify your relationship with the customer.
Ideally you should collect email addresses from everyone who walks through your door, whether they buy something or not.
Offer them the opportunity to sign up for your free email newsletter or announcement list and offer them an incentive to do so, maybe a $10 discount off their first purchase if they sign up today.
The allure of saving $10 not only entices them to give you their email address, but to also make that first purchase while they are there to save the $10. See how that works? You got them added to your email list and they made an immediate purchase. You can now use email marketing techniques to turn them from a one time customer into a repeat customer.
Remember the number one rule of sales: it’s easier to sell to current customers than to sell to new customers. The first sale is always the hardest. You should concentrate on building a legion of repeat customers and email marketing can help you do that.
Email should be a part of every business’s marketing strategy. If you own a hair or nail salon you could email customers on slow days and offer a special discount if they come in by a certain time. If you own a clothing store you could email your customers every time a new clothing line comes in or if you’re having a sale. If you’re in the furniture business can email your customers about excess inventory and offer them a discount if they come in by a certain date.
Email marketing works for professional service providers, as well. Accountants can email their clients with special bulletins about changes in the tax law or to remind them when it’s time to file forms. Stockbrokers can email clients about changes in the stock market or to tell about a hot new IPO that’s on the horizon.
Doctors and dentists can use email marketing to notify patients that it’s time for their annual checkup, to remind them of impending appointments, to inform them of new office hours, or to let them know about new services. Or perhaps you’re in practice building mode and you want to offer a referral bonus for current patients who refer their friends and family to you.
You get the idea. Email marketing can increase your business’s revenues, solidify your reputation, and keep you fresh on your customer’s mind.
by Tim Knox
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
How does Google's new product work?
Google is testing a new advertising system that allows businesses to advertise on a cost per action basis. You can find Google's own announcement here.
Until now, Google has primarily sold pay-per-click (PPC) ads, so-called AdWords ads: advertisers pay when someone on Google or a Google partner site clicks on the ad.
Google AdWords has one big advantage and one big disadvantage: You only pay for clicks of potential customers, but you risk paying a lot of money for nothing because of click fraud.
There has been a lot of debate around click fraud because Google has a short term financial incentive to promote it. Google's new advertising product is "pay per action" (PPA). You don't pay per click anymore but you pay when a customer takes further action, such as requesting a catalog, signing up for a newsletter or buying a product.
PPA advertising is meant to mitigate the risks of click fraud.
How can Google track the action?
If you use Google's PPA advertising product, then you must use Google's conversion tracking code in the HTML code of your web pages.
Of course, the advertiser has an incentive not to confirm the action, but cheating does not make sense. Like PPC ads, PPA ads will likely be ranked by profitability to Google.
What are the consequences for the market?
Google will be able to better maximize revenues on its advertising network, and it also should allay the concerns over click fraud.
Google's new PPA program is in direct competition to affiliate marketing networks such as Commission Junction and LinkShare. Publishers could leave those affiliate marketing networks and concentrate on Google's PPA program.
Yahoo und Microsoft will certainly offer similar PPA programs in the future. The current players on the PPA market Snap and Turn now face heavy competition.
What are the consequences for you?
If you already track the return on investment (ROI) on your PPC ads, then you won't be affected much. If you don't track the ROI yet, take a look at ROI tracking tools such as AxROI which can save you a lot of advertising money.
If you are a smaller advertiser, then PPA advertising could mean that you will pay less for better results in the future, and that you will never worry about click fraud again.
Note that Google's pay per action program is currently in beta test. This means that there are some limitations:
participation is by invitation only, you must fill out a web form to request participating in the program
the PPA program is currently only available to US customers
ads are limited to Google's content network of partner sites (Google AdSense)
Source: Axandra.com
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
Until now, Google has primarily sold pay-per-click (PPC) ads, so-called AdWords ads: advertisers pay when someone on Google or a Google partner site clicks on the ad.
Google AdWords has one big advantage and one big disadvantage: You only pay for clicks of potential customers, but you risk paying a lot of money for nothing because of click fraud.
There has been a lot of debate around click fraud because Google has a short term financial incentive to promote it. Google's new advertising product is "pay per action" (PPA). You don't pay per click anymore but you pay when a customer takes further action, such as requesting a catalog, signing up for a newsletter or buying a product.
PPA advertising is meant to mitigate the risks of click fraud.
How can Google track the action?
If you use Google's PPA advertising product, then you must use Google's conversion tracking code in the HTML code of your web pages.
Of course, the advertiser has an incentive not to confirm the action, but cheating does not make sense. Like PPC ads, PPA ads will likely be ranked by profitability to Google.
What are the consequences for the market?
Google will be able to better maximize revenues on its advertising network, and it also should allay the concerns over click fraud.
Google's new PPA program is in direct competition to affiliate marketing networks such as Commission Junction and LinkShare. Publishers could leave those affiliate marketing networks and concentrate on Google's PPA program.
Yahoo und Microsoft will certainly offer similar PPA programs in the future. The current players on the PPA market Snap and Turn now face heavy competition.
What are the consequences for you?
If you already track the return on investment (ROI) on your PPC ads, then you won't be affected much. If you don't track the ROI yet, take a look at ROI tracking tools such as AxROI which can save you a lot of advertising money.
If you are a smaller advertiser, then PPA advertising could mean that you will pay less for better results in the future, and that you will never worry about click fraud again.
Note that Google's pay per action program is currently in beta test. This means that there are some limitations:
participation is by invitation only, you must fill out a web form to request participating in the program
the PPA program is currently only available to US customers
ads are limited to Google's content network of partner sites (Google AdSense)
Source: Axandra.com
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
Thursday, March 22, 2007
How To Create Your Own Roadmap For Success
When I was a kid my family often participated in that grand tradition called, “The Sunday Drive.” You remember those long Sunday drives in the car with your family to nowhere? Sure, it was better than sitting at home because we only had three TV channels to watch and cartoons were only shown for a few hours on Saturday morning, but when you got back home didn’t you always feel that you hadn’t really gone anywhere. If you leave your house and don’t stop until you reach your house, what’s the point? I always hated those Sunday drives.
More often than not we entrepreneurs are like those old Sunday drivers, only we travel at a much faster pace. We’re barreling down the business highway at 90 miles an hour and we pray that something doesn’t get in our way to slow us down or bring us to a crashing halt. I’ve left a ton of entrepreneurial road kill in my wake and I’m sure you have, too. Who has time to worry about what’s ahead when you’re busy worrying about the here and now?
Most entrepreneurs don’t have the time to look past lunch. They operate one hour at a time. They have no long range plan that takes them past the next payroll. And the most important point of all is this: they are reactive rather than proactive. They let circumstances rule their efforts rather than anticipating and managing the circumstances as they come. Such short-sightedness has led many entrepreneurs to crash and burn.
For years I was a reactive entrepreneur, meaning that I reacted to circumstances rather than planned for them. Now I am proactive. Instead of letting destiny determine the direction of my business, I am now in control. I now know exactly where I want my business to be in one year, two years, three years, and beyond. I call the process “roadmapping” and here’s how it works.
Determine your destination. Steven Covey said, “Start with the end in mind.” Therefore the first step is to determine where you want to be in one year (or two or three), both personally and professionally. Don’t forget that we entrepreneurs often blur the line between our personal and business lives, so you must take your personal desires into consideration along with your business goals.
If your destination is to have a business with a hundred employees and a million dollars in revenue, write that down. If your destination is to completely shift directions and start something new, write that down. Be as bold and outrageous as want. Shoot for the moon rather than the horizon. Big endings start with big dreams. No matter how grandiose your plan, be as descriptive as you. If your mind can envision it, your heart can make it happen.
Envision your destination. If you are planning a trip to the beach you can close your eyes and smell the ocean, hear the birds, feel the sand beneath your feet. You must be able to envision your destination with the same realism. Close your eyes and imagine your business in one year. Are you in the same location or in a new building? As you enter is there a lobby with a receptionist? Is she happy to see you (hopefully you don’t envision her being unhappy to see you). What about your employees? Are they happy and productive? Imagine every detail and write it down.
Determine your starting point. Now take an honest look at where your business is today. Close your eyes and imagine yourself walking into your business for the first time. What do you see and how does it differ from the business you just envisioned? What steps must you take to get from point A, where you are today, to point B, where you want your business to be in one, three or five years.
Create your roadmap. The next step is to create the roadmap that will get you from point A to point B. Just as you wouldn’t take a long road trip without a map or directions (unless you’re a guy), you shouldn’t plan a journey in business growth without a plan. Your roadmap will detail steps you must take to get you to your final destination. For example if you envision dominating a certain market, what steps must you take to accomplish that goal? Perhaps making contacts in that market, doing market research, changing your business model, coming up with a new product, etc. All of these things should be listed on your roadmap.
Anticipate roadblocks. Finally, list what you see as the greatest challenges in the road ahead. Will you need funding for your adventure? Will you need to hire more employees? Are there competitors in your way? Are there impending market conditions that may prove hazardous? Identifying the roadblocks before you start your journey will help you prepare to deal with them when they pop up.
Hit the road today! Once you have your roadmap on paper you must get started right away or you’re in danger of running out of gas. What actions can you take today, tomorrow, next week, next month, etcetera, to get you where you want to be. Just having the plan does you absolutely no good. It’s like having the keys to a sports car you never drive. You must concentrate on the plan every second of your day. You must do things that move you closer and closer to your destination. There should not be a single day that goes by when you are not moving ahead.
Repeat the process. When you reach the end of the road you are not finished. Each ending is a new beginning. You plot a new destination, create a new roadmap, and keep going. Your business should be headed toward a destination everyday, not just on a perpetual Sunday drive.
by Tim Knox
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
More often than not we entrepreneurs are like those old Sunday drivers, only we travel at a much faster pace. We’re barreling down the business highway at 90 miles an hour and we pray that something doesn’t get in our way to slow us down or bring us to a crashing halt. I’ve left a ton of entrepreneurial road kill in my wake and I’m sure you have, too. Who has time to worry about what’s ahead when you’re busy worrying about the here and now?
Most entrepreneurs don’t have the time to look past lunch. They operate one hour at a time. They have no long range plan that takes them past the next payroll. And the most important point of all is this: they are reactive rather than proactive. They let circumstances rule their efforts rather than anticipating and managing the circumstances as they come. Such short-sightedness has led many entrepreneurs to crash and burn.
For years I was a reactive entrepreneur, meaning that I reacted to circumstances rather than planned for them. Now I am proactive. Instead of letting destiny determine the direction of my business, I am now in control. I now know exactly where I want my business to be in one year, two years, three years, and beyond. I call the process “roadmapping” and here’s how it works.
Determine your destination. Steven Covey said, “Start with the end in mind.” Therefore the first step is to determine where you want to be in one year (or two or three), both personally and professionally. Don’t forget that we entrepreneurs often blur the line between our personal and business lives, so you must take your personal desires into consideration along with your business goals.
If your destination is to have a business with a hundred employees and a million dollars in revenue, write that down. If your destination is to completely shift directions and start something new, write that down. Be as bold and outrageous as want. Shoot for the moon rather than the horizon. Big endings start with big dreams. No matter how grandiose your plan, be as descriptive as you. If your mind can envision it, your heart can make it happen.
Envision your destination. If you are planning a trip to the beach you can close your eyes and smell the ocean, hear the birds, feel the sand beneath your feet. You must be able to envision your destination with the same realism. Close your eyes and imagine your business in one year. Are you in the same location or in a new building? As you enter is there a lobby with a receptionist? Is she happy to see you (hopefully you don’t envision her being unhappy to see you). What about your employees? Are they happy and productive? Imagine every detail and write it down.
Determine your starting point. Now take an honest look at where your business is today. Close your eyes and imagine yourself walking into your business for the first time. What do you see and how does it differ from the business you just envisioned? What steps must you take to get from point A, where you are today, to point B, where you want your business to be in one, three or five years.
Create your roadmap. The next step is to create the roadmap that will get you from point A to point B. Just as you wouldn’t take a long road trip without a map or directions (unless you’re a guy), you shouldn’t plan a journey in business growth without a plan. Your roadmap will detail steps you must take to get you to your final destination. For example if you envision dominating a certain market, what steps must you take to accomplish that goal? Perhaps making contacts in that market, doing market research, changing your business model, coming up with a new product, etc. All of these things should be listed on your roadmap.
Anticipate roadblocks. Finally, list what you see as the greatest challenges in the road ahead. Will you need funding for your adventure? Will you need to hire more employees? Are there competitors in your way? Are there impending market conditions that may prove hazardous? Identifying the roadblocks before you start your journey will help you prepare to deal with them when they pop up.
Hit the road today! Once you have your roadmap on paper you must get started right away or you’re in danger of running out of gas. What actions can you take today, tomorrow, next week, next month, etcetera, to get you where you want to be. Just having the plan does you absolutely no good. It’s like having the keys to a sports car you never drive. You must concentrate on the plan every second of your day. You must do things that move you closer and closer to your destination. There should not be a single day that goes by when you are not moving ahead.
Repeat the process. When you reach the end of the road you are not finished. Each ending is a new beginning. You plot a new destination, create a new roadmap, and keep going. Your business should be headed toward a destination everyday, not just on a perpetual Sunday drive.
by Tim Knox
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Web Statistics for Dummies
by: Shawn Campbell
Do you understand the numbers that your web site generates? Do you know how many sales your site actually generates? Do you know how you can apply that knowledge to your business and cause it to grow?
I will answer all of the above, and also discuss how to use statistics to enhance your web business through the use of sales, traffic flow, uniques, hits, click-through rates, and many other important business factors.
Sales
The most obvious statistic for many businesses is sales. Here are 2 of the most pertinent questions every business needs the answers to:
How many sales do you make per day/month/year?
How much profit do you make per sale?
Not hard figures to find, but how many sales actually came from your Internet business? Often it is easy to gather this figure simply by looking directly at either online sales, or by asking your customers ("How did you find us?"). But sometimes the Internet is just one part of a very complicated sales process. You may make all your sales in person, but how many of your clients go home and research your products/services using information found on your web site?
These are the questions you need to find answers to in order to estimate how many sales were completed due to your Internet presence but not necessarily completed online. If you make sales online, the answers are easy. If you sell real estate or other "in person" products or services, then you have to ask your customers individually. Either way, it will come down to a concrete number that can provide insight into how you can grow your business.
Profits
From the number of sales made per month, you can easily figure out your gross sales amount. Then you have to take your expenses per sale into account and figure out your profits. Only cost of sale expenses should be deducted and NOT one-time expenses such as overhead. On the Internet, this would normally be the cost per click of pay-per-click campaigns (such as Google AdWords or Yahoo Marketing Solutions), or the CPM (cost per thousand) for banner ads, and of course, your direct costs for the item or service being sold. Once you have these figures in hand, you can then calculate your profit per sale.
Traffic
So now that we know how many sales we make per month, and how much profit we're actually making off of those sales, let us take a look at how many potential customers walk through our virtual store. There are many different statistics for web site traffic: page views, hits, daily uniques, monthly uniques, etc... Which one should you be using? From my own experience, I recommend using daily uniques.
Daily uniques measures how many unique visitors come to your site in a single day. By that we mean that no single user is counted twice in the same day even if they visit the store several times within a twenty-four hour period. Thus, if someone comes to your site four times on Monday, and six times on Tuesday, he/she would only count as two daily uniques.
Page Views measures how many times your page is viewed (usually including reloads). Page views are also counted for each page. Thus, if someone comes to your site four times on Monday and views eight pages each time, and six times on Tuesday (viewing two pages each time), you would measure (4 x 8) + (6 x 2), or 44 page views.
These statistics are usually available through your server's statistics program or use EnterURL's small business statistics solution. EnterURL.com offers a comprehensive statistical package that is priced for the small business. With our daily uniques per month figure in-hand, we suddenly have some very powerful numbers to work with.
Conversions
Conversion is the measure of how many people who visited your site were subsequently converted into clients of some sort. Measuring how many uniques turn into buying customers is one method of conversion, but you could also measure how many visitors your site gets vs. how many visitors sign up to your newsletter, or how many of them go to a specific page, or how many send you an email, etc... These are all measures of conversions, and simply use the ratio of sales (or sign ups, emails, etc...) to visitors (or uniques).
Let us assume our site has the following statistics:
Sales: 100/month
Gross: $250/sale
Average Profit: $150/sale
Daily uniques: 12 000/month
In the above example, we have 100 sales per month, and 12000 daily uniques per month, thus our conversion ratio is 1:120 or 0.83%. Not such a bad ratio, especially for items that cost $250 each. Most markets would want a ratio of 1% or 2%, but of course each industry is different.
Analysis
Using our imaginary numbers (profit of $150/sale, gross $250/sale) we can then figure out how healthy the online business really is. At 100 sales a month, we are grossing $25 000 per month, and profiting $15 000 per month. At this point in our analysis, we can now see that there are three ways in which to improve the site:
Increase profit margin
Increase conversions
Increase traffic
1. Increasing profit margins involves lowering costs or raising prices, both of which fall out of the context of this article.
2. Increasing conversions involves optimizing the usability of your web site; usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. For more information on usability and how it can help your Internet business, go to www.useit.com.
3. Increasing traffic involves improving your link network, your PPC campaign, or your search engine optimization. We will look at the latter in detail in Part Two of this article (exclusively available by signing up to our FREE Monthly Newsletter at www.RedCarpetWeb.com). Part Two will also discuss referrers, search engine keyphrases, search engine positions, and how to use these statistics to increase your sales. Don't miss out! Sign up for the Newsletter today and learn how you can make the most of all your web statistics and improve your Internet business.
About The Author
Shawn Campbell is an enthusiastic player in the ecommerce marketplace, and co-founded Red Carpet Web Promotion, Inc. (www.redcarpetweb.com) He has been researching and developing marketing strategies to achieve more prominent listings in search engine results since 1998. Shawn is one of the earliest pioneers in the search engine optimization field.
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
Do you understand the numbers that your web site generates? Do you know how many sales your site actually generates? Do you know how you can apply that knowledge to your business and cause it to grow?
I will answer all of the above, and also discuss how to use statistics to enhance your web business through the use of sales, traffic flow, uniques, hits, click-through rates, and many other important business factors.
Sales
The most obvious statistic for many businesses is sales. Here are 2 of the most pertinent questions every business needs the answers to:
How many sales do you make per day/month/year?
How much profit do you make per sale?
Not hard figures to find, but how many sales actually came from your Internet business? Often it is easy to gather this figure simply by looking directly at either online sales, or by asking your customers ("How did you find us?"). But sometimes the Internet is just one part of a very complicated sales process. You may make all your sales in person, but how many of your clients go home and research your products/services using information found on your web site?
These are the questions you need to find answers to in order to estimate how many sales were completed due to your Internet presence but not necessarily completed online. If you make sales online, the answers are easy. If you sell real estate or other "in person" products or services, then you have to ask your customers individually. Either way, it will come down to a concrete number that can provide insight into how you can grow your business.
Profits
From the number of sales made per month, you can easily figure out your gross sales amount. Then you have to take your expenses per sale into account and figure out your profits. Only cost of sale expenses should be deducted and NOT one-time expenses such as overhead. On the Internet, this would normally be the cost per click of pay-per-click campaigns (such as Google AdWords or Yahoo Marketing Solutions), or the CPM (cost per thousand) for banner ads, and of course, your direct costs for the item or service being sold. Once you have these figures in hand, you can then calculate your profit per sale.
Traffic
So now that we know how many sales we make per month, and how much profit we're actually making off of those sales, let us take a look at how many potential customers walk through our virtual store. There are many different statistics for web site traffic: page views, hits, daily uniques, monthly uniques, etc... Which one should you be using? From my own experience, I recommend using daily uniques.
Daily uniques measures how many unique visitors come to your site in a single day. By that we mean that no single user is counted twice in the same day even if they visit the store several times within a twenty-four hour period. Thus, if someone comes to your site four times on Monday, and six times on Tuesday, he/she would only count as two daily uniques.
Page Views measures how many times your page is viewed (usually including reloads). Page views are also counted for each page. Thus, if someone comes to your site four times on Monday and views eight pages each time, and six times on Tuesday (viewing two pages each time), you would measure (4 x 8) + (6 x 2), or 44 page views.
These statistics are usually available through your server's statistics program or use EnterURL's small business statistics solution. EnterURL.com offers a comprehensive statistical package that is priced for the small business. With our daily uniques per month figure in-hand, we suddenly have some very powerful numbers to work with.
Conversions
Conversion is the measure of how many people who visited your site were subsequently converted into clients of some sort. Measuring how many uniques turn into buying customers is one method of conversion, but you could also measure how many visitors your site gets vs. how many visitors sign up to your newsletter, or how many of them go to a specific page, or how many send you an email, etc... These are all measures of conversions, and simply use the ratio of sales (or sign ups, emails, etc...) to visitors (or uniques).
Let us assume our site has the following statistics:
Sales: 100/month
Gross: $250/sale
Average Profit: $150/sale
Daily uniques: 12 000/month
In the above example, we have 100 sales per month, and 12000 daily uniques per month, thus our conversion ratio is 1:120 or 0.83%. Not such a bad ratio, especially for items that cost $250 each. Most markets would want a ratio of 1% or 2%, but of course each industry is different.
Analysis
Using our imaginary numbers (profit of $150/sale, gross $250/sale) we can then figure out how healthy the online business really is. At 100 sales a month, we are grossing $25 000 per month, and profiting $15 000 per month. At this point in our analysis, we can now see that there are three ways in which to improve the site:
Increase profit margin
Increase conversions
Increase traffic
1. Increasing profit margins involves lowering costs or raising prices, both of which fall out of the context of this article.
2. Increasing conversions involves optimizing the usability of your web site; usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. For more information on usability and how it can help your Internet business, go to www.useit.com.
3. Increasing traffic involves improving your link network, your PPC campaign, or your search engine optimization. We will look at the latter in detail in Part Two of this article (exclusively available by signing up to our FREE Monthly Newsletter at www.RedCarpetWeb.com). Part Two will also discuss referrers, search engine keyphrases, search engine positions, and how to use these statistics to increase your sales. Don't miss out! Sign up for the Newsletter today and learn how you can make the most of all your web statistics and improve your Internet business.
About The Author
Shawn Campbell is an enthusiastic player in the ecommerce marketplace, and co-founded Red Carpet Web Promotion, Inc. (www.redcarpetweb.com) He has been researching and developing marketing strategies to achieve more prominent listings in search engine results since 1998. Shawn is one of the earliest pioneers in the search engine optimization field.
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
Monday, March 19, 2007
Are You Willing To Do Whatever It Takes To Succeed In Business?
Ladies and gentleman, meet Mo, Larry, and Curly Entrepreneur. These fine fellows are here today to help answer the age old question: Why do some entrepreneurs achieve stellar success while others achieve only moderate success while still others fail in business miserably?
To level the playing field let’s pretend that each of our wily entrepreneurs all started their businesses on the exact same day, selling the exact same product at the exact same price. Let’s also pretend that they started their businesses from identical locations, with the exact same resources and funding, and with the exact same opportunities and odds for success.
Even when starting from the same place at the same point in time with the same resources and same opportunities, the results vary widely; some entrepreneurs succeed in an amazing way and others do not.
Why then does one entrepreneur, in this case Curly because he is my favorite Stooge, reach the stars while most Stooges never make it off the ground? Why does Curly get to give the crowd a “Woop, woop, woop!” while accepting the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year Award while Mo and Larry have to work as waiters at the event to help pay their bills?
Great questions, but before we explore the answers let’s take it a step further. Let’s vary the equation since no two business startups are ever really the same. Could the difference in the level of success achieved be a result of the amount of financial backing each Stooge had? Could it be that one entrepreneur was simply smarter than the others (probably not in Curly’s case)? Or perhaps it was just good old dumb luck that made the difference. Or maybe God was just tired of Mo and Larry pushing Curly around and punished them with failing businesses akin to Lot’s House of Salt.
Stooges aside, there is a very simple reason some entrepreneurs do amazingly well in business while others do not. It has nothing to do with product or location or backing or education or street smarts or dumb luck.
It’s because those who succeed in an amazing way are willing to do whatever it takes – for as long as it takes - to make their dreams come true. Those who are unwilling to do whatever it takes will ultimately fail. That’s it, end of story, thank you, drive through.
I hear it all the time from students in the entrepreneurial classes I teach and from folks who call into the radio show and from consulting clients who call my office wanting to know why their businesses are tanking.
“Tim, I’m doing everything I possibly can and the business is about to go under!”
I listen and say, “Mm hmm,” in all the appropriate places, but inevitably when I ask, “Well, are you doing this, this, this, and this,” the answer usually comes back, “No, no, no, and no.”
The bottomline is this: Curly shoots for the moon and hits it while Mo and Larry talk the talk, but fail to walk the walk. Very few people are willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to succeed in business. That’s why so many businesses fail; they are started by Stooges (bless their hearts) who have no business being in business. Period.
Before you even think about starting a business ask yourself this question: are you willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to succeed in business? Would you be willing to work for a year without a regular paycheck? Would you be willing to perform every task imaginable? Would you clean the toilets, mop the floors, take out the trash, wash the windows, clean out a grease trap, flip burgers, pour drinks, and deal with customers for hours on end?
Would you stay up all night writing a proposal that you have a slim chance of winning and spend the entire next day cold calling clients who won’t give you the time of day?
Would you sell your car and mortgage your house and live on rice and beans for a year to fund the business? And if that money ran out would you think up creative ways to keep the doors open or would you just shut the doors and crawl home with your tail tucked between your legs?
And would you put your last ounce of blood, sweat and tears into a dream that might or might not come true?
If the answer to any of these questions is maybe, I don’t know, or just no, I want you to hold up your hand and stick out two fingers, then poke yourself in the eyes with them.Then repeat after me, “Why I oughta… keep my day job.”
by Tim Knox
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
To level the playing field let’s pretend that each of our wily entrepreneurs all started their businesses on the exact same day, selling the exact same product at the exact same price. Let’s also pretend that they started their businesses from identical locations, with the exact same resources and funding, and with the exact same opportunities and odds for success.
Even when starting from the same place at the same point in time with the same resources and same opportunities, the results vary widely; some entrepreneurs succeed in an amazing way and others do not.
Why then does one entrepreneur, in this case Curly because he is my favorite Stooge, reach the stars while most Stooges never make it off the ground? Why does Curly get to give the crowd a “Woop, woop, woop!” while accepting the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year Award while Mo and Larry have to work as waiters at the event to help pay their bills?
Great questions, but before we explore the answers let’s take it a step further. Let’s vary the equation since no two business startups are ever really the same. Could the difference in the level of success achieved be a result of the amount of financial backing each Stooge had? Could it be that one entrepreneur was simply smarter than the others (probably not in Curly’s case)? Or perhaps it was just good old dumb luck that made the difference. Or maybe God was just tired of Mo and Larry pushing Curly around and punished them with failing businesses akin to Lot’s House of Salt.
Stooges aside, there is a very simple reason some entrepreneurs do amazingly well in business while others do not. It has nothing to do with product or location or backing or education or street smarts or dumb luck.
It’s because those who succeed in an amazing way are willing to do whatever it takes – for as long as it takes - to make their dreams come true. Those who are unwilling to do whatever it takes will ultimately fail. That’s it, end of story, thank you, drive through.
I hear it all the time from students in the entrepreneurial classes I teach and from folks who call into the radio show and from consulting clients who call my office wanting to know why their businesses are tanking.
“Tim, I’m doing everything I possibly can and the business is about to go under!”
I listen and say, “Mm hmm,” in all the appropriate places, but inevitably when I ask, “Well, are you doing this, this, this, and this,” the answer usually comes back, “No, no, no, and no.”
The bottomline is this: Curly shoots for the moon and hits it while Mo and Larry talk the talk, but fail to walk the walk. Very few people are willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to succeed in business. That’s why so many businesses fail; they are started by Stooges (bless their hearts) who have no business being in business. Period.
Before you even think about starting a business ask yourself this question: are you willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to succeed in business? Would you be willing to work for a year without a regular paycheck? Would you be willing to perform every task imaginable? Would you clean the toilets, mop the floors, take out the trash, wash the windows, clean out a grease trap, flip burgers, pour drinks, and deal with customers for hours on end?
Would you stay up all night writing a proposal that you have a slim chance of winning and spend the entire next day cold calling clients who won’t give you the time of day?
Would you sell your car and mortgage your house and live on rice and beans for a year to fund the business? And if that money ran out would you think up creative ways to keep the doors open or would you just shut the doors and crawl home with your tail tucked between your legs?
And would you put your last ounce of blood, sweat and tears into a dream that might or might not come true?
If the answer to any of these questions is maybe, I don’t know, or just no, I want you to hold up your hand and stick out two fingers, then poke yourself in the eyes with them.Then repeat after me, “Why I oughta… keep my day job.”
by Tim Knox
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
Friday, March 16, 2007
What’s Stopping You From Starting Your Own Small Business?
Whether doing my weekly radio show, teaching entrepreneurial classes, or doing personal coaching, I talk to a lot of would-be entrepreneurs these days and I’m discovering that many of them are suffering from what I call, “I Don’t Syndrome” or IDS.
IDS is a sad malady that affects many people who claim they want to start their own business, but never seem to get beyond just talking about it.
The symptoms of IDS are a lack of belief in themselves, a fear of failure and ridicule, a misguided belief that lots of money is required to start a business, and lousy time management skills. IDS can even cause an otherwise intelligent person to question their own sanity.
It’s a sad disease that prevents thousands of people every year from achieving their American Dream.
But there is hope. IDS can be cured simply by facing it head on and accepting the fact that not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Don’t beat yourself up if you’re more comfortable working for someone else. Just accept the fact that business is not for you and strive to be the absolute best employee you can be and you’ll achieve success in that arena.
If you’re dead-set on starting your own business and IDS is keeping you up at night, consider the following symptoms and suggested cures.
“I don’t have time to start a business.”
I hear this one all the time from people who spend five hours a night parked in front of the TV. Sorry, couch potato, you get zero sympathy from me. You must make time for what’s important to you, so if starting your own business is important to you, find the time to make it happen.
I started my business from the corner of my tiny bedroom working between the hours of ten at night till whenever I passed out in the wee hours of the morning. Then I’d get up and be at my day job at 8AM. I’d work on the business during my lunch hour and on weekends.
There are only so many hours in the day so you have to make the best use of what God gave you. When a spare minute pops up use it to work on your business; otherwise grab the remote and keep your day job.
“I don’t have the money to start a business.”
Many people are under the misconception that starting a business requires piles of cash. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I’d wager that many of the Forbes 100 were started for less than $10,000; many for less than $1,000. When you start a business you should do so for as little money as possible. Put what money you have toward the things that are vital and backburner everything else.
Become an expert at stretching every dollar until it screams. Instead of tying up your money in inventory try to negotiate 90 day terms with suppliers.
Instead of buying fancy desk chairs park your can on a milk crate until money starts rolling in. Instead of signing a lease for office space that will tie up your first born for five years work from your kitchen table.
“I don’t have the confidence to start a business.”
When I hear this one I know immediately that I’m talking to someone who will probably never even start a business.
Let’s be honest, everyone would start their own business if they had a 100% guarantee of success, but very few people would bet the farm on starting their own business knowing that most small businesses fail within the first five years.
I knew that statistic going in and so did every other entrepreneur who threw caution to the wind and dove in with both feet.
Fear of failure is the number one killer of success. But understand this: if you never fail, you will never succeed.
“I don’t think I’m smart enough to start a business.”
If starting a business was rocket science all businesses would be owned by rocket scientists. You don’t need an MBA to start a business. Many entrepreneurs, including me, never even went to college. I drove by a college once. It looked really hard so I kept going.
Business success depends more on common sense and careful planning than book smarts. Don’t cut yourself short just because you don’t have a degree on your wall or an acronym after your name.
“I don’t have the self-discipline to start a business.”
This is the most deadly symptom of IDS because it reveals the truth about the person making the statement. Succeeding in business is all about taking action without being told to do so.
You’re the guy or gal that makes things happen. You must have the self-discipline to jump out of bed every morning ready to take on the world, which may mean calling on customers, managing employees, making important decisions, and working 18 hours straight if that’s what the day requires. If you have to be told what to do and when to do it, business is not for you.
You can overcome IDS. All it takes is a little honesty and self-realization.
And sometimes a good swift kick in the pants.
Consider yourself kicked.
by Tim Knox
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
IDS is a sad malady that affects many people who claim they want to start their own business, but never seem to get beyond just talking about it.
The symptoms of IDS are a lack of belief in themselves, a fear of failure and ridicule, a misguided belief that lots of money is required to start a business, and lousy time management skills. IDS can even cause an otherwise intelligent person to question their own sanity.
It’s a sad disease that prevents thousands of people every year from achieving their American Dream.
But there is hope. IDS can be cured simply by facing it head on and accepting the fact that not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Don’t beat yourself up if you’re more comfortable working for someone else. Just accept the fact that business is not for you and strive to be the absolute best employee you can be and you’ll achieve success in that arena.
If you’re dead-set on starting your own business and IDS is keeping you up at night, consider the following symptoms and suggested cures.
“I don’t have time to start a business.”
I hear this one all the time from people who spend five hours a night parked in front of the TV. Sorry, couch potato, you get zero sympathy from me. You must make time for what’s important to you, so if starting your own business is important to you, find the time to make it happen.
I started my business from the corner of my tiny bedroom working between the hours of ten at night till whenever I passed out in the wee hours of the morning. Then I’d get up and be at my day job at 8AM. I’d work on the business during my lunch hour and on weekends.
There are only so many hours in the day so you have to make the best use of what God gave you. When a spare minute pops up use it to work on your business; otherwise grab the remote and keep your day job.
“I don’t have the money to start a business.”
Many people are under the misconception that starting a business requires piles of cash. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I’d wager that many of the Forbes 100 were started for less than $10,000; many for less than $1,000. When you start a business you should do so for as little money as possible. Put what money you have toward the things that are vital and backburner everything else.
Become an expert at stretching every dollar until it screams. Instead of tying up your money in inventory try to negotiate 90 day terms with suppliers.
Instead of buying fancy desk chairs park your can on a milk crate until money starts rolling in. Instead of signing a lease for office space that will tie up your first born for five years work from your kitchen table.
“I don’t have the confidence to start a business.”
When I hear this one I know immediately that I’m talking to someone who will probably never even start a business.
Let’s be honest, everyone would start their own business if they had a 100% guarantee of success, but very few people would bet the farm on starting their own business knowing that most small businesses fail within the first five years.
I knew that statistic going in and so did every other entrepreneur who threw caution to the wind and dove in with both feet.
Fear of failure is the number one killer of success. But understand this: if you never fail, you will never succeed.
“I don’t think I’m smart enough to start a business.”
If starting a business was rocket science all businesses would be owned by rocket scientists. You don’t need an MBA to start a business. Many entrepreneurs, including me, never even went to college. I drove by a college once. It looked really hard so I kept going.
Business success depends more on common sense and careful planning than book smarts. Don’t cut yourself short just because you don’t have a degree on your wall or an acronym after your name.
“I don’t have the self-discipline to start a business.”
This is the most deadly symptom of IDS because it reveals the truth about the person making the statement. Succeeding in business is all about taking action without being told to do so.
You’re the guy or gal that makes things happen. You must have the self-discipline to jump out of bed every morning ready to take on the world, which may mean calling on customers, managing employees, making important decisions, and working 18 hours straight if that’s what the day requires. If you have to be told what to do and when to do it, business is not for you.
You can overcome IDS. All it takes is a little honesty and self-realization.
And sometimes a good swift kick in the pants.
Consider yourself kicked.
by Tim Knox
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
How to get around Google's spam filters
Google tries to keep its search results as clean as possible. For that reason, they have a variety of spam filters in their ranking algorithm that try to remove low quality web sites.
If your web site gets caught by one of these filters, it will be very difficult to get high Google rankings. In this article series, we're taking a look a the 15 most common Google spam filters and we'll tell you how you can get around them.
Google's -30 filter, the Google bomb filter and the page load filter
Google seems to apply the -30 filter to web sites that use spammy SEO methods. If Google finds out that your web site uses invisible text, JavaScript redirects, doorway pages or similar spam techniques then your rankings will drop by 30 spots.
The Google bomb filter seems to be applied to web sites that get too many identical links in a short time period. If a web site gets many links with exactly the same link text then Google will downrank the page because such an unnatural linking behavior indicates a manipulation attempt.
The page load filter is not exactly a filter. Nevertheless, it can affect your Google rankings. If your web site takes too long to load then the search engine spiders will time out and continue with the next web site in the list. That means that your web site won't be indexed and that it won't appear in Google's result pages.
How to get around these filters
If the -30 filter has been applied to your web site then you must remove the spam elements from your web site. After removing the spam elements from your site, send a reinclusion request to Google.
It is very important that all spam elements have been removed from your site before contacting Google. Otherwise, the reinclusion request won't work. Use white-hat SEO methods to optimize your web pages.
If the Google bomb filter has been applied to your web site then you also have to file a reinclusion request. However, it is better to avoid that Google applies that filter to your site. Try to get high quality inbound links with similar but varying link texts. These links will tell search engines that your web site is relevant to a special topic.
If you want to avoid that a slow loading web page prevents search engine spiders from indexing your page, make sure that you have a reliable web host. If your web host offers 99% uptime then this means that your web site can be down for nearly 4 days per year. If search engines try to index your site when it is down then it will be removed from the index.
Next week, we'll take a look at three more Google filters that can cause ranking problems for your web site. Google tries to keep its search results as clean as possible. For that reason, they have a variety of spam filters in their ranking algorithm that try to remove low quality web sites.
If your web site gets caught by one of these filters, it will be very difficult to get high Google rankings. In this article series, we're taking a look a the 15 most common Google spam filters and we'll tell you how you can get around them.
Google's -30 filter, the Google bomb filter and the page load filter
Google seems to apply the -30 filter to web sites that use spammy SEO methods. If Google finds out that your web site uses invisible text, JavaScript redirects, doorway pages or similar spam techniques then your rankings will drop by 30 spots.
The Google bomb filter seems to be applied to web sites that get too many identical links in a short time period. If a web site gets many links with exactly the same link text then Google will downrank the page because such an unnatural linking behavior indicates a manipulation attempt.
The page load filter is not exactly a filter. Nevertheless, it can affect your Google rankings. If your web site takes too long to load then the search engine spiders will time out and continue with the next web site in the list. That means that your web site won't be indexed and that it won't appear in Google's result pages.
How to get around these filters
If the -30 filter has been applied to your web site then you must remove the spam elements from your web site. After removing the spam elements from your site, send a reinclusion request to Google.
It is very important that all spam elements have been removed from your site before contacting Google. Otherwise, the reinclusion request won't work. Use white-hat SEO methods to optimize your web pages.
If the Google bomb filter has been applied to your web site then you also have to file a reinclusion request. However, it is better to avoid that Google applies that filter to your site. Try to get high quality inbound links with similar but varying link texts. These links will tell search engines that your web site is relevant to a special topic.
If you want to avoid that a slow loading web page prevents search engine spiders from indexing your page, make sure that you have a reliable web host. If your web host offers 99% uptime then this means that your web site can be down for nearly 4 days per year. If search engines try to index your site when it is down then it will be removed from the index.
Next week, we'll take a look at three more Google filters that can cause ranking problems for your web site.
Source: Axandra.com
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
If your web site gets caught by one of these filters, it will be very difficult to get high Google rankings. In this article series, we're taking a look a the 15 most common Google spam filters and we'll tell you how you can get around them.
Google's -30 filter, the Google bomb filter and the page load filter
Google seems to apply the -30 filter to web sites that use spammy SEO methods. If Google finds out that your web site uses invisible text, JavaScript redirects, doorway pages or similar spam techniques then your rankings will drop by 30 spots.
The Google bomb filter seems to be applied to web sites that get too many identical links in a short time period. If a web site gets many links with exactly the same link text then Google will downrank the page because such an unnatural linking behavior indicates a manipulation attempt.
The page load filter is not exactly a filter. Nevertheless, it can affect your Google rankings. If your web site takes too long to load then the search engine spiders will time out and continue with the next web site in the list. That means that your web site won't be indexed and that it won't appear in Google's result pages.
How to get around these filters
If the -30 filter has been applied to your web site then you must remove the spam elements from your web site. After removing the spam elements from your site, send a reinclusion request to Google.
It is very important that all spam elements have been removed from your site before contacting Google. Otherwise, the reinclusion request won't work. Use white-hat SEO methods to optimize your web pages.
If the Google bomb filter has been applied to your web site then you also have to file a reinclusion request. However, it is better to avoid that Google applies that filter to your site. Try to get high quality inbound links with similar but varying link texts. These links will tell search engines that your web site is relevant to a special topic.
If you want to avoid that a slow loading web page prevents search engine spiders from indexing your page, make sure that you have a reliable web host. If your web host offers 99% uptime then this means that your web site can be down for nearly 4 days per year. If search engines try to index your site when it is down then it will be removed from the index.
Next week, we'll take a look at three more Google filters that can cause ranking problems for your web site. Google tries to keep its search results as clean as possible. For that reason, they have a variety of spam filters in their ranking algorithm that try to remove low quality web sites.
If your web site gets caught by one of these filters, it will be very difficult to get high Google rankings. In this article series, we're taking a look a the 15 most common Google spam filters and we'll tell you how you can get around them.
Google's -30 filter, the Google bomb filter and the page load filter
Google seems to apply the -30 filter to web sites that use spammy SEO methods. If Google finds out that your web site uses invisible text, JavaScript redirects, doorway pages or similar spam techniques then your rankings will drop by 30 spots.
The Google bomb filter seems to be applied to web sites that get too many identical links in a short time period. If a web site gets many links with exactly the same link text then Google will downrank the page because such an unnatural linking behavior indicates a manipulation attempt.
The page load filter is not exactly a filter. Nevertheless, it can affect your Google rankings. If your web site takes too long to load then the search engine spiders will time out and continue with the next web site in the list. That means that your web site won't be indexed and that it won't appear in Google's result pages.
How to get around these filters
If the -30 filter has been applied to your web site then you must remove the spam elements from your web site. After removing the spam elements from your site, send a reinclusion request to Google.
It is very important that all spam elements have been removed from your site before contacting Google. Otherwise, the reinclusion request won't work. Use white-hat SEO methods to optimize your web pages.
If the Google bomb filter has been applied to your web site then you also have to file a reinclusion request. However, it is better to avoid that Google applies that filter to your site. Try to get high quality inbound links with similar but varying link texts. These links will tell search engines that your web site is relevant to a special topic.
If you want to avoid that a slow loading web page prevents search engine spiders from indexing your page, make sure that you have a reliable web host. If your web host offers 99% uptime then this means that your web site can be down for nearly 4 days per year. If search engines try to index your site when it is down then it will be removed from the index.
Next week, we'll take a look at three more Google filters that can cause ranking problems for your web site.
Source: Axandra.com
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
Monday, March 12, 2007
High-Impact Fixes For Your Marketing Woes
How many times has your competitor gotten one over on you? The feeling of being left behind just eats away, until you do something about. The problem is that we often feel that we’ve got to come up with some grand plan in order to get our business skyrocketing again. Don’t be fooled! Getting back on top of the market isn’t as tough as it seems with these high-impact, easy-to-use fixes. 1. The Magic Number - 1Implement a “advertise 1 item at a time” motto for your advertising strategy. Does that mean you can’t SELL more than one item at a time? No… but wait until AFTER the sale. When a customer sees more than one of a product offered at unbelievably low prices, he’s confused. Which one is the better deal? Which one does he prefer? These questions encourage procrastination - one of marketing’s greatest thieves. Instead, offer the consumer a product that compliments his purchase in a nearby display… or even at the register. You’ll make extra profits instead of losing a sale. 2. Outsmart Your CompetitorsYour competition is looking for you in all of the usual places. Don’t go there. Quietly look for new methods of advertising and new markets to target. Niche markets provide the perfect sneak tactic for reaching new clients. Here’s they key… sub-divide your current market into smaller, more specific niche markets. Familiarize yourself with the needs and concerns of the niche, then present yourself as the pro in their corner. Leave your competition in the dust with the intensity of new prospects that will come your way. Modernize an old marketing technique that still carries a wallop - postcards. Yeah, these small, inexpensive marketing tools still carry a personal message that is quick and easy to read, but with new high-impact colors and designs that capture the attention of readers. Your competition won’t even know that you’re using them! 3. Encourage CommunicationCommunication is crucial to understanding your consumers. Encourage questions before the sale, during the sale and after the sale. Make it easy and comfortable. Provide convenient contact information on all of your sales materials, including Websites. If you find yourself overloaded with questions, create a frequently asked question page where clients can get the answers they need without claiming as much of your time. Confused customers, tough competitors and communication mishaps won’t steal profits from your account when you fix things up with the 3 quick tips. Allyn Cutts
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Do It Now
Do It Now
There is nothing more precious than time. Not money, norlove. Without time, the others don’t exist.Knowing that, how do we spend our time? Do we recognize itsunstoppable passage and make the most of each valuablemoment?
Some do. Most of us, however, do not.
If we were to equate time spent frivolously with money lost,would we spend it more wisely?
Maybe - maybe not.
When I started my eBusiness in 1998, one of the first thingsI did to get traffic was to submit my site to Yahoo! Backthen, Yahoo! listings were free, the directory was muchsmaller and getting huge traffic numbers from them was easy.
Pretty soon, my site was generating sales left, right andcenter.
So what did I do? Did I follow suit with another hot,marketable topic? Did I I repeat the process many more timesto take advantage of Yahoo!’s free advertising and lack ofcompetition? Did I solidify my future as an Internetmarketer by building my nest and lining it with goldensites?
No, of course not!
I was too busy enjoying the proceeds of my minimal labor -buying clothes, furniture, property, and a pretty new car. WhenI wasn’t spending it at home, I was jetting off to exoticlocations.
A couple years went by before it crossed my mind that moremoney would be even more fun, and that building another siteor two would be an easy way to get more fun money.
By then however, the Internet had changed. After site NumberTwo was built and ready for promotion, Yahoo! had startedcharging an annual listing fee of $299 for commercial sites.Thank goodness mine wasn’t adult in nature - those were beingcharged $600 per year. Not just a one-time fee, but peryear!
Thankfully, Yahoo! ‘grandfathered’ all its old listings andmy original listing still keeps sending traffic to my sitefor fr*e.
Wow! Didn’t that make me want to hit myself upside the headfor being slow to build my business?
Not hard enough, it seems.
Not long afterwards, another of my favorite trafficgenerators, Overture, raised its minimum bid from a penny toa nickel. My existing listings were grandfathered at apenny, for which I was again grateful. However, again Ichastised myself for not having added thousands morekeywords and phrases that would also now be grandfathered.
I could see the writing on the wall, and cautioned myself toput the past behind and take advantage of presentopportunities.
Did I take my own advice?
Barely. I added just a few more sites and relevant keywords,and Overture’s mimimum bid was again raised, this time to adime.
So I kicked myself, hard.
If Overture’s tendency to increase their prices according toU.S. coin denominations is any indication, their nextmimimum bid may well be a quarter.
So, will I learn from the past, or will my bruises andmissed opportunities continue to mount?
That choice should be easy for any of us.
Learn from history to put time on your side. Start buildingyour Internet business now to take advantage of today’slower prices and competition.
Don’t put it off until tomorrow, because after all, tomorrownever comes, and time IS money!
Rosalind Gardner
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
There is nothing more precious than time. Not money, norlove. Without time, the others don’t exist.Knowing that, how do we spend our time? Do we recognize itsunstoppable passage and make the most of each valuablemoment?
Some do. Most of us, however, do not.
If we were to equate time spent frivolously with money lost,would we spend it more wisely?
Maybe - maybe not.
When I started my eBusiness in 1998, one of the first thingsI did to get traffic was to submit my site to Yahoo! Backthen, Yahoo! listings were free, the directory was muchsmaller and getting huge traffic numbers from them was easy.
Pretty soon, my site was generating sales left, right andcenter.
So what did I do? Did I follow suit with another hot,marketable topic? Did I I repeat the process many more timesto take advantage of Yahoo!’s free advertising and lack ofcompetition? Did I solidify my future as an Internetmarketer by building my nest and lining it with goldensites?
No, of course not!
I was too busy enjoying the proceeds of my minimal labor -buying clothes, furniture, property, and a pretty new car. WhenI wasn’t spending it at home, I was jetting off to exoticlocations.
A couple years went by before it crossed my mind that moremoney would be even more fun, and that building another siteor two would be an easy way to get more fun money.
By then however, the Internet had changed. After site NumberTwo was built and ready for promotion, Yahoo! had startedcharging an annual listing fee of $299 for commercial sites.Thank goodness mine wasn’t adult in nature - those were beingcharged $600 per year. Not just a one-time fee, but peryear!
Thankfully, Yahoo! ‘grandfathered’ all its old listings andmy original listing still keeps sending traffic to my sitefor fr*e.
Wow! Didn’t that make me want to hit myself upside the headfor being slow to build my business?
Not hard enough, it seems.
Not long afterwards, another of my favorite trafficgenerators, Overture, raised its minimum bid from a penny toa nickel. My existing listings were grandfathered at apenny, for which I was again grateful. However, again Ichastised myself for not having added thousands morekeywords and phrases that would also now be grandfathered.
I could see the writing on the wall, and cautioned myself toput the past behind and take advantage of presentopportunities.
Did I take my own advice?
Barely. I added just a few more sites and relevant keywords,and Overture’s mimimum bid was again raised, this time to adime.
So I kicked myself, hard.
If Overture’s tendency to increase their prices according toU.S. coin denominations is any indication, their nextmimimum bid may well be a quarter.
So, will I learn from the past, or will my bruises andmissed opportunities continue to mount?
That choice should be easy for any of us.
Learn from history to put time on your side. Start buildingyour Internet business now to take advantage of today’slower prices and competition.
Don’t put it off until tomorrow, because after all, tomorrownever comes, and time IS money!
Rosalind Gardner
Be sure to see all our latest wholesale arrivals @ http://savesucash.com/
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