I’m sure you’re like me, you bought, listened, watched and downloaded everything you can find and afford to help build your online business.  Well, I have another one for you!  But hopefully this will be one of the last purchases you make to uncover the secrets to being successful online.

Joel Comm has just released his book, KaChing – How to Run an Online Business That Pays and Pays! I just ordered my copy and can’t WAIT to get it and start digging in.  Even if you are an expert, guru or just a know-it-all about online marketing, I’m sure this book will show you some new ideas.

You can grab your copy today it at KaChing: How to Run an Online Business that Pays and Pays

It used to be, before the telephone, before cellphones, before the Internet, sending notes was the norm – we sent them out to invite people to events, thank them for gifts, send out our condolences and even just to say hello. Even when doing business, everyone from shopkeepers to oil barons sent out cards to begin relationship and seal deals. These days, with all the technology available to us, it’s almost accepted to send out a text message that says “Nice 2 meet U. C u soon.”

Sending out cards and notes may seem archaic, but they seem to be coming back in vogue, perhaps because people hardly get that personal touch anymore (think about it – compared to a decade ago, how many birthday or Christmas cards do you get a year?) Cards can also be used for business – and will definitely put on a lasting impression to your clients.

Have no idea how to begin? Here are some tips to get you started:

Have an updated contact list – having a list will make it easier for you to organize your campaign, but make sure your information is complete and updated. It would be pretty embarrassing if you were to send the wrong card to the wrong person or not have it reach your important client.

Select your message carefully – if you’re sending out holiday cards, read the message carefully to make sure you won’t offend anyone (assuming you’re sending out a lot of cards.) You wouldn’t want to risk sending out something which can make you look bad, when your intention was the opposite.

Use titles – You may be on first-name basis with your clients, but using their titles on the front of the cards shows respect and gives importance to their achievements, so make sure you include that “Dr.”, “Mr.,” “Esq.” etc. with their names.

Spell Check! –  OMG, this is a biggie! Make sure you read each and every line and make sure every word is spelled correctly, lest you make some embarrassing faux pas.

Send them on time – get your holiday cards out early, especially for businesses. They may be leaving work early to take time off. For thank you cards, try to send them no more than a week after, or they may forget what you are thanking them for!

Remember, building relationships is the core of any business and key to its success. Taking the time out to do simple tasks can cement your reputation with the right people. Don’t always have the time to do everything yourself? Get a little help and still have that personal touch with Send Out Cards and it only takes a few minutes to choose, write and send your card. Click on the link today to find out more.

Click Here – Send Out Cards if you are looking for any of the above!

Perhaps you’re stuck in a nine-to-five job you hate, or are a homemaker bored at home, but you’ve probably thought of turning a beloved hobby into a business which will make some money. Many people have done it before, and have done it successfully, though there are those that fail as well. If you’re thinking of going into business for yourself, here are some things you should think about before taking the plunge:

If it becomes work, will you still love it?

If you enjoy knitting sweaters for your loved ones, will you enjoy doing it for money? Sometimes when something becomes actual work, you may find yourself not wanting to do it anymore. But if you’re enthusiastic about something, then you may find yourself loving it even more, despite the long hours of hard work.

Is it worthy of being a business?

You may love your hobby, have a passion for it, but that doesn’t mean you can make money from it. You may be good at making animals from pipe cleaners, but that doesn’t mean you should go out and open up a pipe cleaner shop. You must be practical as well, and do the necessary legwork to find out if your idea is feasible.

Remember, it is a business!

Being an employee has its pros – you just show up at the office, do your work and you get a paycheck two weeks later. Being a business owner or being self-employed is different. You have to deal with day to day operations, payroll, taxes, clients, receivables and payables – things which are not fun and can be boring. Hopefully, you’ll be able to handle such challenges.

What will happen in the long run?

You’ll be investing a large amount of your time and resources into starting your own business – so you have to think of what will happen in 5, 10 or even 20 years. Although no one wants to think of failure, many new businesses shut down within the first year (restaurants, for example, experience a failure rate of about 59%.) Your goals and plans should include future strategies, as well as back-up plans.

Consider alternatives

Okay, so you tell yourself, if you spend another day at your desk, you might do something drastic, but you don’t have the resources or time to pursue your hobby. There can be other alternatives – perhaps all you need is to change career paths into an industry that’s closer to what you love. So you really love to cook, but can’t leave your accounting job to open up your restaurant. Perhaps you should work for a food company. Also, you may be able to teach what you love. You may never sell your landscape paintings, but perhaps you can apply for teaching positions or give art lessons – at least you’ll still spend your time doing what you love.  And of course, you can teach through online teleseminar, webinars, blogging, video streaming – the sky’s the limit!

Whatever you decide to do, just remember: If you follow your heart and passion, and you are truly on the path that was designed for you -  the money will follow. This is the simplest of all concepts, and really where everything should begin. If you’re passionate about baking, then you should consider doing it full-time. If you’re not sure what your passion is, make an list of all the things you love to do and what you’re good at. Then start to narrow it down until you get a couple that just excites you and you have a burning desire to do.  Then do your research and see if there is a market for your business or services.  If there is, the rest is up to you.

If you enjoyed, “Turning Your Hobby Into Business: What You Need to Consider,”

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For many parents, being able to hold down a good job and still have all the time for their kids and then, for themselves, may seem like a fantasy. But many people (both men and women) have successfully melded their home and work life, and have found fulfillment in their work, spend time with their families and make enough money. These people quit their nine-to-five jobs and started their own business right out of their homes, doing what they love.

So you’ve probably thought at one time or another of leaving your desk job and just starting your own business. Why not? It’s time to stop dreaming and get off your butt and start taking action. So here are some tips to get you started:

Find your passion

Very few people when they were growing up thought to themselves, “Someday, I want to be an accountant!” or “I want to market ballpoint pens for small to medium sized companies!” So, if you’re starting your own business, why would you do something you don’t like? Do you like dogs? Why not start a pet-sitting or dog grooming business? Or perhaps everyone at the last pot luck dinner LOVED your cupcakes – why not start baking for profit? Of course, it’s much easier said than done, but eventually, you’ll find what you want. Doing something you love assures you of one thing – you’ll wake up each morning wanting to go to work, not dreading it.

It’s not all play

Just because you don’t have an office or a boss doesn’t mean you can goof off all the time. Starting your home-based business is HARD! Unlike working for a company or corporation, you’ll have to start from scratch and most likely will have to do everything by yourself. Sticking to a regular schedule will help you keep things sane, but at the beginning, expect to put in a lot of hours to help you get off the ground (sneaking away to watch a bit of daytime TV is acceptable, and a perk, of course!)

Make your space

The best part of being based at home is seeing the kids all the time. The worst? Seeing the kids all the time! You do your best to concentrate and your little ones keep interrupting. Much like making your own time, try to set aside some space of your own (like a home office) where you can do your work and get some peace and quiet.

Act Like a Business

So many people when they decide to start a home-based business look for the quickest, and sometimes cheapest, ways to get started.  (that’s not a bad thing, we all have done it) But one thing you should strongly consider is purchasing your own domain name through GoDaddy.com – World’s No.1 Domain Name Registrar .  If you are going to have a business, you need to act like a business and having your own professional domain name is a must.  Also, you should purchase email hosting so that when you communicate, it will be sent from yourname@yourbusiness.com.  It just makes you look more professional and people will take you more seriously.

Automate!

This is the age of computers and why shouldn’t you take advantage of that? Everyone uses the web these days, so having a website (or even a Facebook fan page) where your customers can contact you and get the latest news is a must! If you sell products over the web, then you’ll not only have to figure out a payment method, but how you can process the orders over the Internet. Get some help if you can but there are thousands of solutions out there that will help you. Wahmcart, for example, is ready-made shopping cart solution for your website. They offer the secure shopping cart software, plus a management and tracking solution, making the buying experience for your customers as easy as possible and they are very affordable for the new business just starting out.

Another great solution for your ecommerce needs is 1ShoppingCart.  With this system you can do all of the same things as above, and much more.  Of course, this system is a bit more pricey, but you can run your entire business from product sales, to lead capture to autoresponders and finally to your online newsletter.

There are lots of opportunities out there and there has never been a better time to go than today! Start brainstorming ideas today and you’ll be on your way to a successful home business!

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With the job market being tough and cruel these days, many people think that there’s no way they’ll be able to compete in such conditions. Hiring Managers and Human Resources Professionals are stunned that sometimes, a part-time receptionist position (with no benefits) can garner hundreds of responses. And with the economy making a steady, but slow recovery, there seems to be no relief in sight for many of the unemployed. What are these people to do, when unemployment runs out and there’s just not enough work? Why look for other means to make money.

Perhaps you’ve seen the ads – work from home, stuffing envelopes, making crafts, etc.? More often than not, these are scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But not all online jobs are bogus. Many people are now joining the virtual workforce – thousands of skilled, willing and able people hiring themselves out to companies and individuals on a freelance basis. It used to be, you had to have some kind of skill – computer programming, graphics and design training – to be self-employed. But now, with the convenience of the internet and technology, people are actually hiring their own assistants – workers who may be located in another city, state or even county, who can perform basic tasks. These people set their own hours, their own rates based on their skills and do work for other busy professionals. Being a personal assistant has its perks, but it is a job like any other.

So how does one start? Of course, if you’ve had any experience in this field, then you’ve got an edge over other people. If not, then you can get training from some schools and even online schools.

Finding jobs can be a bit tricky, but sites like Elance, Guru, Two Minute Commute and Odesk has hundreds of job postings for virtual assistants. Just like any job, you’ll have to put your best foot forward – put together your resume, references etc. You’ll most likely have to put up a profile that lists all your experiences, skills and educational information. Competition can be tough, but you’ll have to persevere.

What kinds of work can you expect to get? Really, anything! Some people may want some simple, basic tasks – checking email, compiling lists, and organizing address books, research. Placing phone calls and scheduling appointments are a common task. AJ Jacobs, editor-at-large at Esquire magazine (via Tim Ferris’ The Four Hour Workweek website) recounts his experience of hiring a virtual assistant, who he had do everything from paying his bills to, “finding my son a Tickle Me Elmo.” Many companies also hire virtual assistants to do tasks which take too much time and resources of their on-site employees, such as creating labels for mailing, scheduling meetings, sending out marketing emails – there is a virtual buffet of work for virtual professionals!

Of course, you’ll want to stand out from other applicants – anyone can type into an excel spreadsheet or pick up a phone. One surefire way to do this is to find your own niche – a corner where you and only you rule this market. For example, if you have any medical background, you can do work with patient’s records or doctor’s offices. One hot niche is Internet Marketing and many businesses are clamoring for well-trained marketing assistants. Online marketing has grown exponentially in the past few years, and thus, these skill sets are becoming much more important than ever. Many of the earlier marketers learned on the job, but now many companies cannot afford to pay for their employees’ learning curve, which is why people who possess skills such as blogging, article submission, social networking, affiliate marketing, video editing and marketing support are in demand. Which is why many training centers offer such courses. VAClassroom.com offers one of the most comprehensive online courses, and is recommended by many professionals, both by virtual assistants and the companies that hire them. The course they offer is comprehensive and offers more than just reading materials – you get full access to their site, which includes a FREE 60-Day Trial to the popular VAClassroom Training Membership Program. Members can attend monthly meetings, participate in the discussion forums, watch videos and even join the virtual marketplace where they can network and possibly find jobs.

Another great resource is VAnetworking.com.  This is a community online for virtual assistants and virtual entrepreneurs to connect, share, discuss, promote & network their businesses.  They offer a free membership, discounts on virtual assistant business products and services , an RFP system for both Virtual Assistant and potential Virtual Assistant clients through their VAInsider club,  weekly online, live seminars with industry experts who’ve “been there, done that,” inclusion in the largest Virtual Assistant Article Directory online to help prospective clients find you faster and many other features.

So, check out VAClassroom.com and VAnetworking.com today and see how you can take full advantage of your full potential!

If you have been following my blog, you know that I have been attending the Niche Affiliate Marketing System Workshop in Atlanta, GA.  Today is the last day of the workshop, which has been an incredible experience.  Yesterday, the instructors produced a product for the attendees to sale through their affiliate links and turned it into a contest to see which one of us could sell the most products.

As we frantically, blogged, tweeted, sent facebook, email and text messages across our various networking platforms to try and make sales, a couple from Venezuela was quitely connecting to their multiple lists and making sales.  Here is a video from Rafael, the winner of more than $25,000 in cash and prizes for making the most sales in a 24 hour period with our affiliate product at NAMS.

Wow, isn’t his story great!  We are so excited for Rafael and his wife and the great new affiliate marketing business he began this weekend.

Even though the workshop is over, it’s not too late to learn from all the outstanding instructors about how to build a booming affiliate marketing business, how to build a massive list and drive traffic and dollars to your website.  The recordings of this weekend are going to be available for a short time.  So hurry and go to NAMS4U 2 GB Flash Drive to get your set before they are all gone!

That’s my goal…to make money on auto-pilot.  So I made a great business decision to attend the Niche Affiliate Markeing System workshop in Atlanta.  I’m actually at the workshop sending this post because it’s been an amazing workshop so far!

Yesterday was a jam-packed day with Lynn Terry and Jeff Herring helping us to get started with Affiliate Marketing and understanding how to profit from it.

They shared these steps to beginning which are:

• Get an Idea
• Register a Domain Name
• See if there’s a need for what you want to offer by checking what people are searching.  You can use a free tool call http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com.
• Once your keyword research is complete, (based on your results) build your site with WordPress and then begin to promote your long-tail keywords (that you identified with your freekeywords tool).  Using sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and social bookmarking.

We also wrote an article (which I’ll post later on EzineArticles.com) to prove that “content is everywhere.”  Questions, answers, interviews, reviews; all of these areas can produce content.

Tomorrow  the instructors will be building a product for us to market and sell through our “Affiliate” link and the title is Strategies 4 Social Marketing.  This is going to be a great session, so stay tuned.  (I’ll try to send you the link later today to purchase this product)

Stay tuned…more from NAMS3 to come.

How do you run your business?  Do you have a business plan?  What about a budget?  Do you rely on a board of directors to help you with big decisions?  I rely on God for my business.  Because without Him I wouldn’t have a business at all.

My friend, Laurie Neumann with Christian Home Business Connections, has just released her new book, Run Your Business God’s Way (affiliate link) and I wanted to share the link for those who are interested in getting a copy.

She’s offering it for a limited time for only $9.95.  This eBook is filled with Scripture verses and insight so that you can get busy running your business God’s way. 

If you like this post, please share it by clicking the links below or retweeting.

More people are looking for ways to quickly and effectively start an online business. Some have lost their jobs due to downsizing and just can’t find a comparable position. So they are hoping to “cash in” on their expertise and take advantage of sites like Facebook and Twitter to help build a business online. But there is so much more to developing an online business than just throwing up a website and posting on social media sites.

My friend, Jason Spurlock, knows how these people feel and he has developed a new approach to starting an online business. It’s called OBE Pro and it is the “last” place you will need to go to gather the tools to become successful online!   Jason says, “we make online business owners, and those that desire to own a lucrative online business, more profitable…producing a great amount of change in a short amount of time.”

OBE Pro has an incredible product suite that focuses on the three critical aspects of owning a successful online business.  

 
1. personal development   
2. business development
3. results-based marketing strategies 

And the best part about OBE Pro for those skeptics is that it is completely free for 30 days.  You can establish an account, take advantage of all the reports and pdfs in your own private “back office,” and learn from some of the leading online business marketers through webinars, teleconferences and mastermind gatherings. OBE Pro is convinced that by following this system you will be a 6-figure online business owner!

Why not give it try?  You have nothing to lose and lots of valuable information for starting and building a successful online business to gain. OBE Pro is the future of home business…for smart people!  Sign up for your free 30 Days Now!

I get many offers through email for business tools to enhance and grow my online business. This week I responded to an opportunity to be interviewed for a Christian Home Based Business Connection. The owner Laurie Neumann, contacted me and we completed the interview very quickly. On Wednesday, September 2, 2009 Laurie posted my comments on her blog, which I was very thankful for.

During my visit to her blog, I noticed all of the great resources and tools she has to offer at her site. So I wanted to return the favor and share some of the resources she has and a link to her site, for anyone interested in starting a home-based business.

Her website is Christian Home Business Connection and these are some of the resources she offers:

Home Business Resource Guide

Top Six Ways Report

And Laurie has many other resources and connections for new home business owners and potential owners, based on Christian values. Check out her site, and tell her I sent you!