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#23 From: Dave <dave@...>
Date: Wed Jun 5, 2002 12:06 pm
Subject: How I Couldn't Sell Noah A Lifeboat....
dave720520
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How I Couldn't Sell Noah A Lifeboat.....
If The Ark Was Full Of Holes

By: Dave Cole


Folks, let's clear up some misconceptions about network
marketing that have been floating around lately.

Network marketing is NOT about becoming a super salesman.

I am currently building a very large and prosperous
network marketing business that is growing by leaps
and bounds.

What I am NOT doing is selling.

In fact I hate selling.

One of the last things I would ever want to be is a
"salesman."

Honestly, I doubt if I could sell Noah a lifeboat if the
Ark was full of holes!

What I am is a teacher.

Network marketing is about teaching.

Teaching others to be successful.
Teaching others to build their own business.
Teaching others to achieve their dreams.
Teaching others to teach others to be successful.

I am in the business of helping other folks make their
dreams come true.

Isn't that a great way of looking at it!

The most successful folks in network marketing are those
that can effectively teach people to show other folks
how they too can be a success at this.

I am also a story teller.

I tell folks how the products have affected our pet's lives
and our lives and how the business has affected our
long term plans and finances.

I teach my distributors they are Representatives of a
First Class company - NOT salespersons for it.

Walk into a Volkswagen dealership and you will find
salespersons. Walk into a Jaguar dealership and you
will find representatives......there's a big difference.

Can you tell other people a short story about how a
particular product has positively affected your life?

Anyone can do that!

And if so, you can be a success in network marketing.

Can you follow a proven plan?

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3

I can give you that.
I can give you thousands upon thousands of free leads.
I can teach you how to build a business.
I can teach you how to teach others to build a business.

What I cannot do is make you or force you to do it.

Some folks think network marketing is a lot of work.

I have fun doing it. Is having fun work?
Every person I talk to about becoming a distributor
with our team, I always ask them, "Don't do this unless
you think you can have fun with it."

No fun = work

If your business is work, perhaps you might want to re-consider
what you are doing.

If you dread making those calls or contacts, if you
constantly have to force yourself to do the things
necessary to build a business, then that
doesn't sound like much fun to me....and it doesn't
sound like you'll likely last long in that opportunity either.

Network marketing does take two things:
1. A Desire
2. A Passion

Network marketing is about Stretching - Stretching
yourself to be more than you ever thought possible.

Can you use your imagination?

Network marketing is about:

Who you want to become.
What level of financial freedom you desire to obtain.
What you really want to do with your life.

Today's challenge is:

A. Are you ready to learn some new concepts of
what being a network marketing professional
really is all about?

B. Are you ready to BE all that you Really Can BE?

C. Are you ready to DO something about it?


Prosperity: The Choice Is Yours
Copyright © 2002

Dave's E-zine provides you with valuable info
on how to market your online business and how
to make money online. All subscribers get 1
Free ad every week.
Get your FREE subscription today.

http://choosetoprosper.com

#24 From: Dave <dave@...>
Date: Mon Jun 10, 2002 11:08 pm
Subject: Let's Play Tractors
dave720520
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Let's Play Tractors

Back when my son Karl was 3 to 5 years old, he simply
loved to play tractors. Tractors were his life. He so looked
forward to getting up each morning, he hated to go to
bed at nite.

Karl had a passion for playing tractors.

He had the sounds down pat, brrrr-ing or put-putt-ing....
he would drive those toy tractors around as far as his young
imagination would stretch. He plowed more acres and
baled more hay than dad did in real life.

In the young mind, he was a real farmer that had important
stuff to do......and he did it with enthusiasm.....and had a
whale of a lot of fun at the same time.

Pulling....did you mention tractor pulling? Of dear lord did
we love to go tractor pulling! If there was a pull within a
hundred miles, Dave and his little puller side kick Karl were
there.

All the pullers knew us. Believe it, at a big pull we got
there hours early to get good seats and then go down to
the "Pit" to look over the tractors. We went to farm stock
pulls, state pulls, & the big Grand National events.

Karl knew the name and brand of every Super Stock, Pro
Stock, or Modified Grand National tractor in the eastern
half of the U.S. (all Grand National pulling tractors have
their own name)

At home he pulled every tractor he had from the small
ones up to pedal tractors. Then would go out in the barn
and sit on dad's real tractors and pretend to pull them.

One Christmas I built a small replica of his favorite
Super Stock pulling tractor plus a miniature pulling sled.
(what tractors pull).  Oh did he ever put pulling in high
gear then. Everyday there was a new pull he had going.
Karl would line up all his tractors and one by one he
hooked them to the sled and Brrrrrmmmmmmmm down
the track they'd go.

What Enthusiasm he had
What a Passion
What a tremendous amount of Fun he had

Folks would you like to know why he had so much fun and
tireless energy pulling and playing tractors?

Think seriously about this.......


It was because Karl Cole was who was in control.


He called the shots. Events happened just the way he wanted
them. He determined when one of his tractors would break
down and he then knew he could fix it. He decided who
was going to win each pull. He decided when and where
each pull would be, which tractors were entered, when it
would start, and when it would end.

He was the boss....he was in charge.
He controlled circumstances......they didn't control him.
The structure in his life was constructed by him.

He made his own choices, and they were surprisingly good
ones too for a 3 to 5 year old.

His circumstances were dictated by his imagination.

Karl was one of the happiest children I've ever known.
Always had something fun going on, always had
something good happening.

His mother and I gave him a lot of freedom to express himself.
That was my philosophy when I home schooled him too,
freedom to explore, to learn and try new things, we were
always doing something new and different.

You wanna know a real good reason why people are un-happy?

Think it might be cause they're not really the ones that
are in control of their lives?

Well who is in control then?

The boss
That JOB
Your time schedule
The Bills
Your spouse

People aren't free when they are controlled by circumstances.

If you have a job, your life is structured around and dictated
by that job. It controls you.....you don't control it. That
job tells you when you will be there and where you will
be every day and then when it allows you to go home.
It controls how much money you make and how much
money you will spend. That job determines which kind of
house and car you will buy, and whether you'll buy the
best or the cheapest.


If you're in debt, the bank controls you. You have to have a
source of income to pay that monthly debt or else the
bank reposseses. You don't own that home with the
mortgage....the bank does. Let them call the loan and
if you don't have the cash immediately, the bank sells that
home or car or boat. The bank tells you how much you
will have left over After you pay them, and it tells you
how much to pay each month and on what date you pay.

When you go to a job, the boss controls what you will do,
how long you will do it, and the quality of what you do.
And if you don't stay within the guidelines, you lose the
job Buckwheat.

You're not in control - the boss, or the job, or the bank,
or you fill in the blanks - is in control.....no wonder you
don't have much fun is it?

Karl is now 15. He's no longer in control. The school
dictates what he will do every day, when he will be there,
when he will get up in the morning, when he will be allowed
to come home. His life is now structured around what
someone else decides for him to do....not what he wants to
do.

He doesn't have nearly the fun anymore. Ask him what is
going on in his life and he'll say, "nothin"......ask him how
the day went and he'll say, "I don't know." It's flat.....
no enthusiasm. No drive, no Passion.

You know what tho, when he's home and riding his dirt bike,
he's back in control. He's the man. He's Ricky Carmichael
(top dirt bike rider), he's the boss. He's excited, he's
enthusiastic.....he gets to make his own choices....he's having
a whale of a lot of fun.

He never talks about school, he talks about dirt bikes and
baseball.....umm...and girls too. But see the point.

Life is the most fun when you are in control. Not when
someone or something else controls you. Reflect if you will
for a few minutes on some of the times in your life when
you had the most amount of fun.

I'll bet they were the times when you were the one who was
in control.

---------------------------------------------

Prosperity: The Choice Is Yours
Dave's E-zine provides you with valuable info
on how to market your online business and how
you can make money online. All subscribers get 1
Free ad every week. Get your FREE subscription today.

http://choosetoprosper.com
Copyright © 2002
---------------------------------------------

#25 From: Joe Bingham <articles@...>
Date: Sun Jun 23, 2002 5:06 am
Subject: How To Get Better Results From Non-Targeted Hits
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Title:  How To Get Better Results From Non-Targeted Hits
Author:  Joe Bingham
Copyright: 2002

Article Originally Written: March 2002

Article URL:
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How To Get Better Results From Non-Targeted Hits
Copyright © 2002, Joe Bingham
NetPlay Newsletters
http://www.freehits2000.com/netplay.php



There are two types of visitors that come to your web site,
targeted and non-targeted.

Both can lead to sales, however they should NOT be treated
the same.

Targeted visitors are people that have either found your
site through a search they conducted, have clicked on a
link from another web site, or have clicked on a link in an
ad you placed or article you wrote. These are visitors that
already have some idea of what your site offers and have
come to look for more information.

Non-targeted visitors come from guaranteed hits purchases,
surf for hits or pop-under exchange programs, and other
similar methods. These visitors are seeing your site
without prior knowledge as to what your site is all about.

Non targeted visitors are just as viable potential
customers if you recognize that they must be treated
differently.

SETTING UP FOR NON-TARGETED VISITORS

At this time I'd like you to seriously consider setting up
a special page on your site for non-targeted hits. Other
visitors that come to your site through advertising are
already giving you their attention and will be looking for
whatever it was about your ad that attracted them. They are
already a step ahead of non-targeted visitors.

With non-targeted visitors, you must GRAB their attention
just the same as you grab people's attention with your
advertising.

The goal with your special page is to give people a reason
to stick around and visit the rest of your site, NOT to
start them into the sales process, at least not in the same
manner. Remember, at this point you are just a pop-up or an
extra site to what they are already doing in most cases.

Write your special page for non-targeted visitors much like
you write a classified ad. Use an ATTENTION grabbing
headline followed by a reason why they should give you
their INTEREST. Then create a DESIRE for them to know more
about you, and an ACTION for them to take that leads into
the rest of your site.

Do those words sound familiar? Attention, Interest, Desire,
Action? AIDA is the popular formula for writing classified ads.

START GENERAL

You never know what a non-targeted visitor might be doing
before they run across your site. If they are searching for
information on ezine publishing and all of a sudden your
site on fine tuning meta tag keywords comes up, they will
click your site down immediately thinking they had
mistakenly gone in the wrong direction.

However, if your headline is more general, you'll be more
likely to lead them in for a closer look as they will
believe it has something to do with what IS already on
their mind. A headline such as, "Discover how you can
improve the chances of your site being seen!" can relate
to anyone in business on the Internet. From there, you
interest them in learning more about how fine tuning their
meta tag keywords will improve the chances of their site
being seen, AFTER you already have their attention.

KEEP IT SHORT AND POINTED

Remember to keep all of the elements of AIDA in the first
screen shot on your web page. By this I mean what will be
seen by site visitors without having to scroll down. Some
pop-under programs don't open full size windows either, so
get to the point fast, essentially one or two short
paragraphs for each of the AIDA elements.

Now obviously that would lead to a VERY short web page.
However, just because you cover everything briefly in a
few lines first doesn't mean you can't then expand on those
topics. Get it out quick so it can all be taken in on one
glance, then go into further details for those that have
decided to give you their attention.

>From there, either lead directly into your main information
or link them to other pages on your site.

When creating a special page for non-targeted visitors, do
it with only ONE goal in mind, leading them to the next
step. The next step may be to continue reading further down
the page where your sales copy is, or clicking to another
page on your site, or merely subscribing to your ezine.
Whatever it is, focus on that one thing and give them a
reason to take that action.

ONE LAST THING

Whatever you do, make your page fast loading! Don't use a
bunch of large graphics and five miles of text that takes
15 seconds to load up. You'll lose a lot of people this
way. Keep it simple so your headline literally pops right
up and commands attention. Don't add pop-up windows to your
page either. This will only confuse things and draw
attention away from your main point.

Guaranteed hits and Free hits programs can make a
difference for your business if you target them the right
way. Like anything, it just takes the right strategy and a
little planning. Once you get set up correctly, it can open
a whole new aspect for promoting your business.



Resource Box:
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Ready to discover a Free method of getting Unlimited
Guaranteed Hits to your site? You can start today. Take
a look at: http://www.freehits2000.com/netplay.php

Written by Joe Bingham,
Editor of the NetPlay Newsletters
Discover the easiest way to start
publishing your own ezine.
http://www.netplaynewsletters.com/publisher.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Posted: Sun Jun 23 01:06:34 EDT 2002


For more articles by this author, please visit:

http://ThePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/index.shtml#Joe_Bingham

#26 From: Gordon Bellows <articles@...>
Date: Sun Jun 23, 2002 8:17 am
Subject: Chickens And Pigs Help Define Two Things We Need For Success
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Title:  Chickens And Pigs Help Define Two Things We Need For Success
Author:  Gordon Bellows
Copyright: 2002

Article Originally Written: 2002

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Chickens And Pigs Help Define Two Things We Need For Success
Copyright © 2002, Gordon Bellows
Article Cafe
http://www.ArticleCafe.com



This article is about involvement and commitment, two of the
things we need to be successful. This applies to our jobs or
businesses, relationships, and even our recreational pursuits.
Any type of success, whether it is personal, professional,
academic, or athletic, will usually require a combination of
involvement and commitment.

I hope the headline stirred your interest. Here is how chickens,
pigs, and even cows, can help define involvement and commitment.
Think about a meal consisting of eggs and ham and consider the
contributions made by a chicken and a pig. A chicken provided the
eggs and a pig provided the ham. It can be said the chicken was
involved, because the chicken continues to live as it lays more
eggs. It can be said the pig was committed, because the pig gave
its all to provide the ham and other pork products.

The same principle can be applied to two cows and a cheeseburger.
The cow that provided the milk to be processed into cheese was
involved, while the cow that provided the beef for the hamburger
patty was committed.

It is not my intention to make light of animals that lose their
life to provide food for humans, nor to offend anyone that does
not eat beef or pork for religious or dietary reasons. These
examples simply illustrate that being involved may mean being a
participant with little or no effort, while being committed takes
time and energy, and means much more than just being involved.

Consider a recreational activity, such as a game of chess, or a
softball game. You can be involved by just playing the game, no
matter how good you are. However, to really be successful, to win
more than you lose, you must have made a commitment at some point
in your life. For chess, it means taking the time to understand
the game and study winning strategies. For softball, it means at
some point you practiced hitting and throwing a ball. There are a
few fortunate people with a large degree of natural ability to do
certain things, but most of us need to work at it.

Most of us have made some commitments for which we put forth a
small effort on a regular basis. For example, things like taking
a bath/shower and brushing our teeth are often taken for granted.
However, those things can be thought of as a commitment to good
grooming and proper hygiene.

Marriage definitely takes involvement and commitment. You can be
involved just by signing a marriage license and saying some vows.
For the marriage to be a lasting success, it takes a commitment
from both people. It means working together toward shared goals,
communicating with each other, and resolving the occasional
conflicts that may happen. It may take a little effort, but the
personal rewards are well worth it.

A commitment isn't something to fear, nor does it mean that your
entire life must revolve around the commitment. You simply direct
some time and effort toward accomplishing your goal. You may have
several goals in your personal and professional life. Things such
as striving for a promotion, improving your golf game, losing
that extra twenty pounds, and being a better spouse or parent are
examples of worthy goals. It takes a commitment of both time and
effort to reach each milestone.

Involvement and commitment are also important when it comes to
business opportunities; especially network marketing (MLM). You
need to put forth some effort to really make things happen, no
matter how much hype you hear about your downline being built for
you. When you look at an opportunity, try to find out the level
of commitment that is needed to reach a desired level of success.

People who are successful in their chosen endeavors agree that we
can all get more out of life when a little bit of involvement and
commitment is applied to the things we consider to be important.

Start making improvements today by deciding which things are most
important to you and make a commitment to do those things better.
Often, just a little more effort will produce tremendous results.



Resource Box:
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Gordon Bellows is an economic trend analyst and part-time writer.
Poor health was affecting all areas of his life until he found an
amazing product that changed his life. He had remarkable results!
Visit http://www.YourHealthKey.com to see what it can do for you.
It's your key to better health and wellness.
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Posted: Sun Jun 23 04:16:56 EDT 2002


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#27 From: Dave <dave@...>
Date: Mon Jun 24, 2002 8:44 pm
Subject: Another Great Article Submission For Your Review
dave720520
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This article may be freely copied or used under the
express condition it remain intact and un-changed
from original content.



Marketing Is A Game
By: Dave Cole


Marketing is a game, very similar to the game of baseball.

As most of our readers know, I manage the local Pony
baseball team. This past weekend we played in an 8 team
tournament, and managed to get to the final game, only
to settle for a second place trophy.

The first game we played in the tournament, we lost. It
was early Saturday morning when my boys took the field.
We were the first place team in our league, but that day
we would be facing teams from various leagues around
the area.

When the other team started arriving and as each of their
players walked onto the field, it seemed like each boy got
bigger and bigger. Soon I started to hear my kids saying things
like, "Boy, look at those guys....look how big they are!"

As my team was sitting there watching the other team warm
up they were all saying, "We can't beat these guys, they're too
big and they hit the ball too good."

Well guess what happened?

Yep, first game we lost. We had 11 of our batters strike out,
many of them missing the ball by 2 feet or more! And my team
came into this game averaging 10 runs a game! We only
got 3 hits and 1 run in the game.

We lost that game before the first pitch was even thrown!

Now, here we have my team, in first place in our league,
we've beat almost everyone by 10 runs or more this season,
we're playing great ball and we fall flat on our face.

Reason why ===> My boys "knew" they couldn't win that
game because the opposition "looked" bigger and stronger
and better than they did. They talked themselves right into
being losers.......they looked at the adversity and saw a
giant......instead of looking at who they were and what they
had already accomplished....and what they could accomplish.

Well we came back from that loss and fortunately played a
team of "small" kids the next game. That got the boys heads
back on track. And we went on to have a really big win
on Sunday against a team of boys that were even bigger
than the first team!

Sunday I managed to get the boys to look at who "they
were...instead of who they were playing" and they came
through with a very big upset victory over the team that
everyone thought was going to win the entire tournament.

The only difference between the first game and the game
on Sunday was the boys mental attitude. On Sunday they
were somebody. They were the ones who were in control
of themselves and the game. They were in charge of their
thoughts.

When they walked out on that field Sunday they went there
with a purpose to be the best they could be. And they knew
they could play a good game against anybody.

They didn't look at the adversity, they didn't look at the
opposition, they didn't see the giants in the other dugout.....
they saw the giant within themselves instead.

And so I'm asking you today, when you go to do your daily
tasks with your marketing business, what are you looking at?

Are you looking at all the past failures you've had, or at
all the adversity out there, or thinking about all the reasons
why you "can't make money" or "can't seem to get sales" or
"can't seem to get your ads clicked on".........and all
the hundred and one other reasons why it's not happening for you.


Or are you looking at the "giant" within you and who you
really are, and what past victories you've already accomplished,
and what future victories you will accomplish.

The game of baseball is 90% mental.

The game of marketing is 90% mental.

As Napoleon Hill said, "You can if you think you can......
if you think you can't, you won't."


---------------------------------------------------
Dave Cole
Prosperity: The Choice Is Yours
Copyright © 2002

Dave's E-zine provides you with valuable info
on how to market your online business and how
to make money online. All subscribers get 1
Free ad Every week.
Get your FREE subscription today.

http://choosetoprosper.com
----------------------------------------------------

#28 From: Dan Brown <articles@...>
Date: Tue Jun 25, 2002 6:29 pm
Subject: Growth From Within
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Title:  Growth From Within
Author:  Dan Brown
Copyright: 2002

Article Originally Written: May 2002

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Growth From Within
Copyright © 2002, Dan Brown
Cash-Evolutions.com
http://www.cash-evolutions.com



Business on the Net is a fast paced proposition. Net
entrepreneurs are looking for the edge that will take
their business to the next level. Who doesn't want more
business, right? Here's a simple yet POWERFUL idea for
increasing your income.

As business people we look at many propositions that
will help us take that next, much desired growth step.
We hear that we must "brand" ourselves and be easy to
do business with. The list of ideas goes on and on.

THE GOLD MINE IN YOUR BACKYARD

Many people overlook how hard (and expensive) it is to
create a new customer. Yet, we focus most of our time and
energy in just this area, thinking that if we just could
get more customers we would achieve our goals. But what
about getting more OUT OF your customers?

If you have been around for a while you have a customer list.
That list is GOLD. Please understand that I am NOT talking
about renting out your customer list of email addresses.
What I AM talking about it approaching those customers, who
know you and trust you already, with a totally new and
different product.

Why should we limit ourselves to selling only one type of
product or service when by adding an additional item to our
current offerings we can TAKE ADVANTAGE of the relationship
that exists now? Will your customers resent this move?
Not if you do it with some style.

HOW TO DO IT

One of the keys is to choose a product or service that
COMPLIMENTS what you already do. Whatever your product or
service is, think through what your customer is likely to
buy based upon purchasing your product.

If you sell shoes, someone is going to sell them socks and
it might as well be you. Not only will you increase your
revenue but you will encounter less sales resistance and
show your customers that you are thinking of them.

Another method is to choose a product or service that
CONTRASTS what you sell now. If you normally sell a business
related product come back at them with a personal product.
Why should they NOT buy it from you? You have proven yourself
as honest and dependable; now cash in on that hard work.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK

One final word. Your customers decided to trust you when
they bought what you sell. Capitalize on those good feelings
and ask them for their feedback on what you have in mind.
This is by far the most powerful, yet virtually free,
market research available in the land. Use it wisely and
your EXISTING CUSTOMERS will tell you both what they want
to buy and when they want to buy it.

All you have to do then is step up, fill the need,
and go to the bank.




Resource Box:
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Author Dan Brown can help you take your income to the next level!
Take a step today in that direction by visiting Dan on the Web
and find a program that will ensure success.
http://cash-evolutions.com
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#29 From: Dave <dave@...>
Date: Sun Jul 7, 2002 2:53 am
Subject: You Can Write The Ticket To Your Success
dave720520
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express condition it remain intact and un-changed
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You Can Write The Ticket To Your Success
By: Dave Cole


What is the greatest Job in the world?

Working for yourself, setting your own hours, going to bed
and getting up when you want, living where you want, no
boss barking on your back, no time clock to punch in,
no rush hour traffic, doing something satisfying and rewarding
with your life, helping others attain their dreams, and
knowing you are creating a financial security for your family
and your children.

Does all that sound like the details of your dream job?

Well there are thousands upon thousands of "lucky"
folks out there doing that right now. Those people understand
there's no "real" security in working for someone else.
They prefer to create their own future and then do
something about it.

Those people aren't any luckier, or smarter, or work
harder than you - they just know more about and then
utilize the power of duplication in creating financial
security and the life they dream of.

And you know one of the neatest things about network
marketing?

You don't need to have any experience to start!

In fact theres a lot of "super salesmen" that have tried
it and failed.   Reason why ==> They're not teachable.

They "already" know it all and end up failing.

My brother coaches Junior High football. Rob would much
rather take a kid that doesn't know anything about football
and coach him than some kid who played Midget Football
and learned the wrong way to do the fundamentals.

Couple of years ago my son Karl went out for Rob's team.
Karl had never played football, in fact he never even played
in a sandlot pick up game. He knew almost nothing about
playing football.....but he had a desire to play and he was
teachable.

Rob taught him how to play with the correct fundmentals.
They played 7 games that year and Karl was a starter on
offense and defense, played great ball, and in fact even
caught 3 touchdown passes.

It's the same in network marketing. I would much rather have
a person with a true desire, a passion, and someone who
knows nothing but wants to learn than some hotshot who
already knows it all.

Can you SHARE a story?

Network marketing is about sharing - Not selling.

Use the product you're promoting, get enthusiastic about it,
then simply SHARE with others the positive impact it's made
in your life. SHARE with others the positive impact the
opporutnity is making in your life.

Can you do that?

Of course you can!

That doesn't take superior intelligence, it doesn't take a degree
or prior experience in selling -  it does take your enthusiasm
about the product and the opportunity.

The main opportunity I'm doing; we tried the product on our
pets, saw what an Incredible difference in their energy levels,
their overall health, and in how much nicer their coats became
and in how much lower our vet bills became!

It's really easy to SHARE that with other pet owners. People
ask me how does this business work?

Basically I talk with people about their pets. Then I SHARE
what the product has done for our pets and for others.
I offer them info on the products and ask if they are ready
to try the products for their pets?

Just how hard can that be?

Could you do that?

Of course you could!

It doesn't matter what the product is or what opportunity
you're involved with - the secret to creating that dream life
and that 10 or 15 or 20 thousand dollar income a month
is to have fun and be enthusiastic about SHARING
your product story with others.

You want that dream job, that lifestyle you've always
dreamed of, that level of financial security?

Find a product you love and SHARE your story.

Now - You Can Do That -
I Know It......and you know it.

So good friend, that lifestyle is there, that perfect job is
there, it's waiting for you...It Can Be Yours.

Dreams Really Do come True.

Don't let those fears of thinking you have to be a "super
salesman" or you have to have some degree or high level
of intelligence stop you.

Believe me, I couldn't "SELL" Mr. Noah a lifeboat if the
Ark was sinking.    But....I can SHARE with him how my
lifeboat saved me when my ship was sinking.....then
show him where he can get the same lifeboat......and

You Can Do That Too.


---------------------------------------------------
Dave Cole
Prosperity: The Choice Is Yours
Copyright © 2002

Dave's E-zine provides you with valuable info
on how to market your online business and how
to make money online. All subscribers get 1
Free ad Every week.
Get your FREE subscription today.

http://choosetoprosper.com
----------------------------------------------------

#30 From: Gordon Bellows <articles@...>
Date: Sat Jul 13, 2002 2:27 am
Subject: Use The D System To Get Organized And Reduce Clutter!
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Title:  Use The D System To Get Organized And Reduce Clutter!
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Use The D System To Get Organized And Reduce Clutter!
Copyright © 2002, Gordon Bellows
Article Cafe
http://www.ArticleCafe.com



There is a simple system, known as the D system, that can help
you to be better organized and may also help to reduce clutter.
This system can be used at home or at the office with regular
mail, email, and inboxes. It can also be used with voice mail
messages. This effective system uses 6 D's:

Do - Delegate - Decide - Delete - Dump - Document files

The goal with this system is to use one of the 6 D's with every
letter, memo, report, email, newspaper, and magazine that enters
your home or office. Select the D that is most applicable for
each item before moving to the next item.

Do: If something only takes a few minutes to do, do it now. If
you need to review and sign a memo, do it and return the item to
the originator or send it to the next person on the routing list.
If you need to reply to a voice mail message or an email, do it
now. By doing it while it's fresh on your mind, it'll be taken
care of, plus you'll save time by not having to shuffle papers or
listen to the voice mail message again.

Delegate: If an item requires action, decide if it is best for
you to take the action or if the task can be delegated. Entrust
the task to the person most suitable for the responsibility. Make
a call, use an interoffice routing envelope, send an email, or
whatever method is appropriate to inform the person to whom the
task has been delegated.

Decide: If you are not able to read it or complete the task right
away, decide which action file that item belongs in. Suggested
files/bins include, "to be read," "to be copied," "to be faxed,"
and so forth. It is essential to do whatever needs to be done
with these items within a few days.

Magazines and newspapers should be read and then recycled before
accumulating too many issues of the same publication. If there
are articles or recipes you want to save, save only that part and
not the entire publication. Create files to keep your clippings
organized. Also, review clippings once or twice each year to dump
any that you no longer want.

Delete: If you keep getting items you don't really want, do
something to keep them from coming to you again. Don't renew
magazines you don't read, opt-out of ezines or newsletters that
you're not interested in, and remove yourself from the routing
list for things that don't apply to you. If you get items you
know you don't want and you're not able to remove yourself from
the mailing list or subscriber list, then just toss it out as
soon as you know what it is. Recycle as much as possible.

Dump: Throw it out; there is no need to save everything! We often
put papers and memos aside and then forget about them. We might
occasionally look through the stack and we usually end up putting
the stack off to the side again. We still have the stack of
papers and we just waste time each time we reshuffle the stack.
If one of the other D's doesn't apply to an item, dump it!

Please recycle all paper, cardboard, and whatever else can be
recycled instead of just dumping it. Some items may need to be
shredded for personal or security reasons. Shredded papers make
great garden mulch, but don't remove any paper, shredded or not,
from company premises without permission.

Document file: If there is no further action to be taken and the
item can't be thrown out, then the item should be placed in a
document file. Documents that need to be kept include, but are
not limited to; proof of ownership, signed contracts/agreements,
financial and tax records, employee files, legal documents, and
insurance policies. Some documents may be thrown out after five
or seven years, while others may need to be kept indefinitely. It
is best to get the specific time requirements from a qualified
attorney or tax advisor. Documents to be saved can be placed in a
"to be filed" file or basket, which is emptied once per week when
each document is filed in its proper location.

A startling statistic is that 80 percent of the papers we file
are never referenced again!

So, once you pick up an item, you should select the best D and
take the necessary action before you pick up another item. This
system can help you be better organized and help reduce clutter.
You will no longer have to look at the same thing over and over
when you take care of it right the first time.



Resource Box:
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Gordon Bellows is an economic trend analyst and part-time writer.
Poor health was affecting all areas of his life until he found an
amazing product. It changed his life! Better health, more energy!
Visit http://www.YourHealthKey.com to see what it can do for you.
It's your key to better health and wellness.
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#31 From: Lee Traupel <articles@...>
Date: Thu Jul 18, 2002 3:51 pm
Subject: Maximizing ROI via Web Site Traffic Analysis
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Title:  Maximizing ROI via Web Site Traffic Analysis
Author:  Lee Traupel
Copyright: 2002

Article Originally Written: June, 2002

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Maximizing ROI via Web Site Traffic Analysis
Copyright © 2002, Lee Traupel
Intelective Communications, Inc.
http://www.intelective.com



We are clearly well past the innocent "golden age" of the
Internet - Darwinian economics have become the order of the day
today. Any company worth their salt must maintain a web site as
an information resource and/or to generate incremental ecommerce
revenue. Qualified traffic is the name of the game, as it's the
oxygen that keeps a good ecommerce web site thriving.
Consequently, it's very important to have an understanding of
your web site traffic or visitor activity; i.e. baseline
information that includes the number of visitors during specific
time periods, originating location (domain), where the visitors
went on a site and how long they stayed on specific sections or
pages of a web site. The de facto industry standard traffic
analysis tool application is Web Trends, manufactured/supported
by netiQ, Inc., which we will focus on in this article.


FUNDAMENTALS AND JARGON WATCH

All traffic analysis tools rely primarily upon information
that is extracted from log files; i.e. files that are
maintained on your server which show where a visitor came
from, what keyword(s) they used to find your site (if
applicable), what Operating System and Browser versions they
are using, etc. There are literally hundreds of excellent log
file analysis tools that can be located via CNet's Download.com
or TuCows - both sites are excellent resources for software and
information.

It's critical in today's bottom line business environment to
have the ability to analyze web traffic (visitors) and patterns
and then integrate this knowledge with your overall business
processes - what do you pay for traffic, is it converting
(people are buying your goods and services), how long are
people staying on specific sections or pages of your web site,
what marketing expenditures are working and which aren't!

You know your entering the reality distortion field (we
marketing types need to justify our fees & services) and
need to raise your jargon filters to stun level when you
here and/or see these keywords; i.e. clickstream traffic
(fancy way of saying traffic or visitors delivered via mouse
clicks to your web site), ebusiness solutions (meaning -
selling your products/services via an ecommerce site) or my
all-time personal favorite, "ebusiness intelligence" (what's
ebusiness and what determines if it's "intelligent").


TRAFFIC COUNTER APPLICATIONS

First and foremost, do you really need a comprehensive product
like Web Trends (more on the different applications later) or
can you get by with a click (traffic) counter application like
the Hit Box? The latter company provides a free plain vanilla
traffic counter which can be easily set up in minutes via your
web site. Hit Box is a great product and used by hundreds of
thousands of web sites, so it may be sufficient for your
business, if you just want very basic info ("Page Views and
Daily Unique Visitors) and don't mind advertising for another
company via your web site.

But, there are some downsides to utilizing Hit Box, you must
install their "button" on your Index (home) page and it only
provides you with basic traffic information (how much per day
with a forecast based on these numbers). You can upgrade to
their HitBox Professional which is very similar to Web Trends
basic application ("Web Trends Log Analyzer") - but, you have
to pay for this service on a traffic basis which can get
expensive, depending on your overall traffic.


WEB TRENDS APPLICATIONS AND INTERFACE

Web Trends (the company) was acquired by netiQ, Inc. the
parent company about 18 months ago due to their strong market
leadership position with web traffic analysis software. Like
many good web-focused software companies, netiQ enables you to
download all of their apps for a 30 day trial period. Estimates
range from 60-80% market share for one of their three primary
products; i.e. "Web Trends Log Analyzer," their baseline $500
USD application which is a good solution for most web sites
that have a single domain or under 25 in total; "Web Trends
Analysis Suite" (SRP $2.5K USD), which incorporates the
functionality of the Log Analyzer product and adds more
features for managing bandwidth usage (interior and external),
monitoring and alerting an IT Manager or Department for server
related problems and handles up to 100 domains (sites); the
"Web Trends Intelligence Suite" is their top of the line
product (pricing varies depending on bundled services) geared
for enterprise customers, it includes integration and training
services for integrating the application with Online Analytics
Processing Tools ("OLAP" yes another ebiz acronym) or other
types of reporting tools.

We've been using and recommending Web Trends to clients for
years primarily because of its interface and functionality.
It's a browser-enabled app, meaning anyone with a browser
(IE or Netscape) can view reports and data. The reports are
presented in a straightforward manner that includes basic pie
chart or bar types of graphics - you can easily tell at a
glance what your visitor traffic was for a given period,
where they came from, what pages they visited and how long
they stayed on specific pages. You don't need to be a
technologist or a marketing geek to use this application -
see below for practical tips.


PRACTICAL USAGE

So what do you want to measure and what type of custom reports
do you want to run once you get the software installed? You
will want to measure how much traffic (visitors) is coming to
your web site per day, week, month, where they are coming from
(country of origin), and where visitors going on your web site;
i.e. home page, internal pages and of these what specific pages;
i.e. About Us Products, Services your Shopping Cart, etc.  Pay
careful attention to usage times, how long people are staying
on specific pages; too long may indicate they can't figure out
your content, or your content is so good its meaningful and
educational. For example, if your "White Paper Resource"
section is the most frequently visited and the visitor
sessions (time elements) are long (2-4 minutes) then this
means your content is being well received. But, if everyone
is just reading your White Papers but not filling out your
response forms then you may need to alter some aspects of your
business processes and how you communicate them via your web
site.

Web Trends compliments ongoing advertising campaigns and
processes - it lets you capture critical ROI ("Return on
Investment") information by giving you an accurate picture
of traffic and usage patterns that should correlate with
what your ad agency or marketing partner is telling you or
confirming with their own reports. For example: If your
deploying an opt-in e-mail campaign and bringing people to
a specific "landing page" (specific page where people are
directed to that may include an "offer") you need to carefully
monitor if people are clicking through to the page and how
long they are staying and/or going to your shopping cart to
purchase a product or a registration fulfillment page. If the
session times (how long they stay on a page) are short and
people aren't filling out a form or converting (purchasing
or taking a specific action) then you clearly have some work
to do on your web site content and or business processes.



Resource Box:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and
marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective
Communications, Inc. http://www.intelective.com, a marketing
services and software company which provides strategic and
tactical marketing services exclusively to small to medium
sized companies. Lee@... Reprinted with permission
from Intelective Communications - this article may be reprinted
freely, providing this attribution box remains intact.
(c) 2001-2002 by Intelective Communications, Inc.
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Posted: Thu Jul 18 11:51:35 EDT 2002


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#32 From: Lee Traupel <articles@...>
Date: Thu Jul 18, 2002 4:57 pm
Subject: Raising Capital in Today's *New Economy*
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Title:  Raising Capital in Today's *New Economy*
Author:  Lee Traupel
Copyright: 2002

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Raising Capital in Today's *New Economy*
Copyright © 2002, Lee Traupel
Intelective Communications, Inc.
http://www.intelective.com



We've helped a number of clients develop business plans and
raise capital from "angel" investors, corporate entities and
venture capitalists during the last 6-8 years. It's always a
daunting process that can be full of pitfalls and require a
tremendous amount of work - but it can be done! Here is some
perspective gleaned from years of experience.

The most important rule for raising capital to consider is:
it's never easy to raise capital when you need to! Meaning,
investors are inherently risk aversive, can be very picky
(a real understatement!) and they are looking for the best
deal with the greatest upside and minimal risk.

Rule number two - don't raise capital! Self fund your company
(called bootstrapping in entrepreneur-speak) by finding
customers that will purchase your products and services.
This enables you to involve your most important business
asset in your business from day one - customers!

Rule number three - use the "FAF" or "VMC" methods. Raise seed
(early stage) money from your friends and family and/or if you
are really committed, pull some cash from a Visa or MasterCard.
These methods can and do work for many entrepreneurs - be aware
it can be very painful on the back end if your company does not
make it!

Angel investors can add so much to your company - they can
bring "intelligent capital" to the business. Not only do they
invest capital but will very often take an interest in helping
you grow the company by taking a Board of Directors seat and/or
temporarily assuming a senior management role.

In my experience finding and recruiting a blue chip management
team with advanced degrees and a strong corporate pedigree can
sometimes kill a startup as quickly as no cash or revenue - yes,
they look great in your business plan and venture capitalists
love a "strong team."  But, you need "fly by the seat of their
pants" manager/leaders who don't need to grind five sets of
scenarios (analysis paralysis) before they can take action -
hire entrepreneurial types who've excelled in small companies.

Dealing with venture capitalists can be a significant challenge
that is fraught with risk and no upside! Remember, they are
highly skilled at the entire process, in most cases they've
done it hundreds of times before. So, your on their turf when
you step into this arena and you better do your homework
properly (market size, revenue projections, cost of sales,
marketing plan) and/or consult with a consultant, attorney
or "angel investor" who has been through the process before
to give you guidance.

Round two in dealing with venture capitalists (assuming you
are one of the 1% that submitted a business plan and/or were
referred to them by another "VC approved" entity) can also be
fraught with risk - know how to value your company (equity for
capital), look at comparable deals in the marketplace and be
prepared to negotiate hard and to give up more now than in the
last 2-4 years.

Round three in dealing with venture capitalists or corporate
investors. Don't (never!) be so desperate for capital that you
agree to turn over the reins of the company if you don't meet
specific performance milestones based on a first or second
round of funding. There are too many variables in the
marketplace for you too control and you're taking too much
risk for not enough upside. If this is the only way you can
raise money from this venture firm or corporate investor then
walk away, in the end you will be better off.

Here are some "cliff notes" on how to write a business plan -
there is no set formula other than covering the basics about
your company; i.e. technology, market analysis, marketing /
business development, competitive analysis, management team
and a five year set of (detailed by month from startup to year
three) financials. The Executive Summary (first 3-5 pages) is
the most important, as it is a summary of the entire plan and
most investors read this carefully and scan the rest of the
business plan.

Don't get caught in the trap of endless rewrites based on
investor feedback - put your plan through one or two reviews
by your BOD members and or seasoned execs that will give you
honest feedback. Once the plan has been reviewed and approved
then go to market with this iteration and stick to it -
investors should be investing in you ultimately, not an
artificial business plan that more often than not is out
of date by the time you get to market.

Think about how you are going to market your company as you
would any other product or service, blending traditional (fax,
direct mail) with interactive processes (web site postings,
e-mail, etc.). It's a numbers game, you have to aggressively
market your company and be prepared to see a return of only
1-3% versus your output - 1K in direct or opt-in email may
only lead to 10-20 casual inquiries, generating 5-7 serious
conversations, resulting in 1-3 term sheets (what we will
invest for "x" equity) discussions.

Finally, the last and most important rule of all is be
tenacious, there is no substitute for absolute commitment
to growing your company by raising capital or bootstrapping
it! Your vision, guts and passion will very often carry the
day when/where others may give up!!



Resource Box:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and
marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective
Communications, Inc. http://www.intelective.com, a marketing
services and software company which provides strategic and
tactical marketing services exclusively to small to medium
sized companies. Lee@... Reprinted with permission
from Intelective Communications - this article may be reprinted
freely, providing this attribution box remains intact.
(c) 2001-2002 by Intelective Communications, Inc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------


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#33 From: Joanne Fritz Ph.D. <articles@...>
Date: Thu Jul 18, 2002 6:34 pm
Subject: Turning Demographics Into Gold
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Title:  Turning Demographics Into Gold
Author:  Joanne Fritz, Ph.D.
Copyright: 2002

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Turning Demographics Into Gold
Copyright © 2002, Joanne Fritz, Ph.D.
American Dream Publishing
http://www.notyetretired.com



Do you know who buys, or is likely to buy, your
products, services, or information?

If not, you should be looking for demographic
information that will help you make good marketing
decisions.

You do not have to be a research guru in order to use
demographic information. Just look for the results of
studies other people have done and then apply them to
your business.

For example, my audience is the mature market...people
over 50. There is a lot of data on this group and more
studies are being done daily. Some data I found
indicated that older people are avid readers. They
really like newspapers and magazines. If I was trying
to find clients for estate planning services, I would
know that I should advertise through newspapers and
magazines, rather than spend money on television.

Since my business is internet-based, this information
about reading tells me that I should provide a content-
rich web site for my older customers, and that mailing
a printed newsletter could be another way to develop my
customer relationships.

How do you find demographic data?  First, find out
who might be keeping tabs on your audience. I know, for
instance, that AARP surveys people over 50 constantly.
AARP makes that information available on its website.
I also know that Forrester Research
(http://www.forrester.com)
does studies on older people, along with many other
groups. Yankelovich Partners
(http://www.yankelovich.com/) has been a leader in
market research on older consumers; and Age Wave
(http://www.agewave.com/) collects tons of stats on
this market for its website.

Although AARP data is free, research firms sell their
information...often at prices that the small business
or entrepreneur cannot afford. But, by reading their
news releases and the snippets of data they make
available to the general public, you can glean quite a
bit. To find firms that do research on your
demographic, check out MarketResearch.com
(http://www.marketresearch.com/).

Another great source are the news release distribution
services. You can sign up to receive their news
releases by email. Common ones are Internet Wire
(http://www.internetwire.com), Internet News Bureau
(http://www.newsbureau.com), and PR Web
(http://www.prweb.com).

In addition, there are search tools you can use to make
your data collection easier. Copernicus
(http://www.copernic.com/desktop/index.html) is search
software that is downloaded to your computer. It will
search most search engines for keywords and phrases.
You can get a free trial version to see how it works.
Tracerlock (http://www.tracerlock.com) is a web-based
service that searches most of the news portals on the
web and then alerts you by email when it finds your
keywords. I have found this very useful and gladly pay
its monthly fee. Spyonit (http://www.spyonit.com) is a
free service that will spy on specific URLs or
keywords and phrases. It delivers what it finds to you
by email.

Don't overlook the magazines and journals that are
specific to your audience. For the older audience, I
keep an eye on the AARP magazines, Readers Digest,
Aging Today, and several others. Even a regular perusal
of the daily newspaper will yield lots of information.
USA Today is a great source of quick, easy-to-
understand statistical data. Take a look at the NYTimes
online, and sign up for The Wall Street Journal's
online version.

By casting your information "net" in this way, you are
more likely to come across data that will help you
devise better marketing strategies. In addition, you
will find a lot of content for your website and ezine.

Now, if I could just figure out how to use the fact
that the older market is an up and coming group for pet
supplies (it's true!).



Resource Box:
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Joanne Fritz, Ph.D. owns American Dream Publishing. She
specializes in the mature market with three websites:
http://www.notyetretired.com
http://www.second50years.com
http://www.ebiz-for-seniors.com
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#34 From: Lee Traupel <articles@...>
Date: Mon Jul 29, 2002 1:11 am
Subject: The Shifting Marketing Landscape!
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Title:  The Shifting Marketing Landscape!
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The Shifting Marketing Landscape!
Copyright © 2002, Lee Traupel
Intelective Communications, Inc.
http://www.intelective.com



Many of us in the marketing services and/or agency business are
starting to see some real tangible marketing patterns emerging
that businesses need to be aware of if they want to leverage
their marketing dollars in this "post .com implosion economy."

GOOD WEB SITE DESIGN INCREASINGLY MORE IMPORTANT

It's imperative for a company to have a quality web site today
- but many firms are still throwing up web sites that are just
poorly designed or overly complex. Poor navigation (menus and
overall site structure) when coupled with low quality graphics
is really problematical (!) - online visitors think less of
your company as a result which will hurt revenue in the long
run. Many think just doing a minimal job is sufficient but
they aren't factoring in how close your competition is! On
the web any potential customer is only one click away from
seeing a high quality web site that is well designed and
conveys a quality image.

A good rule of thumb when budgeting for a web site is to
assume you will pay approximately $250-300. USD per page
- this should include your graphics design, content
development, setting up registration forms, etc. This may
sound too expensive for many companies but for better or
worse perception is reality in the online world! So, don't
short change yourself, put some resources into your web site
and be prepared to continue to do so - it's now a vital
component of any company's ongoing marketing processes that
needs constant upgrading like traditional marcom (PR, print,
etc.) materials.

OPT-IN E-MAIL TRENDING DOWN BUT STILL VIABLE

Opt-in or permission based e-mail (meaning people give
you "permission" to market to them) response rates for
Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer are dropping
below where they were a year ago by 30-50% on average.
What's happening? The ever-increasing deluge of Spam is
negating the throughput (response rates, purchases, etc.)
of quality opt-in e-mail.

Opt-in e-mail is still a viable and excellent way to market
your company but expect less results, lower costs/fees (more
vendors equals more competition which is good) and the need to
repeat your campaigns if you want to see tangible results. And
don't get dazzled by a design firm or your in house marketing
staff that wants to design a fancy HTML e-mail message for you
- 65-75% of the market today still doesn't want fancy graphics,
they want a short message, delivered concisely with short
paragraphs in a text format. Less is more!

PERFORMANCE BASED MARKETING ON UPSWING

Publishers and advertisers are more and more willing to accept
advertising which is "performance based" and/or based on a
"cost per click" or even a revenue share basis. Meaning, it's
not like putting an ad in the USA Today and hoping people
respond to the publication - you can now work with list
brokers, online publishers and marketing organizations to
setup very targeted campaigns that are based on your paying
a small cost for an actual response to your message via an
opt-in e-mail campaign, text link ad on a web site and/or an
insert in a newsletter.

Case in point, companies like Virtumundo, Inc. (they are a
pioneer in the performance based market) are now willing to
charge nothing upfront in many cases for an advertising
campaign and to just do a revenue share with you on the
back end; this is typically 20-40% of your SRP, will vary
depending upon your goods and/or services. And, they will
do a test campaign prior to a full-bore campaign to make
sure that the response rates will be worth their investment.

Another key benefit to any business that wants to leverage the
shifts occurring in performance-based marketing is its inherent
ability to be highly targeted. You can tie a marketing process
(campaign) to web site, newsletter or pay per click search
engine (Overture and now via Google's Ad Words Program) with
specific demographics that are highly qualified and targeted.
Contrast this again with the traditional print medium where you
can target to a certain extent; but not like performance-based
marketing. Consider an ad again (for example) in the sports
section of the USA Today - it will clearly deliver a sports
enthusiast, but not a male who plays tennis that lives in the
Western US, etc. And, better targeting will always deliver
better results, assuming all other issues are on a level
playing field.

SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING STILL A MYSTERY TO MANY

I hate to say it but most of the web sites we analyze still
don't have the basic HTML fundamentals (Title, Keywords,
Description) in-place so their sites can/will be indexed
(reviewed by an automated bot/software agent) properly.
Their title is wrong (don't repeat your company name), there
are too many keywords (you want 8-12) or the wrong keywords
and the description of the company is either poorly written
or reads like yet another "mission statement" that has been
developed by the CEO/CFO and three Senior VPs. This is basic
block and tackling marketing and should be setup properly
when a web site is designed.

Be prepared to deploy some marketing resources for quality
Search Engine Marketing - it's fiercely competitive for web
site rankings; you've got 3-5K web sites coming online every
single day of the week and many are trying to drive market
awareness via S/Engine ranking. What's a rule of thumb of
what to pay for standard S/Engine Marketing Services: i.e.
Title/Description Development, Keyword Analysis, Content
Rewrites, etc.? Costs can vary tremendously, depending on
your market segment, web site size, what type of services
you outsource, competitive issues, etc. Generally expect to
pay $3-6K for a basic 3-4 month campaign and then some modest
fee for ongoing maintenance (say $200-500.per month). There
are alternative sophisticated S/Engine processes that cost
much more than this, but these are typically suited for
companies that have a good sized marketing budget and or
a large web site that necessitates a different approach.




Resource Box:
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Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and
marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective
Communications, Inc. http://www.intelective.com, a marketing
services and software company which provides strategic and
tactical marketing services exclusively to small to medium
sized companies. Lee@... Reprinted with permission
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#35 From: Lee Traupel <articles@...>
Date: Mon Jul 29, 2002 6:48 pm
Subject: Fast Forwarding your Business with Instant Messaging
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Title:  Fast Forwarding your Business with Instant Messaging
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Fast Forwarding your Business with Instant Messaging
Copyright © 2002, Lee Traupel
Intelective Communications, Inc.
http://www.intelective.com



Instant Messaging is rapidly becoming accepted in the business
community as a viable communications tool and process - it's
faster than e-mail, free on the client side, even a novice
user can easily grasp the interface in just a few minutes
and it enables remote workers and business partners to "talk"
and share files and information effortlessly using the in-place
infrastructure of the internet. Its mushrooming in popularity
too - according to IDC, corporate and general business users
will jump from 5.5M in 2001 to close to 200M by 2004.

What are some of the pitfalls and concerns you need to have
when assessing and integrating Instant Messaging ("IM" another
biz acronym) with your business processes?  Be aware you are
sending clear text messages over the public Internet - so all
IM technology is inherently insecure. Privacy issues can also
be raised - these messages are typically archived via the IM
servers of the company whose services you are using and can be
made public at a later date. Anyone with a network scanner may
have access to and be reading your messages and if your are
downloading files, you need to ensure your anti-virus software
is setup to scan these files when you open them.

One of the biggest pitfalls of the technology and process is
that it adds another communications layer to your busy day -
but you can offset this by selecting or filtering who you
communicate with at any point by using the IM interface to
block all or selected individuals from "seeing" you when you
are online.

Finally, like all things in today's computer industry (or
many) each of the Instant Messaging vendors are trying to
build applications which don't integrate with the other
(no surprise here - arrogance has not faded away in the
business community!). So, you need to assess the installed
base of the market leaders and make a decision on which
company's product you want to utilized - my recommendation
would be to review Microsoft's or AOL/Time Warner's products
- their installed bases are in the 200 million users plus
when combined (these numbers include consumer and business
usage) and they both work well and have user interfaces that
are intuitive.

There is one alternative company that is solving the  "IM
Tower of Babel" issues and claims to integrate well with
all proprietary apps by utilizing XML technology, Jabber,
Inc., www.jabber.com  So, if interoptability is important
to you then I would recommend assessing their products.

Most of the IM providers including Microsoft are integrating
voice communications with their IM clients - you may be able
to bypass your local telephone carrier at some point using
this technology, but don't bet on it anytime soon - all of
those lobbyists here in the states need to keep generating
fees on behalf of their telecom clients in Washington D.C.
We use Microsoft's IM product and we have upon occasion
utilized the voice and video features (you must of course
have a multimedia setup for your PC and camera) and they
do work. Although the video quality is a little jerky and
the voice is akin to the old Citizens Band ("CB") radio -
your Internet connection impacts the quality of both.

Whose technology do you choose? There are some clear market
leaders in the Instant Messaging marketing including Microsoft
(no surprise here) http://messenger.microsoft.com But, like
most Microsoft technology/tools you pay a price for the
software/services, albeit a small one. You have to register with
Microsoft's NET Passport www.microsoft.com/myservices/passport
service which is designed to be a universal login - this only
takes a few minutes but be forewarned they also try to get you
to setup a Hot Mail account, but you can work around this.

The other dominant IM product is AOL's ICQ product
http://web.icq.com - it has similar functionality as
Microsoft's application. A great Israeli company, Mirabellis,
Inc., subsequently acquired by AOL, developed the original
technology.  My chief complaint with this product is the
irritating banner ads that AOL keeps pushing at you when you
are utilizing their product. But, it's a small price to pay
for a free product on the client side.

Yahoo also has an IM product ("Yahoo Messenger") but I am not
convinced this will stay as a core part of their business, as
they appear to be still trying to figure out what they are
going to become in the post ".com gold rush era" market; i.e.
Portal, Directory, Media giant, software/services company, etc.
And, they've certainly jettisoned parts of their business the
last 12-18 months and I would wager they've had discussions
about getting out of the IM business.

Finally, IM is also quickly moving into other markets and
devices including PDAs and Pagers  - if you're a real geek
and you can't stand to be out of touch while your in the
shower and you have a water proof device you can ping away.
But, I think we all need some down time for friends and family,
but wanted to make sure I covered all possible bases with this
column - until next time!



Resource Box:
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Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and
marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective
Communications, Inc. http://www.intelective.com, a marketing
services and software company which provides strategic and
tactical marketing services exclusively to small to medium
sized companies. Lee@... Reprinted with permission
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(c) 2001-2002 by Intelective Communications, Inc.
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#36 From: Nikola Grubisa <articles@...>
Date: Tue Jul 30, 2002 4:33 pm
Subject: A Loaded Bank Account Sometimes Means Bankruptcy is Near
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Title:  A Loaded Bank Account Sometimes Means Bankruptcy is Near
Author:  Nikola Grubisa
Copyright: 2002

Article Originally Written: July, 2002

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A Loaded Bank Account Sometimes Means Bankruptcy is Near
Copyright © 2002, Nikola Grubisa
The Millionaire Mind
http://www.TheMillionaireMind.net/



The first thing required for successful communication - be it
in sales or something else - is to find a common interest.

Success is achieved when two individuals agree they have the
same goal and are discussing which of them is going to do what
in order for them to reach their common goal faster, easier and
with greater certainty.

If the person you are talking with feels, even slightly, that
he has been cheated or that you took advantage of him - by him
being your means to reaching your goals - he folds from the
game. Often, this other person could be a customer who feels
your greatest desire is selling your product - without
considering whether that product will meet his needs or
desires.

If you don't first harmonize, by finding a common interest,
you end up creating a situation wherein each party is engulfed
in defending their interests: one is proving why something is
good and beneficial to the other and the other is defending
himself by proving why that same thing is of no use to him
and doesn't suit his needs.

By doing this, you presume:

1) You will convince the other party to accept your truth, or
    worse ...

2) You can make the other party feel so "good" about the
    purchase that they will be back to buy more from you!

This is often impossible. Sure, your prospects may actually
buy, sometimes - but this doesn't come even close to securing
a long-term relationship with them and ensure they will
repeatedly purchase from you.

The solution is somewhere else, and a very simple one at that:
once you discover the common goals you and your prospect share
(such as ensuring greater success for your prospect's company),
you help him realize those goals.

Mr. Ron is a sports shoe importer. He was always having
problems negotiating with his suppliers. Then he changed
something. Before he sat down at the table again to negotiate
with his supplier, he said:

"Look, we all have the same goal - getting your top-notch sport
shoes to the public. Let's not waste time arguing and fighting
over petty issues. Why don't we imagine there's a customer
standing here in front of us right now. Let's all put our
suggestions on the table and discuss how each one of us can
help make this customer's decision easier and faster and what
we can do to make him want to return more often and buy more
of your shoes from me."

Just saying these few sentences placed him and his supplier on
equal and common ground to negotiate. A few days later, he sent
me a note saying this was the best and fastest deal he ever
made. And it was so simple ...

    How an Importer Cultivates Loyalty From His Customers -
    Even When "The Competition Offers Higher Percentages"

How do you "negotiate" in the real world? How can you convince
your prospects to buy something from you and keep buying it
over and over again? The easiest and most successful approach
is helping the store (in any way possible) sell your goods as
fast and easy as possible so that they will see buying from
you as an opportunity and not like purchasing from you is a
liability.

That said, the best starting place for negotiating is: develop
an efficient marketing system for your product (purchasing,
logistics, marketing, sales, after-sales activities, follow up,
etc.), test it in the real world and then offer it to the store
along with the product.

This way you're not just selling your product as if you were
saying: "Here it is, now make the best of it ... and by the
way, we're not through yet; whether you buy something from me
today or not, I'll be back soon to sell you this product (if
you decide against purchasing it today) or a new product..."

Offer the tool and the solution. The fabric and the scissors.

When would you rather buy an unknown product from someone to
sell? Would you choose the untested product or the one that
that has been market tested, comes with a case study that
precisely shows the marketing system they used and how to
handle its marketing, sales, product education, market
approach and similar?

And what if they could even forecast the actual and approximate
sales success for this product, on the basis of previous
experience, based on your sales team working according to
the suggested system (in other words: if you already knew
approximately how much risk the product presents for your
company)?  Or, what if they even showed you how all these
processes work in practice? Or even further, what if they
offered you sales team training along with the product?

If you offered all this, you really wouldn't need to have any
polished "negotiating skills" to generate the client's
interest - you are already offering them exactly what they
want and need ... and more. If you did all this consistently
and as part of your work ethic, you would find yourself in
the desirable situation of you being able to choose whom to
trust to sell your product. The sales people would be seeking
you out instead of the other way around!

This is negotiating for the "new era" that is not only marked
by greater sales success, but also by deeper and more friendly
human relationships, an excellent flow of information, the
ability to act without fear or bad feelings, and above all,
a lot of satisfaction, pleasure, respect and joy. This is
what happens when you solve problems where they begin: at
their cause!



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Nikola Grubisa is a European Marketing and HRM Consultant and
the co-author of a European bestseller "The Millionaire Mindset:
How to Tap Real Wealth from Within". If you are wondering how
top marketers are marketing in Europe and at the same time want
to discover the path to true wealth, please subscribe to his
new free eZine "The Millionaire Weekly Memo". Click here:
http://www.TheMillionaireMind.net/ezine.html?a1
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#37 From: Boris Vene <articles@...>
Date: Sat Aug 10, 2002 2:23 am
Subject: Fears: A Detour on the Road to Success
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Title:  Fears: A Detour on the Road to Success
Author:  Boris Vene
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Article Originally Written: July, 2002

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Fears: A Detour on the Road to Success
Copyright © 2002, Boris Vene
The Millionaire Mind
http://www.TheMillionaireMind.net/ezine.html?a2



If you are like most people, you are often confronted with
fears that hold you back - consciously or subconsciously.
Although you weren't born with them, you are under the strong
influence of the environment that implanted them. You might
even be tempted to think that worry and fear is the primary
base from which your actions stem.

Salespeople know of this powerful influence. People buy
truckloads of insurance in preparation for some disaster that
"might" happen. "It is better to be safe than sorry." Do you
have an extra set of keys (or two) for your house or car? Do
you buy food, drinks or even pills that will help you improve
your complexion or lose unwanted weight?

Whether it is a fear of losing something good, or getting
something bad, fear is a driving force that is always there ...

Why does someone behave rudely or arrogantly?

Because he or she is afraid of losing their "feeling of"
authoritative power, which would destroy or undermine his
or her position in society. You already know where jealousy
stems from - out of fear for you, wanting or losing something
you think you cannot have or the fear that someone else will
get what you feel "belongs to you."

New situations in life force you to confront a new set of
fears. You may even comfort yourself by saying it isn't so
bad. Have you ever made a doctor's appointment, a dentist
appointment or a hairstyling appointment only to arrive in
the respective waiting area with no pain or the best hair
day you've had in a long time? Now you want to go home.
Fear is a powerful motivator.

Some of the more common fears are:

1. Fear of the Unknown
2. Fear of Failure and Rejection
3. Fear of Loss (losing what you have)
4. Fear of Facing Reality
5. Fear of Disapproval

You have to deal with ALL of these fears if you want to
succeed.

You cannot deny them or banish them to your subconscious, as
that will only add fuel to a fire that will probably and
suddenly burst out beyond your control. Like fires, fears
are easiest to squelch when they are still small.

Confront your fears and banish them forever!

Start with ...

THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

There isn’t a person alive that isn’t apprehensive, nervous
or even fearful of entering new territory, wandering into the
great unknown. What will it hold? How will it change you? Will
you be able to handle the situation or complete the task? Will
you know what to do and have the ability to do it? Will you be
laughed at? Will it be worth it?

One way of confronting the unknown is to recognize that without
action you will never escape mediocrity. The primary difference
between people who fulfill their dreams and those that don’t is
action – the former move from words to action, the latter never
get beyond the words.

Ask yourself:

What could I lose if I begin to act? Answer frankly. Typical
answers are time, pride and so on. You should note that these
answers are merely superficial.

What could I gain? An experience that will, without a doubt,
make you richer (maybe financially) and one that will bring
you closer, above all, to success. You shouldn't forget that
it is self-confidence, overcoming your fears and changing your
habits or undesirable attributes (like transforming yourself
from timid to outgoing) that bring you a step closer to
attaining your desires.

I remember a case where a young entrepreneur was taking an
exceptionally long time to decide whether to start a new
business that excited him, or not, because his mind told
him that he wouldn’t succeed. After a conversation we had,
he decided to start the business because he felt this was
his path. He didn’t succeed; in fact, the results were
pretty awful at first.

I was surprised a year later when I received a kind letter
from him thanking me for the time I had spent with him. He
wrote that he has been a changed man since then and that he
is enjoying what he is doing for the first time in his life.
He wasn’t doing well, financially, in the beginning, but
gradually he built a firm foundation and is now earning well.

“If I hadn’t made the choice and taken that first step,” he
added, “I wouldn’t have known that work exists that can bring
in both money and pleasure. My first financial failure was a
small price to pay for such awareness. More importantly, it
enabled me to identify the fear that had been present in all
my business and personal decisions in the past. Today, I laugh
at the limits I was living under then. Now, I’m happy to meet
new challenges and I have been succeeding in everything I do
lately.”

In 1991 my partner and I started construction of a large
corporate building. We put all of our savings into this
project. During that time there was a war in Slovenia and
alarms signaling a bomb attack often interrupted our work.
People asked me several times if there was any point in
continuing construction while the war lasted – what if the
building was destroyed? We decided to continue with our
project. Had we stopped construction then, maybe that
building wouldn’t have been finished until today, if ever.
However, by following our own instincts and remaining true
to our vision, that building has been serving the purpose
it was intended for, for more than ten years.

Is it worth it to miss an opportunity? Think.

If making a decision appears too difficult, take a piece of
paper, divide it in half and write out the pros and the cons.
More often than not, the “against” side is filled with
“circumstantial objections,” like “a lack of self-confidence,”
or “I don't have enough money or time.” The substance of these
objections cannot compare to the reasons “for” doing something.

Most of your reasons for not doing something are probably
based on weak excuses. If you are afraid of doing something,
your mind will find a way to make sure that you don't do it,
will even stand in your way and prevent you from doing
something that it perceives you do not want. Be sure to
address all your fears first and then take that piece of
paper in your hands once again.

Chase your fears away and consciously decide to take a chance
in life. Trust me, it's usually well worth the trouble!

Of course, the decision (as always in life) is still yours.



Resource Box:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Boris Vene is known as one of the most distinguished European
international speakers, motivators and personal coaches in the
areas of leadership, communication and development of human
potential. He has devoted his life to personal growth and the
discovery of human potential. He is know for the first time
sharing his vast experiences with the US audience through his
new free "The Millionaire Weekly Memo" eZine. Subscribe here:
http://www.TheMillionaireMind.net/ezine.html?a2
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#38 From: Joanne Fritz Ph.D. <articles@...>
Date: Sat Aug 10, 2002 3:07 am
Subject: CORRECTION: Turning Demographics Into G^old
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Title:  Turning Demographics Into G^old
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Turning Demographics Into G^old
Copyright © 2002, Joanne Fritz, Ph.D.
American Dream Publishing
http://www.notyetretired.com



Do you know who buys, or is likely to buy, your
products, services, or information?

If not, you should be looking for demographic
information that will help you make good marketing
decisions.

You do not have to be a research guru in order to use
demographic information. Just look for the results of
studies other people have done and then apply them to
your business.

For example, my audience is the mature market...people
over 50. There is a lot of data on this group and more
studies are being done daily. Some data I found
indicated that older people are avid readers. They
really like newspapers and magazines. If I was trying
to find clients for estate planning services, I would
know that I should advertise through newspapers and
magazines, rather than spend money on television.

Since my business is internet-based, this information
about reading tells me that I should provide a content-
rich web site for my older customers, and that mailing
a printed newsletter could be another way to develop my
customer relationships.

How do you find demographic data?  First, find out
who might be keeping tabs on your audience. I know, for
instance, that AARP surveys people over 50 constantly.
AARP makes that information available on its website.
I also know that Forrester Research
(http://www.forrester.com)
does studies on older people, along with many other
groups. Yankelovich Partners
(http://www.yankelovich.com/) has been a leader in
market research on older consumers; and Age Wave
(http://www.agewave.com/) collects tons of stats on
this market for its website.

Although AARP data is free, research firms sell their
information...often at prices that the small business
or entrepreneur cannot afford. But, by reading their
news releases and the snippets of data they make
available to the general public, you can glean quite a
bit. To find firms that do research on your
demographic, check out MarketResearch.com
(http://www.marketresearch.com/).

Another great source are the news release distribution
services. You can sign up to receive their news
releases by email. Common ones are Internet Wire
(http://www.internetwire.com), Internet News Bureau
(http://www.newsbureau.com), and PR Web
(http://www.prweb.com).

In addition, there are search tools you can use to make
your data collection easier. Copernicus
(http://www.copernic.com/desktop/index.html) is search
software that is downloaded to your computer. It will
search most search engines for keywords and phrases.
You can get a free trial version to see how it works.
Tracerlock (http://www.tracerlock.com) is a web-based
service that searches most of the news portals on the
web and then alerts you by email when it finds your
keywords. I have found this very useful and gladly pay
its monthly fee. Spyonit (http://www.spyonit.com) is a
free service that will spy on specific URLs or
keywords and phrases. It delivers what it finds to you
by email.

Don't overlook the magazines and journals that are
specific to your audience. For the older audience, I
keep an eye on the AARP magazines, Readers Digest,
Aging Today, and several others. Even a regular perusal
of the daily newspaper will yield lots of information.
USA Today is a great source of quick, easy-to-
understand statistical data. Take a look at the NYTimes
online, and sign up for The Wall Street Journal's
online version.

By casting your information "net" in this way, you are
more likely to come across data that will help you
devise better marketing strategies. In addition, you
will find a lot of content for your website and ezine.

Now, if I could just figure out how to use the fact
that the older market is an up and coming group for pet
supplies (it's true!).



Resource Box:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Joanne Fritz, Ph.D. owns American Dream Publishing. She
specializes in the mature market with three websites:
http://www.notyetretired.com
http://www.second50years.com
http://www.ebiz-for-seniors.com
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#39 From: Lee Traupel <articles@...>
Date: Sat Aug 10, 2002 3:38 am
Subject: LookSmart is not Small Business Friendly
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Title:  LookSmart is not Small Business Friendly
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LookSmart is not Small Business Friendly
Copyright © 2002, Lee Traupel
Intelective Communications, Inc.
http://www.intelective.com



There is a firestorm of negative press regarding LookSmart's
recent marketing stumbles via numerous discussion groups,
including two of the oldest and most influential, I-Search
and I-Advertising Digests. Most of the critiques center on
LookSmart's inability to develop programs that are well
matched for SMB/SME ("small to medium business or enterprise"
with revenue in the $5-50M range), their lack of customer
responsiveness and the difficulty in managing their new
"pay per click" traffic generating program.

Many of us in the agency/marketing services world relied
upon LookSmart's directory in the early days; especially as
an offset to Yahoo's "my way or the highway" attitude when
they became the 200 pound gorilla in the marketplace So,
it's sad to say, but LookSmart appears to be morphing to
just another portal with little marketing awareness of
how to work effectively with the tens of millions of SMB
companies that have rapidly embraced a web-centric business
model.

One of the core issues that frustrates many small businesses
is the difficulty in getting a listing that actually describes
their company, products, services accurately - to add insult
to injury, you have to pay in some cases twice to have your
listing upgraded. Apparently, LookSmart's editorial staff
can't keep up with the demand, or is so pressured to maintain
some internal quote their descriptions suffer accordingly.

LookSmart's new "pay per click" "Small Business Listings"
program is simply not "small business friendly". It is a
complex program with lots of important details buried in
an FAQ that has to be read carefully as there are some
"gotchas" in the small print - including being forced to
wait up to 90 days for the return of the upfront deposit
of $150. and paying a setup fee for a listing; but having
it deactivated when you exceed the dollar amount of your
"monthly click limit." I can understand their dropping the
listing once you exceed your budget, but it does not seem
equitable to charge $49. to setup the listing in the first
place - your in essence subsidizing LookSmart's cost of
doing business.

We've found inconsistencies in LookSmart's stated Privacy
program versus inbound e-mail traffic we've received from
them over the past 3-6 months. We've unsubscribed 3-4 times
and still keep getting self-promotional marketing materials
which are not of any value, other than promoting LookSmart's
business. They are clearly not adhering to their stated privacy
policy and to compound matters, our complaints have not been
addressed via their customer service department.

So, if you're an SMB company what are your alternatives to
working with LookSmart? We would recommend your assessing
Google's new "AdWords Select" program which is geared more
for business of all sizes; but, I must warn you there is some
complexity in setting up this type of program as well. But,
you certainly get much more coverage with Google - their
rapidly becoming the dominant search engine du jour with
approximately 40% market share of all combined searches.

Inktomi's "Search Submit" program should also be assessed as
an alternative to working with LookSmart and as an adjunct
to an existing Search Engine or Marketing program. They have
partnered with some of the same companies that LookSmart is
working with, including MSN, AOL, iWon, and many others. They
offer very good value for the cost, charging a nominal fee
$39. for the first URL and $25. for additional URLs to have
your web site "crawled" (assessed or indexed) on a regular
basis for one year and sharing this information with the
most heavily used search engines on the web.

Finally, you may want to consider utilizing standard pay per
click ("PPC") search engines to drive qualified traffic to
your web site and/or looking at competitive PPC programs
offered by LookSmart's competitors including Yahoo, AOL, Alta
Vista and others. Overture (formerly GoTo) is the dominant
market leader in the pure PPC market that can deliver a great
deal of traffic. But, there are approximately 150 second tier
pay per click search engines operating at present and you
should be able to leverage your marketing costs by carefully
analyzing your "keyword costs" via some of these PPC search
engines including Kanoodle, FindWhat, Sprinks and many others.




Resource Box:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and
marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective
Communications, Inc. http://www.intelective.com, a marketing
services and software company which provides strategic and
tactical marketing services exclusively to small to medium
sized companies. Lee@... Reprinted with permission
from Intelective Communications - this article may be reprinted
freely, providing this attribution box remains intact.
(c) 2001-2002 by Intelective Communications, Inc.
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Posted: Fri Aug  9 23:38:52 EDT 2002


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#40 From: Lee Traupel <articles@...>
Date: Sat Aug 10, 2002 4:07 am
Subject: E-Mail Newsletter Marketing Essentials
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Title:  E-Mail Newsletter Marketing Essentials
Author:  Lee Traupel
Copyright: 2002

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E-Mail Newsletter Marketing Essentials
Copyright © 2002, Lee Traupel
Intelective Communications, Inc.
http://www.intelective.com



If Gutenberg were alive today he would be in publishing
heaven! Forget the printing press, the web has fast-forwarded
self-publishing in ways that are evolving so rapidly it's
becoming difficult to integrate technology and process to
leverage the opportunities. Any company, regardless of their
size and marketing resources should be publishing an opt-in
e-mail newsletter - it's a very low cost way to build community
with customers, keep suppliers/partners/other informed and
generate new business.

How do you get started? You must decide up front if you have
the marketing expertise to develop your "newsletter creative"
in-house and how you want to manage the distribution of your
newsletters. Many companies turn to agencies/marketing services
firms to help them develop the actual newsletter creative and
also outsource part of the process to ASP (Application Service
Providers), who handle all facets of the list distribution,
signup and ongoing management.

Content format can be critical to the effectiveness of your
newsletter - we typically don't recommend HTML (text with
images/graphics embedded) format unless our client's product
or service is very consumer-focused. Plain old text is not as
glamorous as HTML but it's a lot more effective in most cases -
people want information, not fancy eye candy that's appealing
to marketing geeks - keep your message, simple, to the point
and with customer success stories or references when/where you
can to drive credibility.

It's relatively simple to use a Word processor with a mail
merge program to integrate the addresses (depending on the
volume) with your message and then send out via your ISP. But,
doing it in house can be very time consuming - you have to deal
with inbound requests for people who want to be added to your
list,  "unsubscribes" (people who want to be deleted) and
integrate your web site into the process, so people can
automatically sign up with a back end auto-responder
(automatic message) that confirms their sign up.

Most companies utilize an Application Service Provider
("ASP") to outsource the list hosting, signup and unsubscribe
management processes and web site integration - typical costs
are under $50. per month based upon your number of subscribers
(on average up to 10-30K), frequency of your newsletter
mailing (rule of thumb would be 2-4 times per month) and other
specialized features, such as bounce back deletions (deleting
any e-mails that have a "bad address") and making the HTML
code available with a graphic to sign up people directly from
your web site.  Be forewarned, most list hosting providers
tell you up front they reserve the right to delete your account
if they catch you spamming thousands of people whose e-mail
addresses were not "opted in" (given to you with permission
to market to them).

What do you want to look for in an ASP List Hosting Provider?
You want great customer service, an online interface that
enables you to easily manage the process, the ability to
easily to cut and paste your text (newsletter copy), instant
distribution of your newsletter and the ability to know at a
glance how many subscribers you have on an ongoing basis and
the number of new subscribers and unsubscribers.

There are lots of list hosting companies out there - I'd
recommend including two on your short list. One of the oldest,
most well established companies that has consistently won rave
reviews for excellence in customer service is Sling Shot Media,
LLC www.listhost.net - they've been hosting since 1998 (ancient
in web time) and offer a wide range of consulting services
related to all aspects of newsletter marketing. The other
company to check out would be Microsoft's bCentral Services
www.bcentral.com which offers list hosting as one of its
services. I can't give them rave reviews for customer service,
as they make you pay extra for anything more than e-mail
support which can be a hassle at times. But, their list
hosting interface is easy to use, works well most of the
time and they are price competitive.

Finally, one of the biggest marketing challenges facing many
small to medium sized companies is generating a newsletter
subscriber list. I don't have sufficient space in this column
to address this challenge - but, it's a classic go/no go
situation; the longer you put it off the harder it becomes,
so get started, the upside rewards are too significant to
delay!



Resource Box:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and
marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective
Communications, Inc. http://www.intelective.com, a marketing
services and software company which provides strategic and
tactical marketing services exclusively to small to medium
sized companies. Lee@... Reprinted with permission
from Intelective Communications - this article may be reprinted
freely, providing this attribution box remains intact.
(c) 2001-2002 by Intelective Communications, Inc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Posted: Sat Aug 10 00:07:18 EDT 2002


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#41 From: Gordon Bellows <articles@...>
Date: Sat Aug 10, 2002 6:00 am
Subject: You Need SAUSAGE To Be Successful In Network Marketing!
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Title:  You Need SAUSAGE To Be Successful In Network Marketing!
Author:  Gordon Bellows
Copyright: 2002

Article Originally Written: July, 2002

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You Need SAUSAGE To Be Successful In Network Marketing!
Copyright © 2002, Gordon Bellows
Article Cafe
http://www.ArticleCafe.com



Being involved in network marketing (also known as MLM) can be
personally and financially rewarding. Being successful and having
a lucrative income doesn't just happen, it takes time and effort.
There is no guarantee of success. However, certain things can
greatly improve your chances of being successful.

By the way, if someone says they can guarantee your success, be
leery of such offers. There might be a proven formula that you
can follow, but your success still depends on your own efforts
and your ability to follow the proven methods.

This article uses the letters of the word sausage to represent
the fundamental things that are needed to have lasting success in
network marketing. It's an effective way to remember the basics.

S - System
A - Attitude
U - Understanding
S - Solutions
A - Action
G - Guidance
E - Enthusiasm

System - By system, I mean a way to advertise and promote your
opportunity. There are 3 main parts to a good system:
   1. Ads and promotions to get traffic coming to your site.
   2. An interesting site that makes people want to know more.
   3. Autoresponder messages to follow up with your prospects.
Many opportunities have their own marketing system. Also, someone
in the upline can tell you what works best for that opportunity.

Attitude - It is important to have a positive attitude. A big
part of that is believing in yourself and your product or
service. Your positive outlook and your success-oriented mind-set
can help give you the energy and the drive you need to accomplish
whatever goal you wish to attain.

Understanding - You need to understand that success and the
desired income does not happen overnight. You should know from
the start what is required in terms of time, effort, and money,
to reach your desired level of success. Find someone who has
reached a level of success you want to reach for yourself and ask
about the methods they used and how long it took to get there.
Keep in mind that even with a proven formula, different people
may get different results.

Solutions - Forget about trying to sell anything, offer solutions
instead! Most MLM businesses will have two types of solutions;
one type from the product or service and one type from the
opportunity itself. For example, if you provide long distance
phone service, it could be a solution to high phone bills. The
opportunity may be a solution for people who want to work from
home and spend more time with their children.

Action - You may have the World's best marketing system or an
experienced mentor to guide your every step, but you still need
to make it happen by taking action! You should have a weekly and
a monthly plan that you're able to follow. The plan should
include reviewing/updating ads, answering questions from your
prospects, participating in conference calls, and doing whatever
it takes to run your business.

Guidance - The successful people in an organization should offer
guidance and support to help others become successful. People
just getting started or people who want to take their business to
a higher level should seek out those who have already been down
that road. Helping others and passing along tips helps increase
the retention rate and makes the experience more profitable and
enjoyable for more people.

Enthusiasm - You should be enthusiastic because it will be
reflected in your phone calls and written messages. People
respond more favorably to what you say about your product or
opportunity when you are positive. It is good to be upbeat, but
don't overdo it. You can most likely think of someone you've met
who is so bubbly that they seem to be hyperactive and/or
hysterical.  That's not the best impression to make.

There are many good opportunities available. It's important to
check out the one that interests you the most and ask yourself if
you are ready to do what it takes to make things happen. The
basic approach outlined in this article, along with patience and
persistence, is what you need to increase your chances of being
successful in network marketing.



Resource Box:
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Gordon Bellows is a business advisor and writer. He suffered from
various health problems for ten years until a remarkable product
changed his life. Only two weeks to better health, more energy!
It gets amazing results! All-natural, non-toxic, no side-effects.
Visit http://www.YourHealthKey.com to see what it can do for you.
It's your key to better health and wellness!
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Posted: Sat Aug 10 02:00:52 EDT 2002


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#42 From: Gordon Bellows <articles@...>
Date: Sat Aug 10, 2002 6:25 am
Subject: Do You Have The Four D's You Need For Success?
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Title:  Do You Have The Four D's You Need For Success?
Author:  Gordon Bellows
Copyright: 2002

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Do You Have The Four D's You Need For Success?
Copyright © 2002, Gordon Bellows
Article Cafe
http://www.ArticleCafe.com



In order to achieve any amount of success in your life, it is
important that you understand four basic characteristics. Let's
call these four attributes the four D's of success, and they are
vital no matter what level of success you want.

Desire - Decision - Determination - Discipline

Desire is the most essential of the D's. Without desire, the
other fundamental things just don't matter. There are many things
we might like to have, and perhaps, we envy someone who already
has something we like. However, we are not very likely to have
these things for ourselves without desire. Not just a feeling of
wanting something or thinking it would be nice, but a deep-down
burning desire, a do-it-or-else attitude and a willingness to
make sacrifices to reach that goal. By sacrifices, I mean things
like giving up the extra servings to lose weight, watching less
TV to have more time available for a special project, doing
without a few things to be able to save money for a down payment
on a new house. Without a strong desire, the sacrifices may
become more of a dreaded chore than a means to an end, in which
case we are more likely to just give up and abandon the goal.

Decisions need to be made once you have a clear-cut desire. You
want to accomplish a specific goal and now you need to decide how
to do it. Decide on a method to reach your goal and how long it
might take to get there. You can usually find valuable
information that is related to your goal in a bookstore, the
library, or on the Internet. Other times, you might need to talk
to someone who has accomplished a similar goal. Also, decide what
sacrifices, if any, may be necessary for you to make in order to
reach your goal. Reaching a goal is often easier by breaking a
major goal into mini-goals, each one being a milestone in itself.

Determination and willpower are the traits you need to reach your
goal when you have a burning desire and you've made the decision
to take action and make something happen. There may be obstacles
on the way to your goal, but strength of mind and fortitude can
help keep you on track. It doesn't matter how fast you are moving
toward your goal as long as you keep moving in a positive
direction. You should be resolved to turn your desire into a
reality no matter what it takes.

Discipline can sometimes be the hardest D to handle. We may have
the best of intentions, but a moment of weakness can throw us off
track. It takes self-control and restraint to make sacrifices and
stick to the plan we decided upon. Every so often, we have to be
strict with ourselves and remember that the goal we seek is worth
the effort. If it becomes too hard to follow the plan, we might
need to revise the plan or the time it takes to get there.

Usually, what we desire most, is not the goal itself, but the
benefits that we experience when the goal is reached. The
following is a list of some goals and possible benefits:

Goal: lose weight         Benefit: look/feel better, more energy
Goal: plant a garden      Benefit: fresh food, exercise, nature
Goal: learn to play golf  Benefit: exercise, recreation
Goal: buy a motorhome     Benefit: travel, family outings
Goal: work at home        Benefit: freedom, more time with family
Goal: make more money     Benefit: better lifestyle, prestige

Take a moment to think about your desires. Chances are good that
you have desires that are strong enough for you to make the
decision to take action and make things happen!



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Gordon Bellows is a business advisor and writer. He suffered from
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#43 From: Bill Platt <bplatt@...>
Date: Sat Aug 10, 2002 6:27 pm
Subject: Passively Acquiring New Subscribers by the Boatload
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Title:  Passively Acquiring New Subscribers by the Boatload
Author:  Bill Platt
Copyright: 2002

Article Originally Written: June, 2002

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Passively Acquiring New Subscribers by the Boatload
Copyright © 2002, Bill Platt
Bill Platt's Power Marketing Magazine
http://www.PowerMarketing.tk



First off, don't be lulled in by the title of this article
into believing that anything can be acquired by doing nothing.
People are always sending us emails telling us that we can make
millions online without any work.

Hogwash.

Stop to think for just a moment about the person who sent you
that garbage. How in the world did he send you the email you
are reading without first investing work to create the email,
and then investing hundreds of hours to send his garbage to
the masses?

Every person selling the "sitting on your ass" approach to
online success is busting his ass to sell you his garbage.
Think about that.

The truth is that success in anything requires hard work… lots
of hard work.

Having said this, let me now return to the subject of this
article:

    "Passively Acquiring New Subscribers by the Boatload"

By using this method, subscribers CAN be acquired by the
boatload! However, it must be noted that while these
subscribers are coming to you in a passive method, you
have in fact done a considerable work to position yourself
to take real advantage of this technique.

It is like the people who promise that you can make $5,000 in
a week by using a particular method. That may be true, but what
they did not tell you was that they had invested as much as 5
years work ahead of the $5,000 per week earnings! Nothing
happens overnight, not even on the web.

Everyone has pretty much seen by now the pop-ups that appear on
sites you visit on the web. These pop-ups offer all kinds of
goods and services to you. A lot of people complain that these
pop-up ads are really annoying, but the truth is that they do
work.

While it makes sense to offer a pop-up that tries to get your
visitor to subscribe to your ezine, it makes even more sense
to have this offer made on dozens of other websites. By joining
an advertising co-op, you can get your ad to appear in the
pop-ups on the sites of other folks, when you agree to do the
same for the co-op members.

The kind of pop-up ads I am talking about here is the pop-ups
that ask you to subscribe to any of ten ezines listed in the
pop-up ad. These pop-ups show a list of ezines with checkboxes
in front of them, so readers can pick and choose the ezines
that appeal to them for a new subscription.

Now, let's take this concept and apply the multiplication
power of  MLM to the equation. Imagine a system that lets you
advertise the program and anyone who signs up to the program
from your site is placed in your downline, permitting you to
gain exposure credits from those you recruit to complement
the exposure credits you earn from your own site's traffic.

In the old system of pure pop-ups with no matrix program built
into the system, your exposures in the program are limited by
the amount of traffic you can generate to your site and your
site alone. With the matrix built into the program, your
credits are determined by the exposures that you produce on
your site plus the exposures the pop-ups get on the websites
of those you recruit into this free program.

Add to this program cookie technology so that your pop-ups do
not serve to annoy your visitors. With the cookie, the pop-up
will only repeat itself on the same system after a two hour
delay.

This system I speak of lets you attract new subscribers for any
opt-in list for absolutely free! You can even begin earning
impression credits within a few minutes of signing up to the
program. For each exit pop-up page that you show, you get your
newsletter subscription box shown 4 times, which in turn will
lead to new subscribers through a passive means!

Once you have the ball in motion, this method will pretty much
take care of itself. The one thing to keep in mind here is that
you earn your advertising credits based on the traffic that you
and your downline is capable of generating. With this having
been said, let us look back to the $5,000 per week example
again.

The more traffic your site generates, the more opportunity you
have for your ad to be seen and for you to get new subscribers
through the system. This is where the hard work comes from. You
need to generate the traffic to improve your ability to be seen.

I loaded this program into my highest producing webpage. The
page by itself generates three thousand unique page views each
month, and has done so every month for the last three years.
I just did some updating to the page to improve even those
numbers so that I can gain even more exposure for my ezine.

I am able to log in each day to the page to check my current
statistics outlining impressions and new subscriptions to my
ezine. My ezine subscriptions had been kind of flat for the
last year or so because I had pretty much stopped advertising
it. However, with this one method, I am now generating a 2%
increase in subscriptions every week!

Now that is what I call Power Marketing!

To sign up for the program yourself, please visit:

    http://www.subscriberdrive.com/a/c.cgi?8085

Whether you are earning your credits from the ad impressions
that you give the co-op or the ad impressions that your downline
gives the co-op does not matter. What matters is that each of
these credits go towards helping you expose your ezine to the
new subscribers that you are looking to acquire for your ezine.



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#44 From: Bill Platt <bplatt@...>
Date: Sun Aug 11, 2002 6:10 am
Subject: Define Yourself to Find Market Share
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Title:  Define Yourself to Find Market Share
Author:  Bill Platt
Copyright: 2000-2002

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Define Yourself to Find Market Share
Copyright © 2000-2002, Bill Platt
Bill Platt's Power Marketing Magazine
http://www.PowerMarketing.tk



Sometimes, finding the right product or service to make your
own is to find someone else's version of the same product or
service and discovering ways to deliver it in a different way.

Someone once told me that I could not make it in a business
because there were already people in that particular business!

The thought struck me as stupid. That is why we have other
restaurants right. It was not enough to put a McDonalds in town,
we also had to build a Burger King, Wendy's, Carl's Junior,
Braums, Sonic and several more all of the local variety. All
of them offer us hamburgers, so why do we need more than one
of them?

Because diversity sells. They all make hamburgers, but each
one delivers the hamburger to us in a slightly different
fashion. Every single one of them are successful and have
been for years.

Just the other night, I read a story on the history of Root
Beer. They stated that in the 127+ years of history surrounding
the beverage, that there have been 8000 documented variations
of the same product. They believe that there may have been
100,000 variations of the same product, though they could
not verify the larger majority of them.

In today's market, there are just over 2000 variations of
Root Beer on the market. What differentiates one from another?
They all have the same basic ingredients, though they offer
some small differences in the ingredients. These slight
differences in the recipe makes for slight differences in
taste.

In the end, it is not the differences in taste that sells
more of one than the other. The difference that defines
market share is packaging and marketing.

So, make a determination of what your product or service
will be, then package it and market it in such a way that
people want your version as often, if not more than your
competition! Market your differences, not your similarities.

Diversity is the key to success. Packaging and Marketing are
the tools.



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#45 From: Bill Platt <bplatt@...>
Date: Thu Aug 15, 2002 8:59 pm
Subject: How the War Against S^p^a^m is Killing the Internet
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Title:  How the War Against S^p^a^m is Killing the Internet
Author:  Bill Platt
Copyright: 2002

Article Originally Written: August, 2002

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How the War Against S^p^a^m is Killing the Internet
Copyright © 2002, Bill Platt
The Phantom Writers
http://thePhantomWriters.com



    (AUTHOR NOTE: Notice the use of the carat < ^ > character
     within words. These have been included to assure that ISP
     filters do not reject this article on the subject of Sp^am
     and Sp^am Filters.)


Hands down, email is the most widely used and loved computer
application brought to life by the Internet.

According to the publication 'Messaging Today' (2000 Electronic
Mailbox Report - Feb. 21, 2001), "Email is the most successful
communications technology since the television, and in a few
years will even surpass that. There are currently more than 891
million email accounts in use Worldwide and 440 million in the
U.S. alone - with an average of more than 4 email accounts per
person."

While more than 200 million of us use and enjoy email, there
are a few thousand people abusing the system and damaging the
communication potential of email for the rest of us.


SP^AMMERS ARE THE ENEMY OF US ALL!

The most common forms of email abuse are as follows:

- Using email harves^ters (software which gathers email
   addresses from the Internet for the purpose of sending
   sp^am messages).
- Selling the addresses gathered from an actual opt-in email
   list to someone who the recipient did not give contact
   permission to personally.
- Buying the Mil^lions CD's and then requiring people to
   opt-out of email, rather than to opt-in to the email.
- Providing remove addresses that do not work.

Generally, the persons using these sp^am techniques are morons
who are simply too lazy to learn how to develop an honest
online business or too impatient to build a business that will
last a lifetime. Let us not forget that "moron" is the key word
here since a sp^ammers business will not generate enough income
to justify the cost of doing business the outlaw way.


LAZY LIVES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET!

Sp^ammers sp^am because they are too lazy to build an online
business the old-fashioned way --- with honesty and integrity.

As a result of the sp^ammers obnoxious laziness, the public
has been confronted with the growing nuisance of hundreds of
sp^am messages in their email boxes on a daily basis! I have
filtered more than 100 pieces per day to my trash bin, and I
still receive another 200 plus messages per day that I have
not set up filters for yet.

While I will admit that sp^ammers are truly annoying, I must
confess that the general public has created new problems for
all of us! In the war against sp^am, email account holders
constantly suggest that their ISP's must deal with the sp^am
issue for them.


ISP'S RESPOND

By putting the responsibility of controlling sp^am on the
shoulders of ISP's, rather than hitting the delete key
ourselves, we have opened a whole new can of worms.

In truth, ISP's cannot do too much to stem the tide of sp^am.
Yet, with so many angry customers, ISP's felt a strong need
to find some kind of solution to the problem.

ISP's had one of two options:

- RBL (Realtime Blackhole List) http://mail-abuse.org/rbl/
- Installing Email Filters

Neither is a perfect solution to the sp^am problem... In fact,
both are actually very poor solutions to the sp^am problem!


HOW SP^AM FILTERS WORK

To understand the quandary created by the use of filters in the
war against sp^am, we must first understand how sp^am filters
work.

It is important to understand that filters are actually
software applications.

Software is not intuitive!

While a few software applications may seem intuitive, the
illusion exists only because the mind of the programmer was
able to foresee your desires for the use of the software.

Filtering software exists only as a set of rules to determine
the likelihood of a message being sp^am. Here is an outline of
some of the basic rules that sp^am filtering software follows:

1. If the origination email server is different from the email
    server of the sender's default email address, then it is
    likely sp^am.
2. If the email is delivered to more than 25 people, it is
    likely sp^am.
3. If the email originates from a specific server, then it is
    likely sp^am. (This is the only rule that the RBL follows.)
4. If the email originates from a specific country TLD
    (top-level domain), then it is likely sp^am.
5. If certain words appear in the Subject or Email Body, then
    it is likely sp^am. (This is where the real problems begin!)


THE PANDORA'S BOX OF THE SP^AM WARS

ISP's who choose the filter option will either install a filter
on incoming email only, outgoing email only or a combination of
both.

With the fifth basic rule in the sp^am filtering software that
most ISP's use, each ISP has a list of "sp^am words" that the
software scans for.

A few of the simpler, more obvious "sp^am words" follow:

- H^GH
- D^VD
- C^asino
- G^ambling
- P^orn
- M^illion
- B^illion
- V^iagra


The first time I had experienced the ugly filter problem was
with my first ezine. My ezine was a computer support publication
and upon the introduction of a major v^irus, I tried to send
instructions to my list on how to identify the v^irus and to
repair its damage. Unfortunately, my list server had blocked
all messages that mentioned the name of the virus. (Never mind
that the actual payload email never mentioned the given name
for the v^irus!)

My second experience was in trying to send an article to a
friend because I felt the content of the article was important
for my friend to have. After seven attempts, I finally realized
what the blocked "sp^am word" was. If you can believe it, the
blocked word was Ama^zon.com !!!

Within the last 30 days, I had two outgoing emails blocked by
my own ISP.

The first was being delivered to a client of mine to inform
them that I had received their p^ayment. The subject of the
email was "P^ayment R^eceived" (a common subject of sp^am
messages) !!!

The second email hinged on an article I tried to deliver for
another client. The dreaded "sp^am word" was "g^old" !!! We
had to change the name of the article to get the article past
my own ISP's filters.


THE PROBLEM IN A NUTSHELL

Richard Lowe, the owner of http://www.Internet-Tips.net says,
"The Internet is communication. It's as simple as that."

The problem with ISP filtering is that the ISP cannot know
what we want to read and what we do not want to read. A single
ISP has clients who use the Internet for business, health,
family, research or any of a dozen different purposes.

The person who wants to use the Internet for family
communications usually has no interest in business topics.
And the online business person may have no interest in
family tree software or health products.

Yet, the ISP has no choice but to block all kinds of "sp^am
words" for the full range of communication subjects.

As a result, the family person may not see the information
concerning family tree software or other items regarding home
life, and the business person may not be able to receive
information vital to the operation of their business.


THE SCOPE OF THIS PROBLEM

We email junkies tend to subscribe to ezines covering a wide
range of personal preferences. Unfortunately, a large number
of ezines are being blocked by ISP's because ezines tend to
meet at least two of the criteria built into most sp^am
filters (#1, #2 and sometimes #5).

Once again, the fifth basic rule is the dangerous one.

Sp^ammers are using more and more common words in their
mailings that the ISP's are beginning to block.

I can almost guarantee that if your own ISP was to turn off
their sp^am filters for a month, you would get to see for the
first time a large number of ezines that you subscribed to
way back when, but have never seen before.

Sure, you would see a large increase in the sp^am coming into
your email box, but you would also see all of the mail that
you want to receive that you have not been receiving.


WHERE SHOULD WE GO FROM HERE?

If we rely upon our ISP's to do the filtering for us, then we
are committing ourselves to receive only the information that
our ISP's filters are able to let us receive. It is as simple
as that.

It is like the news pundits on television say about the war on
terrorism, "We have a choice between freedom and security. The
more of one we have, the less of the other we will have."

We have two choices:

1. We turn back the tide of ISP controlled communication and
    accept the responsibility of setting up our own filters to
    eliminate the garbage in our inbox.
2. Or, we continue to rely upon our ISP's to filter the sp^am
    by adding new words to their "sp^am word" lists, eliminating
    all personal control from our personal communications.


TURNING BACK THE TIDE WILL REQUIRE SOME CONCERTED EFFORTS

Our ISP's have been asked for so long to be our "Big Brother"
to stem the tide of sp^am. ISP's have come to the point of
believing that we are children who need to be protected from
the "morons" who are destroying this incredible communications
tool.

To turn back this tide, we must be ready and willing to
accept the personal responsibility of controlling our own
communications.

First, we must learn to use the tools included in our email
software that permit us to set up our own filters. Once we have
the basic understanding of how to set up our own email filters,
we must progress to step two.

In step two, we must contact our ISP and let them know that we
want to be responsible for ourselves. Our ISP must understand
that we DO NOT want them to run sp^am filters on their email
servers. We must declare that we do not them to baby-sit our
communications for us. We must emphasize that we want to decide
for ourselves what we want to read and what we do not want to
read! We must emphasize that we would rather use our delete
keys, than to rely upon their filters to not block any of our
important communications.

You and I alone will not be able to convince our ISP's to
ditch the policy of acting as our "Online Big Brother". But,
when enough of us have banded together and made our demands
for open communications clear, ISP's will have to take notice
and turn off their filters for fear of losing their customer
base.

If we permit ISP controlled filters to continue to grow
unabated, the filters will eventually eliminate the real
value of email as a communications tool.

We must take a stand to reverse the focus of the War Against
Sp^am! We must take a stand now to reverse the tide, or we risk
the very real death of email communication and the Internet!


For more information about the "War Against Sp^am", visit the
following links:

    http://PathTrax.com/x.pl/BP121,spam_war_crossfire
    http://PathTrax.com/x.pl/BP121,Will_Email_Kill_Email



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#46 From: Joe Vitale <articles@...>
Date: Fri Aug 16, 2002 6:26 pm
Subject: How to Discover If Your E-Book Idea Will Sell --- Before You Actually Write It
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Title:  How to Discover If Your E-Book Idea Will Sell
          --- Before You Actually Write It
Author:  Joe Vitale
Copyright: 2002 Joe Vitale

Article Originally Written: August, 2002

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How to Discover If Your E-Book Idea Will Sell
  --- Before You Actually Write It
Copyright © 2002 Joe Vitale, Joe Vitale
The Millionaire Mind
http://www.TheMillionaireMind.net/ezine.html?a2j



Jim Edwards sent out a survey about e-books. He asked a
variety of questions. But the number one thing everyone
wanted to know was this: "How do I find out if my e-book
will sell---before I write it?"

Obviously, that's a great question. If anyone could
accurately determine the salability of an e-book before it
was written, that person could be a billionaire. Every
aspiring author would hire him, or her, to judge their idea.

The truth is, there is no guaranteed way to 100% accurately
test an idea for an e-book before you actually begin to sell
it. Yes, you can run ads for your e-book and see if it will
fly or not. But that's not totally accurate. Or guaranteed.
And if people buy and you don't deliver that e-book within
30 days, it's also illegal.

But there *is* a way to massively improve the odds of your
e-book being something the public will want. This is
something you can do right now, before you write a word of
your e-book.

Let me explain this system to you:

I researched the 1800s to write my book on P.T. Barnum.

I researched the 1920s to write my book on Bruce Barton.

I researched the last 150 years to write my book on ads.

And I've been researching ancient Roman history to write a
forthcoming book on old world marketing practices. What I
discovered in the most unforgettable way is that in every
era, people wanted the exact same things.

People never change. They will always have the same
basic desires. Technology will change. People won't. Today
we have e-books. That's a new technology. Yet what people
want to read in those e-books will remain the same as
always. Human desires are hard-wired into our DNA.

That's good. By knowing what people want, you can profit
from their desires. And since their desires are predictable,
your ability to make money from your ideas just got a lot
more bankable, as well.

So, what exactly do people want to read about?

First, the top three general categories are these: Food,
sex, and money.

There will *always* be a market for new cookbooks, new
books on love, and new books on ways to make money. That
will never change. Ever. So if you have an idea that fits in
one of those categories---and if it's a new spin on existing
ideas---you may have a wining race horse.

Second, Jim Edwards and I identified the TOP Ten tried and
true subjects for e-books in our own e-book, "How to Write
and Publish Your Own e-Book in as little as 7 Days."

Our own research proves these ten resaons are just as
reliable as the three more general ones that I discovered.
These are the subjects people will *always* want to know
about. Since those subjects are listed in our e-book, I
won't discuss them here.

Third, after Jim and I wrote our e-book, we discovered
16 more subjects that people always want to know about.
These, too, are proven hot buttons for people. When I
reviewed my studies from the last several years, I realized
that these 16 topics are things people will always want to
know more about, too. Here they are:

11. To attract sex.
12. To keep their possessions.
13. To have more fun.
14. To satisfy curiosity.
15. To protect their family.
16. To be in style.
17. To have beautiful possessions.
18. To quench their appetite.
19. To emulate others.
20. To avoid trouble.
21. To avoid criticism.
22. To be an individual
23. To protect their reputation.
24. To grab opportunities
25. To be safe.
26. To make work easier.

So, how does this system work?

Okay. Say you have an idea for a book on how to make
money in network marketing. Will it sell? Since people want
to (20) avoid trouble and (26) make their work easier, I'd
say chances are good it would. Add to this formula the fact
that people always want to know how to make money (one of
the top three subjects hard-wired into our make-up) and yes,
the book could sell.

And what if you have an idea for a book on how to find
cool things at garage sales? Would that sell? If you tied
the title to a direct benefit---such as to make money---then
your idea could work. In other words, title the e-book
something like, "How To Make A Fortune In Garage Sales" and
you just made it fit one of the basic human desires. If you
can also tie it to (14) satisfying their curiosity about
garage sales, all the better.

What if you have a technical book idea, such as an e-
book on how to filter out spam? No sweat. People want to
save time, so you might tie your idea to that benefit. "How
to Save Time By Eliminating Spam!" might work. Or you could
even tie your idea to (23) protecting their reputation. Then
your e-book might be "Protect Your Name By Stopping Spam!"

Get the idea? You can take almost any e-book idea you
may have and improve the odds of it selling by simply
matching it to one of the 16 categories above or the
TOP 10 listed in our e-book. It's easy.

Now, before the critics rush in and shoot at any holes
they see in this system, let me add these final words:

A book that sells is more than "a good idea." It's an
idea well expressed. It's an idea packaged in an
irresistible way. It's an idea targeted at a specific niche
audience. And it's an idea that works once people begin to
implement it.

In short, make your book idea fit one of the key categories
people are proven to want more information on. Title it to
reflect benefits people want. Describe it in your sales
letter in ways that activate people's basic desires. Just be
sure you deliver what you promise.

Do all that and your e-book will sell---guaranteed!



Resource Box:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Vitale is the #1 best-selling author of "Spiritual Marketing"
and the co-editor of the new "Millionaire Weekly Memo" free
eZine. Do you want more practical New Marketing Era secrets
to market your business and achieve the personal wealth you
deserve? Subscribe here:
http://www.TheMillionaireMind.net/ezine.html?a2j
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#47 From: Gordon Bellows <articles@...>
Date: Sun Aug 18, 2002 5:15 am
Subject: It Is Never Too Late For Success - Age Is Not An Excuse
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Title:  It Is Never Too Late For Success - Age Is Not An Excuse
Author:  Gordon Bellows
Copyright: 2002

Article Originally Written: June, 2002

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It Is Never Too Late For Success - Age Is Not An Excuse
Copyright © 2002, Gordon Bellows
Article Cafe
http://www.ArticleCafe.com



People who have reached any significant level of success agree
there are a few things successful people have in common; desire
and determination combined with a spirit that never gives up.

To illustrate the point that it is always too early to give up,
this article includes three well-known success stories.

Ray Kroc: At the age of 52, Ray Kroc had suffered for years from
arthritis and diabetes. Although Ray had poor health, and his
bladder and most of his thyroid had been removed, he never
stopped believing in himself and his biggest idea. It led to the
start of McDonald's in 1955. By 1961, 228 McDonald's restaurants
had been established and sales had reached $37 million. When Ray
passed away in 1984, there were 7,500 McDonald's outlets around
the world. The number of outlets and sales are still growing.

Ray Kroc was described as a simple man with a simple plan:
  1. Never give up
  2. Always persevere
  3. Don't forget part 1 of the plan

Thomas Edison: Before perfecting the light bulb, Thomas Edison
tried between 9,000 and 10,000 different things searching for the
right material that would make a good filament. When a reporter
asked Edison about failing more than 9,000 times, he responded by
saying he had not failed, but had found 9,000 items that did not
make a good filament. Edison went on to invent many other useful
items, many of which are now taken for granted. Edison received
1,093 patents, more than any other person in U.S. history.

Thomas Edison had a formula for his success:
  1. It takes time for greatness
  2. Be patient
  3. Persistence is the key

Colonel Sanders: The founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken was turned
down over 1,000 times when he tried to interest others in his
recipe for chicken. He drove from town to town, often sleeping in
his car, calling on restaurant owners. He strongly believed that
the secret recipe would eventually pay off. His persistence and
belief in himself and his recipe finally paid off in a big way!
His tenacity is inspiring, especially when you consider that he
found his success when he was 65 years of age.

Colonel Sanders kept his chicken recipe a secret, but he was
willing to share his recipe for success:
  1. Never quit
  2. Always believe in yourself
  3. Be patient
  4. Be positive

There are countless stories of people from all walks of life who
achieved remarkable success. Almost without exception, the same
types of characteristics can be found in stories about success.
Being patient and persistent, having a positive attitude, and
never giving up are the traits that are essential for success.



Resource Box:
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Gordon Bellows is an economic trend analyst and part-time writer.
Poor health was affecting all areas of his life until he found an
amazing product that changed his life. He had remarkable results!
Visit http://www.YourHealthKey.com to see what it can do for you.
It's your key to better health and wellness.
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#48 From: Nikola Grubisa <articles@...>
Date: Wed Aug 21, 2002 1:25 am
Subject: The 8 Myths About Creating Wealth
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Title:  The 8 Myths About Creating Wealth
Author:  Nikola Grubisa
Copyright: 2002

Article Originally Written: August, 2002

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The 8 Myths About Creating Wealth
Copyright © 2002, Nikola Grubisa
The Millionaire Mind
http://www.TheMillionaireMind.net?a6



You have probably read or heard about various myths (these are
the truths that are valid only for certain cases, but not in
general) surrounding wealth and wealthy people, all of which
hinder your quest for financial independence. Here are the
most common and most destructive:


Myth No. 1: How much you earn depends on how hard you work

If this were true, then the physical, blue-collar workers,
who have been working hard for years, would have been the
wealthiest people on earth. Of course, this isn't true.
They form most of the workforce and the vast majority of
the middle-class.

If you witnessed your parents coming home tired from a long
day's work in your youth, you probably learned that money
wasn't a sufficient reward for all that effort. People who
work "just" for the money often have debts because they
comfort themselves with whatever they can buy, beautiful
things they lack when working.


Myth No. 2: Being paid for something you enjoy isn't work
and you shouldn't ask for money for doing something that is
enjoyable.

Check this with millionaires. They all have so much money that
they don't need to work anymore. Nevertheless, they work for
other reasons, challenge, satisfaction, fullness of life,
activity, fun ... and all are connected to a love for their
work. If there was no joy in doing a certain task, they would
do something else that would make them much happier and that
enables them to realize their dreams.

In fact, if you don't enjoy your work, you will never become
wealthy doing it! However, just because you enjoy your work
doesn't mean you shouldn't get paid for it - in fact, that is
the ultimate goal, to get paid for what you already enjoy so
it never feels like you are at work!


Myth No. 3: You need to be in the right line of business to
amass wealth

Do you think so? This must mean that all the people who are
involved in the same business are millionaires. Of course,
this isn't true. In each business there are winners and
losers; winners abound, even in businesses that consist of
distasteful (to most) or "impossible" work like sweeping the
streets, collecting the trash, working in a factory, pumping
gas, selling newspapers, etc. On the other hand, there are
just as many "losers" in businesses like selling real estate,
management or being a stockbroker.


Myth No. 4: You need the right education to make a fortune

Are the most educated people really the wealthiest? Not at all!
In this case, university professors would be the wealthiest
people on earth. Ask them about their salaries, if you get the
opportunity. The truth is vastly different - the wealthiest
people are those who can convert their knowledge (or education)
into money, in the best possible way. They can be highly
educated people (like inventors, scientists, etc.) or almost
ignorant.

Being formally uneducated does not equate to poor performance
on the job or the inability to form a strong enough vision to
carry a person to success - they can easily be experts without
having a formal education.


Myth No. 5: It used to be easier

Statistics show an increase in the number of millionaires in
the world every year. Talking about the "good old times" only
offers comfort and a convenient excuse. If you look around,
you'll see there are people who behaved the same way in the
"good old times" as they do now, yet their success has been
recent. With technology and progress come new ideas, desires
and needs and there are more business opportunities appearing
daily to serve them.


Myth No. 6: I'm too old (young)

If you research the life stories of some of the most successful
people, you'll see that this isn't true at all.  Some became
wealthy early in their lives (perhaps from the stock market),
while others found their fortune in their old age. Ray Kroc,
was more than fifty years old when he bought and made the
first McDonald's.


Myth No. 7: I don't have enough money to start. You have to
spend money to make money.

This is no different from any other excuse or "myth." Like the
others, it's obvious this one isn't true either. Many have made
their fortunes starting from scratch, living in an apartment or
working out of their garage and yet, they developed business
empires that are worth billions of dollars today. The other
elements of success are far more important than having seed
money to start a business.

But yes, often money helps and it certainly doesn't hurt. Like
everything else discussed in other myths: it probably helps,
but it is not always necessary.


Myth No. 8: I'll begin when I know everything

Do you believe that you will know everything someday? Or even
that you'll know enough to ever be "really prepared now?" The
more you learn, the more you see what you still need to learn.
Success and obtaining wealth is a dynamic process. Even if you
"could" come out of the gate knowing everything there is to
know, some of those elements will change immediately and many
will change rapidly. If you don't decide now, nothing will
happen. Live and learn.

Some millionaires have even allowed themselves to go bankrupt
and then (even faster) recreated their wealth, sometimes even
greater than before. Money itself isn't the obstacle that is
keeping you from being wealthy. If you're really good in your
business, don't worry, because someone that will offer you
money (a bank or business partner) will appear who will
appreciate your talent knowing you are a very good investment
opportunity. But you can't sit around waiting for this - make
it happen.

Exercise "taking action" as much as you can. Make your
workplace better or more efficient. After all, even if someone
else signs your paycheck, you really work for you. Even if you
are an employee in a large corporation - it isn't your
corporation - but it is the only corporation through which you
can prove what you are capable of right now.

All of us have what it takes to become a millionaire! Born
winners, yet few of us know how to take advantage of and
cultivate the possibilities hidden inside our own mind!

No one can ever grant you greater potential than your heart
already holds…you need only discover its contents to find the
one true path to your success in life. Born with the seeds to
our success, the greatest decisions must always come from the
inside! You will discover a new, deep well of fortune –
yourself!



Resource Box:
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"I read it. And I was stunned. Here was a book with how-to
techniques, positive philosophy, an up-lifting message, and a
practical bent to it.  It talked about human nature, as well as
business and even spirituality. It was like the best of every
business and self-help book I had every seen while still being
entirely fresh, new, inspiring and practical." - Joe Vitale (Mr.
Fire). Are you wondering what book impressed Joe Vitale this
much? Click here: http://www.TheMillionaireMind.net?a6
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Posted: Tue Aug 20 21:25:27 EDT 2002


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#49 From: Bill Platt <bplatt@...>
Date: Thu Aug 22, 2002 1:09 am
Subject: LURKERS and BABBLERS and the Make-Up of Your Subscriber Base
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Title:  LURKERS and BABBLERS and the Make-Up of Your Subscriber Base
Author:  Bill Platt
Copyright: 2001-2002

Article Originally Written: March, 2001

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LURKERS and BABBLERS and the Make-Up of Your Subscriber Base
Copyright © 2001-2002, Bill Platt
The Phantom Writers
http://thePhantomWriters.com



I see comments from frustrated list owners all of the time. They
get frustrated because they have started discussion lists where
no discussions take place... sure, they have subscribers, but
discussions are scarce. Out of frustration, these list owners
invariably throw their hands up and walk away from their lists.

If you are one of these discussion list owners, then this article
is for you.

I have been managing discussion lists on the net for nearly two
years.

Truth is, the average list has 28 MEMBERS. And, chances are 24
of the lists' members are LURKERS. Lurkers are those who are
members, but never post a single question or comment to the
list. Every list has them. Yet, most list owners are frustrated
by the lurkers. They would like to see discussions on their
lists, so that they may be educated the same as the lurker.

I have one list that is a discussion type technical support
list. I have 140 members on that list and 120 of them are only
lurkers. This list is set up for the lurkers who have computer
problems to ask their questions, and the professionals answer
the questions. Many of the lurkers find this an interesting
and educational forum in which they only participate when they
have questions.

This list will go often times for up to 8 weeks without a
single question being posted, and then pow, ten questions in
two days.

If you are interested in exploring this list, then please
visit:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WindStorm  to get the
details.


Most discussion lists top out in membership around 150 members.
There are of course exceptions to this rule, but more often
than not, a discussion list will hold between 20 and 150
members.

Lurkers are actually really good for a list. They lurk behind
the scenes learning from those of us who are the BABBLERS.

People want to learn, that is why they are lurking on your list
in the first place. Lurkers are the learning population on the
web, while the babblers are the teachers on the web.

If you are a babbler, then this is your chance to become known.
If you are in business on the web, and you are a babbler, your
business will eventually benefit from this fact. By being a
teacher, you are lifting yourself up on a pedestal that few
people want to be on. You are lifting yourself into a position
of trust and respect.

The lurkers on your list will begin to trust and respect your
point of view. When they are ready to purchase what it is
that you sell, the lurkers are more likely to buy from you
as opposed to buying from a stranger. Even on the web, people
tend to buy from only those whom they trust.

As a discussion list owner, it is very important to remember
that there are 3 types of people subscribed to your list.
First there are MEMBERS. Out of the list of MEMBERS, you will
discover the other two types of people subscribed to your
list, LURKERS and BABBLERS.

The BABBLERS will keep your list active, and the LURKERS will
remain to give the BABBLERS a steady audience.

If you would like more BABBLERS on your list to keep things
interesting for you too, then you need to get your subscriber
base up. No matter which list I own, moderate, or subscribe
to, it seems that no more than 17% of the membership base
are BABBLERS. And the remaining 83% are LURKERS.

That is the reality of life on the Internet. So, don't despair
or disparage your lurkers. They are your lifeblood. Treat them
as such, and they will treat you well without typing a single
keystroke to the list.



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#50 From: Debra Cohen <articles@...>
Date: Fri Sep 27, 2002 4:32 am
Subject: How to Stay Balanced During Stressful Situations
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Title:  How to Stay Balanced During Stressful Situations
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Copyright: 2002

Article Originally Written: June, 2002

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How to Stay Balanced During Stressful Situations
Copyright © 2002, Debra Cohen
Outside-the-Box.net
http://www.outside-the-box.net



Often we start to notice ourselves falling into anger,
depression, self-pity or other responses to a work or home
situation. Here are a few ideas to implement when in a
situation where a knee-jerk reaction starts to arise.

Remember it is much easier to nip something in the bud than
to deal with stress after it flowers into physical symptoms
or a bad mood. If you get into a funk sometimes it can last
for days and it's often hard to break free of it. When you
can "catch" the negative moment beginning you have a great
shot at stopping it from taking you down. I've found these
helpful for myself as well as my clients:

Breaking out of moods:

1) If you feel a certain "mood" beginning (i.e. depression,
    anger, discouragement) try to do something physical such as
    go running, swim, or even clean. It's good to do something
    that will tune up your nervous and glandular system. We
    need to break the incarnations that set into our bodies.
    It is similar to stopping smoking after one cigarette
    rather than 20 years of smoking. Sometimes if you have
    a shoe and it is worn out on one side you'll see that if
    you put your foot in it, it leans in that direction. The
    mind follows the grooves it previously was tracing out.
    We have the power to "change the channel" and watch a
    different movie.

2) There are two breathing exercises from yoga that are
    very helpful to cultivate a neutral mind. One is called
    "Alternate nostril breathing" and the other is called
    "Breath of Fire". These are explained in detail in the
    booklet I wrote. You can also learn these from a yoga
    class or video or write: mailto:yogabreathing@...

3) Identify and write down the mental tape loops that you
    finding yourself repeating. By knowing what these are you
    can watch it instead of take it as your own identity. The
    more you "see" the dramas the less you react from within
    them. We all fall into our own melodramas and soap operas
    and taking a bird's eye view can give us another perspective.
    It helps us to not "buy into" our own story. Our inner story
    is something we repeat to ourselves and others and gives us
    our identity. It's good to step back and see which parts of
    it are beneficial and which are messages from the past,
    other people or our old identities. Just as a computer
    needs to have files deleted in order to operate more
    efficiently, so our minds need to have the extra "files"
    emptied out so we have room for new stories, dreams and
    aspirations.

4) Keep a notebook of inspiring anectdotes, quotes and tips.
    This helps to boost one's spirit and also to feel connected
    with others that have dealt with similar feelings. Put some
    reminders on your refrigerator, desk at work, car dash
    board and other places so you can catch you mind and
    re-direct it in a positive direction.


                    Inspirational Samples

If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not
due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and
this you have the power to revoke at any moment.

                    ~  Marcus Aurelius  ~

A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver
five minutes longer.

                   ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~



Resource Box:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Debra Cohen, LCSW is a Licensed Social Worker in Florida. These
tips are taken from her booklet "How to Stay Balanced During
Stressful Situations" which sells for $4.95. Please send an
e-mail for purchasing information to:
    mailto:quietmind2000@...
Get Inspirational Quotes in your inbox Free. Visit:
    http://www.outside-the-box.net
For a free ebook of inspirational quotes visit:
    http://www.outside-the-box.net/freeversion.html
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Posted: Fri Sep 27 00:32:16 EDT 2002


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#51 From: Daniel Lamaute <articles@...>
Date: Fri Sep 27, 2002 2:57 pm
Subject: CORRECTION: The Individual 401k - BIG Business Benefits For The Home Business
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Title:  The Individual 401k - BIG Business Benefits For The Home Business
Author:  Daniel Lamaute
Copyright: 2002, Lamaute Capital, Inc. All rights reserved.

Article Originally Written: September, 2002

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The Individual 401k - BIG Business Benefits For The Home Business
Copyright © 2002, Lamaute Capital, Inc. All rights reserved., Daniel Lamaute
Lamaute Capital, Inc.
http://www.investsafe.com



Major mutual fund and investment management companies now offer
self employed individuals 401k plans that are easy to install
and administer at very low cost.  What's more independent
contractors and small business owners can borrow part of
their retirement savings tax-free and penalty free by taking
advantage of a loan provision in these new plans. Depending
on who's offering them, these individual plans are sold under
different trademarked names such as (solo 401k, uni-k plan,
personal(k), one person 401k, mini-401k, solo-owner 401k,
etc.,.)

Small business owners can establish an individual 401k and
transfer their IRA, 401k, 403b, or other qualified retirement
funds into this new retirement plan.  Once the funds are in
the plan, owners can borrow 50% of their 401k account balance
up to $50,000 tax-free and penalty free provided they pay back
the loan.

Any business owner with no employees other than co-owners or
spouses can establish an individual 401 k plan.  It doesn't
matter if you are a startup or been in business for years.
Your may work as an independent contractor with 1099 income,
freelancer, sole proprietor, or in a partnership, Limited
Liability Company (LLC), or corporation.
.
It is fairly common for employees of large companies to have
the option to borrow from their 401(k).  But before 2002, small
business owners were not allowed the same privilege.  Instead,
owners needing to tap their retirement funds for whatever
reasons had to take cash distributions from their IRAs or
other retirement accounts.  This required them to pay federal
and state taxes on the distributions, plus generally a 10%
penalty if they were under age 59 ˝. They also lost the chance
to put the money back into their retirement accounts.

Borrowing from an IRA is still prohibited. But one can
consolidate his individual retirement accounts into a
401 k and borrow from the 401k.

However, the individual 401 k is more than just a good tool
to borrow money. It also lets you contribute more towards your
retirement. You can make tax-deductible contributions to this
plan at levels more generous than other retirement plans such
as the SEP, SIMPLE, profit sharing and money purchase plans.

Every year millions of Americans start new businesses and take
cash distributions from their retirement accounts to keep them
solvent until the business gets going.  In the process these
entrepreneurs forfeit a large chunk of their retirement money
to taxes and penalties. From now including a 401 k search will
probably become routine whenever small business owners look
to set up a retirement plan. With all of its features, the
individual 401(k) is bound to be a serious contender when it
comes to choosing a small business retirement plan.



Resource Box:
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Daniel Lamaute, CEO of Lamaute Capital specializes in
helping people get the most benefit from their retirement
investments. Take cash payments from your retirement funds
the smart way. Get your FREE SOLO-OWNER 401K INFORMATION
KIT. Kit includes a prospectus with detailed information
about the plan, investments, sales charges and expenses.
Visit http://www.investsafe.com to order kit.
COPYRIGHT © 2002, Lamaute Capital, Inc. All rights reserved.
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#52 From: Boris Vene <articles@...>
Date: Tue Oct 1, 2002 1:15 am
Subject: What Does MLM Have in Common With *Expecting More Out of Life?*
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Title:  What Does MLM Have in Common With *Expecting More Out of Life?*
Author:  Boris Vene
Copyright: 2002

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What Does MLM Have in Common With *Expecting More Out of Life?*
Copyright © 2002, Boris Vene
The Millionaire Mind
http://www.TheMillionaireMind.net?a7



When you decide you want or need to earn more money than your
regular job pays, several questions appear. How, where, when
and with whom can you reach your goal as soon as possible -
that of earning more money in an honest and pleasant way.

The truth is that most people live in a negative environment.
The people around them fill their heads with everything they
can't or shouldn't do. Their friends or family are not pleased
with their decision to earn more money, partly because they
know it means they will have less time to spend together,
which means it will require a sacrifice on their part as well.

We recommend Multi-Level Marketing, as a solution, for the
following reasons:

* To build self-confidence: many people have challenges with
   self-confidence! If you want to be successful in an MLM
   system, you just have to do it - willingly or not;

* To reduce or eradicate fears: fear of rejection, fear of
   making new acquaintances, fear of appearing publicly, fear
   of selling, fear of change;

* For a chance to broaden your horizons, expand your
   perspective on life;

* To gain the desire to help others - multi level marketing is
   sometimes the easiest way to gain that feeling, because you
   can succeed only if you help others to become successful;

* To inspire the desire for independence;

* To develop a desire for leadership and organization;

* To attract new, fresh energy - new winds will blow in your
   life when you meet new people and work with them in a new
   business;

* To continue to feed the ever-present need for education and
   personal growth;

* To learn to stand up for you and your ideas and not "allow
   yourself to be misled;"

* To master pressures with new vigor and conviction. Sometimes,
   you learn just how much you allow others to lead you as well
   as how much you define your life yourself (this applies to
   MLM systems that impose on people and don't allow them to
   follow their own ideologies);

* To develop and implement self-discipline;

* To learn to be motivated for action;

* To learn about yourself (perhaps even to discover what you
   don't want to do)

There are as many reasons as there are people who work in MLM
systems!

When you enter the world of sales, you are in for a dramatic
change, especially if you decide to search for a brighter
future in multi-level marketing. Suddenly, you are inundated
with people telling you about what can be done. You become
a link in their chain and you receive help from experienced
lecturers, managers and marketers. They dedicate their time
to help you become successful and independent, because this
way you will one day be able to teach others and so bring
material benefits to your "students," yourself and everyone
that has helped you.

Many people entered this world shy and without any self-
confidence, but overcame these challenges with the help of
education and through taking positive action - they became
self-confident and independent links in society.

>> Recognizing the Right MLM

The first real question is, "What does, the right MLM company
mean?" The only fair answer is, "It depends on the person
asking." Those who choose to work in multilevel marketing
are generally divided into two basic groups:

1. Those in the first group seek a new vision of life, new and
    creative ways of spending time, search for new goals in life
    as well as their own identity, want new acquaintances, etc.

2. Those in the second group are primarily seeking an additional
    or new primary source of income.

Even the way MLM companies do business is divided in a similar
fashion: their goals are either vision, associations, improved
quality of life, ... or easy money. Or a combination of both:
some MLMs build their growth on the vision of their members,
others on easy money. The truth for most MLM companies is
mostly somewhere between.

The first group doesn't emphasize making money overnight; it
has a long-term vision, selected products, quality service and
cares for the customers; the second group prefers momentary
advantages that benefit the buyers.

It should be pointed out that fundamentally, all multi-level
marketing systems work according to both principles, but one
of them is prevalent over the other, though it can even go
so far as both principles operating within a single system.

Why is this so important?

Because it is a very important factor in considering and
ultimately deciding which company (principle) you want to
join to achieve maximum success and maximum satisfaction
at the same time.

The first thing you have to confront is: "What is your vision
(or goal or mission) in life? What do you want to achieve and
how do you want to spend your days?"

Here is everything you need to decide. The first question,
which reveals the essence of multilevel marketing, tells you
a lot about your future success - are you ready to recommend
its products and services to your friends, acquaintances and
strangers? If the answer is "yes," then proceed. However, if
your answer is "no," then think about why that's so and try to
look at this from a different point of view. If you are afraid
and fear rejection, it is good to be cautious.

Don't join an MLM system just because you want to compensate
for bad experiences from other areas of your life. The MLM
will then become just an excuse and your contacts a "shoulder
to cry on." That's why it's extremely important that you know
what you want to achieve with an MLM system and if you're not
achieving it, simply and promptly walk away.

Don't allow yourself to be absorbed by the system! You may
really like the system or experience, but decide on your goal
and walk away once you reach it, if you feel like doing so.

You don't ever need to be stuck somewhere just because you feel
you are accepted - while in return, risking your energy in a
way you don't like. You can only be successful in life if you
do the things that make you happy and fulfill you and not by
"suffering because it's going to be better someday." Suffering
only creates more suffering: because you're operating from a
vibration of suffering, every action on your part continues
to contribute to the "critical mass" of suffering! If you
want joy, insert joyful attributes into your life!



Resource Box:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Boris Vene is known as one of the most distinguished European
international speakers, motivators and personal coaches in the
areas of leadership, communication and development of human
potential. He has also achieved record sales in many European
multi-level marketing systems along with founding his own. He
now shares his secrets of achieving personal success in "The
Millionaire Mindset: How to Tap Real Wealth from Withing".
Click here: http://www.TheMillionaireMind.net?a7
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Posted: Mon Sep 30 21:14:58 EDT 2002


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