Small Business Cash

Secrets to SELLING PROFESSIONALLY at Flea Markets TRADE SHOWS Craft

2010-05-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Flea Markets, Trade Shows and Craft Shows are probably the most underrated businesses. When we opened our "test market store" for Worlds Sexiest Wholesale we chose to sell at a Flea Market / Trade Center. Everyone I spoke to laughed and rolled their eyes at the venture. - But end the end, I got the last laugh.

The idea of a flea market being for "junk" is so 1980's. Its 2010 and flea markets have become hot places to get authentic designer merchandise and save a bundle. Flea Markets can be a very lucrative business; far beyond garage sales and/or selling on eBay. I wanted to compose a series about how to PROFESSIONALLY sell at Trade Centers / Flea Markets, etc.

If you are looking to resell our items through channels outside of the internet / eBay, Flea Markets, Trade Shows and Craft Shows can be an excellent way to generate income at a very low cost.

A spot at a Flea Market will range in price from $10 to $200 a week, depending on location of your spot and size. We recommend spending time at the flea market prior to paying for space. Examine traffic patterns and see where people tend to “gather”. You will want to pick a spot that gets a lot of foot trafic,is visable and also is not next to a direct competitor.

SECRET #1 - Making the Most of Your Space
When geting ready to set up your space, consider the full amount of spance! Your space is NOT limited to a table top! BUILD UP! BUILD OUT! Making the full use of your space is going to allow you to pack the full amount of products into it.
Instead of a flat table top, use shelving or create layered tiers so that all of your items are visable. Instead of just relying on a 7 foot table, get pegboard or any kind of wood that you can find to build a tall “wall”. Then hang shelves or pegs for clothing/purses.

Secret #2 - Hang it!
If you are strictly selling clothing, consider a clothing rack as opposed to folding and setting them on a table. A clothing rack can be purchased for around $10 and allows you to display your full selection. If your for-sale clothing is folded and placed on a table, browsers will not want to “ruin” your folded piles so they will pass you by! By investing in a $10 clothes rack you will be able to hang everything up; making browsing easy and increasing sales!

Secret #3 - Protect It!
If you are selling items like purses, you can also use clothing racks. When we do trade shows we have multiple clothing racks that we ziptie the handles of our purses to. This allows the purses to BE SECURE FROM THEFT and also displayed. Potential customers can easily browse all of our selection without actually holding the item.
If you are selling perfumes; NEVER put your stock on a table! Your products will get stolen faster than you can say “Theft”. Instead, use one perfume in each scent as a “tester”. Keep the others on display behind plexi glass or hidden from view.

Another BIG secret to flea market/trade show success is BRANDING. If you are selling Victorias Secret, you need to let customers know from a mile way that you have these products. This is where Victorias Secret PINK tote bags come in handy. Hanging a few large totes that read “VICTORIAS SECRET” across them in giant print can catch the attention of a passerby in an instant.

NOTE: Be careful not to infringe on COPYRIGHTS. If you hang a printed sign with the Victorias Secret logo, you are walking a thin legal line being that you are representing yourself AS Victorias Secret – WHICH YOU ARE NOT. However, if you have totes that display the branding, you are not insinuating that you ARE the company, you are simply displaying totes.

Keep you eye out for our Guide to Professional Flea Market Success coming August 2010! Over 50 unique tips and tricks to making a fortune off flea market selling!

eBay Versus iOffer, Amazon & Other Auction Sites: Which is Best

2010-05-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

If you are looking to sell items online, it is best to use the site(s) which will allow you to make the greatest amount of profit.

eBay is by far the most popular site because it has been known for its auctions. eBay is typically the first site to come to mind when online auctions are mentioned. This is likely due to eBays multi million dollar branding and marketing. eBay has truly dominated the auction industry.

But selling on eBay comes with a price. You are going to pay a large percentage of each sale in exchange for being able to offer your products to “the world”. eBay fees can eat up 25% ofevery sale; making it difficult for sellers with a small profit margine to be truly successful.

Amazon, iOffer and other sites also offer users the opportunity to list items for sale; most with lesser fees than eBay, but also lesser traffic.

WHO IS eBAY BEST FOR
eBay is, unfortunatly, the ultimate place for the “one week auction”. If you want to sell items rapid fire, eBay is pretty much the only choice. Of course you can use a site like CraigsList that allows you to post “For Sale Ads” at no cost, but then you have burden of waiting on customers to show up, hoping they pay with legitimate cash (or a check that doesnt counce) and also having to deal with customers that want to negotiate even the lowest of prices. By using a3rd party like eBay, you are allow eBay to collect your funding and ensure its legitimacy for you.

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WHO IS iOFFER BEST FOR
Sites like iOffer can be great for users that have tons of the same product to list (relists) and arent in a giant rush to sell the items. iOffer, Amazon and other non-eBay sellers DO get sales, but the downside is that they are not as immediate as eBay.

OTHER SELLING METHODS
You can also opt to sell items via trade shows, craft shows, flea markets and with your own website. If you are going to operateon a larger scale (like a permenant spot in a flea market), consider getting a merchant account so you can accept credit cards. But if you areonly looking to sell once a month or irregularally, I would recommend spending the money on one.

FREE Tips TRICKS to SELLING on eBay for Maximum Profit

2010-05-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Many of our customers resell our products on sites like eBay and inquire as to how they can experience the best results. We decided to publish some articles with helpful tips and tricks to selling on eBay, iOffer, Craigslist and other channels.

To begin, when selling on eBay you want your items to sell for as close to retail (if not above retail). The first thing you want to do is know your opponent.
FACT: The majority of eBay sellers will purchase an item and sell it the second it arrives at their home. An overabundance of the same item = low sale price.

So instead of launching your items in the middle of an ocean of the same item; be smart and hold onto your product until the competition has depelted their stock.
Remember, most eBay sellers are “small time” – meaning they are not giant businesses with lots of stock of the same item. It generally isn’t a very long amount of time that you will have to wait; maybe two or three months. Waiting two or three months to make triple the amount of profit is a very wise decision.

Next, when the time is prime for your listing; you want to make sure that your listing stands out. AVOID using photographs of the item that you find on other websites! You DO NOT want your “company” to be confused with other companies. Although it is easier to “steal” someone elses photography, you can end up in a legal mess as well as having confused customers. Lets say, for example, the company whose photos you are using is offering a free gift with every purchase or is in the middle of a free shipping promotion; if you are using that companies images, a buyer can easily expect you to give the same “special offer” – which you may not want to do.

Take unique, professional photos of your items. Make your items really stand out amongst other listings. A photograph goes a long way. Spending the time to make it look nice will reflect in your total earnings.

After your photos are taken, it is time to write a great listing. Be very specific as to the size of your item, the color (if applicable) and how the item is used. Remember, just because you are holding the item doesnt mean the potential buyer has ever seen it. If you are listing a shirt; be sure to explain the feel of the material. If you are listing a perfume or body lotion; describe the scent to the best of your ability.

The third step to successful listings is your pricepoint. As ageneral rule of thumb, on eBay, you will want to mark your cost up 25% to make sure that your fees are all covered. Remember that you are going to pay a closing fee plus a Pay Pal fee. These two fees alone add up to around 15% of each sale. A 25% markup will make sure that you do not take a loss on your item.

Item Price Versus Shipping
You can always tack a few extra dollars onto “Shipping” to help lower your eBay listing fees.

We have experimented with “Free Shipping” and have found absolutely NO evidence that it “increases sales”. In fact, we have found the complete opposite to be true; a lower pricepoint with higher shipping sold for more than the other way around. – But feel free to try it for yourself. If you need to sell an item for $10 to break even; try one listing with a $4.99 starting bid and $5.01 shipping, then, make the next listing for $10.00 with free shipping. Or, you can even try a penny starting bid with $9.99 shipping.

Lastly, you will need to decide when you want to list your item and how many days you want it to be bid on.

We have found that Sunday to Sunday and Thursday to Thursday auctions work well. However, one of our top buyers who is a eBay powerhouse makes her sales run Monday through Monday. Again, it is best to experiment; what works for one person may not work for the next.

The Importance of Store Displays and Branding

2009-12-04T09:32:00.000-08:00

Careful brand management, supported by a cleverly crafted advertising campaign, can be highly successful in convincing consumers to pay remarkably high prices for products which are inherently extremely cheap to make. This concept, known as creating value, essentially consists of manipulating the projected image of the product so that the consumer sees the product as being worth the amount that the advertiser wants him/her to see, rather than a more logical valuation that comprises an aggregate of the cost of raw materials, plus the cost of manufacture, plus the cost of distribution. Modern value-creation branding-and-advertising campaigns are highly successful at inducing consumers to pay, for example, 50 dollars for a T-shirt that cost a mere 50 cents to make, or 5 dollars for a box of breakfast cereal that contains a few cents' worth of wheat.

Branding can be achieved in numerous ways. If you are looking to buy branding merchandise and save money, I suggest looking on eBay. WorldsSexiestWholesale.com also carries branding merchandise for various companies; Ed Hardy, Victorias Secret, BCBG, Betsey Johnson.

Can a Free Website HURT Your Business?

2009-10-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

As we know, a website is a key factor to any business; even if you don’t actually “sell” things online. By having a website you are able to tell the world about your products or services. You also allow customers in your area to find out about your business without having to place a phone call or visit. Even if you don’t do online retail, having a website will double or triple your sales *if* you have the right kind of site.

There’s always the option of buying a website. You can have someone create a website for you for $250+. The more “fancy” you make your site the more it will cost. OR, you can do what so many small businesses are doing these days and get a totally free website. Free websites, in my opinion, are the way to go, especially if you are doing minimal to no online retail. With a free website you will be able to give your customers limitless information about you, your company, your products/services, location, hours of operation and more. It’s a great way to showcase new products as you bring them in or post specials you are offering.
The problem with paid (and free) websites is that most people don’t know what the best kind of site to have is. In reality, you don’t need an expensive site to have the “best” site – just make sure you avoid the biggest mistakes –

1. One-Page Websites. A lot of businesses that are new to the online world will opt for a one-page website because it seems sufficient. In reality it’s basically worthless. A one-page website is often called a “squeeze page”. It’s generally used by businesses that want to manipulate buyers and make them “impulse buy”. One-page websites contain very little information – just enough to get a customer to want more immediate info. While this scenario may work temporarily for scammers, it’s not a good idea for a long term business. One-page websites are not very informative. Even if you attempt to load it full of every piece of info you can, it becomes confusing and hard to navigate. It is proven fact that a hard to navigate / confusing website is a total loss for business.
In addition, a One-Page website has virtually no way of ever getting found in search engines unless you run a spammy marketing campaign.

2. 3 – 5 Page Websites. All a 3 – 5 page website says to a customer is “I’m cheap”. Although designers will offer these sites; they are NOT a good bang for the buck. A 3-page site is often just as confusing to the potential customer as a One-Page site because due to the small amount of pages and the large amount of information the business owners wants to place on them, each page turns into a pile of confusing content. For example, I have seen 3-page website that have the first page laid out as “introduction”. On this page they place their company name, overview, hours of operation, location, etc. Page #2 is “Products, Ordering Information, Terms, Email Lists, Coupons” – can you say overwhelming? Then there’s page #3 “Events, Sales, Informational blurbs & More” – Good Lord. What ends up happening with sites like this is that the customer locates a product they want to order, then sees the terms, then finds coupons, then ends up reading about future sales…then goes to a site that makes sense. Total loss of business.

A 5-Page site still leave the reader with the same frustration. Your policies need to be laid out separately from products you are showcasing. Your sales need to be their own “feature” – not jumbled in with email registration lists and terms.

3. Over-Complexity. As mentioned, the *best* site doesn’t have to be the most expensive site. You DON’T need custom flashing animations (and I don’t recommend them either) or music or scrolling-strobe light-banners with color-changing-characters. Its overkill.

WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT
Here’s the top 10 list of what your customers want. Keep it simple and keep them coming back for more:

1. Who are you? Especially in small business, customers like to know who they are dealing with. Let them know about your experience, etc.

2. Where are you? If you have a physical store, give them the address, phone number, email, etc. Let them know when you are open. If you have a store or office, post a photo of it. Let your customers know you are a legitimate business that is ready to serve them. You can also include maps and driving directions if needed.

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3. What you have to offer. Clearly lay out what you sell. If you sell products, post photos of those products. If you sell services, post photos related to your services. Also, consider posting prices of your items. If you don’t have a set-in-stone price, post “starting at $__.__” or “from $__.__ to $__.__”. If you have tons of products, consider allowing customers to download PDF fliles or scan and post your catalog similar to an online restaurant menu. Which moves us onto #4…

4. Clear Division of Products – Think of websites like Macys.com or Pacific Sunwear – they divide their products into categories: Mens, Womens, Accessories, etc. If you are selling multiple “genres” of products, instead of making a customer browse through page after page of random products; separate them for quick and easy location.

5. Photos & descriptions– nothing sells products like photos and descriptions. With good photos and short, to-the-point descriptions that upsell the product, you are able to sell more and often sell more FOR MORE. Never post thumbnail size photos (unless you are using a service that allows them to enlarge when clicked.)

6. Policies. Let your customers know (in detail) what your policies are on payments, returns, etc. The more thorough you are, the more likely you are to turn online visitors into sales.

7. Sales (if applicable). If you are running a promotion or have items on sale, they should be separated from items that are full price. Sales are a great way to get rid of odds and ends and also a great way to keep shoppers coming back. Many shoppers, like myself, frequent websites and only look at the sales section. Without a “sales section” you could be losing visitors!

8. Informative Information. This is really my favorite part of my websites! No matter what field you’re in, you’re probably an expert in that field. Why not assist customers AND prove to them just how much you know? By offering free information on niche topics your potential customers will see that you are the right person to invest in. For example, if you have a food/restaurant website; offer customers a few free recipes. If you sell massage services or do acrylic nails for a living, write about “beauty tips & tricks”. Or, if you’re in real estate, give your customers some great reading material about different kinds of mortgages. This is the kind of stuff that separates a “good website” from a “great website”. Your “informative information” can be as little as 2 or 3 articles or as much as 50 articles; its all up to you.

9. Email lists. MAKE SURE, if you have a website that you post new products/ sales, etc on a constant basis that you offer customers a way to register for “email subscriptions”. How this works is simple; you sign up for a company like Feedburner (my fav) then post the link to “Subscribe via Email”. When a customer signs up, each time you post something new, they get an email with the information. This is a great way to keep customers updated on what your business is doing.

10. Updated information. Even if you don’t use Feedburner, be sure to keep up on your business website. Make sure links you provide are accurate and working. If your prices or products change, make sure you edit them as needed. There’s nothing worse than providing customers with inaccurate data!

How to Use Pay Pal to Accept Credit Cards from Customers Online

2009-10-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

Do you have stuff you want to sell online but don’t want to use eBay, iOffer or other websites that charge fees, dictate how long you can list an item for, etc? Well look no further, I am going to tell you how you can sell your items with no cost to you and be able to accept credit cards, debit cards, echecks, etc.

If you already have any kind of website; you should consider offering items for sale in your niche. Most likely, you already use affiliate programs like MaxBounty and shareasale.com, but why not take it a step further and offer sales of goods that you have in your home?

Selling items online right from your blog can be an incredible way to make money. For example, lets say you have a blog about MMA / UFC and you want to be able to sell items like T-Shirts, Stickers, even DVD’s. You *could* use an affiliate program, like shareasale.com that will allow you to post links and banners to different websites that offer MMA goods. Each time a user purchases an item, you’ll get a commission. The downside is that you are directing traffic from your site to a different site to make a purchase and getting a small commission in return. So lets say that instead of sending traffic to a different site you are able to sell items directly on your site and keep 100% of the profit…

I can go to the mall right now and purchase Chuck Liddell octagon shaped wall mirrors for only $2.99 a piece off final clearance. These mirrors have a retail of $29.99 each, so I know I can resell them for $12.99 and make a quick $10 profit. So I go to the mall and buy 10 mirrors.

I will now want to list these mirrors for sale on my website.

The most important part of listing them for sale is a good photograph of the item. You want your buyers to be able to clearly see what the item is. Entice them into buying.
After your photo is taken, use Photobucket, to upload your image. In Photobucket you can select from a variety of sizes for the image. I like to use “Large” or “Full Screen”. I don’t recommend using “tiny” or “small” because nobody is going to buy something that they can’t see.

Next, make a nice little write up about your item. Include the dimensions, colors and any special features. Use descriptive words to really “sell” the product: “This incredible octagon shaped wall mirror is truly a collectors item for any UFC fan. This gorgeous mirror measures 23” and has a sturdy wall hook on the back…”
Now it is time to create a way to accept payments –
Log into PayPal. You will need to make sure that you have a “Premiere” account. If you need to know the difference between accounts and such, check out my article on Pay Pal Accounts & More.

Now, select the tab that says “Merchant Services” then select “Buy it Now Button”.

You will now be taken to a page that you will need to enter information. Follow these instructions:

“Accept Payments For” – Leave as “Products”

“Do you want your customers to buy multiple products before they check out?” – Leave as “No”

“Item Name” – If you’re posting your items for sale on a blog, I suggest using the title of your post as the item name. Make sure you are very specific, especially if you have multiple similar items; “Chuck Liddell Octagon Mirror 23”, “Chuck Liddell Octagon Mirror 12”, etc.

“Item I.D.” – It is VERY important that you make an identification number for this item. Just start with 1 and each time you create a new listing enter a higher number. (Toris Tip: It helps to keep an Excel Spreadsheet or Word Doc to see what number you are on)

“Price” – This is the base price of the item – do not include shipping or tax

“Customize” – If you want to get all fancy with your button you can. Or just leave this blank and keep going and it’ll look like a normal “Buy it Now” button.

“Shipping” – Enter the amount of shipping. Be sure to account for costs associated with shipping as well as shipping. If you use flat rate boxes you need to account for the cost of the shipping label, packaging materials, insurance if applicable, etc.

“Tax” – If you want to apply tax you can. If not, leave it blank. If you decide to use tax, you will need to enter the PERCENTAGE of tax to be used. For example, if you want tax to be $0.06 on each dollar, enter “.06”.

"Merchant ID for purchase transactions": I recommend using the second option “plain text email”. I have had issues before with the encrypted option; customers complaining that they can’t make payments because they are being blocked. All this feature does is display your email address. Some people prefer “encrypted” because they want to hide their email from their customers. My advice is to allow your customers to see your email. I mean, they’re going to see your email either way when they make the payment, so hiding it in advance is kind of silly.

At this point you can either “Create Button” OR you can use some advanced features.

I suggest using “Step 2” – Tracking Inventory.

If you don’t “Track Inventory” you can end up in a giant mess. Let’s say I have a customer who buys all 10 of my octagon mirrors and a minute later another customer comes along and buys 10 more; I am now 10 mirrors short. If I am not able to get more mirrors I am going to be forced to write the customer, apologize and refund money. I may get bad press from the customer and I WILL lose money. Each time a payment is made, Pay Pal takes about 3% for processing the transaction. So if I have to refund a customer $4 on their $130 purchase, that is a total waste.

So, click on “Step 2”

Select the box “Track Inventory” then “by Item” will light up. In this section the “Item ID” number that you entered earlier will pop up again. All you need to do is enter the quantity you have available. If you only have 1, just put 1.

“Alert Quantity” – make your alert quantity 1 or 0. I use 0 because I know that when I have none left it is time to remove the “Buy it Now” button.

“Cost” – This is optional, I don’t use this feature.

“Can customers buy an item when it is sold out?” – MAKE SURE YOU SELECT the 2nd bubble for “NO” then enter your home page address or whatever url you want them to be taken to if the item is sold out. You can create a page in your website specifically for sold out items if you want.

Now you can officially create your button. All you have to do is press “create button” and it’ll give you the html code that you can use to put your button anywhere you want.

If you want to use “Step 3”, you can. It’s not a big deal. It’s more for if you are selling in large bulk and want to allow your customers to select how many of the same item they want and so on.

BENEFITS OF USING PAY PAL
When a customer makes a purchase using your Buy It Now button they will be required to pay in full immediately; which is nice. When payment is made you get an email saying your item sold and where to ship it to. You can use Pay Pal to print the postage. You can even go online to USPS.com and schedule to have the package(s) picked up from your front door. You don’t even need to be home to have them picked up. Just schedule the day and put them on the front porch in the morning. The postal carrier will leave you a note saying how many packages have been picked up. Pretty friggin simple. No trips to the post office, no worries about checks bouncing, no confusion for customers. In addition, Pay Pal is a great source to use because customers don’t *need* to have a Pay Pal account to use it. Customers love Pay Pal because they have proof that they purchased them item; so it provides a sense of security. They also get emailed a tracking number when you print the postage.

(If you don't want to use Pay Pal, you can always use a company like SnapMonkey that offers websites with built-in shopping carts, etc)

Where to Get the Lowest Price on Laser Jet Ink, Printer Supplies & More

2009-10-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Print Country is my #1 source for all of my business printing needs.
PrintCountry offers printer cartridges, laser toner cartridges and many other office supplies such as Epson Ink, HP Ink, Brother and Lexmark compatible ink cartridges. They also offer remanufactured ink cartridges to be used in Dell Inkjet Printers, Canon generic Ink and many other inkjet cartridge brands at very low discount prices with free shipping options available. I have found that remanufactured ink saves me a lot of money and works just as good as new ink.

Print Country has a wide selection of OEM, Remanufactured Cartridges, Refill Ink and compatible ink cartridges. You can shop for almost and brand like Epson, Canon, HP, Brother, Lexmark, and Samsung and more all at a discount rate. Their discount ink cartridges are certainly not discount in quality. PrintCountry products, including toner and inkjet cartridges, meet the highest of standards. You can't find ink cartridges at a better price than at PrintCountry.

I suggest taking the time to compare prices because you won't be able to beat the prices Print Country offers. In addition they also have coupons and promo codes that let you save even more money off their amazingly low prices.

Do I Really Need a Website for my Retail Store? Best Affordable Website

2009-09-23T08:21:00.001-07:00

A lot of people ask me "Do I *really* need a website for my business? Does it *really* make a difference?"
So I figured today we'd discuss small business websites; myths, truth, cost and more.

To begin, the answer is YES! Without a doubt you NEED a website! And NO, Myspace doesn't count.
You MUST have a website for many reasons;

1. It allows customers to find you

2. It allows customers to browse products. (Even if you don't want to sell products online, you can still post a few photos of what you have to offer to entice visitors)

3. A website answers questions for customers; "where are you located?", "what are your hours?", "do you sell _____" - this is a time saver; time is money. By directing customers with questions to your site they are able to get all the info they need while you spend your time working to make more money.

4. You have the option of doing online sales. I only sell in bulk online but at my retail store customer can buy individual items. Each bulk order I get is at least $200 profit and can be as much as $3,000 profit. My online sales generates at least double financially then my physical store does. So YES, and online "store" IS worth it.

5. Customers like "up-to-date" businesses. Let's face it, every business these days has a website. Customer like technology. If your business is "up-to-date" you appear "modernized" to the customer. You don't have to have a super fancy, flash website with all the bells and whistles, but you need A Website.

COST
If you don't want to pay for a website, use a free host. I use Blogger.com (Check out my free sites: Victoria's Secret Wholesale and PaidOpps). There's no charge and its pretty easy to create a site and update it daily, even if you don't know html.

As mentioned, Myspace ISN'T a "website". The problem with using myspace as your primary "site" is twofold;
1. Not everyone likes myspace. A lot of adults see Myspace in a negative light. A lot of teens aren’t allowed to use Myspace, so you could be eliminating a large amount of customers. But the problems with Myspace are way more than just eliminating customers;

2. Websites get "Search Results". This means that when someone looks up a product, say "Scented Candles", a list of sites appear as the results. Nowhere in the results do you see "Myspace.com/ScentedCandles" and if you do - it's likely on page #70 of search results - which is no good because nobody ever goes to page #50.
A regular website will get higher results; thus giving the person selling Scented Candles more online traffic which equals more customers. So if you *want* a myspace page, use it as an ADDITION to your regular website; same with Twitter, Facebook, etc.

The downside of using a free site like blogger is that your web address is always going to be "_______.blogspot.com". I, personally, haven't had an issue with it, but some people dislike the ".blogspot.com" in their web address, they feel its tacky or hard for customers to remember.
If you'd rather go with a regular ".com" address you will have to buy the ".com" name and pay for the site.
I suggest using a company like WestHost who offers very affordable packages for as low as $4 - $10 a month and also offers features like shopping carts, free business email (YourName@YourCompany.com)

How to Pick the Right Sale; Percentage Off vs Freebies

2009-09-22T13:54:00.001-07:00

When selecting a promotion for your company there's two main options you have to pick from;

1. A percentage off

And

2. Something "Free"

A percentage off can be a good promotion; "50% off", "25% off" etc, but you have to rely on your customers to be able to figure out what the percentage is. The problem is that the average American population doesn't know math, so when you say 25% off they either think "Wow! That's great" or "That's IT?!"; the first reaction can really work to your advantage whereas the second reaction equals no sales.

The only way a "percentage off" sale really works is when you use numbers 50% or greater. Customers are used to seeing places like Macys do "75% off Sales" so they know the savings is big. It also helps to create signs that show dollar amounts and the "new price";" Was $10, NOW IS $2.50".

Or there's the "free" option such as "Buy 1 Get 1 Free" or "Buy 1 Get ___ Free". I have found these sales to be far more beneficial because everyone knows what "Free" means: there's no math involved. What they don't realize is that "Buy 1 Get 1 Free" is the same as 50% off...

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So if your goal is to do 50% off, try a B1G1 sale. If you want 75% off, try a Buy 1 Get 3 Sale. You'd be amazed at the difference in sales!

Should I Have a Sale? Why Promotions are Important for Small Biz

2009-09-22T13:30:00.001-07:00

No matter what business you run, you likely know that always having some kind of "sale" or "promotion" is the key to success. Think of the bigger chain stores;

Wal-Mart is famous for "rolling back prices", which gives the customer the vision of continual sales.

Macys, Kohls, JC Penny - all these stores have some kind of "2 Day Sale" just about every week.

Furniture stores like Art Van as well as just about every car dealership continually has "The Biggest Sale of the Year!"...

Sales make people want to hurry into the business. A "sale" that is advertised as being "limited time" (2 day sale, 24 hour sale, etc) creates a sense of urgancy for the consumer. They want to make sure they are able to purchase the merchandise for the "sale price". So as a business owner, its important to compete with other "sales" and give customers an additional reason to rush into your business and BUY.

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Now that we have discussed why you should have sales, let's discuss the second part; determing what kind of sale will sell the most...

Small Business Christmas Gift Ideas; Make Extra Profit

2009-09-21T13:26:00.001-07:00

With Christmas right around the corner its important to start planning ahead for the Christmas-sales-season. This should be a strong year for small business because, as opposed to last year, the economy has gotten a little better and people are back to spending money again.

What is your Christmas Sales Strategy? Gifts are the way to go. No matter what your product is, think of how you can make it into an eye-catching gift. Use bows, ribbons, "To/From" cards to top your merchandise and stock up on tissue paper and boxes or bags. Now is the time to start looking for items you can use. You may even be able to find some white, yellow or orange tissue or other "decorations" immediately after Halloween is over. I always stock up on decor items after every holiday; when Valentines Day is over I scour the clearance sections and find white and pink tissue paper for $0.05 or after Easter ill grab a bunch of colorful gift bags for $0.03 a piece. Just because the tissue is pink or the gift bag is floral doesn't mean you can't use it any time of the year! The only one who will know its holiday clearance is YOU!

Another way to make extra sales is "upgrades". For example, if someone buys a lotion from me for $7 as a gift, I will offer tissue and a bag for $1.75 more. If they want a more immaculate gift, I have gift tins that I sell for $5 with any purchase. I also shop at the craft store and purchase fake roses when they go on sale. Ill pick up 30 sprays of roses for about $9. I then cut each rose individually and wrap a ribbon around it. For $2 more a customer can add a rose to their gift. So a single order can bring me in an additional $6 - $10 profit. Plus it makes the customer happy because they don't have to purchase materials to wrap the gift.

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So start planning ahead and be on the lookout for decor clearance! Don't wait until December when the goods are marked up!

How to Turn Promotions into Big Sales

2009-09-17T13:47:00.001-07:00

Todays lesson is in customer service / running promotions and making that customer service and promotions turn into sales.

Earlier I vented in a post on my personal blog (http://tori_thompson.blogspot.com ) about how so many companies give TOO MUCH *customer service* and it ends up feeling like harassment for the buyer. The last thing you want to do is lose business by being too over-aggressive with your promotions.

A great example of this is Victorias Secret. As I wrote on my original post; the second you walk into the store you are hounded by employees who rattle off lists of promotions then begin questioning what your shopping for, if you smelled the new perfume or tried on the new bra, etc.
It gets to the point that you run into the store and try to "hide from" employees just so you don't have to have a half hour conversation over products you have zero interest in.

Of course, as business owners, we want our shoppers to know about our promotions, but being an in-your-face "commercial" isn't the best way to go.

Both first-time customers and repeat buyers need the opportunity to browse your selection of products. If you jump on them the second they step foot in the door you may make them feel worthless. If a customer thinks they are nothing more than a dollar sign, they feel "worthless" and would rather shop with a company that values them.

HOW TO MAKE PROMOTIONS EQUAL SALES
If you want to turn your promos into dollars you need strategy.
Allow your customer to come in. Greet them with a "hello!" Then follow it up with something non-sales-related; "isn't it HOT outside?" Or "I LOVE your purse!"; this opens the lines of communication between you and the customer. It tells them you're kind and friendly. Now if they have a question or want to chat they'll come right up to you.

Next, let them browse. Eventually they will "hover" around a product of interest.
Now is the time to seal the deal; the customer is already interested in buying the lotions, once you tell them the lotions are on special, you've just made a sale. And, since you treated them so well, they may even buy more than planned.

Either way, the customer leaves the store remembering that you were nice and they got a great deal; do I smell a repeat buyer? JACKPOT!

ADDITIONAL WAYS TO PROMOTE
Don't let your promotions just be "word of mouth"! Use every additional channel possible to get the word out;

1. Online website. I created a free blog/website for my business (http://vspinknation.blogspot.com ). Its by no means "fancy" but it generates income. In fact, I am now doing more online business than I am in my physical location! I post my new inventory and promotions on the site daily. I also have write ups with info about where my physical location is and my terms and conditions. Its a win-win asset. It costs nothing and makes money.

2. Twitter. I also made a Twitter for my store (http://twitter.com/vspinknation). On Twitter I post coupons, promotions, etc.

3. Signs. Don't forget to post signs in your store! Just print them off a computer or hand write them. People always read signs. Its a far better way to broadcast a promotion than jumping on a new customer.

4. Write it down. Make 1/4 page flyers, write it on the back of business cards or write it on the receipt. If a customer has record of the dates of your promotion they'll remember to come back in and shop.

Will My Business Be Successful? Or is Competition too Large?

2009-09-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Shaking a magic-8 ball is not going to help you when the bills start piling up and sales are down. There's no way of knowing what will happen with the economy, so determining the right time to open a small business (or close a small business) could mean the difference in when and *if* you get to retire.

There's a company called SpyFu that lets you use tons of tools to (legally) "spy" on competitor businesses and learn just about everything about them:

- How much do my competitors spend to get traffic?
- Which keywords are right for what I want to accomplish?
- How big is this guy I’m up against?
- Are they just throwing money around, or are they following a system?
- When has everyone else ramped up their spending?

If these are a few of the questions you have thought through then you are a wise entreprenuer!

You don’t have unlimited funds and resources to dabble, so that’s where SpyFu comes in. By removing tedious, expensive steps SpyFu helps you build your business wisely from the very beginning so you keep the most profits possible.

You get the same—if not better—research as the deep-pocket companies without coughing up the same ad dollars.

SpyFu even offers live help. Usually SpyFu is about $60 a month but right now ITS FREE for a month. That gives you plenty of time to get to see the site, use the tools then decide if you need to get a membership or not. Totally worth checking out. Great resource!

Check out SpyFu here.

How to Tell if You're Committing Copyright Infringement

2009-09-16T08:03:00.001-07:00

As I was dropping my son off at school this morning I noticed a car next to me that was ad-wrapped. Ad Wrapping is a technique used by businesses to advertise on motor vehicles; instead of painting them, they apply a non-adhesive "sticker" to the entire vehicle. The sticker is printed with whatever the company wants it to say. By Ad Wrapping a company is able to achieve a painted look without the expense. In addition, since ad-wrapping isn't permanent, the wrapping can be removed for the auto and no damage is left.
Anyways, the car next to me was ad wrapped in burgundy color. On each back door panel was a giant image of Sponge Bob with a "speech bubble" that said "Advertise on Your Car!". On the hood was an image of Mickey Mouse holding a banner that had the companies phone number.
When I saw this car I immediately thought two things;

1. My sons would love it
-And-
2. "That's a lawsuit in the making"

Copyright Infringement is a huge problem, especially for those who don't understand it.

The exact definition of Copyright Infringement is:
Copyright infringement (or copyright violation) is the unauthorized use of material that is covered by copyright law, in a manner that violates one of the copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.

In English (lol) this means that when a company has a product, or in this case, characters (Sponge Bob & Mickey), as a business owner or individual, you can't decide that you're going to use the product/image without Licensing.

The company who has the characters printed on their Ad Wrapping is committing Copyright Infringement because they don't have permission from Disney to use the art. (I mean, there's a .001% chance they do have permission, but it would cost them a fortune. Literally, a fortune, so I highly doubt it).

If Disney finds out about this advertisement, the company will likely be sued for all kinds of things, which I'll explain in a second.

Now, there's also the "myth" that you can take copyrighted material and "tweak" it making it no longer copyrighted. For example, people assume that if they change the color of Sponge Bob from yellow to blue, that it no longer falls under a copyright. - FALSE. You can make Bob any color you want and you will still be infringing on the copyright. You can even give Bob a 3rd eye or another set of legs and you'll still be breaking the law.

Here's the way you can (kinda) tell if you're infringing on a copyright;
If someone who doesn't know about your venture looks at the product/advertisement/logo, etc and they assume it belongs to someone else; you're likely infringing on a copyright.
If you change Sponge Bob to being blue and print him on your promotional t-shirts, people still think it's Sponge Bob. People still recognize the character as the little dude that lives in the pineapple under the sea.
Or, if you create packaging for an item that look identical to another item (think of Ed Hardy knock offs) you are tricking buyers into *possibly* believing that you are affiliated with the original maker of that product.

Now let's discuss why Copyright Infringement is bad for you - and not just because you can get your ass sued to high hell in court;

Let me give you a true story (names have been changed to protect the companies):

I have a girlfriend who wanted to open a business selling sexy girl products (exotic massage oils, toys, etc). She got the idea from an existing company called Pure Romance. My girlfriend decides to make her company "Sure Romance".
At first things go very well for her sales-wise. She is selling quite a bit of product, but about 70% of the customers who are making purchases are saying things like "I bought this lotion out of your catalog a few years back - I love it!" or "I didn't know you guys came out with this flavor of massage lotion...?"
The customers are saying these things because they are mistaking my girlfriends company for actually being the long-stand business, Pure Romance.

A few months into the business, complaints start coming in. Customers purchase a product from my friend *thinking* it's a product from Pure Romance, then realize it isn't then become upset. Now my friend has to either offer them refunds and take a loss on products she can't resell or tell the customers "no refunds" and watch the bad press start rolling in.
Only 6 months into the business she ended up having to close down shop because things got so bad. She is currently going through the process of trying to reopen as a new business.
So in this situation, knowingly attempting to make money off another companies "ideas" really backfired.

Another example of copyright infringement failure is a friend who has a computer repair store. He named his store "WOW REPAIRS" because he is from Metro Detroit and knows that one of the big computer and internet services here is called "WOW". This friend also thought that by making himself appear to be affiliated with WOW he would get more business. In fact, he got just the opposite! His phone rings off the hook with people calling to report their internet outages. People come into his store completely pissed off and yell at him for faulty internet connections. People who have the actual "WOW" service will bring their computers into his store assuming that he's supposed to fix them for free because they think he's part of the "real" WOW company.
In the end, it's terrible for this poor friend of mine because he actually has a great business; probably one of the best in the area. He repairs PC's quickly and has amazing customer service, but he doesn’t have his own "identity" because he tried to copy someone else’s.

As you can see; copyright infringement just doesn't work! It's not a wise idea!

Then there's the legal trouble.
If you "steal" my product and "make it your own" I can sue you... big time. As long as I can prove that the product your selling, image your using, etc resembles mine to the point where people can mistake it for my product; you're screwed.

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In court there's a lot of things I can do to you;
First I can go after you for "loss of revenue". I will determine how long you have been committing copyright infringement. I will then compare the amount of time you have been infringing on my copyright to the amount of sales I believe I have lost due to your actions. You will have to pay back every last penny of my lost revenue.

Second, you will be responsible for all of my legal fees

Third, your items will likely be seized

Fourth, "Additional Damages" - I can also make you pay any additional "damages" that I have suffered due to your copyright infringement. This may also include "estimated loss of sales"; I can determine what my future loss of sales is because of you and make you pay that as well.

Fifth, You may face civil or criminal punishment. This is a separate case aside from the actual copyright infringement lawsuit. The prosecutor will review the case after it has come to a close and I have been awarded the monies. If the prosecutor decided that you need to be criminally punished, a new case will be brought against you.

Employee Theft Part 2: How to Catch a Stealing Employee...Legally

2009-09-15T14:16:00.001-07:00

If you suspect your business is a victim of theft, see if your employees fall into one of the five typical types of "small business thieves"
If your suspected employee fits into one of the categories, you likely are being ripped off, because most people don't steal for "no reason at all".

Now, the trick isn't just putting in a camera system. If you just pay $900 plus and throw a security monitoring system in your store you will be helping prevent *future* theft BUT you'll never know if you can trust the suspected crook. Every time anything is out of place you will immediately, in your mind, blame the "crook", when all along the suspect may have been completely innocent.

There's no other way around it; you need to LEGALLY "set up" your employee.
A thieving employee who has been stealing for a long time is comfortable enough to look you square in the eye and thank you for the bonus, then turn around and put inventory into their pocket. So let them hang themselves. You can set them up in a number of ways...

1. If you suspect the employee is stealing cash from the cash drawer/safe, give them a few extra dollars to take. For example, if your employee is supposed to count the drawer each morning to make sure there's $200 in it, put $203. See if the employee brings it to your attention or pockets the $3.

2. Bring in a large box filled with "new inventory". Make sure it has lots of little pieces. Tell them you haven't been able to count and record the items in the box and ask them to do it during their shift. Of course you will want to make sure you have records and photos of exactly what is in the box prior to the hand-off.
You may have to do this several times to catch a crook. After the first two times the employee will assume its not a setup and begin pocketing items.

3. Do an inventory or mark items. I had suspected that my employee was draining perfume out of a bottles into her perfume bottle and refilling them with water. I remembered an old trick my boss used to do at the bar where I worked;
Take a very tiny sharpie marker and place a microscopic dot on the line that shows the level of contents. If you come in the next day and the contents is way higher or lower...jackpot. You caught your crook.

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4. Start a new rule that purses, backpacks, tote bags, etc will no longer be allowed inside the premises. See what happens next; does the employee argue that they NEED their backpack? Does inventory suddenly stop disappearing?

5. Show up when least expected. If your employee closes the store, show up at close. See how they react. If you made the rule "no backpacks" and you know that their backpack was not there when you left at 3pm, now its 11pm and the backpack *magically appeared*...there's a reason for it.

After you have made efforts to catch your employee(s) "in the cast"; successfully or not, be sure to install a office security system. It will ultimately save you tons of cash AND provide you with a sense of security and peace of mind!

Employee Theft - Part 1: Why Employees Steal

2009-09-15T13:56:00.001-07:00

Employee theft is a giant issue for every business; large and small. It is near impossible to completely prevent employee theft but there are ways to try to catch it, stop it and methods that can be taken to help curve the issue.

Employees steal for a number of reasons;

1. Under-paid. Employees that are paid less than they deserve are very likely to steal in attempts to make up the income they're not making based on your low pay. Does this mean paying more is the solution? Well, here's #2...

2. Over-paid. Employees that make too much money can become very comfortable with their position in your company. They are well aware that the amount you pay is far superior to what they would make doing the same work elsewhere. Since their comfort level is so high, they assume you won't replace them; that they are an *asset* to the company. On overpaid employee will likely steal just to own the items, not for the money reselling them.

3. The employee *feels* they are entitled. Some employees may feel under-valued, so they will attempt to sabotage the company by stealing. Other employees may think you're a jerk for having "rules" and steal simply because they feel good ripping you off.

4. To impress others. Employees that are young are apt to commit theft to impress their friends or to give their friends free merchandise.

5. Too Nice of a Boss. Sometimes you just can't win for winning. If you fall into the "friendship zone" with employees and they become very comfortable with you they may have the same outlook as an over-paid employee. They can think "if I get caught ill just say I was taking it home to show my friend because she wanted to buy some".

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So basically you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

The best way to help curve theft is to try to prevent it from the jump. When you hire an employee, have them sign a contract with very specific terms on it. Don't just download a contract off the internet! The average American Intelligence Level is that of a 7th - 8th grader. You want to make sure that your new hire clearly understands the rules.

Take the time to write a "contract". Make it very easy to understand; "Removing ANY property from company grounds without permission from (your name) is theft" also include "I take theft very seriously. I will prosecute".

Then, take the time to review the contract with your employee. You want them to understand that even taking something as simple as a notebook home is theft. Explain to them that everything cost money, not just the actual items that you are selling. My employees are always shocked to find out that the bags we give customers cost $0.02 each. The tags we use to price clothing costs a penny a piece, etc. These costs add up.

If you suspect that your business is currently a victim of theft, you need to nip it in the bud with a quickness.

You have a few options-
...And installing a hidden camera to "catch" your employee who you already don't trust ISN'T one of those options. If you install a *secret* hidden camera without your employee knowing, you will likely get your ass sued. The law states that employees have to be aware (by contract) that they are being taped. The employee DOESN'T have to know the location of the cameras, but they DO have to know you're filming them.

Hidden cameras work wonders to help prevent customer and employee theft BUT if you suspect you're currently a victim of theft, you first want to find out if you can trust your employee...

Read Employee Theft Part 2: How to LEGALLY Catch An Employee Stealing

How to Market Test Your Products / Inventions

2009-09-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

Anybody who has a product likely thinks their product is the best, especially if they invented the product or have a large sum of money invested in it. But as we have seen on shows like Pitchmen and American Inventor, not every product is going to be a success. In fact, most will fail.
There are many reasons a product fails;

1. Pricing is too high. As a small business owner you likely can’t compete with giants like Wal-Mart on most products. If you had to pay for a product you invented, you have incredible costs that went into inventing the product and those costs need to be recovered, which raises the price of the item. Or, perhaps you haven’t researched the items current going-rates.

2. Product isn’t as cool as you thought. Just because the product is the most amazing thing you have ever seen doesn’t mean everyone else will think so.

3. No need for the product. If you invented a sunglass holder that holds two pairs of sunglasses; there’s just no need for your product. A retail store owner that sells sunglasses will likely want a holder that shelves 20+ pairs and an every-day person likely doesn’t want to take up the space in their home with this item when they can use the sunglass visor clip in thri car and have their backup pair of glasses on their vanity.
If there’s no need for your product, it isn’t going to fly off shelves.

So before you jump into getting space at your local mall you need to market test your items. Even if the items you’re looking to sell are “common” items that you know there is need for; you still have to do market testing.

You can begin market testing by simply researching what the items are currently selling for online. Do a Google Search for similar items (or the exact item) and see what you find. Also check eBay and see not only if the item is currently selling, but check “completed listings” and see how well the item is selling and what the total sales have been for the item.

If everything looks great, start by listing a few of the items on sites like eBay and see what happens. It’s quite amazing how a product can be hot one minute then not even a month later its cold. It’s better to lose a few dollars on eBay and discover the product is cold than to get yourself into a lease contract and get the bad news three months into your 2-year lease.
By beginning your market testing on eBay you will learn a few different things;

First, you will discover what the absolute lowest price is that you can sell your items for. eBay shoppers are different from every-day retail shoppers. eBay shoppers want the lowest possible bargain they can find. So if your item sells regularly for $20 a piece on eBay, you can safely assume that you can mark the same item up 30% - 40%+ in a retail environment.

Second, market testing on eBay lets you see who is buying your items.
You will see where you are shipping them to: If 99% of your items are being shipped to the eastern part of the United States, this tells you that the Eastern region genuinely wants your products. If you live in the Western region, you may want to consider sticking to online sales and focusing on Eastern customers.

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You will also see what other items your customers are buying. For example, if I am selling cosmetics, I can view my eBay buyers profiles and see that these same buyers are also purchasing purses and clothing. This tells me that I may want to expand my selection to include handbags and maybe accessories.

Third; you will get feedback on your items. Here’s the true test because eBay shoppers are without a doubt some of the most difficult people to please. eBay shoppers expect nothing but perfection. They could win the item for a penny and have it arrive wrapped in a bow on their doorstep the following day and still be unhappy. They will not hesitate to tell you any faults the product may have. I’d rather get a few bad feedbacks from an eBay customers telling me that the items I am selling suck as opposed to selling 200 of them in a retail store and having 180 of those customers never come back because they hate my products.

And finally, by selling on eBay you’ll be able to determine a lot of things about your business; how much will it cost you to ship 1 of your items? What about 20 of them? How much will it cost to ship the 20 of them to Brazil? How are you going to handle complaints? What kind of promotions work well for you? Etc. You never want to jump into a business without any strategy; testing the waters on eBay allows you to create a basic strategy.

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If eBay is a success, consider advancing to doing trade shows, craft shows, niche shows, etc. For example, if you sell clothing try and find different fashion / trade shows that you can rent a booth at. Booth rent at shows is generally relatively inexpensive since the show is only a matter of days or a week at the most. If the show is 5 days long, you will likely be able to get space for $10 - $70 a day, depending on what kind of show it is.
You can also consider things like outdoor festivals / events and flea markets.
Again, even if you pay $70 a day and only sell $40 a day worth of merchandise, it is better to discover the popularity of your item on a $30 loss as opposed to a $30,000 loss (being tied up in a lease agreement).

By selling at as many shows as you can you’ll see who is the most interested in your items and which of your items is going to fly off shelves and which are “dead weight”.

I recommend doing this form of market testing for a year if possible. You need to see how your products sell in all seasons so you will be able to determine what your lease budget will be. You will likely discover that during certain seasons (Christmas, “tax return time”, etc) your products are being bought consistently. Meanwhile, during the hottest days of summer, your products might be at a stand-still. So you will have to budget monies to accommodate your rent during the slow time. The worst thing you can do is sell items for a week in December, do fantastic, then jump into a contractual obligation to rent space somewhere for an extended period of time.

Also, if you really want to get to know your competition for an online store / sales site, check out SpyFu. SpyFu answers questions like:
1. How much do my competitors spend to get traffic?
2. Which keywords are right for what I want to accomplish?
3. How big is this guy I’m up against?
4. Are they just throwing money around, or are they following a system?
5. When has everyone else ramped up their spending?

This lets you know where your budget needs to be to compete. Having a strategy is always #1!

How to Save Money When Ordering Store Fixtures, Supplies, Etc

2009-09-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

If you own a small business you need to order supplies; from bags to lightbulbs to merchandise tags - the cost adds up! So why not save money? Below is a list of companies that offer instant rebates on online purchases through thousands of merchants.
I purchase a lot of my supplies off eBay (especially lightbulbs!). Each company on the list below offers 2% to 5% cash back on every eBay purchase made! So if you spend $1,000 a month on store stupplies, you'll get $50 cash back! Thats A LOT of extra supplies!
As mentioned, there's literally thousands of merchants to pick from besides eBay. If you need to order fabrick, cleaning supplies or if you just want to save money shopping at Macys.com; you can use any or all of the free programs listed below! Check 'em out!

3 Paid to Shop Sites

BigCrumbs

KickItBack

Mr. Rebates Payment

Points.com

How to Get Find Companies to Pay For Advertising on Your Website

2009-09-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

Below is a list of articles I have written about companies that are 100% free of charge and will pay you to place banner advertisements on your website(s). There's no catch and absolutely no cost. You can sign up for one company or all of them. I personally use them all because each offers different types of banners;

PepperJam Network

5 Best Programs!

Highest Paying Websites

eWealth–Great Pay

S.R $100 Per Referral

Vindale Research

MaxBounty

Kick It Back

BigCrumbs.com

eWealth.com

UK: Paid Results

TheAdNetwork

CommissionEmpire.com

How to Get Advertisers to Sponsor Your Website

2009-09-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

There are a few different kinds of sponsors who will pay you to advertise their products on your website;

1. Banner Ads - A company will pay you to place a banner ad for their company on your site.

2. Paid Links - A Company will pay you to place a link from their site on your site

or

3. Paid reviews / articles. This is a wonderful way to get money and get readers to your website. OR you can write reviews ABOUT YOUR SITE and get paid to do it!

Below is a list of companies that are 100% FREE and will pay you to advertise on your site or pay you to advertise on their site! No catch, no games, no gimmicks!

Shared Reviews

Review Me.com

Sponsored Reviews

Bloggerwave

LoudLaunch

Smorty

Blog 2 Profit

Reviewers Needed

Write Ads - 100% Profit!

Linky Love Army Paid Ads

LinkNerve

Top Secrets to Gather.com

LinkNerve

How to Used Google Adsense to Make Money From Your Retail Website

2009-09-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

If yopu have any kind of website, you can use the 100% FREE Google Adsense to make money off it it! I have made a few grand with Adsense just by installing free search boxes and occassionally a banner ad -

I have broken down everything you need to know about Adsense into several different articles; check them out here:

How to Monetize Your Site with Adsense Search Box

Choosing Google Adsense Banner Ads VS Search Box - Or Both?

Free Google Sitemaps

PAID Adsense Reviews

Increase Adsense w/Free Store

Ways to Make Your Website Even More Profitable - For FREE!

The Top Home Based Businesses; How to Start One and Keep One!

2009-09-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

I have written a series of articles about home based businesses; simple things that anyone can do from home to make a few extra dollars (with ZERO) investment - no eBooks to buy, no software to download. Just honest, real advice. Check them out:

Online E-Card Store

Create An Online Dating Site

Become an Ebay consultant

Free $ to Buy on eBay

Own an Online Mall

Launch a Clothing Line FOR FREE

Store Returns = Money!

Soups, Sauces & More

Top SAHM Jobs

Black Friday/Reseller Dream

How to Use Twitter to Increase Sales and Promote Your Business

2009-09-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

i have written a series of articles about using Twitter to increase sales, promote your business and NOT lose followers! ALL AT NO COST TO YOU! The purpose of this website and my articles on it is to inform you of successful FREE techniques that you can use to grow your business. Don't be fooled by immatation sites that try to sell you eBooks and programs! You DON'T need them! Check out my Twitter series here:

Make $ Using Twitter

Get Followers

Free Online Jobs; Blogging, Health Industry, Medical, Graphic Design, More

2009-09-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

Looking for a job to help fund your small business?
Sometimes starting up a business can be difficult; the trick is not getting into debt. If you're looking for the latest job openings, here's direct links (no cost at all!):

blogging jobs

writing jobs

writer jobs

online jobs

freelance jobs

author jobs

research jobs

data entry jobs

designer jobs

illustrator jobs

medical jobs

transcriptionist jobs

health industry

website jobs

software jobs

promotion jobs

modeling jobs

assistant jobs

secretary jobs

hospitality jobs

restaurant jobs

fitness jobs

warehouse jobs

manager jobs

assistant manager jobs

retail jobs

part time jobs

temp work jobs

temporary position jobs

contract jobs

intern jobs

exchange student jobs

Starting a Small Business: FREE DBA, Licensing, Picking a Name, LLC and More!

2009-09-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

I took the time to write a complete series on everything you will need to start, open and operate your small business. All of the articles are linked to my other website PaidOpps. So take the time to read them and enjoy! There's NOTHING to buy! Don't waste money on eBooks when all the info is 100% FREE here!

How to Choose a Company Name That's SEO Friendly

How to Start a Business Reselling

Get a Tax ID FREE

FREE "D.B.A" License

BBB Pros / Cons

Free Legal Advice

Business Banking/Accepting Credit Cards

1099's & Paying Taxes

How to Deal with Unhappy Customers

How to Choose a Return Policy

For all Your Business Needs, check out: