THE ONLINE INCOME CONSULTANT

2010-08-04T04:11:00.001-07:00

ADLEAF ADVERTS

2010-08-04T03:59:00.000-07:00

YANIK'S MARKETING TIPS

2010-07-19T05:45:00.000-07:00

I featured this great piece by Yanik Silver in the maiden issue of
my newspaper, Income!

What does a mafia boss know about marketing?

Lots. Read on to find out…

Do you remember in the movie “The Godfather” when Don Corleone
says, “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse”?

And it’s this simple concept that’s the backbone of any successful
sales proposition you make. (However if I were you, I’d probably leave
out the threats of violence in your sales piece.)

From now on, your job is to create such powerful offers that anyone
reading it would say to themselves, “My goodness, I’d have to be a
complete idiot not to take them up on this deal!”

And creating a powerful offer like this is easier than you think.

Let me share with you one of the most compelling offers I’ve seen. It
took a dying hotel on the wrong side of the Vegas ’strip’, where you
had to watch your wallet at every turn, and transformed it into a super
moneymaker.

This is from a very successful ad that used to run for Bob Stupak’s Vegas
World hotel. Listen to this deal and see if you wouldn’t act on this even
if you were just an occasional gambler:

“Act now, to receive a virtually free Las Vegas vacation. For $198 per
person or $396 per couple I will:

1) Put you up in a luxurious mini suite in an exciting Las Vegas hotel right
on the famous strip.

2) I will give you free tickets to a show with name entertainers.

3) I will put a chilled bottle of champagne in your room for free.

4) I’ll let you drink as much as want for free, whether you’re at the gaming
tables, playing slots or in one of the lounges.

5) I’ll hand you $1,000 of my money to gamble with for free.

6) I’ll let you keep all your winnings.

7) I’ll guarantee you’ll win a color TV, VCR or a faux diamond ring.

Obviously I’m not going to give this incredible deal to everybody in the whole
world. There can only be (small number) of these vacation packages available.
First come, first served.”

If that’s not an irresistible offer, I don’t what is. The closer you can get to
something like this, the more customers you’ll have falling all over themselves
to give you their money.

Does this give you a few ideas?

Using The Bonus Pile On

Vegas World’s offer uses a concept I call “Bonus Pile On”. And the way it works
is to keep piling on bonus after bonus until finally you have to say “no mas” and
whip out your charge card.

It was the same thing with the famous Ginsu knife commercials a few years back.
They used this technique perfectly to sell millions of dollars of cutlery. The
announcer would say “And if you act now you’ll also get…” and then about 15
different knives and kitchen gadgets would pop up on the screen.

It made you think about how much value you were getting for such a little price.
That’s the power of the “bonus pile on”.

So what’s the best way to start using this in your business? Well, one of the best
ways I know is using paper and ink. You can give away a series of valuable reports
with any purchase. What’s more, you could even make this information available
as a download from your website so you’d have zero distribution cost.

Or you could make deals with other businesses where they’d let you give away a
product or service from them to your customers. If you really use your imagination
here you’ll come up with lots of ways to create a “bonus pile on”.

Make Prospects Take Action Now!

There’s no doubt about it - deep down, everyone of us is a lazy procrastinator. That’s
why you need some kind of deadline or scarcity factor to make prospects take action
now. If your prospects believe an offer is going to be around forever, there’s no
reason to take action.

That’s the reason deadlines work so well. In one of my businesses, I’ll stamp a red
deadline on the order form for the last day prospects get over $2,000.00 in free
bonuses. And believe me, it’s not unusual to get people ordering right on the very
last day of the deadline just because of this stamp.

100% No-Risk Guarantee

Finally, the last component of a powerful offer is to make your deal as risk-free as
possible. Nobody wants to make a mistake and be stuck with something that doesn’t
deliver as promised. That’s why you should make every effort to lift the risk from the
prospect and place it squarely on your shoulders.

Make a bold guarantee and make it for as long as possible. If you have a quality
product, you shouldn’t worry because most often return rates will drop the longer
you extend guarantees for.

Another strategy to try is offering a 30-day “hold-your-check or charge slip” trial.
That means people will send you checks postdated 30 days out or you won’t charge
their credit cards for 30 days. Joe Karbo used this to sell tens of thousands of copies
of his book “The Lazy Man’s Ways to Riches”.

Now you have all the keys to creating your own irresistible offer and watching your
sales soar. Just keep adding value and more bonuses until you come up with an
offer than makes your prospect feel guilty for not ordering.

Yanik Silver
http://www.SureFireMarketing.com

ONLINE BUSINESS YOU NEED

2010-07-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

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Healthspark Launches Tomorrow – Grab Your Resources

2009-10-06T05:42:00.000-07:00

In our new merchant Healthspark launch, we are looking for people like you who want to get involved and earn some fantastic commissions with our new merchant.
With commissions has high as 40% on selected products, now has never been a better time – build a site now, and come the New Year (when traffic in the health sector increases around 300%) you’ll be in prime position to reap the rewards and generate a huge number of sales and commissions.
Launch day is TOMORROW (Thursday) so check out some of the following threads to help you get started. We’ve got banners, keyword reports, domain name suggestions and much, much more.
Banners
20 x Keyword Lists
Suitable Domain Names
Full product list and commission values
Advanced link codes
Healthspark: How to Promote Guide
If you’ve got any questions about getting started with Healthspark, get in contact with me – my details can be found on my profile page here. Full details of the Healthspark affiliate program can be found here.
Best of luck with your promotions.

Greetings!

2009-09-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

Solid IT Careers You can pursue

Looking for exciting career opportunities in today's world? Don't go past Information technology. A lot of talk in IT centres on products, training and certification. But career development is beyond education and technologies. Where are the prospects? What is the opportunity market like?

In making your choices it is critical to understand the different career areas and what makes them so important. Examine nature of the work and consider your interests and needs. When you identify your natural fit it's easier to motivate yourself to excel.

So what will give you impact for your effort? Let's take a brief look at top guns in the IT career sphere.
Solid IT Careers You can pursue

FREE IT Certification & Career Seminar -Sept 19

Develop a career in IT - You can't make a better choice! The knowledge economy depends on IT professionals. No wonder they are found in every segment of the economy.

The only Straight Talk forum on Career Development and Self Empowerment with IT certification will hold in Lagos, Nigeria on Sept 19, 2009. Time: 12:30 p.m. Venue: 12 Eric Moore St, Wemabod Estate, Ikeja, Lagos. , Power up your IT Career!

Jidaw is a foremost authority on IT Career development. Get ready to be shocked with honest, down-to-earth straight talk! We at Jidaw challenge you to use this opportunity to realize your goals. , We dare you to live Your dreams! Start managing your IT Career now with the FREE IT Career Seminar. There is no comparison. Record-breaking, Time-tested, Result-oriented and No-Nonsense.

Space is limited. To invest in this uncommon opportunity, please register at the Jidaw address or call on 08052647395, 01-8958064, 07094094942, 07025333756, 08035007778. Learn more about the FREE IT Career Seminar

Current Job Vacancies

2009-09-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Career Opportunities / Job Vacancies and Deadline
The one and only IT Entrepreneur Guide - Start Your New IT Business - real-life & no-nonsense

Urgent employment for a Secretary

Sep 10, 2009

Transolve Job opportunity and position in Nigeria

PMP and ITIL Instructors and Consultant job vacancies in Nigeria

Trainee Operator Nigeria LNG Limited NLNG Job

Sep 22, 2009

West African Examination Council Vacancies

Sep 21, 2009

Information Systems job in Nigeria Management Sciences for Health

Sep 17, 2009

Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc Jobs in Nigeria

Sep 17, 2009

Unilever Jobs in Nigeria

Sep 17, 2009

Radio Diamond University of Ibadan Senior Executive Officer

Sep 17, 2009

National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development Director General Vacancy Nigeria

Sep 15, 2009

How To Start Writing Articles Successfully

2009-08-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

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You have probably heard that writing articles is one of the best methods that you can use to promote your online business. You might resist the idea of writing your own articles, because you don't think you are any good at it, or perhaps you might think that it is too hard to find a topic to write about.
Well, in this article, I hope to share with you some tips on how to become a successful online writer --- even if you don't believe that writing is a task that you are prepared to tackle.
Now, let me share some information about me that few people realize...
I do not consider myself to be an expert on the subject of writing. And honestly, my English is not very good at all. It is really hard to tell, isn't it? Keep reading.
You see, I am from Norway. And as you might imagine, I speak Norwegian fluently. For me, English is my Second language --- not my first.
Despite my limited English skills, my articles consistently get reprinted on lots of websites and in lots of newsletters. I have even been published in ezines that have hundreds of thousands of subscribers! And, my latest article has only been in circulation for one week, and it already shows 220 results in Google.
I cannot think of another way of getting that many one-way links to my site so quickly and so easily.
How to Find Topics for Your Articles -
The first thing that you will want to do is to look at your website and ask yourself some very important questions.
What is the theme of your website?
What product or service do you sell?
Do you have a forum on your site? If you are stressing for an idea about what you can write, then use one of your forum postings. (I do this all the time. Sometimes, I can take my response directly from my forum, and I send my answer out as a stand-alone article to the various article directories.)
Do you find yourself answering the same questions over and again for people who are interested in your products or services? If so, sit down and construct your answer in such a way that it can be used additionally as an article to promote your website. Send your answer to the person who asked the question, and then release your answer as an article. I have spoken to many writers who have told me that this is how they got their own start writing articles.
These are only a few ways to develop the topic of an article you might write. You should always try to write about a topic that interests you, and that you think can benefit others to read. Don't hold yourself back with the excuse that you are not an expert in the field that you are writing about.
Everyone on the planet has something to contribute to others. There are things that I might know that you don't know, and I can share that information with you. And, believe it or not, there are things that you will know that thousands of other people including myself have no knowledge about. There will always be something that you can teach to me and others.
Finding the Time to Write -
You may think it takes a lot of time to write, and that you're not able to add this task to your already tight schedule. But, if you would only set aside half an hour every day to write, you'll soon have a couple of articles finished every week.
The Tools I Use When Writing -
Most text editors will have the features you need to write your articles. Writers use a wide range of software applications to help them with their writing tasks. Some of the applications that people use include:
* NotePad - Preloaded as a part of Microsoft Windows
* UltraEdit32 - http://www.ultraedit.com/
* Sun Office - http://www.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/
* Microsoft Word/Office - http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/
Personally, I use Notetab Light which is a free text and HTML editor. You can download this editor at: http://www.notetab.com/
Beyond your basic text editor, it is nice to have some kind of spelling tool to double-check your work. I strongly recommend that you do not rely too much on the software spelling tools alone. While good, these spelling tools seldom do a good job fixing even basic grammar problems. These spelling tools also miss words that are spelled right, but used incorrectly in the context of the sentence. Examples include: their and there, and week and weak.
When you consider the damage that a poorly written article can do to your reputation and your ability to sell goods and services from your website, it begins to make a lot of economic sense to have someone proofread your article before you release it to the public. The fees that you will be asked to pay for proofreading services will more than pay for themselves by presenting a stronger, more professional image for your website and business.

Investment Advice for Beginners

2009-08-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

Investing money provides you with a way to develop financial wealth, such as by using compounded interest to gain 4 percent through a certificate of deposit or a 10 percent return on stocks. Before you make significant investments, evaluate any debts. For example, if you owe $2,000 on a credit card with an interest rate of 20 percent, pay off your credit card so that any gains from investments are not wiped out by credit card interest.
Basics
Beginners should establish investment goals. For instance, one investor may want to earn a certain amount in 10 years, 15 years and 20 years. Another investor might want to earn enough to afford her newborn's education. Investment considerations must include salary increases or decreases, Social Security and taxes. Make sure that you distinguish savings from investments. Savings refer to relatively liquid income, such as money in a bank savings account or money market fund. If you have an emergency, then you can use money allocated as savings. Investments refer to income that you will need in the long term that is typically composed of stocks and bonds.
Stocks
Over a long period of time, stocks provide investors with opportunities to earn high investment returns. When purchasing stocks, begin by researching companies that you like in order to determine if the companies are publicly traded or privately held. For example, if you are a fan of JanSport backpacks, then you are out of luck as it is privately held and you cannot purchase stocks. However, if you love Macs and have an iPhone, then research Apple's stock (AAPL). Try to understand how it makes money. Is the business 75 percent from iPod sales? Companies that are publicly traded must disclose quarterly and annual reports. Get in the habit of reading investor reports.
Tips
Remind yourself that the market is cyclical and prices continuously fluctuate.For additional support, consider taking a financial literacy class at a local community college. You also could purchase a book like, "The Everything Investing Book," "The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read" or "The Little Book of Common Sense Investing."Once you feel comfortable, open an account with an online brokerage and dabble in minor investing. Purchase a few stocks by spending less than $250, but do not evaluate the stocks daily. Instead, return to the stocks after a month and assess the return.

Best Cleansers for Every Skin Type

2009-08-26T04:53:00.000-07:00

You don't have to spend a lot of money to find a good cleansers. You can get a great basic cleanser for any drugstore, but if you want the very best, you can pay for it. Here I run down the best face cleansers for 5 different skin types: dry, oily, combination, sensitive and blemished. This list includes some of the yearly picks by the staff of 'InStyle' magazine plus the tried and true picks selected by myself other beauty experts.
1. Best Basic Cleanser for All Skin Types: Purpose

My beauty cabinet is full of cleansers from some of the priciest boutique brands, but the cleanser I use every day doesn't cost $60 or even $30, it costs $6 at the average drugstore. When my friend Laura (visiting from Seattle) spotted my bottle of Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash in my bathroom, she emerged laughing. She couldn't believe THIS was my cleanser of choice. I had to explain that you don't need a lot of bells and whistles in a good cleanser.[p] This soap-free, oil-free liquid lathers away dirt, makeup and oil but doesn't leave skin so dry it reacts by overproducing oil. Since trying out Purpose a couple years ago, I've read other dermatologists who cop to using Purpose as well, and it makes most of the "Best" lists in magazines.
2. Best Cleanser for Dry to Normal Skin: Cetaphil Cleanser

Just as there are no bells and whistles with Purpose above, there are none with this baby-mild product that even dermatologists swear by. So why is this $10 cleanser such a must-have? It's creamy, simple and isn't loaded with chemicals or perfumes that can irritate the skin. Cetaphil products are revered in the industry and their cleanser is one of the best drugstore buys out there. Period.
3. Best Cleanser for Dry Skin: Boscia Soothing Cleansing Cream

Creamy cleansers are best for dry skin. They won't strip your face of essential oils, but do remove dirt, makeup and impurities. The chamomile in Boscia's cleanser soothes dry skin while the carrot root provides anti-aging properties. Jojoba leaf is also in Boscia's cleanser and is an antioxidant (a must for skin these days).
4. Best Cleanser for Oily Skin: Clinique Wash-Away Gel Cleanser

Gel cleansers work well for oily skin because they absorb excess oils. This classic cleanser can be a bit drying, so test the product before you buy.
5. Best Cleanser for Acne: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash, Acne Treatment

Neutrogena is one of the best drugstore beauty brands, hands-down, and you can't go wrong with this simple acne wash for acne-stricken skin.
6. Best Cleanser for Aging Skin: Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Cream

I'm a huge fan of the Dr. Hauschka line. Organic and not full of chemicals, the cleansing cream and moisturizers are very popular among those concerned with healthy skin.
7. Best Cleanser for Sensitive Skin: Olay Foaming Face Wash, Sensitive Skin

This basic drugstore cleanser works well for sensitive skin because it contains no harsh ingredients that will inflame skin.

Mouth Odour

2009-08-26T04:21:00.000-07:00

How Can You Tell If You Have Mouth odour?
You cannot tell by yourself whether or not you have bad breath. Many people try cupping their hands to their nose to smell exhaled air. Others may try licking and then smelling their wrist. Unfortunately, these simply do not work.
How do you tell if you have bad breath? Many dentists measure breath odour using an instrument called a halimeter. The patient blows into a straw like tube connected to the halimeter and the machine detects the levels of volatile sulphur compounds in the breath. The more volatile sulphur compounds measured by the machine the worst the breath.
If you do not want to use a halimeter the next best way to detect bad breath is to simply ask a trusted friend to tell you whether or not your breath is offensive.
Causes of Mouth Odour
· Sleeping (Morning Breath); While you are asleep, your saliva flows more slowly. Since the flow is slower, it is unable to dilute the release of sulphuric gas causing bad breath.· Smoking causes bad breath for a couple of reasons:- Tar and nicotine build up on mouth surfaces such as teeth, tongue and sides of cheeks.- Smoking dries the mouth by inhibiting saliva flow. This, in turn, leads to the growth of bacteria, causing bad breath. - Smoking can exacerbate gum disease and sinus conditions, such as post-nasal drip, two important bad breath risk· A Dirty Tongue; has tiny little hairs which are the real culprits for bad breath. These tiny little hairs trap and breed bacteria. · Dieting; Eating produces saliva to enable the easier swallowing of food, and swallowing dislodges bacteria from the back of the tongue. So, the less you eat, the less saliva you produce, and the less sulfuric gases you dilute.· Certain Foods; All foods can cause bad breath, but food such as onions, garlic, etc. (you know which ones you avoid when you have an important business meeting or a hot date!) have highly volatile gases that are absorbed into the bloodstream, evaporates into the lungs, and wafts out of your mouth when you speak. Since this form of halitosis is lung-based, flushing the system with lots of water will help.· Menstruation; Hormones released right before the start of the menstrual cycle create a heavy concentration of sulphuric protein in saliva.· Poor Oral Hygiene; Food trap within cavities inside the mouth can cause bad breath. Poor oral hygiene (proper brushing and flossing) can result in food particles rotting within your mouth.
Stop and Prevent Mouth Odour From Ever Becoming A Problem
· Proper Brushing; Did you know that when you brush your teeth and gums that you should also brush your tongue and also the roof of your mouth. Brushing these areas helps dislodge bacteria from the microscopic hairs on your tongue. By removing these bacteria you will prevent bad breath.· Proper Oral Hygiene; If you have dentures, cavities, or other mouth problems make sure that you cleanse the affected area thoroughly. Keeping your mouth free of foreign particles will prevent bad breath.· Avoid Certain Foods; If you don't want to smell like garlic on the night of a hot date you should avoid eating garlic. Please don't feel like you are going to miss good foods our next tips is helpful as well.· Drink Plenty of Water; Keeping yourself hydrated does two things. It allows your system to flush out odours from onions, garlic, and other aromatic foods. It also keeps your mouth moist and slows the growth of bacteria preventing bad breath.· Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine; Alcohol and Caffeine are both diuretics and can cause your mouth to become dry. A dry mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria. (Note: This principle is responsible for the introduction of new, Alcohol free mouthwashes).· Dental Care; See your dentist twice a year to have your teeth cleaned. If you still have bad breath, see your family doctor to find out what is causing it.· Quit Smoking; It really is a bad habit that will only shorten your life expectancy.
Get Rid Of Bad BreathCure Mouth odour
-Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, because these contain the plant pigment chlorophyll, a natural breath freshener. Limit your intake of refined carbohydrates, coffee, alcohol, and dairy products, since they encourage bad breath.
-If you also suffer from poor digestion, you may be producing insufficient stomach acid. To boost your digestion, add vinegar to meals of meat, fish, or eggs. Apple-cider vinegar provides acetic acid in roughly the same strength as that of normal gastric acid. Some people benefit from gargling (do not swallow) with a solution of two teaspoons of this vinegar in half a pint of warm water each day.
-Brush your teeth twice daily, than use dental floss. If you are not sure how to do this correctly, consult your dentist. Brushing the tongue also helps get rid of bad breath.
-Don’t forget to visit your dentist twice a year.
-Keep yourself hydrated, It allows your system to flush out odours from onions, garlic, and other aromatic foods. It also keeps your mouth moist and slows the growth of bacteria preventing bad breath.
-Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine.
-If you have dentures, cavities, or other mouth problems make sure that you cleanse the affected area thoroughly. Keeping your mouth free of foreign particles will get rid of and cure bad breath for good.
Home Remedy For Mouth Odour
· Boil some cinnamon bark in a cup of water. Store it in a clean bottle in your bathroom. Use it as a mouthwash frequently.· Parsley leaves are rich in chlorophyll, nature's own deodorizer. Chew some leaves regularly and your breath will remain fresh. (100% vegetarian Toothpaste)· You can also chew some cardamom seeds to sweeten your breath. · Avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol.· Brush your tongue along with your teeth regularly.· Clean and replace your toothbrush regularly.· Floss often.· Brush your teeth in the morning, after every meal, and before you go to bed.

The Dating Campaign - Earn up to $130!!

2009-08-24T11:04:00.001-07:00

Proactol has created probably one of the most polished campaigns so far that tap very nicely into a niche that should be VERY easy to convert.
Why should I promote this?Women (and men) looking for a date are always conscious about what they look like, and for women this usually is mainly their weight. So, this is a brilliant campaign to tap right into this. Even better - if you can create a blog or a microsite about Online Dating this should convert like crazy. And the obvious reason being that you can earn up to $130 in commissions!
We're even offering a FREE BOOK on this campaign. And yes, you've read this right. It is NOT an Ebook, but a real book.
For the full forum post go here.
There are some great resources for this:
Banners - Get them here
Keywords
Special Book Offer Code DATPR1
Article - Download it here
Landing Pages - Go to advanced Linking codes
Click here to check out your high-converting resources today
Earnings and much much more...Proactol™ ™ is paying up to $130 depending on sales package and location of the sale. We also pay out 10% on any re-orders received. Read more here
Great product: benefits galore!Proactol™ has been clinically proven to help people lose their unwanted lbs. The results speak for themselves!
Helped thousands of customers to lose excess body weight
100% natural and 100% organic
180-day money-back guarantee on every order
120 pills in every box, higher packages give away a box for free!
Great incentives for testimonials for those who help spread the Proactol™ message!
Get your linking code now and start making fully tracked sales today!
How to use this campaign
Write an article about weight loss for your first date and put it on your page
Create a microsite just about the phenomenon of 'dating weightloss'
Create a microsite about Online Dating and how pictures can often be deceiving
Put the banners on your site
Create a blog , i.e about a girl doing Online Dating because she finds it hard to approach men in places because she feels insecure, keep blogging for a while about her experiences and then once the date comes in mention Proactol – voila
Start promoting Proactol™ today and make up to $130!!

5 Perfect 'Spare-Time' Online Businesses

2009-08-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

With all the doom and gloom news about the economy, there's never been a better time to make an extra paycheck online with a minimal amount of time and effort.
If you have an internet connection, you can get started on the road to having the internet pay for your mortgage, car payment, kids' college tuition, or even that special vacation you've wanted. Now, don't worry that you have to be a tech whiz to start a business online--I'm a complete techno-dunce.
A perfect part-time business would have to be very easy to start, require little time and money and no technical expertise, be easy to maintain with just a few hours a week and have a proven track record with a high probability of success.
There's actually one other important criteria--it has to be perfect for you! Experience has taught me that it's different strokes for different folks, and there is no "one size fits all" perfect business. You're much more likely to be successful if you do something you find fun and interesting.
With that in mind, here are five of the best ways to make extra cash moonlighting on the internet:
1. Information marketing: We're in the information age, and the internet provides you with the ideal medium to exchange know-how for money. Do you know the best fishing holes? How to play guitar? The secrets to a successful marriage? A recipe for moist and delicious brownies? A trick for saving gas?
Think about your career, your hobbies and your interests. Virtually anything you know can be turned into extra cash. And don't worry if you think you're not an expert--as long as you know more than the average person on the topic, that information is valuable.
However, if you don't believe you know anything that others would pay for (highly unlikely), you can take someone else's know-how and make money that way! It could be as easy as interviewing a veterinarian to help you create a dog-training product.
Ninety-two percent of people go online looking for information, and you could be one of the many people cashing in on selling it.
2. eBay: One of the largest online marketplaces makes it a piece of cake to get your own business going. You can open an account and start making money within hours on eBay!
While I dislike that whole "sell your garbage on eBay" thing, there is some validity to it as many people get their start on eBay by selling items from their garage or attic that pre-eBay would have been thrown out. This approach is fine, but where is the business once you run out of those items? If you want to create an eBay business that doesn't require tons of time and effort, you need to leverage products that can be sold over and over again.
This is one of the reasons I'm not a fan of the "eBay seller for hire" kinds of opportunities, where you sell things on eBay for other people. You get access to stuff people want to sell, but because each item is unique you have to work to list each and every one. There's no leverage there!
Take a look at some of the largest eBay PowerSellers and notice how they specialize in very specific products (iPods, cell phones, dog grooming kits, etc.). This allows them to leverage their efforts. A listing is created once, and money is collected over and over again.
Unlike information marketing, this business requires the handling of physical goods, but even that can be automated, so it shouldn't prevent you from considering this idea.
3. Affiliate marketing: This may possibly be the absolute laziest way to make money because it doesn't require you to have a product, make a sale or ever have any interaction with customers.
This is essentially a "referral" business, or as one of my book contributors likes to call it, "passionate recommendations." Basically, you can get paid a referral commission just for sending people to sites (or vendors) that are set up to pay affiliate fees once a sale is made. The vendor does all the selling, fulfills the purchase and handles any customer service issues--and you just collect your check….not bad!
Some people choose affiliates based on who or what is paying the highest commissions, and that certainly is a viable option. Most people opt to choose products or goods they are passionate about so that the process is much more fun and engaging.
Insurance and credit card companies pay high commissions for referrals that convert to customers ($40 to $150 and up), but the competition is fierce. It may pay well, but is this something you'll enjoy doing for the long haul?
Alternatively, you could take a look at your hobbies and other things you enjoy and see which affiliate programs are a good match. As always, do your research to verify the viability of your market. A good place to look for ideas (and downloadable products just waiting for an affiliate) is ClickBank.com.
4. Blogging: This business is best suited for folks who enjoy communicating about a particular subject. Think of blogs as journals of sorts. Although you can have a personal blog, writing about a particular topic will have a higher chance for financial success.
The range of topics is virtually endless--photography, sports cars, parenting, dieting, star gazing, the latest gadgets, Hollywood gossip--you name it, as there are blogs on just about everything you can imagine. Don't worry about competition. Folks who read one blog are apt to read others on a topic they're passionate about, as long as you have something interesting to say.
Once your blog starts getting traffic, you can make money passively with things like AdSense (Google's ad revenue sharing plan) or actively by doing a little bit of affiliate marketing. You can see both types of moneymaking strategies at SparkleCat.com, which is a blog about a person's cat. What makes it interesting is that it's written from the cat's perspective and often refers to her "human." At the top of the page are Google AdSense ads, and sprinkled throughout are suggestions for things like cat furniture and premium cat food, which are tied to an affiliate program. Pretty cool, no?
5. Yahoo! Store: This business is very similar to eBay in the sense that it's a monster-sized marketplace but more similar to a store in the true sense of the word. Think having your own retail outlet but without the hassles of rent, employees, utilities and all the other expenses of a traditional brick-and-mortar store.
The neat thing is that it can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you want it to be because of companies called drop-shippers, which can do most of the work for you. In fact, you don't even pay for the inventory until you make a sale. How cool is that?
Most people think the hard part of this business is creating your virtual store, but nothing could be further from the truth. Yahoo! has made the templates and wizards so easy that, dare I say, even a caveman can do it!
The best way to ensure your success is to do your homework and research what products people most want to buy. You need to find a niche. Once again, start with things you enjoy. Let's say you love fishing. What products do fishing folks want to buy most? (Or get even more specific, like, what are bass fishermen looking to buy?)
Then the task is to find the right source of those products so you can carry them in your Yahoo! Store. In most cases, you'll be able to pull pictures and product descriptions directly from your sources and plug them right into your store.
As you can see, this business requires a little bit more upfront work, but once it's done it can be maintained with very little regular input on your part.
There you have it--five perfect part-time businesses. Are you ready to start moonlighting on the internet now?

Marriage: Money Rules for Couples

2009-08-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

On Thursday there was an article about the devastating toll financial infidelity can take on relationships. While we may not talk about this sort of “cheating” often, it turns out that it’s quite common and occurs in an estimated one out of three marriages. If I had to guess why it’s so prevalent, I would bet it’s because most of us don’t realize when we’ve crossed a line.
Let’s end the confusion right here. Dr. Doug Welpton, a Clearwater, Fla, based psychiatrist and family therapist, gives some ground rules to keep spouses from spending unhealthy sums of money without telling their partners.
The Money Rules
Set a Monthly Budget
You’ve heard it before, but it’s worth repeating. Every healthy relationship should start with a budget. As a couple, you should figure out how much you need to spend on necessities, such as your mortgage payments and 401(k) contributions, and how much you can afford to put toward discretionary items, including entertainment and shopping. If you’re having trouble agreeing on how much you need to set aside for certain goals, including retirement and your kids’ education, consider hiring a financial planner.
In the context of financial infidelity, couples also need to decide how much each spouse can spend without telling the other person. (Not having a formal limit is what gets so many of us get into trouble.) Rather than saying any purchase under $100 is acceptable, it’s better to come up with a monthly amount so each of you can choose if you want one expensive item or if you’d prefer to spread out your expenditures in smaller increments during the same time period.
End the Power Struggles
One way to end any sort of power struggle over money is to have separate bank accounts. My husband and I have three. There’s one for him, another for me, and a third for our joint household expenses. Welpton likes this arrangement and suggests couples put an equal percentage of their income into the joint account and then fund their own accounts with what’s left over. If one person isn’t working, he thinks the one who is should fund the non-working spouse’s account.
Disclose all Secrets
If one spouse has a spending problem and has accumulated debt, now is the time to speak up. Once the problem is out in the open, the two of you can work together to figure out a way for the bills to get paid off. If the credit card balances are very high and one person feels terribly wronged, Welpton believes you may benefit from seeing a marriage counselor to discuss the issue. If there’s an addiction problem at the heart of the matter, help your partner get the help he needs.
Monthly Meetings
Finally, agree to sit down and meet monthly to discuss your finances so everything stays out in the open. It’s also a good idea for the two of you to check in with each other and make sure the bills are getting paid and that you’re sticking to your savings goals. As difficult as these meeting may initially feel, try to approach them with an open mind. Just remember that the two of you are partners and one person should not control the family finances or your relationship could feel out of balance. And that, sadly, could lead to another other types of infidelity

Find China: discover the hot markets in this land of opportunity

2009-08-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

China offers unlimited market potential, but what do Chinese people really want?
According to Zachary Zhao, managing director for the State of Illinois, Shanghai Office, here's what's hot:
INDUSTRIES: Real estate, steel, oil, construction materials, home appliances, mobile phones, automotive and textiles
PRODUCTS: Food, apparel and other fast-moving consumer goods; among the nouveau riche, premium brand perfumes, garments, watches and automobiles
SERVICES: Telecommunications, health care, banking and insurance
ZHAO'S BEST ADVICE: "Attend an organized trade mission, find the right distributor or agent, and use Chinese friends living in China to make introductions for you."
Bill Liu, vice president of NaviAsia Consulting Group Inc., a China strategy, sourcing and supply-chain con suiting firm, shares his picks:
INDUSTRIES: Automotive, railroad, transportation, construction, fashion, beauty and health care
PRODUCTS: Automobiles, semiconductors and electronics
SERVICES: Banking, consulting and legal
LIU'S BEST ADVICE: "As a first step, source some products in China. The cost savings will allow you to use the extra cash to either source more products or search for a partner for market entry. To realize profits, use China as your factory."