The Solo Gazette

Growth Industries

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:16:00 +0000

Everyone is still speculating about the recession but
there are also those so busy making money, the
recession is missing them altogether.

A couple weeks ago Andrew Beattie Investopedia did a post on
industries that are thriving. Head over there and see if you're
watching the money side of doing business, or still hanging
out with the talking clueless herd.

Domaining
For those of you getting into domaining or looking to scoop up
some good domains before they show up in the usual places
here's a site you might want to register for updates.

You can get real time available domain keyword alerts.
Of course there are those you wouldn't want anyway,
like 00-5.org (can you tell this was a newbie?).
But there are some that you might want to wait list.

Lynda
Great for small business owners looking for a cost effective
way to train your staff for about $250 a year. Also can save you
some money if you have software that you want to learn

It's limited to commercial software like Quickbooks and
Microsoft but hey, for the price it's better than wasting
hours trying to figure it out on your own.

What I've been up to since June:
Working on a PLR content membership site for BUM Marketers that
should be ready in the next week or so. These are rough products.
That means you have to know what you're doing because I'm not
giving you a finished product.

Some will come with graphics, but all will have long tail keyword
lists, and there will be a few surprise thrown in. Once it's ready,
I'll announce it here.

That's it for today and I leave you with this -

When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem resembles a nail~Abraham Maslow

Did Somebody Steal Your Name?

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:27:00 +0000

I've been watching the herd do a stampede on Facebook to grab
their name, anyone's name they think they can get away with
taking and it's nuts!

Did somebody steal your name? A loser stole Larry Wingets' and
dig this - the stupid Village Idiot then tries to 'schmooz' Larry by
saying he wanted to meet him. Loser! Read it here

Anywho, if someone else is wearing the name your name as their
own at Facebook - have no fear! Google to the rescue!

Google has this little personal profile page that you can
enter your details and get ranked at the same time for any
sites you own. Waaay Cool, Google!

Here's the link and don't say I'm not looking out for you!
Personal Profile

Focused, Concentrated Action & Gabor Olah

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:06:00 +0000

This is definitely out of character for me to post this often,
don't get used to it because I'm in the middle of 2 projects
and will likely not post again until they are completed.

With that said, I wanted received this in my email from Gabor
Olah, PLR Wholesaler and for some of you still chasing your tail,
you might get some value out of this.

Instead of my constant ranting about it here's the entire
email, and remember - take what you can use, leave the rest.

Gabor Olah,
PLR Wholesaler

By now you're probably tired of 'learning' about
Internet marketing an would actually like to make
some money...

Am I right?

I don't blame you.

When I see 1000 different people selling AdWords, eBay,
AdSense, SEO and BLOG information I get this overwhelmed
feeling.

Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in information and
instead of actually making money - I'm too busy trying
to keep up with all the latest marketing fads...

The good news is you don't need to know all the newest fads...

You really don't... Internet marketing is no more
complicated than offline marketing.

You need 3 simple components:

1) A good product
2) A good offer
3) A good list

But the simplicity of actually making money is complicated
by one thing: FOCUS

From my discussions with hundreds of entrepreneurs it
appears they do not know how to make decisions about
marketing and business in general.

They have no framework for making important decisions - how
to weigh the pros and cons of any decision, and the ability
to make decisions quickly.

Most people wait to make a decision until they have all the
information available... and they postpone important
decisions because they do not have all the facts.

Well, guess what?

You'll NEVER have all the facts.

The ability to make decisions quickly even when you do not
have all the available facts is the hallmark of a true
entrepreneur... and it's a skill you need to develop, if
you want to succeed.

You have to make the best decision possible, and make it
quickly, even if you do not have all the facts, if you want
to be successful.

Then take ACTION.

Test and studies have shown that even wrong decisions, if
acted upon, can make you successful, if you use a 'course
correction' strategy.

Course correction strategy is simply the ability to be
flexible after a decision is made and acted upon, but
appears to be off target, so that you can get back on track
by learning what went wrong so you can correct your course
of action as you move your business forward.

Making a decision, then taking action is more important to
your success than doing nothing because you're waiting
for all the facts.

Even if you're wrong, the process of decision making and
taking action is critical to your overall success.

It's more important to DECIDE and ACT, then correct your
actions as you go rather than postpone a decision and never
act.

Did you see that? Did you hear what I said?

It is critical to your success and I wish you success always.

Sincerely,
-Gabor

That's it for this week and I leave you with this -

Think in the morning, act in the noon, read in the
evening, and sleep at night~ William Blake

America Is Not The Cause Of Your Problems!

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Sat, 30 May 2009 18:31:00 +0000

Get over it.

Normally I stay clear of sex, religion and politics on this blog.
It's for good reason but today I'm breaking that rule.

I've been watching the economic meltdown, as is everybody but
I'm noticing a trend that has me setting up this rant.
Everybody seems to blame the US for their own economic problems
and that's what pisses me off.

Get a damn life! No matter what country we're talking about,
when citizens of the US were buying your cheap ass products, you
didn't have a problem with us.

When your governments wanted to 'borrow' money you knew damned
well you had no way of paying back, and the US ponied-up to help
your ass out your own mess, you didn't have a problem with us.

When your 'wealthy' classes wanted to stop paying taxes in
their home country because they got tired of being 'raped and
pillaged at will', the US was a safe haven and no one had a bad
word to say about it - didn't have a problem with us then
either.

And for my fellow Americans - Stop the effing whining! Times
have been tough in one way or another, for some more than
others, for years. We've always come back and now is no damned
different!

Instead of relying on the government or the military to solve
your problems, get off your ass and solve them yourself! You
made them, so take the consequences of your actions.

Instead of acting 'brain dead stupid' over the latest cell
phone, get off the phone and help clean up your own neighborhood.

Hate the drug dealers and gang-banger-wannabes at your kid's
schools? Get off your lazy ass and support the cops who are
trying to get them off the streets and out of the schools!

Instead of running to the welfare office every generation to ask
for a handout, get off your ass and start digging the ditches
immigrants are working daily to feed their families!

Instead of complaining about businesses closing, which you can't
do a damned thing about - get off your -owe me- ass and create
a business that provides jobs.

Instead of spending your time looking for easy money and lottery
winnings, attend a parent-teacher event at your child's school
so we don't have to wonder why the Spelling Bee has turned into
a Spelling Can't!

Pissed off? Not enough because if you were really pissed off and
tired of the stupidity, you would do something about what you see
happening in your own back yard.

It's easy to point fingers, blame everybody and everything else
for your problems. The hard part it seems is getting your hands
dirty to help be part of the solution.

Should we create more jails isn't the issue. Should we come
together and believe in our country enough to help get back on
our feet is the issue.

Black, white, red, brown, purple or green - we're all in this
together! No one is immune and unless we intend to flap our
arms to leave, this is the battlefield we are on. Right here,
on Earth, right now.

And for those of you not in the US - Clean up your own house
before you give advice on how I need to clean mine!

Remember this - Your enemy today may be your partner tomorrow.
History repeats itself, always have and always will unless we
learn from it.

That's it for this week and I leave you with this -

The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of
your own arm.~ Anonymous

Keep Your Email Private & Clean!

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:18:00 +0000

Quick update.

I've noticed the 'viagra' spammers are trying to cash in on the summer
travelers and that means your inbox is going to get slammed (especially
on Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and the like - which is where these losers
are now hanging out it seems).

Found this service I'm using that appears for now to work in
helping to keep my primary email private and inbox clean.

Give it a shot, and as always - take what you can use and
leave the rest!

My Trashy Mail

Webinar Crusher Is Live!

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Sun, 24 May 2009 18:32:00 +0000

2 Anti-Social Nerds Do 312+ Hours Of Live Webinars

These are the marketing techniques they are currently using in 2009. Not
a 'Tire-Kicker' or 'Freebie' product, so if you're looking for something
for nothing - don't go there!

Only for those serious about making bank from internet marketing!

Direct from the site:

Secret #1

Secret #2

Secret #3

Secret #4

Secret #5

Secret #6

Secret #7

That's it for this week and I leave you with this -

"Faith can move mountains. Doubt can create them."~ Howard Wight

Solo's Plan B - Expect the Unexpected

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Sat, 02 May 2009 02:12:00 +0000

Have you noticed how many people that are left holding a job probably
shouldn't have one?! After finally getting my computer back, I examined the
fiasco that got all this started, and of course it had to do with
my bank.

While attempting to use one of the bank's services, I received
an error message I hadn't seen before related to Java
that ended up being the problem (do not allow that sucker to auto-
update! Especially if you're still on XP3).

Anywho, the bank's IT department tells me "Oh, it must be a virus
on your system because it isn't anything wrong with ours." Really?

I'm not going to get into the muck of Java Runtime, if you're
any kind of tech person, you already know what happened.

Here's how they handled it: If you can't dazzle them with brilliance,
obfuscate with bullshit!

They had no idea what the problem was (instead of checking),
yet assumed everybody was scared of having a virus so that was the
expedient answer.

I hang out with black hatters (yes, those guys and gals) and was 99%
certain it wasn't a virus causing the problem.

Here's why this should bother you: When you choose online banking and there's a problem, can you trust the IT staff or department of your bank to fix it?

Tellers have no clue and those in customer service may have no idea what you're talking about - data which? Ja-what??

As a business person, don't only look to your personal banker as
the reason for choosing your bank. Ask questions about their
online banking capabilities.

Everybody promises security, but what good does online security
do you if the technical end of their service doesn't work?

When was the last time you really looked at the activity on your
bank statement?

Was that really a hacker attempt or did the IT department during one of their improvements screw up and now your banking transactions have become transparent without your knowledge? Might want to check.

I believe in 'full disclosure' and you know by know that I'm up to
naming names when it comes to business stupidity (even my own), so
here's the name of the bank: Sound Community Bank

Can I be sued?! Ask me if I care because as I've been telling you folks for years: I am a close blood relative of Jack!

That's it for today and I leave you with this -

Do what you can do with what you have, until you can get what you need to do what you want to do.

Everybody Is Star Potential

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:46:00 +0000

Not about business and you may have already seen it, but take this
to heart: It doesn't matter where you are from, how much money you
think you need or even how low your self esteem may be - You Are
A Winner & Success.

Susan Boyle - Thank You!

Happy Easter & Membership Sites Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:37:00 +0000

Thought I'd stop in this week and do a post (my birthday week is not the best time for me to write anything - I'm having a Mai Tai Overload!)

Anywho, found this blog Easy Membership Sites that can help those of you still not using Wordpress or who (like me) don't find it as 'easy' as everyone claims.

Speaking of membership sites, I have 2 membership site projects
waiting for my return, thought this would be a good time to encourage
you to at least consider it.

We're not all expert copy writers, guru product launch folks and simply
want to get something going to pay the bills. A membership site,
even a tiny $10 a month site that's autoresponder based can go a long
way in keeping that feeling of 'hungry wolf sitting at the kitchen
table waiting for dinner' away.

You may remember some time back my talking about joining the Rhodes
Brothers membership. Well here's the video that inspired me to
get started with membership site projects, Simple Business Model.

Before you get overwhelmed and think membership sites are
entirely too much work, watch the video. This one does work and I'm
seeing more of them come online daily.

Gotta run but watch a couple of the videos, signup if learning to
put together a membership site is on your list.

That's it for today and yes, I'll leave you with this:

It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating~ Oscar Wilde

Fake Working or Networking?

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:02:00 +0000

Some of you will remember how much I like Seth Godin, well
Mike Fortin is coming up fast too!

On his blog today he did a post about using Twitter, and it's something that has seemed a bit 'worthless' to me in using social media. And that's 'following' any and everybody that sends you a Tweet.

Seriously, how many of these people can you really say bring you money
in fist business from all the following?

If you are lonely, go by a dog or get a job but following everybody simply because you think you have some kind of instant connection friendship is being an idiot!

3,000 friends? Really. And exactly how many of these friends do you know anything about? Can you ask them to mentor you in an area of your business that has you stuck. Do they offer friendly tech help when your website or blog looks like crap, for free?!

I joined LinkedIn, Merchant Circle, Twitter (one post to date), and other trangeness that came along when 'social networking' became the 'Hot-Now' thing to do.

Using them to get traffic to your sites, connecting with other professionals
who may help your career or refer your business - yes.

But relying solely on any of them to build your business is a big mistake, my
opinion like it or not.

The only way I know anything about you is a 140 character 'this is my day' piece of crap with a url (that I have no idea where it goes) does not build confidence.

Let's see, maybe all those 'friends' are salvageable. What if you spend a little coin this year and actually go to one of those seminars or workshops the 'guru you love to hate' promotes? Maybe that nameless Twitter Tweet might actually be a real person.

Or maybe on LinkedIn's next Meet-Up in your city, contact the coordinator and
go mingle. If this seems to be too much trouble or you are still looking for
'free-cheap-eats', then Tweet On!

That way, when you're still stuck at your 'Day Job' this time next year (if you
still have one), you can always tell your co-workers about what a scam internet businesses are. They'll sympathize with you. Afterall, they're your friends.

Ooooh, blasphemy!: Go Outside the internet - circle jerk - world?! Yes, in the world where flesh and blood people have coffee at Starbucks, chat about their upcoming projects or share information about what's going on in the world.

How can I suggest such a thing? Because not everyone wants to be a voyeur into the Jerry Springer minutiae of other people's lives nor want thousands of fake friends involved in theirs. Surprise,surprise.

So are you maximizing the networking capabilities of Twitter, Linkedin or any of the other hundreds out there? Or are you simply playing follow-the-leader (which means your view doesn't change, you're still looking up the caboose of the train) with garbage that wastes everyone's time.

Until next time: Don't Be An Idiot!

Hosting With A Personal Touch

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:48:00 +0000

I'd been looking for a new hosting account that would allow me to
host my reports and affiliate minisites for over a month.

What I didn't need was a lot of bells and whistles, because from
looking at my site reports, Google likes my static little pages (they
aren't one page sites, most have at least 5 articles on them).

Personally page rank falls short when it comes to profits, when you
are in business you have to know your priorities! Anyway, I found
this one hosting account that works for 'non-technical, can't be
bothered with junk I will never use' me.

With 3000gb transfer rate and the ability to host 6 top-level domain names on one account, it was right up my alley.

Sure, you'll read about reseller accounts and all that but until I
see where it's worth all the hassle for me to manage on my own, I
nixed that idea.

I'm no expert in Cpanel, but I know Cpanel has a site with tutorials
that walked me through getting done what I needed to do. Works for
me!

Of course I made a couple silly mistakes with my domain name, but and this is the important part:

Tech support was in action on my email faster than 24 hours,
which in the Web2.0 - We Hate Newbies world of the internet, is something to be appreciated.

You can also use Paypal (which was a must for me). Another nice option when I could pay because money management is critical to a micro entrepreneur like me.

Arvixe offers: Monthly, every 6 months, by the year or you can pay for 2 years at a time.

The Solo Gazette Is No More - Sorta!

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:12:00 +0000

I've been going over this blog again and have decided to eliminate
how it's being done. For the past 3 years or so, I've been
attempting to tell people how to operate a micro business.

From time to time I'd add some resources for you to check, give you a
few 'real world of business ownership' articles to think about and
my hope was that the 95% failure rate would go down by at least one
person.

What happened was it increased by one person - Me! This blog has not earned me a penny and yes, I know it's been because I refused to follow the crowd. It's something about "if you're not the lead dog, you're left looking up someone's ass" that made me decide to not follow everyone else.

That was the wrong way to look at it, I must admit. See, I'm not a joiner, don't want a list of people following me on Twitter
nor do I want to keep giving away information no one cares to know - screw that!

I'm in business to make money in the most ethical and legal way
possible for me, pure and simple. This blog hasn't produced any.
It's been fun to write about BOA's brain dead employees, my absolute
failure with Wordpress and share some of the people who are doing
business the way that follows my idea of
good business.

This blog was supposed to be for those who had never
owned a business and coming from an accountant's view, there were a
whole lot of you out there really screwing up. But you know what I've come to
realize, you like screwing up and complaining about the money you
lost.

Sure Frank Kern, Russell Brunson and Ewen Chia figured this stuff out in their teens and twenties, it took me a bit longer to get it: Out of 100 people who buy something from you, maybe 5 will ever do anything with it.

Ok. Georjina Sinese can either continue to be the Mother Theresa of
the freebie crowd (her ass will starve doing it) or she can Cowboy TFU like everybody else and do it to make money!

Here's how The Solo Gazette will play out from this day forward: Highlight the affiliate programs I promote and keep track of the projects I'm working on.

The projects in motion for this week and my affiliate links (yes, I'm using TinyUrl and if you don't like it take your sorry ass elsewhere):

Email ROI Calculator - Palo Alto Software.

Conversion Rate Calculator - Palo Alto Software.

Pure Play Redirects

Salehoo Wholesale Shippers Guide.

Fat Burning Furnace - Weight Loss Without Pills or Potions

Mini Affiliate Sites To Go Live March 20, 2009

World Wide Brands - Wholesale Dropship Resource

Meal Plans 101 - Easiest Dieter's Meal Planning Software Ever (personal opinion only).

From here on those of you still looking for free information or have nothing better to do, you'll be disappointed.

The worst time wasters are those who aren’t going anywhere and want company ~ Brian Tracy

Who Are Your Blog Readers?

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:49:00 +0000

It's been an eventful week and while reading the blogs of people I respect online (and it ain't that many let me assure you!), there was a post Darren has on Problogger that still gives me sleepless nights.

How To Build Community On Your Blog. Have you noticed there are no longer count chicklets on The Solo Gazette? For some odd reason, from 500 readers December 2008 to 8 in January 2009, the thing stopped working.

What does that have to do with you?
Knowing who your visitors are streamlines your ability to give them exactly the information they are looking for. On your blog, it's critical in making your messages relevant to the interests of your readers.

Chicklets, Widgets, Talking Characters are nice little touches but in and of themselves does not sell your products or services. People who come to your site or blog have specific interests in common.

For example, parents of newborns may come to read how to get their baby to sleep through the night but the same information holds no interest for parents dealing with the 'terrible twos'. Yes, both groups are parents but that's where the commonality ends.

Darren recommends 8 strategies for building 'community' with your blog and after reading it I thought how it could effectively cross-over to your website.

1. Ask Questions of your visitors. Most people hate those 'unblockable' pop overs, but why not add a short survey like the one from the Ask Database to find out specifically what your visitors are looking for. It's something I'm considering implementing this year to 'pump up' the response on this blog.
2. Invite Questions from Blog Readers. This can work for your blog or your website. Sometimes solo entrepreneurs tend to answer questions that haven't been asked yet, thinking that if it were us we'd ask the same question. Your visitors, customers and readers may not be thinking the same thing.
3. Specialize Them. Are you a member of Linkedin, Merchant Circle, or any number of social networking sites? When they come to your site or blog, make them 'members' instead of simply a part of the 'other surfers' online.

People like to be a part of something exclusively for them, whether it is between posts that only they have access or a special bonus offer only they get notified about in advance.

Take these few tips and the ones from Problogger to help you get more mileage from your business efforts. Often it's the simple things we overlook that make the most impact to our bottom line.

That's it for today and I leave you with this -

It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a
depression when you lose yours. ~Harry S. Truman

Solo Minute: Nick's Law Says: Get Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:17:00 +0000

I've just been reading about how creating 'compelling' titles
for your blog will bring in more visitors, backlinks, pizza,
wine, money, blah, blah blah.

Of course you already know, I write these tips and tidbits to make you
think - the last thing you need is for me to start being some internet
geek.

This next bit comes from a post I made on that Wordpress blog (yeah,
that one!) for those holding back starting their own business because
of the economy. You can read it to help bolster your courage, or skip
it and just watch the video at the bottom - I'm learning to be
flexible.

Let's get to it -
Just when you think you have things figured out, Murphy pays a visit.

Hosting account? Check
Wordpress Theme? Check
Autoresponder? Check

Edited theme? No one told me that! Check
FTP program working? Uh, where is that registration
code!?! Check
View new blog? Aaack! It's not working!

Welcome to Murphy's! It doesn't matter how well you plan to get your
business moving forward or what skill set you have, unless you created
the universe, and I'm reasonably certain you didn't
there will be Murphy!

Murphy's Law loosely says:
"If it can go wrong, it will go wrong at the worst possible time, in
the worse possible way and take 3 times as long to correct!"

So should you become a solo entrepreneur in your own micro business?
Only you can answer that but I let me assure you - There are no guarantees.

The best you can do is expect the unexpected.

Things you plan to go right, may not. Plan as best you can, but get over the fear of going on your own.

And yes, you might get into the wrong business or no one may want what you're selling or any number of 'trials and tribulations' may befall you as a Solo Entrepreneur.

Ohh, poor you! You're not making the millions your sponsor, that new
course, that e-book or infomercial guy promised and nobody understands how
hard it is...boohoo.

Here's a tissue, blow your nose and....Cowboy Up! In the final results, it's up to you whether you succeed or not - no one else. Responsibility for yourself comes back to you.

That's it for today and I leave you with this (it's a video, so watch it on the blog!) Nick is what we should all aspire to be - grateful for what we have and
the journey along the way.

Cowboy Up!

Tax Season & WP Saga: Persistence My A&&!

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:48:00 +0000

If you've been reading this blog a while, you know how much trouble
I've had with Wordpress. Well, the saga continues.

For the past 2 weeks or so, I've been using a hosting account in
anticipation of putting this blog on it. Yeah, well that was a
futility of effort. Since a 'scheduled maintenance', the blog there
has been showing my hosting accounts
under construction page.

Now that wouldn't be a stressor for most of you, afterall Wordpress is
supposed to be the next best thing since bar soap and sliced bread.

For Georjina Sinese it isn't!

Whether free or hosted, WP has turned into a dog with fleas and ticks
for me. Maybe it's my accountant's mind and perfectionist gene
kicking in on overtime but I am beginning to really,
really detest WP! Ok, rant is over.

Ready to see what I've been up to on the other blog? Let's get to
it!
Tax Time - Tick, Tick, Tick, Bong!
Ok, that was silly but it is that time of the year when we're
looking at our 1099's, W-2's and wondering where the money went.

Are you wishing someone would bail you out? Me too, but the last time
I checked it wasn't happening! So what's a poor, lonely Solo
Entrepreneur to do?

Beat the bushes to scare the snakes! Find the leaky faucets
sucking money from your bank account or skimming off your credit
cards. Become a mercenary, literally!

If you can write, know how to upload photos to Flickr or simply how
to get at least 100 people to read your blog - hire yourself out to
do that work for money.

Ok, ok. I hear you saying 'but I wanted to do what I want in my
business, not become some wage slave again!'. I feel your pain, but
remember 'slaves have their bills paid, some food and at minimum a
cave to keep out the elements'.

I'm not telling you to do it permanently. Mercenaries are 'hired
guns', in to get the job done and G.E.T-G.O.N.E.! when it comes time to
'settle down' with a cup of coffee....or at least for me that's
how it works;-)

So start offering your 'services' to anyone with the money to pay
you. I'm doing double duty as a personal tax preparer, plr content
writer and niche researcher.

Anybody who wants to hire me, get in contact and let's work together.
Just remember, I'm a mercenary.

As a Solo Entrepreneur, especially my US associates: The same work
is being outsourced - use the skills you have that brings cash in the door
and become an outsource mercenary!

Target Marketing - Smart or Unethical?

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:43:00 +0000

How's your week shaping up? Other than an occasional blip, I'm finally catching up on cleaning up this blog...funny when you write how things sorta pile up.

Target Marketing.
We all know about finding your target market, but along the way you must ask yourself: Am I actually doing what's best for the people in my market or doing whatever it takes to get the money in my pocket? Why this came up was an article written by Samantha Gonzales on Invesp Blog titled: Emotional Targeting-Smart Marketing or Virtual Sucker Punch.

I'm not going to go rewrite the entire article here, reading it however is a good place to start reviewing your own marketing materials. Is it ethical to target your markets basic human needs to sell your product or services? Maybe. But what about when those messages you're sending tap into people's privacy or deepest fears.

I'm not here to chunk rocks, point fingers or make character judgments (unless you're a bucket head, then all bets are off!). When I target 'work at home, part-time micro business solo entrepreneurs' with my message - Tips, Techniques and Resources To Help You Grow Your Solo Enterprise - that's a marketing message that allows me to only speak on subjects they all have in common.

It's when a marketer use services like Claritas demographics, and police records to find out 'Mr. So and So' living in Bugtussle Acres, California on 123 Peanut Street has 40 registered sex offenders in his neighborhood and sends him messages that "he needs to buy XQZ burglar alarms before he gets 'got' because there are 40 registered sex offenders living on 123 Peanut Street, is when it might be a bit too much.

Here's my response to the post:

....you make very good points and your analysis leaves room for serious introspection on the part of all marketers.

As marketers, salespeople, business owners it would appear there are many who accept sleaze as the 'means justify the ends' to gaining customer loyalty.

It does beg the question: Where does manipulation begin and marketing begin? It appears there are areas which overlap and in some cases, to the extreme.

Are the marketers for 'gangsta rap' accountable to a public inundated by violence, when song lyrics are fictional events played out in real communities?

There are no easy answers, but as a business owner we are ultimately responsible for what we do or do not in getting our products out the door.

And if you have something to add, go read the full article and post your comment.

Local Marketing - Should you do it?

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:23:00 +0000

I'm always looking for new avenues to market my business, what solo entrepreneur do you know who doesn't? And lately looking around have found online marketers shouting the virtues of 'local search' directories.

Here's my problem with local search for part of your business: What if your local market isn't the market for your product or service? You may be a virtual assistant with clients in the global marketplace who understand outsourcing and use the tools needed for you to be effective at what you do.

How much time are you going to spend explaining to Joe Jones downtown that you have no intentions of working in his office nor that you want him 'dropping in' on you? What I'm finding locally is that since I'm 'right around the corner', many times the prospective client wants to have some 'face time'. Excuse me?! I don't think so!

I've decided to work virtual because I also like to travel. For serious Road Warrior entrepreneurs, 'local' is where they can get an internet connection, which likely will not be the same location next week.

Can local marketing work? Sure for those of you who provide services or products to a specific local market, have developed a network that recognizes you locally and there is a known market for what you sell. It's affordable, good source for direct you-to-customer contact and belly-to-belly selling.

There are those of us who do not fit that mold and that's something you need to consider before you jump on the 'Go Local' bandwagon.

HOT UPDATE: Those of you still sitting on the fence about getting a SBI site, the deadline for the $100 off special Valentine's sale is coming to a close today! So if saving money is high on your list, now is the time to get your site up before the offer ends.

SBI! removes the technical barriers allowing you to keep your attention on building your business. Many functions are completely automated. You don't need to know anything upfront about building a Web site in order to succeed. The tedious, "under-the-hood" stuff is handled automatically so you can focus on other important business-building activities.

Solo Entrepreneur: Grow Your Business

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:21:00 +0000

What a week. Have the new theme and now to do something about the
blank advertising slots. There's only room for 3, so if you
want to promote your business there, here's what you do:
1. Send me an email with your url so I can see you're not trying to
gank my system.

2. The size of your site graphic can be no larger than 120x96.

I'll run it on my new blog for 30 days free. First come, first
served on this because there isn't enough time in the day to
respond to everybody.

Now, with that out the way - let's get to it:
Growing a business when you're a solo entrepreneur can seem
daunting at times. There's not only the service or product you
are responsible for getting out the door, you must also take care
of your own:

Make selling and marketing decisions.

Find new customers and respond to current customers.

Send invoices for services provided and follow-up messages.

Monitor your finances and plan cashflow.

And the list goes on and on. But there are a couple things
you can do to make your life a little bit easier, and give you
a road map for the things you need to do.

Your first step is to redefine your business vision and mission.

After being in business a couple years, you may notice that
the landscape for your industry, your customers and even
your offerings have changed.

It's easy to fall into a 'busy-ness' trap because you work
primarily alone. We all do it from time to time, but it's when
you lose sight of where you were headed when you started that can
create frustration, boredom and mistakes.

That's it for today and I leave you with this -

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor
the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change~Charles Darwin

Solo Entrepreneur Minute: Archived Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:24:00 +0000

Are you still learning something new in your business?
It's been a couple days and I haven't blown up my hosted blog:)

While reading through some of my archived posts, it dawned on me that
quite often the tips you received came from my personal experience
working solo.

Some of them you likely didn't need to know, however as I'm not
trying to impress you - that was fine. It's human nature to have a
chuckle every now and again when someone else puts their worse foot
forward.

If you haven't seen it, take a look at the new Solo Gazette; simply
leave off the 'blogspot' in the URL. It's not finished yet but leave
a comment and you'll get a link back to your site.

Until I figure out how to move widgets, I leave you with this:

'If you are going to achieve excellence in big things,
you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude."~ Colin Powell

Solo Minute: Nick's Law Says: Get Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:40:00 +0000

Just when you think you have things figured out, Murphy pays a visit.

Hosting account? Check
Wordpress Theme? Check
Autoresponder? Check

Edited theme? No one told me that! Check
FTP program working? Uh, where is that registration code!?! Check

View new blog? Aaack! It's not working!

That's Murphy. It doesn't matter how well you
plan to get your business moving forward or what
skill set you have - unless you created the universe, and
I'm reasonably certain you didn't, there will be Murphy!

Murphy's Law loosely says "If it can go wrong, it will
go wrong at the worst possible time, in the worse possible way
and take 3 times as long to correct!"

Thinking this is a good time to start your home business?
It is the best of times but re-read that little bit about Murphy. There
are no guarantees...sounds a bit like "life" doesn't it!

My rant is about expect the unexpected. You will never
know everything, get over it.

Things you plan to go right, may not. Get over that too.

And yes, you might get into the wrong business for you or
no one may want what you're selling or any number of 'trials
and tribulations' may befall you as a solo entrepreneur.

Ahh, poor you! You're not making the millions your
sponsor, that new course, that e-book or infomercial guy
promised...boohoo.

Here's a tissue, blow your nose and....Cowboy Up!
It's up to you if you succeed or not - no one else. Responsibility for
yourself comes with choosing.

That's it for today and I leave you with this (it's a video, so watch it on the blog)
Nick is what we should all aspire to be - grateful for what we have and the journey along the way.
Get Up

Leave a comment!

New Year's Prediction: Pittsburgh!

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 03:46:00 +0000

What New Year resolutions did you make and are you implementing
any of them? I have been cleaning my inbox of all those
newsletters shouting the same, tired and just plain dumb emails.

Because TSG has been wandering for about 6 months, I've decided
to add something new to the mix that's planned for long term.

Ready for some business info? Good, let's get to it.

First up: Izea Blog. If you got wind of this through the 30DC,
then I have some bad news. As of February 1st, Zookoda will be
no more. Ted Murphy posted this news on Friday Zookoda On Ice.
If you've been using it to manage your list go find out how they
are offering to help you move things.

Recession got you running scared of your losing your internet
income? Need to start thinking of how adding Offline marketing
efforts to your Plan B?

Here's a quick, down and dirty guide from Ken Evoy that
should help you out. Go Big Locally

It will seem really basic and sooo '80's for you hard-core
internet marketers, but everybody needs to re-visit the basics
when the business as usual stops working.

Finally - 2009 Superbowl!!! Go Steelers - Take That Bird Home!!!
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, will host Super Bowl XLIII between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals.

Nothing against Arizona, they have a great team - they made it to
the Big One! But when it comes to rooting for the home team,
it's Pittsburgh All The Way!

That's it for today and I leave you with this -

“Winners are not those who never fail, but those who never quit” ~anonymous

Solo Entrepreneur - 2009 Backup Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:48:00 +0000

No, I didn't forget there is a blog out here with my name on it....I did the #1 thing I've warned every one of you to do often - Back Up Your Hard Drive! I don't care how many gigs you have, when that sucker goes down - you'll be growling at your nearest and dearest.

How's 2009 treating you so far?
If you're still reading the newspapers, it seems the beginning is 'iffy'...if this happens, then that will happen but the good news is 'if this doesn't happen then that over there won't happen!'. Does any of this sound like a rant coming on...it is.

Where ever you find yourself beginning this new year, sit down and figure out if it's really the direction you want to go. There's too many opinions by 'unreliable sources' who make it their business to tell you what they think you want to hear. In Vegas, they call it 'the Pit Boss'! He/she will smile and tell you just to hang in there, it will get better...while you're watching your mortgage payment, food budget and ticket home get sucked into a slot machine. Get real.

If your goal for your business is to make an extra $20,000 this year, how you're going to make that happen is your focus. There will be things outside your control, always has been and always will be. Even Einstein had to deal with political upheaval and Nelson Mandela spent 20 years attempting to talk sense to idiots...it happens. But it didn't stop them making plans and completing the tasks they set out to accomplish.

That's it for today and I leave you with this:

Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices. ~ Voltaire
Leave a comment!
Like this post? Help other solo entrepreneurs and leave a comment!

Merry Christmas & Holiday Greetings!

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:54:00 +0000

Wishing All Of You
Peace, Love & Harmony

This Holiday Season!

Leave a comment!

Solo Entrepreneur - 2009 Fresh Start

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:36:00 +0000

Hope all of you are doing well. It's been some year, huh? Auto
industry shake-outs and corporate begging, a new era in the US
political stream and the rest of us trying to remain calm.

Did I get that about right?! But you want to know something - I'm
grateful! It could have been worse for all of us and for some, it
has been a very bad year.

It's meant for you to keep things in perspective. What you may take
as a disaster, for someone else it may be a challenge.

This next to the last post of 2008, I'm going to do something a bit different.

Here's a list of a couple 'good reads' for you and let's call
it 2009 Fresh Start Reading List

BUSINESS SHELF

Ten Commandments for Business Failure

A bit of lessons learned insight from Don Keough, retired
president of Coca-Cola that actually has some meat to it. The
most relevant commandment we faced in 2008 is wrapped up in #10 -
Be afraid of the future.

What Color Is Your Parachute - 2009

Yes, this is a Business Book and especially relevant to Solo
Entrepreneurs begins on page 183!

Some of you used older versions of 'Parachute' and leafed
through that dog-eared copy when you went on your own.

Anyone who missed it, grab the current edition and start with page
183...this time next year, you'll be glad you did!

Micro Trends

This one was a sleeper for all but the most avid reader (or
hard-core marketer) when it first came out.

Watching trends is not high on most solo entrepreneurs radar for
a number of reasons. You're busy working on right now to worry
about later on!

Not a quick read by any stretch, it can at least give you a
heads-up on what may impact the direction you're headed with
your business now and what adjustments you may want to make
to survive later.

This next list will give you food for reflection, a pat on the back and my
hope is to get a laugh or two! Enjoy...

PERSONAL SHELF

The Filthy Rich Handbook

You will recognize some of these 'likely suspects' by their
descriptions and wonder how the author got away with it! Who do
you think 'The HeirHead' is? Unless you follow the latest,
you'll never guess.

The Healthy Skeptic

This one had me shaking my head, laughing and scared all at the
same time...and it's not even Stephen King!

The stories of medical foul-ups and quack cures is legendary,
but what do we really know when it comes to our own choices on
who to believe? Before your next check up or visit to the
herbalist, read this one.

Why Is God Laughing?

Before you get your panties in a twist, read the book! Learning
to laugh at ourselves and realize we really are doing just fine
takes practice.

It's far easier to accept what we hear from others about who we
are, what we should think and how we should live.

That's it for today and I leave you with this -

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will
annoy enough people to make it worth the effort! ~ Herm Albright

Solo Entrepreneurs: Do We Mean Business?

noreply@blogger.com (Georjina) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:05:00 +0000

Jean wrote an article in her series for Small Business Boomers that hits close to the post I made yesterday - it takes more than passion to make your business succeed.

When I first got started, the internet marketing information
(including the scams) were much less than you have to deal with
today. It wasn't any easier then to make a decision on what
business to start than it is today, though there are hundreds of
sites telling you different.

Or as Jean so eloquently puts it

"Don’t be fooled into thinking that all you need for a
successful business is an “Extreme Makeover.”

.
My mini sites that have been producing no more than extra costs
have been deleted, it took me all of 3 hours from my post
yesterday to cut the cord.

Some of you are still holding onto sites that are eating through
your credit card but not making enough to cover your hosting.

Then there are those of you who are 'wishing and hoping' for a
sign that will guarantee you will make money with your current
business idea. Here's a reality check: There are no guarantees!
Nada. Zip. Zilch. Ain't Happenin' Bub!

Look, I don't mean to preach because you are an adult and yes,
it's hard to make a leap into the unknown. But no matter how
many books you buy, courses you have, advice you get - you have
to take the next step at some point.

Starting a business is only the first decision, there will be
others for as long as you remain in business - not all of them
will be easy.

Do you cut your flagship product because the market isn't
buying it anymore?

Do you move out of your home office into leased office space
because you need the room?

Will that new project fold because the client refuses to make a
decision right now?

Are you going to have to cut expenses when you're stretched to
the limit because sales have been slow?

All are major decisions business owners make everyday, and when
you make one there are 3 more ready to take it's place on your
list.

Just some food for thought and before I forget to mention this:
for those of you considering a site overhaul for the new year,
Site Build It is having their famous 2-for-1 sale running through
the end of December. Check it out!

Remember my last post, if it's not going to help you make money
and help you build a real business - please, don't do this.

Yes, there are people making pretty good money using SBI (I'm
one of them) but it's not going to do any good getting the
tools if you're not going to use them.

I'm recommending this for those of you who have a site or
online presence and want to take it to the next level.

It will work for those of you who are new and just getting
started, too but....understand it will take you some time
visiting the member forum to really get the most use out of it.

That's it for today and I leave you with this -

"A real decision is measured by the fact that
you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't
truly decided."~ Anthony Robbins

The Solo Gazette

Growth Industries

Did Somebody Steal Your Name?

Focused, Concentrated Action & Gabor Olah

America Is Not The Cause Of Your Problems!

Keep Your Email Private & Clean!

Webinar Crusher Is Live!

Solo's Plan B - Expect the Unexpected

When was the last time you really looked at the activity on your bank statement?

Everybody Is Star Potential

Happy Easter & Membership Sites Resources

Fake Working or Networking?

Hosting With A Personal Touch

The Solo Gazette Is No More - Sorta!

Who Are Your Blog Readers?

Solo Minute: Nick's Law Says: Get Up!

Tax Season & WP Saga: Persistence My A&&!

Target Marketing - Smart or Unethical?

Local Marketing - Should you do it?

Solo Entrepreneur: Grow Your Business

Solo Entrepreneur Minute: Archived Tips

Solo Minute: Nick's Law Says: Get Up!

New Year's Prediction: Pittsburgh!

Solo Entrepreneur - 2009 Backup Plan

Merry Christmas & Holiday Greetings!

Solo Entrepreneur - 2009 Fresh Start

Solo Entrepreneurs: Do We Mean Business?

When was the last time you really looked at the activity on your
bank statement?