This article is contributed by R.L. Fielding who writes regularly for Dittman Incentive Marketing.

“If only I could get people to do what I want them to do...”

How often have you thought that … or said that? And how often has the answer eluded you?

We’d love to think that employees will do the right thing and that customers will make the right choice, but since only a segment of your employees are motivated to do what you need them to do, and only some of your prospects have become customers (while the others remain only prospects), the question is … how can you get the rest of the people to see the light?

The answer lies in the “Zone of Self-Interest.” People will do the things you want if they perceive it to be clearly in their own best self-interest. And when that perception exists, you’ll be well on your way to exceeding your business goals.

Here’s How It Works

No matter what you need to accomplish, you can put a price tag on it. Some things lead to greater sales and others to lower costs. And as soon as you put a value on it, employee and customer loyalty rewards programs can help you accomplish it.

The approach is simple, and it’s proven to work. Identify a simple activity that you know to be key to your success and calculate the dollar value to you when it’s accomplished to your satisfaction…then reward it every single time it occurs. Every single time.

Every time a program participant does what you want done, he or she earns points (based on the value you’ve calculated). The points are redeemable for desirable merchandise, exotic travel, or other options. On a real-time basis, every participant can view a custom, personal statement, which details the credits and/or debits made to his/her account and the current account balance.

The Implication for You

The concept of the Zone of Self-Interest revolutionized the airline industry, then most other consumer businesses. Think about your own behavior and how it’s affected by the opportunity to earn free trips or hotel nights or merchandise for providing a seller with conscious loyalty. The rewards fall into your Zone of Self-Interest, and it motivates you to do something you normally wouldn’t do … and do it frequently.

Success breeds success. Unlike many programs that start with fireworks and finish with a fizzle, behavior reinforcement programs grow in effectiveness. With each passing day, the motivation power strengthens, and the bond between you and your program participants deepens. Simply put, a well-built behavior reinforcement program will produce more incremental revenue than it costs.

About Dittman Incentive Marketing

This article was provided by Dittman Incentive Marketing (http://www.dittmanincentives.com/), a quality leader in the field of people performance improvement. Since 1976, Dittman has helped companies achieve critical corporate goals via original, one-of-a-kind employee and customer loyalty rewards programs that inspire a sales force to sell more, customers to buy more, and others to do more.

R.L. Fielding Bio

R.L. Fielding is a freelance writer who has written on a wide variety of topics, with special expertise in the education, pharmaceutical and healthcare, financial service and manufacturing industries.

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Dorm Room Biz: Money. It’s what every college student wants and what every college student lacks. You can save up all summer and it is sure to be gone by Thanksgiving. Or, more likely, Columbus Day weekend. There are tons of ways students can earn money online and keep up with the trust fund kids. Here a few:

1. Teach the computer illiterate. Do you know your way around a computer better than you do your school’s library? Branch out your services to those who think a click of the mouse means their vermin troubles are gone.

2. Help others set up their computers. Many people have computers but often incorrectly install their new machines or aren’t aware of the upgrades their systems offer. It can also be as easy as making sure they’ve got everything plugged into the right outlets.

3. Join the blogosphere. Does everyone tell you have great ideas? Or maybe just you think you have great ideas. Either way start your own blog and if you’ve got something to say that people want to hear then the advertisers will be eager to be seen on your site.

4. Create and update webpage designs. Every company now wants to and needs to be on the web hocking its wares. If you’ve got experience creating webpages then your services will be in high demand.

5. Join an online auction. eBay is the place on the web to sell anything from your prized possessions if you’re really in a bind or maybe old baseball cards for some extra cash.

6. Help others join the digital music age. The old record collection doesn’t have to lie in dusty heap anymore and, if you have the little equipment needed, you can help transfer these old classics to a digital library.

7. Clean up computer messes. Computers are constantly being ground to screeching halts by viruses and spyware these days. Computer users are eager for help cleaning up their systems.

8. Scour the internet for lost records. Scan the internet for background checks for employers or track down old classmates for clients.

9. Sell the next hot .com name. Selling domain names may sound passé as it seems all the good ones are taken, but with new .tv or .info domains emerging the possibilities are endless.

10. Be a photographer. With digital photos taking the place of the old family scrapbook, computer savvy individuals are in high demand to help computer illiterates in this new direction.

10 Best Ways for College Students to Make Money Online [Dorm Room Biz]

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Bankaholic: Entrepreneurs are the brave souls who make our economy go, or at least they were when our economy was actually going anywhere. Especially in this currently questionable financial climate, starting your own business is undeniably a dicey proposition. Start-ups go out of business all the time, often before they even have a chance to even really star up at all. The main culprit in the savage slaughter of these young establishments is the same perpetrator behind the bulk of our fiscal difficulties: Debt.

As an emerging entrepreneur, it is very easy to quickly accumulate debts that are substantial enough to kill your burgeoning business before it even gets off the ground. But it does not have to be that way. Take the time to examine your business workflow and you will likely discover a number of extraneous costs that can be eliminated to improve the health of your bottom line.

Here are eight common practices that lead to common results; learn to avoid them and you will be uncommonly successful.

1. Not sticking to the necessities.

As good a place to start as any, this is an all-encompassing, catch-all principle. Be a good bootstrapper by spending money only on what is absolutely necessary to operate your business.

2. Trying to do too much too soon.

If you jump the gun and attempt to launch too many projects at the same time, your limited capital will severely limit the time and budget that can be devoted to each distinct venture.

3. Not designing for scalability.

There is little worse than achieving initial success only to be undermined by your initial lack of vision and poor preparation. If your business design cannot be scaled up when you hit it big then you may be forced to absorb all sorts of unexpected expenses as you are attempting to redesign from scratch.

4. Failing to delegate.

Always remember, you’re the big idea man; don’t spend your time performing tasks that could be done just as well by a cheap hired hand.

5. Buying in bulk.

If you are starting a small business, don’t worry about having a year’s supply of copy paper on hand the first day that you hang up your shingle. You will have all sorts of expenses in the early stages of your start-up and you will need all of the ready cash you can keep your hands on.

6. Paying your bills late.

Whenever possible, meet your expenses with the cash that you have one hand. Rack up big bills on that shiny new business credit card and you could end up putting as much money towards accumulated interest and late fees as you are towards growing your business.

7. Throwing away your receipts.

It is difficult for many entrepreneurs to learn to separate their business expenses from their personal expenses, and this can end up costing a new business owner thousands of dollars in lost tax deductions. Be fastidious about saving your receipts and you will be in much better shape come tax time.

8. Failing to collect accounts receivable.

Sure you want to be the nice guy as you are starting your new business, but you need to make sure that you get paid as well. With the available tools for notifying clients of payments that are due, there is no excuse for not being on top of your accounts.

8 Easily Avoidable Causes of Business Debt [Bankaholic]

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The US Tax Code can be pretty rough on the self employed. It often seems to be written to favor big corporations over small and solo businesses. The rules are often complex and confusing for the average self employed individual to grasp, even with the help of an accountant. And that first paycheck can be a shock when you realize how much of it is eaten up by self employment taxes!

Even when tax breaks are available, figuring out if you qualify and then having all the right paperwork in place may make those deductions seem like they aren't worth the hassle! For instance, if you have a home business, i.e. you work out of your house, you may be able to deduct for a " home office" -- but the requirements are strict, and can be a trigger for an unwelcome audit. Mileage reimbursement is a little more straightforward, until you realize you have to write down every trip, its' length, who you met with and what you talked about! And not many new business owners even remember to keep track of startup expenses, much less understand how depreciation works, without the help of a good accountant.

There is one tax provision, however, that is clearly worth the trouble: a Section 105 Medical Reimbursement Plan. This can save you, quite literally, thousands of dollars a year. You must be married and able to legitimately employ your spouse at least part-time in your business in order to qualify. If you are and you can, read on -- your heartburn over outrageous health insurance premiums and skyrocketing medical expenses may be about to go away!

Here's the bottom line: with the requirements met and the proper paperwork in place, you can:

• Deduct 100% of your family health insurance premiums
• Deduct 100% uninsured family medical and dental expenses
  
• Save a huge chunk in federal, state, and self employment taxes!
  

How do you qualify? You must have a properly documented employment agreement with your spouse, and the work performed and salary must be reasonable. Complete records of the premiums and expenses and their reimbursement are required. Ugh, more paperwork...but help is on the way!

I've been very impressed with the BizPlan/AgriPlan Section 105 Medical Reimbursement Plan, offered by TASC (Total Administrative Services Corporation). Recommended by a colleague (who saves several thousand dollars every year with this plan), I've found TASC to be a very professional company that takes its obligations to its self employed customers very seriously, including offering a tax audit guarantee. And the annual cost is very reasonable, starting at under $200.

Don't wait -- you can only deduct expenses that occur in or after the month you apply for the plan. Consult your accountant, and check out BizPlan today, for maximum tax savings this year!

Terri Zwierzynski is a self-employed business strategist and marketing consultant to solo entrepreneurs, and a grassroots promoter of the solo entrepreneur lifestyle. She runs Solo-E.com, the resource website for the self-employed which attracts thousands of solo home business owners monthly from over 100 countries on six continents (and was recently named a finalist for “Website of the Year” in the 4th Annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business). Terri is also the co-author of 136 Ways To Market Your Small or Solo Business.

Find more articles about Email Marketing at Solo-E.com, plus get a copy of our new ebook, "25 Surefire Ways to Capture More Clients, Get More Done in Less Time, and Make More Money -- in 90 Days or Less."

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Have you ever wished that you could work from home? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 19 million people worked from home (either part-time or full-time) in 2001. It’s a growing trend in our society with the number steadily rising as many people are leaving the workplace in favor of a work-at-home career.

There are four main ways to make working from home possible:

1. Telecommute for your current employer

Many employers are beginning to see the benefits of allowing their employees to work from home. If you have a job that would be possible to do from home ask your employer to consider it. More and more employers are allowing employees to telecommute. This is an easy way to work from home while maintaining the security of a stable career. You must realize, though, that working from home may limit you in terms of advancing in your company. It’s important to think through the sacrifices that you may need to make in your situation to work from home.

2. Telecommute as an independent contractor

There are many companies that hire independent contractors to do work such as data entry, transcription and customer service from home. This can be an incredible opportunity as long as you’re willing to keep track of your own taxes and aren’t relying on the employer for insurance and other perks

There are many benefits to the company also, such as lower wages, not needing to provide insurance, or being able to offer a commission based position. The company may also choose to hire home workers so that they do not need to pay for space to house an office full of employees.

3. Own a direct sales/MLM home-based business

Many times these types of home-based businesses are overlooked, but they truly can bring an income and allow you to work from home. However, doing your research before joining a company is very important. Look for representatives of the company to speak with and, if possible, try to find someone who has been a representative for the company, but is no longer. They may be able to share some of the negative aspects of the business with you.

Also check with the Better Business Bureau and make sure that the company that you are considering has a good reputation. You can also go to websites such as CWAHM.com and sign up to speak with current work at home moms (CWAHD.com for dads) who can answer your questions about owning a home-based direct sales/MLM business.

4. Begin your own home-based business

It can seem overwhelming to start your own business, but if you start small and have a good business plan it can be a very rewarding decision. You are able to be your own boss, have a very flexible schedule and work only when it is convenient for you.

When considering beginning your own business, make sure that you have found a niche that will allow you to serve customers that no one else is serving. When I began searching for a way to work from home, I spent time researching the different work at home websites available and realized that there was not a place for Christians to network and help one another work from home. I filled this niche with my website, CWAHM.com, and the response has been amazing. If you take your time and find a niche or unique product, you will have a much higher chance at success.

If you decide to begin your own business, you must also check your state and city about zoning laws, licensure requirements, etc. Contact an accountant to find out what percentage of sales you need to set aside for taxes as well as whether or not you’ll need to make quarterly tax payments.

Working from home is a big commitment and it can take some time to get started. It’s important to take the time to research what type of at-home position will work best for you. If you would like to telecommute, speak with your employer to see if it is a possibility. If you are looking into a home-based business, speak with others from the company or find a niche that you can fill with your own business. Working from home can be a rewarding choice and it IS possible.

Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. She graduated from Grace University with a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development and Family Studies/Bible. Jill has worked from since 2000 and started her own home-based business to assist other Christians who desire to work from home while maintaining a godly life.

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The Closet Entrepreneur:
Writing a business plan…

As mentioned before, there are no hard and fast rules for writing a business plan. Do you really need an executive summary, 3-Year pro forma, and sales forecasts for the next five years? Only if you’re going to find a benefit from these things.

The example below is the structure I used to get started, so feel free to mix it up, reorder, and modify it to suit your needs:

- The Vision -

What exactly is my business?
What problem does it solve and why is my solution the best/most unique?
What benefit does it provide to my customers?

- Branding -

What is my story and/or message?
What is my product’s personality, soul, and voice?
How will I translate the above into an identity, logo, website, business card, et cetera?

- The Numbers -

What does it cost to build my product and/or provide my service?
What are my expenses and are there any hidden costs?
What profit can I expect to make per item and is it acceptable/realistic?
What is my budget and what will I do if I go over?

- Beta Testing -

What existing resources/products can I use to help create my product?
Do I have someone in mind to try out my product/service?
How will I collect and utilize feedback?
How will I turn my beta users into paying customers?

- Sales and Marketing -

How will I get my initial customers?
How will I provide customer service and collect/utilize feedback?
What marketing channels should I explore - web, radio, print, et cetera?

As I mentioned before, this is what I used to get started and there are other pieces to the puzzle that can be incorporated such as funding, an exit strategy, employees, management structure, break-even analysis, profit and loss, et cetera. Ultimately, utilize items that will help your business grow and succeed now, and…

Writing the Dreaded Business Plan [The Closet Entrepreneur]

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Business Pundit: As tax season approaches, I thought it would be useful to offer some advice on taxes for those who make most of their money as online entrepreneurs. Here are five tips that I’ve found to be priceless in the long run. Hopefully, you can save time and stress with these 5 easy suggestions:

1. Send in quarterly payments so that you don’t get stuck with a massive tax bill at the end of the year.

2. Keep all receipts (not just ones that were obvious business purchases), determine “business expense” later. You might be surprised at what you can deduct.

3. File receipts. File your receipts by the end of the day (trust me on this) in a folder penciled with the current month. If the ink is unclear, make a notation in dark ink somewhere on the receipt.

4. Log business activities in a day planner. Record the occurrence of any business-related meetings in a day planner in ink, as well as in a digital file. These will help you or your accountant decide whether a particular expense is tax deductible or not.

5. Keep a spreadsheet. In addition to daily filing of receipts, enter the information in a spreadsheet. If you don’t like or have Microsoft Excel, use OpenOffice. You could also use web-based spreadsheets like Zoho Sheet or Google Docs.

Bonus Tip: If you work out of your home, remember that you can deduct a nice amount for utilities (you are heating your home during the day in the winter *so that* you can work).

Bonus Tip 2: Try to keep all of your purchases on a single business credit card (not your personal card). This gives you a backup record in case the IRS comes knocking.

5 Tax Tips For Digital Entrepreneurs [Business Pundit]

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I recently ventured into the world of creating digital information products and selling them via my website. One of the biggest dilemmas I faced was deciding which shopping cart provider to go with.

Having worked on various shopping cart systems for clients, I knew my way around setting these up, but when it came to my own online shopping cart system I couldn’t decide the best way forward.

Ultimately I ended up making a poor choice by going a cheaper alternative route, than the service I really wanted. The reason I made this poor decision was lack of confidence on my part – I wasn’t sure how well my product would sell and didn’t want to invest heavily in a service that I may not need or use!

The reality of going the cheaper route? I had customers who weren’t able to download their product or make a payment and I lost revenue because of this!

To save you the same trouble I went through, here are my top 6 tips for ensuring that you get the right shopping cart system for YOUR business.

1. Think about your long-term goals. Having a shopping cart system that grows with your business is crucial to your long-term goals, particularly if you’re planning on launching more products and services in the future.

You'll want to ensure that the shopping cart system you choose can easily handle additional products and services.

2. How simple is the shopping cart to set up? Can you easily do the product setup yourself, or does it require you to hold a degree in computer programming! You don’t want to be spending huge amounts of your time on the phone to tech support, or getting frustrated because the shopping cart isn’t easy to set up.

If the shopping cart system provides you with HTML code that you have to add to your website, consider how comfortable you feel adding this. You may decide that this is a service to outsource to your Virtual Assistant.

3. Accepting online payments. If you’re going to be selling products/services online, whether they’re digital or physical products, you will need a system that can accept online payments. These days customers want instant gratification, which is why digital products are so popular, and you need to be able to accept payments instantly too.

Think about this situation - you go on to a website and in order to buy a product you have to print off an order form and fax it in, or call to place an order! That's not easy for your customer and you will have just lost the sale! The best solution is to get a merchant account, and ensure that your merchant provider’s services are compatible with your online shopping cart system.

4. Cost of your Online Shopping Cart System. It can be a false economy to go the cheaper route, particularly if it doesn’t offer all the features and functionality you want. Come up with a list of what you would like in an online shopping cart system, and then find a service that will meet ALL of your needs.

5. Customer Service. You want to make it as quick and easy as possible for your customers to purchase from you and get instant access to their product. An online shopping cart system that offers digital download of your products will do this for you.

And if you have a physical product ensure that your shopping cart service can calculate postage and print shipping labels too.

Don’t make your customers jump through hoops just to make a purchase from you!

6. Autoresponders and follow-up messages. It’s much easier to sell future products to existing customers – after all they already know, like and trust you. In order to do this you need your shopping cart to be able to keep a database of your customers so that you can follow up with them. Autoresponders are a great way to do this. You can follow up with your customer several times after they’ve made a purchase and check in with them to see how they’re getting on with your product. And you can do this very easily and quickly if your shopping cart has an autoresponder feature.

Keep all of these points in mind when choosing your online shopping cart system, and you will find the perfect solution for you!

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

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When you have systems in place your mind is also clear because you’re not feeling overwhelmed; instead you feel organized and calm, knowing that everything is taken care of and the systems are running smoothly. This allows you to focus on your clients and your other income generating activities. Your creative juices flow and you can begin developing additional streams of income.

Therefore running an efficient and streamlined business is all about continuously improving and 'tweaking' your office management systems so that they grow with your business and not hinder your business.

But why do you need efficient office systems in place? Here are some answers!

# To quickly and easily find important contact information.

# To be able to respond to client's requests straightaway.

# So that you can immediately submit a proposal. To keep track of your business.

# To be able to follow-up with clients and contacts.

# So that you can stay on track with your projects.

# To monitor your latest marketing campaign.

Sometimes though problems don't become apparent with your office management systems until you actually start using them -- and then you may find out that they're not working in the way that you'd hoped.

So what can you do about it?

Step #1 Look at where the problems are.
Are you constantly searching around looking for an email address? Or cannot tell at a glance if your project is on track? Or you don't know your cashflow situation?

Make a list of where you feel the problems are, and then follow step two - you may be surprised at what you discover!

Step #2 Analyse what percentage of your time is being spent on administrative tasks.
Keep a diary for a week of how you are spending your time. At the end of the week look it over and see what percentage of your time is being spent on these jobs. Could this time be better spent on income-generating activities? Or market research?

Step #3 Compile a list of all non-income generating tasks that you currently do.

Could some of these be delegated? Would it help if you took on an assistant? Perhaps now is the time that you should start to think about partnering with a Virtual Assistant so that you can grow your business, and this list will help you determine where you need the support.

Once you have followed these 3 steps you should have a good idea of where your time is being spent, what your biggest time drains are, and where you can make improvements. You will be well on your way to deciding if you need to partner with a Virtual Assistant and will be able to see exactly where you need the support.

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

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This article is contributed by Heather Johnson, a freelance business, finance and economics writer.

With a tax deadline looming over their heads, many self-employed Americans are scrambling to get their ducks in a row. After all, the last thing anyone wants is to be audited. Even muttering the word strikes fear into the hearts of most people.

Why should entrepreneurs be especially concerned about audits? It is because the government is more likely to examine the self-employed a little closer. This is because many people accept cash payments, avoiding those pesky W-2 forms. As you can imagine, not everyone complies with the honor system when it comes to claiming his or her income.

So, now you know that you're more likely to be audited than someone else who isn't self-employed. Mind you, that doesn't mean the IRS is waiting in the bushes and ready to pounce. Chances are, you will never be audited and if you are, it really isn't the end of the world.

That being said, there are a few precautions you can take that will work in your favor. Below are eight tips for making you the least likely candidate for an IRS audit:

1. Be Honest – Don't purposely fudge on your taxes, even if you know someone who gets away with it or if you've done it in the past. It's wrong, it's illegal and it's really not worth it if you get caught.

2. Save Every Document – This is the most important step in good accounting and you've heard it a million times. Should the IRS ever come knocking on your door, this will be your saving grace.

3. Hire A Professional Accountant – Just as many people don't save receipts like they should, not many people heed this advice. However, it really is best to hire an accountant to handle your taxes when you are self-employed. Your paperwork is more complicated than those who work for a company.

4. Avoid Math Errors – A miscalculation that is spotted by the IRS will alert them to your records. The goal here is to keep a low profile, so any discrepancies make you stick out like a sore thumb. Mind you, a miscalculation may just result in a friendly notice from the IRS and not a full-blown audit, so don't panic.

5. Don't Forget Your Signature – What could be more conspicuous than you failing to sign your return form? Even a minor mistake like that could make the government suspicious.

6. Don't Drastically Change Your Lifestyle – If you were to move from a palatial mansion to a single-wide trailer, this might ring some alarms when you file your taxes.

7. Don't Be Successful – Heh, this may be the best rule to break. Hopefully you are successful and will become even more so, but a drastic change in income will certainly make the IRS a bit curious about your situation.

8. Be Careful With Your Deductions – Don't go crazy with deductions, particularly if you aren't sure how they work. Also, forget about deducting anything you don't have a receipt for. As far as the IRS is concerned, you didn't buy it for that reason if you don't have a receipt.

Here's some encouraging news: as of the year 2003, only 1% of Americans filing tax returns were audited. So, that leaves a 99% chance you will never have to face those scary taxmen. Also, don't assume you're going to the poor house or the big house if they do choose to audit you. As long as you are as honest and as thorough as possible, the IRS won't send you up the river.

Heather Johnson is a freelance business, finance and economics writer, as well as a regular contributor at Business Credit Cards, a site for best business credit cards and best business credit card offers. Heather welcomes comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com.

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For most small businesses, all marketing is local marketing — as it should be. But even if your company is regional or national in scope, it's a good idea to "go local" to select, targeted communities.

The keys to effective community marketing can be summed up with three guidelines:

1. Get local: target your marketing efforts down to the neighborhood level

2. Get involved: participate in the community to generate visibility and good will

3. Get personal: as much as possible, market on a one-to-one, face-to-face basis

Here are some tips and techniques to get you started:

Use local city-specific Web sites and local portals

City and town Web sites, as well as local versions of major portals, are growing in number and popularity. Maintain a presence on local sites by providing content — or by advertising. In addition to local versions of AOL's Cityguide, community-oriented Web sites like Yelp.com and Judysbook.com (which has the added advantage of covering suburbs and small towns in addition to major cities) are becoming more common.

Use local search engines and directories

Make sure you're listed with local search engines and city-specific directories. Local.com and CitySearch are two such search engines. A newer, but more "hyper-local" site is Backfence.com.

Set your Google ad to appear locally

If you operate a local business and advertise on Google, you can target local customers only.
Google lets you set ads to appear only to people in a particular city, state or region. In the AdWords section, click on "For local businesses" under "How it works."

Get involved in your community

Volunteer, serve on local boards, participate in your local Chamber of Commerce and work for local charities as a way to grow your grassroots marketing efforts. You may find that your neighbors become your customers. For volunteer opportunities, visit idealist.org, The United Way, or Rotary International.

Support community events

Take your community involvement one step further by supporting community events. Sponsor a Little League team, participate in parades, town days or other local events. Small business associations such as SCORE offer tips for establishing a strong presence in your local community. Suggestions include starting a local newsletter or creating a local advisory board made up of customers. John Jantsch's "Duct Tape Marketing" blog's "In your own backyard" section is insightful as well.

Make the most of local media and publicity opportunities

Generate awareness for your business locally by writing op-eds in the local newspaper, getting booked on local radio talk shows, and advertising in the good, old-fashioned Yellow Pages. Online community Craigslist continues to be a great local resource. For help getting booked on radio talk shows and otherwise generating local publicity, seek out the services of a good local public relations consultant by searching the directory of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Other local marketing options to keep in mind…

• Explore cause-related marketing opportunities to generate good will for your company.

• Consider taping a TV show on your local public access station — it's usually free.

• Give your Web site or blog a local focus or start a local blog.

• Develop a customer advisory board to get input from local customers.

• Create alliances with non-competing businesses — you promote me, I'll promote you.

Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

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Marketing your business is one of the biggest challenges for any solopreneur – it’s a task we all find quite daunting, and are simply overwhelmed by all the information that’s available. Below I have put together some information on 3 simple and low cost marketing ideas, which you can easily implement right away to create more visibility for your online business and web site. They all work well for me!

To help you decide which is the best strategy (or strategies) for you, I have listed the pros and cons of each one.

Create a Blog

Pros

:: You can really show off your expertise by posting on a regular basis.

:: Blog posts don’t need to be very long – approx. 200-350 words.

:: If you have some important information to share, you can instantly create a post – no waiting for your next newsletter to make your announcement!

:: If you use a blogging platform such as WordPress, this is hosted on your website. Each time you post to your blog you are creating fresh content for your website, which the search engines love!

Cons

:: You need to post regularly - at least once a week – in order for this to be an effective marketing strategy.

:: You need to feel confident that you will be able to write fresh content regularly.

:: It can be difficult to build a direct relationship with your reader.

Publish an Ezine

Pros

:: Unlike a blog, readers sign up to receive your newsletter so you already have a connection with them.

:: You can build a relationship with your newsletter reader and encourage one-on-one communication.

:: You can go into more depth in your newsletter article than you can with your blog posts.

:: Your clients/target audience can get to know you through your newsletter.

Cons

:: You have to make a commitment to publish on a regular basis, otherwise your subscribers will see you as unreliable, and may even forget about you!

:: There is more work involved in putting together a newsletter than writing a simple blog post.

:: You will need to subscribe to one of the ezine distribution services – I strongly recommend you do this and not send your ezine via your email client!

Article Marketing

Pros

:: If you are already blogging or publishing a newsletter, you have your articles written.

:: It is highly likely that once you submit your article to one of the article submission sites, it will be picked up and published on other article submission sites.

:: Regularly submitting your articles will elevate you to ‘expert’ status within your field/niche.

Cons

:: You have to write the articles if you’re not publishing a newsletter or posting to a blog.

:: It takes time to manually research suitable article submission sites and submit articles.

:: In order for this strategy to be effective, you have to submit your articles regularly – at least once a month.

Conclusion: You can just pick one strategy to focus on, or you can do all three! Whichever one you choose make sure it’s the right one for you. The key is to be consistent in your approach. If you decide to go with a blog make sure you have the time and motivation to add new posts regularly – at least once a week. Don’t start a newsletter if you know you won’t be able to keep to a regular publishing schedule! And for article marketing to be effective you need to submit articles on a regular basis.

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

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Creativity & Persistence

Working from home can be a very rewarding decision. There are so many benefits including freedom to create your own schedule, choosing the type of business that you want to represent, and being able to raise your children yourself. However, running a business can also become a very stressful situation. It takes time to build a successful business and many entrepreneurs become discouraged if they don’t achieve immediate results. Often times they give up too soon and regret it later. This doesn’t have to happen to you. Let us share with you what we found to be two top secrets to help you achieve success at home.

One important thing that many work-at-home moms do not recognize is that it can take six months to a year at minimum for your business to be successful financially. If you are aware of this going into the business and have planned accordingly, then you are already one step ahead of the game and won’t become unnecessarily discouraged.

Also, be aware that the time frame it takes to start a business will vary depending on the type of business that you are starting. For example, for those that are starting in direct sales, you may be able to jump in, hold some home parties, and see an income right away. In this case, then you just need to focus on maintaining this income to keep it successful.

However, if you are starting an Internet business selling your own products or services, it may take much longer to see the fruits of your labor. For some, it can take a year or even two to create a “presence” online and for people to recognize and seek out your products. You will find that the benefits are well worth the time and effort in the end, but it can be discouraging waiting to see a profit.

So, how does a person make it in the work-at-home world? I think the two most important aspects of running your own business from home are creativity and persistence.

Creativity

Be creative in how you market your products and/or services. Start by thinking of ways that you can reach customers that will make you stand out from others who offer similar types of products. Design contests, free offers and other types of marketing strategies that will bring customers to your website. Then, try to determine what your customers are looking for once they reach your website and offer the most popular products on your front page. Keep in mind that it’s important to keep your website fresh so consider changing the items or text on your website’s front page often. This will continue to pique the interest of your customers each time they visit and encourage them to come back.

Persistence

This is key when you are running a business from home. Don’t start out strong marketing yourself in every way possible and then simply stop marketing because you haven’t seen many sales. Most profitable businesses must continually be marketing their services to keep it successful. Try to think of a successful business that does no advertising. Can they just sit back and let the sales roll in from their website? Not really. It just doesn’t work that way. EVERY business must continue to advertise in some way to stay successful. For example, we found at Christian Work At Home Moms (CWHAM.com) that those that achieve the most success are the consistent advertisers, the ones who advertise regularly and keep their businesses, banners, and other promotions in front of their potential clients.

This does not mean that you must spend hundreds of dollars a month to advertise your home-based business. What it does mean is that you must be persistent in the advertising that you choose to do. Budget your advertising dollars in a way that you can do a small amount consistently. Get involved in groups online and ask advice from other successful moms. Whatever you do, don’t stop talking about your business!

And most importantly, don’t give up. Success IS possible. Take the time to be creative in how you are marketing your business. Be persistent and don’t expect profits immediately. Set realistic goals for your business and be patient while your business grows into something you can be proud of. Soon you’ll be among the millions of work-at-home moms who are enjoying it all: Being home with the kids, financial freedom, and the pride of having their own home-based business.

Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. She graduated from Grace University with a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development and Family Studies/Bible. Jill has worked from since 2000 and started her own home-based business to assist other Christians who desire to work from home while maintaining a godly life.

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Our brain is by far one of the most powerful tools in the world. Habitual performance is created on the fly. We hardly have to sit down and design our experiences. However, this short cut comes at aridiculous price. Most people form habits and then think that they cannot change them anymore.

I think it is from my own experience that I say that habitual performance can make or break you. But, if it is at breaking point,it would be a smart choice to decide to create a new and empowering habit instead, do not you think? How do habits form? Let us take a peek into our brain for the moment. We know that we have got brain cells known as neurons. Habits are formed when neurons begin to branch out to other neurons through a communication mode called an action potential. This is a small electrical impulse that runs through our brain cells that help to form neuro-connections.

The closest visual representation is much like what might happen if an octopus were to extend on of its tentacles to touch another octopus. When a connection is formed, we have a neuro pathway. The more this neuro pathway is used, the more solidified it becomes.

So, when do we get these electrical impulses in our head? All the time! Think about it this way: Every time you wake up, you wake upin a particular way and move in a particular fashion, and carry outa particular sequence or steps in order for you to get out of bed, and off to work. And this is a pattern of habit for you everysingle day, is not it? Likewise, is not it true that sometimes when you see someone, you might just feel lousy? Think, boss! The key issue is some of these habitual patterns take place when you least expect or want it to happen.

In such a situation, you will have to use a technique to get a new pattern installed and let the old pattern die away. This techniqueis known as The Switch Pattern, developed by Dr. Richard Bandler. The Switch Pattern uses distance as a driver because distance tends to control other sub modalities. For instance, if you made an image go further into the distance, the picture tend to become smaller, less focused, and tends to lose color along the way. In order for us to do The Switch Pattern effectively, we need to identify the characteristics of effective change processes using The Switch Pattern.

Creating behavioral change processes, not imaginary static outcomes. It is important to focus on the outcome of the changethat you want to create. For instance, if your problem situation isovereating, you cannot simply imagine yourself being thin. You have to think of behaviors you will be exhibiting in order for you to eat less. For instance, you could deliberately choose to see yourself, or imagine yourself eating half of what you normally eat. You could deliberately choose to eat only up to seventy percent of your stomach's capacity and drink more water. For instance, clearly imagining the feeling of what it is like when you eat up to seventypercent of your stomach's capacity.

Likewise, if you are procrastinating, just visualizing yourself doing work is not going to cut it. What do you want to feel instead? How would you help yourself to get there? You will have to see yourself do something to change your state. For instance, if you procrastinate, you might have to visualize the image ofyourself feeling the fear of the consequences if you did not do it. Some of you already do this. You think about how bad the consequences will be if you did not get it done right now. Alternatively, you might choose to do something else that changes your state, such as doing a set of fifty push ups to suck yourself up. Once you know of a behavior that you can do to change your state, see yourself doing the desired behavior clearly.

To your success!

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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3 Ways To Overcome Marketing Overwhelm

If you're like many entrepreneurs, the thought of marketing makes you slightly sick to your stomach. And it's more then a simple like or dislike of marketing, it's the idea of trying to fit it into your to-do list. You already have a million things going on, how can you possibly fit marketing in? So, instead, you end up not doing anything.....

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Continue reading these top stories in the BIZNESS! Newsletter >>>

Can't stand your demanding boss anymore? Start your own business! Before that, be sure to subscribe to our free informative newsletter. BIZNESS! is jointly published by CoolBusinessIdeas.com and GetEntrepreneurial.com What you get in BIZNESS! - the latest new business ideas, small business advice, business tips and info and entrepreneur resources. Everything you need for your brand new business!

Free 20-pages PDF report (worth $38) - "New Business Ideas Report 2007" - included with your subscription. Learn more here.

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Teleseminars are a great way to learn from experts without leaving the comfort of your home. No travel expenses, jet lag or cafeteria food to deal with makes them the perfect way for work-at-home moms to expand their business knowledge and skills.

More and more experts and authors are offering teleseminars on topics such as business, marketing, advertising and more. Many of these subjects are of interest, but can we as business owners really learn enough to make it worth the time and expense? In short, yes. However, there are a few important steps you should take when attending a teleseminar.

Make sure the speaker is qualified.

It’s fairly simple to set up a teleseminar and virtually anyone could do put one together. So, before investing in a seminar, do some quick research on the speaker(s) to be sure they are experienced in the areas they will be covering. Search for their name using a search engine such as Google or Yahoo and see what results are returned. Also, if they have authored a book, take a look on Amazon and read any reviews/comments posted there.

Take notes.

If you’re like me, you have multiple projects on your mind, as well as your children, spouse, etc. With all of the information running through my brain, I tend to recall very little of what I hear during the day, even if it’s good information. In order to retain the information given during a teleseminar, don’t just sit and soak it up. Make the effort to listen closely and take notes. You’ll remember more of what was discussed and you’ll be able to refer to your notes in the future if necessary.

Speak up.

A teleseminar is similar to a massive conference call with one main person speaking. Because of the size and the virtual setting, many people feel unsure about speaking up and asking questions. However, you’ll do both yourself and the speaker a favor by voicing your thoughts when appropriate and asking honest questions. Chances are good that others in the group have the same questions and will appreciate you stepping out and asking. Do be careful not to ask too many questions. This isn’t a personal training session and if too many questions are asked, especially by the same person, the speaker doesn’t get to cover all the material they have planned.

Enlist a Friend.

What better way to get the most out of a seminar than to take it with a friend? If you have a friend of colleague that is interested, you can both participate in the teleseminar it will give you a great topic for discussion afterwards. I tend to learn more from discussions post-seminar than I do while listening to the lecture. I think talking it over with another attendee helps me to process the information and see how it applies to my daily life and business.

Follow up.

If a teleseminar is especially helpful to you, send a thank-you to the speaker. Try to send a written note or if this is not possible, an email will do. By making contact with the speaker and showing your appreciation you’re not only providing encouragement, you are networking. You just never know what type of response you might receive and you may even make a new friend or find a mentor.

The key to getting the most out of teleseminars is to find the ones that are by true experts in their field and that interest you the most. So, the next time you find a teleseminar that catches your interest, gather up your pen and paper and tune in. If you can find a colleague that interested in joining you, you’ll be all the better for it. You’ll learn more and have more fun in the process.

Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. She graduated from Grace University with a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development and Family Studies/Bible. Jill has worked from since 2000 and started her own home-based business to assist other Christians who desire to work from home while maintaining a godly life.

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This article is submitted by Matt Landau, a writer for The Panama Report.

If you're reading this and you're older than 40, you must leave now! I'll be using phrases like "sup B" and "OMG" and "mo-fo" that you're destined to not understand. "You see, when I was your age, the closest I ever got to Central America was a crummy Spanish textbook" I imagined my mother nagging in my ear as I reclined on a balcony in Casco Viejo overlooking a beautiful plaza and drinking a glass of Chilean wine.

I became fascinated with the idea of working for myself soon after I moved Costa Rica and my belief became cemented soon thereafter by fellow alumnus who complained at length about a life in NYC of ironing shirts and corporate lunches just to sit in a cubicle and report to some retarded boss named Stan who said corny thinks like "Seeya later alligator!"

I am part of a new generation: one of tech-savvy travelers and risk-taking diplomats. We, as a group, only vaguely remember the days without internet, thinking painstakingly back to the evenings of Netscape browser which took forever to load and the family computer base which was roughly the size of a small fridge. We are a curious, well-culture bunch attracted to exotic cuisines and international films. Many of us consider the iPod to be an officially-recognized appendage. We don't mind paying extra for imported beer, we tend to think outside the box, and because we have creativity up the wazoo, we are a generation that's primed to break serious entrepreneurial ground in Panama, Central America's hottest bed for success.

Because the country has long been dependant on trade and banking, many industries in Panama which might otherwise emerge with the evolution of a nation, have lay dormant here. Weighed against a slowing economy in the USA and increased competition in the workplace, young entrepreneurs are moving down to Panama to find comfort in an open-canvas-like myriad of business opportunities. Embrace the unknown. For the young entrepreneur, testing these new waters is replacing grad school in delivering not only an education, but in many cases, a hefty payout to those crafty enough to get in at ground level.

The 8 rules below may serve as a manual to youngsters who seek to move to paradise and start their own business like I did. I have been inspired by the amount of opportunities witnessed in Panama and humbly, the accomplishments I've achieved before my 25th birthday. These rules are not terribly different from elsewhere in the world, but thanks to various factors at play in Panama, finding success, adventure, and self-worth may be easier than you think.

1. Be the first in the game:

Finding your niche in the market is the imperative. Take equally into account your skill set and your field experience, but perhaps mostly your passion. Going with the grain on this one is ill-advised as you'll fall right back into the rat-race you tried to escape at home. Be revolutionary and uncompromising: don't let anyone at home or in Panama tell you your idea won't work. Chances are they're simply jealous of your ingenuity. Identifying a successful endeavor in the States can work, but be sure to research heavily upon arriving in Panama to confirm you'll be an expert as the first kid on the block.

2. Master the art of mobility:

Build your business model around the goal of never being there. As cited by Tim Ferris in The 4-Hour Work Week, the easiest and lowest-maintenance businesses are the ones that work while you're sleeping and this especially holds true in Panama where secluded beaches and teeming rainforests are regularly calling you out to play. Choosing an internet business can be ideal as high-speed services are offered throughout Panama, while similarly effective is the process of outsourcing, seeing as though labor here is cheap and English is fairly widely spoken. Focus not only on coming up with a good idea (as good ideas are commonplace) but on implementing your good idea. You're a big fish in a small pond down here.

3. Seek out the perfect match:

Network your ass off and meet as many potential business partners as possible. This is not unlike finding a personal mate. Search for a trustworthy person of a strong work ethic with whom you might share a common vision. Going with your gut instinct here, as you will frequently see elsewhere in Panama, is crucial. Joining forces with another entrepreneur will allow you to accomplish twice as much and play off each others' strengths. There's increasingly a large pool of young entrepreneurs coming to Panama and meeting prospects will be a direct result of your ability to make friends: settle only for the perfect business partner and someone you admire. Participating in expat banter and creating enemies will hold you back drastically.

4. Head of the class, my ass:

Almost every successful entrepreneur I know in Panama left the States with a less-than-flawless academic record. While that's not to say that paper whiz kids won't do well here, it is meant to show that sub-par GPAs and unremarkable CVs are common characteristics of successful entrepreneurs in Panama. Legitimizing yourself has never been this easy; find any lawyer in Panama and have them build you a custom corporation (should cost no more than $1,000). Award yourself 100 shares of the corporation (or split evenly between co-founders), then have business cards printed ($30) with the name of your corporation followed your name as Founder or President. This subliminal confidence boost of being your own (retarded) boss will be a huge stepping stone. Seeing your name on paper is instant proof and will get the ball rolling.

5. Avoid all shortcuts:

No one said it would be easy so don't expect to arrive here and have a successful business handed to you on a silver platter. While the atmosphere in Panama is ultra-conducive to success at a young age, it also requires a lot of bitch work. Read as much about your chosen industry as possible; sign up for RSS feeds and bloglines to be delivered directly to your email and stay up-to-date and informed. Write as much about your industry as possible. Exhibit foresight and be prepared to start the company from the ground up using your vision as the final objective and avoiding (tempting as they can be) all shortcuts. Set goals and reward yourself when you reach those goals. Luckily, if you've chosen the right business, it won't feel like work but rather an exiting sense of momentum.

6. Minimize costs:

Focus on low overhead. Not many new, young entrepreneurs realize the list of costs associated with a start-up in Panama. Splitting electricity, internet, and rent costs with another group of young entrepreneurs will free up much-needed cash and compensation for common positions (like secretary) should be divided as well. Sharing an office is an act that will simultaneously function as a breeding ground for competition and a carving station for the perfectly-honed business plan. Try to stay away from business ideas that require large capital investment as they're unfortunately no more difficult to dig yourself out of south of the border than they are at home.

7. Plan to fail: Making mistakes in your Panama industry of choice should be expected, but if prepared correctly, you won't have a) any competitor up your ass ready to take your spot or b) any law suits to deal with. The result of failure as a whole is comparatively friendlier in Panama than in the US, generating an atmosphere where you can learn from your slip-ups. There's no better way to become the best in an industry than by recognizing what everyone else is doing wrong. Try to bounce your idea of people who are not involved in your project and accept criticism with open arms.

8. Be a student of the game:

Finding a mentor in Panama will greatly accelerate your learning curve. The properly chosen mentor will steer you around costly mistakes and catapult you over traditional timeline milestones, especially because of Panama's closely-interwoven social network. Contact them on the internet and take them out for drinks: they may prove more influential than a paid education. Solicit advice from anyone who will give it and synthesize all this information in a balanced manner.

Hopefully the wave of young entrepreneurship in Panama will begin and my generation will go after new markets in Panama for all the right reasons: not only to live a great lifestyle and enjoy the tropics, but also to be challenged in the pursuit of a passion.

Hopefully we'll utilize our creativity, energy, and viewpoints as young people to create a nurturing environment for each other in Panama, perhaps different from the standard which has set by older expats prior. Hopefully we won't start a business just for the sake of starting a business, but rather to bring a truly good idea to the table; one that can make Panama a better place.

Matt Landau writes for The Panama Report (www.thepanamareport.com), a travel and investment portal in Panama City, Panama, Central America

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Not long ago I took a trip to Tuscany and spent a week in a cooking class. Before the trip I spent time researching my options. I wanted to know who would be teaching the class, what courses and dishes would be covered, how hand-on the class was, if wine-pairings with the dishes would be addressed and if the class included trips to the local farmer’s markets to select fresh produce. Finding just the right cooking school was important to me because I would be spending a significant amount of money traveling to Italy and I wanted my experience to be well worth my time and effort.

For a woman interested in buying a franchise, evaluating the training a franchise business offers should involve even greater research – after all, this is about your future – not a vacation.

As part of your due diligence when researching a franchise opportunity, find out everything about the training a franchise system provides. A good training program should cover not only the product or service but also setting up the business, marketing, employee management, business procedures, reporting, etc.

The best way to find out about the scope of the training program is to ask existing franchisees. Find out what stood out about the training they received and what they feel could have been covered more completely. Ask them how prepared they felt when they opened their business and what ongoing training they have been provided.

Keep in mind that the franchisees you talk with may have been through various versions of the training program. Problems that existed at one time may have been fixed. Or, you may find that a training program that was fine in a company’s early days is now out-of-date. Be sure to include in your research franchisees who have had the same training you will receive to get an accurate assessment of its value.

Ask current franchisee if they received a training manual and if the information is updated periodically. Also ask if the franchisor offers other training resources such as conference calls, webinars or intranet sites. Ongoing training is important for many companies who adjust their business with changes in the marketplace. If this applies to the business you are reviewing, find out what they do to keep each franchisee up to speed.

An addition source of training may come from periodic conferences held by the franchisor. Besides providing additional education about the product or service, conferences offer franchisees an excellent opportunity to connect and network with other franchisees in the system. A network of peers is one of franchising’s invaluable resources so be sure to ask if this is an opportunity the franchisor provides.

Although this is less of a problem today than in the past, some industries may have an “old boy’s club” mentality among franchisees. You will be able to tell by reading the UFOC if there are other woman franchisees. Include some women in your due diligence calls so you can get an idea of the business culture and the prevailing attitude towards woman franchisees.

Many franchisors will have field support personnel who are available to be at your site during your grand opening and at periodic intervals during your first year in business or longer. Having someone right there to answer your questions may help calm your first-day jitters so find out if this a serviced provided by the franchisor.

If, after your franchise investigation process is completed, you don’t feel the offered training will adequately prepare you to run your new business, it’s time to step back and look at other opportunities. As reported in the August 2006 Franchising World magazine, a recent study by FRANdata found nearly 2500 franchise concepts in 18 different industries and almost 900 of these concepts were started over the past three years. You don’t have to compromise – if one company does not have the training you are looking for, there are sure to be many other companies who can meet your needs.

I’m happy to report that the cooking school in Tuscany exceeded my expectations and I left there able to prepare a number of authentic and delicious Italian dishes. Had I not researched the available schools so thoroughly, I might have been very disappointed with my choice.

To get full value for your investment in a franchise business, the training should answer all your questions and set you up as a confident and successful owner.

Franchisee training should include:

• Everything you need to know about the product or service
• Everything about using/protecting the brand
• How to find your business location
• How to negotiate a lease
• How you complete the permits and buildout
• How to find, hire and manage employees
• How to market your product or service
• How to keep books and records for the business
• The reporting requirements and processes
• Where to get the equipment needed for the business
• How or where to buy supplies and inventory
• How to get help when you have a problem

Kimberley Ellis is the President of Bison.com, a leading online resource for franchise and business opportunities. She has been quoted as an industry expert in USA Today, Wall Street Journal and a variety of local and regional publications regarding trends in business and franchising. Kim combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a diverse background in marketing and operation to help others succeed in franchising.

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