To see an ONLINE VIDEO version of this article, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/3jj5f7

I lived and worked in Hollywood for many years, right in the shadow of the famous HOLLYWOOD sign. Los Angeles is the undisputed entertainment capital of the world… or is it?

With the proliferation of video hosting sites like YouTube, and live video streaming sites like UStream.tv, these days anyone with a webcam and an idea could be the next online video sensation! You could become an Internet superstar right from your own home or office…

If you’d like a shot at web TV stardom, or if you’re just looking for new ways to promote your business, then you should be taking advantage of new web resources that make it easy to shoot and upload your own video to the web.

YouTube has delivered online video to the masses, but now there are even ways to “broadcast” live from the web. One of the more popular web streaming sites is UStream.tv.

Ustream makes it easy to do a live broadcast right from your computer. Just sign up for a free account, fire up your webcam and click the “broadcast now” icon. Then, boom! You’re “on the air,” instantly, streaming live over the web!

Once you’ve got your own channel on UStream, you’ve got to drive viewers to your show. You can do that by sending out an e-mail with the URL to your list, or by posting your show’s unique URL on Facebook and Twitter.

The great thing about UStream is that it’s interactive – your viewers can ask you questions or make comments in real time using the chat function. This makes UStream a great way to host live teleseminars or Q & A sessions with your clients and “fans.”

In addition, you can record your UStream show so that your customers can watch it later. In fact, you can submit your “saved” show to Technorati, Digg and StumbleUpon. Of course, you can also upload it to the usual video hosting sites like YouTube.

One final tip to increase the viral nature of your show: Sign up for a free account at TubeMogul.com. When you upload your video to TubeMogul, they will then blast it out to bunch of other video sites like Blip.tv, AOL Video, Revver, MySpace and several other video sites.

Last, but not least, remember to take the “embed” code provided by YouTube or the other video sites and copy and paste it into your own blog. That way, you’ll get extra mileage out of your video by including it and promoting it in your blog.

Take the plunge into the world of online video and live streaming video, and you’ll be hooked! You’ll improve your search engine rankings, publicize your business, and maybe even become a web TV star!

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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Article contributed by Michelle Ulrich

1.Social networks – how to work it
a.http://www.craigslist.com
b.http://www.fastpitchnetworking.com
c.http://www.ryze.com
d.Ning.com is a create-your-own social network site

2.Free Classified Ads
a.Backpage
b.Craigslist
c.MySpace – need to be a member with a profile, I believe

3.Teleclasses/Podcasts
a.These can be pre-recorded if you don’t want to interact with others
b.Teleclasses are great for getting the word out about your products/services; guest speakers can promote you to their list and increase your list on a monthly basis
c.Use www.fullcalendar.com to promote teleclasses and events

4.Joint Ventures – co-creation of…
a.New products
b.New teleclasses
c.New workshops
d.New podcasts
e.New ebooks
f.Limitless ideas…

5.Strategic Alliances
a.Promote one another via banner ad exchanges
b.Promote one another via ezine or newsletter mentions

6.Article submissions
a.Write an article – submit online
b.Repurpose into an ezine article or ezine series if article is long
c.Repurpose into a podcast
d.Repurpose into an ebook with additional resources
e.Repurpose into a speech/presentation for live events

7.Ezine submissions
a.Write an ezine – submit online to ezine banks
b.Repurpose into an article
c.Repurpose into a podcast
d.Repurpose into an ebook with additional resources
e.Repurpose into a speech/presentation for live events

8.Ezine with tips, resources, trends
a.Submit to ezine banks for additional subscribers

9.Blog
a.Blog or have someone else blog for you no less than 3x/wk
b.Pick a theme for each month to make it easy
c.Base the theme on your teleclasses and ezine, etc. to make all items/tasks easier to complete

10.Affiliate accounts
a.Amazon – book store, software store, web store, etc.
b.Commission Junction
c.Create your own affiliate account – essentially provides a means for others interested in your product a way for them to make a small percentage while you gain a virtual sales force

11.Blogtalk Radio – 15 mins – longer monologues or full blown radio show; record to podcast
a.Repurpose into an article
b.Repurpose into an ezine piece
c.Repurpose into a podcast
d.Repurpose into an ebook with additional resources
e.Repurpose into a speech/presentation for live events

12.Get involved; share your passion
a.Share your passion with others
i.Online
1.Social networks
2.Forums
3.Message boards
ii.In person
1.Networking
2.Volunteer opportunities in community
3.Church
4.Youth groups
5.Etc.
iii.Don’t forget to share your projects and/or websites with others

About the Author
Michelle Ulrich is the Chief Villager and founder of The Virtual Nation™, an educational destination for Virtual Professionals around the globe. Michelle is an avid believer in giving back to her industry and she does this by offering coaching, teleclasses, resources, and tools, in addition to providing a community of learning, a nation of culture, and a virtual village for her members.

She maintains her private practice where she specializes in working with authors, coaches and speakers who struggle to keep up with e-commerce and new technologies. Clients can check out her services at www.virtualbusinessmarketing.com, while Virtual Assistants can find her over at www.thevirtualnation.com. She can be reached by telephone at (916) 536-9799 in the Pacific time zone.

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One question I get asked a lot is which online marketing service should I use (or variations thereof):

"I use Constant Contact for my newsletter but want to start selling products via my website. Do I need 1ShoppingCart to do this?"

"Which is the best service to use for my newsletter – Constant Contact or Aweber?"

"I want to use an autoresponder service. Do I need 1ShoppingCart or Aweber?"

You get the idea!

This is something that many solopreneurs find a difficult decision to make; after all there are so many different choices and services available and the cost of each one varies a lot too!

So, which one to choose…

- Should you go with a service like Constant Contact that is purely for newsletter broadcasts and doesn’t have an autoresponder or shopping cart feature?

- What about a service like Aweber for your newsletter broadcasts and also comes with autoresponders, but no shopping cart feature?

- Or should you just go with a service like 1ShoppingCart that has all the features you need but with a hefty price tag?

I sound like an episode of House Hunters don’t I… (If you don’t watch this program you won’t know what I’m talking about!)

To help you decide the best service for you I have put together a list of the Pros and Cons of Constant Contact, Aweber, and 1ShoppingCart (although these are by no means the only services available!) I’m using these examples because they're the ones I get asked the most about, and I also know each of these services very well having used them all over the past few years.

Whichever service you want to use, before you decide…

Ask yourself these two crucial questions:

1. What are the long-term goals for my business? (For example do you plan on just sending out a newsletter or do you want to sell information products via your website and have the ability to follow up with your customers via autoresponders?)

2. Which of these services will meet my long-term goals?

From my own experience I can tell you that going a cheaper router can be a false economy and can lead to its own headaches as your business grows, so carefully consider all of your goals, and the options each service provides, before making your decision.
What I’m sharing with you here is a quick overview of each of the three services I mentioned above and the benefit of my experience of each of these systems. When you read through this list, please note that this is only a very broad overview of each service; you’ll need to refer to each one for specifics.

Constant Contact (http://www.constantcontact.com)

Pros

* Has 100’s of HTML templates for you to choose from

* Will automatically convert your HTML email into plain text format

* Has the ability to create as many different interest categories as you need

* Can schedule broadcasts ahead of time and to go out at a set time of day

* Can create a custom sign-up web form for visitors to be automatically added to your database

* Has very detailed click through statistics

Cons

* Is an email marketing-only service, so you cannot create follow-up autoresponders

* Does not have any shopping cart functions

Aweber (http://www.aweber.com)

Pros

* Has many HTML templates for you to choose form (although not as many as Constant Contact)

* Ability to create as many different lists as you need, i.e. one for your newsletter, another one for your teleclass sign-ups etc.

* Can schedule broadcasts ahead of time and to go out at a set time of day

* Can follow-up with your clients via unlimited autoresponders

* Can create a custom sign-up web form for visitors to be automatically added to your database

* Provides click through statistics

* Has a very high email deliverability rate

Cons

* Does not automatically convert your HTML newsletter into text – you have to copy and paste the information

* Does not have any shopping cart functions

1ShoppingCart (http://www.1shoppingcart.com)

Pros

* You can manage your entire business through this one service – newsletters, autoresponders, shopping cart, affiliate program

* Offers different levels of service depending on your needs

* Can follow-up with your clients via unlimited autoresponders

* Can create a custom sign-up web form for visitors to be automatically added to your database

Cons

* No HTML templates so you will either need to get someone to prepare your broadcasts for you, or have your own HTML software and prepare your broadcasts in this program and upload to 1SC

* Doesn’t have the ability to create a text version of your HTML newsletter – you will need to do this yourself and upload to 1SC

* Has a technical interface, so if you’re not comfortable using technology you may find this service difficult to use

* Can schedule broadcasts to go out ahead of time, but can’t set a specific time of day

Conclusion: Carefully consider all of your options before deciding on a service and see if that service will meet your long-term goals. It is possible when starting out to use a service such as Constant Contact for sending out broadcasts, and find a shopping cart service later on as your business grows – I do know of business owners that run their businesses this way. Keep in mind though that if you do go this route you will be running and maintaining two separate databases – one for your newsletter broadcasts, and the other for your online product sales.

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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Buiness Know-How by Tessa Stowe: Selling is all about the whys. There are some very important whys that you want answered and there are some very important whys your prospect wants answered. If you focus on these whys, selling will become a lot easier for you plus it will be easier for your prospects to buy from you.

So what are these whys and why are they so important?

When you are talking to a prospect the whys that you want answered are:

1. The real 'reason why' they want this problem solved or they want to obtain this outcome.

You want to find the 'reason why' because you need to discover the ultimate outcome they want. If you know the ultimate outcome they want, you will not only increase your chances of gaining a client but you will also probably make an even larger sale. Also, if you think about it, you need to know the ultimate outcome your prospect is looking for before you can propose the solution that is going to give them this ultimate outcome.

2. Why they want this ultimate outcome NOW.

You want to find out why they want this ultimate outcome now as you need to know if there is a compelling reason to take action now. If there is no compelling reason to take action now, chances are high that they will not make a decision now. If there is no compelling reason you will probably be wasting your time, money and resources in pursuing a sale that is not going to happen now.

So just as you have whys you want answered so too does your prospect. The whys your prospect wants answered are:

1. Why should I buy this product or service?

Your prospect wants to know what's in it for me (WIIFM) if I buy your product or service? What problem does your product or service solve and what outcome is it going to deliver? What difference is your product or services going to make for me? Is there a justification for buying your product or service? Why is it important for me to buy your product or service now instead of later?

2. Why should I buy this product or service from you?

Once your prospect has made the decision that they want to buy a product or service like yours to solve a problem or achieve an outcome, they will probably also think they can buy this product or service from other companies as well. It is at this point they start asking themselves all sorts of questions about you. Are you capable of solving this problem and delivering the outcome? Will you do what you say you will do? Can I trust you? What risk am I exposing myself to if I buy from you? Will I get the outcome I want if I buy from you? Why should I buy from you instead of your competitors?

If you look at your sales conversations and all your steps in the sales process, they really are about finding out and answering these whys. In essence you want to find out why they want a problem solved now so you can know if they are really a prospect. In essence your prospect wants to know why they should even be interested in your products and services and if they are, why they should buy from you. Selling really is all about the whys.

Tessa Stowe teaches small business owners and recovering salespeople simple steps to turn conversations into clients without being sales-y or pushy. Her free monthly Sales Conversation newsletter is full of tips on how to sell your services by just being yourself. Sign up at http://www.salesconversation.com

Selling Is All About The Whys [Buiness Know-How]

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I know… you probably think of filing as the most boring job in the world, and there are probably a 101 other thing that you would prefer to do instead. However, as a solo business owner, it is down to you to do the filing and stay organized. As a result this is one of the areas that a lot of solo business owners find overwhelming – they simply do not know where to start, or how to systemize their business.

Papers here; papers there; papers everywhere!

The more piles of paper there are, the more overwhelmed they feel!

Creating and maintaining a filing system is the very foundation that your business is built on, so this is the first system you need to put in place - an efficient and effective filing system. And one that is simple to use too!

With a proper filing system in place you will very quickly and easily be able to find the information you need, when you need it.

Let me share with you below my 7 easy steps for creating your ideal filing system:

1. Determine your storage needs. Whether you decide to opt for a plastic filing crate, or a dedicated filing cabinet, one thing you need to keep in mind that you will need TWICE as much space as you think you’ll need.

2. Decide how you naturally look for information. This will determine what your filing system will look like, and how you will set up your files. For example are you a person who thinks in alphabetical terms, or does categorization serve you better? Remember – this is YOUR filing system so you need to do what works for YOU.

3. Categorize your filing drawers/crates. For example if you have a two-drawer filing cabinet, use the top drawer for business files and the bottom drawer for personal files. You decide how best to categorize your filing drawers. But don’t just put all your files together in one drawer without any system otherwise you won’t be able to find anything again!

4. Gather your supplies. Tabbed file folders work best simply because there are no holes to punch or fiddly clasps to undo. You simply drop your papers into your file – making filing your paperwork a cinch!

5. Create quick and easy access to your day-to-day files. A stepped-sorter holds approximately 8-10 files which step up the further back they are – making your files easily visible. Keep this on your desk, and store in it those files you know you will need access to every day.

6. Now move on to your PC filing system. Your PC is a very large filing cabinet, so it makes sense to create a similar filing system here as you did for your paper files. That way you do not have to manage two different filing systems – it’s the same system except one is physical, and the other is electronic.

7. Create a system for your emails. Again, follow a very similar or the same system for creating email folders as you did for your paper and PC files. Outlook and Thunderbird allow you to create different mail folders.

Consistency is the key to an easy-to-use, successful filing system. Create the same files and folders for your paper-based system, your PC system, and your email program.

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 contributed by Michelle Ulrich.

To ‘Do-it-Yourself’ or Not to ‘Do-it-Yourself’, that is the Question!

We live in a do-it-yourself society. We want to save money by doing tasks we don’t even enjoy, but are we really saving money?

Take Chef Michael Elliston who lives in Puerto Rico as an example. He hired someone to design his website, but it ended up being a template where he entered the information on his own. His professional image was certainly not improved by his lack of web design knowledge or multiple grammar and spelling errors. That’s when he decided to hire a trustworthy and skilled Virtual Assistant; someone who could visualize and project his professional image in a much better light. He is very happy now and can focus on cooking, which is his passion (and livelihood)!

Michael’s story is the same all over the world. We don’t concentrate on what we do best; we are conditioned by society to do everything by ourselves. What do you love to do? If you are doing almost everything EXCEPT the one thing you love, you are wasting your own time and your potential income on that time.

A few tasks to outsource to a Virtual Assistant: • Bookkeeping • e-commerce - shopping carts • Ezines - online newsletters • Graphic and web design • Remote Office Management

Virtual assistants are truly resourceful. Just ask a VA today about your ideas and even ones you might think are impossible—you’ll be surprised at the results!

About the Author
Michelle Ulrich is the Chief Villager and founder of The Virtual Nation, an educational destination for Virtual Professionals around the globe. Michelle is an avid believer in giving back to her industry and she does this by offering coaching, teleclasses, resources, and tools, in addition to providing a community of learning, a nation of culture, and a virtual village for her members. Education is the foundation of her organization as well as for her own personal and professional development. Michelle has been a community college instructor teaching a Virtual Assistant certificate program online. Aside from coaching and teaching, she is also a speaker and soon-to-be author on the subject of Virtual Assistance. She maintains her private practice where she specializes in working with authors, coaches and speakers who struggle to keep up with e-commerce and new technologies. Clients can check out her services at www.virtualbusinessmarketing.com, while Virtual Assistants can find her over at www.thevirtualnation.com. She can be reached by telephone at (916) 536-9799 in the Pacific Time zone.

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With the proliferation of video sites and social media sites like Facebook and MySpace, more and more of us are making web videos – and that’s a good thing. However, an amateur or poorly produced video will not put you or your business in the best light. Fortunately, there are a few little things you can do that will make a BIG difference! If you follow this simple advice, your videos – and your business - will look much more professional online.

1. Watch your background!

Now, I realize you may not be able to use all the special effects that I do on my “LouTube” Videos (http://tinyurl.com/6lslh7) but you’ve still got to consider your environment! Where is your camera? What’s behind you in the background? Nobody wants to see your dirty laundry or your velvet Elvis painting in the background! Just use a plain or professional-looking background.

As another alternative, do what my friend Travis Greenlee does, and shoot your video outdoors. Most of Travis’ videos come from outside his home in beautiful Steamboat Springs, Colorado!

2. Light it up!

Very simple: You’ve got to have more light in front of you than behind you. Otherwise, you’ll look dark and shadowy – which is fine if you’re doing a horror video, but not for your average videoblog! Too much light coming from behind you will trash your video. Even regular household lighting or a lamp placed in front of you should be adequate.

3. Are YOU ready for your close-up?

Before you hit record, how do YOU look? Just because you can work at home in your pajamas doesn’t mean we want to see them! Nancy Marmalejo at VivaVisibility.com does a beautiful job with her backgrounds and her overall presentation. She looks like a pro, because she is a pro.

4. Keep it simple!

More often than not, a webcam is more than adequate to shoot your video. I just use the iSight that’s built into my Mac. However, you could also invest in a neat, little $150 dollar Flip Cam. If you really want to take it up a notch, get a Sanyo Xacti camera like video pro Sherman Hu uses.

5. Be interesting!

Try to offer some interesting or unique content! To keep your viewer’s attention, you have to deliver some value. Keep your videos short and compelling… Remember, we’ve all got IDD – Internet Deficit Disorder!

That’s really all there is to it! Follow these five simple steps, and your online videos will be a lot more “watchable!” And remember, search engines love video, so keep on making better videos!

For more free tips and tricks, please feel free to visit my website anytime at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com.

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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This article is contributed by Michelle Ulrich.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." by Margaret Mead

Here is a list of my Top 10 Reasons Volunteering Can Help You Grow Your Business:

1. Volunteering helps you find your place in the community, whether online or in person, especially if you are "the new kid on the block."
2. Volunteering facilitates many new learning opportunities. This occurs through mentoring or just being around others who share your passion or interests.
3. Volunteering fosters new relationships and builds on existing ones.
4. Volunteering can be a great opportunity to try out new skills or hone existing ones.
5. Volunteering gives you a sense of giving service; studies have found this to be very healthy for our brains, our overall health and our psyche (soul).
6. Volunteering creates opportunities for you to be on ‘ground zero’ of your community or industry.
7. Volunteering builds self-confidence and great potential for leadership building opportunities.
8. Volunteering can lead to business opportunities as most people like to do business with people they know and trust.
9. Volunteering is an important value we can teach our children. We can also act as role models for those in need. You may be the reason they give back and volunteer when they are ready.
10. Volunteering is a way to share your knowledge with others as others before you have passed down history and traditions from one generation to the next.

When you are in a rut, need some help or want to impart your knowledge to others, find a community (online or offline) and get involved. It won’t feel so lonely, your questions will be answered and you can pass down your legacy to share with others. Besides, it’s good for your health and well-being.

P.S. Volunteering can be a great way to 'pay it forward.' I have seen commercials where one person is having a horrible day and takes it out on someone else, and then the next person takes it out on the next and so on. If we turn that around and perform random acts of kindness via volunteering in our communities, what an incredible and beautiful synergy we can pass on to others. We can affect our communities with one single act. Imagine if everyone pitched in and volunteered for something...what a peaceful and happy planet this would be!

About the Author
Michelle Ulrich is the Chief Villager and founder of The Virtual Nation, an educational destination for Virtual Professionals around the globe. Michelle is an avid believer in giving back to her industry and she does this by offering coaching, teleclasses, resources, and tools, in addition to providing a community of learning, a nation of culture, and a virtual village for her members. Education is the foundation of her organization as well as for her own personal and professional development. Michelle has been a community college instructor teaching a Virtual Assistant certificate program online. Aside from coaching and teaching, she is also a speaker and soon-to-be author on the subject of Virtual Assistance. She maintains her private practice where she specializes in working with authors, coaches and speakers who struggle to keep up with e-commerce and new technologies. Clients can check out her services at www.virtualbusinessmarketing.com, while Virtual Assistants can find her over at www.thevirtualnation.com. She can be reached by telephone at (916) 536-9799 in the Pacific Time zone.

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To Never Forget

The MEMENTO Memory LifeBook is a well designed and effective scientific mobile gadget that serves as a solution to people who suffer from dementia. The wearable device aids communication and memory as well as.....

Continued in BIZNESS! Newsletter Issue 71 >>>

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- Chic Eco Clutch
- Eco Clothing
- The Unomoto Electric Commuter Device
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- Curtains That Do More Than Keep Out Light

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

- How To Successfully Build Customer Loyalty
- How To Start Your Own Business
- Writing Your Book: Ten Tips To Get It Done
- Two Major Reasons Why Business Fail
- Art Of Persuasion:
- A Recession Is Not The Time To Cut The Training Budget
- How To Recession Proof Your Sales

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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Blogtrepreneur: Social Media Optimization is one of the most common methods for getting significant exposure for bloggers. Sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, and Delicious are constantly sending large volumes of traffic to submissions that are the most popular with users.

An effective Social Media Marketing plan can help to take a blog from nowhere to being well-known in a short amount of time. However, social media isn’t a good fit for every blog, and not all bloggers choose to participate. For those who would rather draw traffic in other ways, there are some traffic sources that are capable of giving you the same type of exposure as a front page appearance on a major social media site.

In this post we’ll look at five ways that bloggers can quickly gain tremendous exposure without social media, and without paying for any advertising. Just like social media, these methods won’t be for everyone either, but you may find something that fits very well for your niche and for your audience.

1 - Get Mentioned by Google News
2 - Submit a Press Release
3 - Get a Link from a Major Website
4 - Write a Guest Post for a Major Blog
5 - Get Listed in Web Design Galleries

5 Alternatives to Social Media Marketing [Blogtrepreneur]

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I started blogging over a year ago and a common question most folks have (me too) is how to drive traffic to your blog so people will read what’s being posted. If you’re writing to market your business, one of the great tools I’ve found to get known is StumbleUpon.

Are you familiar with Stumbleupon groups?

Up until 8 months ago, I hadn’t a clue about them until I was invited to join one. Bloggers get together to stumble each others articles each week.

Right now I’m in three Stumble groups. The rules for each one vary slightly.

Here’s how it works depending upon the rules of the organizer:

1. The organizer creates the master email list of everyone in the group. The size of the group might be small or larger with a mix of blogging topics or a more focused group like one of mine with all personal development bloggers.

2. The post is either submitted to Stumbleupon first (by you) before sending it to the group, or a person in the group discovers it (writes a review) for you. The amount of Stumble requests might be limited to two per week so stumbling requests are minimized.

3. You might be asked to include your Stumbleupon ID, the category to submit the thumbs up to, with a brief description of the post and suggested keyword tags.

4. You choose which articles you’ll stumble and you may elect not to Stumble them all. If you are expected to stumble posts you don’t really like, feel offended by, don’t relate to, you might want to rethink joining that specific group if stumbling them all is a member requirement. Yup - some may have that expectation.

5. Stumbling other people’s posts is key to being able to continue having your own articles stumbled.

That’s pretty much it! I often ask folks to leave a comment and write a review to open up the conversation. I LOVE when they become subscribers!

How to find a group? Ask around your blogging community.

Can’t find one? Start one!

Look around at the bloggers you like and form your own group. It’s a great way to increase your visibility and create a supportive circle of friends.

Last week there were four of us in one on my groups that wrote on a common theme of lifting a negative mood. It was pretty cool to see we were all on the same wave length!

While things have leveled out a bit, I definitely think the groups help to increase the unique visitors to blog on my website each month.

Have fun with it!

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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We all have those days that challenge us to stay centered, optimistic, productive and connected to ourselves. Perhaps the day seems to be going well and something happens that puts a damper on the entire day! Our attitudes can be affected by people and situations that cause us to have a “good or bad day.”

To help shift things into perspective, I encourage my clients to create a “rough day or rough moment” strategy.

Developing your strategy - what are the specific elements to consider?

Who and what are your attitude shifters? Make a list.

1. Connecting with people who lift your spirits. Getting together with specific friends, colleagues, family?

2. What brings you joy, peace, and makes you smile? Reading a great book, having a massage, watching a movie, watching Ellen DeGeneres, going out to lunch or dinner with friends…

3. What practices help you to decompress? Meditation, reading something inspirational, taking a walk in nature, soothing music, playing with your children or pet…?

4. Creating something? Writing, doing something artistic, building something
original…

5. Being in service to another? Being generous with your time, energy,money….to help someone else?

The next time you find yourself having a one of those days or moments, I encourage you to feel whatever you’re feeling. Stay mindful of making your feelings more than they need to be so that you are not censoring yourself and stuffing them. Vent and release whatever you need to express without having it become the place “you
live.”

Next, tap into your rough day strategy. Using this tool invites you to expand your viewpoint by first shifting your attitude. From a wider lens of perception, decisions can be made to either feel good or bad based on how we choose to view the situation; problems can shift to opportunities and solutions, stress can be transformed into renewed energy…get the picture?

PS. Remember that you will receive benefit from a valuable tool ONLY if you use it!

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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This article is contributed by Michelle Ulrich.

1. Website
a. http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/ - FREE
Microsoft Office Live Basics is the easy way to get started on the Web. If you have always wanted your own Web site, Microsoft Office Live has just made it easier — much easier.
- Free domain name and Web hosting
- Easy-to-use Web site design tools
- 500 MB of Web site storage space
- 25 company-branded e-mail accounts
- Web site reports
- Search advertising tool with $50 credit* - (I do not recommended to start)

b. Go Daddy’s Website Tonight for as little as $4.00/month

Go Daddy has THREE plans (or so) to choose from!

Blog instead of a website
c. Blogger.com – Free
d. WordPress.com – Free
e. TypePad.com – Basic Level is Free
i. With TypePad Basic you’ll be blogging in minutes. Choose your design from dozens of professional templates. TypePad makes it easy to include pictures and links, manage comments, and categorize your posts. Includes 100MB of storage and 2GB of bandwidth per month.
ii. $4.95 per month for higher level of service (more storage space, etc.)

Benefits of a blog versus a website
- No web designer needed
- Pick a template and start adding content
- Useful for selling one product (i.e. a book, ebook, info product, etc.)
- Useful for selling a relationship with potential clients
- Useful for opinion writing – be careful what you put out there; people read blogs!
- Hone writing skills
- Post at a minimum of 3x/wk for higher Google rankings
- Can also be a link from a website, which also increases traffic to your website

2. List capture form on your website and ezine delivery
a. iContact.com $9.95/month for up to 500 subscribers; 15-day free trial
i. Non-profits receive 20% discount and may pay by check monthly, quarterly, or annually
ii. Templates or design and paste HTML code
iii. Surveys
iv. Auto Responders
b. ConstantContact.com $15/month for up to 500 subscribers; 60-day free trial
c. CampaignMonitor.com
i. For each campaign you send with more than 5 recipients, you pay a flat delivery fee of $5 plus 1 cent/recipient. Any campaigns you send to 5 or less people are free of charge.
ii. Let's say you're sending an email newsletter for a client to their database of 4,500 subscribers. To send this newsletter, you will be charged $5 plus a cent for each recipient, $45 in this case, making a total of $50. All prices are in US dollars.

3. Shopping Carts and eCommerce
a. Mals-e.com
i. Shopping cart, digital downloads and affiliate program ONLY
ii. FREE for up to 1000 digital deliveries per month; you can purchase more as you increase your sales.
iii. $8/mo option for unlimited orders per month
iv. $95 flat one-time fee for their mOrders plus version for a desktop application for downloading and ‘databasing’ orders properly and permanently. www.mals-e.com/morders.php
v. Reporting
vi. Numerous third-party add-ons

b. E-Junkie.com
i. FREE 1-week trial
ii. $5/mo for 10 products/50 MB storage space; rates go up to $125 incrementally based on the number of products
iii. Product storage and delivery
iv. Easy to use, pop-up free, installation free
v. Shipping and postage calculations
vi. Sales tax and VAT calculations
vii. Inventory management
viii. Product promotion
ix. Discount codes
x. Affiliate management
xi. Customization (even works with an existing cart for digital downloads)
xii. Tracking, logging and notifications
xiii. Global acceptance
1. download page and email in language of your choice
xiv. Extras
1. send out free expirable download links
2. Works with eBay and MySpace, too!

c. Payloadz.com
i. Digital downloads ONLY
ii. FREE for up to $100 transaction limit / 50MB of storage
iii. $15/mo for $500 transaction limit / 100 MB of storage

d. WAHMcart.com
i. Full shopping cart very similar to Professional Cart Solutions (see below for full list of options, but you get EVERYTHING for $29.99/mo – no tiers

e. Professional Cart Solutions (aka – 1shoppingcart.com and many other private labels)
i. FREE 30-day trial or $3.95 for 30-days depending upon private label partner
ii. Four tiers of service
1. Starter $29
2. Auto Responder $29
3. Basic $49
4. Pro $79
iii. Shopping cart
iv. Broadcast (ezine, email announcements, etc.) delivery
v. Auto Responders
vi. Digital downloads
vii. Affiliate program
viii. Ad tracking
ix. Reporting
x. Payment processing with PayPal as well as a large list of merchants such as Authorize.net; QuickBooks/Intuit will be on the list soon (poss. Fall 2007)
xi. Templates for ezine delivery to come out soon (poss. Fall 2007)

4. Online Publishing Centers
a. CaféPress.com
b. LightningSource.com – Most recommended by traditional publishers if you must do Print On Demand (POD).
c. Lulu.com

5. Miscellaneous online services
a. CentralDesktop.com – Free online collaboration tool for up to 3 users; $25/mo for up to 10 users and other various packages. Use this tool to work with a virtual team to delegate the projects or pieces of larger projects.
b. EventBrite.com – Event management program. First event is free, then up to $9.95 each event. For paid events, your PayPal, Google Cart or merchant fees shall apply. You can specify donations or payments, number of ‘seats’ available, reporting, and lots of extras.
c. Evite.com – Free event management tool where you can pick a template, customize one on your own, add your Outlook contacts, track responses, and it even integrates with PayPal for paid events.
d. Foldershare.com – Free folder sharing application from Microsoft (a bit clunky to set up between two parties, but is an awesome program for sharing documents with clients, subcontractors, etc.)
e. Google.com – Google offers email, word processor, spreadsheet, calendar, classifieds (Google Base), groups, Blogger, Desktop and lots of other programs for FREE.
f. OpenOffice.org – Free office suite similar to and compatible with Microsoft office. Includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager, and drawing program. Interface similar to other office suites.
g. SurveyMonkey.com – Free up to 10 survey questions with 100 responses allowed; $19.95/mo for unlimited questions per survey and 1000 responses allowed, $200/yr to have unlimited questions and responses.
h. TheBasementVentures.com – Host teleclasses, teleseminars, etc. with this free tool. You can even record your own audio and then copy and paste the html code on your website, download the mp3 file and burn it to a CD for info product sales.
i. Thumbstacks.com – Free webinar presentation tool. This is for PowerPoints or various incarnations of PowerPoint only.
j. YouSendit.com – Free file sending program; $4.99/mo for 2 GB file sending, send multiple files, and no ads on your ‘send’ invitation.
k. Zoho.com – Office suite with free and $5 on up for other options. Word processing, spreadsheet, presentation tool, Wiki, notebook, Meeting (desktop sharing, web conferencing, online meetings, etc.), projects, CRM, database creator, planner (online organizer), chat, mail, and more.

About the Author
Michelle Ulrich is the Chief Villager and founder of The Virtual Nation, an educational destination for Virtual Professionals around the globe. Michelle is an avid believer in giving back to her industry and she does this by offering coaching, teleclasses, resources, and tools, in addition to providing a community of learning, a nation of culture, and a virtual village for her members. Education is the foundation of her organization as well as for her own personal and professional development. Michelle has been a community college instructor teaching a Virtual Assistant certificate program online. Aside from coaching and teaching, she is also a speaker and soon-to-be author on the subject of Virtual Assistance. She maintains her private practice where she specializes in working with authors, coaches and speakers who struggle to keep up with e-commerce and new technologies. Clients can check out her services at www.virtualbusinessmarketing.com, while Virtual Assistants can find her over at www.thevirtualnation.com. She can be reached by telephone at (916) 536-9799 in the Pacific Time zone.

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This article is contributed by Dittman Incentive Marketing (www.dittmanincentives.com).

In today’s competitive marketplace, the race to increase profits by cultivating customer loyalty is going at full speed. Customer retention is not only a cost-effective and profitable strategy, it is a necessity for businesses wanting to stay ahead of the pack.

As consumers are spending less thanks to soaring fuel and food costs, companies are more reliant than ever on the loyalty of a dedicated customer base to maintain a competitive advantage. Following the Pareto Principle, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers, and in a recession the numbers are closer to 95% and 5%, says Ajit Maira, senior vice president of the Information Technology Services Marketing Association. Since these returning customers cost less to reach, are less vulnerable to ploys from the competition and buy more over time, companies need to give customers an incentive not to go elsewhere for the same product or service.

One of the most successful ways to achieve this cost-effective retention is through the use of customer loyalty reward programs. By rewarding the ongoing purchase of product or services, companies achieve long-term relationships with customers. With a variety of loyalty programs available to companies, the key is discovering what works best for your needs and goals.

Build a Strong Foundation

Successful loyalty reward programs are built from a working knowledge of your customer base. To create the foundation, you must first identify the type of customers you want to retain and understand the types of products and services they value most. This information can then be used to determine the kinds of rewards programs that will appeal to them.

To obtain this level of understanding about your customers, it’s vital to conduct targeted research. In an article in the Harvard Business Review, authors Thomas O. Jones and W. Earl Sasser, Jr., suggest utilizing a combination of customer satisfaction surveys, customer feedback and market research. Together, these three tools can help businesses better grasp the wants and needs of the customer to build stronger brand loyalty.

Establish Winning Relationships

While good service is the key to earning customers, it’s not enough to maintain their long-term loyalty. In his book How to Win Customers & Keep Them for Life, author Michael LeBoeuf states, “Smart companies go the extra mile for the customer and show them just how dedicated they are to making sure that they feel good about doing business with them.”

To prove to your customers that your company is going that extra mile, you must show them you are doing just that on a regular basis. For example, Ben McConnell, co-author of Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customer Become a Volunteer Sales Force, suggests showing customers they are valued by inviting them to lend their opinions on new products and ideas, or invite them to your company’s conferences or meetings. These offers to participate in your company’s operations will promote a feeling of value and inclusion.

It’s also vital to maintain open lines of communication and always treat customers with courtesy. Loyalty is established over time, and customers need to believe that your company values them.

Give Them Incentives

Giving customers incentives to let their purchases be tracked allows you to base loyalty programs on very specific requests and needs. The incentives can help your business to increase customer traffic and sales, and most importantly—allow you to measure the effectiveness of the incentive.

The incentives can vary, and can include immediate rewards like free long-distance phone calls for hotel guests, targeted deals such as exclusive “friends and family” sales events, valuable membership cards offering extras like bonus spending points. Other options are also successful, like manufacturer rewards for items such as brand merchandise and discounts, and point-earning partnerships between retailers and online shopping sites.

Offering these loyalty incentives, also know as frequency marketing, allows your business to build a database of loyal customers that you can target again and again, and with precise tracking.

Follow Through

To reap the rewards of a customer loyalty programs, it is vital to maintain a consistent approach and follow through with your strategy. By staying the course with targeted research, communication and incentives, you can establish a loyal customer base yielding great results.

It's important to remember that customer loyalty can't be established overnight, but the investment required to create a satisfied customer is always worth the effort. Establishing long-lasting, loyal relationships with clients should not be an afterthought in the current market; it's now a fundamental necessity on the road to achieving higher profits and business longevity.

About Dittman Incentive Marketing
This article was provided by Dittman Incentive Marketing (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 customer loyalty programs and motivation programs that inspire a sales force to sell more and customers to buy 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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This guest post is contributed by Constantinos Tassigiannis.

Want to start your own business but don’t know how? Read on and get the knowledge to live the dream.

First, let’s look at the positives and negatives of starting your own business. The upside is that you are in charge of your own career and pay and if your business really takes off, you can end up with a massive salary which is much more than you can earn at the regular job. The downside is that many businesses fail in their first year and it’s not for people who prefer working to a nine till five schedule as most of the time, in order to succeed, you have to work round the clock. A seventy hour working week is not unusual.

The key to starting a successful business is recognising a gap in the market and taking advantage of it. Others however choose to come up with ways of improving an existing product. Whatever road you decide, research is essential as it can make or break you.

Do you have an idea that no one has thought of yet? How about an improved design that costs less to make than the original, or makes it work more efficient? How dedicated you are to your idea will reflect on the outcome. There are different approaches, such as a tried a tested business model, a specific business opportunity, taking control and changing your life or working part time, depending on what road you want to take.

Once you have come up with a product or service, you need to refine it. We do this by developing it by using research. Does it satisfy a need? Once you have done that, you need to brainstorm your idea with friends and colleagues. Everyone brings forth their own perspective on the idea and can inform if there is someone doing the same thing. Think about how you will run your business e.g. will it be sorely run online or will it have stores? What makes it unique and better than the competition? Make sure your product complies with any legislations and safety regulations.

Once you have come up with a product or service, you need to protect it. We do this by having a record of ownership over it, known as Intellectual Property, IP for short.

There are four types of IP and the type of product you have determines the type of IP you should use.

* Patents for inventions

New or improved products that are capable for industrial application.

* Trademarks

Used to protect brand and corporate identity of goods and services, allowing distinctions between different traders

* Designs

Protect product appearance such as lines, colours, contours, shape, and texture, materials of the product itself or its ornaments.

* Copyright

Literacy, music, films, audio, broadcasts, software and media can be protected under this category.

It should be noted that it often is not possible to protect IP and gain IP rights without being applied for and granted. Copyright IP’s however arise automatically without registration, as long as proof of creation exists.

Importantly, you need to create a business plan, because without one, you aren’t going to get anywhere as an entrepreneur. A high quality business plan can help attract the right type of funding to keep your capital high.

You need to have an executive summary, stating exactly what you’re business is and why it exists. Basically, it is an overview of what your business is all about and this is vital as investors will make a judgement based on this section alone. Its purpose is to draw attention and make the reader want to find out more, possibly making them want to invest in your idea. If it has caught their attention, it has done its job. Make sure you do not use hype as an experienced investor will see right through this.

Then, you need a short description of the business opportunity, detailing who you are, what service or goods you will provide and who is your target market. Detail when your business will start, or when it did if it already has. The industry and sector it is a part of and its key features should be written. Any relevant history should also be noted, such as past owners et cetera. You also have to detail your current legal structure and what your vision of the future will be. Define your products differences to competition and what benefits it brings forth. Also noting what development you have in mind and if you own any patents or IP's.

Once you have finished that, it's time to put your strategy to the test. Write down what marketing and sales ideas you have. How will you get people to buy your product and where will they be able to buy from? What are the markets key current issues and how big is it? It is also important to know your competition. Note how you will go about positioning your product in the market place. Also detail pricing policies and how you will go about promoting your business. Maybe you'll use advertising, PR campaigns, direct marketing, email or e-sales. You need to conduct market research and see if you idea truly fills a gap in the market effectively.

An effective way of researching a need is to convey surveys of the public, whether they would use the product. Ask customers of competing products for what improvements they would like to see. Monitor the competitions activities as this keeps you in the know whether they start a new service or release a new product that may compete with yours to a greater extent. Another utility that you should put to use is using focus groups to test out your product, using feedback from them to evolve your business. It is very important that you cover everything you can and conduct as much market research as possible as mistakes made later on due to poor information can be costly. Hire a market research agent to help out and make sure you haven’t missed anything as the more information you have, the better you can satisfy your customers.

Now that you have your point of sale ideas down, you need to work out who makes up your marketing team. List your credentials and the people you plan to recruit to work with you. Give details of the number of people you have in your workforce in total and by departments. How much time each employ spends working and how much they earn should be given here and any other numbers that affect the total amount of profit brought in by the company. You should also note down a timescale, noting costs and any training that will be given.

Onto operations and time to note down the premises you'll be operating from, production facilities, your management information systems and your networking and IT. Do you have a business property or do you rent it? What are your long term commitments to the property and what facilities does it provide or will there be investments put in this field? Noting down all of this as well as how you go about using the facilities effectively really show that you know what you're doing and you won't be wasting time, as time is money. Any established procedures for stock control, management accounts and quality control should be put in this category as well as any IT experience you have because as technology evolves, so will everything else and you can't risk falling behind.

Make sure your business plan reflects your personal vision, keep it simple and realistic and your business plan should work well.

Once that's out the way, research is next, especially financial. Make sure you have Unique Selling Proposition and a business model at hand, showing how the revenue will come in. Also note forecasts for profit and loss, sales and cash flow statements. To help your business survive its first year, you’re going to need to cover your financial needs. Many businesses don’t make a profit in the first year, making only enough to cover their outgoings. So it is important to have funding if you want to survive. Plan out a budget using a personal budget spreadsheet detailing your domestic financial needs for the year. Keep a record of your spending and try and cut back on unnecessary buys. Appling for funding can really help and make things easier. You can do this in a number of ways. Sources of help include local business links, start-up schemes and financial advisors and accountants.

The Prince’s Trust (eligible age 18-30), that can provide a low interest loan of up to £4,000 for a sole trader and up to £5,000 for a partnership. They also provide up to £250 on test marketing, as well as access to a wide range of products and services to help your business stay in business.

Business Link: a company that provides a service in business planning, borrowing shares and equity, grants and government support banking, financial and debt recovery. It also has a wide range of information for entrepreneurs.

Chamber Of Commerce: “The National Voice for Local Business” employs more than 5 million people and also the widest business community to help fund you and give you the skills and information to succeed.

But you can also do things yourself to help fund your ideas, such as releasing equity from an existing asset, such as trading in your car for a cheaper one. Sell things you do not use or really need, get a loan from family members and friends. Get an overdraft with your bank account

Besides help with funding, there is also the choice of incubation. There are a good amount of incubators to choose from In the UK. They are designed to nurture your company, help guide your business, supply you with workspace and also provide you with the right information and advice with a combination of business development processes and infrastructure. Research has shown an 87 % and upwards survival rate for incubated companies compared to only a 40 % survival rate for non-incubated.

Incubators include Digital Inc in Liverpool ICDC, who currently house 12 small businesses and brought in a profit of over two million pound in the 2004 - 2005 year and is the UK's first business incubator to be focused on the digital industries. Its current funding ends after 2008 but its manager Mr Peter Leather is putting together a sustainability model is confident that Digital Inc will become a centre of excellence.

Another incubator that has just recently opened is the Liverpool Science Park, which is run by Peter Leather, ex-manger of Digital Inc. This is a new modern building with office space and lecture rooms that can be utilised by small and corporate businesses. As with every incubator, an affordable fee is paid for the space needed, which is worth it considering the knowledge they’ll be passing on to you, as well as support given by staff and help lines.

Once you have enough information, you need to decide how you will trade. Will your business be a Limited Company or a Sole Trader?

A Sole Trader is a business which legally has no separate existence from its owner. All debts of the business are debts of the owner. The advantage in being a Sole Trader is control and business administration, due to their only being one owner.

A Limited Company has liability limited by the law. Funds can be raised by selling shares of the business. The drawback is that you risk losing control if shareholders join and equal a greater amount of ownership than yourself.

One final bit of advice is to make sure you hire the right type of people. Often, businesses can be hurt due to lack or determination or commitment put in by others besides the owner. You need to explore the options available to you, such as freelancers, fixed term contract employees, temporary staff, consultants and contractors. Whoever you hire, make sure they work to a high caliber, with the right mix of skills. It's not an easy process but one that will pay dividends.

Article contributed by Constantinos Tassigiannis, BA Hons MBCS.
Freelance iMedian, artistic entrepreneur and disabled weight lifter.
www.DinoT.co.uk

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According to a recent study of online advertising by Nielsen/NetRatings and WebVisible, search engines such as Google and Yahoo are the #1 resource used by consumers looking for products and services from local businesses. This presents a tremendous opportunity for local businesses to use the Web to promote their business.

The survey goes on to demonstrate that consumers are switching from traditional types of advertising such as yellow pages, newspapers and television. In fact, 73% said they would rather use a search engine to find a business than to have marketing materials sent to them, like direct mail. The survey suggests that consumers are feeling inundated by advertising, and perhaps are using search engines as a means to avoid other types of advertising and zero in on the specific type of business that they are seeking. Overall, 86% of consumers have used a search engine to find a local business, claims the survey.

WebVisible is giving away the survey findings in a free report that you can download here on GetEntrepreneurial.com. Click the following link to download your free report:

About Webvisible:

WebVisible is a global leader in local online advertising for small businesses. Our business philosophy is local business owners are too busy minding their stores to successfully navigate the complexities of creating and managing their own online adver­tising, whether pay-per-click, banner ads, call-based products, or ROI measurement tools. WebVisible solves this problem by offering turn-key, fully managed local interactive advertising solutions with predictable pricing and guaranteed results. By employing a world-class software platform and creative services, we provide the local business owner with the value of a focused team and the experience of over 50,000 small business marketing campaigns. WebVisible can be reached at 877-932-8476 or www.webvisible.com.

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Most entrepreneurs and executives really want to become a published author, but few have the time or resources to write their book. Writing a book is a big commitment, and many aspiring authors just can’t seem to get started. If you fall into that category, you may decide that you need a ghostwriter or a writing coach. On the other hand, you may just need a gentle nudge to get started.

If you’d like to make this year the year you finally write your book, these 10 tips to getting your book done can help:

1. Make the Commitment – In order to write a book, you really have to decide to do it. Make the commitment to begin. Write it down as a goal with a deadline. Be intentional and take action!

2. Write One Hour a Day – Every day, make time to write – even if it’s only an hour a day. Get up a little earlier to establish a set time daily. Carve out an hour and do nothing but write!

3. Blog Your Book – If you want to chunk down your writing and make it less intimidating, try “blogging” your book. Start a blog and post your entries every day or so. Before you know it, your blog content will grow into the chapters of your book!

4. Write What You Know – Make book-writing much easier on yourself by writing what you know. Use your background, expertise and experience to create the content of your book. When you go with what you know, the writing will just flow!

5. Repurpose Existing Content – If you’ve created a seminar, speech, article or e-book, then you’ve already got some content for your book. Be sure to review your existing materials – from blog posts to e-courses - and recycle what you can.

6. Write Fast, Edit Later – Set a timer for 30-minutes and just write. Don’t put too much thought into it, just get the words down. It’s a lot easier to re-write than it is to write, so write first and edit later.

7. Develop Your Structure – Don’t jump blindly into writing without an outline or chapter structure. You may change it on the fly, but working without an outline is like working without a safety net!

8. Break Through Writer’s Block – There are many tricks for overcoming writer’s block, but most of it comes down to discipline and determination. If you’re stuck, take a break; do something different; then come back at it with a vengeance!

9. Use Writer’s Groups – Joining a writer’s group gives you accountability partners and support. Take advantage of the power of groups, whether it’s an online group or an in-person group.

10. Get Some Help – If all else fails, enlist the support of a writing coach, a collaborator or even a ghostwriter. You may want to explore the possibility of working with a co-author to split the work and make the journey more enjoyable.

Whatever tactics you choose, make this year the year you finally write that book!

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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