Article Contributed by David Gruttadaurio

Are you making this dreadful newsletter marketing mistake?

The typical client newsletter is one of the most mind-numbing, agonizingly boring pieces of mail ever sent to consumers.

The main reason is that most companies think what they do is incredibly fascinating to their clients. So based on this false assumption, their newsletters cheerfully discuss the latest equipment purchase or the new back office operation and how Mary Sue has moved from Payroll to Marketing. While this might be riveting stuff internally, I can assure you that your clients just don't care.

If you're making this newsletter marketing mistake, don't worry. It's not your fault. No one ever taught you the system, until now…

4 'Set in Stone' Rules to Publishing a Winning Client Newsletter:

Rule #1: Never make your business or company the focus of your client newsletter. This concept is difficult for most business owners to wrap their minds around. Read my words: Our clients don't care about how our business operates! The sooner we accept this fact, the sooner we will be sending them something that they actually want to read.

Rule #2: Focus on article content that people grab hold of and actually use in their lives. That means you must provide appealing and interesting content that is relevant, useful and engaging. The goal is to create involvement. The more time they spend with your newsletter, the more likely they'll take action.

Rule # 3: Be consistent. If you tell your customers to expect a newsletter from you every month, you better do it. And ask yourself: How often do I want my customers and prospects to think of me? While daily would be wonderful, it's not going to happen. Following a monthly newsletter schedule is perfect. They will expect to receive it just like they do their favorite magazines.

Rule #4: Never forget that a client newsletter is a marketing tool. Within your compelling content weave client testimonials and the names of people who have referred your company. Have contests that give away free services or gift cards to create further goodwill between you and your clients. And always, always, always have a compelling offer just for them.

Follow these rules and you will have a winning client newsletter that will get you more sales. But, you have to keep in mind that...

You Must Take a Long-term View on Using Newsletters as a Marketing and Customer Relations Tool.

Be aware that the results will not happen overnight. In fact, it will take several months for your customers to develop the 'habit' of looking for it.

But over time, your clients will come to expect getting your newsletter. And they will hound you if you missed sending them an issue! You will definitely see the desired results with the payoff being client retention and more purchases from you.

Client newsletters that include the four rules listed above will build relationships with your customers and create a sense of reliability and professionalism. You'll be sending literature that your clients will look forward to reading every month.

And since your rivals don't understand my newsletter success system, you will create a powerful marketing machine that will blow your competition out of the water.

About the Author
David Gruttadaurio was sick and tired of wasting money on marketing that didn't work. So he searched for a profit-producing, client-retention & referral-generating tool until he found newsletter marketing! Now go to http://www.NewslettersMadeForYou.com & get his FREE "Profit Exploding Newsletter Secrets Report" that reveals how to reclaim tons of money that should be sitting in your bank account now simply with newsletters.

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Article contributed by Karen S. Sieczka

Want to encourage your staff to think outside the box? Provide the tools they need to get creative.

An Idea Library is a place where you and your staff can go to look for the seeds of a new idea. Much like a regular library, your idea library houses books, journals, and magazines, and offers comfy seating and a place for quiet reflection. What’s different ? It is on-site and available for use any time writer’s block strikes, a project gets stuck in development, or new concepts just don’t seem to be coming.

It’s easy to get started. Carve out a space where there are few distractions. Add some comfortable seating and a table. Keep some games, colored pencils, and lots of paper available here as well. Now start to scour book stores or your own local library for interesting magazines. Here’s the key: don’t look for anything related to your current industry. You want to stimulate new thinking with books, magazines, catalogs, and periodicals unrelated to your organization’s primary industry. Go for something totally different. This is where is new ideas come from.

Look for opposites of what you do and add those items. If you’re in sales, go toward fashion. If you’re scientific, have materials from the day care industry. Bring in annual reports from non-competitors. What are they doing? How can you apply their expertise to what you do?

Borders Bookstores used a display technique garnered from the retail clothing business to quell lagging book sales. It changed its book displays with covers facing out rather than the traditional spine out approach.

Often great ideas come from adapting ideas from another industry or product line and applying it to your organization. We tend to read the same things and do the same things as our competition so we need to find a way to open the creative floodgates. Want new and unusual ideas? Look to other industries for ideas.

Ask: how can we apply what other industries are doing to what we are doing?

About the Author
Karen S. Sieczka is a training consultant and founder of Growing Great Ideas.com. Her latest training program is Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing Creativity at Work. The program generates ideas, enthusiasm, and teamwork and can be customized to address particular organizational issues or challenges. This article was excerpted from the book, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing Creativity at Work now available at LULU.com in download or print version.

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“You can gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do”. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Last month’s I wrote a post about having the courage to Say YES to your dreams and desires. If you missed reading the article, click here. I encouraged you to create your own I Say YES manifesto to use as a source of inspiration and commitment to consistently show up in intention and action.

To achieve your goals, vision, intentions, dreams… requires stepping out of your comfort zone to stretch yourself and open to new experiences that serve to grow you as a person as well as your business. Attempting to stay where you are is impossible. Change is a constant in life. If you’re not moving forward, you will begin to move backward.

This past weekend, I spent time with a dear friend at her parent’s lakefront home while they were away on vacation. I was really looking forward to relaxing, playing, soaking in the hot tub, and doing some personal transformation work together. So, when she said she really wanted to do a sweat lodge my initial reaction was less than enthusiastic. That was not part of my plans!

Several hours of sweating in total darkness with strangers and being vulnerable felt too uncomfortable! No, no, no!

And then I got very still. What if ????? I let go of the resistance (shifting from constriction to expansion thinking), sat with the idea and considered different options. I could go and support her without participating, experience part of it for a while and stop at any time, or I could stay for the whole experience and really stretch myself. Sweat lodges offer powerfull spiritual, physical, and emotionally cleansing and healing experiences. Intuitively, I sensed that doing the sweat lodge would support some healing and release work that was ready to happen. So, I said YES.

It was an incredibly wonderful experience. In fact, the whole weekend was filled with gifts and blessings as I experienced several things for the first time. Being fully present to feelings, insights, and sensations was exhilarating and freeing. Each YES opened doors for new experiences and possibilities. I’m still integrating all that happened and it’s a powerfull metaphor to reflect upon the next time I dig in my heels.

It’s easy to come up with reasons and excuses to say no when we feel afraid or uncomfortable. We have the ability to effectively rationalize and justify a point of view to make it sound and feel believable. We become adept at convincing ourselves that our conclusions are accurate. To add leverage, we collect evidence to back up our NO in case we, or anyone else challenges our decision!

Unless we look more closely, we may miss the truth: we just don’t want to do it, period, especially if the decision feels threatening, uncomfortable or potentially painful.

To achieve your goals, vision, intentions, dreams… requires stepping out of your comfort zone to stretch yourself to new experiences that serve to grow you as a person as well as your business. Attempting to stay where you are is impossible. Change is a constant in life. If you’re not moving forward, you will begin to move backward.

The strength of your NO is often a powerful signal that saying YES to moving forward in spite of the resistance is the step you are meant to take as a leap of faith. Learning to distinguish a valid no from a critical yes is an important skill and talent (intuition) worth developing.

How often does your No response come up when you feel challenged to stretch yourself.

What decisions are you facing now, that are asking for a YES?

What favorite excuses and reasons do you use to justify your position?

What needs to shift to turn your no to YES?

What are you willing to love yourself enough to do, no matter what?

What are you ready to say YES to right NOW?

What will help you stay strong so that you continue to say YES?

It’s your life… make it a great one!

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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A few reasons why people come to me is because they feel stuck or because they know what they should be doing and they just don’t do it. They feel frustrated, stressed out, and often angry at themselves which only makes them feel worse.

They think that procrastination is a bad habit so they judge themselves harshly.

Not all procrastination is problematic. In fact, there are reasons why people hesitate to take action that are valid.

A good reason to take it slow is when you need more information or clarity in order to make an informed decision. While it might appear as if you’re dragging your feet, rushing forward impulsively or without the information you really need to say YES can cost you time, money, and energy. And if you’re the type of person who tends to make emotional decisions you often regret, having some boundaries such as waiting 24 hours before saying YES can be empowering.

So what about those times when you’re just not sure why you feel stuck?

Asking three important questions can clarify why you might not be moving forward.

1. Is this the right and best time for that goal, intention or desire to happen? You might have a dream of exponentially growing your business to open your flow of abundance. Timing can be an important element in reaching a desirable result. Market trends, cash flow, adding new target markets, reorganization, the economy….all affect timing. What are the factors you need to consider when implementing action?

Stay alert to fear-based excuses and reasons you might be using to say, “It’s not the right time” when it really is!” One other thing to consider is the Universal Law of Divine Timing. I encourage folks to tune into their spirit and intuition when making choices. When we partner with the Universe, things flow much better than when we don’t!

2. Is this the right goal? Is it something you really want? Or is it something you think you should want or what others want for you? This is a revealing question. So often I see people saying they want something and when they dig deeper, they realize it’s more of a should rather than a passion or deep desire. Anthony Robbins says, “People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals— that is, goals that do not inspire them.” When we are fully on board with a decision to have something we truly desire, we can become unstoppable.

3. Do you have room in your life for … more clients, a relationship, greater business success….? Do you have the time for it? Do you have the systems and structures to handle the extra business? You might want to have a relationship and you have so many demands in your life that you don’t really have the time and energy for someone new. A colleague told me about a woman who desired a new romantic relationship. She redid her bedroom and made room in her home in preparation of meeting someone special (which she did!). Consider what might need to shift to open space for what you say you want and take action!

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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If there is one message I must get across, it is this. You must start setting goals in every major area of your life. Right now, whatever your age, whatever you are doing.

Without something to focus on, the decisions we make and actions we take daily will not have any long-term direction, and will not result in any kind of achievement.

Without direction, we will be caught up with short term outcomes like paying the bills, watching TV, going shopping, trying out the newest restaurant, avoiding problems or simply making it through one hectic week after another. Like rats on a treadmill. We will tend to be caught up in a stressed and monotonous existence instead of designing a destiny and truly living.

The human mind is always pursing some kind of goal, however feeble. If we don't focus our mind on long term goals that lead us to success, our minds will tend to focus on short term and small goals that serve only to distract us and waste our time.

I always like to use a river as a metaphor for life. We are all in our boats moving down this raging river which splits into many tributaries downstream, representing the many outcomes. Which tributary we take will determine where we end up.

When we are clear which stream we want to take, we will begin rowing in that direction. Now, along the way, there are definitely going to be currents that pull us in different directions.

There are going to be rocks and rapids that block our path. But if we stay focused on where we want to go, we will just keep rowing steadfastly, re-directing our boat until we get to our destination.

However, if we go through life without any clear idea of where we are going and where we want to end up, we will just row our boats aimlessly. We will just allow the currents and the rocks to move us in all directions.

This is what happens to most people. There end up going down a stream that they don't want to be in. When they finally realize that it is not an outcome they want, they start paddling hard to avoid it. By this time, for many, it will be too late.

They go over the rapids (disaster) or finish up in a dead-end mill pond. They end up feeling frustrated, disillusioned and unfulfilled in the many different areas of their life. So, surely it is time to start deciding where you want to end up in your river of life!

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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Avoid the pain

Which would you prefer - root canal dental surgery without an anaesthetic or a bit of public speaking? According to the people who research these things, most of us would prefer the former.

Public speaking is still one of our greatest fears and it turns grown men and women into nervous wrecks. The mere thought of it turns our tongue to cotton wool, causes our internal plumbing to act up and our kneecaps to start knocking lumps out of each other.

The problem is that Public Speaking catches up with many of us at some time both in our business and personal life. You're asked to do a short talk at Fred's "leaving do". The
organisers of your business club want fifteen minutes on why you make "kafuffle" valves. A potential client wants a presentation on why they should give you the contract.

Of course there's always the confident people who think "I'm real good at this, lead me to the podium." The only thing is that some of these people could bore your socks off and do more for insomniacs than the strongest sleeping pills.

Maybe you'll be lucky enough to be sent on a Public Speaking course by your enlightened employer. But more likely, when asked to make a presentation you'll get hold of a book on
speaking, start writing the speech and lose sleep until the event.

Well, there's no need for all of this because help is at hand. All you need to remember are your P's and Q's. Let's start with the P's

Preparation -

When you sit down to write what you're going to say, bear in mind who you'll be speaking to. Will they understand what you're talking about; will they understand the technical stuff and the jargon? If in doubt remember the old saying "Keep It Simple Stupid". To quote Aristotle - "Think as the wise men do, but speak as the common man".

Make sure that what you say has a beginning, a middle and an end. Think of some anecdotes that help reinforce your story.

People think visually so paint verbal pictures for your audience. And always remember, people want to know what's in it for them - so make sure you tell them!

Place -

Have a look at the venue before the event if you can. It's not always possible, however, even if you get there half an hour before, you can check out where you'll be speaking.
Stand at the point where you will deliver from, imagine where the audience will be and check that they can see and hear you. You may even wish to place a glass of water where
you'll be able to find it.

Personal Preparation -

Before any speaking event, think about what you are going to wear; when in doubt dress up rather than down. You can always take things off for a more casual look. Men could remove their jacket and their tie. Women could remove items of jewellery.

Part of your personal preparation should include some mouth and breathing exercises. Practise saying some tongue twisters to give your speaking muscles a good work out. Take
a deep breath and expand your diaphragm. Then breathe out, counting at the same time, try and get up to fifty and not pass out.

As part of your personal preparation, write your own introduction. Write out exactly what you want someone to say about you, large font, double-spaced and ask the person
introducing you to read it. Believe me they won't object and will probably be pleased and impressed.

Poise and Posture -

Whenever you're called to speak, stand up or walk to the front quickly and purposefully. Pull yourself up to your full height, stand tall and look like you own the place. Before you start to speak, pause, look round your audience and smile. You may even have to wait until the applause dies down. Remember, you want the audience to like you, so look likeable. Practise this in front of a mirror or your family; I've heard that children make pretty good critics.

Pretend -

I'm suggesting you pretend you're not nervous because no doubt you will be. Nervousness is vital for speaking in public, it boosts your adrenaline, which makes your mind sharper and gives you energy. It also has the slight side effect of making you lighter through loss of body waste
materials. The trick is to keep your nerves to yourself. On no account tell your audience your nervous, you'll only scare the living daylights out of them if they think you're going to faint. Some of the tricks for dealing with nerves are:

Get lots of oxygen into your system, run on the spot and wave your arms about like a lunatic. It burns off the stress chemicals. Speak to members of your audience as they come in or at some time before you stand up. That tricks your brain into thinking you're talking to some friends. Have a glass of water handy for that dry mouth. Stick cotton wool on your kneecaps so people won't hear them knocking.

One word of warning - do not drink alcohol. It might give you Dutch courage but your audience will end up thinking you're speaking Dutch.

The Presentation -

This is it, the big moment when you tell your audience what a clever person you are and have them leap to their feet in thunderous applause. Okay, let's step back a bit - if you want their applause then you're going to have to work for it. Right from the start your delivery needs to grab their attention.

Don't start by saying - "Good morning, my name is Fred Bloggs and I'm from Bloggs and Company." Even if your name is Bloggs, it's a dead boring way to start a presentation. Far better to start with some interesting facts or an anecdote that is relevant to your presentation.

Look at the audience as individuals; I appreciate that this can be difficult when some of them are downright ugly. However it grabs their attention if they think you're talking to them individually.

Talk louder than you would normally do, it keeps the people in the front row awake and makes sure those at the back get the message. Funnily enough, it's also good for your nerves.

PowerPoint -

And for those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a software programme that's used to design stunning graphics and text for projection onto a screen. As a professional speaker, I'm not that struck on PowerPoint. I feel that too many speakers rely on it and it takes over the presentation. After all, you're the important factor here. If an audience is going to accept what you say then they need to see the whites of your eyes. There needs to be a big focus on you,
not on the technology.

Use PowerPoint if you want but keep it to a minimum and make sure you're not just the person pushing the buttons.

Why not get a bit clever at using the faithful old Flip Chart, lots of professionals do.

Passion -

This is what stops the audience in their tracks. This is what makes them want to employ you; to accept what you're proposing and make them want you to marry their son or daughter. Couple this with some energy, enthusiasm and emotion and you have the makings of a great public speaker.

Just think of our old friend Adolph Hitler, boy could he move an audience to action. It's just too bad he was selling something that wasn't to everyone's liking.

Give your presentation a bit of oomph and don't start telling me - "I'm not that kind of person."

There's no need to go over the top but you're doing a presentation to move people to action, not having a cosy little chat in your front room.

That's the P's finished with so let's look at the Q's.

Questions -

Decide when you're going to take them and tell people at the start. In a short speech it's best to take questions at the end. If you take them as you go then you may get waylaid
and your timing will get knocked out.

Never - never - never finish with questions; far better to ask for questions five or ten minutes before the end. Deal with the questions and then summarise for a strong finish.
Too many presentations finish on questions and the whole thing goes a bit flat.

When you're asked a question, repeat it to the whole audience and thank the questioner. It keeps everyone involved, it gives you time to think and it makes you look so clever and in control.

Quit -

Quit when you're ahead. Stick to the agreed time; if you're asked to speak for twenty minutes, speak for nineteen and the audience will love you for it. Remember, quality is not quantity.

One of the most famous speeches ever - "The Gettysburg Address", by President Lincoln, was just over two minutes long.

Right, that's my cue to quit when I'm ahead. Public Speaking will never be easy for most of us but we can all do it a whole lot better.

Alan Fairweather, 'The Motivation Doctor,' is an International Speaker, Author and Business Development Expert. To receive your free newsletter and free e-books, visit: http://www.themotivationdoctor.com

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Article Contributed By Barry Plaskow

These are difficult economic times for almost everybody. Many people are looking to the Internet to find an easy way to build an information marketing business that will solve their problems.

Unfortunately, there are too many scams that are successful in luring people into joining opportunities that do not provide real value. However, many are unaware of any real alternatives.

But, because you're reading this article you'll be able to build a successful online business without spending thousands of dollars on little informational value.

3 Steps to Building an Information Marketing Business Online

Step# 1: Understand the World of Information Marketing

You can only be successful online when you understand what people are looking for on the Internet. People use search engines in order to look for information on a variety of topics. Ranging from a review of a specific product to details about a holiday resort, the Internet has become the source of information.

Many people are prepared to pay for this information for various reasons. Firstly there is a higher perceived value for paid material. Many potential customers will not even look at your free information, as it is perceived as being cheap and lacking. There is a large market that will only buy information that the author feels comfortable to charge for.

Here is the key: If you know what people are looking for then all you need to do is create a product and market it. Plain and simple. And, this is easier than it seems as long as you follow the next two steps.

Step 2: Learn only from real marketers

Real marketers are aware of which niches are profitable to go into and they are aware of the marketing strategies needed to succeed in those areas. You need a complete plan.

The problem is that there is so much fluff on the Internet today even in the real business world of information marketing. There are people who claim that they can make you rich if only you follow their systems.

They claim that they can teach you how to create a product and market it as well.

With experience, I can tell you that many of these "marketers" are not telling you the entire truth. Many of these systems are selling you the dream. But they lack real informational value. They merely want to take you to the next level of purchase. It often turns into a never-ending circle of buying.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that you should not buy e-Books and other products online. I'm just opening your eyes to the real truth and suggesting that you be careful before you buy. Do your homework and make sure the person or company you want to buy products from are real experts and NOT self-proclaimed experts.

Step #3 –Find out who the real marketers are

There are some great marketers out there. The problem is that in order to employ them you would be charged anywhere between $500-$2000/hour for their services. Most people starting on a small budget cannot afford such high prices.

Fortunately, a low budget alternative does exist. There are teleseminars available that offer advice from some of the best-known marketers often for free.

Teleseminars make sense for marketers as they get exposure to a wider audience. The audience wins because they receive some fantastic training from marketers who often reveal some of their best information.

If you want to succeed on line then you will need to receive an education from true marketers. Before buying any material, you will want to review what is being offered. One of the best ways of doing this is through a teleseminar.

If you follow these steps, you will build a successful information marketing business online. It's how I'm growing my business and I'm a newbie. So, I'm learning just like you. But the difference is I'm following the above three steps and I'm learning from real experts.

Don't you think it's time for a change?

Although Barry Plaskow-is a relative newbie to internet marketing, he has succeeded in getting 12 of the world's top Internet marketers including Jay Conrad Levinson, Kenneth A Macarthur and Dan Janal to appear on his teleseminar series. Now you can discover the tactics, strategies and secrets needed to create and sell products, build a huge list and generate a mountain of cash on the Internet at http://www.prleads.com/IM4Newbies

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One of the most frustrating “facts of life: if you are trying to make money online: a significant percentage of visitors who sign up for your double opt-in newsletter will never confirm. (Of course this ignites the debate over single vs. double opt-in -- but that’s a subject for another article.) It feels like you are leaving money on the table…or if you prefer, it’s the equivalent of meeting a nice guy at a bar and then having him never call.

There are always going to be people who won’t confirm; you’ll never approach a 100% confirmation rate. But there are definitely steps you can take to improve your ezine confirmation rate significantly. Here are the four steps I took to raise my own confirmation rate by 50% in just 8 months:

1. Your thank you page: tell your subscriber what they need to do next. They’ve taken the first step -- filling in your subscription form. The very next thing they should see is your thank you page; use this real estate for three important messages:

A) Remind them of what they are signing up for, using most of the same language as on your signup page.

B) Remind them they have to click the confirmation link when they receive it in their inbox – otherwise they won’t receive the freebie they want (you are offering a freebie as incentive, right?)

C) Tell them how to make sure they receive the confirmation email by whitelisting; you can copy my whitelisting instructions if you like.

2. Use memorable language in the confirmation email. I’m not talking about clever wording or hype-y language; in fact, quite the opposite! You want the wording in the confirmation email to closely resemble the language on your signup and thank you pages, even lifting entire phrases word-for-word. This will mark the third time they’ve seen that language, making it much more likely that they will remember it and take action, i.e., click the link.

3. Deliver what you promise after they confirm. Once they click the link in your confirmation email, take them right to the page where they can access the freebie you promised. If your freebie is a downloadable ebook, for instance, put the download link right on the page, front and center; don’t make them wait to get a link in their email! Include download instructions; feel free to copy mine at the bottom of this page if you like. If your freebie is an audio or video, it’s a good idea to offer the option for them to listen or watch right from your webpage OR download for later use.

4. Tell them what you told them. On your post-confirmation thank you page, remind them one more time about your ezine title, frequency, etc., so they’ll recognize it when they get the next edition. Include a link to download or access the freebie, in case they didn’t see it on the thank you page or had trouble downloading. Include an email address where they can reach you if they need help or have a question. This is also a good place to remind them that they can unsubscribe from your newsletter anytime by clicking the link at the bottom (or top, depending on your newsletter design) of every mailing they receive from you.

Taking these steps is sure to improve your ezine confirmation rates (although your results may vary.) You may find that you don’t have to respond to as many “I didn’t get my ebook” complaints. And, you might even decrease the number of people who unsubscribe or mark your email as spam!

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.

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You've put a lot of investment into your website, and perhaps even more into various marketing activities to drive traffic to your site. And it's working -- your traffic numbers are up. You are halfway there -- now you need to turn those visitors into subscribers. Building a list of potential clients who are interested in what you have to offer is the only way you are going to make money from your online efforts!

The secret? Put yourself in your visitor's shoes. Here are five steps to help you do just that:

1. Get the right visitors. Seems basic, but it's one of the most important ingredients to building a responsive list; it's also the most time-intensive task. Extra effort spent on this step will also pay off handsomely.

It all comes down to making an emotional connection in your copywriting. If you have ads, links on other people's sites, articles posted on article directories, etc., does your message convince readers that you understand what they are looking for (or trying to eliminate) and have answers for them? When they then get to your website, does that connection strengthen and grow, if they are the right prospect?

If you write articles or place ads promising info on how to avoid foreclosure, for instance, when they get to your site don't immediately try to sell them a new mortgage (they'll likely click away) -- instead, share your own foreclosure story and how you overcame it (they may want to know more!) In your copy, use the language your ideal prospect is familiar with -- no jargon, talk to them at their level, use the kind of words and phrases they are likely to search for.

This is a very simplistic explanation of this topic. If you don't know much about keywords and copywriting -- get help with this step.

2. Now that a visitor has found your site and stayed more than 2 seconds...is it clear to them what you want them to do next? Too many choices = confusion = click away! If your goal is to get subscribers (hint), then your home page should funnel them toward that goal. Don't send them to your "about", "coaching services", or "products" pages -- first-time visitors are unlikely to buy right off anyway (although it's ok to have navigation that lets them get to those pages if they want to). Instead, make it clear that the ONE action you want them to take is to SUBSCRIBE!

3. They've read your copy and are interested in subscribing. Is it easy to figure out how to do so? Your form should be easy to find on the page -- even having it in a couple of places will work well. Put the form right on the page; don't make them click to get to the form (many won't bother!) Use a graphic, colors, large print, but not too busy. If visitors are likely to land on pages other than your home page (you should assume they might), put a subscription form on EVERY page of your website. On the left, near the top of the page, is a good location.

4. WIIFT? (what's in it for them) If you aren't giving away something in exchange for their email address, why should they subscribe? Not very many folks really want another monthly newsletter or weekly tips; however, if you offer a valuable freebie, they might be willing to try it out! Be upfront about what they are getting: the format/length of the freebie, frequency of your newsletter, what type of info they should expect. A link to a sample recent newsletter (that opens in a new page, so they won't lose the page they are on) is a nice touch.

5. Why should they trust you? No one wants more spam...so you need to assure them that their information is safe with you. Include a short statement about your privacy policy, and assure them that they can unsubscribe anytime. I also recommend asking for minimum info -- email address, and first name so you can personalize their emails. Every additional piece of info you want will decrease their likelihood of subscribing.

The above steps will make it clear to your visitor/potential subscriber that you have THEIR interests at heart. That's the beginning of the emotional connection that will build your list, and ultimately, increase your income!

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.

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It's easy to let things slip over the summer - after all the weather's far too nice to be indoors organising your office! However, the reality is when you do settle back into working after a break unless your office is organised you spend more time looking for files, business cards, papers, than you do working.

It's a lot of wasted time! Use my tips below and get your office schedule back on track.

1. Clear out your desk and files

Make way for those exciting new projects that have been put on the backburner over the summer. I recently did this and apart from getting rid of four grocery bags of papers, I felt much more motivated to start those projects that had been lurking for months! And it's amazing what you come across too!

2. Set up a Resource Folder

Keep track of those all-important pieces of information that you come across daily. How? Create a Resource Folder:

:: on your PC -- store all those downloaded documents and create a shortcut on your desktop so that you can easily access your information. Go one step further and create folders within your folder, each relating to a specific topic, i.e. industry news, marketing, accounting -- decide what works best for your business!

:: in your Favourites Folder in your web browser -- bookmark those web pages that you find useful so that you can easily access them again. Create subject specific folders within the main resource folder.

:: using a ring binder file -- print out articles that you come across while surfing or any emails that you may need to refer to again; cut out useful magazine articles; store newsletters, circulars or magazines. In fact use your resource binder to store anything that you will want to keep and refer to again! Use divider cards so that you can easily access resources on a particular topic.

Or use a combination of all three for maximum efficiency!

3. Get back in touch with your clients and contacts

Now's a good time to update your client and contact database. It's easy to let things slip over the summer, so drop them a personal note or email and make sure that the information you currently have for them is up-to-date -- and this will ensure that your information is accurate when you come to send those all-important Christmas greetings!

4. Get your website listed in as many places as possible!

Update your directory listings; get entered on new industry directories; check backlinks -- set up a spreadsheet to keep track of all of this.

5. Get your finances organised

I know, it's summer; you'd rather be outside enjoying the sunshine than inside organising your receipts. Now's the time to drag out all those business receipts and get your bookkeeping system back on track!

Follow these simple tips and you'll soon have your office schedule back on track!

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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In general terms, the banking industry has turned its back on the small and midsize business owner. Statistically, banks reject 70% of all loan applications that pass over their desks. With the national mortgage crisis continuing to spiral out of control the entire banking industry is under immense pressure and it has tightened its stoic grip on lending standards. Just ask any business owner who is currently seeking financing from large prominent banks and small community institutions. Everyone will tell you that these establishments are simply not extending financing to small and midsize businesses. According to a recent New York Times article, a Wachovia banking executive was quoted as saying, “We’re saying NO to almost everybody” when it comes to small business loans. And frankly, if a business has little history, marginal credit, and no tangible assets they need not apply at all.

The major problem is that business owners are mentally programmed to go to banks when they need money. (After all, these owners have been putting their hard earned money into the banks and the banks have been making considerable profits from the deposits, so it only makes sense for the bank to grant the business owner a loan when it is needed.) However, when the bank rejects the request of the owner, the owner feels there are little or no alternatives for the funding of his business. But, there is an alternative to traditional bank financing and as an informed business owner it is imperative that you understand what options you have.

One of the best kept secrets in American small business is the idea of FACTORING. This financing medium provides an almost limitless source of working capital for growth and is a proven powerful financial source for small to midsize businesses. Factoring, in its purest form, is simply the process of buying the accounts receivable of a company. As a small business owner, it is not financially feasible to wait 30-90 days for payment. But, if we are marketing to large businesses and governmental agencies, these entities expect extended payment terms. If those terms are not granted, the small business owner will forfeit the sale. Factoring allows the small business owner to offer terms of payment and still receive the funds immediately, in essence receiving a net zero term on invoices. With a factoring relationship in place the small business owner can meet weekly payroll concerns, pay taxes and vendors in a timely manner, and purchase necessary materials.

One point that should be duly noted is that this method of commercial finance is NOT A LOAN. The factor actually purchases the invoices. A typical scenario works like this: A business needs working capital for some immediate purpose. The owner contacts a factoring company and a financial relationship is started. When the factor purchases the accounts receivable of the business, the factor directly advances 80% of the invoice face amount at the time of purchase. This means that if $100,000 in total invoices were submitted for factoring, then an initial working capital advance of $80,000 would be provided. The $20,000 balance that is not advanced is called the reserve. The reserve is used as a cushion against potential non-payments. When the reserve is distributed to the business owner, the factor will calculate and deduct any fees for services and additionally will chargeback any invoices that have aged beyond the factor’s normal holding period, generally 60-90 days. The factor’s fees can range anywhere from 1.5% - 3.5% for advances.

Factoring companies are the mirror image of banks. The most important feature is that factors are not lenders, which means that a factor can provide financial assistance to companies that are growing without the traditional restraints of conventional financing. There are no cumbersome applications, no loan committees, and no rigid formalized production. Factoring is quite the opposite. The application process is fast and straightforward. Most factors require only a two-page application and can have funds to the small business within days of approval.

Furthermore, a business owner may consider factoring as an alternative because the business qualifies based on sales, not on assets. If a business generates $1 million in annual sales, it is a valuable operation. However, if it only has $50,000 in hard assets, that business will not qualify for much of a loan. In factoring, the issue is the strength of the receivables being sold, not on the collateral of the business – which is a major criteria for banks.

Another feature of factoring is that since factoring is not a loan, your business will not incur further debt. This is important for startup businesses that want to become “bankable” in the future. With factoring, there is no compromise on your balance sheet, you simply sold an asset.

One last vital element of factoring is that this form of financing is one of the few alternatives for businesses in bankruptcy. Banks cannot be involved with companies in bankruptcy, because they are lenders. Factors are not lenders, they are purchasers.

Any business that invoices another business for goods or services will qualify for factoring. Usually, businesses that are in the startup or expansion mode are the ones that benefit from factoring. But, factoring is designed to meet the needs of any business that has little credit history, is undercapitalized, or lacks tangible assets.

Factoring, as a funding source, works best for businesses in the service sector industry. Businesses such as employment staffing, janitorial, commercial landscaping, advertising agencies, security services, and consulting are prime candidates. These are the businesses that have human resources, but no tangible “loan-able” assets such as real estate, equipment, inventory, buildings or other structures.

For companies for whom bank financing is not a viable option, factoring provides access to cash. Companies in financial need are able to retrieve working capital from their accounts receivable quickly, easily, and without acquiring more debt. Factoring has gained popularity since the mortgage fiasco has overwhelmed the banking industry. Since small to midsize businesses are routinely being denied loans by banks, the owners of these companies have no choice but to at least ask, “What is factoring?”

Now, you know.

If you would like more information about this topic, or to receive a free booklet of “When Banks Say NO!...a Small Business Guide to Factoring” , please visit our website at www.KeyWorldFinancial.com. To schedule an interview please contact Annlette Key at 1-877-539-4321, or email info@KeyWorldFinancial.com

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How does my martial arts training directly relate to my success as an article marketing expert?

When I was seven, I was a scared, scrawny cry baby. Kids in the neighborhood stole my hat and I ran home crying! My younger brother, who was only four at the time, knocked on the bully's' door to get my hat back.

My parents enrolled me into Chirico's School of Karate, where I learned steps that took me from NOTHING to a SELF-ASSURED 4th DEGREE BLACK BELT.

I also learned secrets on how to become a champion in the martial arts. I discovered that these same secrets helped me become a champion in all areas of my life.

So do you want to know what these life-changing, business-evolving secrets are?

7 Black Belt Secrets for Article Marketing Success

Secret #1: Watch who you hang around with

One of our black belts drives all the way from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to practice. That's a 3-hour round trip.

Why?

The furious energy at Chirico's School of Karate is undeniable as soon as you walk in the door. You're surrounded by a true grandmaster with more than 40 years of martial arts training and black belts who are determined to succeed.

Who are YOU hanging around? Where are your articles being associated? Are you just blasting articles out there? Or are you carefully selecting websites and ezines which your targeted audiences and prospects read? Remember, who you associate with will determine the level of success you can reach.

Secret #2: Consistency is the key for long-term success

When I don't train consistently because of traveling or personal issues, I lose karate tournaments. If you want to achieve your business goals online, you have to consistently write and submit articles. You have to be in front of your audience on a regular basis. Otherwise you will lose sales to your competitors.

Secret #3: Ups and downs are part of the process

During my martial arts training, I learned that there is NO possible way that you can win every tournament. Yes, I can't even tell you how many trophies, medals and plaques I have won throughout my more than 20 years of martial arts training. But, I also lost count of how many tournaments I lost in the very first round.

Not every article you write and submit online will be a success. You will have ups and downs with your article marketing efforts, but you have to keep writing consistently. It's the only way you will win in the long term.

Secret #4: Hard work is part of the game

It took me ten years of blood, sweat and tears to get promoted to the rank of black belt. I learned that there are NO obstacles that I couldn't beat if I consistently persevere.

How many of us secretly wish our success would be handed to us on a silver platter? Get real. There is work involved. The solution is to make the hard work FUN by doing what you love to do (sharing your expertise) and delegating what you don't (the mind boggling, manual article submission.)

Secret #5: Model others who are already successful

My instructor is a 10th degree black belt grandmaster. Yet, he doesn't try to reinvent his own martial arts training programs from scratch. He adapts training techniques, forms and strategies that were created from the ancient masters who have proven their immense success.

When writing your articles, model article templates that work for others and then adapt it to your own writing style.

Secret #6: Don't put all your eggs in one basket

When we practice self-defense, we train for a variety of attacks from the front, sides and back. We do grappling and ground techniques. And, we even practice fighting against multiple attackers. So we're ready for all situations.

Just like we want multiple fighting strategies, you want multiple streams of income that will help you fight the recession. You can easily turn your articles into products like special reports and eBooks.

Secret #7: Find a mentor or coach for faster results

I would not have been a state champion for two years in a row, if my instructor didn't walk me through every step of the way. I know many entrepreneurs who have wasted thousands of dollars on marketing programs that got them nowhere. Don't make that mistake. Invest in someone to show you the way - the right way - the first time. (Not sure where to start? Join my Write Your Way to Profits Insiders Circle)

Follow these secrets, and you will reach article marketing success. You will be found online. And, you will get more prospects, publicity and profits

Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for entrepreneurs who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, Eric is sharing the exact roadmap, broken into 5 easy-to-follow steps that thousands have used to launch and build their businesses online with articles. And, he's giving this knowledge for FREE, with his new e-Book at: http://www.BroadcastYourArticles.com/freebook

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Article Contributed by Eric Gruber

Most new online business owners think that Internet marketing is their magic pill to making more money.

I have news for you...It's not magic. It's a process.

But once you WORK that process, it CAN work like magic!

Here's the Internet Sales Cycle Broken Down into 5 Simple Parts

1. Collect Leads

The absolute best way is to get leads online is to write unique, original articles that position you as the expert in your specific niche. And, it's not that hard. All you have to write is a simple 500-word "how-to" or "top tips" article that will solve your prospect's pain. Wonder what a "how-to article" is? You're reading one!

Then, you want to submit your articles to the top websites, ezines and article directories that your targeted audience is reading. This way, you will be able to drive more website traffic and build your list.

2. Get Them into Your Sales Funnel – And Build Your List

Once you've written your article, you need a way to get prospects into your "sales funnel." The best way to make this easy is to offer a special report, e-Book, e-course, checklist, audio, video or anything else your heart desires. You will not charge for the product. Your goal is to get names now, and make sales later. You will put this information at the end of your article in what we call the bio box.

In the bio box, you can promote your:

- Website
- Products
- Services
- Specific "call-to-action" that leads them to the special product you offer

For an example just read my bio box at the end of this article.

Most people make the mistake of trying to sell high-priced products and services in the bio box. Getting visitors on your list should be your number one objective! Why? Up to 99% of your first-time visitors will not buy from you. They'll take a quick look and then they'll click away. If you did not capture their names and email addresses, you will have lost them forever.

3. Follow Up

Marketing studies have always shown that your prospects need to be exposed to your message at least 7 times before they'll take any action! That's why you need to build and maintain relationships with your list.

This is where ezines, e-course and autoresponders work like a charm. They will follow up for you automatically. In fact, with the marketing and shopping cart system My Easy Online Store, you can schedule email messages up to two years away! It's like putting your marketing on autopilot, so you can just set it and forget it!

4. Close the Sale

Your ezine, e-courses, special reports and autoresponder messages should drive readers to what you have to offer. However, don't forget to provide useful content and information. That's why they gave you their names and emails and that's why they'll stay on your list.

Here are two reasons why you shouldn't make the mistake of trying to sell from the actual email:

1) You don't have the room in an email to fully explain what you're selling and demonstrate its value to the prospect

2) It can turn people off who aren't ready to buy yet. You'll instantly lose those prospects from your list.

The idea of the email is to get them excited about your offering and to get them to CLICK. Once they click, then they should be taken to a sales page that you set up specifically for that product or service you're promoting. It's THERE and ONLY THERE that the prospect will get the full scoop on how great your product, book or service is, why they need it, how much it costs and how to order.

5. Upsell, and Upsell Again

Here's the biggest mistake I made when I started to sell my first information product online, "The A to Z Article Marketing System." It was the ONLY product! I didn't even have a membership club in place. So once people bought my product, I had nothing else in my funnel to sell them. I had to work extra hard at finding new prospects all the time. It's been said for ages: "It is easier to sell an existing client a new product than to find a new client."

That's why you need to continue turning (churning has a bad connotation) out valuable new products and programs that your customers will eat up like crazy. You can simply create new products by recycling the articles you used to collect leads.

Now, you have it -- the Internet sales cycle broken down into five easy parts. Now, you should see the missing links in your own Internet sales cycle. Have patience, keep learning and don't stop writing. You'll begin fill in these gaps, and start to see the magic of article marketing work for you.

Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for entrepreneurs who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, Eric is sharing the exact roadmap, broken into 5 easy-to-follow steps that thousands have used to launch and build their businesses online with articles. And, he's giving this knowledge for FREE, with his new e-Book at: http://www.BroadcastYourArticles.com/freebook

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Article Contributed by Eric Gruber

Article marketing has many perks and benefits. We can communicate with people on a global scale. We can reach many targeted customers very easily. And we have the added bonus of showing our readers that we're experts in our niches. This builds customer confidence.

But one of the challenges of marketing our businesses online is figuring out how to reach through the cold, mechanical computer screen and make a real human connection. Remember, people want to do business with people they trust.

So, what can you do with your articles to establish trust online with people you may never see or meet in real life?

5 Ways to Build Trust & Win Customer Confidence with Article Marketing

1) Don't stop writing.

You can't submit one or two articles and then expect to be regarded as an expert in your niche. It is the accumulation of repeated positive experiences with you that makes a lasting impact. As you're doing your article marketing, you should regard each article as a way to grow your relationships with prospects and clients. Decide on an article submission schedule that you think you can consistently complete long term. Once a month is a good goal.

2) Show readers that you're worthy of trust.

To build trust online, you want to show authenticity. So, before you write one word, think how you want to come across as a person. The more you're willing to let your guard down and portray yourself as a real person, the more you'll be rewarded.

3) Connect with readers by showing them that you started out just like them.

Remember, most people buy on emotional impulses and not on logical, intellectual decisions. That's why during my speeches to large Internet marketing conferences and in my articles, I explain how I couldn't find a job and how I put my parents into debt as they tried helping me pay my bills. I explain how I even had to ask my grandparents for money. And I talk about the mistakes I made.

After the connection is made, then I show my audience how I've become an article marketing success. When you show readers that you started out just like them, you will build an instant connection and you will give them hope. This will make it a whole lot easier for them to buy your products or services.

4) Show your results.

You have to give readers a reason to believe your advice. So quantify your results as much as possible and proudly show them. For example, you can end our article like this way:

"By following my advice above, Marketing Expert Scott Glatstein went from just 8 links on Google to more than 2000 links in just one month. His website traffic quadrupled from year ago levels. After the second month of doing article submissions, his traffic increased another ten percent to set a new 5-year high water mark on web traffic.

5) Realize the huge impact recommendations bring.

When we write articles, we're trying to make connections with people who we may never meet or talk to in person. It's natural for anyone looking at information on the Internet to think, "Hmmm, can I trust this?" This is why third party recommendations pack a punch, especially if you're trying to promote a book, product or service.

For example, here's a bio box we created for "America's greatest sales and marketing executive" Chet Holmes...

Jay Levinson of Guerilla Marketing says, "Business Growth Expert, Chet Holmes has the best ideas you will ever hear on super-fast business growth.

Article Marketing Success You Can Experience and Enjoy If You Follow My Advice

By following my advice:

• Distribution Industry Technology Expert Dani Kaplan had his best year of business in 27 years of business.
• Lesley Mattos tripled her website traffic
• Kevin Berchelmann, CEO of Triangle Performance acquired a new mid-5 figure client

That's just a small sampling. Many more results can be found at my website at IWantMoreProspects.com. You, too, can experience these article marketing successes if you follow my article marketing system.

Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for entrepreneurs who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, he's revealing his top secrets to writing articles so you can boost your website traffic, get more leads and create multiple, profitable streams of income. Go to http://www.BroadcastYourArticles.com and let Eric teach you step-by-step, how to write your way to profits!

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Building a successful long-term profitable business isn't about "marketing" your business, it's about "managing" your business - the marketing comes once you have your management systems in place.
 
You cannot begin to market your business if you can't find the information you need, don't know who you are marketing to, and don't know where you are in your business.

So, let's go back to basics and take a look at one of the key office organization systems you need to have in place to "manage" your business before you can start to "market" your business – your contact management system!

If set up correctly your contact management system allows you to:

* Keep a note of clients, potential clients, and colleagues contact information.

* Easily and effectively follow-up with a prospect.

* Locate critical client contact information quickly and easily.

* Build your business.

Having all of your contact data readily to hand will allow you to build your business. You have all the information you need; it’s all in one place, and you can locate it quickly and easily. Follow-up becomes a much smoother process and in turn it builds your business.

Let me share with you below my 5 easy steps for creating your ideal contact management system so that you constantly have a full pipeline of interested clients and prospects:

1. Choose your system. You need to decide on a system that works best for YOU and YOUR business. This could be using Outlook (as I do) to manage all your contact data, appointments, To Do lists, etc. or you could use dedicated contact management software. A third option might be to utilize one of the many web-based contact management systems.

2. Draw clients into your pipeline. Once you’ve got your contact management system in place, you need to have a system for keeping in touch with people you meet at in-person events, online networking forums, or visitors to your website. One way to do that is to publish a regular ezine (electronic newsletter). This will keep clients and prospects flowing into your business and provide you with a base of interested people who want to find out more about you, your services, and your products.

3. Define the process for working with new clients. Once you’ve got prospects into your pipeline the next step is to create a system so that those clients who are ready to work with you are able to do so. This could be through an initial complimentary consultation to determine if you are a good fit for one another. List everything you currently do and come up with a system for streamlining the whole process.

4. Keep it all up-to-date. It’s all well and good having the systems in place, but if you’re not keeping it all current, then your contact management system quickly becomes of no use to you at all. Ideally, you should be updating your client data as you go along, but if you find you’re not doing that, spend 15/20 minutes at the end of each day, before you shut down your PC, reviewing who you’ve talked to/emailed, what the outcome was, and when you promised to follow-up with them. Note it all down in your contact management system.

5. Create a waiting list! If you find that you have more clients wanting to work with you than you can handle, offer to put them on your waiting list. If you suddenly get a client who has to cancel (and it does happen, for a variety of reasons), then you’re not left with a big hole in your cashflow – you simply approach your waiting list and let them know you have an opening available. Plan to keep in touch with your waiting list on a regular basis so that they don’t forget you!

Consistency is the key to keeping a steady flow of clients and prospects coming into your business. Make the commitment to spend time each and every day on your contact management system, and watch your business grow!

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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Article Contributed by Andy Lax

In every industry, with fire in their bellies, pitchmen and women embellish claims, hoping to reel in buyers by using smoke and mirrors. Consider the cosmetics industry, for example. We incessantly hear about the latest miracle anti-aging cream, able to reduce lines and wrinkles by x percent in y time. Elasticity, firmness and skin radiance dramatically increase, and with the continued use of product, one’s face defies gravity even more than airplanes.

Too many times, sadly, the buyer reports that the given product did not live up to claims. There goes money out the window yet thousands continue to search the holy grail of cosmetics – for the right product, at times regardless of expense.

Even in my own beloved merchant account field, declarations are made to entice and galvanize merchant interest. Accuracy and honesty be damned – all in a concerted effort to close a sale. In the spirit of safeguarding consumer protection, the following lists some common merchant account claims that may truly be misleading and purposely so:

We will give you z amount of dollars if you find a better offer – Imagine calling this merchant account provider. You report, “Smith Merchant Account Associates gave me a list of fees that are lower than yours. Please forward payment.” You will then proceed to hear that Smith has hidden fees or is a fly-by-night.

There are too many merchant account providers for any company to proclaim that it has the best rates across the board. It’s better to perform your own due diligence and choose the company that you determine has the lowest fees.

I can almost guarantee that you will not get any money by one merchant account provider if you discover a better fee structure somewhere else. (How’s that for a claim?)

We accept 99% of applicants – This is highly unlikely in light of the fact that an underwriting team assesses each merchant’s application. One criterion that is used in determining whether an application is accepted is the merchant’s personal credit score. Too many business owners do not have the requisite scores to obtain an account. Other business owners may run enterprises that are on a prohibitive list, precluding them access to credit card processing capability.

Sign up with us and get the first month free – Upon closer examination, realize that your processing costs will not be free. Your monthly fee may likely be waived which may be construed as generous. Still, when you compare merchant account providers, look at the total projected costs for a year’s time to make a suitable determination.

We offer free credit card processing terminals – Any honest merchant account company should disclose the caveats associated with the “free terminal” program. When a prospective customer investigates purchasing our “free terminal,” I am quick to delineate the terms and conditions. It may be better to just purchase a terminal outright.

Our credit card rates are as low as - In the merchant account field, a merchant's rates are dependent on the type of credit card that a customer offers. If a customer uses a check card, for example, the merchant account provider's rates are lower than if a customer uses a standard Visa/MasterCard card. Such savings may be passed on to the merchant.

Therefore, a merchant account provider may disclose the lowest rate that the company charges. (We've even had to do this on our website as prospective clients need to know that we provide discounts for certain types of cards, too.) But it behooves the merchant account provider, in an ethical sense, to explain that the lowest rate is not across the board and the rates go higher for different types of cards and transactions.

Limited Time Offer – These three words have been used in every form of advertising, in every sector of business, since the Stone Age. Yes, merchant account providers may run intermittent special offers, but more times than not, such wording is just used to lure the “impulse buyer.”

Our company was voted best by … – What entity voted for you? What criteria did they use? I am not aware of any prominent organization that ranks merchant account providers. And if there was such an organization, do they really evaluate the hundreds, if not thousands, of existing providers? (I have seen several sites list the “best merchant account providers,” but my emails are not returned when I asked them to evaluate our company’s pricing.)

Use us because we’re a bank – Please note that all reputable merchant account providers work in concert with acquiring banks. Going directly with a bank may or may not prove advantageous.

If you open an account with us, we’ll give you … -- Merchant account providers may provide you with any meaningless gift. I’ve seen several, for instance, that promise to register you with thousands of search engines. This is not necessary and will not help your site’s visibility. It’s just another marketing tool to make the prospective buyer think that he/she is gaining something for nothing

We get better rates from Visa/Mastercard – Merchant account providers who assert that their rates are better from the cardholding associations do so in an attempt to make merchants believe that they pass savings onto them. All providers deal with the same Interchange rate structure although some may have less “bin” or basis points that they have to apportion to their banks. The merchant account provider/acquiring bank relationship often has no bearing on the rates charged to the merchant.

Our bank is the largest one this side of the Mississippi – This can either be construed as a positive or a negative. Will the merchant receive exemplary customer support or will he/she be lost in the shuffle? How about the rates? Smaller providers may be hungrier for business, and may offer superior fees. Bigger doesn’t always mean better. (Where have I heard that before?)

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Of course, there are a number of other tempting phrases that you'll see emanating from merchant account companies' websites. Remain vigilant, be an educated consumer, a smart shopper, and a wise soul. As my Grandma always says, "You can't believe everything you read. (Of course, this truism does not apply to anything that I write.) She also says, "There's no truth in advertising." (My grandmother is very cynical, or "realistic," as she puts it.) Let the buyer beware!

Andy Lax has worked in the credit card processing industry for over five years and is now an Account Manager at IntelliCollect, a merchant account provider that enables business owners to accept credit cards and electronic checks.

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Article Contributed By Robert Skrob

After becoming burned-out as a business consultant who was maxed out on time, I determined that I would never significantly increase my income without taking on additional clients. This meant I had to hire more employees. Realizing that I had neither the time nor energy to make that happen, I looked to the business model many information marketers attribute to their success: Do the work once and get paid many times.

You see, info-marketers have the unique ability to sell products that create recurring income.

Unlike Traditional Businesses, Info-Marketing Business Can Run Without These Three Things:

1. Continuous manual labor
2. Constant interaction with customers
3. Employees – except possibly a virtual assistant

Here's why.

Info-marketers put a lot of work into creating info-products such as DVDs, books, e-books, CDs, magazines, websites or teleseminars. They do a very good job at creating advertising and marketing programs to support sales. Then, they sit back and make continual profits from these products.

By creating additional similar or complimentary products and services, info-marketers are able to use their existing customer bases to generate more revenue. People who buy information products are much more likely to hire that person to perform additional services such as copywriting.

Quite simply, like other successful info-marketers, having your own published information product makes you the obvious expert. It shows the customer the complexity of the services and the special ability you have to perform them. The only possible conclusion for the buyer is that he should hire you when he needs help with his business or hobby.

What Happens When You Go From Consultant to Info-Marketer

Today, that formerly burned-out business consultant no longer exists. I am now the owner of a successful association management company that provides coaching, marketing, consulting and copywriting services to info-marketers. I am also the co-founder of the Information Marketing Society and author of Start Your Own Information Marketing Business, an easy-to-follow manual that offers steps to building a successful info-business from the ground up. The book features 12 experts in the field of info-marketing who are considered to be some of the most successful in the industry. The group's compilation of tips is today's go-to manual for newcomers in the industry who strive to start a successful and lucrative info-marketing business.

The book offers helpful advice such as how to diversify your info-marketing business, and how to turn info-products into money-generating tools that drive million-dollar home businesses.

The info-marketing business is so diverse there is literally something for everyone. Whatever your expertise is regardless of your age or education, if you can name a topic, there is a market for creating an information marketing business. Take action and start your own information marketing business.

Robert Skrob, President of the Information Marketing Association teaches burned-out business owners and consultants how to build 6 and 7 figure income information marketing businesses simply by creating products once and getting paid many times over. Now you can get his FREE Video revealing how 5 info-marketers easily created fast-selling products & how you can too. Get free access now at http://www.infomarketingstartup.com

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The 3 Secrets Of Team Motivation

Do you want a highly motivated team who don't take time off work, don't keep looking for other jobs and make a positive contribution to your business? If the answer is "yes," then there are three steps you need to take with each member of your team. Step 1 - Spend some quality time. I didn't say "quantity time" I said "quality time." One or two minutes of quality time on a regular basis are far more productive.....

Continued in BIZNESS! Newsletter Issue 73 >>>

- Spacious Garage
- Whats Your 20
- Out On The Streets With The GPS Treasure Hunt Game
- Attention Seeking Billboard
- La La La Laser Music
- Fashion Provides Retail Theatre
- Salt Sauna

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

- 15 More Ways To Take The Stage And Sharpen Your Public Speaking Skills
- Surround Yourself With Quality Relationships
- What You Can Do About Managing Your Budget
- 10 Tips For Business Success From A Woman Entrepreneur Who Makes 1M Selling Photo Guest Books
- The Incredible Power Of Beliefs
- Leveraging Your CRM System For Client Relationships
- Advantages & Disadvantages Of Owning A Franchise

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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Here is a strategy you can use to ensure you will achieve your goals. The secret is to put yourself on the line! In other words, put yourself in a situation where you have absolutely no choice but to achieve it.

When our brain is given a choice to do something or to put it off, we will always gravitate towards the easier path. But when we have no choice but to do something, we will always find a way!

Many successful individuals created the results they did because they simply had no choice. They put everything they had on the line.

At age 44, Leo Burnett started one of today's largest advertising companies in the world. He started his business in the middle of the 1935 depression.

He borrowed against his life insurance policy, mortgaged his home and threw in every last dollar he had. Talk about putting yourself on the line.

He knew that he had no choice but to make it work. This 'must' drove him to build his tiny advertising agency into a worldwide business, grossing hundreds of millions in sales each year.

When Richard Branson (in pre Virgin Airlines days) was caught selling records meant for export in London, he was arrested and charged with fraud.

He was given a few months to pay a fine or risk being thrown in jail. Being almost broke, he knew that the only way he could make enough money to stay out of jail was to rapidly expand his business; which he did by opening more record stores.

It turned out that the need to keep himself out of jail was the urgent motivating force he needed to build the Virgin business at lightning speed!

It was this commitment that led him to go on to build the Virgin empire, which includes an airline company, and become one of Britain's wealthiest businessmen.

Start Putting Yourself On the Line Right Now!

One way is to make a public declaration of your goals. Better still, get other people involved in the process of attaining your goals. Or make a small financial commitment so that it will hurt not to do it, and your brain will start taking you seriously.

When I tell people to do this, many chicken out and just do not dare make this level of commitment. It is clear that if you dare not commit yourself to it, then you were never serious about your success in the first place.

So, if you are really committed to achieve something significant, put yourself on the line!

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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Let’s set things straight. There is absolutely NO way you can learn how to swim or cook from just reading a book or attending a seminar unless you are a genius. Yes?

And there’s a reason why there are still a gazillion number of people who are not rich in spite of the number of books on how to get rich. Yes?

If you have realized by now, the fastest and most effective way in mastering a skill is by DOING it. As the saying goes:

"Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skills is knowing how to do it and virtue is doing it."

But Eric, I don’t deliver presentations everyday! No worries, you can still clock stage time if you adopt this insider strategy practiced by many top leaders and speakers in our world.

And here’s the barring truth - champions never turn down stage time. So instead of harping on it, I shall share with you 15 more ways to take the stage and sharpen your public speaking skills. If you have other brilliant ideas, please share them with me under the comments section.

1. Volunteer to emcee at your company’s event or your child’s birthday party
2. Give a toast at your friend’s wedding
3. Ask a question at a conference (during the Q&A session)
4. Join a Toastmasters meeting (speak at the Table Topics segment)
5. Conduct a mini workshop for your friends on a topic that you are an expert on (say cooking)
6. Speak up at your department’s meeting
7. Volunteer to deliver a presentation on behalf of your team in school
8. Attend a business networking event - find opportunities to speak up
9. Say hello to strangers on the way to work or school
10. Volunteer to teach at a non-profit organization
11. Videotaped yourself delivering a speech and then get professional feedback
12. Search for speeches and scripts on youtube and then recreate them.
13. Do a stand up comedy gig (warning: not for the faint hearted)
14. Have a boys or girls night out and take the chance to share some of your juicy stories with them.
15. Attend a public speaking program!

Eric Feng is the go-to guy if you want to learn how to impress your investors and customers through public speaking. For more tips and tactics that you can use immediately in your next presentation, visit The Public Speaking Blog.

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Small Business Branding by Ed Roach: Positioning your brand is probably one of the most important aspects of branding. It is the unique strategy that will introduce your target audience to exactly what it is that differentiates your product or service from your competitors. I am working with a number of companies right now developing exactly this.

It is absolutely fascinating what gems come out of discussions on positioning. At the outset, many companies are hard pressed to recognize a difference. All they see is the obvious. My strength is that I want to understand how the product or service is delivered, how is it made, what is the experience that surrounds the product or service? Several times the difference is not in the actual product but the delivery of the product or the follow-up. You have to look at the entire product cycle from conception to happy customer and beyond. There is an opportunity in there. You can count on it.

Compliances offer up positioning opportunities. Training offers up positioning opportunities. Frankly there is much to learn from every angle and nuance. For example, I worked with a consumer food product customer. They felt that their fruit product was much like all their competitors across the world. All were grown exactly the same way, with the same ingredients, under similar conditions using the same technologies and marketing and shipping conditions. I refused to believe that there was no opportunity and so I dug deeper into the industry standards. I wanted to know how one product is rated over another. What was intriguing was that the very standards for grading our produce was the opportunity for a very BIG aha moment. Here is the skinny on fruit standards. They are judged on 3 criteria - size, appearance and firmness.

Consider these criteria again: size - appearance - firmness. Is anything missing? I suggested there was and it was huge.

Taste.

You see, taste isn’t a criteria. That is left up to the individual. I suggested that there must be at least a minimum standard that a good sample must taste like. With watermelon, it’s the sweetness - a lemon, its tarty characteristic. Everyone agreed that we were on to something.

Once this particular fruit standard for taste was established, we then contracted the two leading agricultural universities in Canada and the United States to independently develop processes that tested for taste based on the bar we set. While other competing fruit have may won taste competitions judged by consumers, we now have established a definitive test for taste not unlike the the test for size, appearance and firmness. The processes were legally protected and are now proprietary to us.

We were now the ONLY fruit tested for taste!

Our fruit’s taste was now a guaranteed standard of quality NOT based on differing opinions, but on quantitative data. The bar had been raised.

A very compelling difference. This my friends is positioning. In this case the customer had to change how it did business and in doing so, introduced a new standard to their industry. This is not the work of a follower, but a leader.

Positioning can be very powerful if you are savvy enough to recognize the opportunity and bold enough to implement it. The real gems are far beyond the obvious. Look all around the edges of your product or service.

How To Power Position Your Brand! [Small Business Branding]

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When people ask me, “What are key factors in having a prosperous business and happy life?” my answer always includes having a strong community of friends and colleagues.

Relationships are the cornerstone of our existence. We thrive by having interpersonal relationships, social and spiritual connections, and business affiliations. It is through our personal relationships we experience the sense of belonging and feelings of love (both sharing and receiving). Strong business relationships invite referrals resources, collaborations, strategic alliances, and masterminding.

Who’s in your circle of friends and colleagues? When you’re with them (in-person or virtually), do you feel energized, inspired, motivated, uplifted, understood?????

Qualities I look for in forging relationships:

* High integrity
* 100% responsibility who they are and what they do
* Altruistic
* Shared values
* Committed to personal growth
* Positive attitude
* Spiritually oriented
* Compassionate
* Strong communication skills

What qualities are important to you in your relationships?

What do you bring to your relationships?

I’ve been blessed to have a fabulous network of people. Years ago I began deliberately paying attention to people I met online, at networking events, and socially. Extending invitations to meet for coffee or chat on the phone was a great way to learn about people. Hosting my radio show opened further doors to meet people I admired and respected. Through social networking, joint ventures campaigns, and personal introductions, my circle has widened. Over the years, I have been fortunate to cultivate quality business relationships that have developed into strong friendships

I often ask folks in my circle and network, “Who do you know who might be great for me to meet? Would you willing to make an introduction on my behalf?” When I’m promoting a new product or event, having a strong network is invaluable.

If you work from home, isolation is one of the downsides. Be sure you’re engaged in activities to meet new people. You might even make it game to meet at least one new person each day or week!

Finally – if you wish to surround yourself with quality relationships, growing yourself as a person is a must. To attract great people, you must become the kind of person they want to hang out with!

Having great people in your lives to cheer you on, stimulate ideas, and hold you to your best will boost your strength and courage to say yes (and keep saying yes) to your desires and dreams.

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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