Counter Assertion

A relatively new concept in the online world is “Virtual Real Estate Investing“. Everything from using the internet as an avenue to make more money in real estate to online games such as SecondLife seem to be included in the popular definition of this term.

In order to figure out the truth of the matter, I sought out Bryan Ellis, whose experience in the fledgling industry is truly impressive.

“I began using the term ‘virtual real estate investing’ in the late 1990’s when I realized the clear similiarities in profit strategies, regardless of whether the “real estate” is “virtual” or “physical” said Ellis.

Bryan Ellis cites the similar strategies one can employe to make money from “virtual property” and “physical property” as a primary parallel of the two markets. “There’s a huge difference between a website and a piece of real estate, but the ways you can profit from them are similar: ‘flipping’, rental/leasing, advertising sales, etc…all of these apply to both markets” he states.

I must admit: Its easy to see the parallels. Consider: A valuable piece of real estate is valuable largely due to the interest that other people have in that specific location. Similarly, ownership of a desirable domain name is valuable for the same reasons. Regardless of the type of asset, you can sell or lease or use any number of strategies to turn the assets into cash.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing, Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.

I have figured out a way to remain unaffected in an economy that is going down the toilet. It is the best thing for me to do to try to get business online. It is proven that one of the only areas that is not going to be affected by this economy is the Internet and Internet sales. This is because people are buying products online to save more money. So, I just got into affiliate Internet marketing program. The way it works is that I have a website that directs people to a specific website where they can buy a product, and I get a cut of whatever that customer buys.

I have wanted to get into the business of Internet sales for a while now, but I have been nervous because I just don’t know what I am doing. I am excited because I know once I get the hang of it I will have a lot of money to spend from all the sales that are coming in. But it the meantime, I just signed up for affiliate marketing make money, and I have no idea what to sell. Then, I found out that there is a tutorial on how to figure out what to sell, and I went out and got it right away.

If you haven’t already read the NY Times Best selling Book “Rich Daddy, Poor Daddy” by Robert T. Kiyosaki, it is highly recommended. In this book, Mr Kiyosaki talks about how the only way to become wealthy is to go into busimness for your self: “Mind Your Own business”, as he puts it.

Dr Charles KING, Professor of Marketing Univ,IL, and entrepreneur says there are 4 principles of a business that are essential. 1. Huge expanding Market 2. Unique Exclusive Product 3. Timing /Trends 4. Using leverage. Many people today are leveraging technology with a great business and are enjoying the benefits of owning their own business.

Many people are afraid to pick up the telephone or some are a little leery about answering the prospects questions, but with the correct marketing system, all of that is done for you. The real beauty of an internet based website opportunity business is that there is no upper limits as to how much you can earn. Newsweek predicts that by this year, 50% of all US households will be invoved in some type of home-based busines. We all receive emails every day, offering to show you how to create wealth. It is important that you analyse the business opportunity closley and make sure it is suited for you. I have found that most of these emails are from people who are struggling, and /or aren’t serious about the business.

The network marketing business is done primarily through recommending products and sharing the business opportunity business with others.Make sure you find a legitimate professional operation as it’s your name thats on the line. You must be willing to invest your time to achieve your goals.

If you can send an email and /or give someone your website then an internet based business maybe is for you. No special skills are required, JUST FOLLOW THE SYSTEM.

You must integrate this into your daily and weekly schedule.

Its pretty simple. You let technology save you the time by letting your website professionally share the business opportunity with others. You must then sort them out into two categories , the YES & NO’s. It can be easy you just have to find the right persons, its a numbers game.
Most professional network marketing companies will offer you a website, training and a lead generation system. Be careful about buying leads as they come in many forms. Basically they can be fresh & qualified or old and worn. The MLM company should guarantee the validity of the leads for you. You can also advertise in your local newspapers and drop mailers guiding the enquirer to your website.

Its business, you have to spread the word! good luck!

Peter Smyth is an entrepreneur. He has lived and worked successfully on 3 continents.

Go email bigboythai@hotmail.com for an overview of this business opportunity. Forbes magazine rates internet based business opportinity as the new wave generation. go to http://www.familytrust.biz

Everyone is looking for the golden chalice. Internet businesses abound. The world wide web is flooded with this opportunity and that opportunity. When asking yourself “what can I do to earn a little extra money” you might turn to the idea of an internet business as a possible solution. So you start looking. Finding some websites that look promising, you start requesting some information by giving out your name and your email. Your email is flooded every day with offers for you to make money on the internet confusing you more and more every day. You start the process of “opting out” because the number of emails is overwhelming and taking up way too much of your valuable time. The information overload that is occurring is astounding! The search for the right residual income business opportunity to fit your needs can be simplified if you follow the basic principles presented in this article.

The decision to become an affiliate of any residual income business opportunity is entirely up to you. Never forget that! Your search should be based on your own personality traits and desires, not necessarily on the suggestions and sales pitches of others. Think in terms of what you would like to do. The “how am I going to do it” will come naturally if you write down your goals and aspirations. One of the key benefits of choosing your own residual income business opportunity is that you get to do it your way for a change. You are your own boss!

Understand the nature of the residual income business opportunity customers. Any business survives because it’s customers keep coming back to buy more. Your customers provide recurring income when you take care of them. Offer discounts and specials that will retain your customers. Your downline is part of your customer base!

A residual income business opportunity is viral. As an affiliate for a particular business line, each of the respective affiliates that are a part of your immediate downline have their own franchise, their own downline. They build their business pretty much the same way you build yours, one affiliate at a time. In time, you could see your downine and all of the affiliates in your organization grow into thousands! If a member of your downline decides to opt out of the business, their downline is still considered part of your downline. A good analogy of this is grafting a branch onto a tree. Their branch remains part of your tree. It never stops growing, even after your own retirement.

Any residual income business opportunity should offer passive income. Your business, if set up correctly, will grow and generate income on a regular basis on auto-pilot! This comes from building the number of members in your downline. Many affiliates put their focus on team building. You can be the Director or CEO of a business where you spend most of your time answering emails, going to meetings, and speaking about how you built your business. Or you could be enjoying yourself by spending more time with your family, going on cruises to far away places, and living the life you have always wanted. And all the while, your residual income business opportunity is working in the background very hard. When you get home, the check from your residual income business opportunity is in the mail or direct deposited to your account. Time for another cruise!

A residual income business opportunityneeds to be marketed effectively. The internet offers uncounted ways to market your business. The more common ways include Google adwords, blogs, websites, article directories, forums of many kinds, email lists, ebooks, search engines that you can submit to, and many, many more. It’s so easy, you can do it yourself or hire a company to do it for you.

A residual income business opportunity should be optimized. It does not make any sense to expose a product line or opportunity to someone who wants flowers if your business is not about flowers! Optimization techniques for your residual income business require correct search engine optimization of your website, ads, articles and emails. An example of this is keywords. If you want to sell flowers, one of your keywords should be “flowers”. Your residual income business opportunity will get a better response if your customers are targeted.

These are just some of the aspects of a good residual income business opportunity. This business is flexible. This business is exciting! It is truly the only business opportunity that can be taken up by anyone, from any walk of life.

Leonard Bartholomew, B.S. Computer Science, Is A Cardiac Computer System Administrator As Well As An Authority On Developing Home Based Internet Businesses Part Time. Get more Information On How To Build Your Own
Residual Income Business Opportunity Visit: http://www.moxie-drive.com

There comes a time in every small businessperson’s life when common networking practices like handing out business cards, attending various meetings and schmoozing with potential clients only goes so far. Eventually, the same old techniques get overused to the point that they become insufficient.

But how many times have you gained new business, created a great relationship or watched your website hits skyrocket because you did something unusual? Or uncommon? Perhaps even unexpected? Maybe you were on the right track.

The following is a list of atypical networking techniques that will help boost business. WARNING: They will stretch your courage. They will test your expertise. And they will challenge your creativity. But when business cards aren’t enough, alternative ways to develop and maintain mutually valuable relationships are your ticket to networking success.

What’s Your Story?
How did you get your start in business? Did you “fall” into your line of work? Perhaps there was an interesting anecdote, epiphany or event that caused the birth of your business. If so, this is called “Your Story.” Now, it’s not your Elevator Speech or your 30 Second Commercial. It’s your story. And it’s a fundamental tool for helping people and potential customers get to know you.

Here’s the key: write it out. Practice saying it aloud. Make it funny. And tell it to everybody. Not only does this create a memorable presence, but the more you share it with people, the more they will share Your Story with other people. Why? Because people don’t remember things, they remember stories. And after a while, the word about Your Story will spread.

Mix the Medium and Wow People
When I receive an email from an organization or business who has a question, wants to work together or just wants to chat, I do something called Mix the Medium. Here’s how it works:

1) The exact moment I finish reading the email, I obtain the person’s phone number (if I don’t already have it.) If there’s no email signature, I look at their email address or go to their website. If all I know is their company, I call Directory Assistance or look them up on City Search. Basically, I do anything I can to get their phone number within the next two minutes.

2) Then I call them right back.

3) I then say, “Hi, this is Scott Ginsberg. I was in the office when your email came through and I thought I’d call you back!” I say with a big smile on my face.

PEOPLE LOVE THIS. I have never done this without completely blowing the caller away. They respond with such excited phrases as “Wow, that was fast!” or “I’m impressed you called back already!” In fact, I recently received an email from a friend of mine who just changed jobs. He was writing to say hello and wish me a Happy New Year. And since I hadn’t heard from Jake in quite a while, I Mixed the Medium and called him right back. Five minutes later he booked me to do one of my speaking programs for his new organization!

Network en Masse
Speaking of speaking, here’s another untapped networking resource: local groups, organizations and associations. But I’m not talking about joining; I’m talking about giving a speech. It’s what I call “Networking en Masse.”

Small businesspeople are successful because they’re experts on something. So whether you’re in sales, printing, tech consulting or retail, find a way to transform your expertise into an informative, concise and entertaining speech that will help other people like yourself boost business.

Contact the meeting coordinator of your local Chamber, Rotary Club, Networking Group or Trade Association. They always need speakers. Offer the group a free 15-20 minute program. Include valuable tips, stories, illustrations and examples from your own business experiences that are of interest to the members. By speaking, you position yourself as an expert, validate your credibility and increase your company’s visibility.

Write as an Expert
Another underused networking tactic is writing articles or tip sheets about hot topics in your industry. You don’t even have to be a freelance writer or a journalist - just a business professional who can effectively convey his or her expertise in the form of a short article. Similar to speaking, writing articles in a publication read by your target market is the perfect way to position you and your company.

Here’s how to get started with this tip: Go to Google, type in your topic of expertise and the word “article.” For example, if you work in phone book advertising, type in “phone book advertising article.” (Be sure to use the quotation marks.) Hundreds of hits will come up. Read through a few dozen of them. This will give you an idea of what hot topics other people in your industry are writing articles about. Then, find out which online databases, ezines, newsletters or websites syndicated the articles you just read. By localizing these sources, you can contact the editors and inquire about article submission guidelines. (And if you get the opportunity to publish articles online, you can easily email the article link to other people who would benefit from reading your work.)

Don’t Fear the Big Shots
You’d be surprised how approachable some of the so-called “Big Shots” are. Great example: At a National Speakers Association Convention in July of 2004, I had the pleasure of attending a session with Seth Godin, best selling author of Unleash the Ideavirus and Purple Cow. Now, in addition hearing him speak, I’ve also been a frequent reader of his books and articles for years. And a few months after seeing him live I thought, “What the heck…maybe I’ll just drop him an email.”

So it came to pass on October 8th, 2004, that I emailed Seth Godin. I told him how much I enjoyed his speech at the convention and that his work was a big influence on my own books and speeches. I also told him to check out my website, www.hellomynameisscott.com, for it was an example of the kind of idea he so passionately supported.

What did I have to lose, right?

To my surprise about a half hour later, he wrote me back. “Thanks for the kind words, Scott! I blogged your site. Good luck.”

Little did I realize that Seth Godin publishes one of the top ten most frequently read blogs in the world. As a result, I received over 70,000 hits on my website in one day! This resulted in some great new contacts, several exciting business opportunities and the birth of my own blog, which is now a critical part of my business! Which brings me to my last networking tip.

Blog For Bucks
If you don’t already have a blog for your business - get one. A blog is an online journal on which you can post comments, links, stories and articles. This popular new medium through which to share your feelings, experiences and emotions is a free and fun way to network with other online professionals. After I talked with Seth last year, I started the blog for my business, and it’s become a valuable tool to stimulate personal dialogue with potential customers. It’s also a great way to let your customers know what’s going on in your life.

For more information go to www.blogger.com; or do a search for any of the various blog providers.

The commonality of these unusual, uncommon and unexpected networking techniques is this: you must do what nobody else is willing to do. Sure, handing out business cards and attending meetings are all good techniques. But everyone does that. So are you willing to practice telling Your Story? Would you call people right back when they’re expecting you to email them tomorrow? Do you have the courage to give a great speech, write a helpful article or start a blog that shares your expertise? And are you willing to get in contact with a Big Shot?

I hope so - because eventually, business cards just aren’t enough!

© 2005 All Rights Reserved.

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, “The World’s Foremost Expert on Nametags” and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions athttp://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

beAudible.com, an Independent Content Provider for Shared Media Licensing, announced today that it has entered into agreements with Afrikool Music Production. The deal calls for beAudible.com to distribute the Afrikool catalogue, starting out with six albums. Afrikool’s artists include Nicole Collins, Kool International Friends, Jim Savitt, Miko Fukunaga, Inko/ Neido Tribe, ‘Sir’ Francis and Alain Nkossi Konda.

Through the Weed Service, Afrikool Records can sell their music from their own website, and also embrace peer-to-peer networks as a safe, efficient and secure distribution channel. “We want music fans to be able to reach our catalog of talented and unique artists through a broad range of services, and we are dedicated to expanding access to our content,” said Alain Nkossi Konda, CEO/Founder of A.M.P.
“We are very excited to be working with Weed and beAudible.com, as it is clear that this alliance will help us connect directly with our audiences and create a more vibrant website which is consistent with the vision we and our partners share for Afrikool’s growth well into this 21st Century.

The alliance further beAudible.com’s commitment to an openess to diverse musical horizons. “This is an exciting partnership between Afrikool Records and beAudible.com,” said Sigmund Elias Holm, Founder of
beAudible.com. “Alain Nkossi Konda and his team have great experience when it comes to discovering rising stars and developing artistic collaborations between various musical expressions. I look forward to distributing some great Afrikool music through the Weed Service,” Holm continued. “The whole point is promoting and selling unique music where the dedicated listeners and fans are. There’s a market for every independent label and artist to sell their music from their own website. Why should they direct fans away from their website when they can sell their own music on the spot?”

Weed Files are a legal way to download and share music, buying only what you like after three free listens. The innovating music download service developed by Shared Media Licensing pays 50% of every song sold directly to the artists, and 35% is divided among the ones who share the songs. Whether songs are spread through p2p programs, distributed on sites, emailed etc. it is 100% legal. Songs are free to download and have 3 free listens before you decide whether you want to buy it.

The Afrikool Weed files are available at www.afrikool.com and at www.beaudible.com. Check out the 2002 John Lennon Songwriting Contest Grand prize Winning track in the ‘World’ category titled Unconditional Love by Alain Nkossi Konda at this link: http://tinyurl.com/cup6j

About the Author

Founder, beAudible.com

While it’s great to get a multiple visitors one time on your site, it’s even better to get returning visitors mulitple times. This means that your site really has an interest to them enough that they’ve bookmarked it. Bookmarkers over time will lead to sales, and once you’ve sold to someone it’s always easier to get them to buy from you a second time than getting them to buy the first!

So is your site “sticky” enough to keep them coming back?

Here are a few good ways to make your website “sticky” so that you get repeat visitors that are interested in your site:

1. Have frequently updated, fresh content. People aren’t going to come back if your site stays the same all the time. If they’ve already got all the information they need from your site, why should they return? Make sure that the information is always new, fresh, and changing so that they have an incentive to return. Perhaps even give away prizes or rewards to make them return. Free gifts are a great motivator!

2. Your content must be valuable. Don’t talk “small talk” and fill your site up with gimmicks, bells and whistles, and other page fillers. Make the content on your site actually useful to someone. Use relevant articles to your topic, maybe have free tools or calculators or something that are relevant to your product, or even just keep the people up to date about what’s happening with your product. Refrain from using flashy animated objects, java applets, and midi files. These are only annoying to the surfer and it will discourage them from coming back.

3. Make your site easy to navigate. Especially if your site has got lots of competition on your product or service, maybe they’ll choose your site over your competitor’s site just by the sheer fact alone that they can get around your site easier! People want to get the information they need quickly and easily. Don’t make it a challenge for them or they’ll only become frustrated and click off of your site.

Using these easy and common sensical tips you can make your website “sticky” and watch the traffic increase!

Jennifer Clason is the site owner and operator of www.mommyjobs.com. She has been running a full-time home-based Internet business for 7+ years now and owns more than 10 different Internet Sales websites.

Salehoo: Socially Responsible Wholesale T-Shirts
I have been actively selling on Ebay for about 5 years. The stock that I sell is sourced from the local market as well as imported from abroad. My intention is not to brag but to position myself as someone who can give some advice to people when it comes to sourcing goods to resell for a profit. I have been actively selling on Ebay for about 5 years.

Believe it or not items can go missing while in storage causing massive disruption for you Through this method you do not need to stock any merchandise. From the outset Salehoo has been constantly adding new suppliers and verifying them to provide a comprehensive database

Salehoo Wholesaler Of Wireless Accessories:
Another great reason is that is the wholesaler is Salehoo overstocked for a particular item you will get even more money off the price because they reduce it to sell more and they know that this can stimulate sales. Going to the companies in this game can often be benefical because generally the more stock a company is selling the more reduction in price the company can make. So it is actually a good idea to go with the super wholesalers to get that extra price reduction for wholesale fashion clothes.

I’ve never normally been a fan of wholesale directories as most of the wholesale prices listed simply are not competitive when your selling on eBay and there is just no money to be made. Some people want a drop-shipper some to buy for their personal use only and others to develop a long-term relationship that can continue to meet their demands as their business grows. See Salehoo Reviews.

Many so-called marketing experts say you can’t brand a small business.

I disagree with them.

If you own a business and your market is well defined, then you can brand your small business in a way that makes sense and helps you accomplish your marketing goals.

Remember, branding is about your reputation. Your brand, if created well, will instantly tell a person what you do and why they should do business with you. It will help them remember you rather than your competition. It will tell a potential customer how you do business and why you’re a better choice.

The key in building your brand is to saturate your target market with your message. Make sure your intended audience hears your message from a variety of sources over and over again. Your goal is to expose your audience as many times as possible to your consistent message. It’s best if you commit to a certain time frame (at least one year). And you need to commit sufficient resources to the effort.

Using a variety of media is the most effective way to build your brand. If you use some creativity, it doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Every market has many inexpensive ways it can be reached.

As you plan your marketing, be creative. Find ways to get your name out and make your business famous in your market. You’ll love the results.

Kevin Stirtz has developed a unique concept called “Blow Up Your Business.” He speaks to groups of professionals and business owners who want to attract more customers and put more money in their pocket. Kevin can be reached at http://www.KevinStirtz.com or 952-212-4681.

Believability is what’s missing, and the majority of all businesses have the same problem. They advertise Institutionally, they fail to inform and educate their potential customers, they believe (and sometimes it’s true), that they have the best product/service in their field. Trouble is, the customer usually doesn’t appreciate that fact! Big Problem.

Having an online business is not unlike having a shop in the high street. Both have to be advertised. The shop distributes flyers, brochures; mailers, advertisments etc. and hopes for a percentage return on their investment (usually poor, but that’s another story). However, the shop has one small advantage, it has a physical presence, customers can visit it, view the product, the decor; the furnishings; even the owner!

This allows them to at least judge for themselves whether the business is all it is said to be. There is at least an element of credibility and believability here that you as an online business owner don’t have.

So what do you do? Well, there are several ways you can build belief, but to begin with, you have to realise that in the minds of your potential customers, Perception is reality! What they see when they visit your site, how easily (or otherwise) they were able to navigate it; how informative and content-rich the information was, all and more of these aspects of your site contribute significantly to your visitors perception of you as a business.

So the first way to build belief, is to ask yourself, does my site offer visitors the right Perception of my Product/Service.

Secondly, do you tell the truth? I don’t imply you lie, but do you tell people what you are about, do they know your USP, your purpose for being in business; the source of your products? Realise this, people love to be informed. The more you tell them about you, your business, your product/service and why you believe these to be the best people can buy; the more likely they are to do business with you.

Thirdly, Build Rapport with them. View your business from the point of view of the potential customer. Understand their concerns, see the perceived problems they may encounter when trying to order; understand the doubts they may have. Ensure that your site is structured in such a way as to eliminate, or certainly minimise these problems BEFORE visitors arrive. Simplify at the beginning, not when the problems arise.

Where possible, Include documentary proof (in the form of photos and/or documentary evidence) to support your product/service claim. If you claim that a certain investment strategy will make me £10,000 pa, PROVE it to me. If a certain pill will eliminate my hair loss (or whatever), provide evidence to support the claim.

Where possible, provide a FREE sample of your product/service. This is really the ultimate belief builder (in some cases it this is not true eg if you tell me you sell the tastiest apples in the world, but I dislike the taste - you see my point). Generally speaking though, this is an essential aspect of marketing.

Where possible, provide a demonstration. The internet is great for this because you can utilise audio, video; interactive etc to allow your potential customer an insight into your product/service.

Strangely enough, if your product or service has a flaw, admitting this is more likely to endear a customer to you, because by admitting your flaw, you are being honest. This will
increase their belief in you as someone to do business with. Believe it, honesty is very powerful, it can only do you good.

In terms of your product, be Specific. Tell people the nitty gritty of your product or service. The more you tell, the more you sell. They ARE interested in detail, they base their purchases on the amount of information they are given. The more doubts you address, the more likely they are to purchase. Inform them!

Try also to make comparisons. Don’t knock your competitors, but do compare what you are offering with that of the competition and highlight the benefits they will get if they purchase from you. Ask yourself, given the competition WHY should someone purchase from me? Answer that question and you answer your customers question.

Give a Guarantee. The bigger the better. Give it in writing, the stronger the guarantee, the likely they will buy.

By utililising the above tools, you will build Believability with your potential customers. Many businesses loose customers simply because they fail to instil Believability.

Look at it like this, if you told me you had the best product in the world for (anything), then you would think that I would buy it, right? Wrong, truth is I am Jo average and I hesitate to buy, why? Because I don’t believe you!

Michael’s website can be found at http://www.CashPool4U.Com. His newsletter is a MUST for both online and offline marketers.