|
|
|
A Look at Small Business Incorporating in Florida
The choice to incorporate a small business in Florida has several advantages. Corporations are separate legal entities and, as such, the corporation rather than individual owners pay both the taxes and the liabilities. If you are thinking of running...
Get More Web Site Traffic From Search Engines
Considering all of the money you spend on promotion and advertising, wouldn't it be great to build a steady stream of web site traffic from the free search engines?
Steady web site traffic from search engines is just a dream for many home...
How PR Helps Fiercely Competitive Managers
Fiercely combative business, non-profit and association managers use every PR weapon they can lay their hands on. Which means they employ strategic, rapid-fire print and broadcast tactics every day of their business lives.
Still, many...
Six-figure Professionals: Their Seven Secrets
In my work with hundreds of coaches, consultants, and small business owners, I have found that there are specific actions that have created their success. Here are seven success elements that they use effectively to earn $100,000 plus a year. By...
Why Can't Microsoft Make "Soft" Packaging?
Why is it that Microsoft wants you to buy its product but does not want you to open the plastic case that is welded around the cardboard box? I believe that such packaging along with cockroaches will survive atomic disasters!
Good luck...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Invest Nothing - Get Nothing
People ask me all the time why I write articles. They ask me questions like:
What makes you such an expert?
Where do you learn this Internet marketing stuff?
How long have you been doing this "Internet marketing thing"?
How much money have you made and then they want to see my
bank account figures?
I write articles based on a simple philosophy. I take what works and use it to impart some sanity into the crazy hyped up world of Internet marketing. I also apply what I have learned to the running of an my Home based business.
Internet marketing can be a very impersonal business. Sometimes it seems almost sterile in its approach. Everywhere people are trying
to sell something. Buy this - buy that - buy mine don't buy the other guys because it sucks, etc.
When you don't buy then they get insulted. If the majority of these so-called Internet sites were real world brick and mortar stores they would be forced to close their businesses within the first few weeks, or months.
Why?
For one of following two reasons:
1) The law would shut them down for making such wild, and false, advertising claims. (Note: That is exactly what the FTC is starting to do to websites!)
2) The store owners would run off the majority of their potential customers with their carnival, take the money and run, style of hawking their inferior goods or the same goods you will find on hundreds of other sites.
Occassionally I get an email from one of my readers asking me for advice on one of the many "categories" of Internet marketing. The bottom line of every question I get is how to be "SUCCESSFUL" in working from home and marketing on the Internet.
The thing that intriques me most is that these people who write to me never want to spend any money or invest any of their time to be successful. All they want is some magical formula that will give them instant "riches". They are hardly ever willing to spend one thin dime or invest any of their time at all.
People don't seem to think they need to educate themselves about every facet of online marketing. All they want is for someone to hand them the answers on a silver platter. No work or investment in time or money to learn how to market - another words they aren't willing to do anything.
The kicker is that people are actually convinced that you can do NOTHING to become rich except throw up an inept website. Then within a few weeks they'll make a fortune and retire!
I would like to share with you the typical email that I get where a reader is asking for help. I'll get a request for some information on the tricks to being a success with an online business.
The first thing I usually do is to ask the person some questions. The questions I ask are always the same. They are:
- Exactly what are you promoting?
- Is it an Affiliate program(s) or is it your own program, book, etc. and if its an Affilaite program are you promoting more than one?
- How long have you been trying Internet marketing?
- What is your website url?
- What is your Alexa site ranking?
- Who is your webhost provider?
- How are you advertising (Traffic exchanges, classified ads, FFA sites, ezine ads, PPC)?
- What tools do you use to learn from (special membership sites, ebooks, ezines you read on a regular basis, on-line study courses, information sites,
etc.)?
- How many hours a day are you devoting to your marketing efforts?
- Why did you get into Internet Marketing in the first place?
- Exactly what are your specific 1 month, 3 month, 1 year goals and 5 year goals. What would you like to get out of your efforts?
- Is this a hobby, a passion or a pure profit motive?
Rarely is anyone able, or willing, to answer more than two or three of these questions. If you've read my past articles you know how strongly I believe in setting aside some time every day to learn and grow your knowledge.
I usually reply back with some of the things the person needs to do to grow their business. Then more likely than not I get some terse reply of why I'm not giving them some secret formula. Or a personal attack on me because I choose NOT to brag about how much money I may have made in my own Internet marketing efforts.
My answer to that is a simple one. I would rather leave this world with many friends and colleagues that know, and trust me, than to put an few thousand in the bank by being dishonest and bilking people.
On all of my websites you will find my full contact information - including my actual address and telephone number. If you look at a 1,000 sites you'll be lucky to find this same information on more than a couple of dozen other websites. Why?
People think they can throw up a website with a sales page, sell you something, collect the money and run. No bother, no REAL guarantee, no responsibility - nothing. If that is what you think then you too are in the category of:
Invest Nothing - GET NOTHING
I often get the feeling that those who write me don't want to listen OR learn - they just want some magical quick fix! Being a successful netprenuer is not a given...You MUST EARN your success.
As I said in an earlier article "What is more important - Time or Money" it WILL take some of each. You can spend more money and take a little less time - OR visa-versa. However, your best results will be if you spend the time AND some money!
When I started my own Internet marketing I set a budget of how much money, and time, I was going to use for all of my marketing efforts. It was a very small budget, and it still is, but it was what I knew I could afford. I have actually spent most of my marketing budget learning the ends and outs of Internet marketing and very little on actual paid advertising.
You have heard me say this before I ALWAYS have been and will continue to always be a student. I am taking a small amount of my earnings each month and adding to my training, knowledge and promotional efforts.
One of the most important things I have learned is that NOT ONE of the six figure earners ever got where they are by taking shortcuts. They have all invested lots of time and/or money into their efforts, albeit some more than others. The point is this NO Effort = NO RESULTS!
If all you want is a free ride, the lazy way out, money for nothing and kicks for free - as the song says it so well! Then all you'll get is nothing! You only get back what you put into your business.
Invest Nothing = Get Nothing!
Michael Domeck is the editor of the Beacon News and has been marketing on the Internet for over 3 years. I consult with clients on Internet marketing for the Home based business. Having sold my other sites my curent site is http://www.the-best-light-houses.com
|
|
|
|
|
| United States Small Business Administration |
| An electronic gateway of procurement information for and about small businesses. Search engine for contracting officers, marketing tool for small firms, ... |
| www.sba.gov |
|
| SBA |
| The Small Business Planner includes information and resources that will help you at any stage of the business lifecycle. ... |
| www.sba.gov |
|
| Main Page - SmallBusiness.com - Small Business Resources |
| Find Small Business plans, advice, tutorials about organization, corporations, entrepreneurship, and smallbusiness. |
| www.smallbusiness.com |
|
| Yahoo! Small Business: Domain Names, Web Hosting, E-commerce ... |
| Yahoo! Small Business provides products and services that enable you to establish and grow your business on the Internet. Services include domain name ... |
| smallbusiness.yahoo.com |
|
| Small business advice business start up small business finance ... |
| business start up small business finance start up advice. |
| www.smallbusiness.co.uk |
|
| Smallbusiness.gov.au redirect to business.gov.au |
| Business Entry Point - Helping small business in big ways. An Australian Government initiative. The content from this website has now been consolidated into ... |
| www.smallbusiness.gov.au |
|
| Business & Small Business |
| Online and print small business publication. Information to help start, grow or manage a small business. |
| www.entrepreneur.com |
|
| Microsoft Small Business Center |
| Your home for information about Microsoft's small-business products and services, tailored business advice, technology tools, and more. |
| www.microsoft.com |
|
| The Small Business Advisor - advice for starting and operating a ... |
| Advice and assistance for starting and operating a small or home based business. |
| www.isquare.com |
|
| SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" |
| A nonprofit association dedicated to encouraging the formation, growth, and success of small business nationwide through counseling and mentor programs. |
| www.score.org |
|
| Small Business and Self-Employed One-Stop Resource |
| IR-2006-2, January 3, 2006 - Temporary and proposed regulations will significantly reduce tax filing burden for nearly 950000 small business owners. ... |
| www.irs.gov |
|
| Welcome to Small Business BC your business resource in British ... |
| BC Business Services offers assistance and resources for those running or starting a business in British Columbia and Vancouver. |
| www.smallbusinessbc.ca |
|
| Small Business Service | Home |
| Provides information and advice to help small businesses realise their potential. |
| www.sbs.gov.uk |
|
| NSW Small Business |
| A site developed by the NSW Department of State and Regional Development for small businesses. Topics include management, resources, current issues and ... |
| www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au |
|
| Business Management & Advice: Small Business Resources & Information |
| Looking for business management and advice? Our website includes small business resources and information that can help you. Visit the small business ... |
| www.businessweek.com |
|
| Small Business Lawyer, Attorney, Law, Legal Help - FindLaw for ... |
| Information and legal sites relevant to small business. |
| smallbusiness.findlaw.com |
|
| Small Business Funding Opportunities (SBIR and STTR) |
| Links to Small Business Funding Opportunities and SBIR / STTR Applications. |
| grants.nih.gov |
|
| Microsoft bCentral Small Business Directory |
| Directory categorized by industry with company business card feature. |
| sbd.bcentral.com |
|
| Our site has moved! Please update your bookmarks! |
| Facilitates the sharing and exchange of information among small business development centers, the small business administration and other business-oriented ... |
| sbdcnet.utsa.edu |
|
| Small Business Development Corporation |
| Our business information services provides guidance to improve business skills and knowledge on advice on starting, buying, selling and expanding a small ... |
| www.sbdc.com.au |
|
|