Serenity-Pink

Which Niche To Conquer?

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:01:04 +0000

I’m sure that you’ve heard about how many start up companies fail when they first begin, and the reason that most (if not all) of their failures is because they don’t create a good fountain to build on.If we start right, it is easy to go right all the time. But if we start wrong, it’s much harder to go back and get it right. So please pay close attention, get out your pen and pencil, and let’s get to work.When you first start, you need to decide which niche are you going to conquer.When I first started my online business, I made the same mistake that 99.9% of people make. I read an ebook about how to make money online, and I decided that I would…can you guess…?I wrote my own book about “how to make money.” I compiled all of the regurgitated information I could find, put a twist on it, and started to sell it. After 2 weeks and a little over $30 in sales I started to think:”Why am I selling a book about how to make money… when I have NEVER in my life made any real money!?!”You may laugh, but it took me a few weeks before I realized that there was a problem there. I decided to stop selling my book, and started to look for other ways to make money online. What I stumbled upon next really gets exciting.I was going to college at the time, and my degree is in “Computer Information Systems.” I knew some things about programming, but not enough to create anything real. What I did know is where programmers spend their time online.So I started visiting places where you could hire programmers and got to know a few. I then started to search for a market that needed something.What I came upon was the “Resale Rights” market. Basically this was people buying and selling digital products (ebooks and software) that they could then go and sell to other people. This concept really excited me. I purchased a lot of these products, but struggled to sell them because all of the products had links back to the author’s websites.These authors were making money every time I sold these products… on the backend. When I realized that, the first thing I thought was,”I wish that had a way to brand all of these files with my own links.”And there the idea was born. I just needed to create a product that would brand these “resale rights” products. I wouldn’t be competing directly with that market, but make a complementary product that would benefit them all.I went back to the programmers that I had been building relationships with, and gave them my idea. Within a matter of weeks they created a product that is now known as Zip Brander. (You can see the product at www.ZipBrander.com)I’m not going to go into how I marketed it in this lesson (I’ll save that for another day), but with the one product I made over $1,000 my first month with it, and it made us over $50,000 in 2004 alone.Since then I’ve been able to branch out to a lot of various niches and have had amazing success in most of them. In other issues I will share exact case studies of these that you will be able to model in your businesses.How To Pick The Right NicheI want to show you now how to choose your niche. Just follow these 3 simple steps.Step 1 - Do not choose the “how to make money” niche. I’m not sure why, but I made this mistake along with thousands of other people. This is the most competitive niche in the world. If you want to fight against the marketers, good luck. But there is a lot more money (and it’s made a lot easier) in the niches I’ll explain below.Step 2 - Look at your personal talents, and start from there. I have had this conversation more then once - usually every time I discuss an online business with someone.I ask them what their hobbies are that we could market, and they almost always they tell me that they don’t have anything they could sell. The problem is that people usually look at their current job, and can’t think of ways they can market that skill.Don’t look at your current job, but look at what you do on your free time. The thing that is your passion. This is where you’ll find your niche.Here are examples of the last 3 conversations I’ve had:Friend #1 - works construction, and couldn’t think of a marketable skill. After 3 1/2 minutes realized that he has twin girls. Found there was a huge market for informational product in this niche and him and his wife are now working on their first product.Friend #2 - works as a manager at Office Depot. One the weekends loves to shot guns with his dad. They are creating a software program that helps people to increase their accuracy when shooting. They are also creating video demonstrations on how to improve your accuracy.Friend #3 - came to me asking for help promoting a “how to make money online” course. He had to call me using a video relay because he’s deaf. I told him that he was going in the wrong direction with what he was promoting. He had no experience making money online. I asked him what his hobbies were, and surely enough told me he didn’t have any that he could sell. Before I even asked that question I knew what his niche was. He’s been speaking through sign language his whole life, and there are thousands of people searching every month on how to learn sign language.What do you do in your free time when no one else is around? Are you good at video games? Are you a good cook? Do you play any sports? Do you throw dinner parties? Do you collect anything? Can you play an instrument? What is your passion? When you can answer this… then you know what your niche is.Step 3 - Research your market. Don’t worry - this part isn’t nearly as hard as you’d think. Within about 5 minutes I can usually tell if a niche is worth looking at. There are 3 things you need to do, and you’ll know if it’s the right niche.First - Check out the search engines. There are a lot more advanced tools then this, but this one is completely free to use. Go to http://inventory.overture.com and type in your niche. This will show you how many times that word was searched for that month on their search engine. If there are a lot of people searching for it each money, the it’s likely a good niche.Second - Search for online communities related to your niche. People with similar interests migrate to the same places online. Wrestlers hang out at wrestling forums, poets hang out in poetry message boards, etc… Go to www.google.com and type in “________ forums” or “_________ message board” or “_______ groups” (put your niche in the blank). Visit these forums and see if they are active and how many members they have. You can often find forums with 10,000+ members in it. If you find good communities focused around your niche, then this is another good sign.Third - Search for similar products. If you can find others selling products in your niche, then it’s usually a good sign that there’s some life there. Purchase their products and get to know your competition (because they are going to become your JV partners in another lesson).After getting this far, you should have a good idea about which niche you would like to conquer, as well as some idea about if it is a profitable niche.In the next lesson we are going to discuss how you can turn those talents into a product. Product creation is one of the most exciting parts of the game for me, so look out for that lesson coming soon.Thanks,Russell Brunson

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Making Money Selling Silver Jewelry On Ebay

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:01:04 +0000

Making money selling silver jewelry is simple. All you need is a computer with an internet connection and some basic computer skills, and a suppplier that provides you more than just jewelry.You will be needing a supplier to caters to your specific needs. If you want to succeed selling jewelry on ebay you need to have a large variety of items, beautiful pictures, and new products consistently.Since you would be starting a new business, it would not be easy for you to purchase from suppliers with minimum orders, even a minimum order of $100 is too high for newbies. Silver jewelry costs around $2 and above per piece; depending on the design/make. A $100 minimum would end you up with 50 pieces; and what if the items do not get sold? Most suppliers do guarantee their products, and will refund you for incorrect merchandise. Is there any supplier that would allow you to return products that are not sold within a certain period of time?If your supplier provides pictures, it will save you a LOT of time, taking good pictures of jewelry requires a good camera, the correct lighting, and a lot of time. Further more, if a supplier packages products individually; it would save you a lot of time to package the products. You should be receiving a shipment with all the products prepackged, in either plastic bags, or bubble wrap; so all you have to do is sort them out, insert them into envelopes/boxes and mail them to your clients.You can easily profit up to 200-300% of your buying cost, ie. buying a ring for $3.00 and reselling it on ebay for $10. That is $7.00 profit, from just clicking your mouse.If you list 10 rings a day, it would be $70 In 30 days, for a total of 30 days, that is $2100.00 ; minus 10% for ebay expenses and other costs; you would be left with approximately $1900.00 This is only the minimum, by selling 10 rings / day. You can list a lot more. There are other products too, such as earrings, bracelets, pendants…and more. All of this; and more are profitable items.A supplier that allows you to return items that are unsold, is your guarantee to success. There is no real investment involved, if it does not work; just return the items. However if it works, build on from there.

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Content Management: Wise Investment For Business Prosperity

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:01:04 +0000

The time when a website was just a simple set of HTML pages has gone by. It?s true, just five or seven years ago simple websites developed with HTML and JavaScript were usual. Nobody thought there could be another option. However, year by year, Internet becomes a place where companies can interact with their clients, can develop online showrooms and online shops, can announce the latest news, and even make market researches. A new era of dynamic web development has come.PreconditionsDynamic web development, in other words, server-side programming, is a newest stage in development of modern websites, platforms that integrate such roles as representative, entertaining, interactive, communicative etc. When you talk about a dynamic website, you always have in mind that it is developed with J2EE, PHP, .NET, or other programming language. The cornerstone here is that the website is programmed.However, any usual WWW-user doesn?t bother himself with technologies. He really appreciate if he can perform complicated activity or develop a complex solution with the use of the mouse only. Visualization that Microsoft has introduced has become an issue that average PC user would never reject.So we have come to a contradiction. An average Internet user that would like to have a website is no longer satisfied with facilities HTML and JavaScript provide. Meanwhile, there are not so many people that would learn at least PHP in order to develop a website. Moreover, they even won?t be satisfied if someone else will make programming but the site management would require programming knowledge too. So here we come to ?visualization?.Visualization => CMSAs an answer for the requirement for visualization of the whole process of web development and website maintenance, web content management systems (CMS) were developed. The cornerstone here is that with the use of CMS one shouldn?t be a programmer as well to develop a dynamic website. There is a graphical shell where an average user with only a mouse and simple logic can develop a website of any complexity and enhance it with such interactive tools as forums, polls, feedback forms, automatic menus, protected areas etc. Although, some systems require to know at list basis of HTML and PHP, there is a big set of CMSs that provide a user with a perfect visualization of the whole process from design development up to website maintenance.It becomes possible because of the structure of any managed with CMS website. It consists of such elements as:1. Design templates (it?s an HTML version of website?s design along with proper code for interactive elements). 2. Adjustable modules (those are independent programs (polls, forums, newslines etc.) integrated into the CMS; they have their own graphical interface for adjustment). 3. Content (it?s the texts and graphics individual for each particular page).Through variation of those three elements with the CMS?s graphical shell any average user can develop a dynamic website in several simple steps. There is a good article about it at the Xitex WebContent M1 website: http://webcontent-m1.com/m1/en/product/develop_dynamic_website Who can benefitAlthough there are several thousands of different content management systems, the market is still growing. And it will be growing as long as people develop new websites. The solutions that are currently present vary from freebies to systems with the cost of up to several thousands of U.S. Dollars. They are either simple, or too complicated. They are either for SMEs or for huge corporations. They can be used for the website management only, or they can be enhanced with facilities to serve as workflow and document repository systems.Whatever CMS it will be, it will be beneficial for both parties:1. Customer that needs a dynamic website. 2. Web Development Company that develops this website.The reason for that benefit is common ? when you use CMS for web development the operational costs for both development and maintenance are reduced drastically. That?s mainly because you should just adjust several preprogrammed modules that are already ready to be used. Then you make the layout and put those modules wherever they are to be. No programming ? no additional expenses.That?s obvious, the most of websites have common functionality. So the most of websites can be developed with a proper content management system. That is why, whether you are a company that is looking to a long life of its website, hence, its permanent maintenance, or you are a web development company that takes care about its customers? satisfaction the investments in a content management technology should be your first step to reap the most beneficial result of your activities.

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Are You Mentor Material?

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 19:01:04 +0000

Q: I?ve been approached by a young man who asked if I would be his mentor. I?m flattered by his interest, but I?m not sure I?m cut out to be a mentor. In your opinion what makes a good mentor? - Kenneth P.The mentor/mentee relationship is very much like that of a parent and child. The younger, less experienced child mentee will look to you, the older, more experienced parent mentor, for guidance, wisdom and advice. They will come to you with questions and expect you to have all the answers. They will bring to you their problems and expect you to solve them. And if you don?t give them the attention they think they deserve they may pout and complain about you to all their friends.In short, if kids get on your nerves, Kenneth, don?t even think about being a mentor. Buy a goldfish or even better, a rubber plant. They require far less attention and everyone will be much happier in the long run.Typically, there are three things every good mentor should have: time, patience, and a genuine desire to help another person succeed without expecting anything in return. If you have an abundance of those things, then being a mentor can be a highly rewarding experience. If not, please see the rubber plant reference above. Why do some people make excellent mentors while others do not? It?s all about motive. Are your reasons for being a mentor unselfish or are they self indulgent? Are you considering becoming a mentor because you truly feel that a mentee might benefit from your wisdom and experience or is it because you like being the center of someone else?s adoration? You should not become a mentor just to feed your own ego because you will be doing your mentee a great injustice because there will be no give and take to the relationship. I know many successful entrepreneurs who consider themselves mentors, but truth be told they simply revel in holding court and having younger entrepreneurs hang on their every word as if its gospel. They care less about hearing their mentee?s questions than they do about hearing the sound of their own voice. As my mama would say, ?If you talk just to hear your own head rattle,? then mentoring is not for you.One of the keys to a successful mentor/mentee relationship is to set some ground rules and stick to them. Sit down with your prospective mentee and discuss the expectations of both parties, i.e. what do you and the mentee expect to get out of the relationship? It?s a given that the mentee is seeking your time, wisdom and advice, but if you as the mentor don?t also get some kind of mental satisfaction your interest in the relationship will quickly wane.Discuss how often you will get together. Will you meet for lunch once a week or for an hour in your office several times a month? It is important that you create an actual meeting schedule and stick to it. Without a set schedule life will get in the way and you will cancel more meetings than you attend. Next, set some guidelines and limitations. How often can your mentee call? Is it OK for them to call your cellphone or should they go through your secretary? Can they drop by the office anytime? Can they call you at home after 5pm? Set some goals for the mentee. Assign them homework, give them a task. The relationship must be more than just chewing the fat. The point is to help the mentee grow, personally and professionally. Give them a list of books to read. Recommend seminars they should attend. Have them outline their business goals in writing, then you set milestones and hold them accountable for reaching them.From your side of the fence, don?t be afraid to share your successes and failures. Let your experience be their guide. Help them identify opportunities and avoid pot holes that you may have hit along the way. Don?t be embarrassed to tell the truth, especially if it can keep your mentee from making the same mistakes you did.As a mentor you should also introduce your mentee into your circle of friends and associates. Sponsor them into Rotary, take them to luncheons, and introduce them to others who might also help their careers.Being a good mentor also means that you are a confidant; your mentee will share not only his business problems and goals, but also his personal feelings, his secrets, his plans, and his angst. Respect the mentee?s privacy. Your discussions should not be fodder for your next poker night. When something is told in confidence, respect that or get out of the mentor business.One final point, a successful mentor/mentee relationship should not be a temporary relationship, but one that in ongoing, that grows and evolves until the day you are no long mentor and mentee, but peers.My own mentor, who probably has no clue that he holds that spot in my life, started out as an investor in one of my companies. As our business relationship grew so did our friendship and I found myself calling on him many times for advice. We eventually became business partners and today we are peers. I tell him he is the entrepreneur I want to be when I grow up. He tells me to shut up and pay for lunch. That?s how the process should work.Here?s to your success!Tim Knox

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Taxing Your Ebay Profits

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:01:04 +0000

As a small business person-slash-advice columnist I dread the first quarter of the new year. Not because in my mind my own business fortunes start at zero again every January or because I have already dismissed every New Year?s resolution I made when the clock rang out the New Year.No, the reason I dread the first quarter of the new year is that my email box floods with questions about business taxes and the IRS, my two least favorite subjects on earth. It?s not that I am opposed to paying my fair share of business taxes. It?s that I consider the IRS to be a little like Beetlejuice, the movie demon who appeared only after his name was called three times in a row. My fear is if I write too many IRS columns their dark agents may appear on my doorstep, ready to drag me away to an uncertain fate.Oh well, one must do his duty no matter the consequences, so here we go?.Q: I am starting a small retail business. While talking to a potential supplier last week he asked for my EIN number. I had no idea what he was talking about, so I told him I would have to get back with him because I didn?t have the number handy. What is an EIN number and why do I need one? — Robert P.A: Robert, do you remember the old Johnny Rivers song ?Secret Agent Man?? There was a line that said, ?They?re giving you a number and taking away your name.? An EIN isn?t as cool as a secret agent number, but it works much the same way when it comes to your business? relationship with the IRS. Instead of identifying your business by name, the IRS identifies your business by EIN.EIN stands for Employer Identification Number and is also known as a federal tax ID number. The EIN is a nine-digit number that the IRS assigns to businesses and is used to identify taxpayers that are required to file various business tax returns.Does your business need an EIN? According to the IRS the answer is yes if:? Your business has employees? Your business is a corporation or partnership? You file returns for Employment, Excise, or Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tax? You withhold taxes on income (other than wages) paid to a non-resident alien.? Your business has a Keogh plan? Your business involves trust, estate, real estate mortgage investment conduits, non-profit, farmers? cooperatives, or plan administrators.Applying for an EIN is a relatively painless task. You can apply online at the IRS website (irs.gov), apply by mail or telephone, or if you do business in a state that participates in the Federal Employer Identification Number project you can apply through you local IRS office (sorry, Alabama is not one of them).You will need an EIN number prior to filing business returns with the IRS, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to obtain one. For more information on EINs and your business, consult your accountant.And while we?re on the subject ?Q: I made extra money selling things on eBay last year. These were items I picked up at yardsales mostly. My husband says I am responsible for paying income tax on the money I made, but I disagree. This is just my hobby, not a business. What do you think? — Gladys A.A: With so many people selling on eBay these days this is a question I get quite a bit. In fact, I have plans for a future ?eBay and taxes? column, but I believe your question is more, ?is it a hobby or is it a business??Again, I went to the horse?s mouth (at least I think it was the mouth) for the answer. According to the IRS there are a number of factors that help determine if your hobby can be considered a business and thereby make you susceptible to the IRS tax rules governing business.Do you carry on the activity in a business-like manner? If you conduct your eBay activities like a business, i.e. you keep business records, track your profit and loss, keep a separate checking account, etc. then whether you think so or not, your hobby is considered a business.If you put considerable time and effort into your venture, the IRS may contend that you do so for profit and not fun. It seems the folks at the IRS don?t believe in doing things strictly for pleasure. My guess is, neither do you. If you weren?t making money selling on eBay I doubt you?d be bothering getting up at 4am to hit all those yardsales. Then again, maybe you would?If you depend on income from your eBay activities for your livelihood, it?s a business, not a hobby.There are a number of other factors the IRS considers to determine if a hobby is really a business, but in your case I think that covers the basics.For detailed answers to any tax question you should consult a qualified accountant or tax attorney. God forbid you rely on a guy who is afraid to mumble the letters ?IRS? three times in a row. Here’s to your success!Tim Knox

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Hello world!

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:04:04 +0000

Welcome to Actualblog.net. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!