Give Your Business a Boost with Jewelry Store Software!

The easiest way to keep track of information about your customers, and acquire the information you need to maximize your business profits is to use jewelry store software. By entering information on your computer, you can create detailed “Rolodex” information about your customers, their preferences, and keep track of what and how they purchase from you. You can collect and organize other data, generate and analyze reports, and learn how to better market your jewelry for maximum profits.

In almost any store where you shop, you will be asked at check-out for your name or telephone number, or if you have a store card. Most people comply and whip out that card, because it entitles them to sale prices or special discounts. The requested information or the card keeps track of customer purchases, and the information is automatically entered into the store’s database. The collected data is used to determine and implement more productive marketing strategies.

Use your jewelry store software to create an account for each customer. Along with the usual name, address and phone number, enter the following information:

· E-mail addresses
· Product purchased
· Purchase price
· Services, including repairs and appraisals
· Purchases of warranties and insurance
· Style preferences
· Special requests for items of information

Jewelry store software allows you to see market trends and conditions that are relevant to your business. The reports it generates are:

· Individual product sales volumes
· Rate of returns and repairs for each product line
· The average price of all items sold
· Prices that generate the most sales in each product line

You can use the data you collect to generate several different other reports that will help you in assessing and implementing marketing strategies.

Jewelry store software shows you the problem areas in your business so you can know how to set goals to keep your business healthy. For instance, to increase profits, you may set the following goals:

· Increase the sales of a certain type of product, perhaps Celtic bracelets, by 5% per month over the next 3 months
· Decrease inventory of slower moving items by 15% over the next 7 months
· Implement a strategy that will increase the rate of repeat customer sales
· Lower the rate of returned items by 35% over the next 4 months

With experience in analyzing the data generated by jewelry store software, you’ll be able to spot your problem areas and where to focus to keep better selling products in that category. Marking the trends and implementing strategies to move your business forward make all the difference between having a profitable shop and just having a studio that barely covers the costs of your business.

Versatile display boards more than viable options for graphics panels

Organizing and putting together displays, whether they are for the inside of a store, for an exhibit, or for some other purpose, can be daunting, especially since the competition has its own displays and you are in need of something that sets you apart, making your store more attractive. A regular, run-of-the-mill display just won't do. Display boards may be the answer! Marketing display boards can deliver the versatility a company requires to create unique, eye-catching, professional displays for their products or services.

Display boards can enliven any exhibit right away, and the best part is this: the exhibitor needn't order a whole new set of materials. Existing graphics panels can be attached via velco or some other material to the boards very quickly and the arranging can begin immediately.

Marketing display boards lend a larger-than-life quality to any exhibit or display, bringing a company's product or service "in the face" of potential clients. Unlike most other display options, display boards, by virtue of their size and shape, can meet a potential client's gaze head on, feet on, on the right, and on the left. Indeed, they are hard to beat in terms of attention-grabbing ability.

When it comes to arranging display boards, the options are almost limitless. This is where versatility really comes into the picture. They come in all shapes and sizes, are made of myriad materials, and are conveniently portable. The boards allow an exhibitor the freedom to arrange, re-arrange, and re-arrange again, according to the exhibitor's needs at a given time--all without having to buy new materials. Their adaptability is built into the system itself.

At DiscountDisplays.co.uk, marketing display boards come in many forms. Most are made from sturdy aluminum, making them lightweight but exceptionally strong and durable. Some boast sleek, professional-looking steel frames as "borders" surrounding each individual panel. Other displays feature pole and panel combinations, double-, triple-, and quadruple-paneled options and boards with lights. Best of all, the display boards are made to be easily movable and transportable.

The products at DiscountDisplays.co.uk may be just what a company needs to liven up its exhibit or display. Marketing display boards offer a versatility that is hard to match by anything else, simply because display boards can be arranged and re-arranged so easily and graphics can be substituted and re-substituted in seconds. Certainly, marketing display boards can deliver the versatility a company requires to create unique, eye-catching, professional displays for their products or services.

Need a display tool that is characterized by flexibility without having to completely re-stock your display? Display boards may be the answer! Try our marketing display boards and notice yourself the changes that can occur thanks to them!

Article writing tips

Much like an art form, writing requires skill and dedication. Contrary to popular belief, writers too visualise their writing before they start writing. If you are looking for some pointers that can help you write better articles, here are a few tips to help you better utilize your writing skills:

Tip 1: The importance of research

Article writing may not require an exceptional imagination, but you should research and understand your topics before you start writing. If the topic you are working on is relatively new, it is vital to carry out extensive research on the topic. If you are quoting people or statistics, make sure you verify the sources before placing quotes in your articles. In a nutshell, before you start writing keep all your research material in one place. It is also important to have a concrete plan on how you want to approach the topic.

Tip 2: The framework

Irrespective of the nature of the article, you should have a framework in mind. If the article is lengthy or complicated, write down the main points on paper and create a brief outline. What differentiates a good writer from an average writer is the writer’s ability to present articles as a single coherent piece of writing.

Tip 3: Know your audience

Before you start writing, you should know who is going to be your target audience. If you are writing an article that will be read primarily by doctors, there is no point in trying to keep it simple; doctors are expected to understand articles that use medical jargon. As a rule of thumb, try and keep your articles simple and easy to read (unless you are explicitly asked to use jargon or make the article technical). Similarly, do not use big/difficult words unless you are confident your readers can understand them. A common mistake committed by most amateur writers, is trying to impress their audience by using difficult words. If the reader cannot understand half the words he reads, he will sooner give up reading the article than reach for the dictionary. In a nutshell, it is important to know who will read your articles.

Tip 4: Keep your sentences short

There is nothing grammatically incorrect with using long sentences; however, it pays to keep sentences as short as possible. Break down sentences into smaller, readable chunks, this will ensure the sentences are easier to read and also easy to proofread. Sometimes, it is difficult to avoid using longer sentences (a good example being legal articles that are filled with lengthy legal clauses), in such cases use paragraph spacing to divide the article into smaller more readable sections.

Tip 5: Maintaining focus

If you have trouble staying focused when you are writing longer articles, make sure you have a writing framework ready. It is not always possible to write an article in a single session; if this is the case, pace your writing, if required set yourself a deadline. Making up a deadline will keep you focused and help you concentrate.

Tip 6: Making sense, and the importance of a summary

Even if your grammar, syntax and spelling are perfect, article writing is more than just writing grammatically correct English. As mentioned earlier in the article, it’s important to have a game plan. The final goal of an article is to convey a message, do not loose sight of what you are trying to convey to your readers. Irrespective of the nature of your writing, try and conclude your articles with a summary. You don’t have to conclude your articles by making the summary obvious, you can use phrases like ‘To sum it up’ or ‘To conclude’ to let the reader know you are summarising the article. Technical articles usually demands a separate paragraph be dedicated to the summary of the article.
Elmer Anthony Olaer is the author of this article on free articles. Find more information about article directory here.

Making Money Online: The Simple Truth

It is no secret that there are numerous ways to make money online.

Here are just a few...

1. You can be a traffic broker who buys traffic from Yahoo or other search engines and send that traffic to their affiliate site or sites to earn commissions...

2. You can create content sites with Yahoo Publisher ads (Yahoo's answer to Google Adsense) and try to get listed in the search engines...

3. You can publish a website with what is called a squeeze page, to build a list of prospects and recommend new affiliate products daily, weekly, monthly etc...

4. You can create or buy the rights to sell a product, start an affiliate program and get other people to promote that product for you...

But you can't do everything at once and expect to do anything very well.

I believe that focus or the lack of...is the main obstacle that stands between the successful internet business that most people in this industry dream of...

In my evaluation of why most people are failing online, I find that most people come up with these extravagant websites, promoting at least 10-20 different affiliate products with various banners flashing all over the place.

When this is brought to my attention, I immediately understand what the underlying problem is...

NO FOCUS!

Here is my point...

You need to choose a proven business model and stick with it until it's profitable.

You need to choose a proven method of generating traffic and stick with it until it's profitable.

You must stop jumping from one thing to the next and giving up before you actually experience results.

A single sign of success may not come until you...lose money with Google advertising... write over 100 articles... make 100 posts on forums... create 100 Google Adsense pages...get 100 prospects on your subscribers list.

I am living proof of this fact...if you are consistent, persistent and stay focused on your dream, you will succeed.

This much I can Guarantee!

Now Go Get Your Dream!

Article Source: http://www.myarticlemall.com

Is $1000 a day possible? Find out by Subscribing to Wayne Young's Free Newsletter and get the very Best Work At Home and Free Money Making Bonus. Access free Tips, Tutorials, Videos and much more. www.incomeallthetime.com/makemoney

Postcards – Picture Perfect Promotion

There is a simple but almost mystical law which governs promotion and marketing and their relationship to the amount of business generated: business will come in to the degree that you get your message out, promote, let people know you are there, advertise, write to people, call people, e-mail people and generally communicate to existing or potential clients. It isn’t a fact that registers easily and it almost takes faith to follow this dictum until you have seen it work over and over in all sorts of different businesses and organizations (as I have).

This law transcends market conditions, the activities of your competition, acts of terrorism, time of year, the alignment of Mars with Jupiter and all the million and one explanations we frequently fall back on when business is slow. All these conditions may be present but there is still a way to rise above them: just promote more heavily and frequently and business will start to pick up again. It never fails.

It’s almost a natural instinct when times get a little tight or business is slow to cut down on expenditure. You hear people talking about tightening their belts. Too often the first expenditure companies seek to cut is their marketing and advertising dollar, and that is a serious error, a guarantee of contraction. You have to step up the promotion, not cut back. The trick is to find ways to get the maximum results with the minimum expenditure, but never to cut back and promote less. That’s suicide. Here’s one way to increase promotion while keeping costs down.

You don’t have to open a postcard!

We have found more and more brokers are turning to high quality, four-color postcards as the best form of direct mail. It’s time to pass on the information for those who haven’t yet discovered this cost-effective way of getting the word out and the business in.

This is especially timely advice as the national anthrax scare – whether you give credence to it or not – has resulted in a certain caution when it comes to opening envelopes from unknown sources. One great advantage of the postcard is that it doesn’t have to be opened – there is nothing hidden about it and nothing to be scared of.

Quite aside from the anthrax angle, the fact that a postcard doesn’t need to be opened has another advantage: it has a chance to get its message across before it is dropped into the garbage can as “junk mail.” An envelope can be tossed in the trash without even being opened, allowing the hard-hitting promotional material inside no chance at all to get its message across.

The chances are fairly high that if you have a brightly colored image on the front of your postcard it will attract enough attention to get an initial glance. If your headline is a good one and invites further interest, then your postcard will be read and you will have succeeded in delivering your message. If the reader is even vaguely interested in what you are trying to sell, you may well get a visit or a call.

Cost-effective!

Even though it is imperative to promote more than ever when the economy is sticky or business is slow, that doesn’t mean you can’t cut costs in the process.

Many brokers are convinced that a full-color postcard with the right message on it, mailed out to previous clients (for re-financing for example) or to prospective borrowers gets the most bang for the advertising buck of any form of promotion, even when they also advertise in print, on the radio and TV, sky-writing, you name it.

You can mail out a postcard up to 4 1/4 inches by 6 inches for between 17.5¢ and 19.5¢ first class pre-sorted. This is cheaper than the lowest letter rate which is 19¢ - 24¢ and that’s for standard, bulk rate, not first class. If you find the right company you can get 5,000 high quality, full-color, laminated postcards printed for under $400.

Warren Financial Corporation of Dunedin, Florida, is an example of a company who rely entirely on postcards (and referrals) for new business. “The strange thing about postcards is that I’ll have people who will call me 6 or 8 months after I mailed them out and say, ‘I got one of your postcards and kept it.’,” says Jim Warren, the company’s owner. He buys 6,000 postcards at a time and sends out 400 every month to highly targeted mailing lists. He leaves the back of the cards blank so that he can get a different message printed on them when he’s ready to send them. This allows for rate changes and other time-sensitive messages to be printed on at the time the postcards are going to be mailed.

He used to use very basic, black and white postcards run off by his local printer but has now gone to full-color, 4 1/4” x 6” cards (the largest size you can send at the lowest mail rate) which has improved his response rate. “I have a rifle rather than a shotgun approach to marketing,” he says. “For what I do the four-color postcards are perfect.”

A case in point…

Sun Pacific Mortgage of Santa Rosa, California have been in business for 14 years, specializing in giving loans to people who have been turned down elsewhere. Owner Forest Tardibuono came across some management technology in 1997 and since then their income has increased by 900% and is still on the rise. One of the principles that Forest learned and really put into practice was the fact that if you want more business or new business, you have to promote. “We’re one big marketing machine,” he says. “We promote heavily and it’s then an easy job for the loan reps to pick up the loans. The sale is easy.” The company spends 14% of its gross on promotion. With an annual income of close to $2 million, that’s a sizable budget for promotion. But it is also a major factor in their continued growth.

Sun Pacific order 50-60,000 postcards at a time with a selection of several different images on the cards. They have an arrangement with local title companies whereby these provide Sun Pacific with mailing lists already printed in mailing label form at no cost as an incentive for the mortgage company to use them for title work. They provide these labels as often as needed and targeted as narrowly and specifically as required. For example, Forest will ask for homeowners of a specific zip code (one that has proven profitable in the past) and will limit the search to specific categories to make sure that the mailing hits home. Getting the mailing labels free of a charge represents a considerable saving.

Then Sun Pacific will send out mailings of a couple of thousand postcards once or twice a month to current or past clients, and another 3-4,000 to prospective borrowers every week, handling all the mailing in house. They use large (4 1/4” by 6”) full-color, laminated postcards which look very attractive.

“We went to postcards a few years ago because I got sick of doing the bulk mailings using envelopes,” Forest admits. Folding letters and sealing envelopes is pretty labor intensive. Postcards cost less and the mail costs are lower.

Forest attributes a full 20% of his business to the postcard mailings which account for the majority of their spending on print advertising/promotion for the year. “Because of the magic formula that business comes in in proportion to the postcards and other forms of promotion that go out, we get results from all quarters,” he says.

Outsourcing:

The above example includes networking with title companies and handling large mailings in house but this is something to work up to if you want to go that route. Few mortgage brokers have an in-house marketing department and it can be time-consuming and overwhelming to take on all of these aspects of getting postcards mailed out using existing personnel who are already busy dealing with loans and paperwork.

A good postcard company can handle the entire mailing and save you money in the process. They make their money from printing postcards, not from consulting, selling mailing lists, mailing and so on. So they can give you better deals on these other services where needed.

Having the postcard company do the mailing from you has an additional benefit of saving on shipping. Printed matter is quite heavy and shipping 10,000 postcards across country is not that cheap. If it is mailed from the postcard company direct these shipping charges are avoided.

Sharp Mortgages Inc. of Jacksonville started using postcards in 2001, having used every other form of advertising and promotion. They sent out two initial mailings of 10,000 postcards each and have ordered another 50,000 so it must be working. “We let the postcard company handle the mailing,” says Bill Sharp Snr. who handles their advertising. “With all the other things we have to do, we find that it’s easier to let them handle the mailing than to tie up our time in here.”

Don’t be put off by the thought of all the extra work involved for your already too busy personnel. In the long run it might save you a lot of money to pay a little extra for the postcard company to take the entire process off your hands from design and print through to mailing.

How to get going with postcards.

So, assuming postcards are the way to go, where do you start?

A. Find a postcard company to help you.

This company must:

1. SPECIALIZE IN POSTCARDS, not just do postcards among other printing jobs. You will get better service and a better product. It will cost much less because they are printing your postcard along with many other customers’ postcards and can “gang print” them which means they print many different postcards on one large sheet of card and it’s only one press run.

2. Have some MARKETING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE. They should be able to advise you on mailing lists, design, quantities and so on. The better ones offer a full range of services from advice through design, assistance with photography, printing and mailing.

3. Postcards they produce should be UV COATED (laminated), FULL COLOR, 4 1/4” x 6” so you get the biggest size card you can for the lowest mail rate and they really look good. The UV coating is essential for a very high gloss finish that really makes the postcard stand out and attract attention.

4. Above all you need to know that you are going to get RESULTS. Percentage of response is not the real measure of success as this varies from industry to industry and area to area. What you want to determine is return on investment. If you spend $2,500 all inclusive to send out a 10,000 postcard mailing and get 200 calls as a result, and convert even 10 of those into mortgage purchases, then the mailing was a terrific investment. So you need to look at the big picture and check for results in terms of return on investment.

When choosing a postcard company to handle your mailing, it’s a good idea to get some names and phone numbers of their customers and call them up to get some first hand information on how good the company is: do they deliver good service and value for money?

Once you have found the right provider (it doesn’t have to be local – the better ones work on a national basis and do business with companies all over the USA) get their advice on producing the postcard. They will help you with all the steps.

B. Decide whether you want them to handle the mailing for you (see section above on outsourcing).

C. Decide whether you are going to mail to your existing customers or to mailing lists of potential customers or both.

Procurement of mailing lists an important point. Sending out postcards to 10,000 random homeowners by zip code is not going to get the same response as sending 10,000 postcards to qualified homeowners of the type that you specialize in (conventional, subprime, refinances, etc.). You can buy mailing lists that are quite specific. Your biggest expense is going to be postage. It’s worth spending a little extra money to make sure your message gets to qualified potential mortgage purchasers in the category that you want to deal with.

The postcard company should be able to help you with the choice and purchase of mailing lists.

D. Decide on the content of the card.

Again, a good postcard company will have experience with this and can offer valuable advice. They’ve probably worked with other mortgage brokers and know what works and what doesn’t.

E. Get the card produced.

They will send you proofs. Get any needed corrections made so that you are happy with them.

F. Get them mailed out.

G. Sit back and make the most of the response.

H. Plan your next mailing and repeat the steps.

After you’ve done a few mailings you will get a better idea of what works and you can refine your campaign.

This is a proven, tried and tested, workable approach to increasing sales through direct mail using color postcards.

Sustainable Living Articles @ http://www.articlegarden.com

By: Joy Gendusa

Business Tax For At Home Enterprise

If you are a part of a corporation or business, you do not have to worry about handling your taxes. Chances are, your company already deducts it from your salary and deals with the IRS for you. But what if the business is yours? You are the one expected by your employees to keep up with the tax payments. What if you own and operate the business by yourself? It's doubly hard to prepare self-employed tax with multiple responsibilities. However, handling your business tax efficiently is not impossible with the right preparation.

Popular career coaches like Sarah and Paul Edwards give some tips in filing for your own self-employed tax. According to them, the IRS has different regulations like special deductions for home-based businesses. It is to the advantage of your home business to understand these tax rules. By knowing your deductions, you can slash your taxes in half. Some common deductions allowed for home-based businesses are too ordinary that most are overlooked. Examples of these deductions are vehicle expenses, like auto insurance and gas. However, make sure that you keep receipts from gassing up during business trips. The IRS is likely to probe and investigate these claims. You're better off with valid proofs. You may not know this, but the IRS actually allows home businesses to deduct costs of business stationery and other office supplies. Trickier deductibles are business entertainment and meals. In a corporate setting, the company reimburses you for any amount you spent in treating a client out. But if your business is based at home, there is no one to reimburse you. Keep the bill from business dinners and hotel stays. Standard deductibles are communication expenses, credit card interests, publication subscriptions, and utilities. These are deducted from your total taxable income and translate into lots of savings for you.

The IRS requires self-employed individuals who earn net pays amounting to $400 to file tax returns. But you might be exempted from filing Form 4562 if your business is just starting. Business expenses amounting to five grand or less qualify for Schedule C-EZ. Home businesses that suffered from losses may also qualify for this. The IRS expects more than 500,000 home-based business to benefit from using C-EZ forms. So before filing your business tax, check with the IRS if you're qualified to use C-EZ forms. Review your deductions, expenses, and credit card history to support your inquiry about C-EZ.

Another tip from the career coaches is to use a tax preparation service. You may choose from a variety of tax software or a CPA. Both the software and the finance experts can spot missed deductions and provide you with an accurate summation of your self-employed tax. Getting their services are worthy investments. You save time and effort by escaping the hassles of figuring out the deal about your business tax.

If you want more self employed tax and business tax resources such as this one, visit http://www.taxselfemployed.com

Could a Factoring Company Help Your Business Access the Funds You Need?

Businesses in a variety of industries often find that funds tied up in outstanding invoices could help them meet immediate financial obligations. Providing a service to customers usually warrants immediate payment, however most businesses offer billing at a later date to secure more sales.

The businesses that offer the option to their customers of being able to pay at a later date will frequently choose to wait on their customers to make payment. The billing company will wait out the thirty-, sixty- or ninety-day period that they have extended to their customers or clients, often at peril to their own business credit. Sometimes, the pending invoices will be paid late or not at all. These unpaid invoices often stretch the supplier's financial position to the breaking point. After all, the supplier has its' own bills and payroll expenses it must meet by a certain date.

Some business managers will choose to weigh their need for immediate financing. Financial officers can apply for loans or lines of credit that will allow them to make purchases, pay their own invoices, and meet other financial obligations. But, if the supplier is a new business, getting financing from a bank or other lending institution can be a real challenge.

Business managers will consider an alternative option: working with a factoring company who will enable their company to access the income that is tied up in those outstanding invoices. Factoring companies are a specific type of lender that will purchase invoices or advance money on outstanding invoices from a business, for a percentage of the invoice's current value.

Receivable finance agencies can usually offer up to 90% of the value of the outstanding invoices to a business, enabling it to pay its own bills on time. Granted, this is not a total return on the outstanding receivables, but it does provide money for the business at a time when it may absolutely be needed to pay its' general operating expenses.

The service that is provided by factoring companies has benefited a wide variety of businesses in a number of industries:

* Repair companies, manufacturing and distribution companies, trucking and transportation fleets have benefited from accounts receivable loans. Factoring loan services allow these companies access to the funding they need for marketing, transportation, and overhead, while they wait for payment from their customers.

* Growing service companies such as those who provide security guards and temporary staffing can benefit from working with a factoring service company, so that they will be able to meet payroll and other financial obligations while they are waiting for clients to pay their invoices.

* Businesses that offer medical supplies often are left waiting on payment, while insurance companies and other payees work to settle a claim. With the factoring loan in hand, the supplier can continue to stock necessary products and meet the financial obligations of running its business.

Working with a receivable finance agency enables many businesses to meet their financial obligations, to conduct marketing campaigns, and to grow while they are waiting for invoices for the products and services that they provide to be paid. Factoring companies enable the success of businesses with unique financial needs to get by and even strive in today's business world.

Most businesses simply cannot always afford to wait for their clients to pay their outstanding invoices. All businesses have immediate financial obligations that a factoring service can help cover.

Most businesses may not benefit from applying for a traditional loan or other financial products, because of limited extended line of credit, long time before it's issued , and a variety of other issues. With the assistance of receivable financing provider, the needy business owner is able to pay off his or her own debts within 5 to 7 working days.

Could a factoring company help your business to secure the funds that it needs in order to continue operating to its full potential? The answer depends, to a degree, on the nature of your company:

* Is your company struggling with cash flow issues because your customers are slow to pay their invoices?

* Is your company still in its start up phase - growing with invoices due, but little credit history?

* Is your business growing quickly, but you're finding that banks and other lending institutions consider your company a risk due to the lack of established earnings and an established history?

* Does your business see increases sales seasonally and need quick payment on invoices to ensure ongoing success?

If any of the above or a combination of the above scenarios apply to your business, you may find that a factoring company can give you access to the funds you need, at times when your available cash on hand is scarce.

Sustainable Living Articles @ http://www.articlegarden.com

By: Toby Seibert

Copyright (c) 1st Commercial Credit - Toby Seibert writes about commercial finance and (www.1stcommercialcredit.com/factoring-companies/index.html)invoice factoring. 1st Commercial Credit can help you with your business growing pains, with financing rates as low as 1.59%, with no fees and no minimums. They finance invoices from $5,000 to up to $10 million with flexible approval decisions. Call 1-800-450-9653 or visit: www.1stcommercialcredit.com

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How-To Make Your Ezine Stand Out From The Masses

This morning, I was contemplating the question of how many ezines (electronic magazines) were currently in circulation. So, I tried to do a bit of detective work.

* Newsletter Access (http://www.newsletteraccess.com/) has nearly 10,000 ezines listed in their database.

* PubList.com shows 150k in their database.

* The ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) database has so far registered more than one million periodicals, many of those being in the electronic format. (http://www.issn.org/)

No matter which set of numbers you follow, there are a lot of ezines competing with your ezine for the same set of readers.

With so much competition in the marketplace for ezine subscribers, it is imperative for us to learn how to develop a loyal following among our own subscribers. In this article, I examine a three ezines that are excelling in the marketplace and building a large and loyal following of readers. I will also look at three reasons why these three e-zines are doing so well.

The Electronic Newsletters That We Will Review...

1. Travel by Vasrue Weekly E-Magazine (http://travel.vasrue.com/newsletter/index.html)

2. Your Membership (http://www.yourmembership.net/)

3. SiteProNews (http://www.sitepronews.com/)

Original And Exclusive Content

All three of these electronic newsletters utilize original content at one level or another.

* Travel by Vasrue uses only exclusive, original, travel content in their E-Magazine.

* The Your Membership newsletter, owned by AEO Publishing, Inc., provides a section of their newsletter for webmasters to submit websites for review, and then they print some of those reviews for their readers to consider. They also allow individuals to submit questions, and then they print the best answers submitted by their readers.

* SiteProNews, owned by Jayde Online, Inc., utilizes a lot of first-run, original content written by members of their staff, including articles written by Jim Hedger and Mel Strocen. Some of this content can be seen in other publications later, but you will always see it in SiteProNews first.

Exclusive content allows your ezine to stand far above all of your competitors. While free reprint articles (like this one) are a good source of information, most of your competitors rely solely on other people to create the content for their newsletters.

For most readers, this is not a big deal, except when the particular article used may have been read in competing ezines previously.

Readers tend to favor ezines that utilize exclusive or first-run content in their issues.

A Winning Formula

Successful ezines always have a specific format and formula for their publications.

* Travel by Vasrue focuses on giving their readers specific information that they can use to make good travel decisions. They also provide specific information regarding a choice of vacation options within the context of their currently discussed travel destination.

* The Your Membership newsletter focuses on offering their readers an opportunity to ask questions and to have those questions answered by other readers who have the knowledge to share.

* SiteProNews prefers to provide content that will point you to third-party resources that are related to the current topic.

Once an ezine has found their winning formula, that formula will become their trademark.

They Understand Their Readers

If you do not understand what your readers want from your newsletter, you will never be able to develop a profitable mailing list.

* Travel by Vasrue doesn't leave it to chance. They ask their readers what destinations they would be interested to find specific information. Then they deliver exactly what their readers have asked to receive.

* The Your Membership newsletter is offered on a dozen or so websites that cater specifically to the needs of webmasters who are looking to develop a commercially viable website. While the source of the subscription pretty much defines what their readers want to see in the newsletter, the fact that they rely on the Q&A process to fill their issues helps them to select articles that would be of real interest to their readers.

* SiteProNews is offered to the people who use Jayde Online's many free webmaster tools. Their newsletter caters to the needs of those commercial webmasters who are already utilizing their free tools.

In Conclusion...

Successful ezines are those that are willing to cater to the specific needs of their readers, and then they deliver their information in a consistent format. Successful ezines are also those that are willing to invest the extra time, effort and money into creating one-of-a-kind, original content for their readers to voraciously consume.

While those reprint articles are often very informative, I am sure that you hate it when you see the same article appear in a number of the ezines that you read. A once-in-a-while repeat article is all well and good, but if one ezine is consistently following in the footsteps of another ezine you read, then why would you want to keep reading the second?

The Your Membership newsletter has shown us that utilizing mostly reprint articles can prove successful, when you are willing to mix some other kinds of exclusive content with the free reprint articles. SiteProNews has shown us that you can be successful when you are willing to mix original, first-run articles with reprint articles.

By following the lead of those who have been successful before you, you might just find that you can build your mailing list to be a very profitable aspect of your overall enterprise. It is my hope that this free reprint article has given you some food for thought as to how to follow in the steps of those before you.

Have We Really Seen The Death Of Article Marketing?

Article marketing has been an effective method of website promotion that has literally been used since the inception of the public Internet. I have been online since November of 1995, and even in those early days, I would read people's articles and click the link in their resource box to learn more about their website.

The Early Days of Article Marketing

In those early days, there were a few players who recognized the value of article marketing. The two writers who were most influential to my use of article marketing, as a promotion method, were:

* Dr. Nunley (http://www.DrNunley.com) has been online since 1996, and this website was registered in Oct. of 1997. Dr. Nunley was influential in that he taught me the power of syndicated article content. * Wild Bill Montgomery (http://www.MakingProfit.com) started his website in Nov. of 1998. Wild Bill offered one of the very first article distribution websites. I received his daily mailings for nearly a year, until he shut his article system down. I subscribed to Wild Bill's mailings, so that I could locate articles for my own publication and website, and later to distribute my own articles.

It was in the aftermath of the demise of Montgomery's article distribution system that I wrote my first script to enable me to make better use of this promotional method for my own articles. That original script was adapted later to became the foundation for my article distribution service a couple years later.

How Article Marketing Came To Be Regarded As A Powerful Tool

For several years, article marketing remained a promotion technique utilized only by a few hundred people who fancied themselves as decent to good writers. These individuals were able to generate quite a buzz for their own websites. The buzz in turn created streams of traffic to their websites, and more importantly, sales.

Their articles were picked up regularly by ezines, which need good content to retain the attention of their readers. Publication of the articles in ezines resulted in thousands of website visitors in just a few days. My biggest ezine publication event resulted in 16,000 visitors in the first 96 hours after publication. I regularly see thousands of visitors in three-to-four days, due to publication in individual ezines.

Articles that I had written in 1999 still reside on websites where they were originally published those many years ago. And, I still see regular traffic from the placement of those articles. Yes, and I still retain link popularity and good search engine rankings, as the result of the placement of those articles on third-party websites.

Many writers were seeing the same results as I had seen, and they told others about their great success. People began to pay attention and take advantage of the technique for their own promotion.

A New Breed Of Article Marketers

In late 2004, the market changed when people decided that the only goal of article marketing was for the purpose of link building for link popularity purposes.

A few new distribution systems popped up only targeting placement of articles on third-party websites. With these new systems, the article writers had to put their own articles into the distribution services database, and they had to select a general category for the placement of their articles.

Suddenly, with these new fully automated systems, computers were left to answer the most important question of category placement. These new systems left this important question to the computers to solve.

People were being removed from the article placement process, because people cost more money to employ, leaving a lot of results to chance. But, the new breed of article marketers did not care. They liked the lower cost of human-free article placement.

The Four Primary Players in of a Successful Article Marketing Campaign

There are four primary players in the article marketing game. First of course is the writer. Then there is the distribution person or service. Third is the website owner or ezine publisher. And the final element is the person who will read the article and act upon what they read in the article.

Sometimes the writer is the same person as the distribution person. That is fine. The website owner or ezine publisher is actually the most important person in the link building process, because he or she wants to be sure that the fourth person, the reader, will be happy with what they are publishing.

Believe it or not, the website owners and the ezine publishers are frequently very selective about what articles they are willing to accept from a writer or distribution service. After all, if the readers are not happy with what is published on the website or ezine, then the reader will not feel a need to return to either one. Webmasters and ezine publishers, who are committed to success, will be even more selective in their article choices.

To see what website owners really think of many of the automated article distribution systems, read this: http://www.articledashboard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4679

Any writer or article marketer, who does not pay attention or consider the needs or desires of webmasters or publishers in the process, is condemning their article marketing campaigns to failure.

Twisted Logic

When this new breed of article marketer began showing up at my article distribution service, I found myself in many strangely naïve conversations.

People would enquire about the value of our service. Naturally, I would mention publication in ezines as a method of driving thousands of targeted visitors to their website. Then I would mention the value of links on third-party websites, which results in the double benefit of targeted traffic from the third-party website and link popularity for search engine rankings.

Frequently, people would tell me that they literally "do not care about placement of their articles in ezines." They continued to explain that they were only interested in placement on third-party websites for the purpose of influencing their search engine rankings.

Wow! Every time I heard someone make this claim, I would think to myself about the shortsightedness of this approach. In my experience, link popularity and search rankings were a long-term benefit, and the publication of an article in an ezine is what was generating the most immediate and largest amount of click-through traffic to my websites.

But, who am I? I am just some guy who had been using this marketing technique for five years at that time, and I was a person who had been providing distribution services to other writers for several years. Why would anyone want to hear my thoughts on the subject?

The Proclaimed Death of Article Marketing as an Effective Promotion Tool

I have been hearing rumors for years of the death of article marketing as an effective marketing tool. Here are a couple samples:

* Dmitri Davydov proclaimed in June of 2007 that "'article marketing' has been long dead." (http://www.nichegeek.com/article_marketing_is_it_dead_yet) * In May of 2007, a few people in this forum thread declared that article marketing does not work, one of them just a little more vehemently than the rest (http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=338394).

What I find somewhat funny and disconcerting at the same time is that most of the people making this proclamation actually admit that they have only tried article marketing with "one or two articles". In their wisdom, you should ignore people like me who have seen success with this promotion method, and you should follow their advice to abandon all hope for article marketing as a method for website promotion.

I have asked a few people to better define the status of article marketing:

1. Does article marketing not work? Or, 2. Did article marketing just not work for them?

The Nail in the Paid Links Coffin

On April 14th, 2007, the Google Guy (Matt Cutts) spoke out against paid links. A firestorm of complaints from webmasters followed Cutts' initial comments.

On June 12th, 2007, Cutts' original comments became official Google policy as shown here (http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2007/06/more-ways-for-you-to-give-us-input.html)

Vanessa Fox of Google summed up the issue very succinctly, "Links that are purchased are great for advertising and traffic purposes, but aren't useful for PageRank calculations. Buying or selling links to manipulate results and deceive search engines violates (Google's) guidelines."

Confusion Ensues Over Paid Links

With Google officially stomping on "paid links," a lot of confusion entered into the marketplace. The confusion really hinges on one simple question: What kinds of links does Google consider to be paid links?

Many people have extrapolated Google's campaign against "paid links" to suggest that anytime someone pays money for a link building activity, then the links created during that activity will be construed by Google as a paid link, and that link will be discounted or ignored by Google. But, that simply is not the case.

Some have even chosen to lump "article marketing" as a "paid link", thereby decreeing that article marketing is truly and finally dead.

But all one has to do to gain a different point of view is to listen to Matt Cutts' comments from the SMX Search Marketing Expo in Seattle on June 4th, 2007 (http://videos.webpronews.com/2007/06/04/smx-seattle-matt-cutts-on-duplicate-and-paid-search/).

Within this video, Matt Cutts said, "If you are going to syndicate your content, try to make sure people know that you are the master or source of it. You can do it with a link from the article or link from the video, or stuff like that..."

The End of Article Marketing As We Knew It...

I don't know about you, but I read Cutts' last comment above as an indication that Google still considers article marketing to be a valid and Google-approved method of building links to one's website.

But, no matter how we cut it, we have in fact passed "the end of article marketing as we once knew it." Here is why:

* Some people will never have the chance to read this article and make their own mind about whether what I say has merit, or not. * Some people will simply trust the fear mongers who have been trying to declare article marketing dead for years. * And, some people will decide that they are not willing to take the chance that I might be right.

Going forward, we will see a fewer people using article marketing as a promotion technique.

The fact is that many people have quit using article marketing as a promotion technique. This outcome will only strengthen the hand of those of us who continue to utilize article marketing to promote our websites. After all, with fewer people using articles to market their websites, we will have fewer writers to compete with, in order to get attention for our own articles.

Financial Freedom - The Main Positive Personalities Of Millionaires

Financial freedom is a topic that is of interest to every one. Almost all of us are in search of a foolproof plan for financial freedom. One can get many suggestions on this regard from others. One person may advise you to look for job change. You may get a suggestion from another about beginning a small at-home business. Some people try to enrich their knowledge about the stock market, real estate market and other investment opportunities in their endeavor for financial freedom.

Learn from millionaires

Let us analyze these millionaires that have been successful in their lives and accomplished their objective of financial freedom. They all have had some skills that have helped them in financial freedom. Here are some key elements of their personality, the strategies they adopted and the rules they followed in their lives.

Importance of working with people

The biggest advantage that these millionaires have in financial freedom is that they are masters in the art of team work. Having the right kind of people to work with you and knowing how to handle them is the most important tool that you have in your hands for financial freedom. You can observe that whenever and wherever someone has made a great fortune there¡¦s a group of talented people was involved.

Power of decisiveness

Power of decisiveness ability is also very important for financial freedom. You should have the ability of going through the pros and cons very quickly to reach at any decision. Once, you make it a habit you will always be at an advantage over others when it comes to cashing on any opportunity.

The characteristic of persistence

Every one who is successful in financial freedom is persistent with his work. You should also be ready to develop this quality. Instead of giving up at an early stage you should be prepared to work for extra hours. Make use of whatever you do for getting new ideas for financial freedom. Go through the financial related magazines that provide many useful suggestions in this regard. Write down these ideas and analyze them on a regular basis. You don't know when a particular idea clicks and you get an opportunity to reach your goal.

Resourcefulness of time

An important characteristic that is present in the personalities of all millionaires is good time management. Understand the importance of time. When you are putting all your efforts into making money then wasting time can be detrimental to your efforts. After all, all of us have been grown up listening to the popular phrase "Time is money" right from our childhood.

Mortgage Leads, Selling Over the Telephone

When a loan officer or mortgage broker purchases a mortgage lead from a mortgage lead company, their very next step is to call the customer.

This is not as easy as it sounds, because we all know you never have a second chance to make a first impression. So you want to be prepared before you make the call.

By being prepared I mean have a few mortgage products you want to go over with the customer that you believe will meet their needs based off of what information you were given on the mortgage lead.

Also, mortgage lead companies will sell their mortgage leads up to as many as five times. So, you may end up running into some challenges if the customer is already working with another loan officer.

Or, perhaps they have even lost their nerve.

Here are a few scenarios you may run into and how you can lessen the impact should you be confronted with such a situation.

Purchasing or refinancing a home is a very big financial deal, so it is understandable if your customer gets cold feet.

Say something to this effect in the nicest voice you have . . .

Oh, I’m very sorry to hear that, after looking at the on-line form you filled out, I was able to fit you into one of our loan programs that I am sure you would have some interest in.

If a prospect says to you that they are working with another loan officer, they either really are, or again, they have lost their nerve.

Say something to this effect . . .

I’m really sorry to hear that. We offer some really nice mortgage products and I only wanted to take a few minutes of your time to go over some of our mortgage programs.

Although these approaches will get the customer talking the majority of the time, there are the times when it does not work.

Here are a few other things you can do . . .

Most mortgage lead providers supply you with an e-mail address, so e-mail them with some attractive mortgage products and tell them briefly about the benefits of working with you and your company.

Also, you can mail them out some flyers with some mortgage products that you believe would meet their mortgage needs along with some of your business cards.

Whatever happens on your sales call, do not give up after one objection. If you have not been having success with your leads, than you need to change your approach.

Also, you may end up having to leave a voice mail which is not at all uncommon these days.

Should you have to leave a message, be sure to be direct and to the point. Let the customer know who you are and why you are calling, and give them a reason to call you back.

Tell them you have a product that you believe they will be interested in and it is very important that they call them back.

To sum it all up, no single mortgage lead is a slam dunk, no matter how good it looks on paper. Nine times out of ten you will be faced with some sort of challenge. So do your homework and be prepared to face your challenge’s head on.

Money Management And Payday Loans

There are a number of ways that people can use to manage money to stay out of debt and even establish savings over time.

Establish a Budget

The first, and maybe the most important step, is to set a budget for yourself and stick by it. Take a look at your household income and outgo. Set the budget up to accommodate your payday schedule. In other words, if you get paid once a month, then you have to budget accordingly so that you won’t run out of money before the end of the month. If you get paid every two weeks, or every week, figure out which of your bills have to be paid on each payday. It is absolutely essential to set some money aside for emergencies. Even if it is only $20 per payday, having some cushion will keep you from having to borrow money when something unforeseen occurs. There are all kinds of budget sheets available to help you figure things out and many of them are free on the Internet. However, it is not hard to make your own. Just make a list of your income and when it arrives, as well as a list of what has to be paid when. Check each item off and date it when it is paid. Don’t forget to budget adequate amounts for items like food, gas, entertainment, etc. If you have those items in your budget, it’s also a good way to track how much you are actually spending on them each month.

Get Organized

A good way to begin the budgeting process is to sort out all of your legal and financial papers and file them so you can find what you need when you need it. For example put bills that are due on the 10th of the month in one folder, and bills that are due on the 25th in another folder. Once you have paid a particular bill, shred it and dispose of it, in order to save confusion. Any other financial information, like savings accounts, mutual funds, etc. should also be stored in appropriately labeled folders. At the first of the year, when your tax documents start coming in, put them all in one folder with the tax forms. When April 15 rolls around, you won’t have to dig through piles of mail on your desk to come up with all of the appropriate documents and forms. Items like insurance policies should also be labeled and file so that you can readily find them if and when you need them.

Find Ways to Save Money

Do some brainstorming about your expenses and how you could possibly cut back on them. It is wise to write them down on paper because it is less easy to dismiss them that way. For example, can you cut down on the amount of gas you use by taking public transportation? If you eat out often, consider making more meals at home. Examine your buying habits. Do you go shopping when you are depressed? Do you go grocery shopping when you are hungry? Do you purchase items advertised on the shopping channel without every leaving your easy chair? These are all practices you can change. Find healthier activities for when you are feeling down – go for a long walk instead of going shopping. Make a grocery list and carefully plan what groceries you need for the coming week, then go to the store and buy them. Coupons can be advantageous if you buy name brand items, but store brands are often cheaper in the long run. Watch the weekly sales flyers in the local newspaper and buy items like meat when they are on sale. It’s handy to have something in the freezer to fix, and less costly in the long run than making a quick trip to the store after work and picking up only what you need for that night’s meal.

Find Ways to Make More Money

Get an extra part time job, or work overtime at your regular job, if possible. Clear out your attic or your garage and have a yard sale. You may be happily surprised at the amount of money you can bring in. These days, many people make money selling items through online auction sites like ebay, and don’t have to sort and tag and have people running all over your yard for a day. If there is a local farmer’s market, consider something you can sell there. If you have extra produce from your garden, or are a good baker, you will find that people are readily willing to buy things that you can grow or make. If you make extra money, don’t increase your expenses. Either use it to pay off bills, or put it away for savings.

Choose Credit Carefully

If you have to have a credit card, shop around for the best deal. Some credit cards have yearly fees that have to be paid whether you ever use the card or not. Interest rates vary widely. Make sure you know what the interest rate is and shop around for the lowest. If you charge something, pay it off before the end of the month, then it won’t cost you any interest on the card. Don’t use more than one credit card. It’s too easy to get into the cycle of living on the credit cards and never really paying more than the interest on them. This is a practice that will get you deeper into debt in the long run.

Payday Loans

If you have an emergency and need to get a payday loan, make sure you investigate and find the one that is the best deal for you. The amount of interest charged varies widely from company to company and so does the repayment period. Find the loan that gives you the most flexibility for the least fees. Try to never roll your payday loan over, but pay it off in full by the due date.

Mortgage Payments Vs Rent Payments

There is an age-old debate on whether or not it makes more sense for people to rent or buy. Though it is hard to really understand why there is a debate at all. You will definitely hear arguments from both camps that appear logical but if you do a little digging you may find that some of the arguments are thin at best.

The simple fact of the matter is you are always better off making a mortgage payment over a rent payment if you can afford to do so. It is not uncommon for mortgage payments to actually be lower than many rent payments are. So the key is to understand an important, fundamental difference between making a rent payment and making a mortgage payment.

Rent payments are made on a monthly basis for the most part. That money gives you the right to live in the house or apartment for the specified period of time, typically one month. You receive no other tangible benefits from that rent payment. It does not improve your credit score, it does not produce equity, it simply gives you the ability to live in the residence.

A mortgage payment, first and foremost, also gives you the ability to remain in the residence, however, it does much more than just that. First, the mortgage payment helps you build equity in your home. Equity is the difference between what you owe on the property and what the property is worth. That equity can be used for many things including debt consolidation, home improvements, extra funds, etc. Equity becomes a powerful tool in your overall financial plan.

Mortgage payments also include interest payments which can be tax deductible, helping your overall bottom line at the end of the year. Rent is not tax deductible in most cases. Your mortgage payments will also help improve your credit score if you continue to make payments on time. Mortgage payments are tracked if your lender reports the loan, which most lenders typically do. Your overall financial outlook can improve dramatically with an increased credit score resulting from on-time mortgage payments.

Some will argue that you are tied down to a home if you buy it, while renting gives you more flexibility. Though it is important to remember that if you rent a residence you are typically obligated for a specific period of time, typically a year. If you own a home, however, you are able to sell and relocate any time you wish, or you can rent the residence and relocate any time you wish. This is an important and fundamental difference between the two. It is true, however, that how quickly you are able to sell your home will depend on the location, its value, its condition and the market at the time of the sale. You do have the flexibility, however, to sell anytime you find a willing and able buyer.

One time where renting may seem like a more logical choice than buying is if you are going to live in a particular area for only a short period of time. In order to determine if it makes sense to rent or buy in this type of situation you really need to analyze your overall financial plans. You need to get a full understanding of any and all costs associated with you buying the home, the likelihood you would be able to sell it or rent it when you were relocating from the area, etc. For some, even in a short term situation the better financial decision may be buying, especially if they are able to rent it and build equity on their tenant. This may, however, impede them buying a second home, though if they have adequate credit and income they may not have any problem buying the second residence as well.

It is difficult to come up with a scenario that makes renting the clear cut right decision. It seems in most situations buying, if an option for you is the better decision financially. Though consulting with a mortgage professional is the only real way to help determine these things as they can give you a clear understanding of what is and what is not possible for you. Your financial advisor can also assist you in making this decision.

Owning your own home has many non-financial benefits as well, however, only you can evaluate those. You know what is and what is not important for you. You know what obligations you are comfortable having and which you are not. The key is to evaluate your personal situation rather than listen to those who are convinced that one or the other is right for you.

Home Loans - Dispelling The Myths

You have undoubtedly heard a plethora of advice when you mentioned you were considering buying a home. Everyone probably had an opinion, they always do. Some very well intended people probably gave you the worst advice you could possibly have received but you would have know way of knowing that.

Let us dispel some of the most common myths about home buying and loan selection. First and foremost the myth that the only type of mortgage to ever consider is a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. Perhaps when your parents or grandparents first considered buying a home this was true. The simple fact of the matter is that there are many loan packages available to buyers with all different financial circumstances and needs. For many a fixed-rate mortgage will be the right way to go. For others adjustable rate mortgages will make the most sense based on their financial situation. Your loan officer will be able to explain the differences between them and discuss which will make the best sense for you and your unique circumstances.

Another popular myth is that you should have a home in mind before you contact a mortgage professional. This is probably, however, the worst time to contact a mortgage professional. It is always best to start your home search only after you have spoken to a mortgage professional who can put a scope on your search for you before you fall in love with a home that is well beyond your financial means. A mortgage professional can save you hours of heartache when you try to compare a house within your means to those houses a realtor showed you but you simply cannot afford.

The only place you want to apply for your mortgage is with your personal bank. Or, at least that is what you will be told. Again, that may have been true about forty years ago, it is not necessarily true any longer. The mortgage market is competitive and there are many lenders that specialize in precisely this industry and are not retail banks. You may not want to close the door to the prospect of using one of these lenders because they very often offer the best loan packages.

Online mortgage lenders are risky. That is what traditionalists will say. Though you should be careful in selecting an online lender, there are many safe and reliable retailers. You will want to make sure that they have an encrypted, safe site that you can comfortable input your information. Very often these lenders are actually a network of lenders that combined can offer you the most possible loan packages to choose from. It is important to know that the site is encrypted and safe before you input your personal information. Most sites will have information on the site regarding the measures they take to protect your information.

If your credit is not great you will never get approved for a mortgage is what you have probably heard time and time again. There is an entire, tremendous industry that has been created to provide mortgages to people with poor credit or no credit history at all. Rather than have your friends and family deny the loan that you had not even applied for yet, speak to a mortgage professional who has the means to open the door to this entire world of lenders waiting for people with little, no or bad credit.

If you do not have a big enough down-payment your mortgage payments will be huge and you will have to pay PMI. Again, this is simply not true. There are countless mortgage packages available to people with little or no down-payment, including many packages that combine loans in order to prevent your having to pay PMI (private mortgage insurance).

The home loan industry is a vast industry that grows annually. The key to your success in maneuvering in the industry is to speak to mortgage professionals rather than well-intended but ill-informed family and friends. Though your family and friends may offer good advice, very often they just proffer myths that have long ago been busted. We have addressed but a small number of these myths in this article, there are countless. The best thing to do is get the information directly from the source- a mortgage professional rather than the people around you who may have misinformed you when they heard you are thinking of buying a home.

The Deadliest Mistake ANY Business Can Make

Forget about the internet for a second and think about your own neighborhood. If you spent a little time researching what happened to this business or the next, that somehow, suddenly, disappeared; you would find that they may have made a deadly mistake.

It's one of the deadliest mistakes that any business can make whether they're offline or online.

You see, the internet is a vast expanse; you have competition, no doubt about that. However, the key to success on the internet and growing a business is knowing exactly how to appeal to your customers and potential customers.

You have to prove yourself and your business beyond that of the competition placed throughout the web.

Many people believe that marketing and advertising are the only methods of doing this. It is true that both marketing and advertising are necessary for the success of any business, whether on the internet or the old brick and mortar establishment.

However, today's consumers want more. They have a virtually endless supply of businesses to choose from but, they need help in choosing. They want to find a business that promotes the right image or rather a company whose product line communicates the right imagery in their minds eye. Customers and potential customers need to be able to identify with a business.

They want to shop with a company that reflects their ideals, feelings, and desires.

This is the key to success on the internet, or better yet, this is the key to success in any business on or offline. You have to have a story and you have to have an image that represents that story. Your story and image needs to be congruent. Advertising and marketing should simply compound on that story and image.

In simpler words storytelling.

Storytelling has long been a driving force for successful businesses everywhere. What's great about these stories is that they work best when they come directly from the mouths of your satisfied customers. Your "customer evangelists"' so to speak. You see, customers have no problems in writing you to tell you how they feel, whether good or bad.

However, you need to remember if they are writing you, they are also telling other people at the same time. Statistically speaking, if a customer is happy with your business, products, and services, they will tell at least seven people. However, if a customer is unhappy, they will tell at least fourteen, which one appeals to you more? Likely you'll want the happy customers telling seven.

Remember, the internet now allows that seven to grow exponentially.

What's great is that happy customers are more than willing to help your business. They will write about their experiences and most often give you permission to use them on your website (testimonials). These stories from real people will give your business the boost it needs.

People love stories, especially good ones, so why not talk to your happy customers and ask them to tell you about their experiences, share them with other potential customers. Many businesses today are using these to create new ad campaigns as well, focusing on targeted customers or situations.

When seeking stories from your satisfied and happy customers, you want to get specifics, their thoughts, their feelings, and their situations. For example, maybe a specific product that you offered helped them out of a tight spot. Maybe your sales staff or support staff went the extra mile to ensure that this customer had everything they need when pressed for time.

Stories like these from real people will be the boost you need for success in your business. Potential customers love reading real life stories. What is great for your business is if these stories have helped another customer solve a problem.

When customers are shopping on the internet, they have a problem that needs solved. Rather they need a last minute gift, a gift for that hard to buy for person, or their own personal needs, they look to your business to solve that problem.

Whether you're a direct response copywriter or marketer, stories have ability to get past the conscious minds of your potential customers and get directly into their subconscious mind.

Believe it or not, there are Fortune 500 companies right now, who are spending tens of millions of dollars in research to learn exactly how to better tap into our subconscious minds in order to communicate their marketing messages and get you to buy from them faster and with more satisfaction.

If a prospect can identify with other happy customers with the same or similar problem, your business will thrive. If you are not telling stories and/or giving your customers a story worthy experience at your place of business or on your website, you are sabotaging your business' potential for success.

Remember this, Stories sell, people sell, and the success of your business depends on your happy customers telling others.

Developing a Growing Business

Many people crave to develop a growing business. Unfortunately, few people can actually develop one successfully. You see, many people, just like you, start off but get distracted by not being able to have a vehicle for success.

I'd suggest that you look at some of the leverage factors for the internet.

Leverage Factor #1 - A successful business model.

If you have not built your own business model, you should adopt one from someone else. For instance, marketing using network marketing, affiliate marketing and so on are useful, but you need to have a program that allows you to derive multiple streams of income all at one go.

If you don't already have a business online, or are just interested in looking for someone to provide you one, you might want to explore this one at http://www.MySuccessCollection.com.

Leverage Factor #2 - Learning and expertise.

To build a bigger base, you definitely need to increase your knowledge. With the right kind of knowledge, you will find that you become more credible and people get attracted to you directly. If you had a database of thousands of hours of a learning library, I think you'd skew the chances to your favor, don't you think? I've discovered that it's the learner with the right attitude who actually is able to master the skills necessary to grow the business.

Leverage Factor #3 - Teams and collective effort.

Let's face it - nobody really succeeds on their own. There's really no such thing as a self-made millionaire - only a team-made one. IF you want to leverage, you have to find not just the team, but the way to build the team up effectively. I suppose you might want to be a leader as well, and that takes #2 - your learning. Over time, an effective and growing business could be in your hands.

To find out more about this opportunity and gain access to mentoring to excellence, please visit http://www.MySuccessCollection.com/stuartmastermind/

A Mentally Stimulating Job with Substantial Salary – Clinical Data Manager

The workplace changes as the world changes as well. Before there were only a few jobs people can choose from – that of a teacher, farmer, doctor, nurse, lawyer, policeman, soldier, firemen, and other plain old jobs. But now, different trades and processions are emerging each year, making the employment scene quite rich and thriving. Apart from being interesting a lot of these jobs are lucrative as well. One great example of such new interesting and profitable positions is that of the clinical data manager. Looking at its responsibilities it seems to be rather a mentally stimulating job, and the buzz is that the salary range is attractive as well.

An attractive salary is not only what lures people into applying for the clinical data manager position, the challenge of the job seems to be quite as fulfilling. The job entails a mixture of the medical field and information technology The manager is responsible for tracking and consigning the database system of a medical or clinical institution. The job may be within a health care system or a research facility. The clinical data manager supervises the work of data clinical data entry associates to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the data after it has been entered in to the system. This is important to meet the quality standards needed to report to medical regulatory bodies.

The job of the clinical data manager is an essential part of the whole clinical setup as it deals with management of the information that would help the better understanding of patients or the clearer analysis of clinical studies. An efficient data base of the clinical data is necessary not only to keep records in the hospital or research facility, it also plays an important role in the proper administration of health care to patients. Many hospitals and research facilities consider their clinical database to be among their most important assets that really have to be kept in proper order. And it is the responsibility of the clinical data manager to maintain such.

The clinical data manager positions requires the combination of knowledge and skill in both the medical and technological fields. The manager should have great facility in working with computer systems since he will be handling a wide scope of computer applications used for the collection, management, and retrieval of data. In conjunction with this, the clinical data manager should be also adept with medical knowledge, familiar with pharmacology, well versed in clinical procedures, and comfortable in medical jargon. The job basically entails merging the medical and the technological and so it is expected that the manager be good in both fields.

With such an important responsibility and a matching salary to boot, it is just expected that the clinical data manager position would require a considerable set of qualifications. Usually, a minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required with a concentration on a scientific or related field. An extensive experience in clinical data entry is needed of usually around five years in a medical or research institution. Certification in medical database systems is very much an asset for applicants together with a working knowledge in medical terms, codes, conditions, and drugs. Since it is basically a managerial job, work independence and leadership skills are expected together with good communication skills.

Now perhaps the most exciting part of this job, the salary. The clinical data manager may indeed be a financially substantial position. Entry-level managers may earn as much as $80,000 to $100,000 a year. Those in higher positions may get as much as $250,000.

With such an exciting job with a substantial salary, the position of the clinical data manager may indeed be attractive. So for those who have the skill and the drive for this occupation, trying out for the stint may be well worth it.

Defeat the Fear of Failure of Your Small Business

So you have decided to take the plunge and venture into the world of entrepreneurship. You are enthusiastic, eager, uncertain and terrified all at the same time. Believe me, most people in your shoes feel the same way. The start-up phase of any business is often the most exhilarating, but for many, it is also the most trying. Fear of failure often stops would-be entrepreneurs before they even have a chance to bring their ideas to life. The following are some ideas that may help you to stay focused on your goals and will hopefully give you the extra confidence to pursue your venture.

1. Research the need for your product or service. If there are already 8 dry cleaning services in your town of 1,200 people, chances are your dry cleaning business will not succeed. If you are still determined to open your business when the demand isn't great, consider adding some creative or innovative products or services that the competition doesn't offer. Look into your local small business service centre for information on demand in your industry. Knowing that a service is in demand will give you the extra confidence that your business has potential.

2. Once you have decided that your business venture is viable, surround yourself with positive people. An encouraging word from a friend or family member can go a long way. Confidence and positivity go hand in hand. Conversely, negative thoughts bring self-doubt, and self-doubt almost certainly leads to failure. If someone in your life is negative concerning your business, try to discuss it with them as little as possible. This doesn't mean don't talk to them, just stay away from the subject of your business. Only talk about your business with positive people. This will help to leave you feeling excited at the end of your conversation instead of defeated.

3. Stay involved in the lives of your family and friends. A start-up business can be all encompassing. It takes over your thoughts sometimes night and day. Don't forget to put things into perspective. The most important things in life are your friends and family. Don't neglect them. You need to have a healthy balance between work and family and friends in order to be happy in your life. Remember that happiness is your ultimate goal. If you are not happy, then what is it all for?

4. Read as many books as you can find. Read books on your industry, opening a business in this industry and business in general. Many online bookstores allow you to read reviews of books before buying them. These reviews will most likely be from people like yourself, looking for the same kind of information as you are. They will let you know if the book is worth purchasing. Learning as much as you possibly can about your industry and opening a business, is a sure way to gain confidence.

5. Get involved. Join trade associations if they exist for your industry. The advice and insight you will receive from the individuals already working in your field can be even more valuable than the information you can read in a book.

6. Don't listen to the inner negative voice. Self doubt and fear of failure are what stops many would-be entrepreneurs from realizing their dreams. Whenever you realize that your inner dialogue is turning negative, change it immediately. You control your thoughts. Positive thinking is a powerful tool that will contribute greatly to your success.

7. Love what you do. If you are planning on opening a home cleaning service, but can't stand cleaning your own home, you are in all likelihood doomed to failure. Choose something that excites you and that you feel passionate about. You need to feel motivated in order to continue growing your business in the years to come.

Remember what your goal is and stay focused on that. Don't let fear of failure defeat you. Regrets are one thing you certainly don't want in life. Once you've researched your venture and know it has potential, keep the next steps in mind. Learn, stay positive and enjoy this exciting phase of your life. Good luck.

Top 10 Practices Of A Responsible Credit Card Holder

Credit is good, but only when it is absolutely necessary. An irresponsibly used credit card is a sure shot way of getting yourself into a debt trap that is nearly impossible to get yourself out of with out the help of a debt professional. So, for those who feel that they have been adorned with the privilege of being trusted with a credit card, this could be a wake up call to stay out of debt.

Use Your Credit Card for Emergencies

Make it a rule to use your credit card only for emergencies. You never know when you will need the credit facility your card offers you. Though the card facilitates you to buy something you would not normally be able to buy with cash, you should try to pay some amount of the bill through cash and the rest through your credit card. This will make it easier for you to repay the bill when it comes.

Don’t Use Your Entire Credit Limit

Your credit card may offer you a limit that is ten times your monthly salary. www.onlinecreditcardsinfo.com This is a temptation of getting into a debt trap where you will be repaying the interest most of the time. Try to use only 10 percent of the credit limit of the card. Do not over spend unless you are sure you can spare the cash from your next salary cheque. Don’t rush to use your full credit limit.

Repay Maximum of the Debt You Have Incurred

Make it a practice to repay the maximum of the debt billed to you. Many people try to stick around the minimum amount they have to pay, which is typically 10 percent of the bill amount. At this rate you will take about six years to repay the debt if you keep on using the card. Try to keep your credit card expense limited to 10 – 20 percent of the credit limit and repay as much as you can every month.

Keep Your Card At Home

If you find you are over spending try leaving your credit card at home when you go out. Take it with you when you feel you actually need to use it in an emergency.

Do Not Give Out Your Security Information to Anyone

Your security information is kept secret for a reason. Do not give this information to anyone. Not even to your best friend or credit card representative. This information includes date of birth, PIN and security questions.

Verify a Merchant Bill

Verify that the merchant outlet you have swiped your card at has only swiped the card once. Else you will be billed twice for the same transaction and will be a hassle to undo.

Never Give Out Your CVV Code to Anyone

Without your CVV code (the 3 digit number behind your card) you cannot make any online transactions. Your card number combined with this CVV number can be misused by any one who knows both. So when using your card at any outlet, ensure the attendant is not recording the CVV behind your card.

Never Leave Your Card Unattended

Many credit cards are stolen from vehicles. SO never leave your card anywhere out of sight including at your work place.

Check If the Card Returned To You Is Yours

Sometimes by mistake and at times deliberately, attendants return redundant cards to customers and retain the actual card for misuse. Check that the card returned to you is yours – every time.

Report Lost Cards Immediately

Do not wait to report lost or stolen credit cards. The damage might be much more than the nominal fee for blocking your card.

If you are careful with your card the above mentioned ten responsible actions regarding your credit card can save you many headaches – and a lot of money.

The History of Credit Cards

Credit Cards Replacing Paper Money

A credit card is a small piece of rectangular plastic that is no thicker than a sheet of paper, though it cannot be folded. Initially credit cards were metal tokens in the shape of coins, then they changed to metal plates to celluloid then fiber and now plastic with perhaps a photo of the holder and a magnetic strip on the reverse containing security information such as a personal identification number enabling the card to be used at money dispensing machines (ATM’s) and merchant establishments.

What is meant by ‘Credit’?

Credit is the system of buying some produce or service without having to pay for it at the time of the transaction. The payment is made at a pre-determined later date with the addition of a fee to the bill amount. This is like loaning someone money to buy something without actually giving them the cash but instead giving them the product they want to buy. So, the system of credit is not new to humanity in fact, it is as old as civilization itself or perhaps even older. The entrepreneurs of the inhuman kind have been proclaimed responsible for identifying human needs and wants as a rollicking business, and so they invented the credit card system. Though, disputed by many, The Diners Club is credited to be the ones to invent the credit card in 1950.

When Were Credit Cards Invented?

In contradiction to the theory that ‘The Diners Club’ started the credit card system, the Encyclopedia Britannica records the origin of credit cards www.onlinecreditcardsinfo.com in the United States as far back as the 1920’s. During this time firms such as oil companies and hotel chains started issuing credit cards to their regular and valued customers who were free to use their services and pay them at a later date. These cards were only useful for purchasing goods and services from the companies and establishments that issued the card. However, references to credit cards have been found as early as 1890 in Europe. It was only in the late 1930’s that companies started accepting each other’s credit cards and this is when things began to get complicated for accountants.

Computers Promoted The Use Of Credit Cards

In the beginning there were no computers to record the credit card transactions and the process of verifying the credit balance of the card was done manually through a regularly updated credit card directory, much like a telephone directory. This system was time consuming and tedious and provided many loop holes for credit card fraud. Today, with computerization, the use of a credit card is instantaneous. All one needs to do is to ‘swipe’ the card through a slot machine and the amount entered. If there is adequate balance in the account of the holder the transaction is completed and the customer billed a month later. Usually credit cards allow for a 50 day credit free period. If the outstanding bill is paid during this time the customer does not have to pay any interest on the transactions, else there is a whopping 2.9% charge per month on the bill amount.

Who Issues Credit Cards?

Banks and financial institutions are the main issuers and promoters of credit cards. The invention of the first bank-issued credit card is credited to John Biggins of the Flatbush National Bank of Brooklyn in New York. This was the year 1946 and Biggins did not know at the time that he had hit upon an idea that would take the world of credit by storm in times to come. From this first credit card called “Charge-It” many cards have flooded the market such as the all famous “American Express” credit card and the Diners credit card. The Bank of America issued the BankAmericard in 1958. This card is now known as the “VISA” card. Around the same time the popular MasterCard came into being. These are the two prevailing cards being used today. The era of plastic money had begun.

Research Tools for Pricing Research

Price marketing research involves finding a competitive price for your product. It involves deep analysis of the competition prevailing in the market and then taking a decision accordingly.

Market research companies help you in deciding an optimum price for your product, keeping in mind your product and its features. For this, market research firms use qualitative and quantitative research tools.

The pricing done by market research companies is done after keeping in mind consumer sensitivity towards pricing. Price sensitivity depends upon the nature of the market, target consumers, value of the company’s brand and the differential level of your company’s product and services.

Market research companies advise the client company on answering the brand-positioning question, while deciding upon the overall price features of your product or brand. Market research companies help you address the brand positioning-related questions and also make you aware of your current market standing.

In various stages of pricing research, market research companies help you by conducting market segmentation research and positioning research, which includes aspects like price sensitivity and concept analysis.

Qualitative research methods are employed to provide a base for the quantitative research for deciding on the competitive prices of the product. This task is carried out by defining the problem, assuming a hypothesis and identifying the determinants. Pricing research can be carried out by conducting personal interviews, which will help you get a personal opinion on what people feel, value and believe. It also helps in discovering the hidden issues. It is seen that it is the market research firm that decide the sample size in order to get an accurate market research data.

Market research companies help you in answering your specific problems related to the pricing of your product or service. They also make you aware of the benefits of carrying out pricing research, and advise you on how to tap the opportunities and maximize your success chances in market.

Global firms have analyzed the profits of investing in India and are therefore looking forward towards investing in the various sectors in India. This has led to increased competitive pricing in the country. This has also contributed in the boom in knowledge outprocessing companies in various parts of India. Market research companies prepare market research reports on the basis of research carried out by them.

To avail more information on market research in India and its future market growth log on to the website: http://www.rncos.com.

RNCOS E-Services Pvt. Ltd. is an industry leader in the field of online business research. We specialize in industry research on various business verticals. To read our market research reports, visit us at our website: - http://www.rncos.com or email us at info@rncos.com.