Posted by admin on July 5th, 2008 — Posted in Commerce
As those of us who have been through the branding process know, each of us is blessed with a unique combination of abilities and strengths that we don’t typically recognize as a gift. However, the gift is there for each and every one of us. We take this gift for granted and, at times, let it trip us up when we least expect it. The reason it appears to be hiding is because it requires great discipline to take in all four domains of existence at once (watch for future articles on “Unified Conscious Development”). When we do, our dreams, our businesses and even ourselves become whole and real.
This is at the forefront of my mind because I was just shown what has been lurking in my hiding spot–again. I say “again” because we often forget that which we learn. Being in the constant state of remembering is a crucial part of our personal and business’s development. Rediscovering what I had forgotten was a complete and utter joy. And it was the shining answer to something I was seeking — seeking on your behalf. I have consistently occupied the role of creator, i.e., guiding thoughts, ideas or plans into the reality we know as our daily lives, throughout my life journey.
When we are launching a business or re-releasing it with new branding, we need to find a way to make it real–known, vital, understood, and helpful. We need to bring it into existence, into service. Branding is our metaphor on how to prepare. The better we bring the prepared brand into existence…the quicker it can be understood, the quicker you can assist people, and the quicker your needs can be met through customers, resources and money,
We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve a company, Content Wheel, at this very stage. The founder, Susan Raab, has completed our CLICTrack Tele-course and is in the exciting state of bringing her skills and expertise into the marketplace in a new and glorious way. It was while speaking with Susan that I was reminded of a crucial answer.
This crucial answer is both simple and complex, reassuring and confusing, reminding us of the perfect duality that we are participating in and that we must embrace. Successful business launches have certain characteristics. The creator, founder or the driver “sees” in two ways at the same time–whether he/she knows it or not. They have a roadmap that includes both linear plans and holistic patterns of thought. Can anyone do it? Absolutely. Until now you just haven’t been shown how.
Duality of Information Processing
The crux to mastering this successful characteristic is acknowledging the two ways in which the human mind processes information. This acknowledgement should come very easy as every moment we exist is defined by the duality of information processing. This duality is know by many names: Linear vs. Holistic, Logical vs. Intuitive, Sequential vs. Random, Verbal vs. Nonverbal, Symbolic vs. Concrete, Reality-Based vs. Fantasy-Oriented, to name a few. These are all descriptions of how the left and right sides of our brains process information.
The left side of the brain processes information in a linear manner. It processes from parts to the whole, linearly. It takes pieces, lines them up, and arranges them in a logical order; then it draws conclusions.
The right side of the brain, however, processes from whole to part, holistically. It starts with the answer. It sees the big picture first, not the details. A chart using this approach would look like a sea of what appeared to be random points, representing the “whole,” surrounding the answer.
The successful characteristic to master, when manifesting your new or re-conceived business, is balancing these two ways of processing or understanding. We each use both sides of our brains to function all the time. Though, like being left- or right-handed, we typically have a dominant side where we always begin. As you master yourself and your business strategy, you will develop the ability to see both approaches simultaneously and can start from either the linear plan or the intuitive feel. A great example of this was a software product for children that I was blessed with producing, Disney’s award-winning “MathQuest with Robin Williams.” Most math products approach teaching in the linear–rows, upon rows of problems requiring the “drill-and-kill” of repetitive learning. MathQuest blended the structured truth of math with a holistic approach of traversing a vast 3D-world employing math to avoid pitfalls and overcome obstacles. If you have children, I highly recommend it.
As you acknowledge that these two strategies must co-exist, go slowly; don’t try to use them simultaneously. It would cause unnecessary confusion just when you are on the brink of clarity. It would be like branding your entire company and a particular product or division at the same time. They are better considered one at a time, then blended.
Make it Happen
So to get you started, here’s a way to balance your launch strategy. We will mesh the four dimensions of unified conscious development (the underlining theory of the Whole Wealth institute) and both linear and holistic strategies. Employ these four initial steps to manifest your new or re-conceived business:
1. Linear - Be steadfast in applying the results of the CLIC process: character, language, image and color. The easiest to apply immediately is your language results in all of your marketing materials. Your keywords should be pervasive in your written communications — emails, proposals, postcards, your website, etc., and your marketing statement should be used as the close on your press releases, email closings, proposals and one-sheets.
2. Holistic - Build your team by sharing your marketing statement and your newfound or restored enthusiasm for your new or re-conceived business. You never know who or how you will be lead to the resources you need.
3. Linear — Make a plan. Some say you must have a formal business plan. The truth is there are many types of business plans that differ widely. On one end of the spectrum is a business plan in which you are seeking investment capital. On the other is a plan, which is, for the entrepreneur, simply a well-organized strategy designed to aid them in completing a task or objective. The bottom line is you need a task and time–based plan of action.
4. Holistic — This one is the shining jewel. Watch for, consider, and ponder product/services/information synergies. These can exist within your own business or in connection with others already in the marketplace. The synergy can exist between a book, an article, a speech, an interview, an audio product, a service or another company. It isn’t just about your products; it is about the very core of your expertise, your knowledge, your information, and your approach.
B
alance the use of all four of these approaches as you expose the whole truth of your business in the marketplace. Only then will you find yourself in the primordial state of creation with ease, grace and synchronicity as your guides. You can make it happen…
W. Vito Montone, co-founder BrandU(TM), co-author of Why BrandU: Big Business Success No Matter Your Size, BrandU Bible, the only step-by-step workbook for developing your business as a brand, and It’s a BrandU Day, the fear transformation process and journal; and a proud member of The Dream Exchange (http://www.thedreamexchange.com). To learn more about their step-by-step programs, to receive the FR*EE report 15 Mistakes That Kill Business Success, and to sign up for the e-zine Why You?!, visit http://www.whybrandu.com
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Posted by admin on June 3rd, 2008 — Posted in Commerce
The WEEE directive - the EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
- will be implemented across Europe over the next 12 months. With just a few
exceptions, electrical consumer goods that are at the end of their life will
need to be taken back, dismantled and recycled. Up until now most of these goods
were simply thrown away with the majority ending up in a landfill site.
The way the scheme will work will vary from one European country to another.
In general though, producers, wholesalers and retailers will be given the
responsibility of operating, or paying for, the take-back scheme.
The products that will be most severely affected are those containing parts
that are hard or impossible to recycle or those that contain dangerous
substances (another European directive covers this aspect). In addition,
products with limited or no serviceability will be more vulnerable as their life
cannot be extended by repairing or fitting spare parts.
Products that will benefit are those with opposite attributes, where there
are no dangerous substances and where spare parts can be fitted in order to
prolong the life of the product. Mark my words, Europe will see the return of
the repair shop, a vibrant second-hand (previously owned) electrical goods
market (I can see E-Bay getting even busier!) and an increase in the
availability of spares.
In affluent societies we have found it convenient to buy a new product and
toss it away when it malfunctions or simply when a new model comes along. At the
same time products have been made to ever lower specifications and in many cases
have been designed to have a limited lifetime. Which of these trends came first
may be debatable, but it is certain that they feed each other. Perhaps it’s down
to the marketing men who urge us to buy a new this and a new that.
By scanning the horizon of existing products there are some that are still
built to last, where most parts are serviceable and where there are no dangerous
substances. Insectocutor Fly Killers sold by Arkay Hygiene come into this
category (with the exception of the uv lamps, which will probably be subject to
RoHS regulations). Insectocutor fly killers are built to the highest
specification - predominantly from steel instead of plastic - and are built to
last.
I would advise consumers, retailers and producers alike to think about the
implications of a world where products are increasingly made good and
where the option to throw them away is restricted. These regulations may be
neatly encapsulated in a European directive, but it should be noted that the
U.S. are developing similar regulations (a mixture of federal and state laws),
as are many other countries.
Vernon Stent is a marketing consultant for Arkay Hygiene. More information
about the WEEE Directive can be seen at http://www.5es.co.uk.
Here is an example of a spare part for Insectocutor Fly Killers, a PTFE
Insulator
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Posted by admin on May 18th, 2008 — Posted in Commerce
You may republish this article, but you must keep the resource
box and copyright at the end.
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How To Increase traffic and get a better rank on Google
By Tony Farrell (c) Copyright 2004
You have a business you want to promote. You’re looking for more
traffic to your web site. But, how do you get that traffic and
how do you get it for nothing?
Here’s a technique I use to increase web site traffic and get a
better rank on Google. But, you need your own web site first.
This won’t work for your otherwise.
Having said that, even if you don’t own a web site you should
follow some of the steps here. The reason will become very clear
nearer the end of this email.
What you are doing is researching for sites with a Google page
rank of at least 4 and upwards that are relevant to the content
of your site. Then link with them and have them link back to you.
To do this set up another page on your site for the purpose of
including good quality links from other relevant sites.
Here’s how to do it…
1. Download Alexa Toolbar and install it on your computer. Get
it here: http://download.alexa.com/index.cgi?p=Dest_W_b_40_T1
2. Download Goole Toolbar and install it on your computer. Get
it here: http:/ oolbar.google.com/
3. Create a “Spreadsheet” using “Excel” and create a colum for
each of the following…
URL, Contact Email, Owner’s Name, Alexa Link Popularity, Google
Rank, Contact 1, Contact 2, Contact 3, Link Accepted.
4. Go to Google Search Engine and key in a relevant keyword to
your niche site.
5. When the results come up, go to each site (including the
Google Ads that may come along with it)
6. Upon arriving at each site the first thing to check for is
the Alexa Traffic Rank that shows up on your Alexa Toolbar. Aim
for a traffic rank of 100,000 or less. Anything more than
100,000 leave the site and look for another one.
7. Next, look for the Google Page Rank. Aim for a PR (Page Rank)
of “4″ or more. Less than this leave the site and look for
another one.
8. If you are happy with the Page Rank on Google and the Traffic
Rank on Alexa, then place all relevant details on the
spreadsheet you’ve created. Then move onto the next site.
9. Do this until you are satisfied with the number of possible
contacts. You probably should aim to get 5 - 10 sites a day.
Keep this up until you have reached the desired number of links
you want on your page.
10. Set up a page on your own site and call it something like
“Partner Links”.
11. Now you need to put a link to their site from your niche
mini site. Grab a bit of text from their site and place it in
your “Partner Links” page. Then turn that text into a link to
their site.
12. Email each web site owner letting the know who you are and
that you placed a link to their site from your site. Then
request that they link back to you. If they don’t then just take
their link down.
13. When you contact the web site owner, just place the date of
contact on you spreadsheet under the colum “Contact 1″. Any
other contacts should be placed on the other “Contact” colums.
14. Whether a link has been accepted or not, just place a “Y”
(for YES) or a “N” (for NO) in the colum entitled “Link
Accepted”.
That’s it. I have done this for my site and am starting to see
an better rank on Alexa and beginning to increase my PR rank on
Google.
The thing with this method of getting a better rank on Google is
that it’s very time consuming and requires persistence on a
daily basis. But it will work. Also, don’t expect a positive
response from every web site owner. Most likely you’ll get more
rejections than acceptances. Just carry on regardless.
The other thing is that you should ensure that you look for a
Traffic Ranking of 100,000 or less on Alexa. This means that you
are looking for high traffic web sites. This means a better
chance of people clicking on your site. It only makes sense.
Also, you don’t need millions of links from just any site to
gain a better rank in Google. You need good quality links and
this is a good method to do this. That’s why I suggest looking
for sites that have a Google PR rank of “4″ or higher.
Remember I said that even if you don’t have a web site you
should follow some of the steps here? Well here’s why…
The sites that have accepted your links are your future
“Potential JV Partners”. They’re your number one contact names
for Joint Ventures. They’re the first people you contact with
your offers for their customers and subscribers.
As you’ve done the research, don’t just let all that work just
sit there once you’ve created your link exchanges. You’ve just
started a relationship with those people and you should make use
of that opportunity. Even contact those who have not accepted a
link to your site. Treat them as secondary contacts for Joint
Venture purposes.
Just get crackin’ on this immediately.
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Posted by admin on May 4th, 2008 — Posted in Commerce
Are you looking for a Home Job, Legitimate Work?
Not just more of the same old recycled “Home Job” trash that
really is just a scam?
There is one here at the link I’m about to give you, but I must
admit, there’s a 4 letter word involved with this Home Job
offering legitimate work.
No, the 4 letter word isn’t WORK. It’s SELL!
Learn more about it here:
New Home Job -
Legitimate Work
If you’re still with me after the 4 letter word “SELL”, I’m very
happy… for you.
If you can seize this particular opportunity for a home job
offering legitimate work, you’ll never have to worry financially
again.
Once you can sell, you can do about anything.
You can generate cash quickly.
You can barter for necessities.
You can work if you want and when you want.
You will reach your financial goals.
Not by selling candy bars on Main Street though… not enough
commission.
But THIS Home
Job offering Legitimate Work allows you to keep 100% of any
fees you generate.
No franchise fees.
No commissions paid to others (unless you choose to do so)
No expensive start up kits.
No “information courses to buy (unless you want me to sell you
one… We just give the training away!)
No postage to pay on direct mail unless you choose after you’re
making money.
No new skills to learn if you can talk to people and ask a
simple question we teach.
Then you listen to their answer and take the check! It’s that
simple!
This Are you looking for a Home Job, Legitimate Work?
Not just more of the same old recycled “Home Job” trash that
really is just a scam?
There is one here at the link I’m about to give you, but I must
admit, there’s a 4 letter word involved with this Home Job
offering legitimate work.
No, the 4 letter word isn’t WORK. It’s SELL!
Learn more about it here:
New Home Job -
Legitimate Work
If you’re still with me after the 4 letter word “SELL”, I’m very
happy… for you.
If you can seize this particular opportunity for a home job
offering legitimate work, you’ll never have to worry financially
again.
Once you can sell, you can do about anything.
You can generate cash quickly.
You can barter for necessities.
You can work if you want and when you want.
You will reach your financial goals.
Not by selling candy bars on Main Street though… not enough
commission.
But this Home
Job offering Legitimate Work puts you right in the middle]
of Yahoo, Google, and MSN spending millions of dollars on local
search technology.
You can cash in helping local businesses get in front of this
wave and keep 100% of the proceeds.
You don’t need to know:
* Programming * Web Design * Direct Mail * Neuro Linguistic
Programming * How To Read Minds
Or any other specialized skill to make this opportunity work.
What’s it cost?
Nothing compared to the impact it can make on your finances just
working a few hours per day after work or between classes…you
choose the hours.
You invest less than a dollar per day to access our complete
stem to stern business system and keep 100% of the profits in
your new Home Job offering Legitimate Work!
“>
Click here to learn the details!
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Posted by admin on April 15th, 2008 — Posted in Commerce
Effective or Irritating: The Use of Pop Windows in Internet
Marketing Copyright © Chung On Shiu
http://www.Biz4BizWorld.com
A few years ago, pop-up windows were all the rage in Internet
marketing. It seemed that every time one opened a web page they
would be bombarded with offers for this or that. It had gotten
to the point where surfing the Internet was almost like playing
a video game; when the ads would pop-up one would try and close
them out before another one came. This is precisely why we have
seen the decline in the use of pop-up windows on the Internet
today; surfers simply do not even look at the pop-ups anymore.
They close the windows out before even reading the ad. Very
often, a surfer will even leave your site if there are too many
pop-up ads. They simply do not want the hassle of closing those
windows while trying to obtain the information that your site
has to offer. This information, while valuable, is not as
valuable as the surfers time. Studies have shown however, that
even with these set backs, pop-up windows are still an effective
method of Internet marketing.
Is there some way that pop-up windows can be less irritating and
still be effective? Yes! What if the pop ad were seen upon
exiting your site instead of entering? This would allow the
surfer to obtain the information that they need from your site,
feeling that they were able to come and go quickly without being
hassled by other ads and offers all the while making the surfer
happy. You have left the surfer with a positive attitude and
therefore are more likely to respond to the pop advertisement.
This is being accomplished more and more by using what is being
called pop-under windows. When the surfer comes to your site,
the ad is opened discretely behind the your web page. Then, upon
leaving your site, after obtaining all the information that they
need , will see the ad and therefore be more likely to respond.
Since the surfer has the information, he has achieved his
objective and is now open to do other things; ideally respond to
the pop under advertisement.
Not all pop-windows are created equally. There are some things
that you can do to make your pop-windows, whether pop-up or
pop-under more effective. The pop-window should be easy to
“escape” from. If the surfer does not want to see the add, but
has a hard time closing it out, they will likely become
frustrated and could leave your site all together. You should
either use a button to that will allow the surfer to close the
window or be sure that the “x” is easily visible. Another good
idea is to use a script that utilizes cookies. Cookie will
prevent pop-windows from overloading the surfer since you can
decide the frequency of the pop-windows, rather than each time a
page is opened. Also be sure that there is no more than one
pop-window per page.
When creating a pop-window, you will be asked to fill out a
short information form, select the length of cookies, and choose
the layout of the pop-window. When choosing the design of the
pop-window, you can increase the effectiveness by creating a
large headline that includes benefits that will be most
appealing to the customer. You should also consider using
incentives and lastly do not ask the customer to read a long and
drawn out advertisement. Keep the message simple yet powerful
and your pop-ads will be sure to generate profits for your site.
NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this article
within your website or newsletter as long as you leave the
article fully intact and include the “About The Author” resource
box. Thanks! 
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Posted by admin on April 13th, 2008 — Posted in Commerce
I HAVE NO HOME BUSINESS OR INTERNET SAVVY - CAN I STILL MAKE A LIVING?
Part one.
Starting a home business is, in some ways, like starting any other business. It is going to take a while to get going in full gear and begin to gain the financial rewards that are possible in a good home business venture.
Sometimes people find that the idea with which they first started out does not really excite them in the long run as much as they thought it would. No problem. In internet home business it is far easier to change horses, as it were, then in a business that has a site, equipment and personnel lined up in one direction.
No computer skills? Answer this question first: how do you know that you are not proficient in these skills? We’ll answer for you: because you can see all around you people who do have these skills - they are common skills which are becoming more and more apparent everywhere. Are all of these people more intelligent than you or do they have some special, secret talent? A closer look around and you will answer “no” to that. Yes, of course there are some people who specialize in computer skills, but the majority of people who are working with computers in various ways today are ordinary people who, with a little training and practice, have mastered what is necessary for them to make the computer work for them.
To get started, you may wish to take a computer class at a beginner’s or intermediary level. These classes are being offered in schools, libraries and other locations everywhere and you can also find them online. In fact, in the 21st century people who do not have computer skills will be handicapped in any job - so why not learn them for your own business rather than for someone else’s?
Our advice, for the above reasons and others, is that you put aside some savings - even if it means working for someone else for a while longer - to tide you over while you are getting started. Again, this advice would be true of any business, whether an off-site venture or a home-based business. No business makes a profit right away. Give yourself a cushion so you can relax while finding your way to financial success in the exciting internet home business world.
Make sure that you have a good and sound business plan. This alone will help build your confidence and give you a guide for evaluating yourself and deciding whether your home based business is starting off and moving along in the way that you want. There are many sites online where you can find templates or guidelines for writing a good business plan. The process of doing this - before you start your own internet business - will focus your ideas about what you really want for your business and the steps needed to achieve your goals.
You know your dream - financial independence and creative control of your own life - keep that focus in mind always and remember that everything else can be learned!
In part two we will explore the government, non profit and paid services that can help you improve your knowledge for your home business. You can do it.
Stephen Mistretta is a freelance writer and partner in the work at home portal. Home business success.
http://www.Home-business-success.biz
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Posted by admin on April 12th, 2008 — Posted in Commerce
Q: I have a great idea for an amazing new product. There is nothing like it on the market and no competition that I can find. I think it will be a huge success and so does everyone I tell the idea to. I’m willing to bet the farm on this one. What do you think my chances of success are?
A: I’m a lousy poker player, mainly because I can’t help grinning like the village idiot when blessed with a winning hand or frowning like a sad clown when dealt a dud.
I also never make odds on the success of “amazing new products” because more often than not the only thing that’s amazing is the way the product is totally ignored by the buying public. In my software business there have been times when we came up with what we thought was an amazing idea for an amazing piece of software - a piece of software so amazing, in fact, that we knew that all mankind would sit up and take notice, then line up to write us checks.
After hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars spent developing the product we were amazed to find that the only people who thought the software was truly amazing was us.
We made mankind yawn. Quite an amazing accomplishment, if I do say so myself.
It worries me that you say there is nothing like your idea on the market. While you may think that is a good thing, it might actually mean that there is no market for your product. The same holds true for a lack of competition. A total lack of competition might mean that there is no demand for such a product.
Rarely does a product come along that revolutionizes an industry. Rarer still does a product create a new industry on its own. So, how can you tell if your amazing new product really is worth gambling on? The truth is, you can never be 100% certain that your idea will sell. No matter how enamored you are of it or how much your friends rave about it, the success of a new idea depends on a number of factors, many of which are beyond your control.
Such factors include:
The viability of the idea: is this really a product that you could build a company around? Does the idea have the potential to generate revenue or customer loyalty?
The people implementing the idea: the right team can make even a mediocre product a huge success (ever heard of Windows). Inversely, a bad team couldn’t sell ice water in Hades. Pick your team carefully. The right people really do make all the difference.
The demand for such a product in the marketplace: will this product fill a need or satisfy an itch?
The competition: is the market already crowded with competitors? If so, what will it take to move your product ahead of the pack?
The depth of your pockets: even an amazing product requires a ton of cash to go from drawing board to store shelf.
The availability of other resources required to take the product from the drawing board to the consumer: do you have the time, the drive, the perseverance, the knowledge, the contacts, the support, and a hundred other things required to bring your amazing idea to fruition?
The list wouldn’t be complete without sheer luck and timing.
And a thousand other things.
Before you invest too much time and money into your idea, do a little research to determine if it’s an idea that’s really worth gambling on:
Research the market for similar products. Again, if there are no similar products on the market that might mean there is no market for that product. If there truly is nothing exactly like your product, research similar products that fill a similar void in the consumer’s life. Learn all you can about such products: pricing, market share, track record, etc.
Research the competition. As mentioned earlier, if there is no competition there may not be a market for a product like yours. If there is competition, research the competition fully (little guys and big guys) to help determine if you can realistically compete for market share.
Identify your target customer and ask them for an honest evaluation of the idea and its marketability. Avoid friends and family as they usually just tell you what you want to hear. If your target customer is a 35 year old female, pitch your idea to every 35 year old female you meet and gauge their response. Just don’t break any stalking laws in the name of market research… :o).
The best advice I can give you when it comes to amazing new product ideas it’s best to follow your head and not your heart. It’s a lesson that took me years to learn. If I had a nickel for every amazing new product I’ve invested in I’d go play a few hands of poker.
Here’s to your success!
Tim Knox
Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox. Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs.
Related Links:
http://www.prosperityandprofits.com
http://www.smallbusinessqa.com
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net
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