"To my customer.
I may not have the answer, but I’ll find it.
I may not have the time, but I’ll make it." (Unknown)
A positive attitude is a 'can do' attitude. It's deciding to do whatever it takes to help the customer, and not hide behind excuses, non-existing policies, other colleagues.
I wish I could say that a positive attitude is trainable, but it starts with a natural desire to help people.
The goal is to find people with such a desire, and eleminate those who demonstrate a lack of desire.
This is the key that unlocks all other keys to good customer service!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Perfect Wealth Formula Will Turn You Into A Traffic & Cash Generating Machine
- Even If You Have No Experience At Online Marketing!
Perfect Wealth Formula
Launched by Alvin Blacknall, a well-known successful network marketer who’s helping out others create financial freedom with home-based businesses, blah blah blah
Perfect Wealth Formula
Launched by Alvin Blacknall, a well-known successful network marketer who’s helping out others create financial freedom with home-based businesses, blah blah blah
Anything with reference to "launch" I run away from as fast as I can - like the start of the above blog which I copied for an example.
1 of 10 Common Reasons That Affiliate Marketers Do Not Make More Sales
Affiliate marketing seems like the golden opportunity when you first learn that you can earn money online by referring others to your affiliate sites; however, disappointment soon settles in when you realize you're not earning the money you had envisioned.
Here are 10 common reasons that affiliate marketers do not make more sales:
1. They're afraid to invest and take action. You need to take action, choose a niche topic, and invest in your own website and marketing tools such as autoresponders and ad trackers. It's hard to run a real business without a location. Owning and marketing your own website is much more professional than posting affiliate links on hundreds of free classified ad sites.
2. They lack energy. This was the nicest way I thought of stating the facts without calling anyone "lazy", but it takes real "w-o-r-k" to make it really "work". You have to invest your time in educating yourself about online marketing. You must do more than just pasting affiliate banners and text links on your site.
3. (tomorrow)
By Rhonda White
Here are 10 common reasons that affiliate marketers do not make more sales:
1. They're afraid to invest and take action. You need to take action, choose a niche topic, and invest in your own website and marketing tools such as autoresponders and ad trackers. It's hard to run a real business without a location. Owning and marketing your own website is much more professional than posting affiliate links on hundreds of free classified ad sites.
2. They lack energy. This was the nicest way I thought of stating the facts without calling anyone "lazy", but it takes real "w-o-r-k" to make it really "work". You have to invest your time in educating yourself about online marketing. You must do more than just pasting affiliate banners and text links on your site.
3. (tomorrow)
By Rhonda White
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Home Based Business For Women
Affiliate marketing is a good opportunity for a home based business for women. With a little bit of time and effort women are staying at home and running their own home based business.
Like hundreds of thousands of stay-at-home moms, you too can make money from the comfort and safety of your own home, all while your toddler sleeps, while you do laundry, even while on vacation with your family.
Never in history has it been easier for women to make money online. And never before have busy moms had such a viable, legitimate opportunity to start their very own business and achieve the financial freedom they previously only dreamed about.
Working out of the home often means juggling multiple tasks and wearing many hats. But look out. When there is so much to do that there is little time left over for sales and marketing activity, sales can dry up and often do. Here are some ways to avoid that.
1. Monthly Focus – Each month, grab your calendar and see which holidays are coming up. Then focus some type of activity around them. At least minimally, setup a direct mail campaign through the U.S. Post Office site (usps.com) in these quick steps:
Choose one of their postcards.
With their online tools, edit the back with a quick note, sale of some type & referral request.
Load an Excel document of addresses, pay and send.
2. Ad Campaign - Plan ahead with advertising representatives by gathering their media kits and asking about special deals or rates they may have for you. Then follow up and plan a 12- to 16-month campaign, even if it’s just a small classified that runs regularly. That way you’ll always be covered whether you’re too busy to care or not. You can always supplement with cross-promotional pieces. But at least, set up a foundation to get you through the year.
For inexpensive ads to run throughout the year, check out neighborhood newspapers and free or cheap magazines and papers that are placed inside public libraries, large grocery stores and country-type restaurants. PennySavers and Thrifty Ads are other sources.
3. Regular Income Stream - Don’t just have all large projects. Set up a few (or several, depending upon your budget needs) smaller, regular income-producing projects to generate weekly / monthly income. And maintain a steady flow as much as possible. In other words, if five regular, smaller jobs pay the day-to-day bills, once one of them quits or runs out of work for you, replace it as soon as possible so that you maintain your steady ‘five’ as much as possible.
Some people setup affiliate programs in this manner; selling something for someone else and earning a percentage or profit for selling. They target so much income from one source of revenue stream to cover a certain portion of expenses. And if this runs out of steam, they beef up promotions or switch to another affiliate program. Learn more about affiliate options from a place like Commission Junction (cj.com). Or in your favorite search engine, type in ‘affiliate programs’ and see which ones are popular.
So when you juggle, remember to mix in SOME type of regular sales and income generating opportunities. Keep your home based business focused on generating business and you will be successful.
One home based business any woman can start in 3 easy steps is the Plugin Profit Site. This combines all of the elements of a successful business you can run from home online. A website, quality products, email marketing, list building techniques, advertising and marketing support and much more.
by Jeff Schuman
Like hundreds of thousands of stay-at-home moms, you too can make money from the comfort and safety of your own home, all while your toddler sleeps, while you do laundry, even while on vacation with your family.
Never in history has it been easier for women to make money online. And never before have busy moms had such a viable, legitimate opportunity to start their very own business and achieve the financial freedom they previously only dreamed about.
Working out of the home often means juggling multiple tasks and wearing many hats. But look out. When there is so much to do that there is little time left over for sales and marketing activity, sales can dry up and often do. Here are some ways to avoid that.
1. Monthly Focus – Each month, grab your calendar and see which holidays are coming up. Then focus some type of activity around them. At least minimally, setup a direct mail campaign through the U.S. Post Office site (usps.com) in these quick steps:
Choose one of their postcards.
With their online tools, edit the back with a quick note, sale of some type & referral request.
Load an Excel document of addresses, pay and send.
2. Ad Campaign - Plan ahead with advertising representatives by gathering their media kits and asking about special deals or rates they may have for you. Then follow up and plan a 12- to 16-month campaign, even if it’s just a small classified that runs regularly. That way you’ll always be covered whether you’re too busy to care or not. You can always supplement with cross-promotional pieces. But at least, set up a foundation to get you through the year.
For inexpensive ads to run throughout the year, check out neighborhood newspapers and free or cheap magazines and papers that are placed inside public libraries, large grocery stores and country-type restaurants. PennySavers and Thrifty Ads are other sources.
3. Regular Income Stream - Don’t just have all large projects. Set up a few (or several, depending upon your budget needs) smaller, regular income-producing projects to generate weekly / monthly income. And maintain a steady flow as much as possible. In other words, if five regular, smaller jobs pay the day-to-day bills, once one of them quits or runs out of work for you, replace it as soon as possible so that you maintain your steady ‘five’ as much as possible.
Some people setup affiliate programs in this manner; selling something for someone else and earning a percentage or profit for selling. They target so much income from one source of revenue stream to cover a certain portion of expenses. And if this runs out of steam, they beef up promotions or switch to another affiliate program. Learn more about affiliate options from a place like Commission Junction (cj.com). Or in your favorite search engine, type in ‘affiliate programs’ and see which ones are popular.
So when you juggle, remember to mix in SOME type of regular sales and income generating opportunities. Keep your home based business focused on generating business and you will be successful.
One home based business any woman can start in 3 easy steps is the Plugin Profit Site. This combines all of the elements of a successful business you can run from home online. A website, quality products, email marketing, list building techniques, advertising and marketing support and much more.
by Jeff Schuman
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Tax-free income in 'munis'
Spring has sprung, and so has the tax season. Wouldn't it be nice NOT to have a tax bill due this month?
If you'd like to earn some tax-free income, consider investing in "munis," or municipal bonds as they are more formally known. The bond issuer borrows the money from you the investor and issues a bond, or a promise, to pay you back your principal plus interest.
While municipal bonds are issued by cities, they also may be issued by counties, states, school districts, airports, hospitals or any other entity funded by local tax dollars.
Munis offer interest rates that are usually lower than the rates you could earn from other fixed-income investments, such as certificates of deposit or corporate bonds.
So why would you want to invest in a muni bond that pays a lower interest rate? The income is tax-free, and the interest you earn from the bank isn't.
To see if it is smarter to invest in a tax-free muni or invest in something that is taxable, you need to do a little math.
The higher your tax bracket, the better it may be to invest in the muni. Let's say the city of Taxville offers to pay 4 percent interest tax-free. XYZ Corp., though, offers 6 percent interest, with the tax bite.
You want to invest $10,000. Which option is better?
You will earn $400 from the city of Taxville. All of it goes into your pocket.
You will earn $600 from XYZ, but if you are in the highest federal and state tax bracket, you will pay about $250 in taxes, leaving only $350 after taxes.
Generally, the interest income you earn from municipal bonds is free from federal taxes. If you are a California resident and choose to invest in a bond issued by the state or any other government entity within state borders, then the interest income is also going to be free from California taxes, in almost all cases.
Not all cities, counties or states are equal when it comes to risk. Just like you and me, they have credit scores, known as credit ratings. The three big rating firms are Standard and Poor's, Moody's and Fitch.
The best rating is AAA. It is followed by AA, then A and finally BBB. Anything below BBB is a junk bond. The higher the credit rating, the lower the risk of default. The lower the credit rating, the higher the interest will be to attract investors.
You must decide whether you want to earn more by taking greater risk or settle for a lower return but greater security.
Finally, when we talk about tax-free income, we are talking about the interest you earn -- not any gains made by selling your bond at a profit. If you bought a municipal bond for $1,000 and before it matures, you are able to sell it for $1,200, you will have a taxable capital gain.
As attractive as it may sound to have all of your income tax-free, municipal bonds should be considered only as part of a diversified portfolio and only if your tax bracket is high enough to make it a benefit. Then next April, you can smile about the income that goes 100 percent to you.
About the writer:
Tom Sullivan, managing director of the Sullivan Group of Wachovia Securities in Sacramento, provides financial commentary for radio station KFBK (1530 AM) and NBC-TV affiliate KCRA. If you wish to comment on Tom's column, send e-mails to sacbiz@sacbee.com.
If you'd like to earn some tax-free income, consider investing in "munis," or municipal bonds as they are more formally known. The bond issuer borrows the money from you the investor and issues a bond, or a promise, to pay you back your principal plus interest.
While municipal bonds are issued by cities, they also may be issued by counties, states, school districts, airports, hospitals or any other entity funded by local tax dollars.
Munis offer interest rates that are usually lower than the rates you could earn from other fixed-income investments, such as certificates of deposit or corporate bonds.
So why would you want to invest in a muni bond that pays a lower interest rate? The income is tax-free, and the interest you earn from the bank isn't.
To see if it is smarter to invest in a tax-free muni or invest in something that is taxable, you need to do a little math.
The higher your tax bracket, the better it may be to invest in the muni. Let's say the city of Taxville offers to pay 4 percent interest tax-free. XYZ Corp., though, offers 6 percent interest, with the tax bite.
You want to invest $10,000. Which option is better?
You will earn $400 from the city of Taxville. All of it goes into your pocket.
You will earn $600 from XYZ, but if you are in the highest federal and state tax bracket, you will pay about $250 in taxes, leaving only $350 after taxes.
Generally, the interest income you earn from municipal bonds is free from federal taxes. If you are a California resident and choose to invest in a bond issued by the state or any other government entity within state borders, then the interest income is also going to be free from California taxes, in almost all cases.
Not all cities, counties or states are equal when it comes to risk. Just like you and me, they have credit scores, known as credit ratings. The three big rating firms are Standard and Poor's, Moody's and Fitch.
The best rating is AAA. It is followed by AA, then A and finally BBB. Anything below BBB is a junk bond. The higher the credit rating, the lower the risk of default. The lower the credit rating, the higher the interest will be to attract investors.
You must decide whether you want to earn more by taking greater risk or settle for a lower return but greater security.
Finally, when we talk about tax-free income, we are talking about the interest you earn -- not any gains made by selling your bond at a profit. If you bought a municipal bond for $1,000 and before it matures, you are able to sell it for $1,200, you will have a taxable capital gain.
As attractive as it may sound to have all of your income tax-free, municipal bonds should be considered only as part of a diversified portfolio and only if your tax bracket is high enough to make it a benefit. Then next April, you can smile about the income that goes 100 percent to you.
About the writer:
Tom Sullivan, managing director of the Sullivan Group of Wachovia Securities in Sacramento, provides financial commentary for radio station KFBK (1530 AM) and NBC-TV affiliate KCRA. If you wish to comment on Tom's column, send e-mails to sacbiz@sacbee.com.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Vonage Affiliate Program Disconnected?
Vonage can no longer sign up new customers. A U.S. district court judge has barred the VoIP provider after they lost a patent infringement lawsuit to Verizon.
According to InfoWorld, “Judge Claude Hilton of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia denied Vonage’s request to stay an injunction pending its appeal of a patent infringement ruling. On March 8, a federal jury found that Vonage infringed on three Verizon patents and must pay $58 million in damages plus royalties.”
The Vonage site still touts their affiliate program, where you can make money referring new customers to Vonage…
The Vonage Affiliate Program offers you unlimited income potential. You can promote any Residential or Business service plan and earn a flat-rate $30.00 commission every time a qualified customer signs up for Vonage service. Start earning immediately -there is no cap on earnings or the number of subscribers you may enroll!
But it looks like Vonage is gonage - if I were a Vonage affiliate, I’d be taking down Vonage links right about now.
By Shawn Collins
According to InfoWorld, “Judge Claude Hilton of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia denied Vonage’s request to stay an injunction pending its appeal of a patent infringement ruling. On March 8, a federal jury found that Vonage infringed on three Verizon patents and must pay $58 million in damages plus royalties.”
The Vonage site still touts their affiliate program, where you can make money referring new customers to Vonage…
The Vonage Affiliate Program offers you unlimited income potential. You can promote any Residential or Business service plan and earn a flat-rate $30.00 commission every time a qualified customer signs up for Vonage service. Start earning immediately -there is no cap on earnings or the number of subscribers you may enroll!
But it looks like Vonage is gonage - if I were a Vonage affiliate, I’d be taking down Vonage links right about now.
By Shawn Collins
Friday, April 6, 2007
Looking For Honest Ways To Earn Extra Income
Everyone who is looking for ways to earn extra money knows it is not going to fall into their lap. There are many honest methods of earning extra cash and if working outside the house part time is not an option for you, look to the Internet for new methods.
Everyone has heard about the big money to be made through online auctions and some people actually earn a living simply selling merchandise at auction. Many more, however, can pick up a few extra dollars here and there, but if you want to make the big bucks, you will be doing this on a near full-time basis. Getting connected with a company that supplies the products for you to list on your auction site, and then handle the billing and shipping can create a lot of profit if you pick the right items to sell.
If you do not find the right merchandises and your listings do not sell, you will go broke paying listing fees for merchandise still sitting in the company’s warehouse. Before you get started in a full time auction business, become fully educated on the type of merchandise in demand and remember it will change with the seasons and at the whim of the customers. What sells well today may languish in a warehouse tomorrow.
Affiliate marketing is about the easiest way to make extra money today. The only work required on your part is placing another company’s ad on your site. When visitors visit your site and click on an ad, it automatically tracks the referral and when they make a purchase you earn a commission. If you do not have a website, these ads can be placed on your web log, known as a Blog, and if the ads relate to the subject of your Blog, you can earn even more money. Some times the affiliate will provide a website for you to promote with you link embedded.
Selling online can also bring in extra cash, but for this you will need a website or at least get connected to an existing website that will let you post your merchandise for sale. There are some craft or antique malls that rent booth and floor space in which you can display your products. The mall will handle all the marketing for the entire building without focusing on one tenant, ad in addition to the monthly space rental will also charge a percentage of the total sales.
Perhaps website can be constructed that will also showcase all the vendors of crafts or antiques and allow online sales. If you allow vendors to place their ads for a set amount, you can eliminate the need for collecting a percentage and just maintain the site for them. And the both of you can receive additional income from this type of endeavor. But there is one thing you must always keep in mine; making money on the Internet takes time and work, and if you stay with your plan, you will reach your goal.
by Earl Williams
Everyone has heard about the big money to be made through online auctions and some people actually earn a living simply selling merchandise at auction. Many more, however, can pick up a few extra dollars here and there, but if you want to make the big bucks, you will be doing this on a near full-time basis. Getting connected with a company that supplies the products for you to list on your auction site, and then handle the billing and shipping can create a lot of profit if you pick the right items to sell.
If you do not find the right merchandises and your listings do not sell, you will go broke paying listing fees for merchandise still sitting in the company’s warehouse. Before you get started in a full time auction business, become fully educated on the type of merchandise in demand and remember it will change with the seasons and at the whim of the customers. What sells well today may languish in a warehouse tomorrow.
Affiliate marketing is about the easiest way to make extra money today. The only work required on your part is placing another company’s ad on your site. When visitors visit your site and click on an ad, it automatically tracks the referral and when they make a purchase you earn a commission. If you do not have a website, these ads can be placed on your web log, known as a Blog, and if the ads relate to the subject of your Blog, you can earn even more money. Some times the affiliate will provide a website for you to promote with you link embedded.
Selling online can also bring in extra cash, but for this you will need a website or at least get connected to an existing website that will let you post your merchandise for sale. There are some craft or antique malls that rent booth and floor space in which you can display your products. The mall will handle all the marketing for the entire building without focusing on one tenant, ad in addition to the monthly space rental will also charge a percentage of the total sales.
Perhaps website can be constructed that will also showcase all the vendors of crafts or antiques and allow online sales. If you allow vendors to place their ads for a set amount, you can eliminate the need for collecting a percentage and just maintain the site for them. And the both of you can receive additional income from this type of endeavor. But there is one thing you must always keep in mine; making money on the Internet takes time and work, and if you stay with your plan, you will reach your goal.
by Earl Williams
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