Jumping Ahead

The neat thing about writing this blog is that it gives me the incentive to seek out interesting new opportunities. The problem with most people who try to start and run their own home-based on-line business, is that they don't have the energy to keep looking for new ways to promote their business or products. And that's a sure-fire way to failure, because the key is to always reach new audiences. It's great to find a "list" that makes it easy to post an ad to millions of viewers, but only a percentage of those actually read the ads. And even those who do read will ignore your ad once they've seen it a couple of times. So you need to keep finding new lists and new prospects. Anyway, the point is that I've come across a unique new list service called List Jumper. The interesting thing about this list building program is that it provides an interesting way to generate viewers (and that means people who read your ads). The usual formula applies - you earn points by viewing ads and then spend those points to send ads. You can also benefit as an affiliate by promoting the site (which builds the list and ensures a constant stream of new users and viewers). But here's the neat thing, you can also "buy" your way to the top of the list to make sure your ads are viewed by everyone on the list, not just your own downline. In other words, you can "jump" up the list and gain access to a wider audience for your ads. And you can do it for free without having to buy into more pricey membership levels that so many other lists use as a model. Of course, you can spend a little cash to buy into those higher levels with List Jumper, too, but what's really unique is that you don't have to. It's a great concept. Check it out here.

Fundraising a big success

One of the great things about this blog is that I spend time reviewing and looking for on-line opportunities that really work. The idea is to provide my loyal readers with an honest and practical guide to starting and managing an on-line business. Anyone who's spent any time trying to start a business knows how much crap there is out there - and that's just the honest programs. Don't even get me started on the scammers. So when I do come across something that works, it's an exciting day for me personally, and for you too! That's why I'm thrilled by the results of the Fundraiser 1.0 program. Since I started, just two months ago, I've had just over 25 sign ups who've joined my network. While that isn't a huge windfall, it does prove that the system has some appeal. And as time goes on, those in my network will help increase this business. And in my experience, that's the REAL way to profit on-line. Forget the big splashy million-dollar deals. Simply find a product or program that works in the long run and keep at it. This one's a winner in my books. Check it out here.

Fundraising On-line

I belong to a organization that raises money and does "good deeds". It has a fund that provides donations to a number of groups and charities focused on helping kids. For instance we provide assistance to kids with hearing disabilities to learn how to integrate into a regular school setting. We also provide research funding for the deaf. Another pet project is drug and alcohol awareness programs for school aged kids. And finally, we offer bursaries and grants to needy students who want to complete their college courses. To help improve our funding capacity, I've joined the Fundraiser 1.0 network. You can help us out by signing up here. And at the same time, you can participate in the program to generate your own revenue. Please help. Together we can make kids lives better.

Help your blog sizzle!

The gang over at Business Blog Wire are always coming up with great reviews and adivice. If you're trying to make a buck with your blog or web site, here's a recent posting that you might want to look at. Here's how it starts...

Let me ask you three questions: How interesting is your business blog? What's the noise level of your blog? How do you unlame a business blog?

Metaphorically speaking, how do you get a two-legged lame old dog to get up and bound out the door, barking up a storm through the whole neighborhood?

Hang on, let me fetch my soapbox and megaphone.

Ahem.

Here are 10 new tricks for old dogs - er, blogs - to finally grow a pair of legs and become totally unlame....

Continued at Biz Blog Wire

What ever happened to Global Wealth

So what ever happened with our little experiment with the pre-launch of Global Wealth Builders Offshore Privacy Club. For those who haven't had a chance to read the previous post on this topic, the idea was to see how well we could do getting in on the ground floor of a new on-line business opportunity. We signed up, promoted and build a downline. Then in the end we paid up. A lot! And? Well, let's just say that the results were disappointing. The downline disappeared. And in the end the Club's founders sold the business to another on-line "club" who's business is to sell products like just about any other network out there. Nothing special about that. The only ones who made any money on the change of ownership was the folks who walked away with all our money in the first place. In essence they sold a list of members to another organization.

I won't say that every similar organization is the same or that getting involved with a pre-launch is necessarily bad. But the old rule still applies - be cautious and fully informed before you spend your cash.

Get Noticed

One of the important keys to success online is to have a site that gets noticed. There's lots of ways to do this, but one of the best is to have something unique. If you've spend any time online, you know that sites all start to look alike after a while. When something new comes along, it doesn't take long before people start copying it if it shows any success. We'll I came across this interesting site today, and it sure got my attention. And that's the whole point.

Bonker Browsers

Yesterday morning, my lovely wife left for work all excited that the office was finally giving her a new computer to replace the ancient and slow paperweight she had been using for far too long. But then, my lovely wife came home from work at the end of the day complaining and swearing and screaming mad because she couldn't figure out how her brand new computer had screwed up her access an important web site. It was a site that she used often for her job and required a log-in. The problem was that all the log in tabs had "fallen off" the screen and she couldn't get to them in order to do her job. Of course, as the resident "expert" at the whole computer thing, she naturally insisted I solve her dilemma. So I fired up my computer to take a look at the site in question. On my computer there was no fall off. She could easily log on. "What the bleep," said she. "No," said I, "the question is... what the browser?" It turns out her new computer uses a different browser system than her old one. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that the web site wasn't configured properly to run on her new browser application although it worked fine on the old one and it worked fine on my home office system. The next day, she reinstalled the old browser and voila! The point of all this is that if you are running an online business, you had better make sure your web site works with any browser your customers may be using. Either configure the layout to conform to the minimum layouts or test the site on a number of different browser applications to make sure it works the way you want and need it to. Otherwise, your customers will start shopping someplace else.

Monday Morning Blahs

It's Monday morning and I have the blahs. Or rather it's the blah blah blah blah blah's. Why? Well, because like most people I try to spend as much time as possible with my kids and family and friends on the weekends. After all that's the whole point, isn't it - to make a living without really having to work. To become a millionaire without having to try. To get the cash to roll in without any effort whatever. One thing that I preach about on this blog is that the reality is always different than the dream. I've worked hard to build an online business (or two) that can operate without daily attention. And I've been pretty successful. But the truth, and this is something you must never forget if you want to be successful too, is that any business online or not, is a business. And that requires you to work at it all the time. My businesses are doing well enough that I can take time off for weekends with the kids and regular vacations and afternoons golfing. But when I get back to my desk, I have business to take care of. Monday's are always a downer because there's a couple extra days of stuff in my e-mail inbox that needs to be sorted and read and trashed and replied to. After a while it all starts blurring together. Blah blah blah blah blah! I hate those long rambling messages that take for ever to get to the point. So please help me make my Monday's a little brighter... get to the point! Stop sending those e-mail blasts that try to tell me the whole story. I've said it before, your e-mail blasts should be short and catch people's attention - then steer them to the rest of the story on your web site. You'll never sell anything in an e-mail and you'll never sell anything from your web site unless you get people to visit it. In other words, your emails need to drive traffic to your site, not make my Monday a blah blah blah day.

Thinking Beyond Google

Although it’s vital to understand and utilize the Google Giant, you must also remember that Google has competitors. Yahoo and MSM and a host of other systems provide search engine advertising and placement services. They all work in a similar manner and can help you promote your site as well as generate income. And, many of them are cheaper to use! So check them out.

Cross-promotion between different systems can provide great income opportunities. Keywords on one system may cost more than on another. Try buying ads using the system with the cheaper keywords and then selling ads with on the system with their more expensive counterparts.

For more useful tips on thinking beyond Google (and for making the most of it, too!) check out these helpful lessons.