http://billreid.info/info/PostLinkOptin.html Virtual Business Tips-Information-Articles (c) 2007, Inetekk.com. All rights reserved. http://billreid.info/info/PostLinkOptin.html Do you live to work, or work to live? What is a “typical” retiree? There may have been a time when those who were beyond their “working” or “productive” years of life were relegated to the relative obscurity of a “retirement” lifestyle. In times past, the mental images that come to mind when we thought of retirement was “Grandpa, passively sitting in his rocker, by the fireplace, pipe in hand, and a blanket to keep his legs and feet warm, and grand children sitting about listening to his stories”, or maybe it was “Grandpa, sitting under a tree at the lake, fishing pole in hand, sound asleep, missing the catch that just stole his bait”. You may be wondering what is so bad about the lifestyle these descriptions depict, and if you are, perhaps it will do you some good to examine your attitude and beliefs as they relate to the “stereotypical” retiree. As youngsters, trying to establish our worth in a very competitive workplace, we spent a great deal of our time in the pursuit of knowledge and experience to help enhance our value to employers, or a clientele if we were interested in professional status, and as our abilities grew, generally, so did our productivity and the income associated with success. This same process plays itself out, in one way or another, for every individual born on this planet. For some, survival in life may mean just learning a simple trade, or the family business, or other pursuits depending upon influences to which we are exposed, even criminal activity. Some of us love what we do, no matter what it is, and others loath the price life exacts for the space we occupy on this Earth. For one, the load is heavy. For the other, the load is light, even uplifting. The latter looks forward to a new day and the opportunity it presents, and the former feels forced to “comply” with life’s demands, and only “dreams” of the day that things will change. Which one are you? Occassionally choices come before us. Today is one of those days. There are always decisions to be made, one way, or the other. You have a choice. Do you want to be dictated to, or do you want to do the dictating? It really is up to you. Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:07:41 GMT http://billreid.info/info/PostLinkOptin A New Era in Home Based Businesses Back in the late 1960’s and 1970’s the early proponents of home based business used a marketing model, that for it’s time was very effective for some who pursued the strategy. The model was based on home meetings and was used by a number of companies with whom we are all very familiar. Some of the most popular and visible in the beginning and for quite some time were names like Amway, Shaklee, Mary Kay, and a number of others. There were, in the beginning, some successes, and to be fair, the strategy for the technologies that were available at that time, was probably the most effective available. Today, since the computer and information age have become so advanced, the convergence of our ability to access these resources, along with the combination of hardware and software advances and development at a breakneck pace, the strategies are beginning to change. No longer do we have to actually travel long distances, or even short distances to meet with people face to face. About the only thing that we can’t actually do is create the smells that go with the personal contact. We can demonstrate products in a variety of ways, with video and audio scripted presentations, either live or as a recorded presentation that can be made available to the interested prospect at their convenience. We have reached the age of the Virtual Business, as it comes to mass marketing. No, of course we can’t operate a dry cleaning business online, but we can certainly promote it there. We are limited only by our imaginations. Think of the many ways we can utilize the Internet and online efforts to minimize our use of fossil fuel dependent vehicles and equipment. What would happen if most outside sales were to be conducted online, and the sales person didn’t have to make the trip to the potential customer’s residence or business? How much gasoline and oil based products would be saved? Yes, it is more impersonal, and that ‘s a negative when we are promoting ourselves as an asset to the customer, but what about the products that we offer? If they meet the basic criteria that promotes success in any product, and fill a recognized need, then we don’t’ really have to do much selling do we? But there are methods of making direct sales on the internet and we’ll delve into some of those in the coming weeks and days. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:16:10 GMT http://billreid.info/info/PostLinkOptin.html As most of us assess the state of the world today, and how we fit into it, most of us find that we would like to have, do and be more. Is that you? Are you looking for a better way? Most of us have been lead to believe that to be in business for ourselves is beyond our reach. That it takes lots of money or demands too much time, or some other obstacle that we don't feel that we can overcome. Is that true for you? Most of us have found that the world is full of offers for business opportunities, home based and otherwise. Some are legitimate, some are not. Some are feasible, some are not. It seems like everyone's deal is the best one out there! (According to them!) Has this been your experience? Most of us have tried some of these ,so called, businesses only to find ourselves in even more dire straits and much more disillusioned than when we began. How am I doing? Am I right so far? Unfortunately, what most of us have not done, is take a rational, reasoned approach, do our home work, acquire the tools and training necessary, make a plan, cross the t's, dot the i's and make sure that those with whom we associate ourselves are as committed to our success as we are to our business. Would it be fair to say that you are one of the majority of success seekers who fill this burgeoning category? Most of us don't give ourselves a real chance for success when we "attempt" to establish a homebased, or Internet business of some sort. If you give it some thought I think you will agree that most of us who have started a homebased enterprise that failed to live up to the hype, did so because we bought into someone else's dream, but that dream didn't have "legs". All you could see was the dollar signs. Yes, maybe they did tell you about the sweat required to make the dream your own, then put legs on it, but you didn't hear that part. Then, when the initial excitement began to fade away as the "dream" didn't, magically, become a reality, you realize that you are not willing to pay whatever the price for success with the new venture happens to be. If you are like most, the vast majority who "try" a homebased business, you probably looked at everyone who "sold" you the dream and blamed them for your inablitiy to make the dream come true. Or maybe you blamed your spouse, or some other relative who didn't support your effort, but in the end, wasn't it really about you? If you were to be totally honest with yourself as you look back through your experiences, wouldn't you have to say that you are largely responsible for the result of the failed attempt? What if I told you that everything that I have described to you in the preceding paragraph is NORMAL? That you really are responsible for your failures, but that it's just part of a maturing process that almost everyone goes through as they learn to deal with new and different realities that come with independence and being a homebased business owner or Internet entrepreneur? This may, or may not, come as a shock to you, but there really is NO magic! No one is going to compensate you for doing nothing, and if you find someone who says there is a way to do it, watch out, it's most likely an illegal scheme that will just take your money, or even worse, lead to a confrontation with government rules, regulations or laws. There are mistakes that really are better, not made! If you agree with this last statement, then you are probably wondering why there are so many out there who continually get involved in the many schemes that promise overnight riches. The answer is short and simple. They do it for the same reason as the promoters who devise and push them. They are looking for an easy way to riches. Something for nothing. A shortcut to success. It's a mentality that has been promoted for many years in America that says you can take a pill and get an immediate result. You can "own" a home now, and pay for it later. The same goes for luxury automobiles, and other non-necessities that we choose to lavish on ourselves, and all we have to do is pay "rent" on the money it takes to enjoy living beyond our immediate means. It is the American way, is it not? As recent generations have become accustomed to "having" everything now, as opposed to "when we can afford it", it becomes easier to believe that the "smoke and mirrors" are the real thing, and they are not. Are you ready to reel in the unrealistic expectations that drive so many to look for a quick fix or a shortcut? If so, and you are really serious about putting all the schemes, and funny stuff behind you, and understand that there REALLY IS no free lunch, then start at the beginning. First, understand more about how we have become what we are and are where we are. Then, if you agree that you might benefit by starting and developing a homebased enterprise of some kind, take some time to learn something about the dynamics of the different types of homebased ventures, and whether they will fit your personality or skill set. There are many legitimate businesses that will adapt well to homebased operation, and not all of them have a compensation plan that is based on "multi-level" or "network marketing". There are some legitimate "turn-key" businesses, and there are those that will require more cash capital than others. In all cases, it's important to understand that the less capital required to start and run your business, the more likely it will require some leveraging of effort, or duplication, to succeed. In other words, your success will depend largely on your ability to get your product, plan, or service in front of large enough numbers of prospective customers to make it work. If this turns out to be the case in your situation, doesn't it make sense to get plugged into the right people and systems to learn the business or develop the tools that will help you promote your business? It sure made sense to me, and that's exactly what I did. Now I am willing to put all my training and hard knocks on the line to help you to take inventory, marshall your resources, and eliminate unnecessary wastes of time on your way to becoming a successful homebased business owner. The next step is to just simply get better acquainted and see if we have enough common ground to work together. You will have to get the ball rolling. It will be up to you. Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:14:40 GMT http://billreid.info/info/BusinessMarketing Think about the title of this post for a second. It says Business Marketing. Sometimes we see a word written or hear it said and we draw an instant conclusion, incorrect as it may be, based on our prejuduce. Yes, we are all prejudiced in a variety of ways. So when you think about Business Marketing, do you think of "selling something" or creating a business that markets in one fashion or another? Or is that the Marketing Business? Wait a minute! Did you say selling? Marketing? They are different you know. The point I am trying to get across here is that the title says "Business Marketing".... and what it really means is exactly what it says. Businesses can be marketed, and that is what I am suggesting here. Check into the world of Virtual Business and learn how easily you can put yourself in a position to earn money. You might have to change your thinking a little bit, but this is extremely doable. If you are looking at the vast world of links and content that is the Internet, and trying to come up with a way to make money, then I think you might want to take a look at BUSINESS MARKETING. The only criteria that I think is required is that it be a "virtual business", that is, one that can be operated solely on the Internet with the use of a telephone, a computer, and a good high speed Internet connection. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:08:50 GMT