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Just the phrase “energy deregulation” is enough to make the average consumer’s head spin. In the simplest terms, for energy customers it means a choice in energy providers. Usually, though, consumers are filled with questions about this process: How is this possible? If I switch, will my lights stay on? Who will take care of me in a power outage? How many bills will I have to pay? Why not just stay with my same, reliable company?

In the end, all of these unanswered questions and fear of the unknown often mean consumers stick with the status quo.

For direct selling companies, though, “energy deregulation” means big business.

Whether it’s the growing number of new potential customers as more states deregulate their energy markets, the climbing percentage of consumers switching providers or the skyrocketing growth rates direct sales energy companies are witnessing, the numbers make sense.

For more Info go here ——->http://www.napower.com/111862

Although no one can guarantee that your home-based business will bring you the fame and fortune you hope it will, if you work hard, price your products and services right, and keep your customers satisfied, you stand a good chance of doing just that. The results you get out of your business are a direct result of the work you put into it.

Do what you love
To do what you love, you first have to know what kind of work you really want to do. This requires intense introspection and an understanding of which kinds of work get your creative juices flowing and which kinds dry them up. Doing what you love also sometimes requires that you ignore what other people want you to do for a living. You may decide, for example, that you’d really like to start a recording studio in your home, but your spouse or best friend may think something more practical, such as buying into a fast-food franchise, makes more sense. Ultimately, you must decide what you’re going to do for a living — even if it means you can’t work at home.

Treat your business like a business
If you want your business to be a business — an organization that generates the kind of money you need to become financially independent — you have to treat it like one, not like a hobby or a momentary fling. Here are some ideas:

•Set aside a real home office — not just a closet or a shelf — exclusively for your business.
•Make an investment in business equipment and supplies: a decent computer, extra phone lines, a fax machine, and whatever else you decide you need to run your operation.
•Create a marketing plan and marketing materials.
•Publicize your company’s products and services to a wide audience of potential customers and clients.
•Build a strong customer base and make plans for future growth.
Become an expert
People respect those who know more than they do. By specializing, you assume the role of a presumed expert, even if you’ve just started your business. It makes good business sense for your clients to hire an expert instead of someone less experienced. By avoiding the mistakes and dead ends that someone with less experience may make, your clients could end up spending less money by hiring you — even if your hourly rates are higher.

Charge what you’re worth
Here’s an instant going-out-of-business plan, no matter how hard you work: Charge your customers less than you’re worth. Why would you do that? Well, some people charge less than they’re worth because they don’t realize exactly how much they are worth. Others charge less than they’re worth because they are embarrassed or afraid to ask for an amount that reflects their true worth. Whatever the reason, if you don’t get paid what you’re worth, you are putting your business at risk.

If you don’t know what you’re worth, find out what other companies charge for similar products or services by researching catalogs, price lists, stores, and e-commerce and auction Web sites. From there, develop a pricing or fee structure that will help you attain your personal goals.

Manage your cash flow
Cash, or the lack of it, is one of the key indicators of a company’s success over the long run. If you have cash, you can buy and stock new products for your customers, develop innovative new services for your clients, pay for your day-to-day operations, and expand your operations. If you don’t have cash, your business will certainly suffer, and so will your customers and clients.

It’s not enough to simply watch your cash flow — the money going in and out of your business — you’ve also got to manage it. This means looking to the future, planning and scheduling your projected cash inflows and outflows, billing quickly, staying on top of money owed you, and paying attention to the money that goes in and out of your business.

Build a solid customer base
Building a solid customer base is much easier said than done. At the heart of the process is creating an organization that values its current customers and goes out of its way to ensure their satisfaction and happiness. Customers are smart — they can tell whether they are high or low on a company’s list of priorities. If they sense that you don’t care much about whether they do business with you, they’ll likely jump ship as soon as another company that really does care about them comes along.

Ask for referrals
Word-of-mouth referrals are probably the least expensive and the most effective way of getting new business. This makes referrals the most important way for home-based businesses to market themselves. Here are several of the best ways of earning great referrals from customers:

•Do great work: When you do great work, your clients are happy to give you great referrals. Do less-than-great work, and you’ll be lucky to get any referrals.
•Do your work on time and within budget: If you consistently deliver on your promises, you’ll soon have more business than you could ever imagine possible. And you’ll earn your clients’ referrals.
•Keep your clients well informed: When clients spend their money on you, they want to be kept apprised of your progress, not only to stay in touch with the project, but also to keep a watchful eye out for problems before they get out of hand. Do your clients a favor, and keep them informed about your project’s progress. Whether the news is good or bad, your clients and customers will appreciate your forthrightness and candor.
•Be dependable: If anything, you should always keep your word — even when it hurts. If you promise to do something, do everything in your power to keep your promise, no matter what it takes to follow through on it.
•Be flexible: Customers and clients appreciate vendors who are flexible and willing to meet their needs, no matter what those needs are. Not only that, but also, they will pay more for that flexibility. Think what you can do in your business to better meet your customers’ needs.
•Thank your clients for their referrals: Everyone likes to be appreciated for what they do. Your customers are no different. Be sure to thank them for their referrals with a hand-signed card or small gift.

in your success!

Learning by word of mouth is powerful! Good network marketing happens by word of mouth. Yet that power of hearing by word of mouth is why a few people doing bad and ugly things give the stigma of bad. The stigma of a few can stick to an entire group.

Good network marketing is by regular people who start a business. No specific background is required. No particular sensitivity or level of personal development, either! Whatever one does by word of mouth spreads. The good, the bad, and the ugly!

Systems are in place for good network marketing. Helpful people are available to help get that powerful “by word of mouth” going. Personal development is encouraged and supported. Everyone has resources to tap. The stigma of those who don’t hurts those practicing good network marketing.

Yet we all move at our own pace. We take our own path in how we choose to learn to act in business. We are responsible for ourselves. We must step out of our comfort zone to succeed. We must take on the role of learner, of apprentice. Not everyone is ready or able to do that! Good network marketing requires that we support each baby step.

Some people get on track, use their system, seek and accept help. They may go fast or slow, but they move forward. Others sink into “analysis paralysis” and try to learn everything before daring a single action. They may never get started by word of mouth because they never open their mouth.

Others do not want to learn anything! They do not want to grow. They do not want to dream. They can be hurtful and painful to be around. We prefer to avoid associating with them, don’t we?

We use a business model. Like all things in life, there is the good, the bad, and the ugly. The stigma of people who do the bad and the ugly tarnishes us. These statements apply to any type of business! They are not specific to our industry and business model.

The Good
1. High integrity, good business practices
2. Useful product that delivers what is promised
3. Quality control in place and effective
4. Prompt, friendly, effective customer support
5. Well supported, well-trained, persistent, consistent, friendly, kindly, effective distributors
6. Strive to under-promise and over-deliver

The Bad
1. Questionable business practices
2. Product does not do what is promised
3. Ineffective efforts to fix or track problems
4. Poorly trained and/or unsupported customer support
5. Unsupported, untrained distributors who pressure folks
6. Flat out over-promises and under-delivers

The Ugly
1. Lack of Integrity: deception and lies
2. Product does not work and may be dangerous
3. No effort to fix or track problems
4. Slow, unpleasant, abusive or non-existent customer support
5. Pushy, unpleasant, abusive distributors scamming people
6. Promises a lot but delivers little or no value

One way to remedy the situation is by focusing on good network marketing together as an industry. Good network marketing by word of mouth is powerful. When the outside world begins to view our industry without the stigma of those who are doing bad and ugly? That fact will spread quickly too!

There is another way to remedy how the outside world views our industry. Other industries have used it: regulation! Business does not usually seek regulation. Yet, regulation is what many other industries have had enforced upon them. Do we need regulators to get good network marketing? I hope not! Yet, that depends on how we as an industry behave, doesn’t it?

Good companies and good network marketers can move to support one another across the industry. We can contribute by noticing what is the good, the bad, and the ugly. When we may slip up ourselves, or see our team slipping, we can act. When we notice our suppliers slipping, we can speak up. Point it out to them. When we want to spread good network marketing practices by word of mouth to one another, we can use the internet in videos and articles. Good network marketing is not alone in the stigma of a few. Many industries hit bumps from bad and ugly behaviors.

As good network marketing people, we can actively work to improve the situation, beginning with ourselves. People can remedy the stigma of anything when we act together. Alternatively, regulation by outside parties can force change. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” As we build our industry, let us each strive mightily to become a part of “the good” and to help our teams to do the same.

Yours in Sucess!

If you’re a small business owner, you may have taken the plunge and put up a website. Unless you’re selling direct from the site, the chances are good that nothing much has changed on the site since it first went up.

That’s not good because search engines like Google reward dynamic websites—that is, when they see fresh content on a consistent basis they will send more potential customers to you. Static websites just don’t cut it. The problem with a regular website is you probably need to pay a webmaster to make changes. It takes too much time and money, so you don’t bother.

Here is some good news: You can make changes and consistently add fresh content to your site simply by adding a blog. Every small business should have a blog as the centerpiece of its social media program. A blog is a content management system that gives you tremendous flexibility. You might consider using WordPress, which provides you a free blog template, or, for under $100, you can buy a more flexible blog template from a company like iThemes. You can insert and delete copy, add videos, images, and podcasts that promote your company and your products and services. You yourself can do this without hiring outside help.

A blog can contain all the information you had on your old website, but you can easily make changes with updates about your company. From your blog, you can feed important information directly to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many other social media sites where your customers are forming communities. Post an article, and it is immediately “pinged” to sites of your choice with a link back to your blog.

Yours in Sucess!

A home business is a good way to add to your income and be your own boss. Home businesses are becoming increasingly popular as more and more people are turning their time and talents into profits.

Operating your own home business can give you great satisfaction as you build it into a valuable investment. You will be able to enjoy the independence that comes with making your own management decisions, and your workplace will be conveniently located in your own home.

But starting a home business is not easy, and there are often disadvantages to go along with the freedom and increased income you will have when you run your own home-based concern. A home business can mean long working hours. Because it is located in the home, it can disrupt home and family activities. Also, because you are the boss, your business’ success will depend heavily upon your management skills.

Starting a home business can be rewarding, but it is not for everyone. Before you decide to start a business in your home, here are a few things to consider.

Am I the type?

If you are thinking about starting your own business, you probably already have a pretty good knowledge of the product or service you plan to sell. You know what materials and equipment are required, and you have—or know how to acquire—the special skills you will need.

But what about your management skills? As a home business operator, you’ll have to know more than just how to produce a product or service. You will also be assuming the role of a business manager, one that will require you to draw on certain other skills and personality traits.

Management personality

What does it take to manage your own business? Research has shown that successful business operators tend to be determined and persistent—they’re self-starters. They are able to think creatively, and can make quick decisions when necessary. But they are also flexible and able to adapt when business situations require change.

Successful business operators also possess good human relations skills. Their businesses are consumer-oriented. They’re able to get along with all kinds of people and can withstand the strain of trying to satisfy the competing demands of customers, suppliers, family and self. They also have good interpersonal communication skills.

There is no set combination of personality traits that will assure you success with your home business. The items listed here are present in most people to some degree. It is possible, though not always easy, to improve your skills in any of these areas.

One trait you must possess, however, is a commitment to the success of the business and to making a profit. Your home business must be just that—a business, not a hobby. You must be willing to devote extra time and effort to it, especially as you’re getting established. With a strong commitment to success, you will be better equipped to make your home business both financially and personally rewarding.

Technical business skills

To be a successful business operator, you will also need to know how to do business. Record keeping, financial management and inventory control will be your responsibility. So will many other decisions and tasks, from designing a marketing and advertising strategy to keeping the part of your home where you do business attractive to your customers. All these things will need to be done well if your business is to be profitable.

There are a number of ways to help make sure your business management skills are adequate. One source for management information is the Small Business Administration, which publishes booklets and pamphlets on a broad range of management related topics. Some trade organizations and other business groups also distribute self-help materials. There are several magazines written especially for home business operators. Your local library is a good place to find these and other useful publications.

If you are interested in more formal instruction, check with local colleges, universities or technical schools. These institutions often offer courses or conferences for adults on small business management, as well as on more specialized topics. Some trade organizations sponsor management seminars or workshops, and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension also sponsors business management workshops.

Even with all these resources at your command, experience is still the best teacher of business management skills. In fact, you probably should have some strong second thoughts about starting your own home business if you don’t already have one or two years’ business experience.

Your experience doesn’t have to be as a business manager, but you should have served in a position of some responsibility or decision-making capacity. Your experience probably should be in a line of business closely related to the one you’re thinking of starting. With the right blend of training, study and experience, you’ll be better able to anticipate and effectively deal with the special needs of your own business.

Is my home the right place?

A second important consideration before you get started is your home’s suitability as a place of business. There are certainly advantages to doing business in your home—low overhead, no transportation costs in getting to work and possibly tax advantages. But you will need to weigh these advantages carefully against the possible negative aspects of having a business operating in the place where you live. By examining these concerns before you start your business, you will help avoid unforeseen problems and expenses later on.

Separating business and home

Probably the first things to look at, regarding your home’s suitability, are the questions of space and privacy. Is room in your home to do business without interfering with family activities? No matter what type of business you are considering, you’ll need space for an office. Do you have such a room?

If you’re planning to sell a product of some kind, you will also need a place to store your inventory and to store materials if you are going to produce or assemble the product at home. If you’re thinking of selling a product in your home, you will need a place to display your merchandise where your customers won’t have to walk through your living area. Also, you will need adequate places for them to park when they come to shop.

Keeping your business separate from your living area is important for two reasons. The first is your family’s privacy. A home business can easily disrupt normal family activities, placing a strain on the family support you will need to make your business a success. Likewise, you’ll want to keep family activities from interfering with your business. The second reason for maintaining a separate business area, even if it is only an office, involves the tax advantages you can realize. The Internal Revenue Service permits deduction of expenses associated with maintaining your place of business—rent, utility costs, maintenance, furnishing, etc.—from your business’ taxable income. However, these deductions are allowed only for a place that is your principal place of business, and only if it is used strictly for business purposes. You may not automatically be able to deduct these expenses (you probably should consult a lawyer or tax specialist before filing your taxes), but you certainly will not be able to deduct them if you do not keep business and living areas separate.

Arranging for a separate business telephone line may also be advisable, especially if you will be handling many calls or advertising a telephone number. This will keep your business and family telephone needs from conflicting. Business telephone rates are generally higher than residential rates, but you’ll be able to deduct your business phone expenses at tax time.

Checking legal and insurance needs

Other things to consider before you move a business into your home are local zoning ordinances, insurance coverage, and licensing and inspection requirements. Many communities have zoning ordinances or comprehensive plans that restrict the type and size of businesses that may operate in residential areas. These are designed to protect both the business operator and others in the neighborhood from hazards to health and safety, increased traffic flow and parking demands, and other disruptions that may accompany some kinds of business activity.

Your town may also have regulations regarding the type, size, and placement of outdoor advertising. Be sure to check with your city clerk (or your county auditor in rural areas) to find out about any such regulations before you open a business in your home. It is probably also wise to talk with your neighbors about parking and signs if your business will be bringing traffic into your neighborhood.

Before starting your business, check with your insurance agent to see what your insurance needs will be. If you are planning to have only an office and if customers or delivery people won’t be coming into your home, you may not need to make any changes in your coverage. If, on the other hand, you will be storing materials or inventory, producing a product, or displaying and selling merchandise in your home, chances are you’ll need to obtain special, separate coverage for loss, damage, and liability. This is also a good time to ask about product liability coverage to protect you against claims resulting from defective merchandise.

Also, see your city clerk or county auditor about any licensing or inspection regulations that relate to your business. State laws in Maine require operators of some businesses, such as barber and beauty shops and real estate agencies, to be licensed. Some towns and cities may have similar requirements for other establishments. The state and cities may require periodic inspection of certain types of business facilities, especially those where food is stored, prepared, or sold.

Once you have made sure there won’t be any legal or regulatory issues that will restrict your ability to do business in your home, look once more at the compatibility of your business plans and your home and family life. Ask yourself such questions as: “Will I be able to keep my business from getting in the way? Can I start my business without making too many changes in my home? Does my family think a home business is a good idea?” If you still can answer yes to each of these questions, then your chances for success are improved.

How big is my market?

You see a need in your community for goods or services you want to sell. You know there are people who will buy your product. But is that need great enough? Are there enough potential customers to provide you with the income you’ll need to make a profit? Careful consideration of these questions now, before you’ve made a commitment to starting your business, can save you costly frustrations later.

Estimating sales

To estimate your potential sales, you will need to do a little informal market research. First, identify your trade area – the geographic area from which you expect to draw most of your customers. For most home businesses, the trade area is limited to an area very close to the business—a few nearby neighbors in a large city, a single community, and, perhaps, part of the surrounding rural area in small towns and medium-sized cities. For mail order or wholesale operations, the trade area may be much larger, depending upon the kinds of goods sold and the geographic distribution or competing firms.

Now, study the population of the area you’ve identified. Does it contain enough potential customers to support a new business? The type of business you hope to open will have a lot to do with your answer to this question. For example, a rare stamp or coin business will probably need a greater trade area population than a home day care operation will, since there are usually fewer stamp and coin collectors in a given population than families that need child care services. A day care business, on the other hand, may not succeed in a retirement community, regardless of the size of the population.

Next, examine your competition. Are there any local firms already selling the goods or services you plan to sell? Are they well established, or are several of them new? Are they adequately meeting local demand? Have any firms dealing primarily in your planned line of business gone out of business in the last few years. If so, why? Will you be able to make what you sell appear different (better, less expensive, etc.) enough to attract customers to your business?

Your answers to these questions should play a major part in your decision to start your own home business, for they’ll help tell you how big a share of the local market you can expect to capture. Your new business will be at a disadvantage compared to already established firms, especially if they’re large and few in number. Knowing what business conditions others have faced can warn you of possible pitfalls: if businesses similar to what you have in mind have failed for lack of customers, then perhaps you should seriously reconsider starting one of your own.

Getting information

You can get information on your business’ trade area and competition from a number of sources. One source is your potential customers—your friends, neighbors, and other people in your community. Find out where people shop for your product and ask them why they do. Ask them about other businesses’ strong and weak points. Then determine how you can make your business and what you sell appear different enough to build a clientele of your own.

Don’t rely on your friends and neighbors, though. You should also contact operators of existing businesses, suppliers, and local business and trade associations to get information about your trade area and competition.

Also, begin thinking about how you will price and market your product or service. SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is one organization that can provide this kind of assistance. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce for names of SCORE members in your community.

Am I prepared?

Your personality and management skills, your home’s suitability as a place of business, and your likelihood of showing a profit should play a part in your decision about whether to start a business in your home. By doing your research—asking questions, observing how other businesses operate, and taking a good, honest look at your abilities—you will be well on your way to making a sound, well-informed decision.

If, at this point, it appears that you have a good chance to make your business a successful one, it is time to look once more at how well prepared you are.

The business plan

Draw up a business plan showing your projected starting costs and your projected income and costs for the first two to five years of operation. Will you be able to raise the money for supplies, materials, advertising, and other necessities, before you can generate any revenues? Your plan probably also will show that there will be a lag of several months, or even a year or more, before you’ll be able to show a profit. You and your family must be financially sound enough to weather this period. You may have to accept a different standard of living until your business gets established.

Look at your commitment to the business’ success and your family’s support for your decision. If you start a home business, you will need to devote a great deal of time to its operation, including time you may have to subtract from family and other activities. You’ll need understanding and encouragement from your spouse, children, and friends to help you keep conflicting time demands from becoming a problem.

Looking toward the future

Finally, give some thought to the future, to what your plans and goals are after your business has been going for a year or two. If it is successful, will you still be able or want to keep it a home business? Coping with a growing operation will bring on a new set of decisions to be made; doing some planning now will make the deciding easier later on.

If, on the other hand, your home business doesn’t prove to be profitable, will you be prepared to handle any financial (and, perhaps, personal) setbacks? More than half of all new businesses fail within two years after they’re started. So, unpleasant as it may sound, you shouldn’t overlook the possibility of failure. If you decide to start a business in your home, you will be starting out confident of your chances for success. You must also be confident that your venture is worth the risk of failure.

Included in this bulletin is a short checklist to help you think about yourself and what you need to know before you start your own home business. Use it to help you organize your thoughts, review your situation, and set goals for yourself and your business.

What do I do next?

This bulletin has concentrated on four important questions you should answer before you make a decision to go into business. If you’ve decided that a home business is for you, there will be a number of other things to do before you get started.

You’ll need to obtain a sales tax permit and decide what legal form—sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation—your business will take. You will also need to decide on the record-keeping system you will use. And, you’ll need to understand how you will be affected by federal, state, and local tax laws.

Obtaining professional advice and assistance in these matters will be a worthwhile investment in your business’ success. A lawyer can explain your legal responsibilities and may be able to advise you on tax matters. An accountant can help your set up a record-keeping system. An insurance agent can help you choose the proper coverage for you, your business, and your product. Of course, your banker can give you financial advice and may be able to help you put together your business and marketing plan.

If you have decided to start your own home business, you’ve chosen to embark on a challenging adventure. It may be a risky one, at least for a time, with pitfalls along the way. But sound planning and careful management will help you minimize these risks and make your experience in business a pleasant and profitable one.

Checklist for Starting a Business

The questions in this list are intended to help you think more about your decision to start a home business. There is no score that determines whether you are ready to go into business, but you should be able to check “Yes” for most of the questions before you commit yourself to anything. “No” answers indicate areas where you possibly should do some more thinking or research.

The Home-Based Business Fact Sheet Series

Yours in Sucess!

The home based business arena has increased in popularity over the years due to the many advantage such as the

ability to start part time, low overhead, flexible hours, ability to earn residual income, complete training and support, and the amazing tax advantages.

One of the keys to operating a successful business is the tax deductions. Understanding the tax benefits and deductions are the best way to maximizing your bottom line and the success of your business. Just by starting a network marketing business you can be eligible for tax deductions of $2,000-$10,000. You can write off many of the things you are paying for already, such as:

Marketing Material
Business Cards Brochures
Web Hosting
Websites
Signs
Flyers
Printing
Design Work
Advertising

Office Supplies
Computer
Printer
Cell Phone
Ipod
Stationary

Travel Expenses
Gas
Airfare
Parking
Lodging
Meals
Car
Seminars
Entertainment

Education
Seminars
Internet Training
Books
E-books
Newsletters
CD’s
DVD’s and more…..

The key to maximizing your tax deductions are keeping good records of your expenses. If Your Interested in starting a home business and learning How to Keep your hard earn cash pls feel free to contact me!

Yours in Sucess!

www.VEGAITSOLUTIONS.clickbook.net

mr.rvega60@gmail.com
267-645-9204 office
267-496-5552 cell
Skype-eng78ine
Yahoo-eng20ladd23

As we head into (what could be) a pivotal year for social media, I thought it would be a good idea to review some of the great principles and practices that have been established to date.
Here’s my infographic inspired list of 19 social media best practices. I know I’m missing more than a few so I encourage you to add to the list and fuel some discussion in the comments.

Coming into the New Year, we saw lots of reports that small business owners would be upping their social media spend in 2011. Reports suggested perhaps the “experimentation” days of social media were over and that businesses were beginning to treat it like a real marketing channel, with dedicated resources. To give us some insight into how small businesses are using the medium and where they’re finding success, eMarketer recently highlighted an Adology survey of 752 SMBs that showed which sites were working best and what businesses were getting out of them.
What social media sites were voted very or somewhat beneficial to SMBs? Turns out it’s all the usual suspects:
While it’s no surprise to see Facebook and Twitter taking top prizes with 55 percent and 32 percent, respectively, I was surprised to see YouTube beat out the more SMB-friendly Yelp, which came in below even MySpace and Groupon. While I’d love to think it’s an indicator that more small business owners are getting friendly with online video, I’m more inclined to believe that SMBs still aren’t fully taking advantage of Yelp and its new features. The early adoption of Groupon becomes even more interesting after yesterday’s post about the forthcoming Google Offers. Maybe Google got these stats earlier than the rest of us.
But knowing what sites SMBs find most beneficial is only half the story. We also have to look at how they’re using the sites. It was encouraging to see that lead generation was the top reported benefit of social media, noted by 57.2 percent. Nice to see that SMBs are finding a payday using these social channels. Also making the list:
Monitoring what’s being said about their business
Keeping up with the industry
Improving customer experience
Competitive intelligence [looks like some people read my post on twit-stalking. ]
Curiously absent from the list: branding and building awareness. Not sure if it simply isn’t a large enough goal for small business owners or if it’s lumped into monitoring mentions. Either way, as a small business, I’d have to think building awareness is one of the main goals for participating in these sites. For local companies with small marketing budgets, social media is a cost-effective way to get exposure, build recognition and connect with people in a scalable way.
Though a small sample size, I thought the report provided an interesting glimpse into how many small business owners may be looking at social media. How does the report match up with your own findings and experiences? Hopefully offering up some stats on how social media has been beneficial to SMBs will show naysayers there’s life in the water and entice them to give it a try. In 2011, if you’re not using social media to gain attention over your competitors, you can bet they’re using it to gain attention over you.
Yours in Sucess!

Here are some quick thoughts on how you can make more money with you blog/website.

Affiliate Programs

Don’t just join some affiliate program, paste some code and be done with it! You won’t make very much money that way. Affiliate programs are best done when you make a thorough article post on the affiliate product. I think the most successful affiliate posts are ones that compel the reader to come to the conclusion that the best solution to their problem is the product you are recommending (i.e., your affiliate product). Here is an outline of how to do that:

1. State and describe the problem (that the product is designed to solve).
2. State and describe each of the benefits from having the problem solved.
3. Describe a product that will solve the problem partially (but not completely).
4. Describe another product that will solve the problem partially (but not completely).
5. Describe a third product that will solve the problem partially (but not completely).
6. Describe your affiliate product recommendation and how that product is able to fully solve the issues the other products are not able to.

Google Adsense

One technique I’ve seen used that I think could be very effective is to have links to pages dedicated to displaying Google Adsense ads. I’m not talking about using Ad Unit links nor am I talking about blending ads into the navigation to confuse the reader.

Rather, create a page dedicated to a particular product (for example, “Unlocked GSM Cell Phones”) with a minimal amount of commentary (so that you’ll be able to give your Google Ads “context” to display the relevant ads). Then link to that page in your blog’s “advertising” section with the same title. Make sure it is evident that what your reader is clicking on is a link to ads.

When they click on the link, they are taken to your specialized page which then displays relevant ads. Because they’ve been “pre-qualified”, your click-through ratio should be higher than elsewhere.

Google Co-Op Search Engine

Did you know you can make money on Google Ads that users click on when they do a search on a co-op engine that you’ve created? A Google Co-Op engine is simply a “roll-your-own” search engine which is designed to either search only the sites you determine or to search the web but with emphasis on the sites you determine as having priority.

I can see an enterprising blogger creating a vertical search engine for his/her niche (with, say, a thousand hand-selected sites) and promoting that search engine to its readers to use when trying to search for information on that niche. Every time an ad is clicked, the blogger gets some money.

Sell Ad Space On Your Most Popular Pages

If you’ve created a resource that is receives a lot of traffic, you could potentially monetize that particular page by selling advertising just specific to that page. This would be separate from other advertising on your site and you can charge a premium for ad space on that specific page. For example, I can see this working well on a page that had been Digged or bookmarked on Del.icio.us or has a lot of backlinks.

Sell Sponsorships For Individual Posts

I see some bloggers selling individual post sponsorships. You would have to have a lot of traffic but you can charge, say, $15 for a permanent link in a post.

Yours in Sucess!