How to Build an Email List Fast and for Free — 5 List Building Tips – Part 2

Setting up a business online?  Looking for the way to create a massive contact list overnight is, perhaps, the holy grail of aspiring online entrepreneurs.  Check out these tips and let me know what you think with a comment below.  The article is in 2 parts.  Welcome back to part 2.

How To Create A Massive Contact List, Overnight!! – Part 2

By: Dan Farrell

Here are a few report ideas:

1. Tips/Ways 

This is the easiest to create as all you need are a handful of themed tips with 3-7 sentence explanations. Presto! You have a free report!

2. Tutorial (step by step) 

This is probably the report most people want. Find a hot topic and provide step by step tutorial on solving a problem or do something and you will become very popular...overnight!

3. Resources 

This is the EASIEST of all free reports to write. Heck my granddaughter, Kylie, could probably write one :o)

Might take some time doing research but it's super easy.

"10 Ways To Link You Website"

"8 Tools Every Webmaster Should Have In Their Toolbox"

You get the idea.

4. Interviews 

This is another easy one because someone else does all the writing for you!

Develop a list of 'burning questions to ask the 'expert'.

Send the expert your list with a good reason to answer them. At least a nice bio with a link to their website and the right to distribute the report in anyway they want.

What is probably the most important step in creating your free report? The HEADLINE! As with ads, unless you capture the attention of the reader in the first 1-2 seconds you won't have many subscribers.

Here are a few headlines:

"7 Quick Tips To Overnight Profits" 

"7 Quick Tips" 

"7 Quick Tips I Made $650 With"

Which one would you pick? The first? In my humble opinion it would be the last. It has two eye catching factors. 7 and $650. People will know its not a long drawn-out report but 7 quickie type tips and everyone would like to make $650 by knowing these tips.

Bottom line. Remember the old worn out by don't every forget the famous radio station, WIIFM or WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME. Keep that in mind every time you write a headline and you will see 100's or even 1,000's subscribing to your free report.

Author Bio
Dan Farrell is the owner of Build An eBusiness On A Shoestring and is offering a special bonuses for your subscription to his free course, "Secrets To A 'Hands Off' Income" ... inside tips and secrets to building a money making opt in list...fast!

www.ad-alyzer.com/727/fastlists

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com

Source: By Dan Farrell

http://www.articlegeek.com/internet/online_business_articles/how_to_create_massive_contact_list.htm

How to Build an Email List Fast and for Free — 5 List Building Tips – Part 1

Setting up a business online?  Looking for the way to create a massive contact list overnight is, perhaps, the holy grail of aspiring online entrepreneurs.  Check out these tips and let me know what you think with a comment below.  The article is in 2 parts.  Come back for part 2 tomorrow.

How To Create A Massive Contact List, Overnight!! – Part 1

By: Dan Farrell

But I'm not a writer.

You need to write what people are interested in.

Not "5 Ways To Murder Your Mother-In-Law". OOP's that is not nice of me to think of that :o)

Or "How To Make Dandlelion Wine". OK, maybe you are interested in that...:o)

But you get the idea. Write what is a hot topic that everyone is talking about or asking about. If it's about murder, go somewhere else :o)

Don't know what they are looking for? Ask them. Ask your friends or family what they would like to know more about in your subject field. Or if it's marketing put up a survey or poll form on your website or send emails to your contacts.

Browse hot forums and see what everyone is talking about. The messages with the most 'views' or 'posts' are the hot topics.

See what are the top keywords or keyword phrases at www.wordtracker.com This is an excellent place to visit for optimizing your website, mini-site pages for the search engines! Get the trial version and if its worth a few bucks subscribe.

Author Bio
Dan Farrell is the owner of Build An eBusiness On A Shoestring and is offering a special bonuses for your subscription to his free course, "Secrets To A 'Hands Off' Income" ... inside tips and secrets to building a money making opt in list...fast!
www.ad-alyzer.com/727/fastlists

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com

Source: By Dan Farrell

http://www.articlegeek.com/internet/online_business_articles/how_to_create_massive_contact_list.htm

How To Write a Business Plan To Start Your Own Business - Stand Out in Business the Write Way – Part 2

Hi there.  Here is a great article about the value of a handwritten note giving a personal touch in business and this video is about the value or a well written business plan.  Let’s do business the write way and stand out from the crowd.  This article is in 2 parts.  Welcome back to part 2.  Let me know what you think with a comment below.

Stand Out in Business the Write Way – Part 2

By: Lydia Ramsey

5. Poor penmanship is no excuse unless your handwriting is totally illegible. The person who receives your note will appreciate your thoughtfulness and will not be grading your handwriting. If your penmanship does not meet your standards, it is never too late to improve. There are numerous resources at your library or on the Internet to teach you to write legibly.

6. Use any occasion to get noticed with a note. A few of those instances are when...

You have received a gift

You were a guest in someone's home

You were hosted to a meal

You received a business favor

You are replying to an invitation

You are sending condolences

You want to offer congratulations

You need to apologize

7. Make your message timely. Whether you are sending a note of appreciation, congratulation or condolence, do it as quickly as possible. A thank you should go out within 24 to 48 hours. However, don't forgo sending a note because you think too much time has elapsed. There is no definite statute of limitations on appreciation.

8. Understand that e-mail is not a substitute for the personal handwritten message. The Internet is fast, efficient and remote. If you are corresponding by e-mail immediately following a meeting with a business associate, include your expression of gratitude, but don't let that stop you from sending a second message by ground.

Successful people pay attention to the details and look for ways to build better business relationships. When you take the time to send handwritten notes, you will stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons. Your next big sale or job promotion may came about as a result of your doing business just a little differently.

Author Bio
Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For more information about her programs, products and services, e-mail her at lydia@mannersthatsell.com or visit her web site www.mannersthatsell.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Source: by Lydia Ramsey

http://www.articlegeek.com/business/small_business/stand_out_business.htm

How To Write a Business Plan To Start Your Own Business – Stand Out in Business the Write Way – Part 1

Hi there.  Here is a great article about the value of a handwritten note giving a personal touch in business and this video is about the value or a well written business plan.  Let’s do business the write way and stand out from the crowd.  This article is in 2 parts.  Come back for more tomorrow.  Let me know what you think with a comment below.

Stand Out in Business the Write Way – Part 1

By: Lydia Ramsey

When was the last time you received a handwritten note from a business associate? It may be that it was too long ago for you to remember. On the other hand, if you have gotten one lately, you know exactly who sent it and when. Handwritten notes have become almost extinct in the business world. So if you are looking for ways to stand from the crowd, to be noticed by your colleagues and clients, try putting pen to paper whenever you have the slightest excuse.

There are few acts more impressive than handwriting a letter or a note to someone with whom you do business or would like to. Most people think that writing notes by hand requires extra time and effort. Ironically, it can be quick and painless if you do it frequently and follow these tips:

1. Have writing supplies close at hand. Store stationery and stamps in the most convenient place in your desk. When you need to send a note, all you have to do is reach for your stationary, dash off a few lines, address the envelope, put the stamp in place and mail it.

2. Keep your message brief. These are notes so you only have to come up with three or four sentences. If you attempt to compose more than a few lines, writer's block is liable to set in and you will never get past "start." 

3. Develop a system. Before you head out of the office to a business meal or function that someone else is hosting, address an envelop to your host. It will be a breeze to jot down your short message when you return.

4. Use the appropriate professional stationary. Both single-sided correspondence cards and fold-over notes with the company name or logo imprinted on them are business-like and will represent you and your organization well.

Author Bio
Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For more information about her programs, products and services, e-mail her at lydia@mannersthatsell.com or visit her web site www.mannersthatsell.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Source: by Lydia Ramsey

http://www.articlegeek.com/business/small_business/stand_out_business.htm

You Quit Your job To Be a Full-Time Entrepreneur. Now What? – Part 2

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS.

Thinking of starting the new year with a new small business?  This is the most popular time of the year when new budding entrepreneurs think about starting a new business.  What is the best way of going about this?  Giving up the “day job” to concentrate completely on a new business venture may be rather a luxury.  This article gives some food for thought when it comes to starting your business part time alongside our “day job”.  This article is in 2 parts.  Welcome back to part 2 where you can find out how one journalist with executive responsibilities of a 70-80 hour week managed to make the transition into running her own business.  Let me know how useful you find this article by leaving a comment below. 

Tips to get your Entrepreneurship off and running – Part 2

By: Michael Johnson

Let's look at an example of a journalist who has a successful writing and editing business from her home office. When she decided she was interested in starting a small business she had been working for many years in newspaper management. Her executive responsibilities required 70 and 80 hour workweeks and even then she took work home.

After many years of this she began to think more and more about her dream of starting a small writing business. It called to her more and more urgently. But how was she to even think of starting a small business when she had little time, energy or focus left in her busy work week? Besides, she had to work to keep the roof over her head. 

What she did to determine if starting a small business was even possible, was to sit down and write out a budget, deciding where she could eliminate some non-essential expenses in her life, and what she absolutely had to have to live on. She then looked for, and found, a job that not only brought in enough money to live on but freed up a lot of her daytime work week hours as well as her mental focus. She took a customer service job in a call center. 

Starting a small business was going to be possible with this job where it had not been with her newspaper career for a number of reasons. It required considerably less mental acumen, it didn't require that she take her work home with her, it was easy, the hours were flexible (she worked 3pm-midnight Thursday through Sunday) and the dress code was highly casual. She could work all day starting her small business and then don her jeans and go into the call center in the evening. Now she's quit that call center job and her dream of starting a small business has been fulfilled. Her business is thriving and she works at it full time. 

You will find links to other small business associations from the SBANC site. These small business associations include the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) offering one on one counseling in person or online, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its Small Business Development Centers which provide a ton of small business assistance including mentoring, training, publications, tapes, workshops and financing, Allied Academies - a worldwide research and training group, the Small Business Institute which provides entrepreneurial teaching and training, and the Federation of Business Disciplines, a group of educators devoted to small business teaching conferences.

Author Bio
About the Author: M. Johnsona operates a variety of small business websites and newsletters. Visit the website for many business start up ideas. www.smallbiztipscenter.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Source: By Michael Johnson

http://www.articlegeek.com/business/small_business/entrepreneurship_running_tips.htm

You Quit Your job To Be a Full-Time Entrepreneur. Now What? – Part 1

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS.

Thinking of starting the new year with a new small business?  This is the most popular time of the year when new budding entrepreneurs think about starting a new business.  What is the best way of going about this?  Giving up the “day job” to concentrate completely on a new business venture may be rather a luxury.  This article gives some food for thought when it comes to starting your business part time alongside our “day job”.  This article is in 2 parts.  Come back tomorrow for part 2 to find out how one journalist with executive responsibilities of a 70-80 hour week managed to make the transition into running her own business.  Let me know how useful you find this article by leaving a comment below. 

Tips to get your Entrepreneurship off and running – Part 1

By: Michael Johnson

One of the best of the small business associations is the University of Central Arkansas Small Business Advancement National Center (SBANC.) 

While the ideal way of starting a small business would be to free yourself up from every other venture, problem, time consuming effort and obligation and throw yourself into starting a small business every waking moment, this isn't an ideal world. Few of us can afford the luxury of setting everything else aside to devote all our time and efforts, as well as capital - to starting a small business. 

Some of us have the itch to become an entrepreneur but have to "keep our day jobs" while we give this starting a small business idea a go. It may well be, in fact, that starting a small business part time is the most common entrepreneurial process.

Part of succeeding at starting a small business if you have to do so part time is to know your schedule and your time limitations and choose a business concept that you enjoy, have some training or expertise in and can be accomplished around your work schedule. The other alternative is to change your work schedule either with your current employer or choose an alternative employer. Starting a small business takes effort and focus as well as time. 

It may be that your current job is not only time consuming but also the type of work that requires a great deal of energy, a great deal of concentration, a very regimented schedule and perhaps the responsibility that tends to have you taking your work home with you either actually or mentally. This sort of work style doesn't lend itself well to starting a small business part time. 

Author Bio
About the Author: M. Johnsona operates a variety of small business websites and newsletters. Visit the website for many business start up ideas. www.smallbiztipscenter.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Source: By Michael Johnson

http://www.articlegeek.com/business/small_business/entrepreneurship_running_tips.htm

How to Market a Small Business with a Limited Budget – Part 2

Are you starting out in business and thinking that your business is too small to have a budget?  Think again.  Read this article to find out why even a small business needs a budget.  It’s in 2 parts.  Welcome back to part 2.  Gary V’s video also gives some great tips of how to work on a limited budget.  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Does My Small Business Need a Budget? – Part 2

By: Melody Campbell

The Goal in Budgeting

Remember, the goal of having a budget is to stay in control of your finances in advance. Setting the standard for your spending and revenue and having a tool to compare with actual will give you the control that you need to stay profitable. At the very least it will give you an indication of whether or not your business is actually profitable and not just busy.

Resource

Throw away all your receipts! 

Yes, you can throw them all away after you've scanned them into NeatReceipts. This handy tool is operated by scanning all of your receipts using a portable scanner into your computer or laptop. The software can produce expense reports or you can import the information from the receipts into your accounting software such as Quicken or QuickBooks. Once the receipt has been scanned into your computer you have a digital copy so you can through the receipt away. No more shoe boxes full of receipts! 

http://www.thesmallbusinessguru.com/products/item10.cfm

Author Bio
Melody Campbell is The Small Business Guru. You can view more Small Business Owner Resources at The Small Business Guru website. Educate yourself for Success in the Core Competencies to becoming a Master Small Business Owner. New monthly membership trial for only $1 for the first 30 days! www.thesmallbusinessguru.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Source: by Melody Campbell

http://www.articlegeek.com/business/small_business/does_small_business_need_budget.htm

How to Market a Small Business with a Limited Budget – Part 1

Are you starting out in business and thinking that your business is too small to have a budget?  Think again.  Read this article to find out why even a small business needs a budget.  It’s in 2 parts.  Come back for part 2 tomorrow.  Gary V’s video also gives some great tips of how to work on a limited budget.  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Does My Small Business Need a Budget? – Part 1

By: Melody Campbell

"I only have a small business, I don't need a budget."

"I don't have enough money to budget."

For many small business owners, the word "budget" is something for the bigger company - maybe they'll have one when their business "grows up."

What is a Budget?

The simple explanation is a budget is a plan for how you will manage all financial resources and all expenses for your business. The basic equation that you want to demonstrate in a budget is as follows:

(estimated )Sales minus (estimated) Expenses = Profit (or loss)

How to create a Budget

If this is your first time to work on a budget for your small business, you might work from the perspective of having to list cost of goods or services plus all of your operating expenses to start the process.

How much does it take to operate your phone line? What is the cost of other utilities? How about the cost of a company vehicle, or what is the cost of transportation if you're using your personal vehicle to also serve as a company vehicle. Do you need any supplies or inventory to operate your business? How about any employee payroll, payroll taxes or independent product or service providers? Remember to include everything you spend money on to operate your business even if you allocate some of the expenses to "petty cash" expenses, such as parking or bridge tolls while traveling to see clients.

I recommend that you create annual budget, as opposed to a monthly budget, so you can identify any expenses that you may have that come up only once or twice a year such as insurance and include them in your list of expenses. This allows you to amortize or spread the cost of this out over several months so that you can plan ahead for the expense.

As you work on your list of expenses keep in mind that these are the expenses that are necessary to operate your business. These should not be your "wish list" unless you want to budget in some expansion or growth. You may want to create a budget with just the necessities and another version of your budget with expansion expenses listed so that you can see the cost of both separately.

With a dollar figure to work with of your total expenses you are able to set the standard for or evaluate your sales figures. If you are new to your business you may need to use the dollar amount of your expenses to help you determine what your sales need to be in order to cover all costs and show a profit. If you have been in business for a while you can evaluate whether or not you are producing a profit by looking at historical sales figures.

As you conduct business during your budget year you should compare your actual income and spending with what you estimated. This will allow you to manage your spending so that you don't over spend and cut into or eliminate your profits. You will also be able to see if sales have met expectations in order to cover expenses and still remain profitable.

Resource

Throw away all your receipts! 

Yes, you can throw them all away after you've scanned them into NeatReceipts. This handy tool is operated by scanning all of your receipts using a portable scanner into your computer or laptop. The software can produce expense reports or you can import the information from the receipts into your accounting software such as Quicken or QuickBooks. Once the receipt has been scanned into your computer you have a digital copy so you can through the receipt away. No more shoe boxes full of receipts! 

http://www.thesmallbusinessguru.com/products/item10.cfm

Author Bio
Melody Campbell is The Small Business Guru. You can view more Small Business Owner Resources at The Small Business Guru website. Educate yourself for Success in the Core Competencies to becoming a Master Small Business Owner. New monthly membership trial for only $1 for the first 30 days! www.thesmallbusinessguru.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Source: by Melody Campbell

http://www.articlegeek.com/business/small_business/does_small_business_need_budget.htm

10 Tips for Setting Goals in 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR 2019!

Hi there.  Perhaps you have yet to wrap up business from the old year as you now look to make new plans for the new.  Here is a great article on wrapping up business to complete the last year and you have a video from a great business leader, John Lee, with his 10 tips for setting goals in 2019.  A powerful way to start the new year.  Let me know what you think with a comment below.

Wrapping up Business at Year End

By: Melody Campbell

If you're a small independent business owner it could serve you well to take a birds eye view of your entire money making process for your business.

1. Looking at this year's activity and make sure you've identified your most profitable customer - profile the characteristics that help you identify similar customers in the marketplace so that you develop your message specifically to target the customers with the characteristics you've identified as those of your most profitable customer.

In my promotional products business I want relational customers vs. transactional customers. All of my marketing and sales efforts are designed to attract the client that is looking for a trustworthy, reliable promotional products distributor with great ideas. The customer that wants a cheap transaction with no loyalty on either side of the table is probably not my customer and I'm not offended when they don't want to buy from me. As I've been doing business over the last 15 years I've identified the transactional customer as a time waster for me. I end up doing a lot of research and servicing of an account with very little profit.

2. Establish or fine tune the marketing message to the prospect you've identified with your profile as most likely to be your most profitable customer. Look at everything you are doing, saying and printing about and for your business - Is your message clearly spoken to the target customer?

3. Identify the most effective activity to reach your prospects and schedule that activity so that it happens consistently. If you bring customers in by running ads in your local newspaper then schedule them for the entire year. You get a better rate if you contract for a years worth of advertising. 

If the activity that brings you business is your weekly email newsletter then sit down and plan your editorial calendar for the year and begin to write the articles now. You can always edit or add to them before you send them out for those written far in advance. By using autoresponders you can schedule the email newsletter well in advance.

If the activity that builds your customer base is face to face selling then you need to be sure that you are calling on customers to schedule appointments. You should identify how many prospects you need to call to get appointments, and how many appointments you need to create sales for your product.

4. Understand your sales cycle. Whether or not you are running ads, sending email or scheduling appointments you need to understand what happens and how long it takes to finally close the sale. The rule of thumb is "the more costly the investment the longer the sales cycle." No matter what you sales cycle is you need to plan your most productive activity to steadily continue to draw in new prospects while you're finalizing sales for other customers.

I have a few small business owners who ask if they should take the time to do this kind of review of their business plan every year. YES, in fact, do a mini version of this every week to be sure that you're on track and making money consistently. Your income will be consistent if you've

·         Identified your customer

·         Established your most effective message

·         Identified the most productive activity

·         Understand your sales cycle

Take the time to do this review before the end of this year and give yourself the gift of more business next year.

Author Bio
Melody Campbell is The Small Business Guru. You can view more Small Business Owner Resources at The Small Business Guru website. Educate yourself for Success in the Core Competencies to becoming a Master Small Business Owner. New monthly membership trial for only $1 for the first 30 days! www.thesmallbusinessguru.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Source: By Melody Campbell

http://www.articlegeek.com/business/small_business/business_wrap_up_year_end.htm

Napoleon Hill - Going The Extra Mile - Rare Recordings III – Part 2

FESTIVE GREETINGS TO ALL MY READERS.  HAPPY NEW YEAR.  HAVE A WONDERFUL 2019

Here is a great article about going the extra mile in business.  This article contains some great tips for success in business.  It’s in two parts.  Welcome back to part two.  Let me know how useful you find the article with a comment below.

Going The Extra Mile to Business Success – Part 2

By: Kevin Sinclair

Go the extra mile with customer complaints. This is an excellent opportunity to turn a disgruntled buyer into a life long supporter of your business. Acknowledge problems and resolve them quickly. Thank the customer for making you aware of them. You can be sure that if one customer has had a problem, then others have also had the same problem too.

For those working directly with customers, always give them more than they expect and you will generate more sales. Sometimes just giving a big, warm smile and courteous attention to the customers' requirements are all that is required. In the online world, prompt attention to email and courteous responses will boost your reputation and your sales. Spend the time to determine the customers' need and then you will be in a position to satisfy it. I stress to you be sure to concentrate on satisfying the customers need.

Have you ever been into a store and everyone is glum and does not want to serve you? Do you feel inclined to buy from them? No. But go into a store where they seem glad to see you and willing to help you and you feel far more like buying their products. The same applies to the online world. A well-designed web site with easy access to information will yield greater results. Make your web site user friendly!

Don't sit around waiting for people to buy. Ensure that your marketing communications ask for the order! Encourage responses through offering a strong guarantee. When someone makes a claim under your guarantee, honour it. This is part of the trust building process.

Make the effort to develop additional skills in your spare time. Studying about leadership or how to motivate people will always be of help in building your business. There is always something new to be learnt when it comes to dealing with people and influencing them to buy.

However, never lose sight of your most important task right now - keeping your existing customers satisfied.

Author Bio
Article by Kevin Sinclair, CPA, of Personal & Business Success Resources. Visit his website at www.mlm.ksinclair.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Source: By Kevin Sinclair

http://www.articlegeek.com/business/small_business/business_success_extra_mile.htm