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How to Take Payments Online For Your Internet Business

2009-11-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to those of you who are new to the world of online business and are just getting started with setting up your own internet business. I often forget that there are still many people out there looking for help with their new business and so I hope that this blog will not only be a source of inspiration, but also a useful guide and resource in helping you build a successful internet business.

That said, I'd like to show you how to start taking payments online for your internet business. I know that when I first started setting up my own internet business, I was a little overwhelmed with the process of taking payments online. What do I need? How much is it going to cost? How long is it going to take? Will it be safe? Do I need one of those credit card processing machines?

Setting up a merchant account for your internet business to take payments is not complicated at all. You could probably set one up in a couple days depending on the company you sign up with.

Before you decide which payment service provider to sign up with, it's important to do research first. There are many, many companies out there that offer merchant services and you want a company that offers exactly what you need.

Here are a few things you'll want to consider when signing up for a merchant account:

Are you a service business that sends invoices to clients? You may need a merchant account that includes an invoice template.
Are you an offline business that occasionally sells products online? Perhaps you need an account that offers flexible monthly fees, if any fees at all. Every service provider has their own set of fees. Some will charge a fee per transaction while others will simply charge a monthly fee.
Do you have several online businesses and need a way to keep transactions separate and organized?
Do you need a provider that can help with technical issues such as setting up payment buttons on your website?

Once you establish a merchant account, you'll get the information you need to add a virtual shopping cart and payment buttons to your website. If you're not tech savvy, you will probably have to pass on this information to your web designer. Some payment service providers even have people in-house who can also do this for you.

If all of your transactions will be done online, then you won't need one of those credit card processing terminals that you see in stores. That's one of the nice things about having an internet business...You don't have to hassle with physical paperwork when you accept payments online.

Deciding on a payment service provider is important when starting an internet business. You want to make sure that your customers have a seamless and safe transaction when shopping on your website.

If you have any questions about taking payments online, feel free to leave a comment...

Photo Credit: Karl Baron

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Your Internet Business: The Traveling Lifestyle

2009-11-10T13:33:00.000-08:00

If you're just starting your internet business (or even if you're already established), one of the questions you should ask yourself is...What kind of lifestyle do I want to have?

When I started my business, I always thought about having the freedom to travel. I wanted to be able to work wherever and whenever I wanted. That's what attracted me to affiliate marketing in the first place. I loved the idea of creating a business online and being able to make money no matter where I was.

One of my dreams is to be able to travel all over the world and to help people in developing countries start their own internet business. I would like to establish learning centers with computers and provide opportunities for people who normally don't have access to a computer.

So, what dreams do you have? What do you want to do with the money you make from your internet business? Where would you like to travel? Start thinking and imagining the lifestyle you want to live with your business.

Video: Tips on How To Discover Your Niche

2009-11-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

One of the most popular posts on this blog right now is "What's a Good Niche Product To Sell?", so I thought I'd share this video by Katie Freiling where she talks about how to discover your niche when creating your personal brand...

I share the same philosophy as Katie that you have to do what you love and love what you do. The more passionate you are about your niche, the more successful you will become. Stick with a niche that you know and understand and brand yourself as an authority on the subject.

Do you have any tips to share on discovering your niche market?

Guest Post: Privacy Tips For Small Business

2009-10-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post from TRUSTe...

You may be a small business, but chances are you collect some form of PII. Even small businesses are accountable for the safety of user PII, and thereby must take adequate measures to protect it. Lead Microsoft.com editor Monte Enbysk gathered TRUSTe’s insight to help develop 6 privacy tips for small businesses:

1. Take inventory of the personal information you collect and store.

2. Analyze how safely you use and store this data.

3. Make sure you’re complying with industry or federal laws.

4. Post a privacy policy that is clear and comprehensive.

5. Have your policy reviewed by an attorney or by a privacy seal program.

6. If you have employees, make sure their personal information is protected too.

According to Enbysk , you should seek the expert opinion of a privacy service like TRUSTe who can help ensure the accuracy and validity of your privacy statement. Not only may a third-party privacy authority ensure your privacy statement and practices are up to par, but a seal from TRUSTe can benefit your brand.

“The Web privacy seal is one of TRUSTe's most popular products,” says TRUSTe’s VP of Communications, Carolyn Hodge. A privacy seal may be most beneficial to small e-tailers with little or no name recognition outside their hometown or region.

About TRUSTe

TRUSTe Privacy Seals help consumers click with confidence by guiding them to trustworthy Web sites. More than 2,400 Web sites rely on TRUSTe industry best practices to help them make the right decisions about privacy and protecting confidential user information. Half of the top fifty Web sites are certified including Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft, Disney, eBay, Intuit, and Facebook. Independent research shows that when a TRUSTe web seal is present, visitors are more likely to share personal information, register at higher rates and spend more money. To learn more about internet privacy services for SMBs, visit http://www.truste.com/privacy_seals_and_services/small_medium_business_privacy/index.html

Content No Longer King?

2009-10-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

For many years now, every internet marketer on the planet has touted the "Content is King" philosophy in running an internet business. You give valuable content to your blog readers/customers and karma rewards you with increased sales and better relationships.

Although I do believe this philosophy is still true, if you are a blogger or you write your own content, sales letters, or newsletters for your business, I recommend reading Larry Brooks article over at Copyblogger: "Why Content is No Longer King (And Who's Taking His Place)".

Yes, content is great because you are providing value to your customers, but there does need to be a balance between content and promotion. I could write content all day, but if I'm not asking for the sale, chances are I'm not going to make a sale.

There are some interesting comments in response to Larry Brooks' post. It made me think that maybe we should change the philosophy to "Value is King". People buy because of the perceived value of an item, right? If it enhances their life or provides a solution, it's considered to be a value.

What do you think? Is content dead?

10 Essential Tips To Get Repeat Visitors To Your Website

2009-10-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

As a website owner, one of your goals is to attract loyal customers who will continue to visit your website and make repeat purchases. Business experts say that most of your business will come from 20% of your customers, so reaching out to this 20% is important to the success of your internet business.

So, how do you get these repeat visitors to your website? Here are ten tips:

1. Keep your website updated. Sites that do not produce fresh content tend to get dropped by some search engines. You can also let visitors know when your website was last updated by including a date counter on the page.

2. Provide additional value to your website visitors. Link to relevent resources and other content on the web. If you have joint venture partners or are affiliated with any programs related to your niche, you can include links to their sites and/or products and ask them to do the same for you.

3. Offer your customers or potential customers a chance to ‘opt in’ to get discounts and special offers. You can encourage them to ‘opt in’ by offering a free report, ebook, monthly newsletter. By keeping in contact with customers on a regular basis, they'll more than likely visit your website again.

4. Never spam a customer. If a customer has opted in to receive newsletters, don't bombard them with unsolicited emails. Later if they choose to ‘opt out’ of the mailings, make sure you honor the request and take them off the mailing list. If they like your products, they may just revisit your website anyways. However, they will certainly NOT come back if you insist on flooding their email with information that they no longer wish to receive.

5. Add a link to your home page with a script such as ‘Book Mark or Add this site to your Favorites’.

6. Add a ‘Tell a Friend’ link so that a visitor can email your website link with a prewritten title like, “Thought you might be interested in this”.

7. Make sure your website design is consistent so that visitors always know they are on your site. Use consistent colors and logos, and make sure you have a ‘Contact Us’ link in your navigation bar in case they have any questions.

8. Create a FAQ page that clarifies what your product or services are about. An FAQ helps to answer and resolve customers' doubts or questions in the first visit to your website.

9. Make sure that each page on your website is fully optimized with appropriate titles and keywords so that customers can find their way back to your site via the search engines in case they forget to bookmark it.

10. Offer phenomenal customer service. If there's only one tip that you take away from this article, this is it. If you take care of your customers' needs, you're pretty much guaranteed to get repeat visits to your website.

Getting and keeping visitors on your site is something that every website owner should try to master. When you have repeat visitors to your site, you don't have to worry so much about marketing or advertising your business. Now you can just focus on turning those visitors into lifelong, raving fans!

Do you have any tips to add?

Photo Credit: Jesse CourteManche

Online Business Tip: Stay Connected

2009-10-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, I haven't been able to post here as often as I used to. That's because my business has picked up, so of course I've had to give priority to my clients over blogging.

I've had some pretty big projects including a social media project as well as a PR project - not to mention my ongoing obligations to other clients for article writing and marketing. The PR project was a little challenging because it's a little out of the norm from what I do, although I have written press releases before.

What I learned from these projects is that it definitely helps to be connected in the online world. Because of my current connections through Facebook and Twitter, I was able to connect with other people in my target market.

Being connected via social networking has made it so much easier to share information and find people who can help me with my projects. This saved me a great deal of time - and I couldn't afford to waste time!

Which brings me to an online business tip that I've been talking about for the past year or so...

Start a network or community around your online business. I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but if you're a new entrepreneur in the online world, take heed! Also, please refer to my previous posts on social networking. You just never know when you might need a helping hand for a future project, joint venture, or marketing campaign.

So, go out there and start developing relationships with people! People won't know about your online business if you don't ;)

Have you had a positive experience with social networking? Share your thoughts via comments!

Here are related articles I found about social networking if you need more inspiration:

Photo Credit: kurtxio

Tips For Outsourcing Internet Business Activities

2009-09-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Although it's nice to be able to launch an internet business all by yourself, there will come a time when you will need to bring in team members to help take your business to the next level.

When I first started out with my internet businesses, I did everything myself. From marketing to creating banner ads and writing content - I was a one-woman show. However, I've reached a point where it's become very overwhelming to manage a whole blog network and make it successful. I place emphasis on providing valuable content for my readers and I can't do it all by myself. Between my freelance writing business and writing on all the different blogs I own, there just isn't any time to do other activities like design and marketing.

Do you find yourself in this same situation?

I came across these articles that provide tips and advice about outsourcing:

How to Get the Most Out of Outsourcing

5 Tips When Seeking Outsource Support For Your Online Needs

Maria Andros (aka "Video Marketing Queen") created this video where shares her thoughts about outsourcing...

Earlier this year I wrote an article about hiring freelancers to help with your internet business where I shared a couple resources where you can find freelancers.

Do you have any tips to share about outsourcing internet business activities?

Blogging: The Hottest Job Right Now Part 3 (Marketing Your Blog)

2009-08-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

This post is the last in the series, Blogging: The Hottest Job Right Now. Here are the last two posts in case you missed them:

Blogging: The Hottest Job Right Now Part 1 (includes blogging resources)
Blogging: The Hottest Job Right Now Part 2 (talks about the different ways to make money with a blog)

Today we'll cover the different ways that you can market your blog for free.

If your blog is a source of income for you, then one of your goals is to get as many visitors who will be interested in what you say and what you have to offer. The more visitors that you get to your blog, the more potential to make money.

You Don't Need Money to Market Your Blog

Contrary to what most newbie bloggers think, you don't have to have a huge marketing budget to attract people to your blog. I've actually created a decent-sized following to some of my blogs just by interacting with people on social networking websites and commenting on other blogs. There were only a couple times since I've started blogging that I've paid for advertising. For the most part I've utilized all the different social networking and social bookmarking sites to market my blog.

I will say, though, that search engine optimization does play a big role in attracting people to your blog - topic you can find out more about by checking out SEOMoz or reading Aaron Wall's SEO Book.

What I Do To Attract People to My Blog

Right now participating on Twitter and Facebook plus commenting on other blogs are the only activities I've been doing to bring readers to my blog.

As you may probably know by now Twitter has become the "hotspot" on the web for networking and sharing information. After I've posted an article on my blog, I share it with my Twitter followers. There are services like FriendFeed and TwitterFeed that can automatically add any new blog posts to your Twitter stream. Both of these services are free.

You'll get the most benefit from Twitter by actively engaging, interacting, and developing relationships with people. By sharing valuable information, retweeting other people's tweets, and engaging in conversations, you'll establish trust and credibility in the Twitter community.

No matter what type of marketing activity you're involved in, I think the key thing to remember is to develop relationships with people. If people like what you have to say, then they will subscribe to your blog, link to your blog, and/or tell others about your posts that interest them.

More Ways to Promote and Market Your Blog

Here are a few articles with marketing tips:

David Skul of Relativity Business Technology Solutions put together this video with some really good tips for marketing your blog:

Do you have any blog marketing tips to share?

It's Your Time For Online Success: Turn Your Passion Into Profit

2009-07-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Although I've said this time and time again, I think it bears repeating: Start a business in a niche that you are passionate about.

Bob Doyle, the creator of the Wealth Beyond Reason program, recently put together another program where he teaches you how to Turn Your Passion into Profit. You may remember Bob from the movie, The Secret, which introduced many of us to the Law of Attraction.

In Bob Doyle's Passion Into Profit program you learn many aspects of creating wealth through your own internet business including:

How to generate revenue even if you don't have a product of your own, or even a web site!
How to approach writing your web page!
How to generate targeted traffic to your web page without spending a dime, or knowing anything about search engines, pay-per-click, or the like.

These are just some of the topics covered. Bob has also included an awesome bonus worth $1300.

What I think is pretty phenomenal about this program is that it only costs $27. I really wish there had been programs like this when I started my online venture. I was paying $97 for ebooks!

So, if you believe in the Law of Attraction and have been thinking of learning how to start an online business but are on a limited budget, then you just attracted the perfect opportunity to start your journey to online success!

Click here to start turning your passion into profit!

Blogging: The Hottest Job Right Now Part 2

2009-07-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation of the first post in the series "Blogging: The Hottest Job Right Now"...

Making money with a blog is something many internet entrepreneurs aspire to. There are various ways that you can make money which I will outline in this article. All of the techniques I offer below are things I am currently doing to make money with my own blogs.

Affiliate marketing - Is there a product or service you love that your blog readers would like as well? You can sign up to be an affiliate of a company and make commissions from products you promote on your blog. You can find companies to affiliate with through directories such as CJ.com, Linkshare, ShareASale, and PepperJam. Big companies like Amazon.com have affiliate programs. If like to read ebooks, you can also check out Clickbank's marketplace for ebooks to promote.

When promoting a company's product or service, what I've found to be very effective at getting people to buy is sharing my own review of the product or service. Since many people go to the internet to do research before buying a product, your review may provide helpful information that a person needed to make a purchasing decision.

For more of my thoughts and tips on affiliate marketing, I recommend reading past posts from the Affiliate Marketing archives...

Google Adsense - These are text links ads hosted by Google that you can ad to various places on your blog. When a visitor to your blog clicks on any of these ads, you get paid. The amount you receive per click varies. Depending on the topic of your blog and the keywords that advertisers are targeting, you can get a few cents or you can even get $10 or more.

Here are a couple of helpful resources that will help you get started with Google Adsense:

How Do I Get Started Making Money With Google Adsense?
InsideAdsense's Channel on YouTube (watch video tutorials and webinars about Adsense)
Joel Comm's Adsense Secrets 4. (Free ebook download for a limited time)

Text link ads - You can make money with your blog by selling ad space. This is a great way to make passive income. Let people know that ad space is available by dedicating a page on your blog that offers information about advertising. Here's an example of an advertising page I created for my Audi blog. You can also sell text link ads through "brokers". I currently use Linkworth, but I know that there are many other companies out there that will connect with you advertisers on commission.

Sponsored blog posts - There are companies who are willing to pay bloggers to review their business or product. However, I must warn that sponsored blog posts tend to turn readers off and could jeopordize your credibility. This is especially true if you're writing a post about a product or service that isn't even remotely related to your blog topic.

There's an art to writing a sponsored blog post. Here is an article that offers good tips on writing a sponsored post: 5 Tips For Pay-Per-Post Success. I personally try to stay away from hyped-up verbage when writing a sponsored post. I make an effort to write a post that provides valuable information to the reader while including a brief mention of the business, product, or service.

I've been making money with my blogs for the past five years and my income continues to increase each year. If you stay persistent and maintain a strong belief that you will make money, then it will happen.

Stay away from naysayers! I've read quite a few blogs where people complain that they only made a couple bucks a month and therefore, making money with a blog doesn't work. Don't let someone else tell you that these methods of making money online are useless. Most of the time, these are people who probably only blogged for two or three months and quit.

Of course, the more visitors you get to your blog, the more money you can make. In the next post in this series, I will share the different ways you can get free traffic to your blog.

Are you currently monetizing your blog? What is or isn't working for you?

Photo Credit: d70focus

5 Characteristics of Successful Internet Entrepreneurs

2009-07-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

Starting an internet business is not for the faint-hearted. There are certain risks involved, but if you can overcome your fear of those risks, you are halfway there.

I believe that starting and maintaining a successful business is 90% mental and 10% physical. People talk about putting in alot of "hard work", however, it doesn't have to be hard if you have a positive attitude while keeping with the intention of serving others. If you believe that work is "hard", then it will be hard and you will struggle.

If I could give one piece of advice to beginning internet entrepreneurs, it would be to start a business with the intention of helping people. Most people start an internet business because they see the promise of riches. Certainly there's nothing wrong with making tons of money, but if you don't have a passion for what you're selling, it will leave you feeling unfulfilled in life.

To become an entrepreneur, it's helpful to know the characteristics of successful people. I've studied many entrepreneurs and discovered the characteristics that they have in common:

Confidence - In order to be successful, you have to have confidence in your abilities and have an unwavering belief that you will succeed. In your entrepreneurial journey, you'll come across naysayers - those people who will make up all kinds of excuses or statistics about how starting a business is "hard" or "risky".

Commitment - Successful entrepreneurs are committed to their business, but most of all, they're committed to helping people. You have to know that you have the power within you to make a difference not just in your own life, but you also have the power to make a difference in the lives of others.

Persistent - No matter what happens in their business, a successful entrepreneur keeps going. You don't allow setbacks or obstacles to get in the way of the vision you havefor your company.

Focused & Disciplined - Highly successful entrepreneurs stay focused on a business that they're passionate about. They're not distracted by every "get rich quick" opportunity that passes their way.

Good Communicators - When you are interacting with people and telling them about your business, you need to be able to clearly articulate what your business is about. Having good communication skills also means knowing what to say and how to say it given any circumstance.

Would you add anything to this list? Do you have a success story to share?

Learn how to turn your passion into profit with Bob Doyle's Wealth Beyond Reason program. Click here to begin your journey to internet success!

Related Posts:

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Monday Motivation: Success Secret From Brian Tracy

2009-07-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know that I'm a fan of Brian Tracy. I came across this video of him offering a success secret to accomplish your goals faster...

I can attest to the idea of simply asking, "How?" However, the key thing to remember here is not to worry about exactly how you are going to accomplish a goal. Your job is to simply ask the question: "How?" I have found that when I do ask this question and let it go, answers start to flow to me.

And when the answers start coming - TAKE ACTION!!

Related Posts:

One Thing Guaranteed To Keep You Motivated

Your Internet Business: Staying Motivated When You Feel Like Giving Up

Motivational Quote and Video

Blogging: The Hottest Job Right Now Part 1

2009-07-03T07:07:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine told me today that she heard that blogging was a hot job right now.

If you've come across this page looking for information on what blogs are and how you can make money by blogging, then you're in for a treat...

If you're a regular reader of this blog and a blogger yourself, some of this information may be redundant. Perhaps you could share some of your experience or tips on blogging by leaving a comment!

This is the first part in a three-part series. Part two will cover the different ways to make money with a blog and part three will cover the ways to market a blog for free.

Bloggers in Demand

There's a high demand for people to create content for the internet. Companies are realizing that people are going to the internet for research and information, so providing that information via blogs is a way to capture potential customer's interest and establish a relationship with them.

Many corporate executives are using blogs to communicate with their employees or their customers. People are using blogs to spread news and ideas. A great deal of interaction and dialogue happens on blogs.

Blogs are changing the way we do business and marketing people are seeing the potential. They want a piece of the action. People are also waking up to the idea that blogging could be a way for them to be able to work at home.

This is where you come in.

What Is a Blog?

I realize that there are still many people out there who don't know what a blog is. If you're unfamiliar with blogs, I should probably start by explaining exactly what they are.

In essence, blogs are basically online journals. They’re set up in a way so that a person can write an article or express their thoughts and be published with the touch of a button. Gone are the days of letter writing. If someone wants to know what you’re up to, they can read your blog! A blog has become one of the fastest ways to communicate your message to the world.

Here is a video that explains what blogs are in plain English...

Resources About Blogging

If you want to learn how to build and maintain a successful blog, I recommend reading these blogs:

Darren Rowse's Problogger blog - I think of Darren as the "Godfather" of blogging. His blog teaches you pretty much everything you need to know about blogging and how to make money via your blog. Darren recently partnered with Chris Garrett to write ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

Visionary Blogging - I used to work with Easton Ellsworth when we both blogged for KnowMoreMedia.com. Easton always inspires me to be a better blogger. He also has come up with an awesome Blog Improvement Checklist that every blogger should print out and work on.

Blogging Jobs

If you're looking for a blogging job, here are a few resources to check out:

If you have any experiences or tips to share about blogging, please leave your thoughts via comments...

P.S. Make sure to check out the Blogging Tips archives!

Stay tuned next week for the different ways to make money via a blog. Subscribe to Online Business Resources so you don't miss out on all the tips!

Photo Credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Making a Difference With Your Business

2009-06-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

"Obviously everyone wants to be successful, but I want to be looked back on as being very innovative, very trusted and ethical and ultimately making a big difference in the world."--Sergey Brin

This past week we've seen quite a few legends in the entertainment industry pass away. Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Billy Mays - they all made their mark in the world by being unique and authentic.

For the past 20+ years, I've been personally influenced by Michael Jackson's love for music and fashion innovation, but I've been especially moved by his passion to make a big difference in the world. He touched the ENTIRE WORLD with his music.

The passing of these iconic figures has really made me stop and think about the difference I want to make in this world.

How can I use my business to make an impact on other people's lives?

What is it that I want to be remembered for when I leave this earth?

I think these are some of the questions we should be asking ourselves when we start an internet business - in addition to these 10 other questions.

Sure, making tons of money on the internet is fine and dandy, but think about the bigger picture. Think about making a meaningful impact not just on your life, but on the lives of others.

Photo Credit: jdl_deleon

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Turn Your Expertise Into Online Cash: Why You Should Start Now

2009-06-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

Browsing through the Working At Home Blog Carnival, I came across an interesting post, Why and How to Become an Infopreneur.

As you may or may not know, my main source of income is through selling information. My clients hire me to write articles for marketing purposes. I view myself more as an internet marketer, but in essence I am selling information.

The internet is the information highway. People are always looking for information. So why not make a profit from selling information on a topic you are knowledgeable about?

I would say that each and every one of us is an expert at something. Perhaps one of your long-time hobbies is fishing or maybe you like to collect stamps. You are probably very knowledgeable about whatever activity you enjoy.

Why not sell that knowledge via an ebook, teleseminar, or even a webinar?

Do you have a special or unique way of doing a particular activity that very few people know? You could charge more for that information!

No Excuses!!

My favorite author, Wayne Dyer, recently came out with a new book titled Excuses Be Gone! which is a good book to read if you decide to come up with excuses about why you shouldn't start your online business now.

I don't have time!

I don't have money!

I can't write!

Excuse my French, but that's all bullshit!

When I first started my adventure in online business, I had just been laid off because of 9/11 and I could barely pay my rent. However, I started researching all the different ways to make money online and discovered that you could make money through affiliate marketing.

Every day I spent a couple hours online building my website. When most people were laying around on the couch watching mindless TV, I was honing my skills as an internet marketer/infopreneur.

That's the thing - I always hear people say, "I don't have time to start a business!" However, think about all the time you spend watching TV or going to the mall spending money you know you shouldn't be spending. So, you miss a season of American Idol - at least you'll be that much closer to making your own million!

Another crazy excuse people say that makes me cringe is:

The economy is bad! People aren't buying anything!

I can't speak for all entrepreneurs out there, but as for me, my income has increased during this so-called economic recession.

You should never allow money - or rather, the lack of it - stop you from starting your own business! In the book I'm working on, I show you how you can start an online business for less than $100! It's even possible to start with absolutely no money!

Start Right Now

The time to start an internet business is right now. (Oh wait, you should probably finish this article first!)

The reason why you should start right now...

Well, why not? Your freedom and money are waiting!

The longer you put it off, the more likely that you'll never get it done.

It's time to overcome that procrastination!

Learn For Free

Brian Tracy, the famous motivational speaker, is currently offering all of his CDs for free! One of the CDs is 21 Great Ways to Start and Build Your Own Successful Business. Click here to order the free CD ...

One-On-One Mentoring

I currently have a couple slots for one-on-one online business mentoring. If you're ready to start your online business and require more personal attention, feel free to contact me: maria [at] salondemaria [dot] info.

To Your Success!

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Aaron Wall's SEO Tips and Strategies

2009-06-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the Holy Grail of being able to rank in a search engine like Google. There are right and wrong ways of going about optimizing your website so that it ranks well.

Aaron Wall is one person who I've learned a great deal from when it comes to SEO. Aaron is the author of SEO Book and is considered one of the foremost experts in this field of internet marketing.

As you may have noticed, I haven't been posting here as often as I used to. I'm currently working on optimizing some of my blogs and it's taken quite a bit of time. I'm experimenting with a few link-building strategies and will blog about them soon.

SEO does take some time and even if you pay a company to do SEO work for you, I think it's good to have a little knowledge of how it works.

In the video below, Aaron Wall shares on-page SEO tips and strategies...

Free SEO Tools from Aaron Wall

Learn Search Engine Optimization Today...

Check out this highly recommended SEO Service...

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Internet Marketing Quote of the Week

2009-05-31T23:05:00.000-07:00

"Creating stellar content for your marketing is great. But great content doesn’t (quite) distribute itself. It needs vehicles for people to pass it along, discuss its merits, argue over its controversies, blog it, mash it, tweet it and even scrape it. Which is, of course, where social media comes in..." -- Sonia Simone, "Why Content and Social Media Are a Powerful Match"

Photo Credit: Intersection Consulting

Taking Your Online Business To the Next Level

2009-05-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

We all have a dream...of being a successful online business entrepreneur making tons of money online.

Eight years ago my dream started and now that dream is becoming a reality. Ok, I'm not making "tons" of money compared to some of the big gurus out there.

And so...

I'm ready to take my online business to the next level. I want to start making "guru" money and travel the world helping other people start their own online business.

If you've been following this blog for quite some time, you may recall an announcement awhile back that I was working on publishing an ebook. I've been working on this ebook for the past two years, but still have yet to finish it.

However, now I'm buckling down and getting it done!

What can you do to take your business to the next level?

Here are a couple tips that have worked for me so far:

Make your goals a daily priority - Write down your goals on a daily basis and review them throughout the day. Using this productivity tool that I've mentioned before has really helped. It's not enough to just have a "To Do" list roaming around inside your head. It really helps to actually write down those goals.

Listen to or read inspiring books, blogs, or magazines. If you're not a book reader, there are books on CDs and you can listen to them in your car or while you're cleaning...(By the way, AudioBooks offers a 15-Day Free Rental Trial). My favorite magazine to read is Success Magazine.

Seeing other people succeed really inspires and motivates me. I love it when people are able to turn a negative situation into a positive one. There are so many people right now who are jobless. If only one person read this post or blog and decided that he/she was going to pursue their dream of starting their own business, then I would be very happy...

So, have you decided that you want to take your business or life to the next level? What are you doing today to get closer to your dreams?

Photo Credit: Alosh Bennett

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Business Success: Get Rid of the Mental Blocks!

2009-05-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

This past week I interviewed a phenomenal business coach by the name of Dan Hanneman, CEO of Blockbust Your Path. If you feel "stuck" and unsure of what step to take to break out of a rut and get to that next level in your business, then you should definitely listen to the show. For those of you who are just starting out with your online business (or any business for that matter), this would also be a good show to listen to.

It's time to get over the mental blocks that are stopping you from achieving business success!

Some of the things Dan and I talk about may be foreign to some of you because we get into the spiritual side of business. However, believe me when I say that when you really look deep down within yourself and tap into that Driving Force that makes everything happen, you'll find that conducting business and making sales is so much easier.

You really do not have to "work hard" to be successful. All you have to do is work with purpose, passion, faith, and truly enjoy what you do.

Click here to visit my BlogTalk Radio Show and listen to the interview...

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Business Lessons Learned From Watching the NBA Playoffs

2009-05-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't spent too much time blogging or writing these past couple weeks because I've been focused on watching the NBA finals. I'm a Celtics fan and would like to see them win again. Sorry, Lakers and Cavaliers!

There are many lessons to take away from watching sporting events. I used to be very athletic as a child and know that it takes the same amount of focus and mental toughness to be good in business as it does to play a sport.

Last night I watched the second game in the Lakers/Rockets series and it was intense. Emotions were high and everyone had their game face on. It got so intense that it was borderline violent.

I sometimes feel that same energy from business people. Times are tough and people are serious about making their money. Some internet marketers resort to dirty tactics like putting down other people in the industry. Last night we saw Kobe's cocky side as he kept mouthing off "He can't guard me!" - referring to Shane Battier's attempts to slow down his game. Later we see Kobe elbow Ron Artest in the throat. We don't know what provoked this behavior from Kobe, but I would have liked to see him maintain his composure in the face of adversity.

Yes, it may seem like the business world can be tough, but getting emotional doesn't help the situation much. Stay focused on YOUR own business. Don't allow the competition to get to your head. You lose respect from customers when you resort to unethical behavior. In the context of the online business world this unethical behavior could include using black-hat SEO strategies, putting down the competition in online forums and blogs, and simply not taking care of the customer. All that drama is just not worth it.

Have business lessons to share?

Photo Credit: WDPG share

Inspiration From "Inspired Marketing"

2009-04-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

I'm at the bookstore today working on a writing project and I took a break to explore the business and marketing books. One book that caught my eye is "Inspired Marketing" by Joe Vitale and Craig Perrine.

I browsed through the book and came across some very good nuggets of information. Joe Vitale never fails to deliver inspiring messages. He's a marketing guy who truly understands what it means to do what you love and allow the money to follow.

Here are a few tidbits of advice from "Inspired Marketing":

Inspired marketing is a powerful new way of connecting your customers that is authentic, doesn't require "strategy", and comes from the heart.

Hypnotic stories engage your audience far more easily than traditional formula-based sales copy.

By using Inspired marketing, you focus on your "inner game" and give up control and trust your unconscious mind to guide you.

Inspired marketing is a match between coming from the heart and possibly even from a sense of higher purpose or a higher inspiration and matching that with good marketing principles.

I love the philosophy of simply following your heart when it comes to marketing your business. It's amazing what happens when you stop working so hard and just sit back and enjoy what you're doing. You run your internet business from a place of inspiration versus a "need" to make money.

If you wake up in the morning and dread getting on the computer or you dread interacting with people (potential customers), then you're probably in the wrong business. That energy doesn't attract sales.

However, if you wake up in the morning and feel energized and ready to "get to work", then you're definitely coming from a place of inspiration.

How do you define inspired marketing?

Are you feeling inspired today?

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The Art of Listening To Customers

2009-04-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

In order to be a successful internet entrepreneur...I mean a really successful entrepreneur...You have to pay attention to and listen to your customers.

You may or may not know that I also blog over at People To People Service which covers all topics related to customer service. I understand the importance of service - especially in this day and age when there are so many companies to choose from and everyone is scrambling for customers.

The Art of Listening

One aspect of customer service that people should focus on is the art of listening. I say it's an art because listening requires focused energy - the type of energy that many people are not willing to exert these days.

“So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also to the feeling of what is being conveyed, to the whole of it, not part of it.” --Jiddu Krishnamurti

Liz Lynch says that listening is the most powerful personal strategy you can use....

Showing that you’re listening online is even more powerful, because when it’s so easy to post our thoughts, activities, and feelings everywhere, we don’t want all those thoughts, activities and feelings to be about us.

As an online business owner, one way you can listen is through the use of social media. Find out what customers in your industry are talking about...What their needs are... and what they are saying about your business. For more on this topic, I recommend downloading and reading Brian Solis' free ebook, Customer Service, The Art of Listening and Engagement Through Social Media.

Internet Business Owners Have to Listen Too

Many internet business owners hide behind their computers and think that they don't have to interact with customers. They think that they can just set everything up so that it's automated and sit back and collect PayPal payments.

Sure, that's a nice business model, but think about how much more business you could do if you interacted with customers and listened to their suggestions or complaints?

The Bottom Line

If you're not going to listen to your customers, someone else will!

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This post is part of the 31DBBB Challenge [Day 7]

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4 Entrepreneurs Who Are Dedicated To Helping You To Start An Internet Business

2009-04-08T02:10:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular posts on this blog is 10 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Starting An Online Business. As someone who is constantly urging people to start their own internet business - especially during these trying economic times - I thought I'd share information from other entrepreneurs like me who have a passion for helping people start an online business and make money online...

Yaro Starak - I've mentioned Yaro quite a few times on this blog. I've been reading his blog, Entrepreneurs-Journey.com for a few years now and I always come away learning something new. For those of you who are just starting out with an internet business, you should read Yaro's post, How To Start An Internet Business In 3 Easy Steps.

Willie Crawford - I found out about Willie through his BlogTalkRadio show and recently started reading Willie's blog, Willie Crawford Teaches Internet Marketing. I love all the great ideas he's shared and the down-to-earth approach he takes to internet marketing.

Phil Weslow - If you're on a tight budget and don't have much money to start a business online, you should read Phil's blog, Feedback Secrets. A couple months ago I interviewed Phil on my BlogTalkRadio show and he shared tips on starting an internet business on a budget.

Bob Doyle - Some of you may remember Bob from the popular movie, The Secret. Bob offers a "Six-Figure Streams" program which he developed into the "Passion Into Profit" (Only 27!) program. I haven't gone through either program myself, but based on some of the content I've heard through his "Wealth Beyond Reason" program, I assume his other programs are just as inspiring.

There are tons of other entrepreneurs who are ready and willing to help you start an online business, but the guys listed here are the ones who have really inspired me.

Are you ready to take the leap of faith and build a business that encompasses your passions and dreams?

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This post is part of Problogger's 31 DBBB Challenge [Day 2]

Problogger Challenge: 31 Days to a Better Blog

2009-03-30T23:53:00.000-07:00

If you're like me and your blog(s) is your business, you may be interested in signing up for the annual Problogger "31 Days to Build a Better Blog" Challenge.

I've signed up and will be applying the daily "homework" to this blog. One of the things I'd like to really work on is bringing in more traffic to this blog and hopefully I'll see an improvement in 31 days!

The challenge doesn't start for another week, so in the meantime I invite you to read a couple articles I've published over at Associated Content about blogging: