Archive for May, 2007»
Rule # 1: Don’t Waste Your Money …
One of the things I learned early on in my home business journey was that you can not afford to waste money. Money can be spent on so many different and useful tools, information, etc. Being the guy from Australia, I quickly learned that many of my business partners were based in the United States or other places overseas. Now, to use our normal telephone provider would mean very expensive calls at long distant rates. That would equate to hundreds , if not thousands of dollars spent in training calls, conferences, and relationship building calls.
I learned of Skype early on also. I used them for a short period too. The huge problem with Skype is that their service in Australia for Computer to phone is extremely bad. I was constantly repeating myself and I guess the professional look that I wanted to portray flew right out the window! Cheap calls, Extremely bad reception. Note: this is probably the result for people in Australia. Skype users in Europe most probably get great reception. Computer to computer calls - Skype is perfect.
VOIP and what is it all about …
One of my mentors told me about VOIP. Voip is basically the ability to make calls using broadband Internet. You can plug in a soft phone, which is like a microphone with headset (but its shaped like a phone), and plug it straight into your USB port on your home computer. This enables you to make calls from your computer, when your computer is on. You can also receive calls from your computer.
I experimented with this technology and was glad I did. I was spending about 10 cents on unlimited calls all over Australia and many countries overseas (USA, NZ, UK, Europe). However, I wanted better. I wanted to be able to receive calls and make calls with my computer turned off. Wow, was I asking for the moon here? I wanted all of this and possibly a rate even cheaper than the 10 cents I was paying per call and 22 cents per mobile phone call/minute.
Technology is an amazing thing. Keeping up to date with it is even better.
I discovered many voip deals on the market in Australia. Many were advertising plans. An example of this is where the company may charge you a monthly fee of $20 or $25 to use their voip phone service. Beware! There is definitely no need to pay for a service provider with voip. In my experience you should not pay a monthly fee unless it is extremely low and you get some crazy bonuses. Otherwise - it’s a trap in order to get your money. Remember, you want to save money in order to spend it on worth while business productivity.
Like all things - Research is Key
I done my due diligence on whirlpool.net.au and discovered that there were prepay voip services. You pay only for the calls you make. That sounded like what I wanted! Actually there were pages of voip providers. I also realized that I would need different appliances in order to use voip without my computer on. Hmm, it was going to be a bit of a mess ….
…until I found out that there are modems where all you need to do is plug in your phone and Internet connection - and that’s it! No messy, mucking around with wires and other devices. A simple voip modem which enabled the use of voip. So, I chose a Voip service provider which charges me 8cents for unlimited calls across Australia, USA, Europe, UK, NZ, and heaps of other countries. Mobiles are at 12 cents per minute and 50 FREE SMS messages which I can send from my computer!
The quality is great and I am saving a truck load of money each month. I love it so much that I no longer use our ‘normal’ telephone exchange provider for the calls I make. I just rent the phone line and make all of my phone calls via Voip.
Conferencing with Voip? You better believe it!
Voip is essential for business success if you intend to make overseas calls and do so regularly. It is also much cheaper than local calls - so it benefits you in that area too. I checked out the USA, and their voip services are even cheaper than Australia’s. There are literally hundreds of voip providers out there. Many have also adapted voip into their conferences. You see, phone conferencing is slowly dying out. Other services which ask you to dial a number on your phone for audio conferencing and then go to your Internet to view the conference - is STUPID!
Why am I so harsh here? Simple, many overseas business owners are sick and tired of not feeling like part of the team. Many have to dial an international number at international rates (…not if you have voip…). What a pain!
What I see happening in the NOW and future are conference calls on the Internet utilizing voip. That way local and international clients or business customers can just type in a URL and assist on the call - FREE of Charge. Many companies have this service at ridiculously high prices. However they know that it is the wave of the future. Think of how better your MLM team or your Network Marketing Team would function if you could have a world wide training call where your business partners and prospects didn’t have to pay a cent to attend! Where you could share files, have a whiteboard to demonstrate key concepts, web cam so the team could build rapport… the benefits are endless.
Remember - voip is the NOW for your business. I haven’t promoted any company here as this is only for your information, not for me to profit from you. Hopefully this information will enable you to being your journey in putting your business where it needs to be. Let me know when it does : )
“Plan Your Success - Execute Your Plan” - Nic Faivre
Nicolas Faivre is a full time internet based network marketer who is a managing partner with the 5 Star Success Team. Nic Loves to travel and is an avid Real Estate “Hunter”. Nic believes in the power of giving without want and his dedication to his team shows. Nic Faivre can be reached at http://www.nicfaivre.com
Whether it involves remortgages, credit cards, car loans, college tuition, or just extra cash to help pay household expenses and stave off rising inflation, money is more difficult to come by and will be increasingly scarce as the year progresses.
According to the Telegraph, lenders have an estimated £505bn of bad credit loan (sub-prime) liabilities on their books. To solve the problem, banks are offering to sell these damaged assets cut-price. But they are willing to lend investors the money to buy them. In other words, the banks are providing new debt for the old debt they no longer want. It does not take a degree from the London School of Economics to realise that such logic makes poor financial sense, and when banks throw good money against bad money, it is a sign that things are getting worse, not better.
What is driving this ongoing crisis? Several factors continue to batter the markets as they conspire to create a “perfect storm” of financial trouble that is washing ashore from its port of origin, the heavily plagued USA.
Now oil sells for around $145 a barrel, and Iran has threatened to close the Straits of Hormuz. That would cut off a quarter of the world’s oil supply and bring the global economy to its knees.
One industry report predicts that within the next two years credit card companies will have withdrawn more than $2 trillion in credit previously extended to cardholders.
Prices for new-build flats were selling early this year at auctions for 26 per cent less than the original purchasers paid. Now economists predict that they will as much as 45 to 50 percent before they hit bottom.
The Guardian reports that £42bn was withdrawn by homeowners last year, but the figure looks set to fall this year as the impact of the credit crunch continues to push up mortgage rates and restrict the number of large loans on offer.
When stalwart banks have trouble with their own credit and borrowing ability, consumers know that they are really in deep trouble. The way lenders shore up their own leaking purses is to tighten credit, enforce strict loan regulations, and essentially withdraw credit that consumers have grown to depend upon and expect. But in the USA, for example, hundreds of thousands of consumers just got official notices to inform them that their lines of credit - for everything from mortgages to equity loans to basic consumer credit cards - have been revoked.
The rules are changing in the middle of the game, and lenders are interpreting the all-important credit score numbers differently now that things are going badly. So many people who had good credit a few months ago are now considered bad credit risks. With weaker credit comes an inability to borrow, especially at reasonable rates of interest, so the coming months spell doom and gloom for a growing number of UK consumers.
Luckily for them, providers of loans for bad credit - who were in business many years before the current credit crisis started - are standing by their promises to provide good loans to those who happen to have bad credit. They were not so popular a couple of years ago, because mainstream banks were practically giving money away for free. But now that those conventional lenders are back-peddling and closing their doors - and vaults - to many customers, providers of loans for bad credit are stepping into the limelight as a legitimate loan alternative.
Loans for Bad Credit :: Bringing you breaking Bad Credit Loan news
http://www.loansbadcredit.org.uk
Andy Hygate writes for Loans bad credit a leading UK provider of Bad Credit Loans
Want to get online writing jobs? These five tips will help. Writing skills are in huge demand; set up your own home business and prosper.
1. Samples and Testimonials Sell
Your first step is to get four to five writing jobs - any writing jobs at all. Your clients will want to see examples of your writing; they also want to know that you’re reliable, and that you will deliver what they paid for.
The easiest way to get these initial jobs is on the out-sourcing sites, or by visiting busy forums where Webmasters and online marketers congregate.
Remember that your primary aim is to get testimonials, so don’t be shy of asking for them. People are more than pleased to say that they’re happy with the services you provide - just ask.
Here’s a tip; provide a “sample” testimonial for your buyers to use. They can add their own words, or simply tell you they’re happy to go with what you’ve written. Writing a sample testimonial ensures that you’ll get a testimonial fast - otherwise you may be waiting for weeks, because people are busy.
2. You Must Have a Web Site
These days, there’s no excuse for not having a Web site. A Blogger blog takes seconds to set up, and it’s free.
3. Ask Questions - Give Buyers Exactly What They Want
Here’s my most important tip: ASK questions about any writing job you’re given. No, it won’t make you look stupid - it will make you look competent. Repeat, in your own words, what the writing job is - this ensures you’ve got it right. Since some writing jobs’ brief (description) may be just a couple of sentences, this is vital.
If you’re unsure about anything at all, please remember to ask. When you know exactly what the job is, not only can you get it done faster, but you’ll eliminate procrastination, which often stems from uncertainty.
4. Offer Guarantees - They Give Buyers Confidence
You’re an unknown quantity to your buyers. They may have been burned by online “writers” in the past. Offer a money-back guarantee, and mean it.
Online writing jobs are usually paid on retainer; that is, you get 50 per cent up front, before you start the job. Therefore, offering a full guarantee ensures that you get trust and more buyers of your writing services.
5. Become a “Writer on Retainer” for Businesses and Get Paid in Advance
I write on retainer for several businesses; I’ve been their writer for years. Once you get some writing jobs, offer to write on retainer. This is money in the bank for you, and it’s easy for the businesses - you’re on retainer, so they know you’ll drop everything else and write a project for them, because you’ve been paid already.
If you’re not familiar with retainers, here’s how they work. A business pays you a sum, each month, for writing a specific project, or simply to hold yourself ready to write for them - to keep a clear space in your calendar.
This is good for them, and of course it’s good for you, too.
Discover how to make money online today with Angela Booth’s Sell Your Writing Online NOW at http://sellwritingnow.com/Home/training.html You’ll learn how to write and sell articles, blogs, ebooks and Web sites for profit, and you’ll get complete training in how the Web works, so you can take advantage of the unlimited opportunities.
For free weekly writing information sent to your Inbox, subscribe to Angela’s Fab Freelance Writing Ezine at http://fabfreelancewriting.com/ezine/fab-freelance-writing-ezine.html and receive “Write And Sell Your Writing: The Power-Write Report” immediately.
Fellow motorists are paying out more than £500m a year in order to cover drivers who are uninsured - and that is ignoring the financial costs of accidents caused by those who drive without insurance.
Research by a comparison website has revealed that on average £31 a year is added to the typical driver’s car insurance bill and in addition to this premium increase 68 per cent of motorists involved in an accident with uninsured drivers have to incur liability, either by making a car insurance claim of their own (49 per cent) or paying for the incident themselves (19 per cent).
Consequently, there are calls for the Government to take action. The average fine for being caught driving uninsured is just £250, which the majority of respondents felt was too low.
The police are making moves to curb the growth of uninsured drivers by using number plate recognition technology and working closely with the Motor Insurance Bureau granting them access to policies that have expired within seven days - as a result, the number of seizures increased by 100 per cent in 2007, compared to 2006.
Uninsured drivers are urged to think of the consequences of their actions - not only could they be fined but they could be left with a much lengthier driving ban.
Car insurance needn’t cost the earth - with a comparison website you can compare dozens of policies in minutes to secure a comparatively cheap quote. According to statistics, 50 per cent of those who drive uninsured are under the age of 29 but even young drivers can benefit from policy incentives such as rapid bonus schemes, and discounts for mileage limits and completing a Pass Plus course.
Compare car insurance now to find an affordable policy for you - and help to drive down car insurance quotes for all drivers.
Exercise centers often offer the same workout experience from facility to facility. Exercise facilities can have differences, the staff, the layout etc. Not necessarily, most fitness centers just offer a place to workout without anything beyond that.
This is not to say that a given fitness center is without its benefits. Most of them provide the quality of experience which fitness-minded people desire. For most, the local gym or health club provide the need that you are after and will keep you coming back.
However, many, if not most, fitness centers in, and elsewhere, cannot provide the focused attention, environment and quality of training that some of us seek. It can be tough to ask for help from a fitness trainer in a big health club and feel like you are on display. Most of us, I’m guessing, would prefer to have the undivided attention of a personal trainer, while not dividing the attention of those around.
There is no reason to have esteem issues when working with one trainer, one location, one tailored workout routine.
Unless your fitness center is open 24-hours and is vacant at, say 2 am, or you belong to an exclusive–and expensive–fitness center, the ability to maximize the time, energy and effort to pursue a life-changing workout regimen without the many distractions found in the average fitness center in is compromised.
Providing a private, one-on-one training experience that focuses only on the individual, their goals, their needs and desires, even their respirations and exertion level…
“It all goes to making the sometimes daunting effort of getting in shape an enjoyable, challenging and worthwhile journey.”
Now, we might think the midpoint of a journey is when the distance before us is equal to the distance gained. This is true in a physical sense. Emotionally, however, we might consider the first step toward a goal as momentous, as it took an investment of faith and courage to make that first stride possible.
Some fitness centers recognizes this investment, one that may well have been borne out of of any number of personal reasons that make it a dear investment, indeed. This recognition is worthy of an investment of our own, which we pledge, and together we stride toward greater health and fulfillment.
Discover how a quality private fitness center along with coaching will help you lose fat and tone up… FAST!
Zach Hunt is a Spokane Fitness Center expert, fitness coach and owner of Physzique, a fitness coaching service in Spokane, WA. Go here: Personal Trainer Spokane for more fitness tips.
Women Drivers and Cheaper Car Insurance
For several reasons car insurers are more comfortable with female drivers than their male counterparts. And this has had implications, positively, on the premiums this category of car insurance policyholder pays when compared to the opposite gender.
In recent times, a number of studies have come to acknowledge the fact the women drivers are a lot more cautious when behind the wheel than men. They are, most importantly, less likely to have motoring convictions.
These findings have formed the basis on which car insurers judge women drivers and fix the premiums they pay when taking out the cover.
Complementing this position is a new study from moneysupermaket.com that found that women’s car insurance premiums are still cheaper than those of men. And that the worst hit in terms of expensive premiums are young male drivers. This is not unconnected to the fact that young men are more likely to show-off while driving and in the process either risk accidents or fall foul of the law and incur penalties that would mean costs for their insurer. Thus, the costs are often passed on to the members of this age category and gender.
It is interesting to know that the women pay nine per cent less than men in their 20s. While the former pays just an average of £320, the latter pays £50 more to get the same cover for a similar car.
Even among men, clearly, age difference is a determinant. This is because men in their 20s pay up to 41 per cent more than those in their 30s. Perhaps the realisation that as young men get older they acquire a greater sense of responsibility comes into play here. And in a positive way it helps in getting the premiums drop a little.
Another example of the role age plays in deciding the cost of the policy for men is that even at the teenage level there is a difference in premium between what a man of 18 pays to what he pays if he was a year older. While at 18 the average premium for a young man is £1,815, it drops by more than half when he clocks 19, to £874.
Yet a more amazing case is that as drivers get older their premiums on car insurance drop, with women paying an average of £203 a year as they reach their 50s, and men in their 50s even pay less than women - an average of £199. For the first time men are given the benefit of doubt and, perhaps, seen as less risky than women.
Commenting on the whole situation an expert in the industry, Peter Gerrard, who is also the head of insurance research at moneysupermarket.com noted that often insurers consider young men and newly qualified drivers as high risk. This, thus, affects their chances of getting competitive motor insurance.
The trouble for people in this situation is that in the absence of any competitive deals they end up with just any deal they could find and most likely the most expensive.
Although women are often at an advantage in terms of choices and even cheaper car insurance, the general advice experts usually give people looking to take out car insurance is they should take their time and shop around for the best deal.
To save costs, therefore, there is no better time for people to shop around for their deals before signing up to any insurance policy. Technology has simplified things for everyone and people can even search online.
Musa is an author of several articles pertaining to Car Insurance. He is known for his expertise on the subject and on other Business and Finance related articles.
Want to make more money with your blog? In this article you’ll discover four easy ways in which you can boost your income fast. You can turn your blog into a great home business.
A blog is a great way to make money online. There are few startup costs, and the only investments you need to make are time and energy.
Here are four ways to increase your blog’s income.
1. Blog More - the More Content Your Blog Has, the More Traffic You’ll Get
Each post on your blog is a page, and although it’s possible to make an income with a blog which has fewer than ten pages, the more competitive your niche (topic) the more pages you need.
Think of each page of your blog as a gateway. The more pages, the more people will find you, and the more income you will make.
2. Research Keywords for Your Niche - Keywords Help People to Find Your Blog
Your visitors will find your blog by typing search terms (keywords) into a Web search engine’s query field. Therefore, you must use the keywords which they will use in your blog’s posts. Research keywords using the many online tools to ensure that you are using the words that your visitors use.
It’s easy to forget keywords when you’re writing, so check that you’ve used them in each post. However, don’t overuse them; write naturally.
3. Track Your Blog’s Income - Look for Higher Paying Advertising and Affiliate Programs
When you track your blog’s income, you’ll know which posts attract the most visitors, and make the most sales. Check your statistics at least once a week, and create a spreadsheet with the date, the number of unique visitors, the amount of sales, and how you made the sales.
You also need to look for new money making opportunities constantly. There are dozens of advertising and affiliate networks you can join. Test a couple of new programs each week, and watch for the release of new programs.
Try and test - that’s the way to ensure that your income rises each month.
4. Start Another Blog - New Niches from Old
Your visitors are looking for specific information. Once your blog has several hundred posts, you may find that 50 per cent of your visitors find your blog using one or two keywords.
If these keywords are profitable, consider starting a new blog, focused on that area. This new blog will be more sharply targeted than your original blog, and you should find that it becomes more profitable more quickly.
You can make money blogging. Discover how with pro blogger and copywriter Angela Booth. She’ll teach you how to blog the right way, so your blog is profitable from the start, with her bestseller, “Blogging for Dollars” at http://www.abmagic.com/Blog/blogging.html
Angela’s blogging ebook package has a companion blog, the Blogging for Dollars Blog at http://www.dollars2blog.com/blog/ which keeps you up to date with what’s happening in the world of professional blogging.
