March 4, 2010

10 Ways to Accumulate More Money... Your Competition Has
the Key to Your Success... How to Win at the Olympics (and in
Business)... How to Find Customers for Your Info Marketing
Business... and More.

Are there really secrets to attracting and saving money that most people don't know? Probably not.

However, there are a lot of things you can do that will increase your chances of becoming wealthy. In fact, I've found 10 things that you can do that will have you attracting money like a super magnet attracts a safety pin:

1) Look to Make, Not Spend: As a consumer, you are bombarded with opportunities to spend your money. The marketing and advertising are geared to that specific group that acts as if it were allergic to money!

As soon as these people get a raise or a bonus or a tax refund check, they find something they can spend it on. A new wardrobe, a new car, and new electronics are just a few of the items that these people can throw their money at.

Use your money to make money. Remember the old saying that a mediocre investment is better than a good purchase.

2) Separate Your Wants From Your Needs: Do you find yourself constantly searching for the next product to buy? Do you always have to own cutting-edge products? If this is you, then you might have to change "I really want this" to "Do I really need this?"

There are two trends that consumers are falling for: smaller electronics and larger perishable items. So, think about whether you really need the cell phone that's the size of a "Tic Tac" box or the eight-gallon jar of mayonnaise. The small phone will work just as well as the regular-sized one and, while the mayonnaise might be better priced on a per-ounce level, save your money (and your heart!) and get a regular-sized jar.

3) A "New & Improved" Way to Throw Away Your Money: Buying a new car? Why? I've written in the past about the benefits of owning a used car. But this "New & Improved" theory doesn't just apply to cars.

This sales tactic works with televisions, appliances, computers, various household items, etc. The common practice for a lot of the manufacturers is to convince you that what you currently have is out of date. Most times, it's nonsense!

For example, the new flat-screen technology for televisions claims that the picture is clearer and ,more life-like than the old tube screens. That may be true, but if your only problem with your current TV is that it's not a flat screen, then you've fallen into the "New & Improved" trap.

4) Reward Yourself... But Keep It Special: Life isn't just work. You like to enjoy the fruits of your labor, which is great! But try to make your rewards goal-oriented.

If you reward yourself too often, then the novelty of that "special treat" is gone. Also, if you reward yourself too much (for example, saving $1,000 and spending it all), you can drop yourself back to where you started. Liken it to someone who loses 50 pounds and, as a reward, eats enough to put the 50 pounds back on.

Use goals to give yourself rewards. Go out for a nice night on the town every time you save $500. If you want an expensive gadget (like a miniature cell phone or flat-screen TV), save double of what it costs. It will make you more motivated to save your money.

5) Set Goals and Prosper: So many people say, "I want to be rich!" I ask these people a few questions:

How rich do you want to be?
How do you plan on getting rich?
When do you want to be rich?

The answers I get back are:

I don't know, I don't know and, I don't know.

Well, without a goal to strive for, you will never achieve the wealth you want. Saying "I want to be rich" is not enough. Saying that you want to net $2.0 million by the end of next November by turning your new business idea into a moneymaking venture is the way to prosper!

In my next article, I'll reveal the remaining five ways to accumulate more money!

Most budding entrepreneurs curse the competition and see them as the only thing standing between them and ultimate success. But, truth be told, your competition can be a big asset when you're starting out.

It can be a daunting task to research the market and determine how you're going to run your business. However, if somebody else has already done the work, then you can use what they have already accomplished as a starting point for your business model.

Not sure how to price your products? Well, what does the competition charge? If they are successful, then obviously they're doing something right, so why not take a look at their pricing? Not only do you not want to price too low and risk losing money, but you also want to know how high you can go with your pricing so that people will still pay. The competition already knows all about workable price ranges, so take their lead.

Use their strengths as a springboard and add your own unique skills to help your business rise above theirs. For instance, what services do they provide and what products are they selling? It will make your work a lot easier if you know what you need to provide your customers with in order to make money. If you know what elements are making your competition successful, then use that knowledge and copy their actions.

Also find out what they're not selling. This is important, because you can potentially corner a market that they haven't yet touched upon. Find out their reasons for not selling certain products before you go ahead with this. If you find that there is no reason why you cannot proceed, then go ahead and beat your competition to the punch.

Remember that competition breeds sales and this can be a good thing. Think about it this way: they already have customers, so you know that the business you're thinking of can work. You know that there is a market for your product or service and that you can make money. Also keep in mind that customers want choices.

If there's a new kid on the block, then customers will check out what they have to offer. If your prices are lower -- and your customer service is better -- then you can steal away the competition's customers. Just remember to use the competition to your advantage by putting your own unique spin on their success.

Earlier this week, the 21st Winter Olympic Games came to a close. And, for the host country, Canada, it was a great success.

Before the games started, the Canadian team set the goal of "owning the podium." This was the country's goal to win the medal count and establish themselves on the world stage as a top-notch group of athletes. Since being awarded the Olympics eight years earlier, this had been the plan.

Although Canada finished third in the total medal count with 26 (the American team won with 37), they managed to set an Olympic Record with 14 gold medals. So, although they may not have owned the podium, they definitely owned the gold. Not bad for a country of roughly 33 million people.

What Canada's Olympic Team, and athletes from all over the world, taught us over the past two weeks is that, by setting goals and working hard to achieve them, anything is possible. All you have to do is come up with a reasonable goal and take the necessary steps to achieve it.

This can't be done quickly, and patience is necessary when it comes to achieving goals. You have to be able to sit back, put things in perspective and come up with a clear picture of what needs to be done to get to where you want to go. Once you've done that, start moving forward.

It's important to know that you're going to hit some unforeseen bumps along the way; this is a simple fact of life. When you encounter them, however, keep your goals in mind and do not give up. Look at the problem ahead of you and come up with ways to move on.

You'll never encounter a problem that doesn't have a solution, so don't let one defeat you. Be confident that your hard work will pay off.

Whether you're looking to achieve success in business, your personal life, or anything at all, setting goals and working hard is essential. Look to others for inspiration and notice that, if they were able to achieve their goals, there's no reason why you can't.

** How to Find Customers for Your Info Marketing Business
By James Burt, Online Marketing Expert

In business, the saying is always the same: "At the end of the day, it's all about the customers."

Whether serving someone a cheeseburger or giving financial advice, the professional's livelihood is completely dependent on clients and their patronage. In info marketing, the customers you get really rely on you and the information you provide them. Over time, your customers are a nice steady foundation of work and you establish a great relationship with them based on professionalism, delivering your info products, and their continued purchasing of what you have to offer.

Of course, the inevitable question pops up in mind: is it possible to get more clients?

You have the classic scenario of business going well, you being on a professional roll, and having a firm client body who returns ready to pay for your info products. But is it possible to add to the roster? The answer is yes, you can.

In canvassing for new clients, you have to work hard to search out new clientele. It can be a tough exercise, but is well worth it in the end. You build a stronger customer base for your business, establish new professional relationships and, better yet, bring in more cash!

If you are going to canvass for info marketing business, there are some good rules to abide by. Here they are:

--- Check the laws: If you've ever worked in sales, especially telemarketing, you know how important canvassing is. But thanks to some overzealous sales people in the past, like telemarketing companies and complaints from the general public, laws for sales people have changed over the last 10 years. Strict legal guidelines must be adhered to if you want to canvass strangers for your business. I would advise anybody seeking new clients for their business through canvassing to do a quick check of the sales laws in their area. It's not that hard, as you can check them online through your local small business institute or through your local government office. But it's worth it in the end, as it can save you a lot of legal headaches.

--- Put together a canvassing package: Once you're in the clear legally, it's beneficial to sit down and put together a good canvassing package. Think about who you want to canvass to. It's best to direct your info product to people who might be interested in your info product. I would suggest putting together a well-written sales letter and/or short ad with some small graphics. You can get sales letter templates off the Internet or from your local library or small business center.

--- Get other pros involved: Unless you are a super-skilled sales type with loads of savvy, I recommend getting others involved with your canvassing project. Don't worry -- it's not expensive at all and they can really help you with the little things in your canvassing project. If you decide to do up a small ad or banner, it's a good idea to get a graphic designer to help you with this. If you decide to canvass online, check out a good digital ad agency that can help you get noticed online. Be sure to take recommendations from friends who have also done canvassing before and see what tips they can offer.

--- Go for it: Once you have your canvassing package complete, it's time to get it out. Put your canvassing material into the public spotlight. If you have a small ad, get it into a good trade magazine. Send out your e-mails through a mailing list your ad agency has established for you. Send out your print canvass ads by mail as a package. In short, put yourself in the public eye as someone seeking new clients and who can deliver the real goods once people come inquiring.

--- Don't worry about "no:" It's inevitable that some people might discard your canvassing material or not be interested in what you have to offer. That's life. But take this bit of advice to soften the blow of rejection. And know that, for every few out there who say "No," there will be someone who will say "Let's see" or, even better, "Yes" to your ads. Once that happens, it's your turn to deliver your info material promptly. Keep that great future moment in mind while working hard at your canvassing campaign.

Like I said, canvassing can be a tough process. You really have to apply yourself and be relentless about it. But believe me when I say that it's well worth the effort. Building up your client base through canvassing is other way to keep your info marketing business successful and establish great new relationships in the process.

Good luck!