April 5, 2010

A Home-Based Franchise Primer... The Center of Attention...
The Heart of Your Marketing Plan... Share Your Thrifty Tips
as an Info Marketer... and More.

If you're thinking of starting a home-based business, but aren't sure of what type of business to start, then you might consider getting involved with a proven success. A franchise could be the answer to all of your problems.

There are home-based franchise opportunities popping up all over the place, so if you want to start a business, but find that your biggest problem is getting a great idea, then take a look at buying into a franchise.

A franchise offers a number of benefits for a budding entrepreneur. The first, of course, is that all the thinking is basically done for you in terms of the concept. Often, the hardest part of starting a business is that first stage of determining what type of business will be profitable. A franchise handles the idea stage for you.

Not to mention that you know the franchise you choose will probably work. Risk is a big reason why so many people stay away from starting their own business. If you buy a franchise, you at least have some idea that it can work or that it has worked in the past. There are no guarantees with any business, but if there has been success in the past, then you know that the franchise's business model can work.

On that note, a franchise also offers some relief in terms of business planning. When you buy a franchise, you know what you're getting. Generally, you get the business model/plan as well as some training to get you started. You are shown how to run the business and why it can work.

Before you throw down your investment money, you want to make sure that the franchise you choose to go with is a legitimate one. As is the case with many things, there are a number of scams out there, so you want to make sure that you're not being taken advantage of.

The first thing to remember is that any advertisement stating that you can get rich without any effort is probably a scam. It's a business — you're going to have to work at it, so keep that in mind.

You can also do some research through the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission. Make sure that the franchise hasn't been investigated in the past and that there aren't any red flags present in regards to their practices.

You should also check in with the franchise you have chosen. Make a few calls and get the names of franchisees that have taken advantage of this opportunity.

The Internet is a great resource for finding these opportunities. A simple search will provide you with a number of franchise opportunities, but it's up to you to decipher the good from the bad.

Entrepreneur.com's "Franchise Zone"
(http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/index.html) is a good resource for finding popular home-based franchise opportunities. They provide information on the franchise as well as the contact information. The best advice is to stick to web sites and links that are reputable. If you've heard of the publication, then you can be relatively sure that they have done the proper research on these companies.

As long as you're willing to do the research before you write out a check, then you shouldn't fall prey to a scam.

A franchise is a great way to take advantage of someone else's innovation. Often, you can find franchises to invest in for a very small amount of money that have a lot of potential.

If you choose something you're interested in, then you will find the business a lot easier to run. And remember, even though the idea and business model have been thought out for you, managing the business is in your hands. Even the best business idea can fail in the wrong hands. So make sure that you're ready for the commitment and the hard work. If you are, then a franchise could be a great way for you to make big money.

Let me tell you about the taping of a current affairs show I attended recently. This show presents some nightly news topics as well as several interviews with celebrities, musicians and newsmakers. I had been watching the show nightly and, since it is filmed near my house, a few colleagues and myself decided to see just what goes on behind the scenes.

The entire set-up of the show had a very laid-back feeling. We weren't rushed to our seats and there was no sign demanding we be quiet. Everyone in the audience just seemed to know when to applaud, when to laugh and when to keep to themselves.

During the show, the host sat and talked with the audience and invited as many questions as he could answer during breaks. And, after the show, the host had a very informal chat with those of us who chose to stick around.

Near the front sat a group of aspiring journalists from a nearby college. As should be expected, the group was full of questions for the host about working in the news industry and conducting interviews.

The host's advice was simple and honest. He said that, in his industry, simply completing your schooling is just a start. You then have to spend years grinding it out in low-paying jobs and working some pretty insane hours.

One thing I noticed was that, during this entire exchange, everyone left in the studio was paying rapt attention. The host was literally carrying on a conversation with the 20 or so people who stuck around, taking questions and addressing everyone.

And this is what I want to share with you today. You see, the host was a fairly short guy, wasn't overly handsome and really wouldn't normally stick out in a crowd. But he had developed a presence that demanded attention. He certainly wasn't born with this ability, and you can tell it took him a lot of work to get where he is today.

If you're worried that people aren't giving you the respect you deserve, here are a few tips you can use to help develop a commanding presence in any situation:

1. Be confident. If you don't believe what you're saying then no one else will. So, talk about what you know and present it with some authority.
   
   
2. Be enthusiastic. Some people just have a soft or gentle voice and, unfortunately, no matter how important what they have to say is, they will never get the attention they need.
   
   
3. Be positive. Even when presenting depressing or disturbing information, try to stay positive. There's a bright side to every situation; you just need to find it.
   
   
4. Stay on topic. There's nothing more irritating than someone who constantly shifts the topic of conversation. So, when you need to introduce a story that may be unrelated, be sure to acknowledge this and inform everyone you are speaking to.

Keep these tips in mind the next time you're sharing a story and you'll be the center of attention in any situation.

Today, we're going to get to the meat and potatoes of putting together a quality marketing plan. We'll cover the most crucial information content and how you should use it.

• Customer Demographics:
  This should outline who your customers are. Meaning,
  what is their age, income, family situation, where they
  spend their time and money, etc.
  
  
• Description of Competitors:
  This should outline who your competitors are, their
  marketing strategy, market share, demand, their
  strength and weaknesses and how you differentiate
  and fill the void.
  
  
• Description of your Product or Service:
  Talk about what your product is, any special features,
  what makes it unique, how it works, etc.
  
  
• Marketing Budget:
  This includes your promotional plan, advertising costs
  and any other costs that will arise in marketing the
  product.
  
  
• Location Description: This is an explanation of where
  your business is located and what marketing advantages
  or disadvantages are associated with it.
  
  
• Pricing Strategy:
  This outlines how you choose to price your products
  and why.
  
  
• Market Segmentation:
  This section shows how different subgroups in
  your marketare expected to react to your product and
  how you expect to turn them to customers.

Aside from outlining your marketing strategies, your marketing plan should also provide some intangibles to your operation. First off, it should get everyone involved in the project excited. It should serve as a common point of interest to keep people focused and upbeat about achieving the featured goals as a team.

Next, your marketing plan can serve as a frequent point of reference to track your company's progress. By looking over it on a regular basis, you can see where you've been and, more importantly, where you're going. It can help keep you on track, plus provide positive reinforcement by showing that you are constantly making positive progress.

A marketing plan will also work to keep your business intact and consistent. After all, people will always come and go in your business. Partners may leave, employees come and go and other components and players may turn over rather regularly. Your marketing plan, however will keep your goals and practices consistent, helping to reinforce the foundation of your business.

** All Things Cool in Info Marketing
By James Burt, Online Marketing Expert

If you read the e-Wealth Daily Bulletin, you know about the terrible situations people have gotten into by being in credit card debt. This, coupled with some recent economic upheaval has put some consumers into crippling debt, and they do not have the cash to pay it back. You might even ask the inevitable question: man, how did it get this way?

Well, like anything, it's complicated. Things were good for a long time. People had jobs and regular incomes. Just a few years back, it didn't seem a like a big stretch to refurnish the living room and assume you could pay it back later. But then things went sour in the world economy and many people were faced with serious debt problems.

Perhaps this happened to you. Or perhaps you were able to avoid it. Either way, whatever you have been through could be a good source of information marketing. Whatever you have learned by being your own personal "budgeter" can be valuable info to other people going through tough times.

If you've been taking public transit lately and have seen all the ads for debt management companies promising to help those who need it, you know what I am talking about. While I have a lot of respect for these companies, they are often expensive and claim to have a fast solution to your money woes. This doesn't always work for everyone. Different money problems can take a long time to correct and proper instruction/advice overtime is needed to develop good financial management skills in people.

That's when an info marketer can step in. Someone with tips and regular information can provide personal budgeting information to clients over a long period of time. You don't have to a certified pro to do this. You just have to provide good tips, like these:

• Debt: Paying off debt is a tough, grueling, and often embarrassing process. In a way, it should not be, as many people, including students and self-employed entrepreneurs, go through it regularly. The problem is knowing exactly how to pay it off and on what installment plan. How much do you send the creditor a month and still have some cash for rent, food, and amenities? What interest rates are you going to expect? How long will it take? Like I said before, there are a lot of companies that can help people with this, but someone who has been through it or has some experience in debt counseling might have some real firsthand information that clients can use. This person might be you and you can provide that vital info on a regular basis as an info marketer.
  
  
• Savings and investments: If you're a parent, you probably know all about this. Right from their infancy, you start to think about what kind of cash you need to take off your paycheck for in order to save for your children's education. You do know it's going to be expensive and that you have to do your deduction regularly? But how much do you have to save? What about your own savings, investment and retirement funds? Are there are any tax breaks associated with your savings? All valid questions that need strong information to help answer. Hopefully someone reading this has such info and can establish a good info marketing business on budgeting savings deductions. I might even become a client.
  
  
• Holidays: You've been working for a long time and now
  you and the spouse want to take that holiday in Vegas or go on that mountaineering trip to Nepal that you've been dreaming about for years. Great, but how much do you have to shell out for it? Holidays haven't changed much over the years — it's mostly planning and organization that make them work. But part of that planning is coming up with the correct budgets for food, expenses, and lodging. If you are a holiday budgeting pro, there is a whole audience out there of people who want to know how to budget for a relaxing vacation.
  
  
• Basic living expenses: My uncle will often tell others the story of how he had to bail his daughter out of debt once and took a great thrill in cutting up her credit cards with a fish-filleting knife. But he also said that he felt bad in not giving her the right budgeting tips on living within her means when she was younger. Sure, that new couch and eating seafood every night is great, but these can get you into the hole fast. People often need basic tips on how to budget their basic living costs. This is an info marketing outlet that many, many people can get in on and provide even more people on how to manage their household cash efficiently.

The discipline of budgeting is the cornerstone to living a stress-free existence. If you know how to deal with your money, you can live a happier life. Some are better at it than others. If you are good at it, you can use your knowledge in info marketing to help others who could desperately use what you have to offer.