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Archives
April 15, 2010
Strength in Numbers for New Entrepreneurs... What You Have
in Common with the World's Most Successful Self-made
Millionaires... The Value of Everything... An Info Marketer's
Best Friend... and More.
Strength in Numbers for New Entrepreneurs
By Adrian Newman, Founder of e-Wealth Daily
Small businesses -- especially sole proprietorships -- can be
lonely places for their owners at times. As an independent
entrepreneur, you are struggling on your own to succeed in
business. The only person helping you achieve your goals is
you.
However, let me say, if you're lost at sea, there is a lighthouse
in the distance and it's in the form of trade associations.
If you are feeling out of the loop, lost, in need of help, or just
have a desire to get more from your business, then maybe you
should consider looking into these organizations for support.
Remember that there is strength in numbers.
There are thousands and thousands of trade associations all
over the country. Even if your business is prospering, you can
use these associations to take your company to the next level.
Big businesses have a lot of pull and they control industries.
This can make sole proprietors feel rather insignificant. That's
where trade associations come in. For small business owners, a
trade association can be a means of power as well as an outlet
for information that, on their own, they would not otherwise be
privy to.
Associations exist to help businesses help one another.
Together, the members of the associations can effect change
where it is needed and make things happen. A group of a
thousand people is much more powerful than just one
individual on their own.
On a smaller scale, they offer a number of benefits to the small
business owner. Networking, for example, is a huge benefit.
You can expose your business to a number of people who share
common goals. These are great places for referrals and
contacts, which can mean an increase in business.
One of the more important benefits, in my opinion, is in regard
to your reputation. If you are just starting out and looking for a
way to boost your image, membership is a great way to give
your business credibility. For customers who aren't familiar
with your business, they will, at the very least, recognize you
as being a legitimate member of the business community. You
now have something that says you have been recognized by
other business in the community and that you offer quality
work and products. Associations are also a great place for
obtaining information. Membership will keep you up-to-date
on pressing issues that affect your industry. Some associations
offer perks such as newsletters and guest speakers. You can
even attend trade shows where you can meet a great number of
entrepreneurs from all across the country.
The drawback, of course, is the money. You will have to pay a
membership fee in order to join, so you will have to decide if
the cost is worth it. However, the benefits are great, and
sometimes membership can be just the boost your business
needs in order to get it to the next level.
If you are thinking on a local scale, then you can start small by
joining your chamber of commerce. You can get a lot of
information regarding other businesses in your city as well as
the opportunity to get out and meet others in your business
community and make some contacts.
Whether you obtain information from your chamber of
commerce, a trade association, or from the newspaper, it's
essential to stay up–to-date on any news or activity that might
affect your business. Never doubt the power of numbers and
the value of information.
What You Have in Common with the World's Most
Successful Self-made Millionaires
By Bill Hebden, the "Reclusive Millionaire"
I've met more self-made millionaires than I used to think
existed. They made their millions a million different ways, but
all of them share remarkable similarities.
It's not their education. They'll be the first to tell you that you
learn more on the job than school can ever teach you.
It's not their age either. Some, such as Michael L., shot out of
the gate at the tender age of 17. Most others didn't make the
leap from paycheck to pay dirt until much later in life.
What you have in common with those who have achieved
levels of financial freedom most people only dream about is
this: you have dreams. Of all the self-made millionaires I've
met, I can't think of one who didn't first have a dream.
What's even more interesting is that the dreaming never stops.
Even after a few million have been tucked away in the bank,
new dreams are born and the success cycle starts anew. It never
has to end.
Can you daydream your way to independent wealth?
Absolutely! But only if you attach goals to your dreams and
then take action.
Setting goals is a big topic. For now, let's stay on point.
Dreaming is free. And since it costs no more to have big
dreams, make your dreams as big as you can. Stretch yourself.
See yourself in the future you want. It feels good.
Enjoy specific dreams. You want money? Don't waste your
time picturing yourself sitting atop a pile of gold bars. See
yourself enjoying the things that unlimited funds make
possible.
A mountain-top castle overlooking the ocean. A Bentley. You,
looking like a million bucks, hobnobbing with the rich and
famous, receiving congratulations for your most recent
successes.
As you lean back and dream away (don't fall asleep), believe
your dreams. Let your mind experience -- in as much vivid
detail as you can imagine -- what you want for your future.
Tell yourself that you belong there, and believe it. It's your
future. It's where you want to be. It's where you will be when
you take action to get there.
Success can happen quickly, or not. But all of us need an
engine to keep us going. And if you have dreams, you have a
very important characteristic in common with the world's top
self-made millionaires.
The Value of Everything
By Michael Newman, Self-made Millionaire
Everything you own has value attached to it. Whether it's your
personal belongings or your business' inventory sitting in a
warehouse, it has value to someone. The thing is, many people
only see value when it is displayed on green paper, and not in
other items or services.
Do you remember when you were a kid and you had two
chocolate chip cookies in your lunch, while the kid beside you
had a couple of peanut butter cookies? Well, if you wanted one
of his peanut butter cookies, you'd probably offer up one of
yours in a trade. Since he had an extra one, it had less value to
him than it did to you. By making the trade, you increased your
enjoyment and expanded your snack. Unfortunately, many of
us left behind the good old barter system in our childhood. And
for what? After all, it usually worked out just fine.
Although it may seem like a crazy a thought to suggest that it's
possible to grow your business without generating all kinds of
income through cold, hard cash, it actually isn't quite that far-fetched. Just like you used to trade cookies at school, trading
services or inventory in business can really help growth.
Let's say you're in the retail business as the proprietor of an
electronics store, and you're looking to get yourself some more
advertising but don't have the funds for it. Well, maybe you
could start looking around for some potential trading partners.
Using any excess inventory you may have, talk to different
marketing/advertising companies or any other kind of
company in your area about doing some work for you in
exchange for some of your products. Just watch how it works:
You've got a bunch of last year's stock sitting in your
warehouse, and its monetary value is dropping by the day. Not
only that, but you've also got more of them than you think
you'll ever move. Maybe one of the businesses in your
neighborhood is holding a contest and needs some prizes.
Perhaps a community group is looking for some items to raffle
off at a neighborhood picnic, or a special event is coming to
town looking for local sponsorship.
Just think, by giving some of your excess inventory to any of
these groups, you will in turn be given all kinds of free
advertising. Just come up with the conditions, and away you
go! Try to get your information included in all the media that is
released, signs that say "Prizes Donated by [Your Business]," and anything else to get your name out there to attract
customers.
Of course, you may need something other than more
customers. In our next issue, we'll look at how you can get
tangible goods through bartering!
An Info Marketer's Best Friend
By James Burt, Online Marketing Expert
I love going to my mom's. Good meals, good visits, good
conversation. But when she asks me to stay over, I have one
factor holding me back: she lives in a pet motel. Two cats and a
dog coupled with the huge amounts of pet hair all around cause
my allergies to flare in a fierce way. I can only say "yes" to
her invite if I have some allergy medication handy.
But when I was out to see her this last weekend, I got to
thinking. She loves her pets. She took in one cat after finding
him abandoned in the garage. She feeds all of the animals the
best food possible. While my allergies keep me from getting a
pet, people like my mom really care for animals. Good pet
owners go out of their way to make animals' lives better and
they go to great lengths to get all the information about them
that they can.
This is why information marketing for pets and animals can be
so lucrative.
There are loads of pet owners out there, both rural and urban.
Animals play a huge role in their lives and the industry of pet
health, recreation, and even cosmetology is bigger than ever.
Most people want the best resources available to them to better
care for their animal(s).
With that in mind, they need pet information in a big way. Like
some other info topics I have mentioned recently, pet and
animal info marketing has loads of areas for a good info
marketer to provide info on. Here are just a few:
--- Pet health: Like I said above, my mom takes care of her
dogs and cats like they were her kids. She makes sure they get
their shots and other procedures in time. She feeds them the
best food, and also has had pets long enough to know what is
necessary for them and what is maybe an unnecessary
recommendation from a cash-loving vet or salesperson. This
kind of info is needed by a lot of pet owners out there, be it in
the form of a regular newsletter or a good-sized info book. My
mom is a nurse and too busy to do it, but maybe you could. Or
should!
--- Exotic pets: So...how's your python these days? How's that
tarantula? Crawling alright? Did you get your chipmunk to the
vet in time? Dogs and cats were the mainstay of pets for the
longest time. But then came the potbellied pig. Then the
snakes. Then, well, just about anything from the forests and
jungles of the planet. I've met a guy right in my neighborhood
who says that owning a snake is like owning a Chihuahua and
he walks up and down the boulevard with it wrapped around
his arm. Young couples love it when he does(!). I have also
seen people in foreign countries who own monkeys and exotic
birds. As to be expected, these kinds of pets come with a whole
set of care issues that other pets simply don't have. I have never
seen an info marketer come up with type of info on a regular
basis, but there are loads of people dying for it. If you've got
the knowledge on owning an exotic pet, you should share it.
You will have an audience.
--- Adoption and legal issues: It was weird when I traveled and
saw dogs roaming the streets of many foreign cities. Truthfully,
I felt sorry for them, as they looked sickly and poorly kept. But
the lesson I got out of that and living in this part of the world
that I do was the same: you have to be aware of all legal issues
that face adopting and owning a pet. Are licenses necessary?
What shots must you get? How long does adoption take? Do
these issues change across state or national lines? All of this
information is absolutely necessary to pet owners and, now,
with the proliferation of online content, a good info marketer
can dish out the info regularly to those who need it.
--- Pet business practices: My college campus was right in the
heart of a posh neighborhood. More than once while I was out
jogging did I see dogs with sweaters and I often passed stores
selling pet accessories. I got a firsthand look at what businesses
are available for entrepreneurs who sell pet food, clothing, and
other supplies. But being in the pet business has its own set of
business codes to abide by, everything to what distributors
supply this stuff to what food is certified by national pet
councils to what taxes you have to pay on all of it. If you've
been or currently are in the pet business, your hands-on
information is valuable to people just like you. You can
become successful by actually helping others.
Animals have always been part of humans' existence. For
some, they play a big role in providing companionship and
responsibility. As a pet owner and lover, you might be able to
provide good information that can assist people in caring for "man's best friend," canine or otherwise.
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