August 28, 2008

Beat the Burnouts with a New Profit Opportunity... Do Some
Writing While Traveling and Double Your Enjoyment... The
Money Equation; No Math Involved... Are You "in" on This
Success Secret?... and More.

** Beat the Burnouts with a New Profit Opportunity
By Adrian Newman, Founder of e-Wealth Daily

It's still summer, so the winter blues certainly can't be setting in just yet. However, I still hear about people just being plain burnt out. They're being forced to cut costs, go green and plan for an uncertain financial future and it's really starting to take a toll on many driven entrepreneurs.

I hope you're not a member of this unfortunate group. I hope that day in and day out your spirits are up and your motivation is pushing you ahead in leaps and strides.

But, even if the economy has got you down, I have good news. In fact, this is better than just plain old news. It's a strategy you can use not only to boost your spirits, but it could also help you bring in even more money.

You see, the answer to your woes could be already inside you. It's a part of you that you use every day while running your own business or laying down your moneymaking plans.

That's right; the answer is inside of you — actually, it's inside your brain. What I'm talking about is information. I know, information is a pretty dull word, but, once you unlock the profit potential of simple information, you'll start to see why I get so excited about it.

Now, information on its own is a little vague, and possibly a bit boring. But, when you learn how to sell information, you'll find that excitement you've been missing.

There's a unique, exciting and profitable business field that many people are taking advantage of, yet so many others seem to be kept in the dark about. This field is called information marketing. It involves packaging information as a book, newsletter, DVD or CD and then selling it to people who are hungry to learn more.

This business has made millionaires out of ordinary men and women, and anyone, anywhere, can do it. Especially you. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to share with you more about getting your own information marketing business up and running. Until then, take a good long look at what you know; I'm certain there's an information product waiting to come out.

** Do Some Writing While Traveling and Double Your Enjoyment
By Doug D'Anna, the "Hundred-Million-Dollar Man"

Most people dream of walking through the streets of Venice, or dining at a Parisian cafe. Traveling to different countries should be something that everyone experiences at least once in their lives. The problem for most people, however, is the cost.

If you want to take a long trip or even a little vacation, you're going to pay a lot of money to get where you want to be.

Airlines charge an arm and a leg for the convenience of being able to fly where you need to go, and then you have the costs of staying in a hotel and seeing the attractions of the city you're visiting.

You would no doubt travel more often and probably for longer periods of time if it weren't so costly to get there. Most people probably feel the same way. Not to mention that a vacation can be exactly what you need to get the cobwebs out. Work can be tough at times, and taking some time away from the stress of daily life can work wonders to soothe the body and the mind.

Time away from work is essential. It is a competitive world out there, and you need to take time for yourself to recharge your batteries. Stress can take a huge toll on you. Every now and then, you need to relax and take your mind off work and enjoy yourself. Your health will improve, and so will your work. After a vacation, you will go back to your job refreshed and ready to tackle anything.

The good news is that there are ways to get around paying the high costs of travel. Now, as with anything, to get a great deal when you travel, you may have to make concessions here and there or do some extra work, but it is well worth a little effort to be able to travel on the cheap.

If you do happen to take a trip overseas, but you're on a budget, you could look into making some money while you're traveling by being a writer. Even if you're not a writer by trade, don't fret. It's easy to put together an article about your experiences. It's like writing in a journal, which you might enjoy doing while on a big trip anyway. So, why not try to make some cash and cover some of the cost of your trip while you're at it?

When you're planning your trip, contact a few publications, both online and print, which have travel content, and ask them if they would be interested in a few articles about the destination you're traveling to.

Pitch your story to them. It's all in the pitch — you have to sell your idea and your ability to deliver on your promises. Tell the editor that you will find the hidden gems, the inexpensive but amazing restaurants, the fantastic night life, and everything in between. Something unique will sell. Forget about the beaten path; sell your expertise in finding what real travelers find on their journeys, not what the average tourist takes part in.

You will never know unless you ask. You don't need to be a trained writer, but if you do have a background in writing, it will certainly help your cause. You might grab an editor's attention if you sell your article well, and you could have some extra money to spend on your trip, and all you have to do is tell people what you experienced. It's that easy.

If you can save money on travel, then take advantage. That might mean that you deliver a parcel to a business while you're on your journey or you might write an article about your experiences. For the money you will save, it is well worth doing.

** The Money Equation; No Math Involved
By John Hurd, Chief Wealth Researcher

Friends and colleagues often ask me about how they could determine if their idea will be a big moneymaker.

Unfortunately, there isn't a mathematical equation that will quickly answer that question. However, there is one common factor that all winning ideas have. This common factor could help you decide if your idea could be the next huge success story.

You see, the best big ideas turn into financial winners because they solve a very specific problem.

Rarely do new ideas solve a problem no one knew needed fixing, although that can happen. What usually happens is that big ideas solve existing problems and focus first on just that one problem.

For proof, you can just take a quick look around your home. There are probably plenty of items that you use every single day that might not have existed until recently. Brooms have been around for centuries, but static cling cleaning sheets, such as the "Swiffer" brand, have only been around for a few years.

Brooms work just fine, but there was a need for something that worked faster, and static cling sheets satisfied that need.

Your solution to a problem should also be unique. However, it doesn't have to be completely original. It's rare to come up with something that no one has ever thought of before. So your idea should be something that uniquely and creatively solves a problem.

For example, consider the often-used adage, "the best thing since sliced bread." The inventor of packaged, sliced bread didn't invent bread, nor did he invent knives and slicing. He simply brought these two existing ideas together and the end result created something people wanted. This goes to show you that there is probably an unlimited number of big ideas just waiting to be discovered.

Finally, you want to evaluate whether your solution to this problem has longevity. Are you solving a fad problem that may not even exist in a year or two? Fads and trends can be tricky to determine. Some may turn into lasting products that replace the standard in their industry. Others may disappear as quickly as they appeared as they lose their relevance or their cool.

By thinking ahead and learning everything you can about the problem your idea may solve, you'll be in a position that could help you identify whether or not it will be a success.

** Are You "in" on This Success Secret?
By Michael Newman, Self-made Millionaire

What separates the major players in the business world from everybody else is their uncanny ability to innovate. Now, that's not to say that everyone else is incapable of innovating or running stagnant operations; it's just that the larger companies have more resources to make innovation possible. However, just because they have the resources to do it, it doesn't mean the rest of us can't.

The resources are not overly expensive, and are not made possible by up-to-date technologies and astronomical budgets. Their ability to innovate comes from their fundamental understanding of what innovation is; something ignored by the majority of other businesses, whether they be small or large.

You see, when most businesses think innovation, they merely think of a new idea that is different than what else is available. They fail to recognize, however, that innovation is a process rather than a single entity, with the big idea only making up one piece of the innovation puzzle.

Of course, the big idea is an essential step of the innovation process; you'll absolutely need that creativity. Of course, a good question to ask is where that creativity is coming from. Many people feel that it's the top-dog executives who should own the responsibility of coming up with all the big ideas and innovations in their company. However, this may not always be the case. Depending on the business, there are certain people who will be further down the corporate ladder, yet are placed on the front lines of your business. They are dealing with customers regularly, and can see what it is they want and don't want. Consult these people to assist you in coming up with your big idea.

Once you've conceptualized and come up with your innovative idea, you'll have to do something with it. This is where you'll want a person (or people) around you who can take the idea and turn it into something tangible and realistic. Basically, they get the ball rolling by starting to make things happen. They put together a plan and make sure the right people are on board.

Next up, you've got to take your incubated idea and fine-tune it. This means taking it to people with analytical minds who will help nurture the idea to ensure there are no holes in it. For the most part, these people should play "devil's advocate," while focusing on ways to make the plan work, rather than reasons why it won't.

When this phase has completed, then it's time to get out there and implement. This is the best time for the top-dogs to get involved. They are responsible for managing the implementation of the innovation and make sure everybody involved is working towards getting the new program in action.

As you can see, innovation is a process that consists of four phases that each bear an individual responsibility. By overlooking one, it's possible your business may fail to remain competitive and relevant. To remain innovative and up-to-date with today's changing demands, consult regularly with colleagues and others who are involved in your business and industry.