September 3, 2009

The Risks of Standing Out... Take Small Victories and Turn
Them into Huge Triumphs... Upsell to Change "Free" into
Profits... How to Turn Boring Information into Business
Success... and More.

It's no secret that, in order to take your business to greater levels of success, you have to stand out from your competition and provide a product or service that is unique and remarkable.

And when you decide to stick your neck on the line and offer something completely new or different, you are going to get into a risky position that could make or break your business.

In the marketing book "Purple Cow," author and entrepreneur Seth Godin offers up the advice that "safe is risky." What he is talking about is that most businesses that play it safe by following the well-trodden paths of product innovators will rarely achieve great success. They may ride on the coattails of the innovators for a while, but in the end they will most likely never reach the benchmark of success set by the market leaders.

In fact, by playing it safe, Godin goes on to say, these businesses could even be "invisible" to the market they are trying to reach and, in turn, fail completely.

No matter how big or small your business venture is, you, too, can take the path to success that involves some risk that could really attract the attention you want from potential customers.

But it is important to remember that a business risk isn't just a shot in the dark. You want to know your limits and calculate your risks just in case your breakthrough approach doesn't fully work out.

A risk that could really pay off is taking the time and effort to carve out a specific niche that only your business can fill for the market you are trying to reach. This doesn't mean you have to be completely different, original, or brand new. Even the smallest difference can prove to be enough to attract the attention you want.

When it comes to the risks you don't want to take, there are a few mistakes you don't want learn from the hard way.

One of the most important things you can do is to swallow your pride and know when to ask for help. If you are beginning to lose control of your business or your ideas just aren't panning
out the way you have planned, always seek some outside guidance. There is strength in numbers and the more assistance
you can get, the better your final results can be. By searching out assistance when you need it, you could also open new doors to opportunities you never knew existed.

And, finally, you have to allow yourself some flexibility when it comes to change. If you're not meeting your goals, take a step back and try and find out why. Not every plan to take the risky path will work out -- that's why they are risky -- but having the ability to adapt will certainly improve your chances for success.

Creating wealth and success is a journey. It is one that begins internally and eventually flows outward with your actions, attitude and habits. There is no time frame for achieving success. Some of you will achieve your goals sooner than others, but the ticket is to approach your goals in the same manner. No matter how long it takes, we all essentially go through the same journey, and it all starts with the small victories in life.
 
As you embark on your journey of self-actualization, in order to take that one victory and spin it into a lifetime of achievement, remember these tips:
 
--- Add up your victories now! Your victories validate everything you've done in your life and they place a value on your accomplishments that no one can take away.
 
--- Learn to put your goals into action. When you find your passion, put it into play. Don't hesitate. Don'! t procrastinate. Don't waver. Life is too short.
 
--- Put aside negativity. You owe it to yourself to eliminate people and circumstances that are outside of your "positive space." Find ways to release the stress of negativity by mentally switching people off or shutting them out and returning to your inner self instead.
 
--- Use one instance of joy and spread it around. When you are happy about your day, it shows. You'll radiate a positivity that is simply infectious. Try it and see for yourself. Talk to someone you meet today or smile at a stranger and see how great you'll feel as a result.
 
--- Devise a strategic plan to empower yourself. Buy a planner or open a document on your PC, and get started on writing down your goals.
 
--- Motivate yourself to become productive. This can take resolve, but you've got to come up with a lucrative! way to reward yourself in the end. Make yourself an offer that you can't refuse and get to work!
 
--- Don't let others determine your worth. Forget all the negative things that you've learned about yourself in the past. People with poor self-esteem said these negative things to you to intentionally put you down. You need to surpass anyone who has ever undermined or belittled you in the past, if you want to be a success.
 
--- Improve your opportunities. Talk to people everywhere you go and pay attention to the things around you. Opportunities arise when you least expect them to. Will you be prepared?
 
--- Build your confidence. We all need help from time to time. You should do what makes you feel good about yourself. Join a club or change your wardrobe. Take up a new sport or pastime. If you value yourself, then the rest of the world will join in.
 
--- Take reasonable risks. Tackling manageable! risks can be exhilarating. Just make sure they are risks that are worth taking and won't hurt you in any way.
 
--- Use the power of collaboration. Positive change is contagious. Successful teamwork is connected to those who choose to link their energy and private victories into collective accomplishments.

It's not often we associate the word "free" with moneymaking, but I think that's about to change.

Of course, it's no secret that if you want to grab someone's attention, offering something for free is the way to do it. After all, who doesn't want something for nothing every once in a while?

As a business owner, of course, offering your hard work for free may seem a little silly. After all, you put in lots of work to produce a quality product or service and hope to be paid accordingly. Not to mention, you'll never get rich if you aren't making any sales!

However, offering your work for free is a great way to get people interested about your business, while possibly paving the way to hefty sales down the road.

For instance, let's take a free service like Flickr.com. Flickr is a photo service offered by Yahoo! that lets people store and post their photographs online. They let people do this without charging a cent; however, if people choose to pay, they can. Here's what I mean:

The free version of Flickr is relatively limited. It doesn't have the space, options or perks that the upgraded version has. The upgraded version that offers additional features comes at a price. The truth is that, once people start using the free Flickr, they come to realize that, by paying a small fee, they can have so much more. The upgrade, they feel, is worth the price tag.

Essentially, these people are being upsold once they're in the door...and quite easily at that.

There are a number of businesses out there doing the same thing, both online and off. The key is to ensure that the free offerings are leading you to enough revenue through upselling that you can afford to keep them in operation.

So, let's say, for instance, you are involved in a mail-order, information marketing business. You send sales letters all over the country to tens of thousands of recipients, but are having a hard time making sales. Well, maybe it's because your letter comes right out and sells a product for a price your market finds a little too high -- which, in economic times like these, would be no surprise at all.

Perhaps, however, your luck would change if you offered a free report, book or gift to accompany the product you're selling. This way, you're providing some incentive to customers to purchase your product by giving them a little something extra. In their minds, they are getting more for less or something for nothing, which is always a good thing!

When trying to grow your business, look around at how offering product for free can help you boost your revenue. It may seem outlandish, but, trust me; it just might work!

** How to Turn Boring Information into Business Success
By James Burt, Online Marketing Expert

Have you ever wanted to work for the government?

I am sure there is going to be some sort of pause in your response. If you're thinking in terms of being an agent like James Bond or in the CIA, then your answer is probably "Sure." If it's a bureaucratic job in the local driver's license office, your answer is probably "Uh, no thanks."

Like a lot of university students, my friends and I interviewed for government jobs after graduation. In my case, I wound up taking a teaching job and didn't get to work for the local legislature that I interviewed for. Some of my friends did, however, and a few are still there, having been promoted and are actually working in a vocation of their degree, like federal engineering and building projects.

Having knowledge on any subject these days is valuable. So valuable that there is a market for just about any kind of information, from sports to model trains. But if there is one sure-fire market, it's for information about the government's policies. Since a lot of government rules are not known to the general public, any tips about legally dealing with the government are useful to anyone.

And if you've got those tips, you are in business.

Here are some of the best ways to provide government information as an info marketer:

--- Know Your Specialty: If you have ever had experience in working for the government or have knowledge of government practices, it's best to focus on one area. Be it a sales tax local to your area or new business practice laws, keep your content focused on one area to start. This will help you stay on task early on and then branch out to other areas later.

--- Keep it formal, but not too formal: Government publications are, well, pretty dry in terms of the written content. Actually they're really boring, period. I know, as I worked for a government-based publisher for over two years. I recommend that all info marketers apply their content-writing skills when creating government info content. Make it interesting and enjoyable to the reader. But remember to stick to the important formalities. Do not fudge facts or create content that isn't based in fact.

--- Stay Legal: In addition to not getting to crazy with your content, make sure the information you are providing is safe and legal for the public at large. Your sources must be credible and you must be authorized to release your content into the public domain. Like most business journalists and even accountants, you have to keep aware of publicly disclosing what is legal for your company. When in doubt, check with a legal pro or knowledgeable government official. A local employment or info office is a good resource for this as well.

--- Get friendly with a publisher: I grew up outside of the city and, when we used to come into the city, my dad always checked out the government publishing office on a downtown side street. This was before the Internet. He was a single father who wanted to keep abreast of the latest publications on tax amendments by buying the new compendiums fresh off the presses. Now, with the Internet, you can actually get the latest publications and updates sent right to your e-mail inbox for a fee. Do this by signing up on an online government publication web site. Sometimes laws change quickly and quietly, so it's good to have immediate updates sent right to you.

That old saying that goes "The only two certainties in life are death and taxes" has never been a favorite of mine. It's just too negative, and the way I look at it the former, you can't do anything about it anyway. But you can use the other to your advantage as an info marketer. If you know about taxes, laws, or any other government branch, there is no reason why you can't apply that knowledge to make your info marketing business a success.