September 21, 2009

Simple Strategies Change Your Outlook on Money... From
Setbacks...to Getting Back Your Life... Four More Ways to
Hone Your Moneymaking Skills... The Info Marketer as
Journalist... and More.

If you find yourself living paycheck to paycheck and struggling with debt, then you might need to adjust your attitude about money. If you use simple strategies to save, then you can get the items you desire and save your money at the same time.

First, you need to change your attitude about money. You need to learn to love cash and hate credit and debt. If there's an item that you want, you need to learn that even though you could buy it with a credit card, it doesn't necessarily mean that you can afford the item.

So, in order to save money and get all the items you want, you need to use a simple strategy. A money strategy isn't difficult to come up with -- the difficult part is committing to it. The following strategy is easy to implement, but if you don't have the right money attitude, it's not going to work.

When it comes to luxury items that you want but don't necessarily need, you should save double the cost that you need in order to pay for it before you buy it.

In other words, if you wanted a brand-new television with a ticket price of $2,500, you should save $5,000 before you buy the item. When you save the money, then you will have the item you wanted and you'll also have money to put into your savings account.

Saving twice as much as the price of the item will teach you the value of money. Remember that, even if you put things on a credit card, you still have to pay for the items eventually. In fact, if you leave a balance on your card, you'll end up paying more for the item than you would have if you had paid cash for it.

So, by putting away twice as much, you will realize how long it can take to save for an item and, as a result, you will learn the value of money. This will help you to change your money attitude. Money is so easy to spend that sometimes you need to make it a little bit tougher on yourself. Put away those credit cards and use them for emergencies only. Create a budget for yourself and determine how much money you can put away for your "must-have" item every month.

If you can save twice as much and pay for your item with cash, you'll feel great about your accomplishment. Not only that, but you also don't have to worry about paying interest on the item, because you've paid in cash, not credit.

If you're having trouble with debt and keeping up with your bills, then you need to adopt a new attitude about your money and your credit. Use that new attitude to help yourself commit to a strategy that will help you get the things you want and save money for your future.

Sometimes the best time to establish a new set of goals is when you have experienced a setback. It is a time when you can renew your spirit and set out on a new course of positive action.

But how do you make the transition?

A lot of people tell me that they have a difficult time accepting setbacks...letting go of things that have happened, never mind putting an entirely new set of objectives in front of themselves.

Over time, they say, their self-esteem has been shattered and they are not sure that they have the motivation it takes to become successful at this point in their lives. Some people truly get lost in the ups and downs of life.

If you do, please remember my words on this: show me someone who's never made a mistake and I'll show you someone who's never done anything.

While the term "successful mistakes" sounds like an oxymoron, if you consider that seeds of success are planted in our slip-ups, you can achieve pretty much anything.

Mistakes remind us that we are human and encourage us to step out on a limb and try something different.

Don't let your internal or external critics pounce on you. Think of your mistakes as your opportunity to create more success in your life. They should be so lucky!

Today, I'll continue with Thursday's article and get back into
some of the other important things for new business owners to
keep in mind.

You Don't Know it All -- Even if you think you do, you don't.
The important thing is to know what you know, and be aware
of what you don't. Don't do the stuff you don't know how to do,
but have someone close by who does. In some cases, it may be
well worth your while to have a partner or an employee.

Know That Success Takes Work -- Start-ups are tough and you
really need to watch your expenses carefully. That means you
need to be smart about them. Don't splurge on things like a
fancy office or other things that are out of your price range.
Make wise expense choices and keep your overhead low.
You're going to want to free up as much cash as possible for
marketing and getting customers.

Be Ready to Learn -- No matter how many books or articles
you've read, you'll never encounter everything. As an
entrepreneur you'll be forced to make split-second decisions.
Not only that, but you'll be learning new things every day and
finding the best way to deal with unique problems and
opportunities. Trust me; there will never be a dull moment. The
key is to learn from your mistakes and avoid making the same
one twice.

Don't Breathe Your Own Hot Air -- Sometimes entrepreneurs
can become blinded by grandiose idea. They have all these
great visions of how their business will perform and all the
things they'll be able to do. In fact, some may even stretch the
truth just to attract customers. The key for you is not to believe
your own hot air. Know what you're capable of and don't talk
about it if you can't do it. Remember that, at the end of the day,
you'll be judged by your performance and not your words. If
you can't walk the walk, don't talk the talk. Doing so will only
land you in trouble.

Over my couple of articles I've looked at some of the traits that
make a successful entrepreneur. As you move forward, take as
much advice from experienced entrepreneurs as you possibly
can; you'll want all of the help you can get! Good luck!

** The Info Marketer as Journalist
By James Burt, Online Marketing Expert

As an info marketer, you're probably taking as much info as you can from as many sources as you can. That's no easy task, but I find that most info marketers know their subject pretty well. Getting info usually just involves finding new and/or updated info sources -- newspapers, magazines, microfilm, even a few scholarly publications -- that the info marketer can read and adapt on his or her own time.

It's pretty simple.

But, like everything in life, there's always an exception to a rule. And, in info marketing, sometimes getting new info means going to a human source. That's right: interviewing someone for information.

A lot of people are put off by this. At one time, I was, too. I had worked in customer service in my youth and, while it really was a good job, you often just remembered the bad things like the customers who were rude and treated you in a less than humane fashion.

This all changed for me when I started writing for a school paper. I would often get free CDs or movie passes and the paper would ask me to review them. Every once in a while, I was called on to do an interview. This forced me to connect with other people and get info out of them. It was actually a good job and I found most people were easy to deal with in an interview situation. They actually helped me make my article better with some of their insights into the making of their music or film, and they would often joke with me that they liked it that our paper was giving them free publicity.

Since I began as an info marketer, I've often had to do this sort of thing again. I've had to talk to others over the phone, get info, and even do deals with them. The skills I learned from the newspaper about interviewing people have served me well and now I use them regularly.

You are likely going to have to do this too at some point. Here are some tips on getting information out of people for info marketing:

-- Be ready: When you talk to others, always know what you want to ask them. Get the exact questions you want to ask together and be sure to know what you want to get out of the person you are interviewing. This will save time and effort on your part. As well, call your source ahead of time to set up a formal interview that is convenient for them to do. This is courtesy for them.

-- Be patient: Usually most people are good to talk to, but once in a blue moon you get someone who is not so easy. They might not like what questions you are asking or are just in a bad mood. Either way, you just have to be patient with them. Try to ask them the questions at hand directly; if they get cross, try to find a new angle to approach the interview.

NOTE: A tip I got from an editor of a magazine once who came to our newspaper was a good one. When in doubt, play dumb. If an interviewee starts getting angry with your questions and wonders why you are asking something in particular, just say "Well, I really don't you much about that. Can you tell me more about it?" That sort of response puts people right off the course of being angry and they will not only lighten up, but also give you the info you want in the process; often more than you bargained for.

-- Get clearance: Like citing other sources in your work, you have to make reference to whomever you got your info from. It's just legal and, well, good courtesy. In your info book or newsletter, you can provide a caption at the bottom like "Special thanks to..." or even quote them directly in your work. Be sure to give them a copy of the work and it's good to give them a gift, small payment, or token of thanks. Remember: they did help you make your work better.

-- Rewrite, rewrite: Along with citing your sources, you have to rewrite the info you got from someone. Unless you quote them in small passages, you should write what you got from people in your own words and edit unnecessary passages out of the interview for publication.

As an info marketer, you are often going to play a role similar to that of a journalist. It can be tough, but very well worth it in the end. Getting new info right from another expert is a good way to add new insight to your business and help it flourish.