November 15, 2007

Unleash the Power of the Internet... How to Impress People in 10 Seconds or Less... Why You Shouldn’t Treat Making Money Like Winning the Lottery... Online Shopping Tips and Tricks...
and More.

** Unleash the Power of the Internet
By Adrian Newman, Founder of e-Wealth Daily

There's no escaping it: the Internet is here to stay. As consumers, opportunity seekers, and wealth builders, we have to see the Internet as our ally, not our enemy. It may be a pain at the beginning to get on the keyboard and communicate your ideas on a screen, but you'll get used to it. I did, and now I can't live without it.

E-mail is the most powerful communication tool available to us today. Sure, it takes away the element of human communication, but in the business world, a minute saved is equal to money earned. If making money on the Internet has crossed your mind, yet you don't know where to turn, know that you do have some options. One of the great benefits to making money on the Internet is that you only need a high- speed Internet connection to start.

Whenever I mention the idea of making money on the Internet, most people roll their eyes and say, “With eBay, right?” Many people have had success on eBay, some continuously amassing a fortune ever since it was founded in 1995. For the average person, though, I suggest a different approach: creating an online newsletter.

With an online newsletter, you have access to millions of people worldwide who may share common interests with you.
You become an information provider, sending these people what they want to read. To start, you can put the information right in the body of the e-mail and send it out. Eventually, your delivery method can become more sophisticated and offer more features such as links to web sites.

For example, I have taught general interest courses in the past, delivering these courses to students at a local community college. Since I have all the notes, I can make these courses available to anyone in the world and keep 100% of the course fee (before I had to give the school 50%). People can buy my course in the morning, afternoon, or in the middle of the night. I can literally make money while I sleep!

This is the power of the Internet and, if harnessed correctly, it could help put money in your pocket very quickly. You just require the right product or service and the right timing to allow word-of-mouth advertising via the Internet to spread like wildfire. You don't have to be an expert at something to sell it to someone else. People will gladly pay you for your product or service when they know that they are getting their money's worth. Also, remember that a happy customer is usually a return customer.

Whatever information you plan to distribute via the Internet, make sure that it is timeless: that it will be popular two, five, or 10 years from now. You certainly don't want to wake up one day only to hear that the topic you've been writing about for so long will soon be replaced with something else! On the other hand, this can become a unique opportunity for you to evolve and refine your knowledge base. If it's new and you don't know much about it, chances are nobody else will, either, which will allow you to become an expert on the topic quickly.

You might be thinking that your writing skills aren't strong enough to write and maintain a newsletter, but if you have a great idea that is sure to become a hit, then you should go with it. Here's a suggestion: visit a local college or university and post “Writers Wanted” flyers across the campus. Students are very keen on earning credit for their portfolios or resumes and will most likely be lining up in front of your door for the chance to be a part of your online publication or course.

In fact, these students can become assets to your venture, providing you with the ideas and resources, both on and off the Internet, to get your venture off to a great start. What better way to get word-of-mouth advertising started than by hiring a few students who can do it for you automatically?

An "elevator slogan" is used in the marketing business to attract a client's attention. It is usually a five- to 10-second phrase that lets your prospects identify what it is that you have to offer and how it can benefit them. You can use longer versions of these slogans and turn them into elevator speeches for use in your sales collateral, on your web site, or within advertising pieces to give the reader one or two extra minutes of additional information that will help lure them in.

Your prospects are all around you, so what will you do to hook them in 10 seconds or less? Try to create your own elevator slogan or speech by using the following tips

** Why You Shouldn’t Treat Making Money Like Winning the Lottery
By John Hurd, Chief Wealth Researcher

The other day, I was talking with an old friend about a business opportunity he is considering. After going through a rather elaborate story about how he discovered this new plan, he told me, “You know, once this works comes together, it will be like I’ve won the lottery.”

Now, he was very excited about his new moneymaking plans and was in a rush to meet with someone he hoped to do business with in the future. So, I wished him all the best as he went on his way.

For some reason I can’t explain, that phrase “like I’ve won the lottery” really started to bother me. While getting a one-time cash windfall of millions of dollars certainly would be great, I don’t believe this is how anyone should consider a business venture.

Let me explain...

It’s a fact that many people who win the lottery end up wasting their winnings on frivolous luxuries and, sooner or later, they end up back where they started. How could someone waste all of that money, especially when it comes to millions of dollars?

Well, the simple fact is that people who come into a lot of money at once rarely know how to manage that money and make it last. This was part of the reason that they didn’t have much money to start with and, unless they get some assistance with managing all this new money, they are bound to simply spend like they did before winning.

Here’s why that simple phrase “like winning the lottery”
bothers me. If you treat making money like many people treat their lottery winnings, well, that money is not going to last.

Just take a look at some of the richest investors in the world.
Someone like Warren Buffett. He makes his incredible fortune not by hoping for one massive cash windfall, but by pacing his investments. He puts his money in things he feels have a lower risk and he sticks with them, year after year.

My advice then is: when you’re searching out your own moneymaking ventures, really consider for how long this opportunity has the potential to make money.

While landing a lump sum of money can certainly feel like a godsend, I, for one, wouldn’t count on it solving all your problems. Consider this: money that comes in year after year can also be money that lasts.

** Online Shopping Tips and Tricks
By Michael Newman, the "Money Finder"

With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time for consumers across the country to get ready to spend. For some it means sticking it out in hot, overcrowded malls. But for a growing number of people, shopping is now being done online, which has the potential to create all kinds of savings for consumers, most notably in the bankbook.

I for one will be taking advantage of the seemingly endless deals to be found on the Internet this holiday season, and I urge you to do the same. Many retailers are offering reduced shipping costs, and some are even offering free shipping, regardless of the size of your order.

Sometimes, you can even take advantage of what I like to call a “double-whammy,” where you can purchase an item not only at a sale price, but also with free shipping. The fact is that there isn’t a store on the face of the planet that offers better service. I mean, just think about it, what could be better than sitting in the warmth and comfort of your own home ordering gifts for all your loved ones at reduced prices, then having them delivered right to your doorstep? I’m telling you, I would rather do just about anything other than trudging through the snow, dealing with the stressed-out hordes to be found in the stores in my neighborhood!

Some of the popular retailers I’m currently aware of that are offering reduced/free shipping rates for the holiday season are L.L.Bean, GAP and Timberland, but I’d bet a pretty penny that there is a slew of others.

Although shopping online is fun, easy, comfortable and stress free (for the most part), there are a few things that you should pay attention to.

First off, only shop from web sites that you trust and that offer a firm security guarantee on your credit card. After all, you don’t want your bill to arrive in January and have even more charges than you’d anticipated — especially if you didn’t make them! It’s important to be careful about fraud, and online is no exception. Use reputable web sites to make your purchases in an attempt to be as safe as possible.

Second, keep track of all your transaction records. If you order something and it doesn’t arrive, or if it is the wrong item, you want to have evidence to support your claims. You don’t want to get stuck footing the bill for something you never ordered!

Lastly, be aware of any fine print. Look the web page up and down for any information the seller may have snuck in there, including things like “may not be exactly as shown,” or anything else that could potentially leave you scratching your head when your order arrives.

I know it sounds early to be talking about the holidays, but it’s really never too early to take advantage of great deals. So log on and see where you can save!

Next week, I’ll talk about how retailers can benefit by offering free shipping during the holiday season, so stay tuned!