Записи с меткой «hobby»

Is Your Investing A Business Or Just A Hobby?

I’m constantly teaching and sharing the concept of building a business around your wealth. What does this mean? Let’s start with a little background. Historically, all great fortunes have been built in business. Whether it was Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, all great fortunes have business as their foundation. You really don’t hear about great fortunes being made by investors. Ever wonder why? It’s because business done right provides the most leverage, greatest velocity, and least amount of risk of any money-making activity. Why do some businesses grow and grow while others seem to hit a ceiling which they can’t grow? The answer to this question lies in the foundation of the business. Small businesses stay small when the owner spends his or her time running the business. Effectively, these people own their job. They have no time to work on the business because they are always working in the business. The key is how to get the owner out of the business operations and focused on the business growth. The answer is for the business to create a strategy and a set of systems that implement that strategy. Then, and only then, will the business owner have time to grow the business. When the strategy and systems are in place, the owner only has to manage the systems, not the people. The owner isn’t doing the work, the employees and other team members are doing the work. What does this have to do with investing? I have discovered that the business principles of strategy and systems can be applied to investing. Investors who create a business of investing, by developing a strategy and implementing systems, can enjoy the same results enjoyed by a successful business owner, i.e., higher profits, more growth, less time spent on investing, total control over their investing and less risk. Is your investing a business or just a hobby? Think about your investing. Do you run it like a business? Or, do you run it like a hobby? Investors who run their investing like a business have: A clear written strategy Mission, vision and values Systems in place to make investing fast, efficient and in line with the strategy A team of advisors Reporting to tell them their net worth or cash flow at any given minute Both informal and formal agreements with their customers and vendors The list goes on and on. How does your investing activity stack up? Are you ready to build a business around your wealth?

Internet Marketing Tactics For These Tough Times ( From Google And Me !)

As we enter into what many enlightened souls are calling the most dire economic times since the Great Depression, online marketers need all the help they can get — regardless of the source. You have probably heard of Google; but chances are almost 100% certain, you have never heard of me. Lucky you!

Actually, the only thing you need to know about me is that I am a full-time online affiliate marketer and I make a very comfortable living from the web. Last year (2008), was my best year online so far, which left me scratching my head and saying what recession?

But that may be something of a false positive, as I will never know how much I could have made if the economic times had been good instead of bad. Plus, judging from my own limited experience, selling and marketing online may not have been hit as hard as those businesses in the real world in 2008, since consumers are doing everything to save a penny and shopping online has become a much cheaper alternative for many.

As we enter into these uncertain times, online marketers and webmasters need all the help they can get. Recently, Google mailed a small booklet to its Adsense users; in it Google gives «6 Top Tactics For Tough Times.» It is obviously referring to its Adwords PPC (Pay Per Click) program and clients but Google’s advice can be applied to your own general online marketing.

These tactics include: (quoting directly from the Google mail-out)

1. Focus your ads on low prices and savings.

2. Use Value-related keywords.

3. Ensure your ad groups are targeted and relevant.

4. Don’t waste money on irrelevant clicks.

5. Make it easy for customers to buy.

6. Focus your money on your high-performers. (End Quote)

Sound advice and I especially like the idea of focusing your marketing on low prices and savings mainly because people want bargains in tight economic times. I also like the fact that you must make it easy for your customers to buy… something as simple as putting your «order/buy link» above the fold can increase your conversions.

Also, targeting value-related keywords, is a very effective marketing tactic. Relating your keywords to «discounts, bargains, cheap, inexpensive, lowest prices…» will help increase your sales. So too, is catering to phrases that suggest the searcher is in a buying mind-set: gifts, presents, gift ideas, wedding gifts… shoppers searching those words are ready to buy.

Plus, focusing your time and money on your high-performers is solid advice. Sometimes succeeding online is simply finding a market niche that works/performs — then running with it. Once you have found the keywords and products that perform well with your site or sites — focus the majority of your time and energy developing those niche markets.

Now here are some of my most effective marketing tactics that have worked for me and tactics I will be relying on in the coming years — even in these hard times.

• Make Keywords Your #1 Goal

This is the single most important factor for my own online success. You have to make keywords and ranking high for them in all the search engines your main objective if you’re marketing online. Might sound obvious, but many beginning marketers don’t truly understand how important getting top rankings for your chosen keywords will be in your online success.

Target less competitive long tail (multi-worded) keywords to get started and slowly work your way up to more popular keywords. Center your marketing around getting those first page listings (Top Five) for your keywords. Achieve this goal, (especially in Google) and it will be almost impossible for you not to succeed and make a profit with your online marketing even in bad times.

• Autoresponders, List Building & Online Relationships

Keeping in contact with potential buyers is mission critical. You must use autoresponders to send follow-up messages to build trustful relationships with your potential customers. Establishing this personal contact or trust is very important because the Internet is still a cold distrustful environment for most people.

So building a large contact list is essential. That’s why the social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace can be very effective marketing tools for building this online contact and trust. Truth be told, all these social networks are, more or less, just glorified autoresponders and list builders!

• Your Unique Selling Position

You must give potential customers some very good reasons for them to buy from you or your links. Offering special bonuses and discounts works wonders for your sales. Some of my most successful pages simply consists of coupons and discounts offered by different companies. If buyers can save $100’s OFF by buying thru your links, they will.

Always remember, besides looking for the best deal or bargain, consumers are also looking for a quality product. If you’re into affiliate marketing, only pick top quality products to promote. Picking top brand names also makes it easier to make sales. So too is only promoting popular online merchants like Amazon, can be an effective marketing strategy. Most importantly, always remember consumers are also looking for INFORMATION on the products they are considering buying, give them helpful information and you will succeed.

• Find A Niche You Enjoy

There are millions of profitable niche markets you can choose from — pick one that truly interests you and run with it. Your favorite hobby or something you enjoy doing in your spare-time. Picking a niche market that you like is a key factor, you won’t mind spending your time exploring and exploiting it. Just won’t seem like work because you will be having fun while you do your marketing.

• Go With The Flow

If you’re marketing online, you have to follow what’s working for you. Most times you will try countless ideas or tactics — once you have found a process or system that works, really work it or scale it up. Making your first dollar is the hardest, but once you do something that earns you that dollar, just repeat that «something» a thousand times.

Tracking what works is very important so keep a close eye on your site’s traffic logs to find where your customers are coming from. Something like Google Analytics is simply priceless for «fine-tuning» your site and your online marketing. It will tell you what’s working and what’s not.

• Target Recurring or Residual Income

One of my most effective marketing strategies is to promote and sell products and services that give you a recurring or residual income. Make one sale and get paid for years or for the life of that referred client. Concentrate on services like web-hosting, telephone, marketing programs… once customers sign up to these services, they will likely keep them for years. I am still earning income from sales I made five years ago.

Building a large residual income could be the key to surviving in tough economic times. This will be income which will carry you or your business over the rough patches since it is based upon past performance and not on your current selling situation.

• Target the Right Customers And Markets

The biggest advantage of marketing online is you can precisely target your customers and your markets. One tactic I use is to target customers who are likely to buy more than one unit of what you’re selling. For example, if you target Corporate Business Gifts, a boss or employer will not be buying just one coffee mug but ten or even hundreds of mugs.

Even in tough times, seasonal markets will still perform… back to school, mother’s day, Halloween, Christmas market… things might slow down but these markets will still perform even in tough times.

• Automate Everything

The real beauty of marketing online and using computers… you can automate just about every process in your marketing system. Make it a point of automating everything you do… use autoresponders to follow-up with potential buyers, use automatic check-o
uts, automatic reporting… just set-up your whole online marketing system that runs itself with little or no supervision from you. This will free up your time to concentrate all your efforts on marketing/promoting your site or product. Besides, nothing beats coming back from a vacation and finding out you have earned the cost of your vacation and then some — all the while you were lying in the sun and miles away from any computer.

• Find The Top Online Marketers

If you’re just starting with online marketing, you need to find the top successful marketers and «model» what they’re doing. This is relatively a new industry and you have to seek out the experts and pioneers who have set the groundwork. When I first started marketing online, I was quite fortunate to come into contact with some web marketing heavy-weights such as Marlon Sanders, Ken Evoy, Neil Shearing… and SEO experts like Brad Callen and Aaron Wall.

Often it is just a matter of finding the right «mentor» to follow. You need to study their techniques to improve your own marketing. Perhaps my best advice would be this: find the top online marketers and stick to them like glue!

• Make Google Your Friend

Whether you love or hate Google doesn’t matter, you just have to make it your number one ally in your online marketing. Google has just about conquered the world-wide search market, Yahoo and MSN are still important, but Google is the deal-breaker when you’re selling stuff online. Consumers have enormous respect for Google, a number one listing for a lucrative keyword simply means money in the bank. Marketers must realize Google will play a significant role in their online success and may play an ever increasing role in these tough economic times.

I have found using Google Search, Google Adwords, and Google Adsense have played a more than significant role in the success of my own online sites and marketing. Google tools such as Google Analytics, Google Alerts, Webmaster Tools… all have been invaluable and an enormous help in achieving my «web-based» lifestyle and livelihood. Of course, Google has also driven me around the bend more times than I can count, but no one is perfect.

Besides, when it’s all said and done, anyone marketing on the web must truly embrace Google if they want to reach their highest level possible. In good times and especially in these bad times, you must make Google your friend. Your best friend. Even your BFF. When all else fails, trust in Google, forget that other guy. Then again, you better not; for you’re going to need all the help you can get in these coming tough times, regardless of the source.

Jackson Hole Homes/Real Estate

Pristine lakes reflect the soaring summits of the Tetons while moose and other wildlife emerge for a snack of fresh wildflowers.  This scene greets Jackson Hole home owners every day as they enjoy the luxurious surroundings of one of nature’s most exquisite spectacles.  But don’t let the Wild West atmosphere fool you, Jackson Hole residents relish their thriving arts scene with over 30 galleries scattered throughout the town and enough restaurants to keep you satisfied every night of the week.  
This Wyoming enclave caters to the ski community’s elite as well as educated luxury homes investors who have enjoyed tremendous success with the local market’s upsurge in recent years.   Nearby Jenny Lake is a sight to behold with mirror-like surfaces and uncommon stillness produced by the serene valley below.  
Wildlife flock to this area and create once in a lifetime photographic opportunities for photography hobbyists.  Residents become acquainted with local wildlife as they become an integral part of the rich experience that Jackson Hole has to offer its visitors.  From bison to elk to moose, this protected area is one of the last enclaves of wilderness left for these majestic species.
The nearby National Elk Refuge is a popular attraction for families who enjoying evening sleigh rides among over 10,000 wild elk roaming the plains.  For the adventurous spirit, visitors will love Lewis and Clark style river expeditions that will expand your appreciation for the wonder of nature’s local bounty.  
Of course, skiing is the most popular activity in this world class resort town.  With craggy cliffs that strike fear in the heart of expert downhill skiers as well as gentler climes to offer, Jackson Hole draws gawkers from all over the world to its powdery slopes.  Snowmobiling, cross country skiing and racing are also available for the winter sports enthusiast and the mountain is rapidly becoming known for producing top notch athletic talents.
Rustic home cooking includes BBQ made fireside on nightly sleigh rides while more discerning diners will enjoy the gourmet food of Jackson Hole’s downtown eateries.  The Jackson Hole wine auction also promises to be an exciting experience as local residents vie for coveted bottle with which to fill their cellars.  The arts scene is also bolstered by the Jackson Hole symphony orchestra whose in demand performances often enjoy sold out audiences.  The raucous nightlife that pervades Jackson Hole ensures that excitement is just around corner no matter what the hour.  If you’re looking for adventure and a landscape like no other, explore Jackson Hole’s wealth of experiences today.