My first year as a Cyberpreneur was a steep learning-curve. I was an academic before starting an online business, so I had a lot to learn. But even if you were in offline-business before going online, you may still have to learn some new skills -online business is a whole new ball-game. Here are some of the things I learnt in my first year in Cyber Space:

(1) Be careful who you register your domain with. Some domain name registrars make it very difficult to change your web host.

I registered my first two domains with a registrar that caused me more headaches than I care to think about.

When I needed to transfer one of my domain names to a new web host, my original email address had changed. I was no longer able to send them an email from that address and so I couldn’t authenticate my request for domain transfer.

So I tried to update my personal record with my new email address. I got a message saying that I could only change my email address by sending an email from my original email address (which no longer existed).

This bureaucratic nightmare went on for 4 weeks. To add to my frustration, I was communicating with a machine, not a human being. By the end of that time I had no less than 35 computer-generated emails telling me that my domain could not be transferred.

Finally, I sent my request for domain transfer in a 5-page fax, including photocopy of my passport. They then sent me an email saying my request for domain transfer could not be processed because my request was not on company letterhead.

So I designed a letterhead and re-submitted the 5-page fax. Finally, 6 weeks after my first request, my domain was transferred.

To avoid this kind of experience I recommend you use register.com: http://www.register.com

Using their online Domain Manager, it took me less than two minutes to transfer my domain!

(2) A slow-loading index page is still one of the main reasons that online businesses lose customers.

Surveys show that the average surfer will wait no more than 8 seconds for a web page to load before moving onto another website. So ‘load-time’ is a vital consideration when you choose a web host.

Below is a website that allows you to check the load-time of a web host: http://www.hostpulse.com/app/networktools/ping.asp

(3) Once you’ve designed your home page and uploaded it to your server space, check to see what it looks like to other people. What you’re seeing may not be what other people are seeing.

I once designed a home page I was very proud of - I had added a piece of javascript that gave the day and date.

Then one day I checked my home page at Anybrowser.com. I was horrified to see that my home page was invisible except for my company logo and the navigation bar. For two weeks it had been virtually blank to most visitors! So take a minute and look at your website through your visitors’ browser: http://www.anybrowser.com/siteviewer.html

(4) If a customer asks you for a refund, give it to them immediately, even if you think it’s unjustified. You’ll be out of pocket by a few dollars, but your name and your integrity will be intact. Your good name is perhaps your most precious commodity on the Internet. Remember these words from Shakespeare:

"Who steals my purse steals trash;

’tis something, nothing;

‘Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands;

But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

And makes me poor indeed."

(Othello, Act III. Scene III.)

(5) Reply to emails quickly. Nothing impresses me more on the Internet than a rapid response to a business enquiry. Try and respond within 2 hours, or at least within 24 hours.

(6) Never reply angrily to abusive emails or flames. People who send flames want you to reply, but there is nothing to be gained by replying. An abusive email can be very disturbing, but the best thing to do is ignore it. Better still delete it - that way you remove it from your life and you remove the temptation to reply.

(7) Lastly, never give up. Most successes are due to sheer persistence:

"Nothing in the world can take the place of

persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common

than unsuccessful men of talent. Genius will not; the

world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and

determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, ‘press

on’ has solved, and always will solve, the problems of

the human race." (Calvin Coolidge)

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Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
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"The more things change, the more they stay the same". That saying couldn’t be more true, especially when it comes to writing ads and sales letters.

The same things that worked fifty years ago, continue to work today. Yes, times and technology has changed, but people haven’t. At least, not the way we react to an effective advertisement.

When writing an ad or sales letter, there are two critical points you must NEVER, EVER forget:

1. Most people don’t make a buying decision based on logic. They make a buying decision based on their emotions.

2. People don’t want to feel like they’re being coerced or pushed into anything. They want to feel like they arrived at a buying decision completely of their own free will.

Go back and read point number two again. That’s a very fine line. But you MUST learn the distinction, if you want to master the art of writing effective sales material.

Actually, writing effective sales material is quite simple, really. In fact, I’m going to teach you all of the basics in this article today. And if you consistently apply those basics, you’ll see your income skyrocket!

Here’s the key: You MUST write every single ad and sales letter using the following classic AIDA formula:

A=ATTENTION

I=INTEREST

D=DESIRE

A=ACTION

Let’s break down each letter, so that you can understand the full import of the formula:

A=ATTENTION: The very first thing your ad or sales letter must do is get your prospects attention. The very best way to do that is with an effective headline.

So, what’s an effective headline? An effective headline is any headline that answers this question: "What’s in it for me"? That’s all your prospects really cares about. What’s in it for them? Here’s an up-to-the-second example of an effective headline: "How To Write Super-Effective Ads and Sales Letters"!

So, what makes the title of this article an effective headline? Two things: First of all, I answered the "What’s in it for me" question. Secondly, the headline made you read this article.

And that my friend is the whole point! You want prospects to read your sales material!

Now, we come to the second letter in the aforementioned AIDA formula: I="INTEREST". After you get your prospects attention, you want to get them "INTERESTED" in your product or service. You do that by immediately telling them what your headline promises. You don’t waste their time with a bunch of fluff and garbage that nobody but you cares about.

Tell them what they want to know, starting with the very first paragraph, and continue to tell them, right through to the very last paragraph. If you keep them interested, they’ll keep reading, right to the very end.

Next comes the third letter letter in the formula: D="DESIRE". You have to make your prospects "DESIRE" your product or service. And the way to do that is with benefits, benefits and more benefits!

Remember, just keep telling them what your headline promised. Also, tell them what they stands to gain by purchasing your product or service. More importantly, tell them what they stand to lose, if they doesn’t purchase.

Push their emotional "hot buttons", by using magic selling words like, new, save, amazing, free, guaranteed, security, no-risk, look younger, feel better, etc!

Now we come to the last letter in the formula, but certainly not the least: A="ACTION". You want to close your ad or sales letter with a call to action! In other words, ask them for the order. It’s important to ask for the order at least three times, preferably six or more.

Here are a few examples of effective closes:

1. "Just click on the button below to order NOW, Risk-Free"!

2. "To get your FREE website, Order NOW"!

3. "Don’t waste another minute! Order NOW"!

Something else that’s very effective is to include a post- script (P.S.) at the end of your ad or sales letter. Your post-script should include an enticement of some sort, to get your prospects to order NOW. You should also use the post-script as a final call to "ACTION"!

Here’s an example of an effective post-script:

P.S. "Don’t forget, if your order within the next ten days, you’ll also receive a personalized calculator mouse pad FREE, with your company’s name embossed in gold lettering! Order NOW"!

You can also use a post script to tie everything together, by summarizing your most important benefits.

Another reason that you should use a post-script is strictly elementary. Studies have shown that most people, when reading an ad or sales letter will read the headline and then immediately zoom right down to the bottom of the page to check out the price and see if your offer is anything that they’d be interested in.

Anyway, that’s it. That’s "How To Write Super-Effective Ads and Sales Letters"!

Follow the formula faithfully and it will rarely let you down.

And remember, when writing your ads and sales letters, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS keep in mind that one question we all want to know: "What’s in it for me"?

About The Author

Dean Phillips is an Internet marketing expert, writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Questions? Comments? Dean can be reached at mailto: dean@lets-make-money.net.

Make Money Online! Internet marketing expert, Dean Phillips will help you make money online, starting today…Guaranteed! For details just visit my website: http://www.lets-make-money.net

Postage is an expense that can erase your profits. Follow these guidelines to reduce your postage expense.

1. Never send a letter that weighs less than 30 gms. Five size
8-1/2×11 circulars can be mailed with a 1st class postage stamp. By using all 10 sides with a variety of offers you have a greater chance of receiving an order.

2. When you advertise, state the price of your product and add Plus Postage e.g. "A DOZEN AND ONE WAYS TO REDUCE POSTAGE" $1 plus stamp or SASE (self addressed stamped envelope). When inviting inquiries always say "For information send SASE".

3. Advertise that you will do paid mailing. Set a competitive price and recover some if not all of the costs involved in mailing your own offers.

4. Write a good plan or folio; then create a good ad to sell it. Or offer it to others on a "commission" or "all profit" basis and fill the orders for a SASE. Your offers can then go along for a free ride when you fill the orders.

5. Make up an interesting ad sheet. Use up some of the spaces for your own ads then sell enough ads to others to cover the cost of postage, printing, advertising etc.

6. Advertise a "Free Big Mail for Postage - the More Postage the More Mail". (Big mail consists of at least one mailorder publication plus a variety of circulars).

7. Do exchange mailing. You mail 100 of another dealer’s circulars and they will mail 100 or yours.

8. Purchase an accurate postal scale. Then you will never add more postage than necessary OR you can use up the full value of the postage being used.

9. Reduce postage by using Bulk Mail. Inquire at the Post Office. This requires the mailer (U.S.) to sort their mail by state and zip code and mail at least 200 like pieces at one time.

10. Stamps that have not been canceled due to an error of the postal cancellation machine may be used again.

11. Accept stamps from another country. If you can’t use them trade with a dealer from that country for stamps that you can use or buy something from them paying them with stamps of equal value.

12. Watch mailorder publications for dealers who have new stamps to sell at a reduced price.

Note: It is false economy to not send a SASE when making inquiries of other dealers. You are more likely to receive an answer much more quickly and it improves business relations. Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer This information may be freely distributed on the Internet as long as the resource box remains intact.

DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this small business resource today.

According to experts, just changing the headline of an ad or sales letter has been known to dramatically improve the effectiveness of an ad or sales letter by up to 1700 percent! Yes, headlines are that powerful–and that important!

An effective headline will do many things at once. It will attract the readers attention, convey benefits by appealing to the readers self-interest and it will set the stage for what is to come. It will also target the audience for which it was intended.

But the number one thing a headline should always do is answer the question, "What’s in it for me?" Why? Because that’s all most of us really care about.

So what are the characteristics of a good headline? First and foremost, an effective headline must be believable. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

However, if your product really can make me: jump higher than Kobe Bryant, attract as many women as I want, or make me millions while I sleep; if you put it in your headline, you had better be able to effectively prove it in your copy.

Many experts believe the shorter the headline, the better. I don’t necessarily agree with that. However, keeping your headlines to fifteen words or less is probably a good idea.

Make sure your headlines are easy to read. When typesetting your headlines don’t use fancy fonts, reverse type, all caps or italics. I recommend you utilize a simple, easy to read type style such as Times Roman. You can see an example of this on my website.

Headlines that evoke some type of emotional response are the most effective and generally make more sales. Emotions motivate people into action. The stronger the emotion, the quicker the action. Therefore, headlines that make the reader afraid of losing something or excited about gaining something will invariably produce the best results.

Using the proper words and phrases is critical. Below I’ve listed just a few of the words and phrases that, over the years, have proven to be very effective at grabbing the readers attention:

Save… Amazing… Finally… Love… Secrets Of… Announcing… Free… Luxury… Security… At Last… New… Bargains… Obsession… Breakthrough… Protect… The Truth About… Discover… How To… Rewards… Yes… Sale… You… Are You… Sex… Win… Improve… Do You…

After grabbing your readers attention, this is where you want to answer the question, "What’s in it for me?" To do this, you have to know a little about your target audience. What are they interested in? What are their priorities? What makes them respond?

Craft your headlines to use words and phrases that will pique your potential buyers interest. If you are targeting people interested in starting their own home business, try phrases such as "Stay Home And Make Money" or "Kiss Your Job Goodbye Forever". If your product happens to be diet pills, try "Lose 10 Pounds In 10 Days".

A word of caution here. This is the point where headlines tend to get unbelievable. Make sure that your claims are truthful and that your copy supports their truthfulness.

Once you have a firm grasp of the aforementioned basics, look around your house and select several different products, and write as many headlines as you can think of for each product.

Write variations of the same headline until you have exhausted all the ideas you can think of. This will be both frustrating and difficult at first, but it will become easier with practice. Remember, nothing worthwhile ever comes easy.

After you have your list of headlines, make sure each one passes the test for the following criteria for a good headline. 1. Does it grab the readers attention? 2. Does it answer the question, "What’s in it for me?" 3. Is it truthful? If a potential headline does not meet these three criteria, rewrite it or eliminate it from your list altogether.

Continue using the process of elimination, one headline at a time, until you’re left with what you feel are the three best and strongest headlines, based on the criteria presented in this article.

How will you know which headline is the best overall?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know for sure until you test them against each other. The headline that pulls the most sales or responses is your winner!

About The Author

Dean Phillips is an Internet marketing expert, writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Questions? Comments? Dean can be reached at mailto: dean@lets-make-money.net

Website: http://www.lets-make-money.net

Starting Business Secrets will help you to start your own business successfully.

The American Dream is, and always will be, to come up with an idea, start a business and become rich from your own efforts. Based upon this motivation, thousands of businesses fail each year, due primarily to not being familiar with the basics involved in running a business.

This report will enlighten you, and give you a number of suggestions you can use to better guarantee your chances for success. This report is written with the warning that any and every business venture contains certain inherent risks, and any number of alternatives. We do not espouse that any one way is the right way or that our suggestions are the only way. On the contrary, we advise that before investing any money in a business venture, you seek counselling and help from a qualified accountant and/or attorney.

Just about the first thing you should consider before deciding to start or purchase a business is the legal form you’ll be operating under. There are basically four choices: sole proprietorship, partnership, limited partnership, and/or corporation.

Each has a number of advantages and disadvantages. We’ll try to enumerate some of them for you.

As much as anything else, for many people starting a business is a form of ego-gratification, and they form a corporation for some sort of prestige gain - just to say, "I own a corporation."

With just a little bit of observation, you’ll find that one of the major causes of business failures is due to the founder wasting start-up capital on frills, such as an impressive store- front office, expensive furnishings, and corporate legal costs.

One of the basic traits you must develop it you’re going to be successful in business, is a tight hold on your expenditures. In fact, a good rule of thumb is that anything that does not make money for yo or protect your investment, should not be purchased at this time. Very definitely, this applies to the expense of setting up your own corporation.

Unless you have a partnership and start your business as such, the only real advantage to forming a corporation would appear to be that a corporate structure will semi-protect the property you personally own.

As an example, you own a home and car. You form a corporation to protect these possessions from business losses. Yet, if you can be found guilty of misusing corporate funds, your business creditors can pierce the corporate shield and come after your possessions.

Basically, if you invest everything you have in your business, as most newcomers do, you don’t usually need a corporation because you have nothing to protect. Your household possessions, personal belongings, generally your car, and even a portion of the equity in your home is protected by the homestead provision of the Federal Bankruptcy Act, and cannot be taken away from you.

As a sole proprietor or partner of a business you’ll be paying taxes on your overall earnings, much the same as if you were holding down a salaried or hourly paid job. Whether you do or don’t take out money as a salary will have no bearing on the earnings of your business and tax return.

The often advertised advantage of incorporating, that you can manipulate your salary in order to save on tax dollars, is real because of corporation laws. However, the IRS frowns on this practice. When your business is successful and making a lot of money, definitely check with your accountant on the advantages of incorporating.

As a corporation, you’ll be subject to a number of other drawbacks as well: generally higher state taxes, stricter laws concerning the operation of your business, more elaborate accounting procedures, and legal papers that are required just about every time you make a major move or sign almost any contract. Thus, your legal and accounting fees will be much higher as a corporation than will those required for a sole proprietorship type of business.

As a sole proprietor or partnership, you’ll find many areas require the registration of your business name. The cost however, is minimal, ranging from $5 to $100. About the best way to find out what laws apply in your area, is to call your bank and ask if they need a fictitious name registration card or certificate in order for you to open a business account.

Selecting a name for your business is quite important to you and particularly relative to advertising. Your business name should describe the product or services you offer. Fancy names such as, Linda’s Clipping Service will lose potential "walk-in and passing" customers to the beauty shop across the street that calls itself, Patti’s Beauty Salon or Jane’s Hair Styling Shop.

The advantage of using your full name in the title of your business, such as Johnny Jones’ Meat Lockers, has the advantage of making credit somewhat easier to come by - provided you pay your bills on time - but it also includes the disadvantage of confining your services to a local or at most, a regional area.

Should you buy, lease, or rent a space for your business? think twice before you make any decision along these lines. Most businesses tend to grow quickly or they never get off the ground.

There are a few exceptions, but only a very few, that tend to grow at a modified rate.

So, buying a piece of property and setting up your business on or within that property, obligates you to ownership regardless of what happens to your business.

Leases are almost always very strong contracts written by attorneys to the advantage of the property-owner. When you sign an agreement to pay someone for the use of their space over any length of time, you’re "nailed in" to paying for that space regardless of what happens to your business.

In the beginning, it’s wise to either get the shortest-term lease possible, or arrange to rent with an option to lease at a later date. This does not apply to a retail business, unless your particular business happens to be an untried one.

Definitely, you should open a business bank account. In selecting a bank for your business, scout around and look for one that can, and will help you. Determine what your banking needs will be, and then via telephone, interview the managers of the banks in your area. The important convenient bank to your business location.

A point to remember: the closer you can make the relationship between you and the bank manager, the better your chances are going to be for approval on loans and/or special favors you may need at a later date.

Try to become acquainted with as many of the bank employees as possible. The better you know them, the more courtesies they’ll be extending especially to you in the course of your association.

Just as a doctor is a specialist in his field, and you go to him for medical problems, your banker is a specialist in his field and you should go to him for your money problems. In business, you’ll have to learn that everyone is an expert in his own line of work, and in your associations with other business people, refrain from acting like a "sharpie" and/or pretending that you know exactly how everything works in someone else’s specialty.

You’ll find that very often, different banks specialize in different types of businesses. As an example, you’re sure to find banks that specialize in real estate transactions, export- import businesses, and even manufacturing operations only.

What I’m saying here is that if you’re planning to sella fairly expensive item, your customers will probably need and/or want financing. It will behoove you to select a bank familiar with your type of product that will afford your customers, through you, contract financing.

Some of the questions you should ask of your banker include the following:

Is it necessary to maintain a certain balance in your account before the bank will approve a loan for you? What qualifications must you have in order to obtain a line of credit with the bank?

Does the bank limit the number of loans, or types of loans it will approve for small businesses?

What is the bank’s policy regarding the size of a check you might deposit that requires holding for collection?

And what about checks less than that amount - will they be immediately credited to your account?

In almost all types of businesses, it will be to your benefit to set up with your bank, a method of handling VISA, Master Charge, and regional credit cards. The important thing here is to ultimately set up your account in the bank that will service all of these credit transactions for you - one stop for all your banking needs. In most instances, you’ll find that having the capability to fill orders/make sales via credit card transactions, will increase your volume of sales appreciatively.

Once you’ve made the decision as to which bank is going to handle your account, you’ll need your Social Security Number or your Federal Employer’s Identification Number, your driver’s license, the fictitious name certificate, and if you’re requesting a VISA or Master Charge franchise, you’ll also need a financial statement.

For corporations, you’ll also need a corporate resolution approving of the opening of your business account.

There are different policies exercised in just about every state regarding installation/hook-up charges by the telephone and utility companies. Some require a deposit, and some don’t.

You’ll find that a great number of city business license departments are there solely for the purpose of collecting another tax. Depending on the type of business you’re asking a license for, the building and zoning people may inspect your premises for soundness of structure and safety. Generally, you won’t encounter any difficulties - you simply pay your fee to operate your business in that city, and the clerk types your name onto a city license certificate.

Relative to sales tax permits and licenses, each state’s rules and regulations very widely. The best thing to do is call your state offices and ask for information concerning registry and collection procedures. Many states require an advance deposit or bond, and you’ll find that some wholesalers or manufacturers will not sell to you at wholesale prices until you can show them your sales tax permit or number.

Should your business entail selling your products or services across state lines, in another state, you’re not required to collect taxes except in those where you have offices or stores.

You may find also that your particular business requires the collection of Federal Excise Taxes. For information along these lines, check in with your local office of the Internal Revenue Service.

Some states also require certain businesses to hold state licenses, such as those required in many states for TV Repairmen.

These are known as "occupational permits" and are most often required of barbers, hair stylists, real estate people and a number of other consumer oriented businesses. If you have any doubts, check with your state offices for a list of those occupations that require licensing.

Any business doing business in any type of interstate commerce is subject to federal regulations, usually through the Federal Trade Commission. This means that any business that shops, sells or advertises in more than one state is subject to such regulation, and this includes even the smallest of mail order operations.

Normally, very few business people ever have and contact with the federal regulatory agencies. The only exceptions being when there is a question of your operating your business unethically or illegally.

Any business that sells or distributes food in any manner almost always requires a county health department permit. If your business falls into this category, simply call the county health department and invite them out to your place of business for an inspection. The fees generally range from about $25, depending on the size of your business when they first inspect it for permit approval.

There are also a number of businesses that require inspection by a fire marshall, and fire department approval. Generally, these are those that handle flammable materials or attract large numbers of people, such as a theater. Overall, the local fire department has to be allowed to inspect your premises whenever they desire to do so.

You may also run into a requirement for an air and/or water pollution control permit. These specifically apply to any business that burns anything, discharges anything into the sewers or waterways, or use any gas-producing product, such as a paint sprayer.

Without a doubt, you’ll need to check on local regulations relating to advertising display signs. Each city or township makes its own rules and then enforces those rules according to its own thinking -check before you contract to have a sign made for your business.

The design and placement of your sign is very important to your business - specifically to retail establishments - but let me remind you that your business sign is usually the first thing a potential customer sees and as such, it should catch his eye and leave an impression that lasts. It would be a good idea to ride around your town and take a look at the signs that catch your eye, and try to determine the impression of the business that sign leaves on you. This is a basic learning formula for determining the design, size and placement of your business sign.

Some of the other things to consider before opening for business - If you intend to employ one or more employees, you’ll be required to deduct Federal Income Taxes, and Social Security payments from their checks. This will involve your filing for a Federal Tax Number and necessitates contact with your local IRS Office.

Most states have "unemployment taxes" which will have to be deducted from the paychecks of any employees you hire. And there are a number of states that have income taxes - disability insurance - and any number of other taxes. Again, the best thing to do is check with your local office of the IRS. And above all else, don’t forget to ask for the rules of the minimum wage law, and comply.

When your business grows to the point of needing additional help, don’t be afraid to look for and hire the help you need. when you’re ready to hire someone, simply run an ad in your local paper and/or register your needs with the local office of your state’s employment service. Businesses either grow or die, and those that grow eventually need more people in order to continue growing.

When that time comes, hire the additional people you need, and your business will continue growing. If you don’t, for whatever reason, you’ll find yourself married to your business and your business growth stymied.

Regardless of how small your business is when you begin, never walk in with the thought in mind that it’s something to keep you busy. Anyone with an attitude of that kind is a fool. You begin and make a business successful in order to realize financial freedom. Establish your business. Put it on its feet, and then hire other people to do the work for you. And those businesses that require an operations manager, or someone to run a phase of the business you’re too busy to handle, hire the person needed or the business will surely suffer.

To protect the investment of your business, you need business insurance. If you’ve never had any experience with business insurance, simply look under the heading of "business insurance" in your phone directory. Ask for bids from several different companies or agents…Primarily, you should have a policy that gives you general liability, fire, workmen’s compensation, business interruption, and vehicle coverage. You amy also want coverage against possible losses related to burglary, robbery, Life & Accident, Key Man, and Fidelity Bonds.

As the sole proprietor of a business, you won’t be paid as an employee, so there will be no income tax deducted from whatever you withdraw from the company’s earnings. What you’ll have to do is a gain check with the IRS Office for a Tax Guide For Small Businesses Handbook, and probably end up filing an estimated tax return on a quarterly basis.

The minute you open your doors for business, you’ll have to spend some time engaged in the work of bookkeeping. Exactly how, and using what forms, you keep books, should be on the recommendations of a good tax counselor…The same holds true for your overall business and/or payroll accounting system. Look for an experienced CPA that knows the accounting problems to your particular kind of business, and solicit his advise/counseling.

If your business is going to involve the possible purchase or lease of operating equipment, again seek the help of your tax counselor for the most advantageous method of obtaining the needed equipment.

Basically, arranging for your suppliers to give you materials on credit will depend upon your honesty and personal financial statement. The best way is usually a personal visit to the person with the power to approve or disapprove of credit at the company where you want to set up a credit account. Show him your financial statement, and explain your prospects for success. Then assure him that you’ve always honored all of your obligations, and that if ever there’s a question or problem, you’d like for him to call you at home. And of course, give him your home phone number.

We won’t go into the exigencies of advertising your products, services or business here, but there is something along these lines you should always keep in mind. The best kind of advertising your business can receive is that you don’t really pay for - publicity.

When something unusual happens to you, your business, or your employees - that’s news, so be sure to tell the news media in your area about it.

The most important ingredient of your eventual success will be the soundness of the planning you did before you started your business. Any number of bad things can really throw your business into a tailspin, but it you’ve done your homework well - really set up a detailed business plan before starting - your losses or setbacks will be minimal. Success takes planning, and within this report, you’ve got a basic checklist…The rest is up to you…Good luck, and may your life overflow with success in all that you undertake from this moment forward.

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Julia Tang publishes Smart Online Business Tips, a fresh
and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people
like you! To find out the best online business opportunities,
and to discover hundreds more proven and practical internet
marketing secrets, plus FREE internet marketing products
worth over $200, visit: http://www.best-internet-businesses.com
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Note: Feel free to publish it with the resource box and content unchanged

When used effectively, classified ads can be one of the quickest and most inexpensive ways to increase your sales. A well written classified ad can generate thousands in sales, yet could cost you pennies to write and run.

Most people don’t appreciate the power of well written classified ads. They think classified ads are for selling cars, or finding jobs, and not for expanding a business. While it’s true a classified ad is a good way to achieve the above, it is also true that classified ads can be used to launch and expand multi million pound businesses.

Many businesses rely exclusively on these low cost ads to generate a substantial amount of their annual turn over. The reason is simple. Once you have discovered how to harness the power of these classified ads, you really won’t need to run expensive display ads at all.

Note that the key point about classified ads is that they are most effective when used as lead generators, and not to sell from. In these ads you are not trying to convince someone to spend money with you. You are trying to identify a potential customer by having that customer contact you as a result of the ad. Once potential customers have identified themselves, you can then follow up with your direct mail offer for the product or service you are selling.

Writing an effective classified ad is one of the most exacting forms of copywriting. In twenty words or less you have to grab the customer’s attention, and excite them enough to prompt them into calling you for more information. You can’t rely on eye catching illustrations or professional layouts to catch the reader’s attention. It’s all in what you say.

Here’s how you write a good classified ad that works:

1. First you need to define what you want the ad to accomplish. Do you want the customer to read the ad and smile? Or do you want them to read your ad and call you immediately? Obviously the answer is the latter of the two.

2. Next decide what type of person is most likely to purchase your product or service. This is called creating a customer profile. Ask yourself questions like: Are they a man or a woman? Are they young or old? Are they rich or poor? Ask yourself as many questions as possible to help create a profile for your potential customers. If you struggle to identify who you are going to sell your product or service to, then it is almost impossible to write an ad that will grab their attention.

3. With the most likely customer profile developed in step two above, you should make a list of all the “hot buttons”, those words, ideas, and concepts that are most likely to grab the immediate attention of anyone in the group of customers you have identified. These hot buttons might be simple phrases like “work at home”, “financial freedom”, “lose weight overnight”, “exciting job opportunity”, or “immediate loans”.

4. Using the list of hot buttons you came up with in step three above, you should see how you can integrate them into a twenty word or less ad that accomplishes what you defined in step one. When writing your ad, the most important words are the first three, and must be selected with great purpose. They should call out to your potential customers.

5. If your goal is to get the reader to identify themselves to you as a potential customer, you should offer free additional information about your product or service. This way you get the customer to call you and give you their name and address, so you can send them something in the post. You would normally do this by saying, “for a free information pack please call (your number here).

6. After your ad is written to your satisfaction, you should search out a number of highly targeted newspapers and magazines that your customers might read. Then you find the ones with the least amount of classified ads in, and run your test ads there. Always avoid general interest publications. The ad price rates are too expensive in them and the response too small, go for specialist publications.

7. Before the ads appear you need to develop your ad response pack. This is the free information that people who see your ads will be calling about. It is this response pack that will generate the sale. Having a good response pack is critical to the success of your classified ad project.

8. When your ads appear, you should keep a track of the total number of enquiries for each ad, and from which publications they came from. This lets you know which ad works best, and which publication pulls the most interest. You can then use this information when you roll out the ad on a wider scale.

One final point to remember, the success of a classified ad is determined by the sales that are generated by the follow-up effort (the response information pack), not by the lead generating ad itself. It is important that you spend much time and effort considering the content to be included in your response pack, but that is another topic.

Thanks for reading. If you liked the article please feel free to rate it at the bottom of this page.

Jason

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Jason Morris is co-author, search engine optimization and marketing consultant of Business Phone Systems Direct. An established communications company, offering advice and implementation of high quality business phone systems.
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INTRODUCTION

To get any business started successfully takes many ingredients. All requirements fall into one of the following four key categories: 1. Desire, 2. Knowledge, 3. Time, and 4. Available funds. This report deals only with the financial requirements of starting a mail order business. Hopefully it will help the reader to evaluate whether he is financially able to embark upon a business venture that will bring about success. It is generally true that it takes substantially less money to get started in many mail order businesses than in a variety of other businesses.

Many a promoter will want you to belive that it is possible to get started successfully for $50, $100, or even $200. However, it is totally false. It does take more than that. How much more depends on many factors which I will try to define as much as is possible here.

Since the mail order business covers a vast number of services and products I would like to define the contents of this report to deal with the selling of information products. This is where my expertise lies. While the same or similar conditions may apply to any number of other mail order businesses, there may however be some differences to selling information products such as books, etc.

The following makes a number of assumptions. The most important ones are:

1. The operator ( or operators) of the new mail order business is employed or has other means of income.. He will not need to derive any profit from his new business for a period of time.. How long will depend on many factors.

2. This is a home based business which has no employees.

3. The business, at the start - until volume reaches $3,000 to $5,000 per month - will utilize the drop shipping services of a wholesale company.

4. Basic office equipment such as desk, file cabinet, computer, etc… are on hand.

A WORD OF CAUTION AT THE START AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU

This is an exciting business and it can be extremely profitable once it reaches a certain momentum. However, like almost all businesses it is a very cost sensitive business.

As you are getting started in planning and setting up your new business think and act with caution when it pertains to any expenditures. This is one of the most difficult things to do since you are probably very enthusiastic and want to do everything today. So you need to learn HOW TO CONTROL YOUR ENTHUSIASM or it is going to cost you lost of extra money.

In this state of enthusiasm we tend to think that there is nothing we can do wrong and since we will be making lots of money in a few months lets get all necessary and often unnecessary supplies and equipment. It would be much better to wait until profits of the business make it possible to acquire what is needed. In the meantime you can make do with less. To be able to do so is a most important quality for the owner of a small to do so is a most important quality for the owner of a small business.

If you are a parent think of your new business as a child. There will be a never ending sequence of surprises. And as the business grows so will its demands, and yes its expenses.

START-UP EXPENSES — INITIAL STAGE

The below listed expenses will be incurred in the very early stages of setting up your business. This is at a time when you probably are not sure as yet what you will be selling. You will be writing to different companies for information to come up with the right product selection. Once you have decided what it is you will be selling you have to line up reliable suppliers, This is also a good time to buy a few books to help you with your mail order education. Although most expenses incurred in this phase are relatively small they will add up quickly.

These prices are estimates. Prices will vary according to your location.

• Stationery and envelopes………………………………………..50.00
• P.O. Box rental………………………………….60.00 per year
• Miscellaneous office supplies……………………..30.00
• Postage…………………………………………50.00
• Educational……………………………………45.00
• TOTAL…………………………………………235.00

START-UP EXPENSES — SECONDARY STAGE

You have now reached the point at which you have decided upon one or more reliable suppliers for the product you wish to market. You may also be ready to have some promotional material printed. In addition you may be placing one or two classified ads for testing purposes.

Once again, please remember that these prices are estimates only.

• Dealership or distributorship (1 or more)……………………………………………80.00
• Small supply of brochures or catalogs………………………………………..50.00
• Printing of sales letter, order form, Return envelopes, etc………………………………………………90.00
• 1 test ad, classified (national magazine)……………………………………100.00
• Business or traders license………………………………………..30.00
• Postage……………………………………..25.00
• TOTAL………………………………………375.00

Until now you have only had expenses for your new business. You have not derived any revenue yet. In the next and final stage of starting your business you may have some revenues. Stage one and two may take from approximately 3 to 6 months.

START-UP EXPENSES — THIRD STAGE

You have now reached a stage were you will expand your advertising, or alternately you may go the direct marketing route and rent a mailing list. The comparison of expenses and revenue results of a direct marketing effort versus classified advertising need to be carefully evaluated. Since expenses for a direct marketing effort are generally higher than for a small advertising campaign, the below listed expenses focus on an advertising campaign,

Estimates provided for illustrative purpsoes only.

• Advertising — 3 classified ads………………………………………………………………280.00
• Postage for several hundred inquiries derived from adverting effort…………………………………………….75.00
• Miscellaneous office supplies………………………………………………………..30.00
• TOTAL…………………………………………………………385.00

SUMMARY

The combined expenses as listed above total just under $1000. They are based on broad estimates and may vary somewhat by area of the country and individual circumstances. The figures are reflecting a minimum amount. Some individuals may be able to cut expenses further. Since this planning period takes several months the expenses as shown above can be allocated over a period of 4-6 months.

The above figures represent a conservative start. For those who want to get started more aggressively expenses would be higher. While many of the basic start-up costs would be the same the expenses that would increase would primarily deal with additional advertising, printing and postage expenses. By how much would largely be an individual decision.

Since most new businesses fail because of lack of funds, it would be advisable for an individual who does not have the necessary funds to get started to wait until he does. In addition to the basic start-up expenses an individual should also consider that most businesses will loose money for several months and sometimes much longer than that. Unfortunately no matter how well you plan, circumstances often change and we must make allowances for those eventualities.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer

Note to editors: To show my appreciation to the editors that use my articles, I offer a free solo ad. Simply send an email to me by using the form on the contact me page on my website to tell me the url the article was used on or send me a copy of the ezine it was used in.

DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this small business resource today.

Choosing a Classified Website and creating your advertisements.

The internet has opened a vast number of doors for people to market their products and services. Becoming self-employed and obtaining a national or global audience has never been easier. Many of these quality Classified Websites will provide Entrepreneurs with their own storefront. In addition, their is no or little programming knowledge required for a Website, as the administrator of the Classifieds Website will ensure modern and enhanced features, for consumers to find and purchase products or services. However, there are a few elements to familiarize yourself with, prior to deciding where you want to advertise.

Free Classified Ads

If you scout the Internet, you will find a variety of Websites that are promoting, "Free Classified Ads". Many advertisers will rush in and take advantage of these offers, without investigation. However, you should use caution when dealing with these types of Websites. If they do not provide a Privacy Policy, avoid them all together.

Always remember, maintaining a Website has a price. If they are not selling their advertisement space, another method is being used to generate income.

A common practice is the sale of E-mail addresses. In an online report by Tim Williams (Technical Services Specialist University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory [http://www.u.arizona.edu/~trw/spam/]), describing how spammers obtain Email addresses, he found, "Many sites, when the dot-bomb implosion hit, realized a list of email address was an asset to be sold. The people buying didn’t care if you only opted in one site they had your address used it and probably sold it off again". There is a big market for Email addresses. The value of an E-mail address rose significantly with the new legislation that enforced the, "Can-Spam Act". By opting in to a Website, and providing your E-mail address, you are opening the doors for E-mail Advertisers to safely market your address.

There are some Free Classified Websites that are legitimate. Some sites may advertise, "Free Classifieds," but charge for extended time-frames of the advertisements run. For example, an advertisement that will run for one week is free. In contrast, an advertisement that runs for one month has a fee. In addition, some free classified Websites may charge a fee for additional features. This may include Featured Advertisements, Bold Text, Placing your advertisement above all others within a category.

In any case, look for a Privacy Policy. Ensure that Website clearly states they will not sell, trade, or share your registration information.

Features to look for in a Classified Website

When choosing a Classified Website to utilize, take a look at some of the features they offer. A good advertising venue should focus on consumer friendliness. Navigation should be clear and simple for the consumer. They should offer features that help consumers shop and compare. This is what will make consumers comeback to the resource for their shopping needs.

Here are some basic features to look for:

Classified Search Engine: While some people enjoy shopping through the variety of Classified Ads, others want a Search Engine that will filter out the ads that are not of interest to them. The site should offer a search engine, and an advanced search engine that allows consumers to sort ads by item specific information. For example, a consumer should be able to shop for cars by the Manufacture, model, location, price range, Mileage, and other details related to the car they want.

Classified Watch List’s: Watch Lists are a newer feature that will automatically notify a consumer when an item is advertised on the Website. This feature ensures that advertisements are targeted to consumers that are interested in the offering you have. In addition, it informs the consumer without the need to continually browse the internet.

Simple Navigation: The consumer side of the Website should have clear and central navigation. If a consumer needs to pass through several pages before seeing items for sale, avoid the site. Consumers will not enjoy having to click on a variety of links to find offerings. Classification of the items listed on the Website should be easy and direct.

Target Audience: The Website you are advertising has a Target Audience. If you are advertising something in England, it would not be practical to place the advertisement on a Classified Website for the United States. This will hold true for other countries that speak similar languages.

Other Content: In addition to a Classified Marketplace, Websites need to offer additional content to ensure that users enjoy the Website. Content is what keeps people coming back, or draws people to a Website.

Writing your Classified Ad

What many may consider the most important part of advertising is writing an effective ad. The information that you provide in your classified ad may be the deciding factor if it is successful or a, "bomb".

Create a variety of advertisements that utilize various approaches. Be prepared to revise your content on occasion. This ensures that you are demonstrating different aspects of your offering. In addition, you can promote your offering from different angles, to see what will achieve the best results.

Choosing the angle of your advertising may vary, depending on what you are offering. Writing a Classified Ad is not much different than writing an essay, with the exception of a literary work. There are three general angles that you should consider using to promote your offering. These are Expressive ads, Persuasive ads, and Informative Ads. However, you should always implement a call to action regardless of the angle you choose. Additionally, it may not be a good idea to mix any of the three angles. This is because advertisements need to have focus and be concise.

Here are definitions and examples for the different types of advertising:

Writing an Expressive Classified Ad

An expressive advertisement is very personal. Expressive ads may be a good idea for a small scale business, wanting to utilize a personal approach. When taking an expressive approach, think of writing an excerpt of the day in a journal. As the writer of the advertisement, you want to express your personal feelings, thoughts, or opinions related to the offerings. For example, a Business Opportunity may be advertised as, "I made over $100,000.00 in one year. I cannot believe how easy it was". This eliminates the need to use examples or testimonials, as the author becomes the example.

Writing a Persuasive Classified Ad

A persuasive advertisement is used to convince the reader or change their opinion. To be successful with a persuasive classified ad, the writer needs to have a firm, direct, and clear point. The goal is to evoke a reaction that causes the reader to have the same point-of-view as the Author. A very common form of advertising, that uses a Persuasive approach, is the Governments, "Register to Vote," Campaigns. They are generally direct and to the point. They provide a concise reason why you should register to vote, "Make your voice heard". By pointing out a simple benefit, they are achieving the task of the persuasive advertisement, getting unregistered citizens to register.

Writing an Informative Classified Ad

Informative advertising provides information to the readers and generally explains what is being offered. When constructing such an advertisement, the author should demonstrate observations, ideas, facts, statistics, or research data. This is becoming very common on the internet, as more people are becoming information hungry. Consumers want to know what they are buying. In addition, this is a wise choice, if consumers cannot physically see the item you are selling. An example of Informative Advertising is an Auto Manufactures advertisement for their vehicles (Not Dealerships). They generally print large advertisements that inform readers of the Vehicles Engine Horsepower, Torque, Maintenance Schedule, Improvements from prior models, available colors, Wheelbase, seating, trunk size, etc… All the information is based on facts and research. It allows consumers to compare their vehicles to similar Auto Models, without taking a test drive.

Headlines and Body of your Classified Advertisements

Headlines are often referred to as titles, and are very important in catching the readers’ eye. Headlines should always be typed in capital letters. In addition, use simple name recognition techniques. For example, if you are advertising a Car for Sale, input the Make and Model for the headline. In contrast, if you are selling Real Estate, you should use the street and Town the property is located.

Business advertisements should always use the name of the company. The more the name is seen, the better your Public Relations becomes.

Don’t overextend the headline. An example of an overextended headline is adding, “Car for Sale,” when placing an advertisement under a, “Cars for Sale,” category. This text is simply not needed, as the consumer is already aware that they are looking at, “Cars for Sale”.

Consider what you see from professional journalists that writes columns in a newspaper. Simple and Straight forward, inform the readers what the Classified Ad is promoting. They never mention the words that already are in the columns’ header (Entertainment, Movies, Lifestyle, etc..).

The context or body of your classified is very important. First, the body of your advertisement needs to have proper grammar. Having a Classified advertisement with, "Typo’s," gives a bad impression. Next, make sure the body is easy to read. This can be accomplished by using paragraphs with short sentences and avoiding all capital letters. Keep in mind, the body is not a headline; you already grabbed the consumers’ attention, as they are reading your advertisement.

The goal should be to make it pleasant at this point. Finally, end the advertisement with a call to action. How does a consumer proceed to accept your offer? What is the next step they need to take? Use power phrases similar to, "Call Now for Further Details".

Consider the season of your target audience (Dependent on the Offering). In the winter, people may have different motives than in the hot summer. In addition, take into consideration up-and-coming Holidays. Simply wishing a, "Merry Christmas," will evoke warm emotions when people are reading your advertisements. This may help take away the Hard-sell frame of mind the consumer has, while reading your advertisements.

About The Author

Michael Medeiros is an Entrepreneur with a background in Business and Advertising. He works as a Part-Time Real Estate Agent for Century 21 Hearst Realty, in Turnersville NJ . Michael Medeiros is also the founder of Mjmls online classifieds www.mjmls.com

"What does Tresaca mean?"

"How did your mother come up with that name?"

"How did you come up with Black Unicorn Communications?"

"What does Black Unicorn mean?"

I have been asked these questions countless times in my life.

The only choice I had regarding the selection of my first name was choosing the pronunciation of it. I eventually realized that the meaning of my name was up to me, and that it was much more than just a name.

It was a part of me and I was much more than a name. My name could mean whatever I wanted it to mean, and like me there were no limits when it came to defining it.

When it came to creating a name for my business, I did so with the knowledge that it was much more than just a name. It was also the beginning of creating the essence of what the name really means and what I wanted it to mean.

What is the difference between your name and the name of your business?

When it comes to your name, what matters most is what your name means to YOU.

When it comes to your business, what matters most is what your business name means to YOUR TARGET MARKET.

When your prospects see or hear your business name, you want them to immediately associate that name with positive feelings.

You want your business name to evoke a sense of trust, respect, and loyalty.

As your business name becomes more familiar to your target market, you want them to think about what your business name really means to them.

When it comes to the name game, make sure your prospects can answer the following questions about your business when they see or hear your business name:

1. What is the essence of your business?

2. What adjectives describe your business?

3. What is your business mission statement?

4. What does your business stand for?

5. How can your business be of service to them?

6. Why should they choose your business to solve their problems instead of your competitors?

Your business is much more than just a name, so make sure your target market really knows what your business name means.

Make sure it means the same thing to them that it does to you.

When your target market truly understands the meaning of your business and how it can help solve their problems, they will really know the true essence of your business.

And that is what matters most.

Copyright 2004 Black Unicorn Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Tresaca Hamilton is the CEO of Black Unicorn Communications and specializes in providing Empowered Marketing Solutions to JumpStart Small Businesses

Visit: http://www.blackunicorninc.com to JumpStart Your Business NOW and receive a FREE JumpStart Your Business Toolkit

In this lesson, we will create a business card, using Microsoft Word. I created a new template for my business card. It can be viewed at: http://janes-place.com/bus_card.htm

Choose the information you want to place on your card before beginning.

Here’s how I did it:

Go to ’start’ –’Microsoft Word’ — ‘file menu’ — ‘page setup’. Choose the ‘Margins Tab’. Type in 1.25 for the Left and Right margins. That way, two cards will fit on a 8 1/2 x 11in. sheet, side by side. Click ‘ok’.

In the ‘Format Menu’ choose ‘Columns’. Where it asks for the number of columns, use the arrows to go down until the number ‘two’ is in the box. Go down to ‘Width’ and type in 2.75in. The ‘Spacing’ will adjust automatically. Be sure the ‘Equal Column Width’ and the ‘Line Between’ boxes are checked. Click ‘ok’.

Let’s save it, at this point. Go to the ‘File Menu’ and choose ‘Save As’. You can save it in the same folder we saved the Letterhead, if you choose. I saved mine with my letterhead in ‘Business Stationery’. Give the file a name. I named mine — ‘My Business Card’. Click ‘Save’.

Go to the ‘Table Menu’ and choose ‘Insert Table’. Set the number of ‘Columns’ and ‘Rows’ to ‘one’. Click ‘ok’.

A long, thin box will appear. Move your mouse cursor to the bottom line, until it turns into a double-headed arrow. Click on the double-headed arrow and drag it down to the 2in. mark on the left hand side ruler. If the ruler isn’t visible in your document, go to the ‘View Menu’ and click on ‘ruler’.

Click inside the box and add your picture. You have two options here:

1) You can use ‘ClipArt’, by going to the ‘Insert menu’ — ‘Picture’ — ‘ClipArt. Choose your category and find the graphic suitable for your business, click ‘ok’. The image will appear in your document.

2) You can use your company logo, if you have one, or another picture on your hard drive, by going to the ‘Insert Menu’ — ‘Picture’ — ‘From File’. The pictures on your hard drive (saved in ‘My Documents’ — ‘My Pictures’ will appear). Scroll down the list until you find the one you want to insert. Click on the picture you have chosen, to highlight it. Then click on the ‘Insert’ button. The picture will appear in your document.

To move the picture around inside your table, click on the picture. You will see a four arrow symbol. This allows you to move the picture up, down, right or left, by dragging it to the position you want. I wanted my picture to appear in the left, top position, so I moved it to that position. If you want your picture centered, click on it and click the ‘center’ button on the tool bar. [The center tool will be lines of text centered. It is the second picture of text shown.]

To change the size of your picture, click on it, then on one of the corners and drag it to the desired size.

About The Author

Jane Fulton is Owner & Webmistress of http://janes-place.com ‘Home For Newbies & Beginning Marketers’. She has been helping them for almost 4yrs now. She publishes a newsletter, Newbie & Affiliate SOS Newsletter. It appears online twice a month. If you like these ‘How To’ type of articles, subscribe to her newsletter at: http://janes-place.com/sos.htm

webmistress@janes-place.com