Jere answers:

I have always used Quickbooks for my businesses. It’s easy and all inclusive. So you can write checks, pay bills, send invoices, print estimates etc and have people pay online and send bills and estimates via email. You can do payroll and much more.

You dont have to buy the latest Quickbooks, look for last years version, then upgrade next year. I usually upgrade every two years.

Jere answers:

I have used Patriot Payroll for over a year. I like the software. I like the tax filing service too. As far as where to go with any problems…you can talk to a live person instead of searching through “help forums” like at some of the “big” companies. I am know my business, but not payroll. I don’t have time to scour through help articles. So that was important to me. I got a coupon too off of some coupon website for 2 months free. I don’t remember which one, but there are coupons out there.

Jere answers:

Accounting classes may help … If you have no prior exposure whatsoever.

Skip the payroll classes…99% of business payroll is automated now and you’re not going to learn anything of value.

Try “irs.gov” … Take a tutorial and explore the site…tax prep for the most part is pretty easy. Good luck.

Jere answers:

Here’s one web site which answers most of the questions.

I am not familiar with the details of Texas and tax regulations ~ however, there are lots of links on the web with a google search.

Also, on a go forward basis the information is there and straight forward. I’d ask a lot of questions before trying to back date anything. It is likely your be able to do spousal income sharing; yet make sure you check out the details specific to Texas and their rules around that.

Jere answers:

You have lots of options…

Companies outsource work these days. Offer secretarial services and keep accounting and payroll records for them on your home computer. Write promotional materials for them. Learn how to design websites for your local businesses on your computer.

Offer your services a an interior decorator. Lot’s of people don’t have a clue when it comes to decorating, furnishing, and organizing their own home. Keep before and after pictures of those big transformations; that’s for your next sales pitch.

Make things you people want, or cook up a delicacy that your neighbors might be wild about. Double your dinner recipe and make a deal with neighbors. They pick up a home cooked meal from you once a week.

Do home upkeep or gardening for your neighbors. Grow fresh herbs and organic produce for them. Grow and sell exotic plants.

Today’s digital cameras make photography quite easy and inexpensive, so become your neighborhood photographer. Set up a little area with a drop cloth for background and you’re in business for portraits.

Do sewing alterations for the neighbors. Let people know you can make their clothes fit like a custom tailored outfit.

Good at picking up treasures at yard sales? Maybe the antique business.

And finally, for a FREE and up-to-date eBook on starting your own business, check out “Go It Alone!” at http://newfreebooks.com

Jere answers:

Without specific info of the system you are using, the answers you get will only be in general.

The data in the review or comment system is looking at something relevant to the user and only allowing it to happen once per user, instead of per event or per article. This could be email address, ip address. There is not much more to go on unless you using something inside logged in area.

Check your system’s internal settings very carefully, more than likely there is a setting restricting the number of times someone can submit a review. Technically, if you were selling just one product (ie..potholders), do you really want five reviews from one person about your potholders. No you do not. Not necessary and five reviews from one person about one thing may seem a little hokey to new visitors considering your product.

In your case it is real estate and separate homes or transactions you would like to get reviews on, so look into the setting of the software to see if it could change.

If change not possible, do still collect the second review and any others and use those on another marketing resource to drive traffic to your prime site.

Jere answers:

I have a BlackJack II and I love it. The accessories and other applications you can get for it make it a two thumbs up for me. I know that the IPhone is a huge hit with most people due to the fact that it can hold all their songs, applications, touchscreen, etc. The Blackberry is also a very well known and popular smartphone on the market right now. The Google G1 is a newer smartphone on the market right now and it is getting some good and bad reviews. The Palm Pre has many capabilities, although most everything between the BlackJack, Blackberry, and Palm smartphones are very similar. It all comes down to price then.
No Commitment Pricing:
BlackJack II- $300
Blackberry- $300-$600
Palm Pre- $600
Palm Centro- $400
Palm Treo- $600
Those prices do not include service plans or applications that will raise the price of your monthly payment.

Jere answers:

Please let me know what affiliate program you are signed up for….. Send me an email. You should be using Commission Junction and Clickbank, as these seem to be the best ones that have the best companies and pay the best.
I did a test affiliate blog a little while ago reviewing online shopping products. I did not put much effort into it, and only posted six things. I posted links to my affiliate programs and now make about 30 extra dollars every month without doing anything for it. It is great, and I would consider this residual income. The only reason that I still make money is because people are still buying the products from it!!!! I got my site to rank well for a few key words and then the magic happened. If you need help doing this (search engine optimization) just let me know.

I do make more money online now and this was just a test that I wanted to show you. Hope it helped!!! Thanks.

Jere answers:

Hey dude, i just found an awesome articles site. Http://worldwebportal.co.cc/

The site has got numerous articles on all of the following topics….Its awesome dude..i m loving it…

For u i hav copied the indexpage of the site http://worldwebportal.co.cc/ . Hav a look, i msure u wud lov it too..

Topics are as under:
Accounting Acne Adsense Advertising Aerobics Affiliate Alternative Articles Attraction Auctions Audio Streaming Auto Care Automotive-Special Articles Auto Parts Auto ResponderS Aviation Babies Toddler Baby Bathroom Beauty Bedroom Blogging Body Building Book Marketing Book Review Branding Breast Cancer Broadband Internet Business Business-Special Articles Business Plan Cancer Car Buying Career Car Maintenance Cars Cell Phone Chat Children-Special Articles Christmas Claims Coaching Communication-Special Articles Computer-Special Articles Creative Writing Currency Trading Data Recovery Diabetics Diet Digital Camera Diving Divorce Domain Driving Tips Ebay Ebook Ecommerce Education-Special Articles Email Marketing E Marketing Essay Ezine Fashion Fashion-Special Articles Family-Special Articles Fishing Fitness Flu Food-Special Articles Furniture Golf Google GPS Hair Hair Loss HDTV Health-Special Articles Heart Disease Hobbies Holiday Home Business Home Improvement Home Improvement-Special Articles Home Organization Interior Design Internet Tips Investment Jewelry Kitchen Ladies Accessories Lawyer LCD / PLASMA Legal Legal-Special Articles Life Insurance Love Mailing List Make Money Marketing-Special Articles MP3 Music Network Marketing Online Shopping Online Business-Special Articles Paid Survey Parenting-Special Articles PC Games Perfume Personal Injury Pay Per Click Pregnancy Publishing Real Estate Recipe Recreation Recreation-Special Articles Relationship Resume Romance RSS Sales Letter Self Employment Self Improvement-Special Articles SEO Shoes Small Business Smoking Software SpSpam Blocking Sports Spyware Stress Trading Travel Travel-Special Articles Vacation Video Conferencing Video Streaming Virus VOIP Web Design Web Development Web Development-Special Articles Web Hosting Website Traffic Wedding Weight Loss Women Writing Tips

Jere answers:

The eReaders use eInk screen which uses 16 shades of Gray color to show you the image. And this is not in anyway hard on your eyes.

The Device I would recommend would be the Kindle Paperwhite.

Kindle Paperwhite – Review from a user (email, facebook, twitter usage and stuff):
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3C4TK6N6TG2E5/?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B007OZNZG0&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&nodeID=&tag=aajems-20

Jere answers:

U may have a poker room ONLY if your state permits such things.
So far, that would make it needing to be in N. Dakota, Nevada,
New Jersey or a few other places where non -Indian gaming is allowed.

Ask your state department of gaming and if your state
does not have one, that is a great hint for you

Jere answers:

Well you may try to look into a variant of Sim Tower or Yoots Tower. It’s an older “Sim” game from Maxis that allows you to build a skyscraper from the bottom up. You have to manage what you charge for leases for offices, you can add shopping, a subway station, security, elevators, lobbies and so forth.

I always had a ton of fun playing it and truly did feel like I was building a tower for the purpose of earning a profit.

There is a DOS version and a windows version, here is a link to a Dos version (which is free)

http://www.fileradar.net/files/view/Sim-Tower_Sim-Tower—Full-Free-Game/1994

Jere answers:

Hi! Check out Dhaasu Games. Http://games.dhaasu.com . Over 1400+ games to play. You would surely find something that suites your interest 🙂 ..

No resource consumption, all free games.

Jere answers:

Online business can be a lot of stuffs, like poker or other games. Or it can be live sex and that kind of stuff on the internett. Etc
Google is your friend 😛

Jere answers:

Try www.shockwave.com when it loads type tycoon in the search bar. Some you can play online, others you can download a free trial which is usually about an hour long. You can buy the game but you don’t have to.
This game isn’t off the internet but it isn’t too expensive.
The Sims 2 It’s a very good game and I own it myself. It’s in most shops. There are other games that expand the game. There’s one thats actually called “Open for business” but you have to buy The Sims 2 for that one to work.
Well, Hope I could help!

Jere answers:

I would worry about any company I could not find any more information about. If it were a legitimate site don’t you think there would be thousands of reviews

Jere answers:

Http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/ARTFLAKES.com
Read some of the reviews on Web of Trust
It appears it WAS owned by a spammer, but now legit
The problem is.. Which is your email from.
I wouldnt go to any link on the email, but go directly to the site and try contacting them from there.
See if that guy actually works there

Jere answers:

Yahoo Mail is free for personal use, and is NOT designed for mass business use. The limits are no more than 100 address per mail and no more than 200 per hour (Each address counts as one mail.) The CAN-SPAM Act of 2004 limits you from adding more yourself so that spammers can’t use their list to send unsolicited emails to hundreds or thousands of people.

You will need to purchase a mail service for your purposes. (The expense can be tax-deductible for your business)

Mailing list services such as Aweber and Mail Chimp also allow as many subscribers as you want to subscribe every day as long as the people sing themselves up, and verify their subscription. This is the better way to run a mailing list. (Two of my technical newsletters use Aweber, adn others use their purchased domain name services for bulk mailings.
Mail Chimp. At $15/yr is a silly name but very effective. They help you set up auto sign up, they give classes, they have a blog, and even for the free members (up to 5000 emails a month, each address is considered an email) they are very helpful.
For more info, read http://email-marketing-service-review.toptenreviews.com/mailchimp-review.html
http://mailchimp.com/

Jere answers:

Things Android Marketplace does better than Ovi:
With over 1,200 live applications, Android has made it very easy to search and locate whatever apps a user might need. Ovi search (on the phone and store website) has always had major hiccups and I am surprised that Nokia has not taken any actions to address the issues yet. This needs an immediate attention.
All Android accounts are tied with Google Check-out and this makes secure purchasing just a click away. Obviously operator billing is the better choice but since Ovi has not rolled this out in the US yet, I believe Google Check-out (or for the sake of comparison Paypal with Blackberry App World) offer a user friendly way for customers to purchase apps.
As much as I hate to say it, but the quality of apps are just much more superior to those found in Ovi store. Many online services and content providers offer native Android apps. Just this week, Amazon launched their latest Android app that essentially allows customers to scan barcodes and search for items in Amazon. When will we see major publishers, gaming properties adopt Ovi?
Going back to the previous point, Android is not crowded and for developers it is easier to get downloads.
User Reviews are a key part of any application store. Android has built a very strong review platform that makes it very easy to navigate through reviews. Just this weekend, I purchased 6 paid apps solely based on user reviews. You can also email the developer or in some cases Gtalk/Skype them directly from the marketplace and ask questions. Many of the developers proactively respond to users and provide feedback on their apps. This makes the purchasing more exciting to say the least.
I am not exactly sure how this works in Ovi store but with a single click I can request a refund of a paid app in Android Marketplace and get my money credited back. I hope it is that easy in Ovi store but maybe somebody can clarify that for me?

This post is in no way to bash Ovi. If you look at Nokia forums or chat with some of the Nokia team on Twitter, you know that they are well aware of the problems and appear to be working on some of these issues. But in my opinion, the one thing that they need to do fast is to improve developer supports and work with publishers of all sizes to get their apps showcased in Ovi and improve the quality of applications available. I’ve had several discussions with Symbian developers over the last few weeks trying to understand the exact pain points and challenges associated with the Ovi store. There are two common themes that I hear from them:
Developing for Symbian is much more complicated than other platforms.
Many of the application developers have serious concerns about Ovi store DRM. There simply is no way for a developer to protect their app and avoid a free spread of their application through Ovi. They can potentially lose thousands of dollars in revenue if they get their app ported in Ovi. There is a lot of passion behind this subject and I would rather not comment more on it at this time but if you want to know how Symbian developers really feel about it read here.

Having experienced with itunes, Android, Blackberry App World and Ovi, it is all clear to me that in order for Nokia to legitimately challenge Android and others is to refocus on developers and get on their good side. It is not all about quantity and how fast they can get to 1 billion downloads but rather how satisfied their developers and users are with the program.

Jere answers:

I would go to HR and file discrimination. Solve the problem right away.

Instructions
1.How to report workplace discrimination
?1
Print or copy your company’s policies on discrimination and harassment. Review each carefully so you understand the complaint procedure in your organization. These steps should be followed to ensure proper and timely reporting.

?2
Summarize the issues in a document, preferably in a timeline format. Include specific examples and quotes, and list other employees or outsiders who were present during the discriminatory act. Gather supporting materials, including copies of emails, instant-message strings or other electronic communications.

??3
Report the problem to management as company policy requires. If your company does not have a policy or the policy does not designate an individual to whom discrimination should be reported, you should report the problem to your direct supervisor, any manager you trust in your work area or the human resources manager.

?4
Cooperate with the company investigation. Agree to any company requests to meet with you or any requests for more information

?5
File a complaint with the appropriate government agency in your area if the company fails to respond or you are unsatisfied with the result. In California, for example, you would contact the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and in any state you may file with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Jere answers:

Hi there!

I have recently started an online business and would like to share some of my experiences with you.

Before you start, think what product / service is of interest to you. Just because someone claims a particular business is lucrative, does not mean that its ideal for you. For eg. If you do not like or believe in the products / services of the business you are planning to start, you will never be happy working on that business.

At the same time, I would like to give you a word of advice. When I started my search for an online business, in the initial few weeks i was very cynical of every opportunity that came my way… I doubted everything because every business said they were the best!!! But then i realised that to move forward and select a business… Its good to be skeptical but NOT cynical. Being cynical will never take you even a step forward. You need to be open to listening to different ideas and different opportunities and then use your due diligence in deciding which is the best option for you and then make your informed decision about it. Never let anyone sway you into making a decision… Always make sure that you are the one who has actively decided into getting into the business.

Also, never pay a cent for beginners kit / information pack before you have joined a business. If the business is legitimate, they will not ask you for any payment before you have decided to join and they will always offer all information / support and help for FREE.

Another point I would like to highlight while we are speaking about payments is the difference between online jobs / and business opportunities.

You need to decide if you want an online JOB where you are working for someone else who send out your pay to you OR an online BUSINESS which is your own business.

Again, if its a job, I would say a legitimate employer should never ask for any money from you before or even after joining the company.

On the other hand, if its a business that you are starting, and you are convinced about the product, business model and you future, you must be prepared to treat this as a professional business and understand that there will be start up costs. How much you are willing to spend of course, depends entirely on your decision / and how much you are convinced about the business.

And finally, working on an online business means that you will be working from home in most cases. So be prepared to set your own times but have the determination to stick to it. It is very easy to get swayed and become lax and put off things till “tomorrow”. Don’t fall into that trap. Have a mind set that this is a professional business and treat it as such. Think what you would expect of an employee working in your firm and have similar expectations from yourself… Because… Aren’t you your own employee???

Hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please feel free to mail me at namita@leverage4success.com Also, let me know if you need details about my own business. I will be more than glad to help you out!

All the best with your venture!

Regards,
Namita

Jere answers:

Hi there!

I have recently started an online business and would like to share some of my experiences with you.

Before you start, think what product / service is of interest to you. Just because someone claims a particular business is lucrative, does not mean that its ideal for you. For eg. If you do not like or believe in the products / services of the business you are planning to start, you will never be happy working on that business.

At the same time, I would like to give you a word of advice. When I started my search for an online business, in the initial few weeks i was very cynical of every opportunity that came my way… I doubted everything because every business said they were the best!!! But then i realised that to move forward and select a business… Its good to be skeptical but NOT cynical. Being cynical will never take you even a step forward. You need to be open to listening to different ideas and different opportunities and then use your due diligence in deciding which is the best option for you and then make your informed decision about it. Never let anyone sway you into making a decision… Always make sure that you are the one who has actively decided into getting into the business.

Also, never pay a cent for beginners kit / information pack before you have joined a business. If the business is legitimate, they will not ask you for any payment before you have decided to join and they will always offer all information / support and help for FREE.

Another point I would like to highlight while we are speaking about payments is the difference between online jobs / and business opportunities.

You need to decide if you want an online JOB where you are working for someone else who send out your pay to you OR an online BUSINESS which is your own business.

Again, if its a job, I would say a legitimate employer should never ask for any money from you before or even after joining the company.

On the other hand, if its a business that you are starting, and you are convinced about the product, business model and you future, you must be prepared to treat this as a professional business and understand that there will be start up costs. How much you are willing to spend of course, depends entirely on your decision / and how much you are convinced about the business.

And finally, working on an online business means that you will be working from home in most cases. So be prepared to set your own times but have the determination to stick to it. It is very easy to get swayed and become lax and put off things till “tomorrow”. Don’t fall into that trap. Have a mind set that this is a professional business and treat it as such. Think what you would expect of an employee working in your firm and have similar expectations from yourself… Because… Aren’t you your own employee???

Hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please feel free to mail me at namita@leverage4success.com Also, let me know if you need details about my own business. I will be more than glad to help you out!

All the best with your venture!

Regards,
Namz

Jere answers:

You can find all sorts of online courses for small business at http://sba.gov/tools/index.html

Jere answers:

The fastest way to promote a business online is, business listing with a familiar directory company.
They are doing maximum efforts to generate high profit to you. They are adopting many methods to advertise your created site at a very low cost. One of the notable companies is
http://www.directory.ac. Due course they evaluate your business, to make necessary changes in their advertisements. Some of the models they are doing for high growth business leads.

•Brokerage Model Brokers:
?This model contains market-makers. They bring sellers and buyers together and ease the transaction through internet. Nowadays brokers play an important role in online web business. This model role in market can be categorized in three different categories.
?1. Business to Business
?2. Business to Customers
?3. Customers to Customers
?Normally a broker charges a fee or commission for each transaction.
•Advertising Model:
?This model is quite popular is based on web advertising, which is like the advertising in media. The web site provides content and services mixed with the advertising massages in the form of the banner ads, text ads, etc. What is very important about this model is, a direct relation between the profit and the viewer of the web site when the viewer traffic is high the profit will go higher. One popular kind of advertising model is business directories in which business owners register their business information.
•Community Model:
?The capability of the community model is based on user reliability. Users have a high investment in both time and emotion. Profits from this model can be based on the sale of ancillary products and services; or profits may be together with relative advertising and subscriptions for premium services. The Word Wide Web is very much suitable to community business models and today this is one of the more productive areas of development.
•Information diary Model:
?This model is based on data about consumers and their consumption habits, this information are important for target marketing promotions.
•Affiliate Model:
?This model provides purchase occasions wherever people may surf. Affiliate model offers financial motivations to affiliated partner sites. The affiliate model is naturally well-suited to the web.
•Manufacturer Model:
?The manufacturer or “direct business model” is expected on the power of the web to allow a manufacturer, for instance, a company which produces a product or service to reach buyers directly. The manufacturer model can be based on effectiveness, promoted customer service, and a better understanding of customer favorites.
The models can are applied in different ways. Furthermore, a firm may merge several different models as part of its general Internet business strategy in order to gain more benefits and this is what a producer should think of.

Jere answers:

Try the Nail Technician School’s career course.

It covers the whole course in 10 modules (90 lessons) with advice on how to start your own nail art business.

Jere answers:

Well I have been successful, but not from a list I bought. You have to build the list yourself and build a relationship with your list. I have been Internet Marketing for about 3 years now, so I send e-mails out helping people to get around a lot of the obstacles that I went through, stuff I had learned from my failures. It also helps to have a website they can refer to, so you can establish a more physical identity in your relationship. My website is full of info that trains people on how to get traffic and make sales, so when they see my e-mails they know before they open and read, that they are getting ready to get some needed info.

Everyone that signs up with my lists are double opt in, and I offer good free information before I try selling anything. I actually never really offer anything without giving out some free info, lesson plan, training guide or book first.( in every single e-mail I send out) I use aweber for my campaign, And my best campaigns have about 10 e-mails that are sent in over the first 2 weeks on auto pilot with genuine info that my clients wont find anywhere else for free.

The goal is to get your list to know your name when they open their e-mail, you want them to anticipate your next e-mail. And don’t really shove anything down there throats, subtly put in affiliate links, affiliate links should be more of a bonus to the info you give them.

I have not made any conversions from lists that I bought in the past, you have to understand that you have no idea how the list was acquired. So these people may not even be interested in what you have to offer, or even check there e-mails at that. I’m not saying you wont make any sales, but I can bet your conversion rate will be extremely low. My latest campaign, I would say I had a big jump from about 3% to around 12% after about 3 weeks, ever since then it has been pretty steady around 12% – 17%, it is hard to calculate because my list grows a little everyday. I also don’t have a way of tracking if the conversions are coming from new subscribers or old subscribers yet, but this is my most successful e-mail campaign so far, and it is the first time i put this much effort into it as well.

With a list that you build, you know exactly where they came from and why they opt in. And with a Double opt-in list after the user voluntarily inputs their e-mail info, they still have to open their e-mail and confirm again that they want to receive my information. So, therefore I know they check there e-mails, they want mine, and the e-mail goes somewhere they can see it.

Jere answers:

Bulk Email Software will not be banned, nor considered to be banned. Just because something is used in one aspect for means that cost others financially, does not mean it is a bad product.

Many small companies use bulk email software to contact their customers about specials or even new products listed on their site.

It would be like banning hard lined phones, since most phone calls are from telemarketers and are cold calls unwanted by the person who owns the phone. Or banning MySpace because people are using it to contact minors to do them harm, or because of it’s direct usage causing death to minors. Both of these items have a lot of good usage, and should not be banned just because of a few bad apples using them…..Same for Bulk Emailing Software.

Jere answers:

If you are getting emails through an email list manager like icontact, constant contact, aweber, or any legitimate business, the opt-out link at the bottom of each email should be honored, there’s some concern that wholesale spammes might identify a live site by the opt-out click.

Jere answers:

You heard wrong.

Snopes.com have a whole list of these “chain mail” myths.

Every once in a while someone came up with a new one.

Jere answers:

Hi,

My name is Kurt Kozin, from a leading List management & lead generation company.

We help our clients in Demand generations and Lead generations by using our B2B email list and B2C email lists and also our Data and Email Appending services.

Our core services includes: Email Lists, Data Appending, Email Appending, Telemarketing, Direct Mail marketing, etc

USP’s of our company: Faster Deliverability, Affordability, working based on clients budget, Global coverage, guarantees on services, unlimited usage on our lists, etc

DATABASES
•US & UK Business List
•International data base
•American Business Executives List
•Technology List
•IT Professionals List
•HR & Recruiting Executives List
•C-Level Executives List
•Health Care Industry List
•Marketing Executives List
•Sales Executives List
•Finance Banking Industry List
•Legal Services Industry List
•Manufacturing Industry List
•Insurance Industry Executives List
Or you can also get a readymade list where you just define your target audience and give us any of the following data, as per your needs:
•Industry
•Titles
•Geographical Area
•Contact type
•Revenue type
•Size of Company
I hope you are the right person to discuss about this in your company? If not please refer me to the right person so that I can discuss more about our services.

If you are the right person I am sure you will be looking for email lists for marketing purpose, if yes let me what kind of list you are looking for and what kind of lists so that I’ll send you more details.

Looking forward to working with you.

Thank you & Regards,

Kurt Kozin | Business Development Executive|
Phone: 1-302-353-4442|
Email: kurt.kozin@infinityintellectual-mail.us
Alternative Email: kurt.kozin@gmail.com
Website: www.infinity-intellectual.com
P .S Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

This email and its attachments may be confidential and are intended solely for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed. Any views or opinion expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of “[business name]”. If you are not the intended recipient of this email and its attachments, you must take no action based upon them, nor must you copy or show them to anyone. Please contact the sender if you believe you have received this email in error.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

If you’re not interested to further emails, please reply with the subject line as “UNSUBSCRIBE”

Jere answers:

If they dont have their own REGISTERED business, it would be illegal. They must do the work from the home COUNTRY.. Not just their home..

If you are trying to prevent ICE from busting you.. This scheme would NOT be advised…

Jere answers:

I agree with A Tax Lady, your friend won’t owe enough this year to require estimated payments. For next year, he can make estimated payments or, if he has another job, he could increase his payroll withholding to compensate instead. I’ve attached a link about planning for you small business taxes. It’s a good starting point until he’s got a good feel for what he’s really going to be owing.

Jere answers:

Companies outsource work these days… check with local businesses. Offer services and keep accounting and payroll records for them on your home computer. Write promotional materials. Learn how to design websites for them.

Also a good Free online book on starting a business, “Go it Alone!” Find it at New Free Books

Jere answers:

I would look into QuickBooks, it is a great software for self employed people with the capability to do payroll and all other accounting procedures.

Jere answers:

In home based businesses, depending on which one you get involved in, it usually takes about 2 to 4 weeks to start making an average income. (about the same time frame as your first payroll period) Then as you keep working your business, 4 to 6 weeks to increase that income, and 3 to 6 months to be self sufficient. That is only if you put the time and effort into it. If you just say “I started a business” and don’t put any time or the effort needed in your business, then you won’t make an income.
Most people have full time jobs and run their business on the side. When their business reaches the income level they desire, they put their normal jobs down and continue with their business growing. Other’s dive into it head first and tackle it and get it going faster. Either way, you have the same opportunity to make a sufficient amount of income.
I don’t know what you enjoy doing, hobbies, interests etc, so I’m not sure which home based business to refer you over to.

Jere answers:

I prefer and use aweber for nearly 1,000 subscribers currently. It’s tracking, analytics, and simplicity is phenomenal!

Here’s a few other ideas for marketing/ management: http://blog.flightmedia.co/marketing-weapons/

Jere answers:

There are 3-4 softwares & many also. I have listed a few I know :-

1. Aweber : Paid one , some 19 $ per month for list of 500 subscribers. Goes increasing with increased number. Visit http://www.internetconsultantindia.com/Aweber

2. Mailchimp : FREE upto 2000 subs. Excellent but not as good as aweber , but yes has all features except some. Checkout at their site .

3. PHP List : open source one – FREE but you need to do all things initially.

4. Some softwares like Getresponse , icontact etc. – I have not used any of them.

Aweber , Mailchimp do have immediated “Unsubscribe” option.

We offer our services professionally to set up & manage email campaigns. Welsome.

Jere answers:

Www.mailchimp.com
Its an epic bit of online software!

Jere answers:

I wont be telling u tht .. 😛

Jere answers:

What kind of marketing software? Are you looking for email marketing? Internet marketing software? There are tons of different kinds of marketing.

Marketing can certainly be made easier through software use, but really it depends on the kind of marketing you are doing, for example if you are doing email marketing you can use software to manage your lists and unsubscribe requests – http://www.email-software.org/bulk-email-software.htm

Jere answers:

Data & Driver back-ups:
Before you do anything, back up your drivers to a separate CD!
It gets harder and harder to find them, and many places charge to get them.
I use WINdrivers; excellent & free, from “PC World” here:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fi…
Use the ‘identify & back up all drivers’ for the first BU; & keep it with your unit.

Data back-ups are separate items from System backups;
Data are things you have created or added to you unit with programs: letters, documents, pictures, music, etc. These should be done every other week or 1X per month.

Windows has a backup built in (System Tools> Backup), but I find it bulky & hard to use.

Your 1st backup should be the ‘all’ data option as a baseline; after that use the ‘incremental’, which saves only new items, and changes to originals. This saves space on you backup media.
Ideally 2 copies are made of each backup: one kept with the unit, one kept ‘off site’ in case of fire, storms, etc.
DVD-RW can hold a lot of data & can be added to.
One decent B.U. Application is ‘Cobain’ (moderately easy to use; freeware).
Http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/software.htm

Depending on volume of data generated, weekly would be OK for small business/home.

Jere answers:

You will find many free online document management software but if you want to use for business purpose then I suggest you to go with omnistardrive.com , where you will get lots of features with basic host or server hosted. Backup services, unlimited campaigns, groups, bandwidth and much more at very low cost.

Jere answers:

Carbonite have quite a number of these coupons. They have a back up for small business, they have unlimited backup-secure which is encrypted among others. When you go through their coupons, you will definitely find one that suits your needs.

You can also try this one and see if it works: http://www.couponscave.com/go/stores/carbonite-coupons/

Jere answers:

It depends entirely on the provider of the online storage service.

Any server can be hacked, some are better hardened than others

Any server can fail, a good service provider will have multiple offsite backups

Any company can go out of business, so your data would become inaccessible, and more worryingly, the drives may pass into the hands of someone who you don’t know and who isn’t bound by privacy contract with you.

All of the above scenarios have happened, so you will have to assess the risk for your own situation.

Jere answers:

Because if your computer stop functioning, you will lose all data in it. It is such a hassle, especially if you have important photo/information/document in it.

Backup is especially important for business. If your computer stop function your whole operation might come to an halt. If you have backup, you can move data to another computer and it will likely function the same as before.

If you are running a business, an onsite backup might not be enough. Online storage will be a great second backup

Jere answers:

The software I think you are referring to is a trading platform which is what the brokers use on their sites to buy and sell stock orders. It’s mainly Internet software that deals with Data Communication, which is software like email clients. You can have your own email client that connects to your IP server or you can log on your account. In the end both have to use technology to send the data and securely as using a credit card to make purchases online. Then you have packets being sent and encrypted and un encrypted. Lots of it has to do with Java software which is also used in cell phones etc…

Communication software is used to provide remote access to systems and exchange files and messages in text, audio and/or video formats between different computers or user IDs. This includes terminal emulators, file transfer programs, chat and instant messaging programs, as well as similar functionality integrated within MUDs.

Http://www.camiresearch.com/Data_Com_Basics/data_com_tutorial.html#anchor405943

Jere answers:

Well, the best selling email marketing software on earth is Constant Contact. It easy to use and has tons of free nicely designed templates.

You can download a 60-day free trial of here http://www.constantcontact.ca/ (don’t worry — it’s a trustworthy company and a safe download)

– Brennan

Jere answers:

Yes, if u are using Email Marketing Services/Software they have those active, you need not to do any thing just follow what they are saying. I have seen people r using
Dear #FirstName# #LastName#
Dear %FNAME%

“Dear %FNAME%,

Your surname is %LNAME%, and I am sending you this to your email address %EMAIL%, I hope that’s OK?”

Jere answers:

There are plenty of good one; depends how you want to go:
– your own servers, DNS etc, which means you buy or install one of the commercial or open source packages out there. I don’t know much about this area. The risk is, if you get spam reports, your domain / ip will be blocked in a heartbeat and you’ll have a really hard time getting unblocked.
– hosted servers where you load up your own software – again I don’t know the software side but the risk is somebody else in that same hosting center getting a spam complaint, and you get blocked because you’re in the same ip range etc.
– a hosted / subscription email service, which is the way I went – the risk of somebody else getting you spamblocked is still there, but the upside is the service has a pro staff to chase that issue down and get unblocked. I use www.1shoppingcart.com, and there are other good ones such as Constant Contact, Sitesell, and I’m sure plenty more.

Good luck,
Scott

Jere answers:

It seems that with your own software, you can save more money and you control the whole email marketing process

The problems with a software vis a vis a third party system are:

– your ISP may limit the number of emails you send per hour. To prevent spamming, most ISPs have limits in the number of emails you can send (typically 100 per hour) unless you have a business account. If you’ve got 80,000 emails to send and you have a limit of 100 per hour, it will take you 800 hours to send 1 email. Not worth it

– your account can be put in the blacklist. If there are spam complaints against you, it will be YOUR IP address that will be banned. That means you will have a tough time sending your regular emails if you are put in a blacklist. With third party softwares such as ConstantContact.com, it is their IP address that shows.

If you’ve got only 100-1000 names, having your own software is ok. But if you’ve got more subscribers, it makes more sense to go with a third party email marketing solution

Jere answers:

While the Master of Business Administration, or MBA, is still the gold standard of business degrees, online programs struggle to command the same level of respect that face-to-face instruction does. That perception is beginning to shift dramatically, however, as online programs across the board are becoming de rigueur. For some, the benefits of earning an MBA online will outweigh the disadvantages of traditional on-campus programs.

Value to Employers
According to a 2012 study reported on in “Bloomberg Businessweek,” employers are beginning to let go of some of the prejudices that were once commonly held against online business degrees. That study in the “Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration” found that those in charge of hiring are more willing to consider applicants with an online MBA than in the past. For many professionals, an MBA degree is a means to an end — usually, a coveted position or long-desired promotion — and online channels can help them get that diploma quickly and in a more convenient fashion.

Flexibility
For those in the business world, being able to work full-time while earning an advanced degree is an enticing concept, and online MBA programs are built around this high level of access. Most online instruction delivery models allow students to complete assignments and review lessons when and where it works best for them. This flexibility is simply not possible with traditional classroom programs. Even part-time, on-campus MBA programs designed for the fully employed still require the student to commute to school and attend class during prescribed times. Even though online MBAs are typically just as costly when it comes to tuition, flexibility can translate into savings if the student factors in time and travel spared.

Learning Model
It may seem counter-intuitive, but learning in the online realm has been shown to outperform classroom teaching, according to research by the U.S. Department of Education and covered in 2009 by CBS News. Eric Richards, chair of the online MBA program at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, tells CBS that online learners are better able to break down and absorb information, because they do it on their own time. Also, online scholars each get the opportunity to process and then post thoughts for discussion. In a classroom, the most outspoken may dominate the conversation. Other studies, such as 2010 research published in the “American Journal of Business Education,” found that online and traditional MBA coursework come out about even when measuring student learning.

Gaining an Audience
One of the greatest benefits of earning a business degree is the network of colleagues — alumni, faculty and fellow classmates — students gain in the process. Online MBA scholars get the same access to this core group, even as distance learners. And with big-name business schools like Duke University offering competitive online MBA programs, it’s an opportunity for students to earn that career-advancing diploma no matter where they reside.

Considerations
A top concern among MBA candidates is making sure the degree program is backed by an accredited college or university. Rigorous online MBA programs at established institutions tend to mirror the curriculum offered in the face-to-face format. Also, online MBAs are not completely free of stigma. The survey research published in the “Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration” noted that some employers judged candidates with an online degree as less career-driven than candidates who earned MBAs the traditional way.

Jere answers:

As long as the college is regionally accredited any degree you earn should be recognized by potential employers and other academic insitutions. That having been said not all colleges have the same reputation (either online or campus), in fact even within the same university the education program might have a better reputation than say the business school or vice versa. But there is nothing unique to an online program that would make it look worse. In fact many colleges do not indicate whether a degree was earned online or on campus.

This site has some good info on online bachelors degree programs in elementary education and the colleges that offer them:
http://www.ecollegefinder.org/bachelors-degree-in-elementary-education.aspx

I would definitely recommend contacting a number of schools to find the best fit for you and your needs if you choose to go the online route. Good luck!

Jere answers:

Yes, as long as they are accredited. A few years ago they were considered a poor alternative, but they have become mainstream.

I work for a Medical University and their masters and Ph.D. Level nursing programs are 100% online. Quite a few nurses at my institution are getting their advanced degrees online through university of Phoenix. I am taking courses at my local technical college, and some of them are offered online.

There are quality programs available, but you have to do your research and make sure you pick a good school. There are a lot that are crap; but there are a lot that are quite excellent.

Jere answers:

Good lord, stay away from U of Phoenix, and other “for profit” online colleges! You should only consider reputable state or private brick and mortar universities with distance education programs. Degrees from “online universities” are not taken seriously. (Recent articles from the New York Times and the Chronicle of Higher Education — or speaking with any admissions officer from a REAL college, or any human resources professional –will confirm this.)

Start by looking at the distance education offerings from your own state university. If they do not offer the classes you desire, then look at others. Penn State and University of Maryland come to mind. And state universities will be less expensive than any for-profit online program.

The links below will give you a place to begin.

Finally, you need to know that your earned credits from years ago have almost certainly not “expired.” You should be able to transfer some of these credits in toward your new program.

Best wishes to you!

Jere answers:

I would strongly suggest that you only consider an accredited online universities because without accreditation anybody can start up a online school without any oversight as to the curriculum being taught. Paper its printed on.

As for the whether a online degree is just as good as a degree from a brick and mortar university, both types of degrees will teach the same basic material. However, at a traditional school you have the opportunity to talk, interact, and create personal connections. Especially in business, personal contact with future potential employers is highly beneficial when you are job hunting. Additionally, since business professors are known within the local business community if you list them as a reference or ask for a letter of recommendation, employers will give more weight to your job application because the employer trusts and respects the professor and the professor personally got to know you and evaluated your work.

While an accredited online degree is just as good as a traditional degree, don’t underestimate the value of expanding your personal network. If were an employer and had to decide between two candidate with identical resumes, would you hire on that you are familiar or a complete and total stranger.

Jere answers:

Email marketing is, as the name suggests, the use of email in marketing communications.

Jere answers:

Engages customers

Customer engagement is the common thread running throughout digital marketing campaigns. With the rise in social media marketing and email marketing, consumers now expect brands to communicate with them on a more personal level. Video email marketing, then, is the epitome of this trend: it puts the human element back into marketing by allowing customers to connect a face to a name and see who they are doing business with.

Jere answers:

First and foremost, for your email marketing campaign to be super effective, every email address in your list must be opt-in. Meaning, they must have given you permission to email them. Your list should also be very up to date. List that are older than 3 years or more should be updated. This is the biggest misconception of every email marketer out there whom are confused as to why their marketing campaign doesn’t work or why they’re being reported as spam or why they’re ban from their ESP.

Secondly, email marketing is probably the most effective marketing method still.. For every dollar spent, you’re yielding an ROI of over 200%. Why so high? It’s rather simple; email is still a personal way of communicating. It’s almost like a phone call. If somebody calls me out of the blue and I can’t remember giving my number to them or they’re a telemarketer, the possibility of me listening to you or having any interest at all to what you’re saying is almost at 0%. But obviously, if I do remember you and that I had given you my number to call me, I am more than willing to talk to you over the phone and with open arms. Email marketing and spam works the same way.

Third, show some respect. Don’t send me through unnecessary loops to get me off your list if I so choose. The harder you try to make it harder for me, the better the chances are that your email will be reported as spam. It’s easier to just click the “Report as Spam” button than to try and find the “remove” or “unsubscribe” button.

Jere answers:

Email Marketing can’t make you richer. But still the email marketing business concept which you apply and the approach which you apply matter a lot in fetching business to you. If that happens ultimately you can get more business maybe if you are lucky than you will get richer as well, But not applies to all.

Hope this helps you!

Anyhow in future if you have any Datacenter Cloud Hosting Services than once visit the links below:

Jere answers:

Why are 2 word descriptions so hard for people to figure out.

Take it one word at a time.

Marketing – selling something. Showing something.

Email – electronic mail through various devices.

So email marketing would be getting an email that is selling, showing or advertising something.

Jere answers:

There r many such courses available. U can go online or walk around downtown and see the various colleges offering it.
To further excel try www.virtuesproject.com

Jere answers:

You need to go to the Small Business Administration office. Every county in the U.S. Has one. The other guy that said only Australia has them is wrong.

Go into the SBA office in San Diego (there might be more than one) and talk to them. They’ll likely have the paperwork for you or will give you instructions for doing it online.

Congrats on making the move to be your own boss!

Jere answers:

Hi..

I see you have a good investment for business, here my ideas :
1. Home based business or online business (http://smallpersonalbiz.com/uncategorized/steps-to-starting-a-small-business-with-no-money/)
2. Producing and Selling craft (usually done by business women)
3. Beauty care
4. House hold

Jere answers:

I don’t know if they have that particular model, but Eastbay has a big selection and a good reputation.
Here is their BBB listing
http://www.bbb.org/wisconsin/business-reviews/sportswear-retail/eastbay-in-wausau-wi-16001589
There are so many scam sites that if a domain does not have a BBB listing you should avoid it.

I’m surprised Road Runner Sports doesn’t have a better rating, as my past experience with them was very good. Anyway, they do have a rating, and they are real.
Http://www.bbb.org/san-diego/business-reviews/sporting-goods-retail/road-runner-sports-inc-in-san-diego-ca-5000470

There may be some little discounts at some legitimate vendors, but it won’t be a lot. Buying something super cheap that externally resembles the real thing will not help you when the time comes to actually run in them.

Jere answers:

We no longer have a retail location, however, we continue to ship our Manuka Products world-wide from the Orlando Warehouse. Please Note, there is no public access to the Orlando Warehouse – all orders are shipped via UPS and US Mail (even if you live in Orlando), during Regular Business Hours MO-FR 10:00 – 4:00 ET (Eastern Time).

It looks like online is the only way they sell it, but they have so many products and you wanted a cheap one. Do you just want the liquid Honey or the capsules or what? The bottled items seem to be priced in an affordable fashion.
Http://www.manukahoneyusa.com/SecureShopping.htm

Jere answers:

Most of those email lists you find online advertising 25 or 100 million emails sent are really just a waste of your time. If you’re just starting out and don’t have any email contacts, you might try renting lists of organizations or publications related to what you sell.

For example, if you we’re selling baby clothes, you might do a search for parenthood, new mothers, young mothers, new borns + email & newsletter or association.

The best list is the one you develop yourself, so as your business progressives, be sure to offer a newsletter to your customer and progressives.

This will give you a list of either newsletter or associations you can contact about renting their list. These lists are usually more targeted (because you’re sending it your ideal clients) and more willing to accept your message (many times the list owners will send it as if its being sent from them).

But the best list is one that you develop yourself. Email marketing is really about creating a relationship, so its important to begin developing a list of your own.

Best of luck,
Allen Rinehart

Jere answers:

Your website and E-newsletter work hand-in-hand. Your website can help generate new email subscribers, and all of your emails should point traffic back to your website. E-newsletters is an awesome way to link all your new media together, building your brand, building community and building value. One of the most useful features of Email marketing is tracking the results. This will help you narrow down who your target market is, what subjects and links are most popular and it will give you an idea of who your biggest fans are, so you can constantly improve your marketing approach.

If you talk about software i personaly suggest for you to try this software ReferererX http://www.refererx.com/affrx.php?ref=pde10d.this software create by malaysia best designer.

I also suggest for you to read about email marketing campaign at this blog http://email-marketing-info2u.blogspot.com/2009/10/savvy-entrepreneurs-recognize.html

thanks.

Jere answers:

Well, let’s be clear on affordable. How many people do you want to reach? Are you looking to use this as a sole-method of promoting your product? People read emails when they are receiving them from trusted sources or are interested in the subject matter. Are you aware that the open rate for email marketing is approximately 2% at best? If you have a budget in mind then then start from there. I will not quote you on any price because that is entirely up to the list that is purchased. Open rates are very dependent on Subject Lines. You can read about good subject lines on Ivan Levison’s article “Email Copy Writing” site below.

Jere answers:

Nobody likes spam

you should hire an email marketing company to shoot email to their registred users if you do u r self some ppl can take action under indian cyber law.

Jere answers:

I recomend paying someone to do, lets say the cheapest software you can get out there is £100, if your paying someone £5 an hour, you have 20 working hours that the employee can send the emails out in. That means they just have to send 50 out in an hour. Or 0.8333* in a minute.

Jere answers:

Biggest Bang for the Buck is always TV. If you can afford the Advertising Company or TV Station Production costs.
Newspaper [in my opinion] is #2 if you know the market you want to reach. Remember not too many people read the paper today.
Radio as also market specific. Music for the young crowd? Talk radio for the older crowd?
Local flyers for a given radius works for a sale or special promotion. Direct mail is what usually ends up in the trash, unless your a Super Market.
Spend the 2 bucks for a Marketing Consultant see what crap he feeds you and then THINK THINK THINK HARD where you feel the best bang is for your business in Your Market area.
Word of Mouth costs nothing, except excellant service and time.

Jere answers:

Multi-level marketing (MLM), also known as Network Marketing, is a marketing strategy that compensates promoters of direct selling companies not only for product sales they personally generate, but also for the sales of others they introduced to the company. The products and company are usually marketed directly to consumers and potential business partners by means of relationship referrals and word of mouth marketing.

Jere answers:

He can control the market, in the sense, he can make it worse. The only way to make the market better is to leave it alone. Profits control the market. When shareholders think a company will make a profit, they invest.

As far as the market goes, Government is the problem to this crisis, not the solution.

Jere answers:

Thomas,

Network Marketing is not necessarily a specific company. Network Marketing is a form of industry in itself and many companies use its structure in their business. I am in Network Marketing and have been for about 25 years.

Network Marketing, also known as MLM is a business structure that is used in the duplication of hours worked in a business.
It allows anyone from any walk of life the ability to start his/her own business while working in that business on a part-time basis if desired by recruiting and training other members into their business.

You are paid not only for your own performance but also on the performance of other members you recruit on a continual basis, thus causing residual income.

Please don’t confuse MLM or Network Marketing with the Pyramid Schemes out there as the pyramids are illegal and only make money for people who enter the business at the top of the “pyramid”. In MLM, there are no limits to the top positions in the company and is actually in the best interest of the company to move you to the top positions as quickly as possible.

Network Marketing is a $100 billion dollar industry worldwide and is one of the fastest growing trends in home based business. More than 10 million people in the US are involved in a Network Marketing business. It allows anyone, from any background or education to create a significant income in a business of one’s own.

Many Network Marketing Companies are Fortune 500 companies, traded publicly on the Stock Exchanges and many are held privately. Mary Kay Cosmetics; Tupperware; Jafra Cosmetics and Avon are just a few well known and well respected companies using a network marketing / direct sales business model.

•Network Marketing has been written about favorably by major publications such as Forbes, Fortune, Success, Fast Company, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.

There are many MLM companies out there and not all of them have a good structure. If you take the time to do the research necessary, you will be able to determine if an MLM opportunity is right for you and if the company is legit.

If you need further help understanding this structure or would like more help in learning how to research these opportunities, feel free to visit the Hub page link in my YA profile. I have several pages that are helpful in understanding MLM, how to avoid those online scams and what affordability really means in an MLM business. They are not company specific so they do not promote my business or any other. It is useful information that can help anyone who would like to learn how this type of business works and how to look for the right opportunity.

I wish you all the best in whatever path you choose. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or if I can be of any further assistance to you.

Bonnie Ramsey

Jere answers:

Think about it this way: what percentage % of market do you own? How it can be compared to the % of market share other company does? Basically, your direct competitors not necessary those who sell advertising space, but those who makes similar money on it. Say, American Express will not be your competitor, because it’s far beyond your reach. You have nothing to share. But a site of your streight and your vertical will be a competitor, for sure

Jere answers:

I would highly recommend any of the Eclasses support by the International Webmasters Association/HTML Writers Guild. I have taken a number of their course so can recommend them from personal experience.

They run a series of course specifically targetted at web professionals/novices covering design/devlopment/project management. The courses are online and run by people who are actually working in the business.

You can join a class as a non-member but it is more cost effective to enrol as a member and take advantage of the discounted price.

Costs vary between $60 to $140 dollars for members and run for 6 to 8 weeks depending on the course you choose.

Jere answers:

It depends on the college and on the course. Some colleges distance ed courses are better than others. You do lose a lot of the interaction with the professor which can make the course more difficult. You cannot get immediately get answers to questions like you could if you attended a lecture.

I took several classes distance ed while I was in college. Some were decent (human resources). I had to drop others and take them on campus (business law).

The easiest classes to take online are usually the general education classes.

Jere answers:

No, online schools are businesses. And most of them are scams – you can get an online diploma, but avoid the ones that claim you’ll be done in less than a few years, and makes sure they are regionally accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the US Dept of Education. All online GED programs or any single test to get a diploma are scams; avoid those sites.

Jere answers:

Get all 3, in FREE Books.. These are NOT old books, they are still in copyright and they are legal reads.

New Free Books… Look for “Go It Alone” about business and “Strunk’s Elements of Style” about English.

Jere answers:

There are tons of traditional schools, colleges, and universities offering full programs online. Check out your state colleges to see what they have. This site has a listing of schools offering online degrees by state. Http://www.distancelearningalliance.com

The key is to make sure the college/university is accredited. I have three basic recommendations for everyone looking into online/distance education. They all have to do with exploring; after all, you have to defend your assets.

1. Make certain that you have triple checked their accreditation. First, they tell you what it is, then you go to that accrediting body’s website (not through the link provided by the school), and thirdly you would visit the department of education to see what they have to say. Do your diligent research into the institutions once you have narrowed down to a couple. You can look at the Better Business Bureau for more information on the college.

2. You must have extreme self motivation and be able to teach yourself per say. This means that you will not have someone telling you verbally, so it is up to you to get the information from the course room, text, and other resources. The best way to look at it is like a guided independent study course.

3. Review your goals, personal and professional. Make sure that the school that you are going to offers the programs that match your goals. Do not settle. There are many programs that are similar, but you have to make the ultimate decision. Do not let it be based on finances and length of program, but the fact that when you are finished or near finished you will be able to assume your proper place in the career field sought.

There are many traditional universities offering degrees that can be earned through online methods. Distance Learning Alliance has a list of these traditional online schools. Look at that if you are truly concerned with the name of the school. Good luck on your search!

Jere answers:

If it really is pch.com, and if they are violating CANSPAM, go here
http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/marketing-programs-and-services/publishers-clearing-house-in-port-washington-ny-22145
and upper right, under Quick Links you can file a complaint as an advertising issue.
Of course if it is from dirtbag spammers in dirtbag countries pretending to be PCH, there is nothing you can do to stop them.

Jere answers:

Welcome to affiliate marketing. CPA or Click Per Action programs will pay you when your visitors perform an action rather than purchasing a product. This action can be gathering email addresses, phone numbers and residential addresses for the CPA network.

CPA networks pay anywhere from $0.50 to $50 for leads depending on how valuable the information is.

Here are some CPA networks to look at:
HydraNetwork.com, Affiliate.com, NeverBlue.com, MaxBounty.com, PrimaryAds.com, AffiliateJump.com.

These are some of the more popular CPA networks.

CPA networks work differently than regular affiliate programs. Most times you need to apply to their program and someone actually reviews your application. I suggest you have your own website up and running prior to applying to some of these networks.

Good Luck,

Trevor

Jere answers:

The Writers Market is your best bet for publishers and agents. Google is a fantastic research tool as well. That’s how I got all the contact information I needed when I started reviewing. The biggest book sellers in the United States (brick and mortar) are Borders and Barnes and Noble. They both have websites you can visit.

Jere answers:

The features are best in its class and more importantly its at 11k only, ebay deals are expensive. Try your friendly retailer in the town or try flipcart.com. Its way better and cheaper than Samsung Galaxy 5801 and SE X8/X10. I have bought this phone 2 days back and I am happy to have it. This phone is for power users. I had never expected that Videocon can give such a wonderful product. The overall deal is best. Its half the cost of features it is offering comparing the other brands offering same features.

Coming to performance, its a very fast phone due to fast processing (Processor and RAM). Email Client, Browsing, GPS/Maps, Applications everything opens fast. The ergonomics is good. The default email experience with Gmail App is awesome. The overall internet experience is mind blowing (I use a fast WIFI Network). The Android Market will make you crazy with the best Apps (Free and Paid).

There are many ways to customize Widgets, Shortcuts and much more. It comes with preloaded 8 GB Memory Card. The Music Player is good with good Sound Quality. The Camera is 5 MP and gives good photographs. The Video Quality is good. You can have many free Camera Apps to improve performance of Camera. The LED flash gives fairly good snaps in Pitch Dark (I have tried this).

The Screen is 3.2″ and Capacitative type. Its very sensitive, fast and effective, may be better than other phones. The resolution is good, icons are visible and big. The App Launcher Top and Bottom, both are fast and carry all required set of Apps. The Desktop has 5 screens to customize. You can put your favourite Apps and Widget to improve your work and productivity.

There is no PC Suite to the Phone. The Card Mounting Option on connecting to PC shows the Phone as USB Drive for Data Transfer between Phone and PC. The basic Apps which come with phone are too much for a layman user. It will take months to know them for him/her.

The Battery life is fairly ok. Remember a thing that prolonged use of WIFI/Browsing decreases the battery, and if it is on and you are not in a WIFI Area then it decreases the Battery Faster (Its Normal). The Charger is USB Charger and Phone can be charged by connecting to PC too. There are free Apps like “Advanced Task Killer” which kill the processes running in background and helps to control Battery Power usage and keeps it in good condition (Just like Windows Task Manager or our favourite helper CTRL ALT DEL).

The Phone is loaded with Android 1.6 – Donut and in coming months will be upgraded to 2.1 Eclair build for more features. All Android builds are named on Cakes, Chocolate, Yogurt, Bread, Ice Cream etc.

Download Apps from the Market or Torrents and use the Phone to its limits. The possibilities are unlimited.

Jere answers:

The Internet is such a huge part of our everyday lives. Entering Affiliate Marketing sounds like a good idea for you. Also, while you’re in between jobs you can gain experience in marketing, earn money and add this to your resume! I’ve provided a link that has gotten pretty good reviews, good luck and congrats on becoming closer to your degree! 🙂

http://frl267.5423.clicksurecpa.com

Jere answers:

That would be called a kickback. I’m not qualified to give legal advice, but if it were me I’d research the legality of that before even trying to figure out how to structure it. It only takes one goody two shoes apartment manager to turn your world upside down.

Assuming that there aren’t any legal issues I’d say do some research on what kind of commission others are paying in the areas you cover. Maybe look for events where you can network with apartment managers and other salespeople in your field. Does the company you work for or anyone there not have experience with this?

Jere answers:

Though maybe not directly, certainly direct marketing (multi-level marketing) operates as a business to customer channel. The businesses, “Avon, Mary Kaye, Legal Shield, Amway, Ambit, ???” pay their consultants to recommend/sell their products or services. Rather then pay for billboards, TV ads, Radio ads, newspaper ads, etc these companies pay the person who recommends them to their friends/family. The friend or family member is a much stronger recommendation, and the new customer is likely to be more loyal.

As a representative of the company, a consultant interacts directly with a potential customer. Not that different then a waiter, receptionist, or some other company employee.

Jere answers:

I think the best direct selling company for a guy or a women, would be with the world’s largest direct selling telecommunications service provider. Donald Trump has endorsed this company and is heavily involved in this company as well. They have been featured in several magazine’s like USA today, Success, Fortune etc. A lot of different men involved in this company. Inc 500 rated them the 22nd fastest growing company. They market in products and services such as local and long distance telephone services, Internet, digital and video phone service (Donald Trump has the video phone on his desk on th TV show apprentice. They also market in Satellite TV, VOIP, as well as all major cellular phone providers like Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T, Altell, Nextel etc.
You basically save businesses and residential money on services that they’re already using, and help them on services that they don’t have but want, or offer services to new people, then everytime they pay their bills, you make a percentage every single month. That’s one way you make money in this industry. If you’d like more information on this company, Here’s a website to someone I know involved in this company. Www.tiffanyvague.acnrep.com. Her husband started it and put it in her name. If you have speakers, there’s video’s that you can watch and learn more about this company. Or you can contact Shaun or Tiffany direct at kaiden4@aol.com. I think there contact information is on the web site as well though.
Good Luck!

Jere answers:

I work for a company that is marketing for products and service we use everyday from internet service providers ,cell phone providers, nutritional products. And more, much more. This could be good info http://thefortunedvd.com and www.fhtmus.com/gelu

Jere answers:

Multi-level marketing (MLM), (also called network marketing, direct selling and referral marketing, is a term that describes a marketing structure used by some companies as part of their overall marketing strategy. The structure is designed to create a marketing and sales force by compensating promoters of company products not only for sales they personally generate, but also for the sales of other promoters they introduce to the company, creating a down-line of distributors and a hierarchy of multiple levels of compensation.

The products and company are usually marketed directly to consumers and potential business partners by means of relationship referrals and word of mouth marketing.

Jere answers:

My older sister earned her Bachelors degree in Business Administration from the University Phoenix in Seattle. I never really thought much of online schools until I saw how much work they gave her — they’re not ‘jock’ classes (as we would call them in high school — easy A’s). I flew up for her graduation from San Diego and it was very impressive. I think of all the online universities University of Phoenix is one of the best (if not the best).

Conversely, I also knew a person who earned a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from DeVry online — he was shockingly idiotic. I have no idea how he earned a degree, but he should never have been granted one.

Also, the same is true for regular universities … I met a couple students in various graduate programs that were grossly incompetent, yet still managed to earn a degree (though they did not deserve it).

Jere answers:

Hiya Diego,

Getting a reasonable deal on an LCD in San Jose is as easy as looking in the Yellow Pages ’cause there are a bunch of competing stores. I recently bought a couple of there Viewsonic 19″ monitors for $139.00
http://shop3.outpost.com/product/5161406?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
at Fry’s online. They arrived quickly, shipping was reasonable and very little hassle. The call it refurbished which means that the box was opened and they cannot sell it for new.
Here is a list of all the LCD deals at Fry’s Electronics online store:
http://shop3.outpost.com/search?query_string=lcd+monitors&sort=price&order=asc&order_by=p03a&cat=&pType=&from=0&to=24

The next good choice is NEWEGG online store where the prices are good and the service is unparalleled. They will not give you a hassle on exchanges or returns and you can speak to a real person when you call. Here is a list of their online LCD deals:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000190020+4017&name=%24100+-+%24200

And my 3RD choice for the best price is GEEK online store. The prices are great and you never know what they will have. Here is a list of their online LCD deals:
http://www.geeks.com/products.asp?cat=MON

Of course there are many more but I have used these 3 services and they are all worthy of my business. Good prices and they give you what you expect. You could also roll the dice on EBay, but I personally am done with that scene.

Go get the goodies, 19″ LCD monitors cost as little as $125.00 and now is the time to buy.

GOOD LUCK

Jere answers:

I think that sounds PERFECT! It sounds honest and from the heart. I have several friends and a cousin who have met their spouses online so good for you for trying. If you want some advice from experts (and it’s free) go to http://www.OnlineDatingCrashCourse.com They have the best advice on writing a profile and tons of other tips for getting the most benefit from your online dating experience. Good luck, but it doesn’t sound like you need it!

Jere answers:

If links don’t work, search on 1st line. (I have no informed opinion re opening a restaurant.)

•National Universities Rankings – Best Colleges – Education – US …
•Rank 12, Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO … Rank 24, University of California–Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA …
Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/natio…
•
•University Rankings League Table 2010 | Good University Guide …
•Fully searchable University ranking table from the 2010 Times Online Good University Guide. Compare universities and subject areas and get detailed … Extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/goodunivers…

Jere answers:

Try marukai in san diego (scroll to marukai living in san diego, there’s where they sell furniture, otherwise marukai is just a grocery store)
http://www.marukai.com/location-e.html

marukai living san diego
8125 BALBOA AVE, SAN DIEGO, CA 92111
Telephone: 858-384-0240
Business Hours 7 days 10:00AM-8:00PM

Jere answers:

If you are putting together a print newsletter, Microsoft Office has some free templates that you can download. Here are three general formats:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC010178181033.aspx?pid=CT101043281033

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC062062951033.aspx?pid=CT101043281033

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC062062911033.aspx?pid=CT101043281033

If you are designing an email newsletter, you can get some email newsletter templates from Template Zone:

http://www.templatezone.com/email-marketing-templates.php

Jere answers:

You should try http://www.templatecraft.com this website really offers the best professional easy to customize html newsletter templates that works in most of the email clients.

This templates easily integrates into constantcontact like email marketing tools.

Jere answers:

*** g 10/08 p. 6 Children Online—What Parents Should Know ***
BLOGS
What are they? Online diaries.
What is the appeal? Blogging gives youths the opportunity to write about their thoughts, passions, and activities. Most blogs allow space for readers to leave comments, and many kids are thrilled to know that someone has responded to their writing.
What you should know. A blog is open to the public. Some youths carelessly reveal information that can be used to identify their family, school, or home address. Another factor: Blogs can harm reputations, including the blogger’s own. For instance, some employers consult an applicant’s blog when considering whether to hire that person.
Instructions

1
Decide what kind of advice you want to offer. Think about what your own areas of expertise are and work from there. If you are a financial planner, you may want to give financial advice. If you are a psychologist, you may want to give mental health advice. If you are a nurse, you may want to give health-related advice. If you stick to what you are good at, you’re more likely to produce quality content that will keep your readership coming back again and again.

2
Sign up with a free blog-hosting platform such as Blogger or WordPress. There are several others out there as well. Shop around for the platform you find to be the most user-friendly, with features that best match your needs. Your advice page will be more successful if you are able to set it up professionally and have a good understanding of the platform you are working in.

“How to Start a Blog”
A Step-By-Step Guide For Beginners. Read Along and Start Your Own Blog.

Choose a blog template that reflects the theme of your advice page. Keep it simple and uncluttered. Avoid sparkly templates or templates with a lot of background clutter, as this feels rather amateur. Instead, keep an eye out for uncluttered designs that relate in color or theme to your area of expertise. This will help with continuity on your advice page and make it a more memorable experience for you readers. If it feels professional, they will want to come back.

4
Set up your blog layout with your template. Decide what elements you want on your page. Make sure your blog title reflects the subject matter and is simple and easy to remember. Make sure your layout includes information on how to contact you with advice questions so you can post answers on your blog. You will want to include your contact information in several places on your advice page so that it is impossible to miss it.

5
Advertise your advice page by sending out emails to friends and family, putting up notices on social networking and bookmarking sites and writing articles about your advice page for ezines or websites. You don’t have to pay money to market your site with all of the free avenues for advertising on the web.

6
Ask your friends if they would be willing to submit some questions to help get your advice page started. Post their questions and answers on your blog so that as new visitors come by, they might be enticed to ask questions as well.

7
Monetize your advice page after you have about 30 questions and answers on your site. By this time, you should have some good content and regular readers. If you use a platform such as Blogger, it would be easy to include Adsense as a stream of revenue on your advice page. You might also look at affiliate relationships through places such as Amazon or Clickbank. Whatever you choose to use in monetizing your blog, make sure the ads are relevant to your content. You want readers to be intrigued enough to click on your ads.

8
Maintain your advice page diligently. Add new posts several times per week and respond to the comments your guests leave. This will help you to establish a relationship with your readership to keep them coming back. If you have followed all of these steps, you will find that over time your advice page will likely become a profitable supplement to your regular monthly income as well as an enjoyable hobby.

Http://www.ehow.com/how_5084923_create-advice.html

Jere answers:

Despite what people say, there really is no best way.

However, start with the internet:

1) Job sites (i.e. Careerbuilder, hotjobs, monster, etc)
2) State unemployment sites (just look at your state’s department of labor)
3) Classifieds in the paper (not online – most major newspapers just link to CareerBuilder)
4) Larger corporations in your area

Going to a company to apply really doesn’t work unless it’s in fast food. If you just go into a corporation, you not only have no idea who you’re going to talk to and also have no idea what openings there are. Your resume may very well land on the desk.

Telephone and fax are even worse, unless a job posting states to apply via fax. Never just cold call someone.

Basically, here’s what I would do first:

1) Create an awesome, error-proof resume. Update an old one if you need to, but get your resume started. I always have a Word version and a Notepad/text-only version. You will have one to send as an attachment and one to use in electronic forms.

2) Get your cover letter template created. ALWAYS customize it for each job – you want to point out your strengths and really show why you’re great for the job.

3) Next, write down key words you want to be searching. If you want to go into marketing, don’t just search for “marketing.” You’ll end up with thousands of results. Instead, try “marketing manager, marketing specialist, communication specialist, social media, etc.”

4) Sign up for alerts and keep scanning those sites a few times a day. Keep a spreadsheet going to keep track of the jobs – when it was posted, when you applied, the company, the position, the contact, etc.

5) Keep applying to places. Don’t stop when you find a job that sounds great. You can’t fall in love. Just keep applying and apply well. Follow directions to the T. If they say to apply online, apply online. If they want an email with an attached cover letter, don’t put it in the body of the email.

6) If you aren’t getting hits after a month or so, re-examine two things:

A) Your resume – chances are you aren’t letting it fully express how great you are
B) Your expectations – if you don’t have any experience, don’t apply to positions that require 3+ years.

7) DO NOT APPLY TO JOBS MORE THAN A WEEK OLD!!! I know it’s tough, but after 7 days most companies stop seriously accepting resumes and are starting the interview process.

8) Have patience and don’t give up. I applied for a job on April 25 and didn’t get called for a phone interview until May 12. I didn’t get a face-to-face interview until May 25 and was hired the next week. Basically, it took a full week. This was after applying to 138 places and having 19 previous interviews with other companies.

Jere answers:

I work with a small med spa office that uses PatientNOW Medical Spa Studio, since adopting this software and the features it offers, they have experienced increased productivity and revenue.

After the initial set up, the scheduling tool books the appropriate staff and resources that are required for the appointment for you and sends out automated reminders through text and email. The reduction in time spent doing this has really allowed the office to focus on other important tasks.

The med spa documentation management allows each patient file to be free of human error from lost of misfiled documents, which is a more common occurrence with manual office filing. Initial set up of necessary documentation and forms with this software is made simple and quick with the templates that are provided.

The marketing resources provided by the software allow a great tool for re-targeting all previous patients and interested leads through contacts created within the system. Custom messaging to promote med spa packages, gift cards, and loyalty points that relate to specific services or procedures that the patient has previously received or expressed future interest allows the patient to be notified of upcoming marketing promotions.

The number of procedures being performed per month has increased, as has the volume of patients returning and/or making appointments for new services, which has allowed tremendous growth in revenue for their business. Additionally, office productivity has increased because of the tasks that PatientNOW takes care of, leaving your staff to focus on more important activities, like the patient.

Jere answers:

Direct Response Agencies—one of the fastest growing areas in IMC is direct marketing where companies communicate with their customers through telemarketing, direct mail and other forms of direct-response advertising. Direct response agencies provide their clients a variety of services including data base development and management, direct mail, research, media services, and creative and production capabilities

Jere answers:

A company that sells from manufactuer to consumer. No wholesalers or retailers are involved.

Jere answers:

Direct marketing is one way to advertise. Public Relations is another. A company that supports something the public likes, like a successful t.v. Show or team may make the audience more likely to like a company or product associated with it as well. In order to market themselves effectively many companies do a a marketing mix of different techniques, such as direct marketing AND public relations and advertising, etc., rather than just using one method alone.

Jere answers:

Direct Response Agencies—one of the fastest growing areas in IMC is direct marketing where companies communicate with their customers through telemarketing, direct mail and other forms of direct-response advertising. Direct response agencies provide their clients a variety of services including data base development and

Jere answers:

Try to think of questions that you might get from prospective customers, such as “What makes Fake Marketing better than the competition?”

This is also a good one: “Can you tell me why you like working here?” You’ll get some great info, and it shows that you have an interest in the company AND the people 🙂

Jere answers:

A lot depends on what subject you want to study and how much you’d like to spend.

Everyone and his brother is teaching online these days so you can get your degree in plenty of places. Especially with a completed associates (assuming your associates is regionally accredited) – you can find plenty of really good bachelor’s online.

You might want to stay clear of the “as seen on TV” online programs in favor of places with a solid reputation such as UMass, Florida, UTexas etc…

My favorite search tool for online programs is the one provided by Peterson’s – http://www.petersons.com/distancelearning/code/search.asp

Understand though, programs are being added all over the place so fast that no search tool can have them all listed up-to-date. UMass (for example) now has 18 different bachelor’s degrees available online. Http://www.umassonline.net/DegreeList.cfm?degree_Category_ID=3

Make sure that whatever school you pick is regionally accredited (so that you can later get a master’s if you’d like or transfer out if you don’t like the school in a year) and that it has a good reputation (so that you can use it to find a good job).

Add: in Business, your choices include (just some) some fairly well known U’s. CSU-Dominguez, Central Michigan, East Carolina, Indiana State, Kansas State, Penn State (yes, THE Penn State), SUNY-Empire, UAlabama, UWyoming, Upper Iowa, Utah State, Washington State, Colorado Christian, Columbia (Mo), Dakota State, Dickinson State, Eastern New Mexico, Eastern Oregon, Embry-Riddle, Emporia, Fort Hays State, Georgia Southern, Indiana Wesleyan, Liberty, Limestone, Marshall, Missouri State, Montana State, Murray State, New Mexico State, NYIT, Northeastern, Northern Arizona, NW Missouri State, Old Dominion, Southern New Hampshire, Southern Oregon, UAlaska, UFlorida, UHawaii, UIllinois-Springfield, UMaryland, UMass, UMichigan, UMinnesota, UNebraska, UWisconsin, West Texas A&M, …. “everyone, and his brother” is teaching online these days and business is probably the single most common major. ?

Jere answers:

A number of schools offer financial aid and scholarship programs for their online business degree programs. I would recommend contacting the schools directly to find out what options they offer. Employers frequently offer tuition reimbursement programs as well if that is an option. I would also make sure that any school you are considering is regionally accredited so that you can make sure that your degree will be recognized down the road by potential employers and other academic institutions.

This site has some good information on accredited online business degrees and some colleges for you to contact to help broaden your search:
http://www.ecollegefinder.org/online-business-degree-programs.aspx
Good Luck!

Jere answers:

You would be hard-pressed to get any kind of clinical degree online because you really need the practicum to look after patients.

Are you looking for health management? Look for a school that offers an MPA or an MBA with a healthcare emphasis. You want a business school that is AACSB certified.

I am pursuing a straight MBA and a master’s in Global Management, but my professional background is 15 years of healthcare IT. If you don’t have the background in healthcare already, you definitely want the emphasis.

Jere answers:

CTU is a For Profit university that accepts nearly anyone and does not have a great reputation.

In general, an associates degree does not lead to good jobs. After all — someone with just an associates degree has the same education as someone who dropped out of a BS or BA program after two years — and not very many employers advertise for college dropouts.

An associates degree from a For Profit, online university is worth even less (though it cost more). You are smart to want to get your BS at a real school. You should think about getting your AA at a local community college instead of CTU.

Jere answers:

Hi Kristie! Here are great resources for you to find the best online masters degree program in business for you. Good luck! 🙂

List of programs (click on the master’s tab): http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/degrees/business

Student reviews of online universities: http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/online-reviews

2012 Online College Rankings: http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/online-colleges

Jere answers:

I am an IT engineer in Japan.
My association is a telecommunication company which also serve mobile phone service and the internet service.

I love my job

The payment is not bad.perhaps the same amount of bankers.

My job is developing IT platforms for mobile and the Internet.

I am Japanese,but we have some foreign workers.

You need to think one thing about working in Japan.
Generally in Japan,huge company can pay well,but small company can NOT pay well.

Small company doesn’t have enough power to give employees enough money and benefit.

Jere answers:

While there’s no Golden Rule to “Being Published”; it appears the only way to get your foot in the door is to have a respected literary agent hold it open. (I can’t count the number of times my toes, and my ego, have been smashed.) Most of the large NY publishing houses don’t accept unagented queries, and those that do will assign assistant editors to muck through the slush pile. A good literary agent has spent years in the publishing business, building relationships with editors, studying the market, knowing what editors are looking for and which publishers specialize in specific markets or genres. They will be your guide and your advocate to the publishing world.

The trick is finding a good literary agent. By now you have probably heard many horror stories about disreputable agents. If not, do yourself a favor and read the information at Writer Beware, http://www.sfwa.org/beware/agents.html. Be wary of any agent that charges an upfront fee, regardless of what they call it, or an agent that requires an author to use editing or marketing services as a condition of representation. Agents who make their money up front, as reading fees or marketing fees, or who receive a kickback from referrals, are not motivated to sell books. The anonymity of the Internet provides an ideal environment for these creative con artists but it also lets us warn others. According to Writer Beware, here are few methods employed by dishonest agents:

Reading Fees – This practice, once seen with some reputable agents, has been abused to the point it is now prohibited Association of Authors’ Representatives for members.
Evaluation or Critique Fee – If you feel that you need a critique, why not hire the services of a reputable editor?
Submission or Handling Fee – Good agents make money selling books, not selling contracts for representation.
Submission Expenses – Reputable agents don’t routinely bill their clients out-of-pocket. These expenses may include a large number of manuscript copies, color printing, photos, etc.
Sliding scale of Fees – Good agents do as much work as is needed to sell a book, all for the same 15% commission.
Selling “adjunct” services – Websites design, book cover design, illustrations, etc. Etc. It’s a conflict of interest for an agent to offer paid services.

As you can see from this list, dishonest agents are as imaginative and creative as the writers they swindle. Unfortunately, there are no licensing requirements, regulatory agency or competency standards for literary agents. One organization that self regulates literary agents is the Association of Authors’ Representatives or AAR. To become a member of AAR, an agent must meet certain criteria, years in business, number of clients, no upfront fees, etc. While there are no guarantees, your odds of selecting a reputable agent will be greatly increased if they are a member of AAR or similar organization. According to AAR, http://www.aar-online.org/faq.html, “Literary agents are listed in many sources, including Literary Market Place, a directory of the publishing industry, which is available at most libraries. You may also ask for recommendations from editors, writing instructors, or fellow writers.”

According to Susan Rabiner and Alfred Fortunato, authors of Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction — and Get It Published, you can also locate an agent a your favorite bookstore: “… check out all the book sections, to determine where your book would likely be shelved in that store. From that section, pick up a book similar to yours in content and presentation, one that you believe appeals to the same reader your book will appeal to. Turn to the “Acknowledgments” page, located either in the front of the book or the back. The author will often thank his or her literary agent. Put that agent’s name on your list of possible agents.” There are two online services that may be of use, for a small fee. “The first is www.publishersweekly.com, and the second is publisherslunch.com… They list each week’s new sales to the publishing industry and the name of the agent who sold the book.” The final suggestion offered by Rabiner and Fortunato is to attend writers’ conferences. Editors are usually in attendance and you can ask for their recommendation of a good agent. (This is also useful when you submit your query letter: “Mr. Editor suggested I contact you regarding my book…)

To contact an agent, write a short introductory letter which should be informational, no more than one page in length, to the point and professional. Tell the agent if your work is fictional, non fictional, include a sentence or two summarizing the book and then a brief summary of your credentials. Do not make claims that your book will be the next best seller, or comparisons to other works. Include a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) if you would like a reply.

It is acceptable to submit your work to more than one agent at a time, however, you should let them know your work has been sent to other agents.

Many agents will not accept queries by phone, fax or email, so you should use snail mail for all submissions. Upon request, you can submit additional information, such as writing sample and story synopsis.

Once you have retained the services of an agent, you can expect them to provide guidance regarding the quality and marketability of your work. According to AAR, your agent may:
Offer editorial guidance.
Establish contacts for you with firms and persons who are acquiring rights to literary and/or dramatic material.
Advise you about current trends conditions, practices, and contractual terms.
Market your literary material and rights therein. Negotiate and review licensing agreements.
Review royalty statements.
Monitor licensees’ marketing of your work.

Agent representation is valuable when it comes to submitting works to publishers. Publishers depend on agents as a first screen to marketable work. Inept agents who submit marginal work to a plethora of publishers will develop a poor reputation and likely be ignored. Agents must exercise discretion, and the best agents will be highly selective when taking on new clients.

Holly Lisle, author of several published works including: Fire in the Mist, Diplomacy of Wolves, Vengeance of Dragons, and Courage of Falcons offers advise on finding the right agent @ http://hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/faqs3.html.

“The majority of queries any agent receives—probably around 99%— are rejected because they lack whatever spark that agent is looking for. This doesn’t mean they’re hopeless—what is wrong for one agent might be right for another. Remember that the agent you want will love the genre you work in and know the publishers and editors who publish it, and will love the work you do. Make sure the work you send out is your best, that it is professionally formatted, free of errors, and entirely yours.” She also recommends that you research the type of work an agent represents. “Read their descriptions of what they’re looking for and believe them—an agent who doesn’t like science fiction won’t like your science fiction, and won’t appreciate having his time wasted by yet another beginner who has proved by querying him that he is a beginner, and worse yet, can’t follow instructions.”

Do a search on the top 10 or 15 literary agents in your state. Possible ones to contact about info:

THE ETHAN ELLENBERG LITERARY AGENCY
548 Broadway, #5E
New York, NY 10012
(212) 431-4554 Fax: (212) 941-4652
Agent@EthanEllenberg.com

Natasha Kern Literary Agency
P.O. Box 1069
White Salmon, WA 98672
http://www.natashakern.com/headlines.htm

Jere answers:

The market is indeed VERY SLOW! If you are already working in another field, DON’T GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB! If I were you, I would continue with the classes, but I would take my time getting licensed if you can. Find out how long you may wait before becoming licensed after you finish the course. This is important because once you have your license you will have MANY things to pay for and it is likely you will have little if any money coming in from your career. There is a license fee (per year), there are mandatory continuing education classes which you have to pay for; you pay for membership in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service); and you will probably have to contribute to your employer’s Errors and Omissions Insurance for the Agency. That’s not including membership in your regional real estate association…and there could be other fees for membership and insurance I’ve left out, depending on where you will be licensed. Commission rates are steadily going down and your classes should have taught you that those ‘big’ percentages are chopped to pieces by the broker’s cut, advertising, etc. Plus, you are on your own with regard to paying taxes, both Federal and State (if your state has an income tax), social security (you pay the whole enchilada when you file your 1099 — when you work for a salary or hourly pay and receive a 1040 tax statement, your employer pays 1/2 of some of your obligations). Please consider all of this before you sign on. I could go on and on about real estate as a career, but I think I’ve given you plenty here…

Jere answers:

Fron the USPS site: “According to the Direct Marketing Association, every $1 spent on direct mail generates $12.57 in sales.”

For saturation mailing neighborhoods there is a special Every Door program that requires no addressing or postmarks, you just select a mail route you want covered, oversize pieces are also allowed. Postage is something like 17 cents.

Https://eddm.usps.com/eddm/

An independent service?
Http://www.everydoor.com/

Some marketers using both internet and postal direct marketing do as well with old fashioned post cards, one massive database of rental mail addresses, typically costing 10 cents each is: lists.nextmark.com

Jere answers:

Advertising
Advocacy
Airline
Application Service Provider
Architecture
Arts
Associations
Auction
Automobile
B2B
Bank
Beverage
Biotechnology
Blog
Broadcasting
Brokerage
Catalog
Computer: Hardware
Computer: Retailer
Computer: Software
Construction
Consulting
Consumer Goods
Credit Union
Design
Directory or Search Engin
Diversified Business
Education
Electronics
Email
Employment
Energy
Entertainment
Events
E-Zine
Faith-based
Family
Fashion
Financial Services
Food Industry
Game Site
General Interest
Government
Health Care
Healthcare Provider
Home Building
Hotel and Lodging
Information Services
Institutional Services
Insurance
Interactive Services
International Business
Internet Service Provider
Intranet
Investor Relations
Investment
Legal
Leisure
Magazine
Marketing
Manufacturing
Media
Medical
Medical Equipment
Military
Movie
Music
Mutual Fund
News
Newspaper
Non-Profit
Online Community
Other
Pharmaceuticals
Photography
Political
Portal
Professional Services
Public Relations
Publishing
Radio
Real Estate
Regional
Restaurant
Retail
School
Shopping
Small Business
Sports
Technology
Telecommunication
Toy & Hobby
Transportation
Travel
TV
University

Jere answers:

I have used mailking in the passed but I think this is now obsolete. An alternative might be mail list king which does all the basics really well and includes good reporting on your campaigns. Alternatively you shouldn’t discount using a email specialist as the costs now are very competitive vs one of software purchase.

Jere answers:

The division of a market into different homogeneous groups of consumers is known as market segmentation.

Rather than offer the same marketing mix to vastly different customers, market segmentation makes it possible for firms to tailor the marketing mix for specific target markets, thus better satisfying customer needs. Not all elements of the marketing mix are necessarily changed from one segment to the next. For example, in some cases only the promotional campaigns would differ.

A market segment should be:

* measurable
* accessible by communication and distribution channels
* different in its response to a marketing mix
* durable (not changing too quickly)
* substantial enough to be profitable

A market can be segmented by various bases, and industrial markets are segmented somewhat differently from consumer markets, as described below.

Consumer Market Segmentation

A basis for segmentation is a factor that varies among groups within a market, but that is consistent within groups. One can identify four primary bases on which to segment a consumer market:

*

Geographic segmentation is based on regional variables such as region, climate, population density, and population growth rate.
*

Demographic segmentation is based on variables such as age, gender, ethnicity, education, occupation, income, and family status.
*

Psychographic segmentation is based on variables such as values, attitudes, and lifestyle.
*

Behavioral segmentation is based on variables such as usage rate and patterns, price sensitivity, brand loyalty, and benefits sought.

The optimal bases on which to segment the market depend on the particular situation and are determined by marketing research, market trends, and managerial judgment.

Business Market Segmentation

While many of the consumer market segmentation bases can be applied to businesses and organizations, the different nature of business markets often leads to segmentation on the following bases:

*

Geographic segmentation – based on regional variables such as customer concentration, regional industrial growth rate, and international macroeconomic factors.
*

Customer type – based on factors such as the size of the organization, its industry, position in the value chain, etc.
*

Buyer behavior – based on factors such as loyalty to suppliers, usage patterns, and order size.

Profiling the Segments

The identified market segments are summarized by profiles, often given a descriptive name. From these profiles, the attractiveness of each segment can be evaluated and a target market segment selected.

Jere answers:

It is some software that helps you manage bulk email sending, usually hosted by the provider.

Jere answers:

You don’t indicate what type of software you are looking for. A good way for marketing is email marketing. Try out http://www.openemm.org/ its a free script / email marketing software for unix servers. Works for shared hosting btw

Jere answers:

To be honest, your best bet is something like Constant Contact. I’m not an affiliate or anything trying to push their services, but I do USE their services a couple times a week! I run 3 blogs and have mailing lists for each and Constant Contact makes it easy to manage the lists, add to the lists, and even handles when people click the ‘unsubscribe’ button so you don’t keep badgering them.

I know it’s $15 a month, but it’s well worth the money because it is organized very well and even has a ton of templates for you to select from.

I used to do the emails myself but managing the lists and manually removing people, creating the HTML, ensuring privacy, etc. Was just a pain in the rear. Their service is well worth it.

Jere answers:

Direct Response Agencies—one of the fastest growing areas in IMC is direct marketing where companies communicate with their customers through telemarketing, direct mail and other forms of direct-response advertising. Direct response agencies provide their clients a variety of services including data base development and management, direct mail, research, media services, and creative and production capabilities.

Jere answers:

Direct Response Agencies—one of the fastest growing areas in IMC is direct marketing where companies communicate with their customers through telemarketing, direct mail and other forms of direct-response advertising. Direct response agencies provide their clients a variety of services including data base development and management, direct mail, research, media services, and creative and production capabilities

Jere answers:

Direct Response Agencies—one of the fastest growing areas in IMC is direct marketing where companies communicate with their customers through telemarketing, direct mail and other forms of direct-response advertising. Direct response agencies provide their clients a variety of services including data base development and management, direct mail, research, media services, and creative and production capabilities.

Jere answers:

Direct Response Agencies : —

One of the fastest growing areas in IMC is direct marketing where companies communicate with their customers through telemarketing, direct mail and other forms of direct-response advertising. Direct response agencies provide their clients a variety of services including data base development and management, direct mail, research, media services, and creative and production capabilities.

Jere answers:

Direct Response Agencies : —

One of the fastest growing areas in IMC is direct marketing where companies communicate with their customers through telemarketing, direct mail and other forms of direct-response advertising. Direct response agencies provide their clients a variety of services including data base development and management, direct mail, research, media services, and creative and production capabilities.

Jere answers:

E-commerce is the pre-eminent buzzword of the online business revolution. It captures the excitement and focus of this fast emerging market. But it is more than a slogan or glib party line. At its core it embodies a concept for doing business online.

Electronic commerce is the paperless exchange of business information using electronic data interchange (EDI), e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, fax transmissions, and electronic funds transfer. It refers to Internet shopping, online stock and bond transactions, the downloading and selling of “soft merchandise” (software, documents, graphics, music, etc.), and business-to-business transactions.

The concept of e-commerce is all about using the Internet to do business better and faster. It is about giving customers controlled access to your computer systems and letting people serve themselves. It is about committing your company to a serious online effort and integrating your Web site with the heart of your business. If you do that, you will see results!

The Internet’s role in business can be compared to that of the telephone. It is a way for people to communicate with each other. It is also a way for a consumer to communicate with a company’s computer systems without human intervention. In fact, the Internet is a communication medium like the many others we use in business every day.

Think of the ways you communicate with people in business. The best way is face to face. Body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions all help you understand what the other person is trying to say. When you cannot meet face to face, you may use any of a number of different means to communicate: a telephone, a fax machine, Federal Express, the U.S. Postal Service, or maybe even a messenger service. These are all ways to deliver or receive information, authorization, even shipments of goods and merchandise.

The Internet is a reasonable alternative to all of those means of communication. Any place and any way that your business communicates with its customers, you should think about how you could have done it online. That is the power of e-commerce.

Can’t meet face to face? Send an e-mail with an attached photograph. When it comes time to pay for merchandise, use a secured server to pay by credit card, or even digital cash! The opportunities and situations in which online business is possible are limitless.

Jere answers:

You’ll get lots of scammers answering here, don’t fall prey. But, at the same time, please don’t listen to the people saying they are ALL SCAMS. They aren’t ALL scams, just MOST of them are!

I’m a single mom of 2 who’s tried over 15 opportunities over 3 years so I have some great info for you on how to find a LEGIT way to work at home plus a list of top 10 work at home scams!

People are looking for work from home and the biggest problem is they don’t understand that there really are NO WORK AT HOME JOBS. You won’t find hourly pay from home. You can look forever, you’ll never find it. The only way to earn an income from home is to find a legit home business.

Small home businesses have increased in the last 5 years by about 200%. People are starting to realize that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. The best home businesses to start are those with a proven plan in place like Mary Kay however if you’re like me, you’re not interested in pushing products.

Legit home businesses should have a small cost involved but be careful, all the scams will be charging too so know the business! Talk to a REAL person and ask questions. Less than $500 to start is reasonable and I’d stay away from those wanting $1k – $5k. It doesn’t cost that much to start a home business so don’t pay it. If you’re coming across places that say free then RUN the other way! They never are in the end!

After trying 15 things, I now work about 25 hours per week for a well known and respected company w/ amazing credentials. This company actually helps keep Americans Safe by offering Medical and Dental plans as well as things like roadside assistance, credit repair and National Child ID in partnership with the FBI. We also help Americans save money on things they need and buy every day. The average American household saves $400 a month using these plans.

Anyway, I started with this company 3 years ago and started making $500 a month within 3 months. That income has increased now to $900 a week. No, it’s not $10,000 a day like those scams advertise but this isn’t a get rich quick scheme. If that’s what you are looking for you should think again! The best part is they have 401(k), direct deposit and a health plan from day one.

With this company there’s NO products to sell or store, NO hard selling or pushing, NO Bugging Friends and Family, NO cold calling, NO home parties and NO telemarketing! That was VERY important to me. Figure out what you DON’T want to do as well and make sure you find a company that fits with that!

I work as part of a team with other reps in the company. I had at least 5 of their home phone #’s the day I started. This is a big one: Make sure that you’re going to have others to work with. Don’t find out you just paid a start up cost and you will be trained by someone in a call center who has NO REAL idea what you are actually supposed to do. Make sure you are trained by other reps just like you, and ask for names and numbers! If they won’t give them, walk away!

I was scared at first because there are lots of scams, but this company’s credentials FAR SURPASSED any other I had ever seen. They are members of the National Association of Dental Plans and the US Chamber of Commerce and have been featured in Parent Magazine, Time Magazine, on 60 Minutes and many other places. They are partnered with the FBI on one of their plans that helps American’s protect their kids. This company has an “A” RATING WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU! These are some of the types of national credentials you need to be looking for during your search and make sure they have at C or better rating with the BBB.

My point here is to tell you, YES! There actually are legit work at home options so press forward! You will find them eventually!

AVOID these top 10 work at home scams:

10. Craft Assembly
9. Medical Billing
8. Email/Rebate Processing
7. “A List of Companies Looking for Home workers!”
6. “Just pay for and take this class first” Then we’ll give or find you a job!
5. Envelope Stuffing
4. “Turn Your Computer Into a Money-Making Machine!”
3. Pyramid Schemes (this is NOT the same as Multi-Level Marketing MLM)
2. Chain Letters/Emails
1. Typing At Home / Data Entry (The biggest scam out there. 100% of them are scams!)

As for those of you who say: ”I want to work from home but I don’t want to have to pay for anything”. Well, that’s great! But it’s not realistic. Let’s be honest, there is no such thing as a free lunch. If it is a true honest legitimate home business, you need to expect to pay a little something. Mr. Walt Disney didn’t start the Disney empire “without paying for anything”. Neither did Mr. Sam Walton, owner of Wal-Mart.

Good luck in your search!

If you want to know more, want help deciding if something is a scam, or just want to chat with me click on my profile to the left!

Best Wishes to you!

Jere answers:

Starting an online business is only next to impossible if you are Pobept K. There are ways to get your site to the top through proper marketing strategies. The strategies are ever changing so you have to learn the trends and stay on your toes. You don’t need a lot of capital to get started depending on the business that you desire. You are right, you could run a website and the skills you have will help. I have built my business online and would love to share some tips. I would like to share the advice on a two way basis so I can better assist. Your skills open up a lot of doors so your options on the type of business to build will be greater. I don’t know if I can fill in all the blanks but I can share some real experience.

BEST WISHES!

Jere answers:

A genuine online business offers one of three things in my opinion. Either a product, a service, or information which others channel advertising. You could create your own by choosing a niche that you can be passionate about and one that is a solution to other peoples needs, wants and/or desires. After choosing a niche it is important to study what your target market is and how to position yourself in front of them to create an income. Many are doing this through building a website around their niche and channeling advertising or selling other peoples products (affiliate marketing, click bank) to create an income. If you are not finding what you want in a home based business, I would suggest that you create what you seek. One of my favorite old time sayings is…….”The best way to predict your future is to create it.”

BEST WISHES!

Jere answers:

Most important part about online is international website even it’s buying stuff. Usually i buy stuff online when we don’t’ have it locally (as in a retail store). I bought a pair of shoes in UK and a few shirts that we didn’t had in North America, what i bought was some Tiesto merchandise, his shoes, 2 shirts, and a key chain.

I also bought a pair of Puma’s Ferrari shoes on Puma’s official website, i could of bought it in Puma Store (downtown), but would be cheaper online. Also i compare prices which is better to buy. Is the item cheaper online or retail.

Usually when i buy something online i look for any special deals, for example if you buy a pair of shoes over $200 CAD = 111.665 GBP, then you get free shipping, except for paying any Border Customs and and taxes of course.

I also look for anything that doesn’t have like 15% charge of restocking if i return and the item that i don’t like then it would be great to charge to back with your shipment account example. If i receive a package via fedex, and i want to return it cause something wrong with the package, then i want to to charge to your FedEx account. Anyway those are the options that i’m looking for if any item i buy that is shipped.

Oh also you should provide a tracking number for your customer so they can track their shipments.

Also, you should get an account system for your customers, like they would register and where they can keep their information, orders and anything else.

You can take a look how adidas online shopping system is like.
Http://www.shopadidas.ca/index.jsp.vr

Jere answers:

Just for monthly semi sales…..go the the semiconductor industry association…

Jere answers:

From the Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos020.htm

A wide range of educational backgrounds is suitable for entry into advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managerial jobs, but many employers prefer those with experience in related occupations.

Education and training. For marketing, sales, and promotions management positions, some employers prefer a bachelor’s or master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis on marketing. Courses in business law, management, economics, accounting, finance, mathematics, and statistics are advantageous. Additionally, the completion of an internship while the candidate is in school is highly recommended. In highly technical industries, such as computer and electronics manufacturing, a bachelor’s degree in engineering or science, combined with a master’s degree in business administration, is preferred.

For advertising management positions, some employers prefer a bachelor’s degree in advertising or journalism. A course of study should include, for example, marketing, consumer behavior, market research, sales, communication methods and technology, and visual arts, and art history and photography.

For public relations management positions, some employers prefer a bachelor’s or master’s degree in public relations or journalism. The applicant’s curriculum should include courses in advertising, business administration, public affairs, public speaking, political science, and creative and technical writing.

Most advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales management positions are filled by promoting experienced staff or related professional personnel. For example, many managers are former sales representatives, purchasing agents, buyers, or product, advertising, promotions, or public relations specialists. In small firms, where the number of positions is limited, advancement to a management position usually comes slowly. In large firms, promotion may occur more quickly.

Other qualifications. Familiarity with word-processing and database applications is important for most positions. Computer skills are vital because marketing, product promotion, and advertising on the Internet are increasingly common. Also, the ability to communicate in a foreign language may open up employment opportunities in many rapidly growing areas around the country, especially cities with large Spanish-speaking populations.

Persons interested in becoming advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers should be mature, creative, highly motivated, resistant to stress, flexible, and decisive. The ability to communicate persuasively, both orally and in writing, with other managers, staff, and the public is vital. These managers also need tact, good judgment, and exceptional ability to establish and maintain effective personal relationships with supervisory and professional staff members and client firms.

Certification and advancement. Some associations offer certification programs for these managers. Certification—an indication of competence and achievement—is particularly important in a competitive job market. While relatively few advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers currently are certified, the number of managers who seek certification is expected to grow. Today, there are numerous management certification programs based on education and job performance. In addition, The Public Relations Society of America offers a certification program for public relations practitioners based on years of experience and performance on an examination.

Although experience, ability, and leadership are emphasized for promotion, advancement can be accelerated by participation in management training programs conducted by larger firms. Many firms also provide their employees with continuing education opportunities—either in-house or at local colleges and universities—and encourage employee participation in seminars and conferences, often held by professional societies. In collaboration with colleges and universities, numerous marketing and related associations sponsor national or local management training programs. Course subjects include brand and product management, international marketing, sales management evaluation, telemarketing and direct sales, interactive marketing, promotion, marketing communication, market research, organizational communication, and data-processing systems procedures and management. Many firms pay all or part of the cost for employees who successfully complete courses.

Jere answers:

I have three websites I love to check out when I look for seminars or conventions. I’ve taken seminars with all three and love it!

1. American Management Association. Website is amanet.org.
2. Association of National Advertisers. Website is ana.net.
3. American Marketing Association. Website is marketingpower.com

Good luck and have fun. Make good contacts too.

Jere answers:

THE INTERNET IN MALAYSIA
http://www.apnic.net/docs/apster/issues/apster9-200402.pdf

Malaysia is the host country for 17th APNIC Open Policy Meeting and APRICOT 2004. In this article, we look briefly at the growth and development of the Internet in Malaysia.

The story of the commercial Internet in Malaysia began in 1990, when the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems (MIMOS, now MIMOS Berhad) launched JARING (Joint Advanced Integrated Networking), the first Malaysian ISP. It was not until 1992, however, with the installation of a satellite link between Malaysia and the US, that Malaysian users gained easy access the global Internet.

The Malaysian government has been an enthusiastic supporter of Internet technology since the early nineties, and has employed a range of policies to encourage Malaysian businesses to venture online. It has also invested in large projects such as the Multimedia Super Corridor, a 50km area stretching north from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport which has attracted more than 900 local and international IT and communication companies.

Malaysia’s second ISP, TMNet, launched in 1995. Since then, the market for both commercial and residential Internet access has grown steadily. There are now seven ISPs within Malaysia offering both dial-up and broadband connectivity and in 2002 there were an estimated 7.8 million Malaysian Internet users.*

PIKOM, the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry, Malaysia, has estimated that the ICT (information and communication technology) industry will grow to around RM9 billion (US$2.3 billion) in 2004. APNIC currently has 35 Malaysian member organisations, including one Very Large and three Large members.

Over the last few years, the Malaysian IT industry has focused on consolidating its domestic network infrastructure and investigating new developments, including the emergence of IPv6. In 2003, three of the country’s largest ISPs, MIMOS Berhad/Jaring, Maxis Communications Berhad, and NTT MSC Sdn. Bhd. Teamed up to establish My6, a working group which aims to lay the groundwork for IPv6 implementation in Malaysia. In October 2003, My6 organised the 1st ASEAN IPv6 Summit in Kuala Lumpur, which brought together IT professionals from around the region to discuss some of the issues surrounding IPv6.

Malaysia achieved one of its most significant Internet milestones in November 2003, with the establishment of the Malaysia Internet Exchange (MIX). The MIX is the first Internet Exchange to be set up in Malaysia and provides a common backbone for all Malaysian ISPs, ensuring the robustness of the local Internet.

* Statistics from the 2002 Internet Subscriber Study, published by the National Information Technology Council (NITC), 2003

Jere answers:

Advertising is just one form of marketing. Marketing also includes Public Relations, Direct Marketing, Sponsorships, and any other activity that will promote the company, association, individual, or organization.

Advertising is normally includes print media, radio, TV, Internet, display, and specialty.

Jere answers:

Emails are a tough thing to obtain – especially those that target people for certain things. How many times have you had an email that requested information which would allow and advertiser to actually target you as a prospective customer? I haven’t seen any yet.

Also, emails can often get lost in spam.

I work for a direct marketing company. More and more people are asking for this due to the low cost of getting the message out, however they don’t realize the response rate is MUCH lower than about any other advertising medium.

There are many places to go to get data – check out the Direct marketing association to find out what might be the best way to do what you wish to do. Also there are companies list InfoUSA that deal in data mining and may be able to help you.

What about placing an advertisement for your site on other sites that people looking for your services are likely to be visiting? This could allow them to come to your site, enter their information and now you have a viable, accurate email address?

You may also determine what cities and audience demographics are most likely to come to your site also – I don’t know for sure what they’d be, you likely know better, but say “San Francisco – men aged 25- 35” are most likely to be fitness fanatics – or maybe women between a certain age with children of a certain income level are the best place to start targeting. You can purchase “resident” lists quite cheaply for these people – they don’t include the person’s name, only the addresses so they are cheap to purchase. Then if you send out the smallest cost communication you can – such as a 4.125 x 6 postcard simply advertising your site and how to get there perhaps including an offer like “enter this code to receive 10% off when you become a member”. If you were to identify say 3 large cities and use very narrow demographics then build on that by offering things like discounts for sharing with friends, a small investment in print/mail might get the generator starting.

I think you’d have to purchase like 10X as many emails as you wish to have people contact you (or more) because you can’t target email nearly as well as you can mail. List companies use public domain information such as information found in phone books or the like to identify a person. They routinely proces their data against NCOA data bases by the post office and update when a person moves and leaves a forwarding address for the post office.

Good luck!

Jere answers:

MailChimp is an awesome company for sending email campaigns. They offer a free plan but depending on how may emails you plan to send they have a tied paid plans. Our business uses them and have not been disappointed.

Jere answers:

Blacklists do not decide to block or allow your email to be delivered. The mail servers may check your IP address and the URI’s the message contains against blacklists and decide to block or allow delivery.

There are two types of blacklists that will effect your operation. They are IP blacklists and URI blacklists. One of them lists possible SPAMing IP addresses and the other lists possible URI’s associated with SPAMing.

Different blacklists have different listing policies. While some collect and list IPs of mail servers that send to some “trap” email addresses others might list dynamicly assigned IP addesses, such as ADSL subscribes. There are many variations. You can find a list of blacklists on http://www.blalert.com/dnsbls and details on how they work.

You could also use a monitoring service like http://www.blalert.com to monitor your IPs if they are listed on any of the blacklists.

Jere answers:

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But when you buy an email list you have essentially paid good money for a list of strangers who do not know you.

If your intent is to eventually get them to respond to one of your promotional messages, you have to first warm them up to you. What do I mean? Build a relationship with them. No, I don’t mean get to know their inner soul but rather to communicate with them and let them get to know you. It’s best if the list you bought naturally ties in with what you intend to offer them. Start out slow and send them some useful info. Do it consistently over 2 weeks before you even think to send them a promotion.

Here is an example of what I mean: have you checked out some of the unknown comics on Comedy Central? You’ve never seen their act before but after they are done, usually 15 minutes, you feel like you’ve known them your whole life. That, in a nutshell, is what you have to try to do with your email messages.

It’s hard if you don’t prepare. So make sure you do. To get you started, I’ve written down some sources of articles that teach you how to do this.

Some stress targeting your market, others stress building the relationship and other’s deal with how to create your very own list. That’s the list that always pays big. There is one article that gives you the details on how to avoid being penalized by the CAN SPAM law. That one is very important.

I suggest you read the one on the WordPress blog. It goes straight to the point.

Jere answers:

There are plenty of bulk email marketing and creating lists and automated responders how tos, ebooks, articles and software i found at this site as i am doing the same thing thought id help u out and share it with you , its a free signup and access to 1000’s of business related material all free to download and view it helped me greatly

Jere answers:

1. Junk Mail – By using direct mail, a company risks alienating the customers it seeks to gain. The use of direct mail is often associated with a company of lower status and quality.
2. Environmental Impact – Direct marketing typically involves the heavy use of physical components in order to give consumers an object they can hold in their hands. This physical side of direct marketing means that a greater amount of natural resources are consumed in their production as well as a greater amount of pollution.
3. Metrics – It is hard when using direct marketing to get any reliable metrics on its impact. Direct marketing involves a much longer-term strategy where the results are uncertain and the best that can be said is that it may be working. It is often very unclear whether direct marketing is alienating more customers than it is creating.
4. Time – It is hard to get as immediate of an impact when using direct marketing, as the advertising product, by its nature, takes time to reach consumers. Time is often equated with money in business, and the time ratio in direct marketing is a disadvantage.
5. Laws – The distribution of fliers and street advertising is often prohibited by law in certain areas. This is a major disadvantage of this form of direct marketing as certain customer bases will be unreachable. If a marketer wishes to reach customers, for instance, in a high-traffic and wealthy area, this may be impossible using direct marketing of this kind.
6. Limited Reach – There is an inherently limited geographic reach to direct marketing involving fliers and street advertising. By using this form of direct marketing, you will be limited to consumers in a very specific distribution area and will have to depend on word of mouth for others.

Jere answers:

I am unaware of any after market Direct Fuel Injection system or factory for that matter.
For others and the first answer, Direct is directly into the combusion chamber and is not normal fuel injection.
I really think it would be too limited and expensive for after market to make such a head.
Good Luck

Jere answers:

Direct Response Agencies—one of the fastest growing areas in IMC is direct marketing where companies communicate with their customers through telemarketing, direct mail and other forms of direct-response advertising. Direct response agencies provide their clients a variety of services including data base development and management, direct mail, research, media services, and creative and production capabilities.

Jere answers:

Direct Response Agencies—one of the fastest growing areas in IMC is direct marketing where companies communicate with their customers through telemarketing, direct mail and other forms of direct-response advertising. Direct response agencies provide their clients a variety of services including data base development and management, direct mail, research, media services, and creative and production capabilities.

Jere answers:

Direct Response Agencies—one of the fastest growing areas in IMC is direct marketing where companies communicate with their customers through telemarketing, direct mail and other forms of direct-response advertising. Direct response agencies provide their clients a variety of services including data base development and management, direct mail, research, media services, and creative and production capabilities.

Jere answers:

A great site is sba.gov; they have a long list of helpful articles, new articles almost every day and a place to ask for help if you need it.

Obama has made numerous changes to help small business get started, sustain and grow; the Small Business Agency (sba) is there to help out.

Jere answers:

1) Intuit QuickBooks Accounting Software

Quickbooks is a popular full featured accounting and payroll program designed for small businesses – or, I should say, a small business accounting software series. QuickBooks is available in Basic, Online, Pro, and Premier editions; the Pro Edition of this accounting program includes management tools such as a Vehicle Mileage Tracker and a Cash Flow Projector.

2) Simply Accounting Accounting Software

Full featured accounting and payroll package with all the features and reports any small business needs, including Internet and e-commerce features. This small business accounting software’s data entry screens resemble their paper counterparts, and the screen tips and drag and drop functionality make the accounting program easy to learn. Professional versions include a time and billing module. Comes multi-user ready.

3) MYOB Plus Accounting Software

A double entry small business accounting software system with a user-friendly interface and over 100 financial and management reports. Includes a Professional Time Billing Module that is ideal for service businesses and the Officelink feature allows direct one click access to MS Word and Excel. Comes multi-user ready; just purchase an additional workstation license for each additional accounting program user.

4) Peachtree Complete Accounting Software

The Complete version of this small business accounting software program includes over 125 reports and features such as in-depth inventory, time and billing and job costing. The accounting program comes multi-user ready and “value packs” for 3 or more users are available. Peachtree accounting software is also available in Premium and First Accounting versions

5) Microsoft Office Small Business Accounting

The big selling feature of this small business accounting software is integration – and that’s a pretty big selling feature if you’re already using Microsoft Office. Being able to reuse data already entered into Excel or Outlook is a really useful feature and the integration with the Business Contact Manager makes it easy to stay on top of accounts. A slate of add-
on services ranges from online payroll through PayPal invoicing

Jere answers:

Susan,

It depends on how advanced you want to go. If your operating an online or mail/ phone order business you can use a system known as quickbooks that will also allow you to do inventory control, accept credit cards and most anything else. If your new to the business, it is retail based, or just want the basics you can create your own spreadsheet and use it.

Computers are making things much easier for business owners to keep track of inventory, contacts, payroll and a multitude of things that help in general.

Jere answers:

Employment Taxes for Businesses
This is the starting point on irs.gov for employment tax information. These links provide good, basic information on employment taxes and worker classification (independent contractors vs. Employees).

Http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=172179,00.html

Federal Income Tax and Social Security and Medicare Taxes
Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax
Self-Employment Tax
Depositing Employment Taxes
Reporting Employment Taxes
e-file for Business and Self-Employed Taxpayers
Preparing and Filing Form W-2
Correcting/Adjusting Employment Taxes
Combined Annual Wage Reporting (CAWR)

Combined Annual Wage Reporting (CAWR) is a Document Matching Program that compares the Employee Wage Information reported by the employer to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). If the amounts reported to the IRS do not match those from SSA, you may receive a notice asking for the reason for the discrepancy. If you do not respond timely, IRS may compute the additional taxes and/or penalties due and send you a bill. If you receive a notice CP253 or Letter 99C regarding missing Form(s) W-2, refer to Combined Annual Wage Reporting Missing Form W-2 Inquiries. If you receive a notice CP251 or Letter 99C regarding underreported employment taxes refer to Combined Annual Wage Reporting Employment Tax Problem Inquiries.
References/Related Topics

Businesses with Employees
Employment Tax Forms
Employment Tax Publications
Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop, Lesson 9 – What you need to know about Federal Unemployment Taxes (FUTA)
SSN Verification
Tax Calendar for Small Businesses and Self-Employed
Unemployment Insurance (UI) Taxes
W-2 Online. Create, save, print, and submit Forms W-2 and W-2c online.
Wage Reporting

Rate the Small Business and Self-Employed Web Site
Hope that you find the above enclosed information useful. 12/07/2011

Jere answers:

Hello,

My name is Melinda and I have had a successful home business for a while now. I decided to get together with my self-employed friends and family and create a free website to help others start their own business (and avoid scams). During my research I found the following sites specifically for work at home moms and dads:

1. Freelance mom – a support network for women working from home. They can help you to locate freelance work from home jobs. Their warm and supportive community is rich with home business ideas and internet marketing strategies to support you and help you to make smart decisions from choosing your business to promoting it.

2. Hire my Mom – their goal is to connect Mom Professionals, with a variety of backgrounds, to small and large businesses looking to outsource projects and jobs of all types. (Examples include: administrative, writing, graphic design, accounting, bookkeeping, customer service, marketing, public relations, programming, web design, coaching, sales, desktop publishing, payroll, human resources, database development, medical billing, etc.)

3. HBWM – provides its members with support, networking, free advertising options, information, a monthly (print) newsletter, email discussion list, searchable member directory, member spotlights and corporate discounts on various products and services. (They do not provide jobs.)

4. Mom’s Cafe – provides access to their article archive and their featured articles that discuss home based businesses, advertising, marketing, networking, and other resources. They have also included various career kits to help you get started on your home business.

Also – our site is:
Great Home Based Businesses and we have specific pages on:
– Hundred’s of Great Ideas for Home Based Businesses by Category
– Resources for Selling from Home
– Resources for Providing Services from your Home
– Avoiding Scams
– Kit businesses such as Pampered Chef
and a lot of other pointers.

PLEASE NOTE: we do not have a business or product that we want to sell you – our site is all about providing information.

If you are considering kit businesses like Pampered chef etc… – we have a page dedicated to these businesses on our site but the short answer is that: these businesses are ideal for people who do not have the time (stay-at-home parents) or comfort to leap into self-employment without a well established business concept and support system. These kits provide everything from products to sell – to marketing material – to business forms – to advice. HOWEVER you need to be comfortable selling and hitting up your friends and family and complete strangers to buy items directly from you. You also need to stage alot of “home parties” in order to make any money with the low margins alot of these companies provide. People who are successful with these businesses earn their money by recruiting alot of other people into their “sales teams”. If you are comfortable with this then these businesses can be great.

My key pieces of advice in picking your business:
1. Do what you know and love.
2. Follow your instincts.
3. Figure out how to provide value to your clients.
4. Talk to successful home business owners that you know and trust.
5. Whatever you do – try not to limit yourself to one income source – one of the best ways to grow your small business is to open yourself up to other income streams. If you start a catering business maybe you could also teach cooking classes in your house, or if you start house cleaning business then you could also stage houses for sale. This approach has been invaluable to me – allowing me to get through slowdowns in my “core” business.
6. Accept that “get rich quick” schemes only work for 1 in every million people and generally require illegal activity – instead try to build a lasting business that will continually pay you a reasonable amount.

Anyhow – that’s my two cents – Good luck with your business – I’m sure if you do your homework you’ll be very successful!!

Jere answers:

Hey Shary,

I feel you! Internet marketing is definitely a confusing field with many different strategies, and as humans, of course we want the best and most effective one. But the truth is, there are pros and cons to every method, whether that be PPC, email marketing, SEO, media buys, and much more. Lately, there’s been a lot of buzz about the inevitable transition to mobile (cell phone) marketing too.

I wouldn’t be concerned about Google or Yahoo PPC fraud, because those two top dog search engines really crack down. Most would argue the big G (Google) comes down TOO HARD with their hammer of fate. That’s why you see so many affiliate Adwords accounts being banned for seemingly no reason by Google. It’s all to protect the consumer, or so Google claims.

The thing you’ll want to keep in mind is never become dependent on any one traffic source. It’s tough because you get really good results at one method, say PPC, and learn how to manage it really well…but what if suddenly that traffic source becomes unavailable?

What if your Adwords account is banned. What if Google punishes your SEO site and drops it 5,000 rankings overnight? If your income relied solely on that one traffic source, you’re doomed – you’re instantly cut off of all income.

That’s why you hear all the ranting about Google and their monopoly and iron grip over affiliates. Break free from the Big G! Email marketing, media buys (buying ad space on popular websites), and PPV (pay per view – basically pop-up advertisements) are some domains that Google can’t touch.

That’s why I’m looking to get into email marketing more and more…Aweber and GetResponse are the two most reputable email autoresponder services. All the big names in internet marketing use it. Alternatively, you can try various plugins such as the GWA Autoresponder plugin for WordPress, but there are issues with these such as being unable to bypass your viewer’s spam filters.

The pain is mastering multiple traffic streams, but it’s a necessary task (I myself am guilty of not doing this very much lol).

To give you an idea of the different traffic sources, and their pros and cons, check out this blog post:
http://theinternetmarketingtools.com/internetmarketing101/

Jere answers:

Hi,
The best way to start and introduce your food products is start with the internet as it does not involve
heavy costs.

Supermarkets would mean competing with other products on the shelves ,and the first step would be to get user testimonials.

Once you have enough testimonials , negotiating with supermarket chains would be easier.

The no cost option is start a blog in your niche’ and get back links.

Want to know more how to do so?
Just head over to : http://bit.ly/blogging-to-the-bnk.

Cheers
Askdeban

Jere answers:

I found some of the best information in Forbes and Fortune Magazines. There are also “trade” magazines for the marketing industry which are full of “fluff” but occasionally have a new idea. You can find all at your local library..

Jere answers:

In some case yes they can but it’s all about your R&D dept and strategy as well. I personally did the reseArch for my startup co business and I found that it helped me not go down certain paths when talking about company direction or investment back into the co or whatever.

I know it gives you more options when things come up that are to be expected and things that are unexpected. And that almost always saves time money and resources not including jobs and man power.

Example: I did a project to help a client startup his own Internet web design store online and a brick and mortar location. And we spent some money looking at the average money spent on which types of sites and how long the task tool to build and so on. For that reason he saved a lot of trial and error with his pricing structure on each client and he also was able to market To specific people to where the price really never came into play. In some cases his prices were the best and just a given with others. It made the sale and then service of each of his clients a lot easier to handle and carry them through the his process. He’s retention stayed up and he invested in some technology that he saw through dealing with his customized client base that has catapulted him into a revenue stream that he never thought possible. So yes it does effect things i say always know where your going and give yourself options. My late grand father said who was in the Gas and Oil business for 40 years said “always make sure you have plenty of windows to jump out of when the house catches fire”!! And that can apply to just about anywhere in a company and even life. Also make sure the company doing the research etc doesn’t charge an arm and a leg. There is a lot of those types out there as usual. Hope this helps!!! :).

Good luck !!!!

<.

Jere answers:

“If you build it, they will come” is not necessarily true on the Web. Putting a website up is one thing, but getting visitors to come to your site is another. The process becomes even more difficult if you have limited resources to market your business.

Here are some shoestring marketing ideas that can help you get the visitors you need at the least cost possible:

1. Create the best content you can with the best products you can possibly offer. Your content is your best advertisement – if visitors love your content, then they will go back and spread the word to others.

2. Make it easy for users to recommend your site. Viral marketing is very important — and easy to tap on the Web. But give your users the tools. Get a Recommend this Site script from websites such as cgiscripts.com and similar directories of scripts. Some even go as far as giving incentives to those who recommend the site to their friends. If only 10 people go to your site, but these 10 people invite 10 more – that’s additional traffic that you get for FREE!

Recommend Site Scripts (various) http://php.resourceindex.com/Complete_Scripts/Website_Promotion/Recommend_Site/
Big Nose Bird Recommend this Site http://bignosebird.com/carchive/birdcast.shtml
CGI Resource Index http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Programs_and_Scripts/Perl/Website_Promotion/Recommend_Site/
Hostscripts http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/Site_Recommendation/index.html

3. Rank well in the search engines (organic search results, not the pay per click). SEs can be a big source of traffic. The key is to create the best content in your niche. If you have good content, other websites will gladly link to you and offer your site as a resource to their audience. Check the on-page factors and be sure to get linked from authority sites in your topic area.

If you are going to read only one piece on search engine optimization, I suggest you read Brett Tabke of WebmasterWorld.com’s “Successful Site in 12 Months with Google Alone: 26 steps to 15k a day.” http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/2010.htm

SEO for Google http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/google.htm
SEO for Yahoo! Http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/yahoo.htm
SEO for MSN http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/msn.htm
Tying It Together: SEO For The Big Three http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/seo.htm

4. Send out press releases. While outfits charge as much as $650 per release, there are free press release submission places on the Web. Press releases allow you to (a) attract media attention; (b) get more back links to your website without sending each website an email request; and (c) get more visibility especially if your press release gets in Google News or Yahoo News.

Http://www.prleap.com/sign_up.html
http://i-newswire.com/
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/
http://www.pressbox.co.uk/cgi-bin/links/add.cgi
http://www.pr.com/press-releases
http://www.prfree.com/
http://www.clickpress.com/releases/index.shtml
http://www.theopenpress.com/
http://www.przoom.com/
http://www.prweb.com
http://www.newswiretoday.com/
http://www.free-press-release.com/

5. Submit articles. Write articles and submit them to websites accepting author submissions. You get exposure for your business; establishes you as an authority in your field, and allows you to get backlinks for your website. If 50 websites publish your article and it contains a link back to your website, then you easily get 50 links from a single article. The more links you have, the greater your chances for increasing your search engine rankings.

Here is a comprehensive list of where to submit your articles http://answers.yahoo.com/question/;_ylt=AhzreGmnCUicOoyedqypscUjzKIX?qid=1006022407481

6. Improve your conversion. Getting visitors is one thing; getting them to buy your products is a whole different story. Read the article “10 Ways to Convert Visitors to Buyers” http://www.powerhomebiz.com/072005/conversion.htm for tips on how to improve your conversion rates.

7. Post a link to your site for free where it is allowed (always read the Terms of Use). Examples are:

Craigslist http://www.craigslist.com
Google Base http://base.google.com
Classifieds for Free http://www.classifiedsforfree.com/…
Text Link Exchange http://www.txtswap.com/
Recycler.com http://www.recycler.com/
Yahoo Classifieds http://classifieds.yahoo.com/
US Free Ads http://www.usfreeads.com/