Your Questions About Internet Marketing Association

Jere answers:

Las Vegas

There has always been a line between sports and gambling, but with the advent of the Internet, and Indian casinos, it is starting to break down. The argument that a city where gambling is legal could corrupt a professional sports team no longer is a strong, since you can place a sports bet from almost anywhere now. In fact, I think the NBA is planning to hold an All Star game in Vegas. It’s the largest television market without a professional sports team, which means there is a lot of money to be made there. It will have a team within 10 years, possibly 5.

Jere answers:

Kish,
There’s a troll that is bashing Network Marketing/MLM right now.

I work with a woman who is severely disabled because of Multiple Sclerosis for 25 years of her life. She lies on her matress in her bedroom at home.

I work with her every day with our Network Marketing business over the phone and she is very thankful for it. I am very thankful I know Donna as well.

Thank God for Network Marketing.

Let me list criteria to look for before joining a friend or family member or a stranger who is offering a Network Marketing opportunity.

Criteria used to evaluate the various companies are:

Is the company stable?

To determine whether or not a company was stable, I looked at the following:

Has the company been in business for at least 5 years?
Where does the company do business?
Does the company have a good reputation? (Check with the B.B.B.)
Is the company a member of the Direct Sellers Association?
Is the company publicly traded?
Does the company do at least 100 million in annual sales?
In my research, I discovered that the vast majority of home-based businesses are bankrupt within five years.

Generally speaking, the more countries a company does business in, the more stable they will be. It is a good indication if the company operates in the United States, Canada and at least one other country.

I also found that reputable companies were members of the DSA (Direct Sellers Association). Members of the DSA are held to strict ethical guidelines that would protect me and the consumer.

If a company is publicly traded, they are required by law to disclose all financial statements to the public. This information can be obtained by visiting the S.E.C.

Is the product unique?

Having a unique product or service was important to me because if the product was not unique, I would be forced to compete against other companies on price and convenience. By having a unique product, my customers would have no alternative other than to buy from me.

Is the product consumable?

This was my next question. Even if the product I am selling is unique but is not consumable, I would constantly have to find new customers. In other words, I would be unemployed until my next sale. With a consumable product, customers would continue to buy my products and I would continue to earn a residual income without having to find new customers.

Is there a demand for the product?

Having a unique and consumable product wouldn’t mean a thing if there wasn’t a demand for it. This is why I looked for a company that had a product that would be in high demand. In looking at market trends, I discovered that the 1 BILLION “Baby Boomers” are creating the largest trends in the world. As a result, I wanted to find a company that was marketing products that would appeal to this group of people.

Is there product validation?

I did not want to risk my reputation by selling a product that amounted to little more than “snake oil”, so it was important for me to know that the product was scientifically validated before I could feel comfortable selling or recommending it.

Are you ready?

If you would like me to help you to find the right home-based business, I would be glad to assist you.

Jere answers:

There are three skydiving schools in Kansas, Air Capital Drop Zone, Skydive Kansas, and Skydive K-State. What you see in a search are these three, and a bunch of “virtual DZs”. These web site only DZs are really just a boiler room operation in Atlanta which spams the internet with in excess of 1000 dummy web sites. Their ploy is to trick you into calling them, then selling you a gift certificate for well in excess of what you would pay if you called any drop zone directly. You generally will not know that you can not use this gift certificate within the state of Kansas, closest business who will take these overpriced certificates is in Missouri.

As for which DZ in Kansas is best, all three are good safety conscious businesses with well trained instructors. I just happen to own Air Capital Drop Zone, located 10 miles SE of Wichita. We will actually refer people to one of the other two DZs when they call if we learn that they would have to drive by one of them to get to Wichita. That attitude of cooperation, and customer first is typical of all three of us, and Kansas in general.
Martin
Air Capital Drop Zone

Consumers Beware of a National Gift Certificate SCAM!

In the recent months many websites have popped up offering skydiving gift certificates and attempting to book reservations for skydiving.

They appear to be representing a skydiving center in your local area and make claims that they have the highest skydiving safety record, use the best equipment, have been serving the local area for a long time, offer the least expensive skydive, and have the closest jumping location to metropolitan areas.

However, these websites are actually nothing more than a middle man or skydiving reservation agency which costs you money. Be leary of their many misrepresentations!

To help you determine if a website represents an actual skydiving center:

*

Does the website provide a business address for the drop zone?
*

Does the website include specific information about their jumpmasters or the name of their Chief Instructor?
*

Does the website include specific information about their facilities such as which airport, lounges or type of runways?
*

The only regulatory agency for sport skydiving in the USA is the United States Parachute Association (USPA). The USPA is a membership organization that maintains and regulates a Group Member listing of drop zones which abide by the association’s Basic Safety Regulations.

Still not sure if they are legitimate, call the 800 number and ask where they are located. If they cannot answer immediately without asking where you are calling from, then you have reached the middle man!

You might be asking “why not go through one of these agencies?”
1.

Deceptive business practices: They employ a templated website which offers the same facts and pictures across the country, but claim to represent a local drop zone.
2.

Location and distance: The agent will only book you with a participating skydiving center, sometimes several states away!
3.

Bogus fees: Airport Fee, Homeland Security Fee, Poor Weather / Re-Schedule Fee are all tacked on after you have already paid over the internet and arrive for your appointment. You may initially only pay $165 over the internet. However after you arrive and add up the fees, your bill can quickly exceed $250 for the jump alone. The Homeland Security Fee is especially troublesome, since it preys on our fears of terrorism and your belief that you are contributing to National Security.
4.

Low budget operations: Usually, the skydiving center in the area who is participating with these booking agencies is so small and low budget that they are unable to market for themselves. And if they can’t afford marketing, how can they afford good instructors, quality gear, or have properly maintained aircraft?

Making a skydive is an experience you will remember and cherish for life. It is important that this experience be performed by a competent, professional center associated with the United States Parachute Association. Choosing to make a reservation with an agency which makes claims of, but has no control over, safety, instructors and equipment quality is literally throwing caution to the wind. Do your research before you jump. Your safety and enjoyment depend on it.

Jere answers:

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you’ll inevitably have as well as many you haven’t anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* Scrapbooking For Profit: Cashing In On Retail, Home-Based And Internet Opportunities by Rebecca Pittman
* The Scrapbooker’s Guide to Business by Kathy Steligo
* Specialty Shop Retailing: How to Run Your Own Store Revised by Carol L. Schroeder
* So You Want To Own The Store: Secrets to Running a Successful Retail Operation by Mort Brown

There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Jere answers:

If you are seeking virtual employment, there are excellent opportunities to make a great living from the comfort of your home office with an online job. Online jobs are plentiful in many major industries including business, marketing, finance, accounting, technology, health care and even nonprofit sectors. Online jobs can be flexible, part time or full time depending on the needs of each organization. There are many rewarding and lucrative online careers to choose from thanks to advances in virtual work and more companies allowing for some level of remote work.

Online Jobs in Business Development, Marketing and Sales

Online Sales and Marketing Jobs Offer Higher Than Average Earnings
sales person making an appointment image by Peter Baxter from Fotolia.com There are a good many online opportunities available in business, marketing and sales careers. Many companies hire professionals to work from home processing customer orders by telephone or generating sales leads to bring in more business. Organizations often need support with handling customer service inquiries.

Business development and marketing requires field professionals who can go out and reach more customers or manage existing territories. Sales and marketing managers can expect to earn between $89,000 to $108,000 USD annually, according to 2009 salary figures provided by the United States Department of Labor.

Finance and Accounting Online Jobs

Top Earnings Available in Online Accounting and Finance
A businessman calculating expenses at tax time image by Christopher Meder from Fotolia.com There is always a need for qualified finance and accounting professionals to work in-house and online. Jobs that allow for home-based work are on the increase as companies have started outsourcing many of these processes. Online jobs in accounting and finance can include bookkeeping, tax processing, collections, customer service and accounts payable roles. In general, accounting and finance online jobs require a minimum of a four year college degree and a general understanding of financial principles. Average wages for online finance and accounting professionals in 2009 were between $26,350 and $40,130 USD per year, which is higher than many other administrative careers.

Online Information Technology Jobs

High Paying Online Jobs In Information Technology
executive image by Andrey Kiselev from Fotolia.com One of the most obvious of the higher paying online careers is that of information technology professionals. Because technology continues to advance at such a rapid rate, there is a high demand for information technology professionals who can keep up with new software, hardware and mobile technologies.

Many online information technology professionals work from home offices around the world and enjoy high earnings, ranging in the mid-fifty thousand dollar range annually, according to the 2010 salary survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. In fact, online careers in information technology are among the fastest growing industries available, especially for new college graduates.

Read more: List of Top Paying Online Jobs | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6185926_list-top-paying-online-jobs.html#ixzz1a2KnZXUq