Outsourcing SEO Sevices

by: Brian Stocker

Anyone that hasn't heard of outsourcing by now must be either hiding in a cave or not working in the service industry. Call Centers are front and center, but it seems outsourcing is spreading to every nook and crannie of the economy. On a recent trip to Manila in the Philippines, a job fair for Call Center employees was held for 65,000 vacancies in Call Centers. Other statistics are just as shocking. India is set to emerge as a $17 billion knowledge outsourcing destination by 2010, states a new industry study. (Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) May 2005 ) Three-quarters of U.S. companies outsourced some or all of their information technology activities in 2004, and that percentage is likely to increase this year according to Global Outsourcing Report March 2005.

Outsourcing is seductive with skilled and educated native-english speaking labour available for $4 or $5 per hour. Many newcomers to ousourcing or contracting out, have the naive idea they can just 'throw it over the fence for $4 an hour' and are predicably disappointed. Indeed, the big boys are having difficulty as well. In a recent study, 'Calling a Change in the Outsourcing Mode' surveying 25 large organizations with a combined $50 billion in outsourcing contracts found that 70% a more cautious approach. One in four companies has brought outsourced functions back in-house and nearly half have failed to see the cost savings they anticipated as a result of outsourcing."

Outsourcing, using freelancers and contracting out is still a very viable strategy that can reduce costs and increase productivity substantially. It just isn't quite as easy as 'throwing it over the fence!'

Outsourcing SEO?

In general, the more important the service is to your business, the better to have it in-house. If SEO/SEM is mission critical to your business and you already have qualified people on staff, outsourcing would be a mistake. If you don't have SEO trained staff, developing SEO capability from scratch is a long road. The learning curve is steep, and like most skills, the very competitent people are the experienced ones, who have been doing it for years. You might want to hire an experienced person to work for your company and have them train others as part of their job.

This can be difficult as well, because generally people hired into this kind of situation will keep the secrets to themselves. In addition to the perenial problem of SEO -- the really good ones make too much money on their own so keeping really good people is almost impossible.

The is another other option, though -- Outtask rather than Outsource.

Outsourcing vs Outtasking

Outtasking is where certain tasks are contracted out and the main function is kept in-house. This option, with effective management, can give the best of both worlds. Examples of tasks that can be Outtasked are Link Campaigns, Article Writing, Directory Submissions and Article Submissions.

Tips for Managing Outsourcing Partners

- Develop relationships. Pay a fair amount or on the high side. Use the same person and develop and traing them.

- Spell out what you want. The more detail and the more specifics you can give a freelancer of what you want, the better the finished product will be. Freelancers have no imagination and now way of knowing what you want. They are in a different country and culture -- all they have to go on is what you tell them.

- Keep in touch. Ask for progress reports and updates. Unless you have worked with someone and then hired them full-time, freelancers are juggling different contracts. Keeping in touch keeps your contract at the top.

- Move forward in stages. First, do contracts. Then, all going well, regular contracts. Next part-time. Finally, after you have developed a relationship, offer full time.

- Tell them what you want and offer to pay a slightly higher fee in order for them to do it. Writing articles especially, is difficult to get exactly what you want in exactly 500 words. And if its a longer, more in-depth article, that's a bonus and more likely to be syndicated.

- If you are contracting for articles, you have to specify in advance that they will be original. And when you receive the completed work, check for plagiarism.

Popular Misconceptions

The more time YOU put into it, the better the project will be. Outsourcing deosn't mean you just give the whole thing to someone else in the Philippines or in India. The more time you spend managing the project the better the result.

When I contract for 10 articles, I spell out exactly what I want including, target audience, education level, tone, type (information or how to) keywords, suggested title and length. When I get them back I read them over carefully and edit them. If I don't like them, I ask for a re-write.

Overall, it is cost effective, but it still takes time.

Outsourcing or Outtasking is still work. It is just not the same kind of work. Do it properly and you learn a valuable skill that can reduce your costs substantially, and increase productivity.

Your Marketing Efforts Sink, Swim Or Soar Depending On How Well You Satisfy Them

by: Trey Ryder

A few years ago I created a to-do list for my business (different from my to-do list for clients). Nearly every day I would add something to the list. Soon, I had over five pages of things to do -- tasks I viewed as important enough to interrupt what I was doing so I could add them to my list.

Before long, every time I opened the document I got depressed. I was always adding to the list, but almost never crossing anything off.

Why? I discovered I had a number of well-worn excuses:

I don't have enough time. The project seems too big. It won't hurt to put it off a little longer. I feel no pressure to get it done. Maybe it isn't important after all.

When I looked at the tasks I did complete, I assumed they would match my highest priorities. Right? Wrong!

I surprised myself to learn that priority had almost nothing to do with it. Instead, the major factor in my decision to complete these tasks was the "Big C" -- Convenience.

I could finish them quickly and easily. I could complete them in one sitting. And I felt really good when the job was done: instant gratification.

So, what did I do with my 5-page to-do list? I deleted it. Now I feel much better.

When your prospective clients need to hire a lawyer, do they hire you? Or are they skilled at finding ways to "put it off until tomorrow" -- or much later?

I encourage you to make every aspect of your law practice convenient for both your prospects and clients -- because if they face any obstacles, they may have all the reason they need to do nothing.

Now, here are 12 smart ways to make your law practice more convenient:

Smart Way #1: Make sure prospects find it easy to learn about you. This includes having an education-based web site that answers their questions and explains in detail how you can help them. Also, I suggest you have an educational packet that contains articles and information about your services, which you can send by mail or e-mail.

mart Way #2: Make sure prospects find it easy to reach you. Do you accept phone calls from prospects -- or do you insist that they come into your office before you'll speak with them? Do you offer a toll free number -- or do prospects have to pay to call you? Do you respond to e-mails from prospects? The more convenient you make it for prospects, the more calls you ll receive.

Smart Way #3: Make sure clients find it easy to reach you. Are you available by pager or cell phone in an emergency? Can a client reach you quickly and easily on the phone? Do you return calls promptly?

Smart Way #4: Make sure prospects find it easy to get to your office. Is your office on or near a major street? Is your parking area close to your building or office? Is your office at a convenient location in the building? If on the second floor or higher, is the elevator close by?

Smart Way #5: Make sure prospects find it easy to meet with you. If prospects have a hard time coming to your office, will you go to their home or office? If weekdays are difficult for them, will you meet with them in the evening or on a weekend?

Smart Way #6: Make sure prospects find it easy to hire you. Can they hire you without having to drive to your office? Can you send your engagement letter or contract by fax or e-mail? If you have an established relationship, can they hire you simply by calling you on the phone? Or by sending you an e-mail? Can they hire you without a retainer?

Smart Way #7: Make sure prospects find it easy to pay you. Will you accept personal checks? How about credit cards? Do you offer a payment plan? Do you provide postage-paid business reply envelopes to make sending their check more convenient?

Smart Way #8: Make sure prospects and clients find it easy to provide you with the information you need. Do you have a form they can fill out and send by fax or e-mail? For larger packets, do you provide self-addressed UPS or FedEx labels?

Smart Way #9: Make sure prospects and clients find it easy to remember appointments and other important dates. Do you send them a calendar of upcoming dates, including what you need from them -- or expect of them -- by those dates? Do you send letters or e-mails reminding them of appointments? (A more tactful way to remind them is to ask if this time is still convenient for them.)

Smart Way #10: Make sure clients know when to call you to update documents. You might provide them a list of criteria or events that should prompt them to contact you.

Smart Way #11: Make sure clients find it easy to refer their friends and colleagues. You might mail to each client your referral brochure, which contains a complete listing of your services and contact information. Consider providing clients with referral postcards they can give to friends and colleagues to request a meeting with you. Offer educational seminars so clients can bring friends to meet you and hear your message in person.

Smart Way #12: Make sure clients find it easy to remember you. You might provide things that contain your contact information, such as calendars and paperweights. Send cordial-contact letters. Mail them your newsletter. Don't overlook greeting cards, gifts and donations given in their name. Also, consider hosting special events like art walks and wine tastings.

In summary: Convenience is a big factor in how prospects and clients respond to your marketing efforts. Don't allow even the slightest obstacle to come between your prospects and you. Instead, emphasize how easily prospects can do business with you. In this way, you melt the ice that freezes many prospects in place -- and help them realize that working with you is an easy, positive, rewarding experience.

About The Author

TREY RYDER LLC, Education-Based Marketing for Lawyers Lawyer Marketing Advisor http://www.TreyRyder.com Trey Ryder is the Lawyer Marketing Department Sponsor At http://www.JerseyJustice.com.

The Distribution of Global Capital: 3 Billion People Lives on $2/day

This week the Live 8 mega-event turned our attention to the problem of poverty. We learned that a child dies from it every three seconds. While we wait for the world to finally do something in order to save the African kids, we should look closely at the statistics and the true extent of international poverty.

The distribution of Global Capital

Half the world, nearly three billion people, lives on less than two dollars a day. 1.3 billion people live on $1/day. The Gross Domestic Product of the 48 poorest nations, i.e. a quarter of the world’s countries, is less than the wealth of the world’s three richest people combined. The 48 poorest countries account for less than 0.4 per cent of global exports.

The richest 50 million people in Europe and North America have the same income as 2.7 billion poor People. The combined wealth of the world’s 200 richest people hit $1 trillion in 1999; the combined income of the 582 million people living in the 43 least developed countries is $146 billion.

The current LIVE 8 campaign is trying to eliminate the debt catastrophe: the developing world spends $13 on debt repayment for every $1 they have received in aid. The poorer the country, the more likely it is that debt repayments are extracted directly from people who neither contracted the loans nor received any of the money. As a result of the debt catastrophe, millions of children have died each year because their government couldn’t reduce poverty levels.

For example, the lives of 1.7 million children have been needlessly lost in year 2000 because world governments have failed to reduce poverty levels

We expect these poor countries to “develop”, but how can they hope to escape such a situation when their population is in abominable physical condition? Approximately 790 million people in the developing world are still chronically undernourished, almost two-thirds of whom reside in Asia and the Pacific. We hear that education is the key, yet nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.

In 1960, 20% of the population in the world’s richest countries had 30 times the income of the poorest 20% - in 1997, 74 times as much. An analysis of long-term trends shows the distance between the richest and poorest countries was approximately (Source: www.globalissues.org):

- 3 to 1 in 1820
- 11 to 1 in 1913
- 35 to 1 in 1950
- 44 to 1 in 1973
- 72 to 1 in 1992

20% of the population in the developed nations consume 86% of the world’s goods. The top fifth of the world’s people in the richest countries enjoy 82% of the expanding export trade and 68% of foreign direct investment - the bottom fifth has access to barely more than 1%.

Poverty is not only a problem for Third World countries. The United States, the wealthiest nation on Earth, has the widest gap between the rich and poor of any industrialized nation.

More on the Debt Catastrophe could be found here: http://betotal.com/artman/publish/article_36.shtml

More on the Sponsor a Child programs, a way for you to save one needed child in less than $1/day could be found here: http://betotal.com/artman/publish/index.shtml

Copyright 2006 Ofer Shoshani

Overcoming Procrastination

By Roy Vera,MBA

There is nothing more sinister in the course of starting a business.

Your dreams, desires and goals are bottled up tightly inside you. Learning how to shake everything up and burst out with action takes hard work and practice. Especially when bad habits, and unproductive rituals have had a tight grip on you.

The first most difficult step is always the first. That initial push to crank yourself to action and take that step I have often compared to powering up an engine. The spark needed to ignite that mighty engine and fuel its motor is awesome. That first step is out of reach for many wanting to begin a new path. Or so they think it is. The difficult task at hand for many people is turning the key and rolling into action on a consistent basis towards a specific direction or goal in mind.

Overcoming procrastination is not only about doing today what should be done today, it is also about knowing your path, knowing your goal and realizing what is the outcome of your actions. Whatever you’ll like to achieve overcoming procrastination in the key.

Having motivation to achieve your goal and creating a lifestyle capable of finding contentment, happiness, having less stress in your life, not having a boss, reducing or eliminating the commute, all contribute to help in the deep rooted desire to visualize and actualize your goals.

About a year ago I decided on a goal. I took on the task of writing my book- Beating Home business Failure. I set out to write my personal experiences in business. Everyday I wrote a paragraph or two. Some days I would write out several pages. I did not try to attempt to compete the book in one day. I took very small steps, one day at a time, after almost 6 months of writing, I had completed my book. Although, there were times I felt I would never finish it because of what your are about to read.

I was able to write my book while working over 60+ hours a week, attending a University full time in pursuit of my graduate degree, and a father of two. Plus I am the sole provider of my home. I tell you this not to impress you, but to impress upon you that anything you conceive your body can achieve. I am living proof of this. If I could accomplish this and begin my business while having many barriers and obstacles in my way. You can too.

I had a desire, a fixed goal; I committed myself and began climbing one step at a time.

Limiting yourself by putting off today what should be done today is very sad. You owe it to yourself to overcome this menace. I can honestly say that procrastination for me is no longer an enemy I have learned to use procrastination in my favor by realizing that it exists and is always part of my life. When I feel like not doing something. I quickly remind myself that old procrastination is there waiting for me to slip and fall. I then quickly take action towards my goals and beat old procrastinator Beating Biz Failure is not only about getting a business started but, it is also about the human side of things. We as humans are subject to emotions and a strain of defects running rampant in us that must be overcome. You can start by beating procrastination and be well on your way to Beating Biz Failure.

About the Author:
Roy Vera, MBA. http://www.TheVeraHome.com Used his knowledge of business and the Internet to fire his boss. Author of firemyboss eLetter. http://www.firemyboss@freeautobot.com

Currency Exchange Reviewed

by: Timothy Rohrer

Many people initially think that currency exchange refers to the FOREX market, when it fact it’s a completely knew type of business that is booming across the internet. Currency exchanging online has just recently become one of the top growing businesses of 2005 and is going stronger than ever into 2006.

Like a lot of people looking for business opportunities online I was skeptical and had recently tested many programs. A lot of them promised to make me wealthy in a very short period of time. Needless to say I lost a lot of money. I ended up wasting almost $10,000 before I stumbled across the e-currency exchange program.

E-currency trading is a relatively unknown yet lucrative business to many. The first question one might ask is this a legitimate business? I have been doing e-currency exchanging for exactly 1 year now and have personally made over $50,000 in the year 2005. The business has been in operation for 3 years total and has seen substantial growth since its launch and is here to stay.

The e-currency exchange program can be worked part-time or full-time, it all depends on the individual user. Initial investments range anywhere form $50 on up. I personally started with $400 and after a few months quickly made my money back. Once I gained confidence I decided to invest more and I haven’t looked back since.

Money is made in the e-currency system by processing transactions for people that want to move money from e-currency to another. By making your funds temporarily available to a Global Exchange Network, to someone else IN the network, that creates “float”. The currency company we work with is able to “borrow” funds against those dollars and those commissions come to us as e-currency merchants.

What I like most about the e-currency trading program is the outstanding support they provide as well as its user friendly interface. In addition to e-currency trading, the global exchange network has also incorporated several different streams of income that anyone in the business can capitalize on. Not to mention, they are continuously updating and upgrading their system so that it generates the user more money that provides for a stable business.

I tried to learn this business reading forums and sitting in on chat rooms. The business was presented in a difficult format and it was extremely hard to follow. I finally gave in and purchased a course that has enabled me to effectively maximize my profits in e-currency trading.

Copyright 2006 Timothy Rohrer

About The Author

Timothy Rohrer is an established writer and e-currency trader. Tim Rohrer makes it easy for anyone whishing to become an e-currency trader. http://www.mazumoney.net.

Writing Articles To Start Internet Business

To start internet business on a limited budget - which many people do - requires some serious thinking about the value of writing articles.

The temptation might be to lace an article with spider-friendly phrases in the hope that this will attract readers and in turn get them to buy what you have to sell.

However, some deep thought needs to go in to the whole process.

First of all, what are "spider-friendly phrases"?

"Spiders" are little digital or electronic robots that race around the web looking for the sort of phrases that people are searching on.

For example, someone in Timbuktu does a Google search on "ebook software" and within a second or so, he or she is presented with page after page of likely web sites where that subject can be researched further.

This happens because millions of people have written the words "ebook software" somewhere on their web site or in an article they have written - and it is the spiders' job to find where those words can be found, scurry home with the associated URL information, and throw this fuel into the search engine.

Those spiders are busy all day every day, seeking new appearances of words that match the search phrases people are entering into their browsers.

Therefore, the list of available sites where you can research "ebook software" continues to grow like Topsy.

However, the spiders have more than just search phrases and key words to consider. Through the magic and mystery of something called "algorithms" they are also evaluating web sites for Content.

The word deserves Capitalization, because Content is becoming Cing (or should I say Kontent is becoming King?).

Rocket scientists probably understand this better than me and the average internet business entrepreneur, but the bottom line is that "Content" means that while the spider may have raced home with "ebook software" in its little mandibles, the system is also required to check the web pages any associated links go to - and see if those pages actually do contain relevant Content.

If they follow the URL trail from your article about "ebook software" and only find a page that talks about Star Trek, they'll put their phasers on full, and you're fried.

But if your page's Content is all about the advantages of your software, like the fact that you can write viral marketing ebooks that are rebrandable, it can be used with no HTML experience, it's a much cheaper alternative to Adobe ebook software and PDF files, will let you embed links in images text and pictures, plus it allows you to use a voice over track (which no other software of its kind can do) then you somehow get an advantage in the search ranking process because the content was relevant.

So back to writing articles and why.

Let us say you write an article in January 2006 and put it on your own web site - not in an article directory, but just on your own web site.

The spiders will find it, log it, and if the article contains something about "ebook software" with a link to your site (where of course you would be selling such software) then at some time someone is going to see your site mentioned in a search result, and go there.

The caveat however is that you also know you need perhaps 100 visitors specifically looking for your product to get one buyer. Therefore, you need far more exposure for your article than simply your own web site.

Which is why writing articles and submitting them to directories or web sites that will promote your work becomes a very attractive no-cost proposition.

It costs nothing to write something about anything, and provided you follow a few basic rules of style and content (usually spelled out clearly by the site where your work will be published) your exposure to the spiders - which translates to exposure to people searching for your product - goes up exponentially.

This is especially true if your article is picked up for use in someone else's ezine or newsletter - an avenue which has great merit and benefits for both writer and publisher, provided the author's resource box remains intact as a post script.

And remember, that article you wrote in January 2006 is going to stay around for years to come, living a life of its own and at some time it is going to translate into money in the bank.

Important considerations before choosing a web hosting provider

The first thing before choosing a web host is that you should be fully aware of your hosting requirements. If you are a beginner wanting to host a personal web site, then your only concern is that you get a decent amount of disk space for your web site with a host that is as cheap as $5 per month. However, if you are a developer, an online entrepreneur or an online business looking for e-commerce capabilities or advanced scripting technologies, then you can determine your requirements in the following order.

(1) Whether you need Shared Hosting or Dedicated Hosting:

This depends mainly on two major requirements, the traffic your web site is expected to receive and the degree of administrative privileges you need. If you expect your web site to receive huge amounts of traffic, then you will need to have a Dedicated Server which definitely has a much greater bandwidth offering. Also you should select Dedicated server hosting if your web site requires customized options, secure information or complex applications i.e. e-commerce, dynamic content, database and multimedia applications.

(2) Whether you need Linux Hosting or Windows Hosting:

If you're going to use server technologies such as ASP, JSP etc or intend to run Microsoft applications like Microsoft Access or Microsoft SQL database on your server, then you should use a Windows hosting provider. Although ASP can be run on the Linux platform using some commercial applications, there are security and reliability concerns related to it. However, if you want to use ColdFusion, it can run on both Linux and Windows platforms.

(3) What are your Space and Bandwidth requirements:

Many web hosts nowadays offer generous amounts of disk space from 1 GB to 3 GB. However, if your web site mainly acts as a download resource, then your disk space requirements may be 5 to 10 times greater than this. The second consideration is how much traffic your web site is expected to receive which will let you estimate your bandwidth requirements.

(4) How many Parked Domains and Subdomains do you need:

Parked domains are very advantageous and can significantly increase the amount of traffic to your web site. Similarly, subdomains can help with your search engine rankings by pointing to specific directories of your web site. Parked domains and subdomains occasionally come free with certain web hosting packages. However if you need more, you will have to pay an additional price per month.

(5) FTP Accounts and Anonymous FTP Requirements:

You may need more than one FTP account if you have coworkers working on your web site project at different locations. The Anonymous FTP permits the general public to access certain directories on your web server to whom they have been granted permission by you. In most cases, you will need a dedicated IP address for Anonymous FTP to function.

(6) Whether you need e-commerce Features:

If you need e-commerce features, you should choose a web host that provides e-commerce functionality such as shopping carts and the ability to accept credit cards. You should also check whether their server is SSL secure.

In addition to your own hosting requirements, the following considerations must be kept in mind when looking for a quality web host.

(1) More than 99.5% uptime: Choose a web host that has an uptime greater than 99.5% and if there is an uptime guarantee, it's even better. If your web site is for business purposes, it's very crucial that your site stays online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

(2) Fast Servers: The level of connectivity of your web host to the Internet is very important. So you should choose a web host with at least a T3 connection to the major Internet backbone. Analysis has shown that the average web visitor waits for about 30 seconds before your web page loads. So if your web site takes more than 30 seconds to load, chances are that you will loose a lot of visitors and consequently sales.

(3) Server Backups: To make your data secure, your web host must have a power backup system and should backup the data to an external device in order to prevent the data loss due to failure. Check how frequently the web host backups the data, i.e. daily or weekly.

(4) Disk Space and Bandwidth: Choose a web host that meets your disk space and bandwidth requirements. Most web hosts offer 1 GB to 3 GB of disk space, so if your web site is not mainly a download resource, then this factor is not that important for you. However, as regards the bandwidth, it should be as much as possible because your traffic can increase in the future thereby requiring more data transfer. Also check that you have the option of buying more disk space and bandwidth when required.

(5) Unrestricted CGI, SSH, FTP access & Anonymous FTP: If you have a professional web site, you will need to run CGI scripts, have SSH (Secure Shell) access and FTP access. CGI and FTP access is provided by most web hosts whereas SSH access is provided by a few. You may also need to check if anonymous FTP access is provided.

(6) Software/Scripts: Choose a web host that has an extensive script library that you can use to add guestbooks, forms, surveys, newsletters etc to your web site.

(7) E-commerce capabilities and SSL: Choose a web host that provides you with e-commerce capabilities with shopping cart software and also merchant accounts. The web host must also have an SSL secure server for safe and risk-free transactions.

(8) Web-Based Administration: Almost all web hosts nowadays provide a control panel to access and manage web site features. Ask for a demo of their control panel if possible and check to make sure that it is simple as well as comprehensive. The control panel should provide access to FTP, e-mail, databases, e-commerce and all other functions for effective web site management. VDeck 2.0 and CPanel are the leading brands of administration control panels.

(9) Full e-mail services: Choose a web host that provides both POP3 and IMAP e-mail accounts, web-based e-mail, autoresponders, mailing lists, forwarding accounts and antivirus and spam filtering software.

(10) Moneyback Guarantee: If the Web host gives a moneyback guarantee, it's even better because it makes you absolutely risk-free.

(11) 24/7/365 Customer Support: The web host should provide as many support channels as possible including an FAQ section, a knowledgebase, video and flash tutorials, toll-free support, e-mails support, live chat support and a community forum. Try e-mailing the web host a couple of times to check how quickly they respond to your request. The customer support should be as prompt as possible and should be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. This is crucial because if you run into problems and the support staff is not receptive or knowledgeable, you will be helpless.

How to get your clients to pay you on time

There is nothing more frustrating to a business owner than delivering quality products and services on time, only to have to deal with a customer that pays late. Slow and late paying clients can drain your resources and be a major source of frustration. Many slow paying customers seem to require multiple collection calls, reminders and cajoling in order to finally pay. At their worst, slow paying customers can create significant problems, especially if cash flow is tight.

When cash is tight, many owners tend to go into "collections" mode. They will try every conceivable way to get late paying customers to pony up. This is an understandable knee jerk reaction to a tough problem. Unfortunately, it seldom works. Late customers will keep paying late. And good paying customers will get upset by the collections tactics. This ends up being a lose-lose situation for all involved.

However, there is a better way to handle this situation, and it is a way that produces good results in relatively little time. All you need to do is to manage your clients and invoices as will be suggested in this article. Once you implement these techniques, you can stop worrying about your slow paying customers and start focusing on doing what you like most: running your company.

There are two things that you can do to ensure that you'll get paid on time. First, you need to check out the credit rating of your commercial prospects, before doing business with them. This is very critical and easily done if the prospect is a business (rather than a consumer). Second, you need to implement a program to follow up on your invoices, but, using the right way. If you do these two things, you will minimize the time and frustration of chasing slow payers and maximize the time you spend growing your business.

So, how do you check your business prospect's credit?

Remember this important rule. The best way to avoid having a client that pays late (or worse, one that never pays) is to not take them as a client in the first place. It really is that simple! You can accomplish this by screening their business credit rating before doing business with them. The most common way to do this is to get a commercial credit report from one of the major credit bureaus (Experian, Dun & Bradstreet, etc.). Most business reports show detailed client information including payment trends and a business credit score. The payment trends are important because they show how quickly the prospective client is paying his other vendors - a good indicator of how quickly he will pay you. Commercial credit reports are valuable tools that should be used to screen all potential business clients. You will find that the small investment in time and dollars will save you lots of hassles and potential losses.

The smart way to manage your invoices

Managing your invoices correctly is critical if you want to get paid on time. This is necessary, even if your customers are "good". Fortunately, it doesn't need to be complicated or time consuming. You just have to do it consistently. The first thing you need to do is to keep track of your invoice aging. Most accounting packages such as QuickBooks™ can create an invoice aging report. The report shows the length of time that an invoice has been open (and unpaid) and is a critical business management tool. You should check this report every week and plan your collection activities around it.

Also, you should plan to follow up with clients on their late paying invoices regularly. Just remember that most clients will try to pay their invoices at the last possible minute. This means that a payment may arrive a day or two after the due date. If you haven't received the payment by the third day after the due date, you should call the client to inquire about its status. However, be sure to be polite. All you need to say is, "I am calling to inquire about the status of the payment for invoice #321." If a check has not been cut, follow up by asking if there is a target payment date. When making follow up calls, remember to be persistent, persuasive but above all, polite.

Following these techniques should help you book good quality paying clients that will help strengthen your company's bottom line.

What can you do if you still can't afford to wait? Is there a solution?

Sometimes, business owners cannot afford to wait the usual 30 days that most commercial customers take to pay an invoice. If this is the case, you might want to consider invoice factoring as an option. Factoring is a financial tool that is specifically designed to help you afford to offer credit to your customers.

Factoring is a tool that allows a business owner to capitalize on the power of their slow paying invoices. It allows you to turn your invoices into immediate cash, enabling you to afford late paying customers. You do this by selling your unpaid invoices from good paying customers to a factoring company.

In the typical factoring arrangement, the factoring company will purchase the financial rights to your unpaid invoices and provide you with an advance payment on them. You can get this advance payment usually within a day or two of selling the invoice. The factoring company then waits to get paid by the customers, while you enjoy immediate use of the funds.

However, invoice factoring is not for everyone

Factoring companies make their revenues by buying your invoices at a discount and then waiting to be paid by your customers. That means that they will pay you less than face value for them. Their fees can range from 1% to 12% per transaction, depending on a number of criteria such as volume and customer payment trends. To be successful with factoring, your company should be well managed and have gross margins of about 25% or more.

Also, factoring companies will only buy invoices if your customers are credit worthy. A customer is considered credit worthy if a reasonably good payment record exists. Factoring companies can help you evaluate the credit worthiness of existing and new customers, to make sure they meet this criterion. Many times, a factoring company can act as the credit department for your business. This is a critical feature of a good factoring relationship and helps ensure that you only do business with good clients.

Although not for everyone, invoice factoring can provide you with the financial wherewithal to offer payment terms to your best clients and supply you with working capital to grow your company.

What do you need to know about internet business

Internet owes the credit of presenting world as a global village. It has brought the entire planet earth to our rooms. Gone are the days when an event in A corner of the world remained unknown to those in the Z area, when we had to perspire in long queues and take an off from the days work to get our bills deposited, when long distance calls were the only mode to communicate with those dwelling thousands of miles away, when exams would not just commence without the invigilators around and businesses across the seas were a cumbersome task.

Now from payments or investments to education or exams, everything is possible through Internet while relaxing on your couch. Thus Internet has changed our lifestyles, altered our parameters and has given us new horizons to achieve. The foremost worldwide use of the Internet is in acquiring information. The task is well accomplished with the aid of remarkable search engines such as Goggle, Yahoo and others. These search engines display the requisite details the moment you enter the topic of research in the box and click on the search button. The variety of search engines that exist nowadays on the World Wide Web have information regarding any and every field of study like medicine, astronomy, philosophy, mythology and so forth. You can play and even gain knowledge about popular casino games, their rules and strategies via Internet. Along with the home page and other linked chapters of the site what flashes on screen are different types of advertisements from various sources? For instance "Click here and you will be a millionaire", "ensure your investments in safe hands through..." etc. Well, these are all marketing techniques that many companies opt for.

So, besides education, Internet is also a wonderful hub to business. Numerous companies market themselves globally through the channel of Internet. Though not all the companies receive loads of contracts yet most often they are not left barehanded. But advertising online is not as simple as it seems. The Interactive Advertising Bureau devises certain norms or standards, to be followed by all the Internet advertising companies. In 2004, IAB had created rules for the pop-ups that appear on screen. Similarly laws are also formulated for e-mail advertising like unsolicited commercial e-mail must not be sent etc.

Internet is an upcoming mode for the sale and purchase of stocks and for making investments too. The Dot-com bubble signifies a surge in the stocks and investments pertaining to internet. Amazon.com, eBay and other big companies have the onus of incredible gush in the Dot-com bubble. The bubble blew more due to increase in stocks and share prices. However, this tremendous upsurge had an undesired downfall when the companies overestimated their potential and their expenses superseded their incomes. In the Internet world, this came to be known as bursting of the Dot-com bubble.

The money so earned through e-business, can be invested in e-shopping. While chilling out at home you can take a look at the spectrum of items available online. From beach sandals to laptops and mobile phones, everything is available on the net for sale. Internet also brings at your doorstep numerous auctions where you can display your items and take home many others.

But the internet security i.e. viruses etc. remain an issue of concern for the users as well as for the internet authorities. Though there are anti-virus software and their updates yet pop-ups, spam's etc. fetch virus with them. Moreover, banking through internet has the risk of theft. Thieves catch your Wifi (wireless local area network) by presenting some phony networks. The user gets confused and avails this network to manipulate their accounts. Thieves trace these networks and the entire information gets stolen. So users are requested to be very particular about the network to which you connect, avoid checking you account through wireless Wifi network, and close the browser window once you are through with your online payments etc. and last but not the least use ambiguous passwords to ensure safety.


Are you thinking about starting an on-line business? Maybe you have a vague idea of what’s required – maybe you haven’t a clue. This article outlines three basic, non-negotiable things that you will need.

1. Premium web hosting

I suppose it is possible to make a modest income on-line without your own website. But, it is practically impossible to make serious income without your own site. This applies whether you’re selling on eBay, marketing affiliate programs, or selling your own product or service.

A web host provides you with your space on the internet. You want to make sure you get a host who can provide you with plenty of space to grow and excellent data transfer rates. The last thing you want to do is fall for one of the free services that only gives you a small amount of space or can only handle a very limited amount of traffic. You don’t want to be forced to move your site to a different web host after quickly outgrowing your free space.

2. Sequential auto responders

As may be evident from the name, an auto responder can automatically reply to emails. A “sequential” auto-responder can be set up to send multiple, sequential emails at designated time intervals. For instance, if you invite your web site visitors to sign-up for a free e-zine (i.e., electronic magazine), your web page would be programmed to send an email to your auto responder e-mail address. The auto responder would then send one, two, or more messages, at programmed intervals (perhaps a week apart) to your visitor. This builds your “brand name” in the minds of your visitors and increases the chances that they will buy your product. And, guess what? You’re building your “brand” with little effort on your part! Imagine the time this would take to manually send these emails to each web visitor?

3. Advice from a trusted source

So, what are the key steps in marketing your product or service? The internet is a virtual sea of information. Navigating through it is best done with the help of someone who has already learned through the “school of hard knocks”. Perhaps you personally know someone who has this knowledge, but if you’re like most people, you really don’t know whom to trust. My advice is to find a product or service which offers this type of “how-to” advice. The available options range from fluff to very valuable. Let the buyer beware! There are several ways to verify the claims being made by the sellers of these services. First, check the traffic numbers for the service’s web site on alexa.com. The lower the web site ranking, the better. Next, ask for advice on the internet marketing forums. Many of the participants in these forums know their way around the internet and can help you evaluate the quality of a particular product or service.

Instant Messaging – A Powerful Communication Tool for Your Business

Many people do it so innocently that it’s hard to believe the dangers that are lurking. Spammers, pfishers, hackers, predators – they’re all poised to wreak havoc on you, your employees and your business contacts. Yet many people don’t even realize that these dangers exist because, after all, they’re just doing their jobs.

When you’re IM’ing, the last thing you probably think about is who else is out there, watching. But you should be worried and you should be using protection – security protection, that is.

When you use your business computers to send instant messages, your entire company becomes vulnerable. In no time at all, your business could collapse. This is not some sales-driven scare tactic; it’s real and it happens. If you own a business and you or your employees conduct business using Instant Messaging, it is your responsibility to ensure that all business information is kept out of harm’s way.

You need to be able to block incoming and outgoing dangerous IM traffic such as unsafe scripts, streaming audio and video, buffer overflow attacks and executable URLs. You need protection from interactions with potentially dangerous strangers. You’ve got to make sure this type of protection is available regardless of the IM service or the screen names being used. You’ve got to know who is doing what and when, so that you can modify your security measures as necessary.

Didn’t realize you had so much to do when all you really wanted to do was communicate, did you? Before deciding to drop the IM idea altogether, take a look at IMsecure Pro.

IMsecure Pro handles all of the above security issues the moment it is installed. For the most protection, you as well as those with whom you IM need IMsecure Pro installed on their computers.

Think there’s no room in your organization for instant messaging? Think again. There are many benefits in communicating this way with your clients, vendors and others. Instant messaging creates a conversation log which you can always refer back to should there be some disagreement or some other reason to replay a conversation.

If you use IM to communicate with your customers and prospective customers, the right IM software will actually analyze these communications and help you develop a list of frequently asked questions. FAQ’s are great time savers and effective business tools.

And IM is not impersonal. Use the audio and video chat features and have a true face to face conversation without leaving the office! Think of the money you’ll save on traveling. Not only can you see the other party’s face, you can see other things such as new product designs and product demonstrations. If it’s viewable, it can be seen using video chat.

If your business requires you to place international phone calls, you can save money on your phone bill, too. Adjust the volume, record and playback, even use chat like you’re using a walkie-talkie so the other party hears only the parts of the conversation that you choose. Pause, rewind and playback conversations, bookmark important points in your conversations, and search through past conversations by keyword or phrase.

Plus you can keep all of your contacts separated into categories yet contained in one easy to locate place. You can also have different contact lists under each of your various screen names.

And best of all, you can install IM software on your company network painlessly. Sharing files, communicating with co-workers, and knowing what’s going on in your office without leaving your desk is easy.

Trillian Pro connects to AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo Messenger and IRC. And by using plug-ins, it can connect to many different services. Instant Messaging really is a valuable tool and one that will fit well into your business. Start chatting today!

5 Reasons Master Resale Rights Are A Good Web Business Decision

Owning a website can and should be a very profitable endeavor. A good way to make money online is by selling ebooks and software with Master Resale Rights. Below are the top reasons Master resale rights are a viable web business solution, and why it needs to be something every web marketer should consider.

1. You don't have to make up any content.

This is perhaps the single most important reason Master Resale Rights are a good web business decision. Every web business needs a product to sell, and with master resale rights, you do not have to create anything. All of the content is done for you. You now have a ready made product that you can sell for any price you want.**

**Please note: Most resale rights packages give you free control over pricing, however some packages have a minimum package price. This is necessary as to not undervalue the package itself. As a business owner, it is important to have a competitive price, but you do not want to make the price so low that it makes the package appear to be worthless. Placing minimum prices helps to keep the package value high so it does not become "just another junk eBook with resale rights." Please try to adhere to the pricing set by the original content creators.

2. It can be completely automated with no warehousing.

Because the products you are selling are electronic, there are no physical goods to move or store. This makes storage and delivery completely free, as everything can be delivered through email, or through a download on your website. You can even set your business on "autopilot", so once a purchase is made, the customer is automatically delivered the link or email. This makes each transaction hands-free, and allows you to spend your time where it is needed most. (Like with your family/friends/dog/xbox.)

3. Most ebooks and software with Master Resale Rights have a pre-made sales page.

This alone could save you hours of frustration. Every webmaster knows creating a good sales page is a difficult task, but most resale rights packages have already done this for you. Most of the sales pages are written by professionals and are very well done. Because of this, most do not require any changes however, you do have the option of editing the sales page to your liking if you feel it needs some touch ups to really shine.

4. You keep 100% of all profits earned.

Unlike affiliate programs where you get only a percentage of each sale, with master resale rights you get to keep all of your profits. You only pay a one time fee to acquire the product and resale rights, then you will never have to pay another dime again. There are no royalties or other fees to pay either. Why join an affiliate program that gives only 30% commissions, when you can have 100% of all profits made by your site with the same amount of effort?

5. You can repackage your Master Resale Rights products.

You can create an entirely unique, "brand new" package by combining 2 or more ebooks together to create a resale rights package that is exclusive to you and your site. This gives you an advantage over every other site selling similar products, by making your packages unique. This uniqueness gives your package more value, making the customer more likely to purchase from you.

As you can see, master resale rights are a very profitable business solution for any web business, or it can be a valuable addition to any existing web site looking to branch out to improve its bottom line. With billions of dollars in annual sales of ebooks, software, and information products, there is not an easier way to make money from an already popular trend in online marketing.

(3) Think "enough".

When we concentrate on what we don't have, we miss all the many things we do have. The truth of the matter is that if you are reading this article, you do have enough computer power. You do have enough intelligence. You do have enough time.

(4) Cultivate optimistic responses.

Like a farmer tending a field, optimism will never grow unless it is watered, fed, weeded and nourished. We all have days in which negativity can take over. And, sometimes, that is a WISE response because it keeps us grounded in reality. Just make sure it is reality and not the imagination making extraordinary leaps into conjecture. Weed out that conjecture. Ask what you can DO to see a result that gives you a sense of power. If we don't cultivate such intelligent optimism, be aware of reality and willing to find options, then we might do what Alexander Graham Bell warned. "Stare so long at the closed door we fail to see the one that is opening."

(5) Remember the power of generations.

Children of depressed parents are more prone to depression. Children of optimists are more prone to be optimists. What do you choose to pass along? Even if your parents were negative, you can break the cycle with stopping, freeze-framing a situation, listening to the negative self talk, and then literally giving yourself a different message. Yes, this takes practice but you can make it a habit if you work it over time.

Ultimately, intelligent optimists understand that change and chaos are given. They know that "this too shall pass". In the meantime, they CHOOSE to take whatever action they can within their own sphere of influence and then settle back. It is enough.

(c) 2005, McDargh Communications.

The Convenience Of Making Money On The Internet

According to a study conducted by the National Post, consumers and buyers tend to stay away from crowded shopping malls when they go out and look nice things to buy. How do they go about buying the things they need and want without going to the shopping malls? They do it through online shopping. If this is the case, then it must be great to have a web business and make money on the internet! For as long as there are consumers, business owners have more than a hundred reasons to stay and produce goods and services for them to buy.

Web business is the trend, yes. Through this great breakthrough, shoppers get to go to different places ideally, without literally leaving home. And business owners who are sick and tired of the usual office work they have over the years, now venture into the web business to make money on the internet because it is less stressful.

Here are a few more reasons why people get into web business and make money on the internet:

1. All you need is a computer, and a high speed internet connection, of course.

2. You don't really be needing an office to set up your web business. Your old study room, or your bed side computer table is enough to be your mini hub and star making money on the net.

3. You don't need capital investment.

4. Ezine advertising, digital and master resell rights, and more - name them and the internet has them. There are lots of options on how you can make money on the net. Take a pick!

5. You don't need to save up money to spend over your gas, because you can just sit there and browse the web to make money, instead of going here and there to chase clients.

6. Making money on the internet means turning a product or a service into instant cash.

7. You don't need a whole bunch of staff or employees to make money on the internet. If you're not a web techie, starting off with the help of a web master is a lot useful. And the rest of the work is all handy. You can even handle it alone.

8. When you make money on the internet, you keep all 100% of the profit to yourself. Isn't that great?!

In making money on the internet, try to focus on the important things other than actually 'making money'. Things like - 'how to get people to notice me and my business?' or 'how do I reach my target market?', or 'how do I get web site traffic to effectively make money on the internet?'. Questions like these should pop into your minds. It's like planning for a strategy to earn consumers' trust. The products and services you plan to sell must be regarded with high quality. Remember, shoppers would exchange them for their money. Every consumer hopes to get a product or service that is a 'value for money'. Try to build a solid professional relationship with your clients and all your other prospective buyers. Discover ways on how to earn their trust. Once you've turned them into customers, they would keep coming back for repeat business, and will even refer you to their friends. From there, you'll be able to widen your contacts and database.

Making money on the internet is both easy and hard. What's hard it is that, countless web business tend to sprout from all 4 corners and grow exponentially in number everyday. The challenge is to go for it, stay... and do not get intimidated by others. Making money on the internet is not a matter of 'stroke of luck', nor it carries a formula for success. In whichever way you go, in whatever direction you take - there come a time when you have to take risks and gamble. The best thing to do is arm your self with the right weapons and protecting shield before you go out in the battle field of web business and make money on the internet. And, you just have to persevere and be confident with the products and services you send out in the market. Who knows? You might just be discovering the next big thing in the world of Ecommerce!

Now, get out and make a name!

Author

I, Jeff Harrington will show you the top 25 Work At Home Income Opportunities on the Internet that you can profit from. Also get top rated online business building resources on the Internet today at Successful-Online-Business.com

Decide on the Right Internet Business

The 80/20 Rule is alive and well in Internet business that you may chose to join. In fact, the Rule is probably more like 90/10. Only 10 percent of those who register with an business at any given stage will be active a year hence.

The reasons are not too hard to find and some main ones are provided below. These are not necessarily mutually exclusive or comprehensive. They are based on the observation and personal experience of the author. In addition the author provides you with a list of the questions or statements that you MUST answer before you commit to an Internet business. It is a big undertaking even though the investment may not appear large. Like any new business it should not be entered into lightly.

Problem Areas

These are some of the main areas which are the roots of the problems. Undoubtedly there are others.

1. INCOMPATIBILITY between you and the business. Consider the nature of the work, the commitment, the product, the other associates
2. YOUR FINANCES. Inadequate startup funds; inadequate cash flow, unexpected expenses
3. FALSE ADVERTISING BY COMPANY . Exaggerated claims of financial rewards; Failure to provide full picture of benefits and expenses.
4. YOUR KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EMOTIONS. Over-optimism, gullibility, ignorance, immaturity, inexperience, bad decision-making ability, inappropriate or lack of knowledge and skills.
5. INADEQUATE RESEARCH by you of the company, its claims, its critiques, other member reps
6. NO NEEDS ASSESSMENT. i.e. no game plan. You have given little thought to the kind of business you want to work in. Your sole objective is to “make a lot of money”, not, will I be successful and will you enjoy the work.

People seeking a business have to proceed in a methodical and systematic manner, unemotionally and rationally. They need to set out their requirements; a shopping list of what they want, what they need, and an indepth look at what the business under scrutiny have to offer.

You require two Excel spreadsheets or Word table,

1. In the first spreadsheet you should consolidate your fields (items0 on the vertical plain. Horizontally you should write your answers;
2. In the second spreadsheet, you would have the same vertical fields . On the horizontal you would have all the companies you are considering. In each block you could use truncated text and a numeric score on a 1-10 scale where “1” is poor or inadequate and “10” is excellent”

Give yourself lots of spreadsheet room as this should be a long document if you plan on doing things right.

· Personal Characteristics.

o List your strengths? (e.g. good communicator, good sense of humor, gregarious, unemotional
o List your weaknesses (e.g. short tempered, lazy, untidy, disorganized, unfriendly)

· Professional Characteristics.

o List of strengths? (e.g. team player, good public speaker, organized, stress proof
o List of weaknesses? (e.g. not a team player, dislike other people, lazy, disorganized)

· Your Commitment, Interest, Knowledge and Skills in and for this particular business.

(After completing 1 and 2 answer this one honestly. Don’t kid yourself or it will come back to haunt you)
o What kind of a commitment is expected of you, and can you make it?
o How much active interest is necessary?
o Do you need any special knowledge and skills?

· Personal Compatibility.

o Are you going to get on with the owners, other associates?
o Are you interested in the product?
o Are you going to enjoy the new activities, responsibilities which could become a life style?

· Finances.

o What start-up money do you have (Don’t say none. Likely it will to be at least $1000)?
o What monthly expenses are you going to need (e.g. license fees, telephone, marketing expenses, buying leads, advertisement?
o Money for further “hidden” buy-in/upsell essentials
o Setting up your office, buying/upgrading equipment, consultant fees
o When is break-even likely to occur? You are unlikely to make money at the beginning. Can you carry the expenses for that time?

· Time.

o How many hours will it take setting up the business?
o How many hours can you comfortably spend a day on the business on an ongoing basis?
o How many hours does the company say you need to spend? Are they compatible?
o Will you need to attend conferences away from home? Who will pay?
o List your other personal, professional and social commitments and see whether you have the time to do this new commitment properly.

· The Company. You may very well have your personal act together but have you looked very closely at the company. The vast majority of Internet companies have at least one major fatal flaw and you are likely to come out the loser if you join up. Exaggeration at all levels is the biggest problem. There is big-time B.S. with most of these companies and you have to do your due diligence researching the company. Of course there are companies with fatal flaws, with whom you still can make a lot of money. But the rule “caveat emptor” – beware the buyer- applies here. Consider the following carefully.


o Who are the owners? What is their background? What other businesses do they have or did they have? How successful were they? Can you get arms length testimonials on the owners?
o How long has this company been in business? What is its financial situation?
o How many people have already joined? How many are still active?
o What can you find out about the other people who join up?
o Ask for a random list of people who have joined up so you can talk to them
o Search the Internet thoroughly for comments on the company
o Is there a “money back” policy? Is it unconditional?
o What is the product(s)? Is it for real or irrelevant? Is it likely to fall out of favour with buyers?
o How do the owners describe the company? e.g. MLM, Network Marketing
o Ask to see the companies policies and procedures manual, and its strategic plan if they have one.
o Who do you report to if you have questions?
o What kind of training will the company provide?

Too often, people enter into a new business in a euphoric, heightened emotional state of mind. Regardless of the pressure to join, give yourself plenty of time to consider the pros and cons. It is better not to join than to be pressured to join. And don’t listen to all the nonsense about your not having any courage or not begin able to take a risk. This is sales hype which you must treat with the contempt it deserves. Remember you make a mistake, no one will bale you out. Good luck!

The author invites you to review the company that he joined after much consideration and after making bad mistakes beforehand. It is www. passiveincomeweb.com. He considers it close to perfect.

Michael Brooke, Ph.D is a retired university administrator. He is also an adult educator, a published author, corporate trainer and internet business entrepreneur. He is presently an Associate of the Prosperity Automated System http://www.passiveincomeweb.com and is looking carefully for a complementary company to join.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Brooke