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<title>HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110</title>
<description>Home Business The Easy Way - CNa Update</description>
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<title>EBAY Partners with MyShoppingGenie</title>
<description><![CDATA[Have you heard the news? My Shopping Genie has launched its Global Expansion in 30 Countries Worldwide. With the invention of this proprietary, patent pending software, which is free to the public, the eBay shopping experience and Global Affiliate Opportunities have been taken to new heights!<br />
<br />
Imagine, what would your life be like now if you had had the opportunity to partner with companies such as Microsoft or YouTube from the very beginning? Well, with eBay as a Fortune 500 Company and My ShoppingGenie as a Certified eBay Partner, the possibilities are beyond comprehension. Why not take 3 minutes right now, and <a href="http://www.mymarketinggenie.com/marcusur">View a Powerful, 3 minute, Video Presentation!</a><br />
<br />
What is a &quot;MyShoppingGenie&quot;?<br />
MyShoppingGenie proprietary technology is revolutionizing the eBay shopping experience.<br />
<br />
By conducting a web search using Google, Yahoo, or Microsoft Live, AOL or any major search engine to conduct a search, eBay's MyShoppingGenie 'appears' and instantly displays the items that are available LIVE on one of the world's most popular internet destinations...eBAy.<br />
<br />
The shopper then clicks on their Genie and enjoys a streamlined shopping experience. And here's something of interest, they are giving these Shopping Genies away for free.<br />
<br />
The eBay affiliate program has paid an average of over $1 million a year to each of its top 50 partners and is considered the most innovative and successful affiliate programs on the Web!<br />
<br />
Business professionals and entrepreneurs worldwide are taking note of this new technology as well as the income opportunity that can run passively in the background.<br />
<br />
Can you imagine getting paid to give away FREE, Proprietary, Patent Pending, eBay Certified Software that connects Buyers to eBay Sellers and getting paid directly through eBay's Affiliate Program without having to ever sell a thing?<br />
<br />
Here are the highlights:<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<a href="http://viralurl.com/AllYouWantTraffic-com/msg">MyShoppingGenie is now in Thirty Countries!</a><br />
<br />
You DO NOT have to be an eBay Seller to make BIG money using eBay!<br />
<br />
eBay will pay you for every new eBay customer you send them, plus 50% of the revenues on every sale generated through this software. Not just once but each and every time a sale happens - FOR LIFE! It's like having your very own ATM on everyone else's computer. I truly believe that there is no easier way to make money than to give away something that every bargain hunter will love to use.<br />
<br />
Why Everyone Wins:<br />
<br />
*Sellers win through more exposure to their items and services.<br />
*Buyers win by getting the best bargains at their fingertips.<br />
*eBay wins through more traffic and more sales.<br />
*You win by taking advantage of the eBAy brand and worldwide presence. <br />
<br />
This is a real home business with a SUPER AFFILIATE PAY PLAN with unlimited software downloads.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mymarketinggenie.com/marcusur">Video Presentation: http://www.mymarketinggenie.com/marcusur</a><br />
<a href="http://viralurl.com/AllYouWantTraffic-com/msg">Get Your Genie:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; http://viralurl.com/AllYouWantTraffic-com/msg</a><br />
<a href="http://www.netuniverseincome.com/">Income potential:&nbsp;&nbsp; http://www.netuniverseincome.com/</a><br />
<br />
Mark A. Shrago enjoys showing people ways to increase website traffic.<br />
http://www.AllYouWantTraffic.com]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>Anyone Can Build a Massive MLM Team in 93 Days With the 3 Prong Power Punch</title>
<description><![CDATA[by Mike Makler<br />
<br />
The Key to explosive growth is to create a strong team idenity while at the same time promoting team work. These 3 Free Online Tools encourage effective communication with MLM team members and enable anyone to Motivate their MLM Team for explosive Downline growth.<br />
<br />
In a recent Article I talked about 9 Sure Fire Methods to explode your Downline. In this Article I discuss 3 of those methods in more detail.<br />
<br />
Prong 1 - MLM Team Newsletter<br />
<br />
You can E-mail this newsletter using the Downline Mailer or Free or Paid Auto responders available on the Internet. The Delivery method is secondary the key is to have a newsletter. The most important thing is to let your MLM Downline Members know you care and are there to serve them.<br />
<br />
Here are some things you can do with your Newsletter<br />
<br />
1. Announce Contests<br />
2. Explain Key parts of the MLM program you are involved in<br />
3. Run Contests<br />
4. Spotlight a Downline Member of the Week<br />
5. Have a Tip of the Week<br />
6. Give Recruiting Tips<br />
7. Announce the Ad Co-Op<br />
8. Announce Conference Calls<br />
9. Brag a little about how well you are doing<br />
10. Encourage them to join the Team Newsgroup and Post.<br />
<br />
Have your team members looking forward to receiving the newsletter by keeping a regular schedule. If you say you are going to send out the newsletter every Friday, send it every Friday.<br />
<br />
Prong 2 - The MLM Team Blog<br />
<br />
A Blog just ads a little more versatility to your Newsletter. Post an archive containing each and every newsletter in your Blog. This allows new members to get up to speed by viewing old newsletters. It also allows older members to review past newsletters anytime they need to.<br />
<br />
In addition to the Newsletter Posts, be sure you Blog at least 2 more times a week. Like Your Newsletter, try to keep a Blog Schedule. Make sure you tell your MLM team members that you may make surprise posts to the Team Blog so they check it daily. Encourage your Team members to add your RSS Feed to their Favorite Blog Reader<br />
<br />
Things to Blog about<br />
<br />
1. New Ad Resource you found.<br />
2. A Little known feature of the MLM Program<br />
3. A huge Surge in membership.<br />
4. Some topic that seems to be getting attention in the Newsgroup<br />
5. Update something you wrote in your newsletter with new and improved Information<br />
6. A quote of the day, Week<br />
7. An Interesting article someone else wrote<br />
<br />
Prong 3 - The MLM Team Newsgroup<br />
<br />
The Newsgroup is the most important part of the 3 Prongs (You can sign-up for a free newsgroup at Yahoo, Google MSN). The Newsgroup is the place your team members can go to interact with each other. The newsgroup is the place where your team members help each other. This is the place your team to really does become a Team.<br />
<br />
You need to be pro-active in the newsgroup. You need to Post Replies to your team members. You need to ask Questions of your team members so you know how best to help them. Use the MLM Team newsgroup to gauge the Pulse of the MLM team. The Newsgroup is your eyes and ears into the heart and soul of your team.<br />
<br />
Be sure and use your MLM Team Blog and MLM Team Newsletter to promote your MLM Team Newsgroup. You really want to get all your team members involved in the newsgroup. The team needs to know and believe the newsgroup is theirs and they can guide it any way they want too. Have the team choose the newsgroup moderator.<br />
<br />
Mike Makler has been Marketing Online Since 2001 When he Built an Organization of over 100,000 Members Get Mike's Newsletter: <a href="http://ewguru.com/newsletter" target="_blank">http://ewguru.com/newsletter</a> Copyright © 2005-2007 Mike Makler]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>Instant Success</title>
<description><![CDATA[by Ward Tipton<br />
<br />
Instant Noodles are probably one of the greatest inventions of all times. The strange thing is that they really are not instant and really are not a new invention. They are just the same old noodles in a new package and marketed a little differently.<br />
<br />
There has to be a lesson to be learned when this product is given a closer inspection. Here is something (the noodle) that is hundreds, maybe even thousands of years old. Yet it is now one of the most profitable food niche markets in existence today. Whether it is ramen, canton, bihon, pancit or whatever name it is known by locally, the concept is actually very amazing.<br />
<br />
Anyone can purchase these same noodles for much cheaper if they buy them in bulk; bulk in this case being buying them by the kilo or by the pound. Throw in a little bouillon cube and voila, instant success.<br />
<br />
So what is the lesson to be learned here from this marketing wonder? Is it that everybody needs to find a product that is hundreds or thousands of years old? That is hardly the case. The whole point is that anything can be sold and profited on if it is packaged correctly.<br />
<br />
Who was the first one who packaged the noodles in portions that were suitable for one person? While nobody may know their name, it is certain that it could be looked up. Either way, if they patented the idea, there is a strong chance that they are not among the working-class people anymore.<br />
<br />
Somebody once said that everything worth being invented has already been invented. This is probably not the case either. The sad fact of the matter is that most people will not ever come up with a patentable idea that will allow them to retire in the lap of luxury.<br />
<br />
The whole idea behind marketing; whether it is marketing an idea, a product or information on the internet, or providing something tangible in a store; the concept is the same. Marketing and recognizable packaging has a lot to do with it, but it is mostly in the presentation.<br />
<br />
These people offered nothing at all that was new. They repackaged it and advertised it as a convenience. Given the hectic pace in the world today, that concept is what sold the product. They knew what buttons to push to get people to buy.<br />
<br />
It can be said that not everybody is going to have a life-changing idea or concept. That does not mean that they cannot get rich with the proper marketing.  Finding a product that can be sold is an important factor. Creating a need or a desire is as important to success as is creating a sense of urgency to have that one product in particular. Closing the deal is easy when everything is packaged and presented properly. Making sure that the product is easily recognizable will generate return business, but that is another article.<br />
<br />
Ward Tipton has been writing SEO and SEM materials for over three years now and has recently become involved in providing new and unmatched materials by an actual Work Team comprised of professional writers, technicians, engineers, editors, Internet Marketers and a gathering of talent heretofore unmatched in the world of Internet Marketing. Visit Ward at <a href="http://wardtipton.com" target="_blank">http://wardtipton.com</a>.]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>

Stop Reinventing The Internet Marketing Wheel</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
by Willie Crawford<br />
<br />
There are a lot of really brilliant people building businesses in the Internet marketing niche. Many of them not only have great technical skills, but they’re also "doers!"<br />
<br />
At the same time, I have watched many people who were much more brilliant than I am accomplish only a tiny fraction of what I have. I often sat scratching my head, wondering what kept them from achieving major breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
Then it hit me like a ton of bricks...<br />
<br />
The difference is that, when I see something with a lot of potential, I tap into my "Million Dollar Rolodex" and see if this is something someone is already working on. I "sniff around" to see if someone is already "running with" my project idea.<br />
<br />
Others see the tremendous potential in a new technology, service, or craze, and they set about inventing their own system for capitalizing on this potential.<br />
<br />
The problem with the second approach is that the person often takes on such a monumental task that they frequently get bogged down in the little details, and never get the project finished. They never get the product to market. Then, one day, they look around, and someone else has fielded THEIR idea.<br />
<br />
The big secret, of course, is to stop "re-inventing the wheel" and to stop operating in a vacuum. It's very UNLIKELY that someone else doesn’t have an idea similar to yours. Track down these people and work with them to combine your talents and get the product fielded in a flash!<br />
<br />
You connect with people whom you can discuss your ideas with and partner with at seminars, and through online sites set up to facilitate such exchanges. One such site is The Internet Marketing Inner Circle. Inside this membership site you:<br />
<br />
- Can organize lunch and dinner meetings with "movers and shakers"<br />
<br />
- Set up joint ventures<br />
<br />
- Introduce yourself, your interests and your projects to others who probably have similar interests<br />
<br />
- Listen to interviews by the top online marketers who reveal to you how they achieved major online success, and how you can form partnerships and joint ventures with them<br />
<br />
You can join The Internet Marketing Inner Circle at: http://TheInternetMarketingInnerCircle.com<br />
<br />
If you're looking for live events to network at, and to meet potential joint venture partners at, the most comprehensive listing of Internet marketing seminars, conferences, and bootcamps that you will find is at: http://InternetMarketingSeminarSchedule.com<br />
<br />
Here are a few quick examples of products that I've actually watched develop or even helped to develop over the past six months that illustrate my point, and that will be six or seven-figure projects:<br />
<br />
Traffic Geyser is a service that allows you to upload your videos to their server, and from there optimize the videos, and then upload them to the top 30 video hosting sites such as YouTube and Google Video.<br />
<br />
Video is hot! It does generate sales and traffic to a site when done correctly. As the cost of bandwidth goes down, and as high-speed connectivity spreads, video is fast becoming the norm. Lots of people saw this and many busily started uploading their videos to these sites.<br />
<br />
I did.<br />
<br />
However, I tapped into a service that allows me to do it in 1/20th the time. That means I can get 20 times as much work done in the same time as someone who's busily creating their own system, and who is in the meantime doing it the old-fashioned way.<br />
<br />
Check out Traffic Geyser, created by a few of my online friends, at: http://VideoReallyRocks.com<br />
<br />
Another example is a system, developed by my friend Louis Burleson, that allows you to build a list of "buyers" by using private label rights. Louis has taken some proprietary software, integrated it with a system for both building a list and actually selling product that he has private label rights to... all in one effort. It's a really nice system.<br />
<br />
There are undoubtedly thousands of people out there trying to figure out how to build their lists, how to market those PLR products that they have, and how to automate the whole thing.<br />
<br />
I met Louis at a seminar, had him show me his system, and now I don't have to invent anything. Louis incidentally was interviewed for The Internet Marketing Inner Circle members. You can check out Louis' "knock your socks off" system at: http://NoHypeInternetMarketing.com/TheKey/<br />
<br />
The common thread in the examples above is that they were developed by people who actually did a lot of the brainstorming at seminars and conferences. Another common thread is that they solved obvious problems.<br />
<br />
Another product born out of solving a common problem and out of a partnership formed at a seminar is at: http://TrafficGenerationTechniquesThatWork.com<br />
<br />
This is the 2 1/2 hour audio recording, and PDF transcript, from a teleseminar on easy to implement, low-cost methods of generating Website traffic. The product reveals the very best traffic-generating ideas of three seasoned marketers, to include myself :-)<br />
<br />
The product teaches how to generate Web site traffic, something that every Webmaster needs to know. As you listen to the audio, you can actually feel the synergistic energy developing as three minds cover a laundry list of proven ways to generate Web site traffic. It's also obvious that neither of the individuals could have produced a product this in-depth by working all alone. It was by not trying to reinvent the wheel, and by not operating in a vacuum, that a hot product was developed that is destined to be a six-figure earner in 2007.<br />
<br />
At this point, you should be asking yourself if you spend too much time reinventing the wheel and operating in a vacuum. You need to consider the very real probability that while you "hammer away" at a project, you could probably do it a lot quicker and easier if you just partnered up with the right person. In-fact, without partnering up with the right person, there's even the very real probability that you'll never finish your project. My research has shown that the majority of projects and products started in the Internet marketing niche are never even finished.<br />
<br />
That brings up another reason that you want to partner up with someone. When you have a partner who is depending upon you, it helps to keep you focused and accountable. If you don’t finish your part, or get sidetracked, you let someone else down. That generally will keep us moving forward more than just the threat of letting ourselves down. That's a BIG secret to success in Internet marketing.<br />
<br />
Willie Crawford has been teaching Internet marketing for over 9 years. Take advantage of his uncanny insights and unusual candor by subscribing to his free, information-packed newsletter. Also visit his top-rated blog. Do both at: http://WillieCrawford.com/blog/<br />
<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>Year-end Health Savings Account Tax Strategies</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Wiley Long<br />
<br />
The year 2007 is here.  There are several issues to consider if you currently have a Health Savings Account (HSA), or are planning on getting one in the near future.<br />
<br />
The deposit you place in your HSA is 100% deductible on your federal income taxes.  HSA contributions are tax-deductible on state income taxes, except in four states. If you&rsquo;re looking to reduce your 2006 tax burden and put more money away for retirement, your HSA is the first place to consider putting your money if you have not yet maximized your contribution.<br />
<br />
The maximum that can be contributed to your HSA in 2006 is the lesser amount of your deductible, or $2,700 for single persons, and $5,450 for families. Individuals, who are age 55 or older, may contribute an additional $700. Be aware, the contribution limits are pro-rated, based on the number of complete months during the year in which you have a qualifying HSA health insurance plan.<br />
<br />
The deadline is April 15, (or later if you file for an extension), to make your 2006 contribution. If you do not fully fund your account for the current year, you can&rsquo;t make a &ldquo;catch-up&rdquo; contribution for 2006 after this deadline. However, you can reimburse yourself in later years for qualified expenses incurred in 2006, even if you don&rsquo;t have the funds in your account to reimburse yourself at this time.<br />
<br />
In 2007, the maximum annual HSA contribution will go up to $2,850 for individuals and $5,650 for families. Individuals 55 or older will be allowed to contribute an additional $800.<br />
<br />
It is also important to have your HSA-qualified health coverage in place no later than January 1, to maximize your tax benefit for 2007<br />
<br />
To pay for a medical expense from your HSA, it must be a qualified expense. Some of these qualified expenses include: dental expenses, eyeglasses, chiropractic visits, over-the-counter medications, and sometimes even nutritional supplements.<br />
<br />
Make sure you have an accurate record of your medical expenses for the year. Separate the expenses for which you have reimbursed yourself from your HSA from those that you have paid for out-of-pocket. Keep receipts for all medical expenditures paid from your HSA with your 2006 tax records. Place the &quot;non-reimbursed medical expenses&quot; in a separate file, and keep these receipts with the concurrent year's tax records with the year you decide to reimburse yourself.<br />
<br />
There is a 6% penalty for over-funding your HAS. You have until April 15, 2007 to withdraw excess funds for the 2006 tax year to avoid this penalty. Your HSA administrator may notify you of any over-funding, however, they are under no obligation to do so.  It is your responsibility!   Make sure you check into this if you think your may have over-funded you account.<br />
<br />
The minimum deductibles for HSA-compatible health insurance plans in 2006 were $1,050 for individuals, and $2,100 for families. This amount will increase to $1,100 for individuals, and $2,200 for families in 2007.  If you currently have an HSA-qualified plan with the lowest eligible 2006 deductible, this deductible will automatically go up on January 1 to the new minimum.<br />
<br />
Strategies to Maximize Your Tax Benefits<br />
<br />
There are basically three different strategies you can take to decide how to fund your health savings account:<br />
<br />
1. Put no money in the account, except when you incur a medical expense. This strategy allows you to legally &quot;launder&quot; any money used to pay medical expenses.  By depositing money into your HSA, then immediately withdrawing it to reimburse yourself for medical expenses, you&rsquo;re making all your medical expenses tax-deductible. Use this strategy if you are on a tight budget and need to keep your cash outlay as low as possible.<br />
<br />
2. Fully fund the account, or put in as much as possible, based on your budget. When medical expenses are incurred, take money out of the account to cover your costs.  Then let the rest grow tax-deferred. This strategy will maximize your tax deduction, while making your HSA funds available to pay any non-covered medical expenses before your deductible is met.<br />
<br />
3. Fully fund the account, but pay all medical expenses from a non-HSA account. Reimburse yourself for medical expenses at a later date. This strategy will allow you to maximize your tax deduction, and also allow you to maximize the tax-deferred growth of your HSA. You can reimburse yourself, tax-free, at any time in the future for medical expenses incurred over the ensuing years.<br />
<br />
To maximize the potential growth of your funds, you may want to make your 2007 deposits as early in the year as possible. Any growth in your account is tax-deferred, like an IRA. If possible, plan to make your deposits the first week in January.<br />
<br />
<br />
Wiley Long - President, HSA for America (http://www.health--savings--accounts.com) - The nation's leading independent health insurance firm specializing in Health Savings Plans that works with Health Savings Accounts.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>Private Label Rights Makes Building Your Business Easier</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Tracy Yates<br />
<br />
Do you use private label rights products in your online business? If you do not, or have been on the fence for a while, this article will help you hop off the fence and finally get started integrating private label rights into your business.<br />
<br />
Before you can fully comprehend the importance of what private label rights products bring to the profiting table, you need to have a clearer understanding of what they are.<br />
<br />
A product that offers private label rights is one that places total controls into your hands from the word GO! With them, you can claim authorship of the product, place an abundant amount of affiliate links within them for easy back-end profiting, break them apart, and create smaller portioned products such as electronic courses, bite size ebooks, or even articles. Beyond that, you can also combine them together and make an entire product.<br />
<br />
Essentially, you are in control of the product, its presentation, and retain all the credit for it. In addition, you also collect all the profits from selling your new creation. In addition, you get to do this without all the headache of making the product from "scratch". You make a few adjustments to it, and away you go.<br />
<br />
In contrast, having a product with resale rights, no matter the status of those rights, simply does not give you the creative freedom that private label rights does. With a resale rights product, of course, you can resell the product, but you cannot make any changes to the bulk of it, except a few select places for your affiliate links or name, as an authorized reseller.<br />
<br />
However, with private label rights products, you are free to explore every aspect of change within that product and put your own unique look and feel to it without restriction. Therefore, building your own collection of resalable products you can claim as your own creations is a far more easily established goal.<br />
<br />
Beyond that, you could use them to generate almost "instant" content in the form of articles within your business web site, freely available for your site visitors to read, to which you could easily place Adsense codes for multiple profit streams. The possibilities are virtually endless due to the freedom that private label rights provide you.<br />
<br />
While some may argue the ease of using private label products, the truth of it is still there. This is as plain as day for you to see. Many people will try and "down play" the importance of what private label rights can honestly provide to your online business by making the process of using them overly complicated. This is simply a "scare" tactic to lower their own competition within their market.<br />
<br />
Private label rights are an excellent way to create your own specialty line of products. If you are brave enough to seek them out and put them to work for you, using them will expand your profits, bottom line.<br />
<br />
Consider adding them to your online business arsenal.<br />
<br />
Tracy Yates is an established Internet Marketer with over 4 popular web sites and more than 25 infoproducts to her credit. Visit her private site here: http://www.tracyyates.com to discover more about her. Her current endeavor is taking the private label rights industry by storm and causing a HOT FUSS. . . All to benefit YOU!<br />
<br />
Find out more at http://www.originalprivatelabelproducts.com<br />
<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>

Decadent Marketing - Succulent Metaphors that Wrap the Internet in Wealth and Prosperity</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
by Jan Verhoeff<br />
<br />
Are you lagging behind the competition, wishing you could grasp some of their high-performance marketing efforts and tag along as they speed down the information highway to success?<br />
<br />
Decadent Marketing Strategies offer Succulent Metaphors that will Wrap your Business in Wealth and Prosperity from Internet Marketing Success.<br />
<br />
Teaching Internet Marketers the secret of prosperity and success development isn't difficult when you know how to get Mega Results from a basic Marketing Concept. Rolling along the Article Marketing Trail of success will bring you more of what you're looking for in less time, but you'll have to hang with the big boys to get success fast.<br />
<br />
Being effective online means getting into the right niche and hanging on for the ride. You'll want to be there, participate in the race, and join in the winner's circle when the race is over, but... how will you find them?<br />
<br />
When you're looking for a network of successful people online, simply search the keyword and add "forum." For instance, "Internet Marketing Forum."<br />
<br />
You may not find anything and need to search a different keyword within your niche, or you may find exactly the group you're looking for along with a few interested participants in your next group venture.<br />
<br />
You'll learn absolutely nothing from the sidelines. You may think you're learning, but honestly, the real information is in the trenches, on the playing field, where you'll be knocking down some competition and making plays of your own. You might learn a thing or two on the sidelines, but you'll be sleeping when the ball comes your way if you're not involved.<br />
<br />
Grab the ball and run for the right goal.<br />
<br />
If you aren't sure which way to run, you'll be making goals for the wrong team. Often the logger end is that you have to create your own product and have something to sell your market.<br />
<br />
Whether you're good at selling someone else's work or not, doesn't really matter, you'll need your own work to get the job done and win the goal, because without it, you're just running with the ball. No goal posts in sight.<br />
<br />
When you win the game, keep playing, don't stop to celebrate.<br />
<br />
Contrary to popular belief, you can't stop when you arrive at the goal post. There is no time out. You must keep moving, grab the ball and run for the next goal. If you always have goals in the oven (new products churning) you'll always have a new item to hedge your market and make more money with.<br />
<br />
I recently heard you need one new product a month to create success with your online business.<br />
<br />
If you're having a problem creating those products, get on over to http://ebookinfo.cn and claim your FREE ebook about "5 Simple Steps to Write Your Own Ebook" and Subscribe to Ebook Info Ezine for FREE.<br />
<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>

Turn your website into a Well Marketed Selling Machine</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By: Deam Rass <br />
<br />
Your Website is only good if it has these three components implemented:<br />
<br />
1. Targeted Traffic – You want to have visitors that are pre-qualified for your offer.<br />
<br />
2. Engaging copy – The good copy should attract visitors’ attention and pull them into your offer.<br />
<br />
3. Tools to convert visitors into sales – Your visitor should perceive the buying decision as a low-risk action.<br />
<br />
Let's go over the most important aspects that, when applied synergistically, will take your Internet sales to the next level.<br />
<br />
Bring the traffic<br />
<br />
What to keep in mind when optimizing for search engines and basics of Pay-per-Click campaigns. Harnessing the power of E-mail marketing and newsletters (do not confuse with SPAM).<br />
<br />
Hypnotic copywriting<br />
<br />
How to write a copy that will attract the reader's attention and then pull them into your offer.<br />
<br />
Get your visitors to take action<br />
<br />
Strategically placed "calls to action" will retain your Website visitors and many of them will come back for more.<br />
<br />
Search Engine Optimization<br />
<br />
One of the most effective ways to bring targeted traffic to your Website is through the use of search engines. Those who came from search engines are the best kind of visitor! They are already looking for what you have to offer.<br />
<br />
Optimizing for search engines is a multi-tier on-going process. Search Engines continue to evolve, so your Website must evolve with them.<br />
<br />
These are a few things to keep in mind when optimizing for search engines:<br />
<br />
• Keyword density - Use keywords you want to rank on search engines in your Website text copy wisely. Place them in the Website's title tag and use them a few times throughout the page. However, overdoing it may result in a ban of your Website from the search engines alltogether.<br />
<br />
• Linking with other Websites - It makes sense to participate in link exchange with non-competitive Websites in your industry. Not only can this bring you immediate traffic, but you will gain long-term benefits in the search engines.<br />
<br />
• Update the content often - Create a news section on your Website and add articles regularly. Search engines love Websites that grow with relevant information.<br />
<br />
Per-Per-Click<br />
<br />
While search engine optimization may take months to bring you desired results and is considered a long-term investment, Pay-Per-Click, on the other hand, allows you to bring hot leads to your site immediately.<br />
<br />
Using the Pay-Per-Click search engines and an advertising campaign can effectively maximize traffic. Pay-per-click is also the ideal way of testing your Website.<br />
<br />
e-Mail Marketing<br />
<br />
Never send out unsolicited E-mails - we all hate SPAM and your prospective buyers hate it, too. On the other hand, picking a good newsletter to place your advertising in is a good idea. There are thousands of e-Zines, categorized by interest and industries. When choosing an e-Zine, ask yourself these questions:<br />
<br />
• Where do they get their subscribers and are all subscribers opted-in? These are verified subscribers who want to receive their newsletters.<br />
<br />
• What are your advertising options? People tend to click more on text links vs banners. It's even better is if you can use a small article educating prospects about your business, instead of placing a banner.<br />
<br />
• When advertising via a newsletter keep in mind, that it takes at least 4 consecutive issues before readers will click on you advertisement. Brand recognition will play a very important role in this type of advertising.<br />
<br />
Create Your Own Newsletter<br />
<br />
Creating your own newsletter is efficient and a low-cost way to keep in touch with your existing clients. If you have important information to share, then you're almost obligated to have a newsletter. You will gain trust with your subscribers and they will reward you by buying. You also can create a new stream of revenue by selling advertisements in your newsletter.<br />
<br />
Hypnotic Copywriting<br />
<br />
Is your Website generating the inquiries and sales you want?<br />
<br />
You could be missing out on selling opportunities because your home page isn't using effective sales copy and a structure designed to get your prospects to pick up the phone and call you for more information.<br />
<br />
Your copy must be written in such a way that you attract the reader's attention and then pull them into your offer.<br />
<br />
The basic rules to writing effective copy on the Website are:<br />
<br />
1. Interrupt qualified prospects to pay attention to your marketing by creating an important and relevant header.<br />
<br />
2. Engage by promising that the information forthcoming will facilitate their decision-making process.<br />
<br />
3. Educate by identifying the important and relevant issues that prospects need to be aware of, and then demonstrate how you can provide the solution against those issues.<br />
<br />
4. Give your prospects a low-risk offer to take next step in the buying process.<br />
<br />
Fail to accomplish this and you are wasting your marketing investment. Not only have you lost a chance to land a new customer, you may have steered the sales opportunity right into the hands of a competitor.<br />
<br />
Get Your Visitors to Take Action<br />
<br />
Calls to action will help you make the most of your Website. A strong and effective call to action should literally persuade a site visitor looking at your Web page to take action.<br />
<br />
It pays to spend some time thinking carefully about what call to action you want on every single page of your Website and what you really want people to do on your Website. It's amazing how many companies forget that people need to know (and want to know) what to do next and get easily frustrated online when it's not obvious.<br />
<br />
You can use calls to action, such as these listed below, not only to get your customer to take action, but to help direct your customer around your Website and encourage them to get off the home page and explore more of your Website:<br />
<br />
• Sign up to our newsletter<br />
• Contact us for more information<br />
• View more information about our Search Engine Optimization Services<br />
• Get your free quotation today!<br />
• Buy / book / email / phone now<br />
<br />
Making Calls to Action More Effective<br />
<br />
To make your calls to action stronger and more effective, you can use incentives in order to get your site visitor to take action. Incentive calls to action can be styled like these:<br />
<br />
• Sign up to our newsletter for free tips and advice on marketing your business.<br />
<br />
• Contact us today and get your free copy of Industry Report.<br />
<br />
• Book before the end of May and receive 2 pairs of shoes for the price of 1!<br />
<br />
Deam Rass | Toronto Search Engine Optimization Specialist<br />
<br />
Over the last 7 years in the industry his Search Engine Optimization in Toronto - ASF Design Inc helped and continues to help dozens of customers to generate millions of dollars in Internet Sales.<br />
<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
</item>

<item>
<title>What Is RSS?</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
by Madison Lockwood<br />
<br />
RSS is technology - a simple software program - that allows you to access web and blog content automatically. The acronym's most popular translation is &quot;Really Simple Syndication. Once your browser or computer has an RSS reader on board, you can subscribe to any number of RSS &quot;feeds.&quot; A feed is simply a way in which a reader may subscribe to website content - most commonly blogs or news sites. A news site, for example, may list their latest headlines or entire articles in their feed every time a new article is published. A blog would publish this feed as a series of recent posts.<br />
<br />
Feeds are published by millions of publishers, from small individuals to large organizations like Newsweek. The value of a feed is that it brings the most current site content to you in a format that is easily scanned; further, you are spared the task of visiting each source site each day. This is typically done through the use of what is called an 'aggregator' or 'feed reader'.<br />
<br />
Feed readers or RSS readers, are software programs that run on your computer (or PDA or phone); let you easily subscribe to feeds, and allow you to read through them efficiently. Some are relatively simple, showing the headline and summary. The fancier ones often work with (or in) your browser to make viewing the material look much like the source page. Once you have a reader on your computer, subscribing to a feed with is an easy click or drag from your browser. Sites that provide RSS feeds will usually have a button for that purpose.<br />
<br />
There are several RSS feed formats as well as one with an entirely different methodology called Atom. Atom has become popular with some bloggers and blogging tools. Some aggregators can read both. The other acronyms you will see in &quot;feedspeak&quot; are XML, which stands for 'extensible markup language' and is the code standard for these simple text feeds. An 'OPML&quot; file is a format for indexing hierarchical feed lists. If you dive into this web habit in a big way, your aggregator or reader may keep your subscription list in an OPML file.<br />
<br />
An RSS feed is a great method for staying abreast of issues and topics that interest you. There are a number of feed &quot;libraries,&quot; so to speak, from which you can learn what's out there in your areas of interest. Google has a built-in reader that makes the subscription process easy, as does Yahoo. Firefox has a downloadable extension for the purpose of aggregating RSS feeds, as well as a default ability to save RSS feeds as &quot;live bookmarks&quot; that update via the RSS feed. You can download a number of stand alone readers and aggregators; you can find them through a simple web search.<br />
<br />
The whole RSS &quot;movement&quot; is a step towards utilizing the Internet more efficiently. The trick is to avoid overloading your email inbox with daily reports that you end up ignoring most of the time. For that purpose, there are sites like Feedster that will search millions of RSS feeds for articles that are relevant to your interests. Like any search tool, however, these services are hit and miss. They are still working off keywords and sometimes what they find is relevant, sometimes not. But if you want daily news broken into categories, it's great technology once you learn how to make it work for you.<br />
<br />
About The Author<br />
Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for http://www.apollohosting.com. She helps clients understand how a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, &amp; VPS hosting to a wide range of customers.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
</item>

<item>
<title>Why is Content Important?</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Dechen Lau<br />
<br />
Content is the soul of a website. Content is comprised of the words or text on a web page along with the graphics and structure of a website. Today Web content is the best tool for building relations with your potential customers. The look and feel of a site is crucial, but quality web content may be more important.<br />
<br />
Two of the most popular methods of getting traffic from search engines include PPC – (Pay Per Click), and SEO – (Search Engine Optimization).<br />
<br />
PPC:<br />
<br />
Pay per click advertising on search engines allows you to choose keywords that you would like your site to appear for, when a search is performed. You decide how much you are willing to pay each time a person clicks on the search results. The more you are willing to pay per click, the higher your site will appear in the results for the keywords you choose. Pay Per Click is advertising provided by the search engine providers (Google, Yahoo! and others) where you PAY for top placement. Their strategies for placement differ slightly. Some search engines will give you higher placement if your ad has a higher click-through rate, (meaning more people click on your ad in ratio to the amount of times your ad appears); others give top positions to the highest bidder.<br />
<br />
You already know surveys are excellent for finding out what your target market wants. However, if combined with low cost, quick and dirty Google PPC, surveys can also send many targeted prospects to your site every month.<br />
<br />
In either case, you PAY. It is a quick way to be listed in the search engines and a smart way to get your traffic flowing. You could spend far more than is profitable for your business, if you do not know what you are doing.<br />
<br />
Search Engines: While crawling pages of a website, search engines look for content more than anything else. Search engines can pick up quality content and it is the only factor that they emphasize and value most while ranking a website. For the benefit of their users, search engines try to find the best and most useful content on the Internet for any given set of keywords.<br />
<br />
SEO:<br />
<br />
Search engines are extremely competitive (in terms of placement). The major search engines account for over 90% of all traffic. With that though in mind, companies that are serious about earning a share of the internet market should be committed to securing top 10 rankings for the keywords or phrases that pertain to the products and services that they offer.<br />
<br />
The best way to ensure a solid return on your website investment is to employ the services of a Search Engine Optimization firm with a proven track record of success, knowledge of current and cutting edge techniques, and experience working with the business community.<br />
<br />
There are a lot of companies working ‘behind the scenes’ to help website owners get plenty of traffic from the natural search engine listings. Natural listings mean the search engine has ranked you according to the value it believes your site will offer an individual searching for a specific word or phrase.<br />
<br />
Understanding exactly WHAT the search engines want to see when ranking sites requires knowledge of the algorithms. These algorithms change all the time as search engine providers try to outwit the search engine optimizers trying to find loopholes in the ranking system.<br />
<br />
Some SEO companies will promise you top spots for a certain cost. Some are honestly creating optimized websites – others may be using techniques that could possibly get your site BANNED from the search engines entirely, (once the search engine catches on). However, optimizing your website for better placement in the search engines is a technique that you should become familiar with and use to your advantage.<br />
<br />
Both of these traffic methods have their pros and cons for generating traffic from the search engines. You will find out more about using them properly later on. First, you need to know what REALLY works…<br />
<br />
Dechen Lau., is an Author, Speaker and Internet Marketing Consultant<br />
http://www.powersuccessmarketing.com<br />
http://www.powersuccessresponder.com<br />
<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
</item>

<item>
<title>Why Your Prospects or Downline Won't Do What You Ask Them To</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Tim Sales<br />
<br />
There is one very specific quality you must have, whether leading just a few or a few thousand people in your MLM business. Achieving MLM success will be A LOT easier when you develop this one quality, tell the truth.<br />
<br />
If you do not tell the truth, your downline may be friendly to you...but they probably won't follow you.<br />
<br />
Truth means: that which is factual based on observable data.<br />
<br />
There has been much written about truth, a lot having to do with philosophy and religion. My only interest in the subject (as it pertains to the MLM industry) is that we, as a group, stop destroying our income and our reputation by not telling the truth.<br />
<br />
Being truthful should go without saying, but I have to discuss it because it is one of the Ten Communication Qualities that make up a great communicator.  It&rsquo;s also a major problem in the network marketing community needing correction for the MLM industry to grow to its fullest potential.<br />
<br />
My income dropped in 1991 - like a brick falling from the top of a building - from a monthly gross of $68,000 to $16,000 - just because people were not telling the truth.<br />
<br />
A media member sneaked into my colleague's business meeting and recorded the dialogue that occurred. Although it was a painful experience for me, the biggest loss stems from the CONSTANT number of people we repel because of not telling the truth.<br />
<br />
Every time we (I'm talking about me and you) don't tell the truth, we feel icky inside. Observe a dog that has done something wrong - do they come strutting into the room? Not at all! They actually hide under the couch. Their ears and tail hang low. They don't feel worthy. The same is true for us. That ickyness actually causes us to not feel worthy that others follow our advice...and so they don't.<br />
<br />
Five broad categories of not telling the truth have gotten individuals and/or companies in trouble.  It stopped them from growing to their fullest potential. They are listed below.<br />
<br />
1. False income representation or suggesting others can earn a stated level of income.<br />
<br />
2. Stating that a product or service can do something that has not been substantiated.<br />
<br />
3. Promising someone (or yourself) something and not doing it.<br />
<br />
4. Gossiping about others. Passing information to another that does not add value.<br />
<br />
5. Building the business in a way that is not truthful...such as suggesting distributors create fictitious accounts or positions.<br />
<br />
Let&rsquo;s consider, category one, false income representation.  If you don't know what your upline earns, don't say what you think it is. If through the grapevine you've heard its &quot;X&quot; amount, and you feel you must state it, say: &quot;The rumor is that he/she earns $ amount; although I've not verified it.&quot;<br />
<br />
Say nothing you don't know is absolutely true. This gives you tremendous credibility!<br />
<br />
When you discuss income, discuss what the prospect wants - NOT what someone else is earning. If the prospect states an income they desire, tell them it's achievable, (provided it is). Then state, &quot;Some people go to school and become the President. Some become billionaires, some sell illegal drugs and some draw a welfare check. It would be impossible to know what you're going to do with what I teach you, but there is the potential to earn a substantial income if you choose to fully apply what you're taught.&quot;<br />
<br />
Category two from above is unsubstantiated product claims; which, in the past, have also gotten the network marketing industry into trouble. If you market a nutrition product, the current law (in the USA) is the DSHEA Act, (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act), which states you can discuss what a product does, provided THAT PRODUCT is what has been proven to get results.<br />
<br />
Most often an INGREDIENT has had some studies done on it (such as vitamin C) but your company's product (that contains that ingredient) has NOT. Therefore, it is against the law to claim your product does ANYTHING!<br />
<br />
Now, that doesn't mean you can't promote your product truthfully. You simply say something like, &quot;The active ingredient (vitamin C) in Potent-C (an example of your company's product) has demonstrated to increase/decrease ________ by X amount.&quot; That way you're not claiming your product does anything.<br />
<br />
Telling stories of your success or others' success with the product or the MLM business is also common.  Just keep in mind that the common way people get in trouble is from questionable claims reported by the media after coming in with hidden recording devices and capturing what you say.  Make sure you are not claiming anything that isn't the truth.<br />
<br />
If a friend went on your company's product and stopped having migraine headaches, you honestly wouldn't know if the reason was the product or the fact that she increased her water intake to take your product! You can't determine what really helped her - so be very careful what you represent.<br />
<br />
Category three is to keep your word once given. If you say you will be at a meeting at 6:45 - be there at 6:45. No excuses, just be there. If you say you're going to help someone, - help them. Keep your word!  If you're unable to keep your word, make it up to the person. Do something that shows you want to help.<br />
<br />
The most important person you must keep your word with is yourself. If you say you are going to bed at 11pm - go to bed at 11pm. If you say you will call five prospects a day, call five prospects a day!<br />
<br />
When you're honest with yourself and with others, people will trust you. This trust is what helps your MLM business to grow and be successful. My experience is that people will not follow someone they cannot trust.<br />
<br />
Tell the truth always and you will be on your way to experiencing passive income and time freedom in your MLM business.<br />
<br />
Tim Sales helps network marketers gain the confidence and skills to be an MLM success. Discover what you must know to become a true network marketing professional. Sign up for his free MLM training newsletter and listen to free training at http://www.brilliantexchange.com.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
</item>

<item>
<title>Why So Many People Fail In Affiliate Marketing</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Clarence Binayu<br />
<br />
More and more people are lured into affiliate marketing.  You might be one of them. Affiliate marketing is one of the most effective means of generating a full-time income through the Internet. It&rsquo;s a fair deal between the merchandiser and his affiliates, as both benefit from each sale materialized.  Like in other kinds of business, a great deal of the profits in affiliate marketing depends on the affiliate&rsquo;s advertising, promoting and selling strategies. Everyday, as the affiliate marketing industry expands, competition heightens, also, so an affiliate marketer must be creative enough to employ unique and effective ways to convince potential buyers to purchase or avail themselves of the products and services offered.<br />
<br />
Compared to traditional advertising practices, affiliate programs are more effective, risk-free, and cost-efficient.  Why do many people still fail in affiliate marketing? There are many reasons and many areas in the program to look into. The most critical aspect in the affiliate program is advertising. Many affiliate marketers&rsquo; fail in this aspect because they lack hard work, which is the most important thing in affiliate marketing and in all other kinds of business. Although it pays to be lucky, you cannot merely rely on it. Affiliate marketing isn&rsquo;t as simple as directing customers to the business site. If you want to earn big, you have to invest time and hard work in promoting the products. As earlier mentioned, the competition is very intense.  Customers nowadays are very wise. After all, who doesn&rsquo;t want to get the best purchase&mdash;that is, to pay less and get more in terms of quantity and quality?<br />
<br />
Another reason why one fails in affiliate marketing is the lack of preparation, whether he is a merchandiser or an affiliate. Part of the preparation is researching. The merchant has to be highly selective in choosing the right affiliate websites for his affiliate program. To make the best choices, he must have exhausted his resources in looking for highly interested affiliates whose sites are a sure fit to his products and services. The affiliate sites must match his targeted customers.  Also, the affiliate marketer must research on the good-paying merchandisers before he signs up for an affiliate program. He must ensure that the merchants&rsquo; products and services match his interests so he can give his full attention and dedication to the program. He can get valuable information by joining affiliate forums, comparing different affiliate programs, and reading articles on affiliate marketing where he can get tips from experienced affiliate marketers on how to choose the best merchants and products with high conversion rate.<br />
<br />
The website is a very important tool in the whole affiliate program. As an affiliate marketer, you should plan how your site is going to look, from domain name, to the design, the layout, the content, and ads. Some users are particular about what they see at first glance.  If they find your site ugly, they won&rsquo;t read through the content even if your site has many things to say and offer. In contrast, there are those who want information more than anything else. Affiliate marketers with &ldquo;rich-content&rdquo; web sites are usually the ones who prosper in this business because the content improves traffic to the site. Websites with high quality contents&mdash;with relevant keywords and more importantly, right information about the product and not empty hyped-up advertisements&mdash;allow you to earn big in affiliate marketing even when you&rsquo;re asleep. If you aren&rsquo;t able to sustain the interest of your site visitor, you won&rsquo;t be able to lead him to the merchants&rsquo; site. No click-through means no sale and thus, no income on your part.<br />
<br />
Selecting a top-level domain name is also crucial to the success of the affiliate program. A lot of affiliate sites don&rsquo;t appear in the search engine results because affiliate managers deem them as personal sites. Major search engines and directories would think of your site as transient ones and thus, they won&rsquo;t list it in the directory. Before you decide on the domain name, know first what you are going to promote. Many fail because their sites are not appropriately named. When they feature the exact products the customer is looking for, the customer might think the site is not relevant and will not enter the site.<br />
<br />
An affiliate marketer must be willing to learn more. Certainly, there are many things to learn and so an affiliate marketer must continue to educate himself so he can improve his marketing strategies. Many fail because they don&rsquo;t grow in the business.  They are merely concerned about earning money quickly. If you want long-term and highly satisfactory results, take time to learn the ins and outs of the business. Continue to improve your knowledge especially with the basics in affiliate marketing ranging from advertising to programming, web page development, and search engine optimization techniques. Study the needs and wants of your site users and how different merchandisers compete with each other.<br />
<br />
Keep on trying!<br />
<br />
Clarence B. is the founder and Webmaster for http://www.virtual-guides.com. Here you can find FREE information on many subjects including business, automobile, travel, vacation, affiliate marketing, advertising, internet, sports, entertainment, technology, communication, fashion, home improvement, culture, education, society, science, politics, fitness and health. http://www.virtual-guides.com provides you with helpful guidance, tips and news update, from basic to the latest skills, knowledge and information, about these subjects.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
</item>

<item>
<title>3 Keys to Grow Your Business</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Grant D. Robinson<br />
<br />
Are you on pace to accomplish your important sales and financial goals this year?<br />
<br />
The truth is, a good majority of US Organizations have been unable to grow their businesses this year. They are not reaching their sales and financial goals.  Many have all but given up.<br />
<br />
Is this you? Are you now looking to next year to be the year you shatter previous productivity, sales and revenue records?<br />
<br />
It is a great idea to start preparing for your best year ever, regardless of whether you are on pace to meet your goals or not.  You will need to prepare!<br />
<br />
You have realized that it takes more than just setting a goal to accomplish it. The mere act of putting the goal on paper, sharing it with your managers, and giving the extra effort to accomplish the goal is really secondary to the preparation required.<br />
<br />
Before you begin to work toward an objective, you must insure all of the past barriers that stood in the way of prior goal accomplishment are eliminated. If they aren't, the unfortunate fact is, you will fail to meet the objective once again&hellip; for the same reasons as before.<br />
<br />
The following are the three keys market-leading organizations have used to grow their businesses. Consider these in order to take your organization to the next level of success. <br />
<br />
A. Operational Systems<br />
<br />
There are two types of systems in your organization. The first is your operational systems, including:<br />
<br />
1. Vision &amp; Mission                                            2. Financial &amp; Budgeting     <br />
3. Production, Manufacturing &amp; Distribution     4. Sales &amp; Marketing<br />
<br />
All four of these systems are in place for one reason: to efficiently grow your business. They are the standards to how your organization operates from day to day. More importantly, they are the standards to how your workforce operates from day to day.<br />
<br />
To improve productivity this quarter and prepare for your best year ever, it is vital to analyze your operational systems. In the next month, recognize what current productivity barriers must be eliminated, what operating expenses must be reduced, what unique cultural standards must be maintained, and what marketing promises must be upheld.<br />
<br />
<br />
B. Managerial Systems<br />
<br />
In answering the previous questions, most organizations realize an important fact: Changes to operational systems are almost always made to improve the productivity of their workforce. But the truth is; these changes alone rarely help.<br />
<br />
Organizations failing to accomplish their goals tend to make irrational decisions. They feel if they rewrite a vision, increase spending on technology, reorganize production procedures, or alter their marketing messages, workforce performance and profits will magically improve.<br />
<br />
However, the opposite is usually the case. The changes usually end up harming efficiency, production and morale. The usual outcome is, those employees who performed the job they were hired to do before the changes, still do. Those who failed to produce before the expensive operational modifications, still underachieve.<br />
<br />
The second type of system in your organization is your managerial systems. The five most important processes of your managerial systems are: recruiting, hiring, training, developing and retaining (productive employees). When you create a successful managerial system, your hiring success rate, employee motivation, and the effectiveness of your leaders will naturally improve.<br />
<br />
To prepare for your best year ever, there is only one question to ask yourself: Why haven't we been able to hire, develop and retain TOP-Performing employees in every position.<br />
<br />
C. Focus on People<br />
<br />
Market leading organizations realize &quot;people&quot; are the key to growing a business and meeting goals. The more productive their individuals are, the more productive their teams have become.<br />
<br />
A recent study of over 2,200 managers, by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, in Human Resource Executive Magazine found, &ldquo;Of the hundreds of management functions, &lsquo;Selecting Staff&rsquo; and &lsquo;Retention&rsquo; are the second and third most important management functions in business today.&rdquo; Recruiting was ranked fifth.<br />
<br />
Since three of the four new hires fail to meet our expectations within the first year, managers are forced to constantly replace underachievers. Recruiting is the number one management expense in business today. Although selecting staff and retention are rated very important, they rank 36th and 44th in management effort and spending respectively.<br />
<br />
Although executives understand the importance of Top Performers in every position, their time, energy and financial priorities have become operational. With the amount of organizations failing to meet their goals or grow their businesses, it should be apparent that this strategy just doesn't work.<br />
<br />
Hiring Top Performers for every position in your company, the first time, is the only way to insure your productivity and profits will improve. Traditionally, Top Performers are five to eight times more productive then their counterparts.<br />
<br />
You've probably learned the hard way; that no modification to an operational system will ever increase your organization's performance five to eight times. If you are like the most effective executives, you'll understand this and will double or triple the productivity and profits of your organization by giving your managers the tools to hire, develop and retain your greatest asset; your people.<br />
<br />
Great customer service, work ethic, motivation, productivity, and sales success comes from employees that fit your culture, their team, and the job they were hired to do. Whether it takes developing your underachievers or replacing them with someone who will naturally produce; now is the time to focus on your people to prepare for your best year ever.<br />
<br />
Grant D. Robinson is the President of People Values and the Author of the Market Leadership System. To improve your &ldquo;Hiring Success Rate&rdquo; of TOP Performing Employees, watch a free, 5-minute, on-line video at: http://www.peoplevalues.com.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>Power Up Your Performance! 6 Sure-fire Strategies</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Colleen Kettenhofen<br />
<br />
&quot;Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit.&quot; Conrad Hilton<br />
<br />
1. Get rid of clutter. Too much &quot;stuff&quot; in your office and inside your home clutters your mind, creates confusion and exacerbates stress. Start by cleaning one area at a time. What items do you have that need to be donated, sold, or put back where they belong? As you're cleaning and putting things away, repeat to yourself, &quot;Everything has a place.&quot; I often heard my dad repeat this phrase while we cleaned house. It still rings in my ears every time I clean.<br />
<br />
What clothes do you own that you haven't worn in a year?  Are you hoping to fit into them again? Donate these items to a local charity. What piles of paperwork are lying around that need to be filed? Studies show that 85% of everything that gets filed away never gets looked at again. Consider starting an archives file. You'll feel more energized, less stressed, and more self-confident when you eliminate clutter.<br />
<br />
2. What's going on outside you is a result of what's going on inside you. What self-limiting beliefs do you have about your skills, aptitudes and abilities? Be honest with yourself. Write them down! You don't have to share them with anybody. The average person has 50,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day. When we talk to ourselves about ourselves, much of that self-talk is negative. As the saying goes, &quot;How many times in a day do we &lsquo;should of ' all over ourselves with everything that we should be doing?!&quot; Get rid of the &quot;should of' .&quot; Become more aware of your thoughts, change them into positives, and you'll start achieving more success.<br />
<br />
3. Enroll in a sunrise semester. First thing in the morning spend 30 to 60 minutes a day reading motivational, inspirational, or other pertinent information related to your chosen field. Your subconscious mind is most amenable to suggestion the FIRST hour upon arising, and that LAST hour before bedtime. As John Wooden once said, &quot;If I am through learning I am through.&quot; Stay current and constantly upgrade your skills.<br />
<br />
Learn more to earn more and to improve performance. Much of this is material we already know. Yet, often we need to hear it again because we don't &quot;do&quot; with what we know. Invest at least 3% of your income in personal and professional books, CD's, e-books, and teleseminars. When pressed for time, listen to CD's in your car on the way to work, picking up the kids, or driving to and from the supermarket. Attend seminars and conferences no matter what the distance. It is worth the investment in keeping you motivated.<br />
<br />
4. Become more self-disciplined. The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people make themselves do things unsuccessful people don't want to do. It's that simple. Once you start an important task, discipline yourself to keep going. Focus on it single-mindedly until it's complete.<br />
<br />
Be more aware of your every day habits and what distracts you. Make a list of the activities you engage in that are a waste of time. Resolve to eliminate them altogether or delegate them to someone else. Start by determining which activities only you can do. These are the ones you must do. Outsource everything else. The ability to determine where you should spend the majority of your time and then complete those tasks can have more impact on achieving your goals than anything else.<br />
<br />
5. To improve performance and productivity work faster. Compete with yourself.  Make it a game. Resolve to work more effectively and efficiently throughout your workday. Try arriving to work earlier and leaving a little later. Many business people in my speaking engagements tell me they get more work accomplished when they arrive to work at the crack of dawn. No one else is in the office and there aren't distractions. Try this at lunch as well. Everyone leaves from noon to one in the afternoon. Cut back on frivolous time wasters such as talking with co-workers around the water cooler and other idle chitchat. This will free up your time for the things you really enjoy, like spending time with your true friends, family and loved ones.<br />
<br />
6. Review your values and priorities. Make sure your goals are consistent with what's important to you. Otherwise, no matter how much you think you want something, you won't work hard to achieve it if it's not in line with your core values. Write down each individual goal you think you want. Is it consistent with giving you greater peace of mind and happiness?<br />
<br />
For example, values that are important to me in terms of work are helping others, freedom, creativity and flexible hours. A corporate job where I'd sit in an office all day would make me unhappy no matter how much it paid. So start by clarifying your values.<br />
<br />
Success means many things to different people. In powering up your performance for greater success, first determine what you really want&hellip;and why. For example, do you really want a new car out of necessity, or is it to compete with the neighbors next door? No matter how much effort you put into achieving your goals, if they don't fit in with what's really important to you, you'll find ways to procrastinate or sabotage yourself. It's easier to be self-disciplined when you're passionate about something and it fits in with your core values.<br />
<br />
&quot;The biggest mistake people make in life is not trying to make a living at doing what they most enjoy.&quot; Malcolm S. Forbes<br />
<br />
Colleen Kettenhofen is a motivational speaker, workplace expert, &amp; co-author of &quot;The Masters of Success,&quot; as featured on the Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. For free articles, e-newsletter, or to order the book visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com Topics: leadership, management, difficult people, public speaking. Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions, seminars. (971)212-2412.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>Sell Your Home Faster with Seller Financing</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By James MacArthur<br />
<br />
Seller financing opens your home up to an entirely new segment of prospective buyers. The more buyers viewing your home, the quicker you will find that one qualified buyer. Specifically, you will attract more buyers who don't want to or would have a problem getting a bank loan, or those who want a quicker closing or more flexible payment plans than banks offer. Such buyers include the self-employed, who may be great candidates, but are not viewed as favorable by banks, as are W-2 employees. Also, those with credit blemishes, which may be going down the long road of credit repair. Real estate investors are another large group, since they may own many properties with mortgages, which make it difficult to get another mortgage from a bank.<br />
<br />
Banks typically take 30 days to close a loan. With seller financing, YOU make the decision, and it can be done much quicker, thereby removing a buyers contingencies faster, and in effect, leading to a much faster home sale. Make sure you use &quot;Seller Financing&quot; in your marketing and advertising, be it in newspaper ads, flyers, or in the MLS description, regardless of whether you are selling FSBO (For Sale By Owner), or with a real estate agent.<br />
<br />
Other Ideas to Sell Your Home Faster<br />
<br />
Number 1: PRICE IT RIGHT! Not too high, not too low, check comparables and local agents to get the right number. If you are not getting any action after a week or two, you probably have it priced too high.<br />
<br />
If you will be selling FSBO, use a flat rate MLS open listing. For under $500 you can get listed in MLS with no frills. Check the newspaper or call agents to find one who offers this. It will give you much broader exposure and is advertising well spent. Also, strongly consider offering a buyer agent commission of 2-4%, depending on how quick you want to sell and how hot your local market is.<br />
<br />
Put up lots of signs around the neighborhood, especially on weekends. Hold regular open houses. Prepare your house for sale. Keep it neat &amp; tidy. Remove the clutter.<br />
<br />
Sell Your Home for Full Price<br />
<br />
1. Normally a seller will accept a lower price (below market) for all cash, no contingency fast closing.<br />
<br />
2. It will sell for market price if the buyer needs 30-60 days to close escrow, will need to qualify for a loan at a bank, and do a home inspection.<br />
<br />
3. You as a seller should charge even more (above market) if you will be giving seller-financing terms, maybe 5-10% higher than Case 2, or more depending on the terms.<br />
<br />
A Good Investment<br />
<br />
Taking back a note can be a very good investment since you will be making interest on your money, which is usually better than CD's, or money market rates. In fact, you can select the interest rate you want! This is especially appealing if you have no need for the money right now.<br />
<br />
In fact, it is such a good investment, that many investors buy seller carry-back notes. If you have no interest in holding a note, it is common for a home seller to carry-back a note and sell it at the same time as the home closing occurs. This is called a simultaneous closing.<br />
<br />
We Buy Real Estate Notes and can facilitate simultaneous closings, call for more info on this. We can also assist in setting the terms of the note so you get the best price.<br />
<br />
Tax Benefits<br />
<br />
When selling a home, under current tax law, if you lived in your home for 2 of the last 5 years, your capital gains will be exempt up to $250,000 (twice that if married). Otherwise, your capital gains will be taxed in the year that you collect the capital gains. If you will have significant taxable capital gains on your home sale, it may be very good for your tax situation to take back a seller carry-back note and spread your sale proceeds over several years, or postpone it for several years. Talk to your tax adviser.<br />
<br />
Steps for Successful Seller Financing<br />
<br />
1. Pull the prospective buyers&rsquo; credit report. Their permission will be needed.  Always review a credit report on each borrower.  It is a small expense.<br />
<br />
2. Can they afford the home, job, income?  If they can&rsquo;t afford it, or have a shaky job or income situation, a foreclosure will be much more likely.<br />
<br />
3. Use a professional to draft the paperwork. Each state has various laws regarding real estate sales, contracts, and mortgages. Use an experienced attorney to draft the promissory note, mortgage, or deed of trust.<br />
<br />
4. Down payment - Sellers usually ask for 10-30% down payment to protect themselves in case the buyer stops making payments and the seller has to foreclose on the loan, and take the property back. The larger the down payment, the more equity protection you, as the seller, have. The buyer will also consider how much money he has put down, if he is in foreclosure and can&rsquo;t make the payments, and wants to walk away from the house. Zero down is very little encouragement for a buyer, should he hit a rough patch.<br />
<br />
5. 1st position or 2nd position - A first position note is much safer for the seller than a second position note.<br />
<br />
6. Set the interest rate above current bank rates.  This will encourage the buyers to refinance down the road.<br />
<br />
Also Read this Article: &quot;Tips for Creating a Seller Carry-back Real Estate Note&quot; at http://www.jmacfunding.com/articles.htm<br />
<br />
Other Alternatives to Seller Financing<br />
<br />
1. Land Contract / Contract to buy<br />
<br />
2. Lease Option<br />
<br />
Disclaimer:<br />
<br />
I am not an attorney, nor a tax accountant, laws vary from state to state, and any advice implied by this paper should be checked with an attorney and/or tax adviser.<br />
<br />
JMAC Funding<br />
PO Box 91472, San Diego, CA 92169<br />
jmac@jmacfunding.com<br />
http://www.jmacfunding.com<br />
(619) 846-1550<br />
<br />
James MacArthur, http://www.jmacfunding.com, is a real estate broker-licensed in the State of California, as well as an investor of real estate and debt instruments. We buy real estate notes and real estate contracts nationwide and make private and hard money loans on real estate in California. Feel free to contact me with any feedback, or if you are contemplating selling a real estate note.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>Afraid of Talking to Prospects? Get Over it Fast With These Four Simple Tactics</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Tim Sales<br />
<br />
It is very difficult to achieve real MLM success if you are afraid of talking to people about your business. Use these four guidelines to achieve confidence when talking with prospects. They've worked for thousands in my own MLM business. I know they will work for you.<br />
<br />
Why do you have a &quot;chicken list?&quot;  Because you fear you don't communicate easily or well.<br />
<br />
A &quot;chicken list&quot; is the list of prospects that you're afraid to call. Often people think they will call their &quot;chicken list&quot; after they get successful. But, they need these people in their MLM business to create the success.<br />
<br />
This is a &quot;Catch 22.&quot;<br />
<br />
The phrase &quot;Catch 22&quot; is from a novel by Joseph Heller, written in 1961.  The pilot was afraid to fight in World War II.  He feigned insanity. But the doctor said that if he were truly insane, then he wouldn't mind endangering his life by going into the war.<br />
<br />
If he were sane, then he would be capable of following orders to fight the war. Thus the phrase &quot;catch 22&quot; came to mean, &quot;a situation that trips one up no matter which way one turns.&quot;<br />
<br />
You need the people on your chicken list to create the success you need in order to contact your chicken list. How do you get around this catch-22?<br />
<br />
Your fear of the chicken list is based on your feelings that somehow, people are above you because of their status. If you were to examine this more closely, you would discover it is not that the people are any better than you; it's lack of confidence in your ability to communicate easily.<br />
<br />
If you knew you could communicate easily and effectively without making any mistakes, you could...and would...call anyone without hesitation. You would have confidence. You would have certainty. And there's NOTHING more rewarding than having that feeling.<br />
<br />
Communicate means: a. To convey information about; make known.  b. To reveal clearly.<br />
<br />
Easily means: a. Free from worry, anxiety, trouble, or pain. b. Requiring or exhibiting little effort.<br />
<br />
The reason I bring this up is there are a group of characteristics an MLM business professional must have in order to truly have success in speaking with prospects. I call these characteristics the 10 Communication Qualities.<br />
<br />
Having full knowledge of these qualities and having the proper and correct MLM training to learn them, you will be amazed at how much smoother conversations will go with your prospects.<br />
<br />
The fifth communication quality on my list is to, &quot;Communicate easily - no tension, strain, fakeness, sounding rehearsed, stuttering or hesitating.&quot;<br />
<br />
Let's look at each one of these issues:<br />
<br />
Tension &amp; Strain: (The definition for tension and strain is very similar so they are<br />
combined here.)<br />
<br />
a. To be subjected to great stress. b. A great or excessive pressure, demand, or<br />
stress on one's body, mind, or resources.<br />
<br />
When communicating, tension and strain are stress created by the mental activity of feeling unprepared, or fear that you will sound &quot;stupid&quot; to others. If you've ever been asked to suddenly speak in public, you know what this mental activity feels like.<br />
<br />
It creates a very uncomfortable feeling, of  &quot;being on the spot&quot;, and not knowing what to say. It&rsquo;s the reason someone's voice &quot;squeaks and quivers&quot; when talking.  This communicates an unprofessional, &ldquo;new to the subject&rdquo;, uncertainty to the prospect. <br />
<br />
The solution to tension and strain is to familiarize oneself with all situations that can arise on a call when talking to prospects. Be familiar with all situations regarding your MLM business opportunity and also the products you sell.<br />
<br />
Know what you are going to ask the prospect to do; invite for product, invite for business, send to a website, or get on a conference call, etc. When you are clear about what you're going to do and say, you will greatly reduce tension and strain.<br />
<br />
Fakeness: a. To represent falsely; pretend to. b. To fabricate.<br />
<br />
People sound fake when they use a lot of fluff words like, awesome, incredible, unbelievable, fabulous, wonderful, special, state-of-the-art, etc. These types of adjectives demonstrate a clear bias on your part. I'm not suggesting you be a boring communicator; by all means, be excited.  You don't have to use fluff or puff words to describe your excitement. This normally indicates a cover-up of real content.<br />
<br />
Sounding rehearsed: a. One that is not authentic or genuine.<br />
<br />
Rehearsing what you're going to say is NOT WRONG. However, if you talk with a prospect before you've rehearsed enough - you will sound rehearsed; which IS UNPROFESSIONAL. When you've received a phone call from a telemarketer, you could tell he was reading from a script. It didn't sound very genuine and when you detected that he was reading from a script. You wanted off the phone. That's what you want to avoid with your prospects.<br />
<br />
Stuttering and hesitating: a. If you hesitate, you do not speak or act for a short time, usually because you are uncertain, embarrassed, or worried about what you are going to say or do.<br />
<br />
Stuttering and hesitating loops us back to the first issue I discussed above which is Tension and Strain. It is the fear of saying or doing something the prospect won't agree with that causes us to hesitate and stutter. The solution for stuttering and hesitating is similar to the solution for tension and strain; is very familiar with all the situations that can come up on your invite call.<br />
<br />
Have you realized the simplicity of this yet?  Your willingness to talk to your &ldquo;chicken list&rdquo;, or lack of, is based on your ability to communicate easily. You need to become familiar with all aspects of your MLM business and company to communicate easily.<br />
<br />
Tim Sales helps network marketers gain the confidence and skills to be an MLM success. Discover what you must know to become a true network marketing professional. Sign up for his free MLM training newsletter and listen to free training at http://www.brilliantexchange.com.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>Foreclosures - How To Invest Successfully</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By David Jacobsen<br />
<br />
If someone is about to lose their home to foreclosure, you can guarantee they're feeling stressed. They're probably being bombarded by calls and letters from creditors, and for many people it all becomes too much to handle. They close their eyes and hope it will all just go away.<br />
<br />
Reality is that it won't.  As an investor interested in buying foreclosures, the hardest part can be convincing the homeowner that they really are going to lose their house unless they do something about it. It is also difficult to convince them that you are really trying to help them, even though you are helping yourself make a profit at the same time.<br />
<br />
When you're dealing with foreclosures, time is of the utmost importance. You need to have enough time to bail out the homeowner and take over the property before it's too late. It can be a good idea to subscribe to a foreclosure listing service.  You gain access to listings at the earliest possible time, and don't have to use your valuable time looking for potential foreclosure properties from other sources.<br />
<br />
Many people facing foreclosure have spoken to an attorney. They are convinced that bankruptcy is their only option; in most cases this isn't true. Attorneys tend to stick to what they're familiar with, which is bankruptcy, rather than mentioning other possibilities such as:<br />
<br />
- Sale by assumption<br />
- Deed in lieu<br />
- Straight sale<br />
- Foreclosure presale<br />
- Compromise sale<br />
- Short payoff<br />
- Workouts<br />
- Assignment<br />
- Injunctions<br />
<br />
There are still more options available, than these, which show that bankruptcy definitely isn't the only choice for the homeowner. When you're dealing with a homeowner in foreclosure, make it clear that you are offering an alternative to bankruptcy. Find out whether they really understand what bankruptcy will do to their credit history and how it will affect their future.<br />
<br />
If you're serious about buying foreclosure properties, then you need to become familiar with everything that's required in the process.  Check out everything for every property you consider. These items include:<br />
<br />
- Loan and mortgage documents<br />
- Loan amount, monthly payment, and interest rate<br />
- Any outstanding taxes<br />
- Existing insurance policies<br />
- Any other liens or judgments<br />
<br />
Make sure you have enough information to complete all the necessary tasks before the foreclosure occurs. If there is not enough time, don't even bother starting. Having said that, learn as much as you can about ways to delay foreclosure, and help the homeowner to implement them all. It may just give you enough time to take over the property before the foreclosure auction.<br />
<br />
Above all, focus on creating a solution where everybody wins. It's never an easy time for the homeowner, so be prepared for plenty of anger, frustration and resentment; some of which may be directed at you. Walk away if it's obvious the person doesn't want to work with you. Find someone who is interested in finding a solution, show empathy for their situation, put together a strategy to get the best possible result for them, and before long you'll find yourself with a good portfolio of investment properties.<br />
<br />
If you want to read more about foreclosures, click over to David's site at http://www.foreclosuresonlinecentral.com . You can also access lists of seized real estate at http://www.buyingcheaphouses.info]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>Finding the Right or Wrong Credit Lenders</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Allison Thompson<br />
<br />
People will find themselves in difficult financial situations, at times. It may be because their business has not worked out and is on the verge of becoming bankrupt or it could be for personal reasons (a divorce settlement is not what it should have been).  At any time, the need for financial support is important. When faced with situations such as shown previously, a loan to help them recover is hard to find. There are many reasons why getting a loan could be difficult, it may be they have a poor credit rating or they have no equity to act as security on a loan that lenders will normally provide. However, now there are moneylenders around called &lsquo;bad credit&rsquo; lenders who can assist these people when their state of financial affairs is so dire.<br />
<br />
You will find that &lsquo;bad credit&rsquo; lenders are institutions or organizations that are able to provide loans to people who are in desperate need of financial assistance. One type of option that these kinds of lenders provide is a private loan (also known as a hard money or &lsquo;bad credit&rsquo; loan).  This type of loan does not require the borrower to have any equity, and as a result, are able to provide such loans but at an increased rate of interest.<br />
<br />
Different types of &lsquo;bad credit&rsquo; lenders exist, and banks are one source. Should you need to arrange a &lsquo;bad credit&rsquo; loan, you could first consult a bank.  Many banks require some sort of equity against the loan that you are looking for. It is advisable that you seek assistance from a bank where you have been a customer from some time. This provides the bank with a guarantee of knowing who you are and they will have full details of your banking records.<br />
<br />
If this does not work out, there are a number of companies around which also act as &lsquo;bad credit&rsquo; lenders. Such companies will provide you with a loan proposal, but be aware that they will often charge much higher rates of interest than usual.<br />
<br />
Many financial experts say that when looking for the right sort of &lsquo;bad credit&rsquo; lender, it is wise to do as much research as possible. Obtain all the information you can on each lender.  Make sure you are aware of what sort of loan programs these lenders have and what the interest rates are that they offer on their loans. After getting this information, it is wise to compare each one. See which ones suit you and the one you will not have difficulty in making repayments to.<br />
<br />
Allison Thompson, an expert author, after becoming a work from home mum, runs a small real estate company in Spain. Due to her involvement in the property market she has carried out extensive research relating to all financial matters. If you would like to learn more, please visit http://www.centrallendingservices.com.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>The 5 Biggest Customer Service Blunders Of All Time</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Paul Levesque<br />
<br />
Some businesses remain that manage to consistently deliver superior customer service year in and year out, while howls of protest over poor customer service continue to fill the air. These are the places where turbo-charged employees pursue customer delight with a passion, places that ignite a flash point of contagious enthusiasm in employees and customers alike. Foremost, to be learned from such flash point businesses are the &lsquo;blunders&rsquo; to avoid&mdash;fatal mistakes that trip up just about everybody else.<br />
<br />
First Blunder: Making Customer Service a Training Issue.<br />
<br />
Businesses of all kinds invest huge amounts in training programs that do not&mdash;and simply cannot&mdash;work. The function of this training is to identify the behaviors workers are engaging in, and then coax, bully, or legislate these behaviors into the workplace. At best, this is almost always a recipe for conduct that feels mechanized and insincere; at worst, it intensifies worker resentment and cynicism.<br />
<br />
The better approach is to give workers opportunities to brainstorm their own ideas for delivering delight, instead of dictating what workers should be doing to delight customers. Management&rsquo;s role then becomes to help employees implement these ideas, and to allow workers to savor the motivational effect of the positive feedback that ensues from delighted customers. This level of employee ownership and involvement is a &lsquo;key&rsquo; cultural characteristic of virtually all flashpoint businesses.<br />
<br />
Second Blunder: Blaming Poor Service on Employee De-motivation.<br />
<br />
Businesses looking for ways to motivate their workers almost always are looking in the wrong places. Employee cynicism is the direct product of an organization&rsquo;s visible preoccupation with self-interest above all else&mdash;a purely internal focus. The focus in flashpoint businesses is directed outward, toward the interests of customers and the community at large. This shift in cultural focus changes the way the business operates at all levels.<br />
<br />
The reality is that employees are de-motivated because they can&rsquo;t deliver delight in most business settings. The existing policies and procedures make it impossible. Instead of &ldquo;fixing&rdquo; their employees, flashpoint business set out to build a culture that unblocks them. Workers are encouraged to identify operational obstacles to customer delight, and participate in finding ways around them.<br />
<br />
Third Blunder: Using Customer Feedback to Uncover What&rsquo;s Wrong.<br />
<br />
Surveys and other feedback mechanisms are used by businesses to get to the causes of customer problems and complaints. Employees come to dread these measurements and data-gathering efforts, which often lead to what feels like witch-hunts for employee scapegoats, formal exercises in finger pointing and the assigning of blame. Flashpoint businesses use customer feedback very differently. In these organizations, the object is to uncover everything that&rsquo;s going right. Managers are forever on the lookout for &quot;hero stories&quot; - examples of employees going the extra mile to deliver delight. Such feedback becomes the basis for ongoing recognition and celebration. Employees see themselves as winners on a winning team.   In this type of workplace, there is always some new &quot;win&quot; being celebrated.<br />
<br />
Fourth Blunder: Reserving Top Recognition for Splashy Recoveries.<br />
<br />
It happens all the time; something goes terribly wrong with a customer order or transaction.   The dedicated employee goes to tremendous lengths to make things right. The delighted customer brings this employee&rsquo;s wonderful recovery to management&rsquo;s attention.  The employee receives special recognition for his or her efforts. This is a blunder?<br />
<br />
It is when such recoveries are the primary&mdash;if not the only&mdash;catalysts for employee recognition. In such a culture, foul-ups become &lsquo;almost a good thing&rsquo; from the workers&rsquo; point of view. By creating opportunities for splashy recoveries, foul-ups represent the only chance employees have to feel appreciated on the job. Attempts to correct operational problems won&rsquo;t win much support if employees see these problems as their only opportunity to shine.<br />
<br />
Flashpoint businesses celebrate splashy recoveries, of course&mdash;but they&rsquo;re also careful to uncover and celebrate employee efforts to delight customers where no mistakes or problems were involved. This makes it easier to get workers participating in efforts to permanently eliminate the sources of problems at the systems level.<br />
<br />
Fifth Blunder: Competing on Price.<br />
<br />
It is one of the most common (and most costly) mistakes in business. Price becomes the deciding factor in purchasing decisions only when everything else is equal&mdash;and everything else is almost never equal!  Businesses compete on the perception of value, which includes more than price. The total customer experience&mdash;and aspects such as &ldquo;helpfulness,&rdquo; &ldquo;friendliness,&rdquo; shapes it and &ldquo;the personal touch&rdquo; often gives the competitive advantage to businesses that actually charge slightly more for their basic goods and services.<br />
<br />
Businesses that deliver a superior total experience from the inside out (that is, as a product of a strongly customer-focused culture) are those that enjoy a long-term competitive advantage&mdash;along with virtual immunity from the kinds of headaches that plague everybody else.<br />
<br />
Customer-focus consultant Paul Levesque&rsquo;s latest book is Customer Service From The Inside Out Made Easy (Entrepreneur Press, 2006).<br />
<br />
Copyright Paul Levesque. All Rights Reserved.<br />
<br />
Paul Levesque is available for speaking engagements through http://www.keynoteresource.com 1-800-420-4155. Paul Levesque has more than 20 years' experience as an international customer-service consultant. He has helped hundreds of corporate and small business clients become more customer-focused.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>How One Person Sold One Billion Dollars Worth of Products</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Tim Sales<br />
<br />
If you want to increase the profits in your MLM Business, a good starting place is to sell more products. There are hundreds of different &quot;selling tactics&quot; being taught, but I have always found this one specific approach to work like magic.<br />
<br />
How in the world could ONE person sell a billion dollars worth of products? He knew his product...and he knew it well. The one thing that snagged my attention was &lsquo;how well he knew his product&rsquo;.<br />
<br />
Which comes first; knowledge of your product...or selling a billion dollars worth of it? Obviously, knowledge of your product comes first.<br />
<br />
This MLM training article is about the important Communication Quality called, &quot;Know what you're talking about.&quot;<br />
<br />
The MLM professional must possess a specific group of characteristics in order to truly have success in speaking with customers and selling products.<br />
<br />
I call these characteristics the 10 Communication Qualities. Being knowledgeable about these qualities and having the proper and correct MLM training to learn them, you will be amazed at how many prospects and customers will be interested in your MLM business and/or products.<br />
<br />
I watched a TV infomercial of a gentleman selling cutting knives.  I was greatly impressed with the knowledge of the sales persons&rsquo; presentation.  I could tell he knew everything one could know about his product.  <br />
<br />
I was listening intently, at the beginning, trying to find a hole in what he was talking about. The more I listened, the more I could see and hear; &lsquo;this man knows about knives&rsquo;!  <br />
He demonstrated to me why he was right.  He discussed it clearly.  Anyone could have understood it. <br />
<br />
He presented several demonstrations with his knives; everything from cutting a can in half to cutting other knives in half with his knife.  He did this without making me feel stupid for my lack of knowledge about knives.  He was not too assertive, (Communication Quality #4).  The more I watched this man, the more I realized he was using all 10 of the Communication Qualities.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Rarely have I seen all these qualities in one person.  By the way he delivered his knowledge, I could tell he had researched everything about his knives. He explained what a good knife was, told where the largest cost is in a knife, and why you (the listener) didn't need to have that in your kitchen knives. He gave a &quot;no questions asked, money back guarantee.&quot; That certainly sounded like he was &quot;interested&quot; in me. I bought the whole set of knives.<br />
<br />
I was intrigued with his charisma; I started researching him, and guess what I found? He has sold over one billion dollars worth of goods! NOT through a downline of thousands of people...or a company with hundreds or thousands of stores... he personally has sold a billion dollars worth of goods!<br />
<br />
His name is Ron Popeil. His mother and father split up when he was three. Neither parent wanted him or his brother. He grew up on the streets in the Bronx.  At 16, he visited his dad in Chicago and got a job working in a small kitchen appliance factory. Walking home one day, he passed by a place in Chicago called Maxwell Street; which is the equivalent of a dirty flea market today.<br />
<br />
The main things sold on Maxwell Street were stolen goods.  As he watched the people selling their stolen goods and the people buying them, he got an idea. The next day he bought some of the items from the appliance factory where he worked at wholesale.  He then went to Maxwell Street and sold them. As he describes it, &quot;I had never been loved as a kid - I finally found love. It was with my customers. I made a connection with them.&quot;<br />
<br />
He found out about state and county fairs...and mastered those. He volunteered to do live demonstrations inside of stores that carried the manufacturer's products. He mastered selling products &lsquo;live&rsquo; in stores, and then graduated to live television networks that sold the products. His company&rsquo;s name is Ronco. He's the man who came up with, &quot;It slices and dices... but wait, that's not all...you'll also get...&quot; and &quot;If you order now you get absolutely FREE...&rdquo; To date, he has personally sold over one billion dollars worth of products.<br />
<br />
Because he was the one working in the factory making those knives, he KNEW HIS PRODUCT!<br />
<br />
My whole interest in this was stimulated by his knowledge of knives. It was THIS quality of &quot;know what you're talking about&quot; that jumped out and grabbed my attention. When you know what you're talking about, prospects really admire it because your knowledge can help them get what they want.<br />
<br />
Your downline will also greatly admire you if you know what you're talking about...and they will follow you.  If you invent answers to their questions (instead of knowing what you're talking about); they quickly learn you will say anything (truth or not) to get them to buy the product or sign up in your downline...and they won't.<br />
<br />
You do not have to work at a manufacturer to know all about the products you are selling in your MLM business. You don&rsquo;t have to have a master's degree in nutrition to sell a nutrition product. The thing that impressed me the most was that Ron Popeil talked in such simple language that everyone could understand.<br />
<br />
He never tried to impress his audience with big words. He would say things like, &quot;The steel this knife is made out of is tough; look how tough it is&quot;, then he would demonstrate it. He didn't try to explain the difference between anodizing and case hardening.<br />
<br />
Instead, he would demonstrate for you what he wanted to communicate. It's the sign of a true communicator, to know everything about something, and to communicate it simply. Make it very easy for the prospect to make a decision.<br />
<br />
Be knowledgeable about your MLM business. Know everything there is to know about the products you sell. When you find people who can benefit from your business and/or your products, you can confidently help them get what they want. It's this kind of knowledge that really pays you in network marketing.<br />
<br />
Tim Sales helps network marketers gain the confidence and skills to be an MLM success. Discover what you must know to become a true network marketing professional. Sign up for his free MLM training newsletter and listen to free training at http://www.brilliantexchange.com.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>Make a Living in your Underwear</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Angela Bailey<br />
<br />
Bill finished college in May. It was a beautiful ceremony, and the culmination of many hard years of study. &ldquo;So what are you going to do now?&rdquo; I asked him, over a cup of coffee in a local cafe. &ldquo;Get a resume together and start looking for jobs&rdquo; he replied. That&rsquo;s the reply of about 99% of the people graduating from college. It&rsquo;s the way we are socially programmed to think. It&rsquo;s the same thing everybody else does. This doesn&rsquo;t necessarily make it the right thing to do. I believe if you have a reasonable amount of intelligence and an entrepreneurial spirit, there are far better ways to make a living. People have the attitude that I need to work hard to support my family. In my opinion, it&rsquo;s all for nothing, if you can only enjoy time with your family a small portion of your life. When I am gone, I don&rsquo;t want my kids to know me as a good provider, I want to be remembered as a good father. I cannot be a good father when I am a serving and making another person wealthy and I am never around to interact with them.<br />
<br />
Goals<br />
<br />
The first thing you need to accomplish is to set some goals for yourself, I can&rsquo;t stress enough how important goals are in your life, set personal goals and spiritual goals. Goals will give you something to shoot for. Write them down and read them everyday. Don&rsquo;t set unrealistic goals (i.e. I want to make 20,000 a month in three months). Start small young man and meet the reachable goal. Then set another one and meet that. Be specific in your goals and structure the steps to meet them; don&rsquo;t write a goal like&hellip;I want to be a millionaire. We all want to be millionaires, but we have to be a thousandaires first. There are plenty of books and articles on writing goals. Your first assignment or goal will be to write down a set of goals, the steps to reach them, and read them everyday. It will be the motivation to keep you on track.<br />
<br />
Your Passion<br />
<br />
What is your passion? What do you have or what can you create that others will pay you for? Can you create art that people would love to have hanging in their home? Can you create music that others would love to listen to? Can you write computer programs that others just can&rsquo;t live without? Can you make beautiful websites? Can you write informational articles? There are no limits, choose something that you are very passionate about that others will pay you for, and then monetize it. At first, you might have to get a job while you monetize your passion. Take baby steps to start a goal to make an additional $10.00 a month with your passion.  Once you reach it, bump it up to $50.00, keep this momentum going until you are able to quit your regular job and do your passion full-time.  Then you will be successful<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Obstacles<br />
<br />
Ponder these next seven words carefully, &ldquo;As you think, so shall you be.&rdquo;  Thoughts are things, if you think you can, then you will. If you think you can&rsquo;t, then you won&rsquo;t. Get rid of the obstacles that you have conditioned yourself to believe. It drives me crazy when you hear people sabotage themselves by blaming things that have happened in the past for the reason they cannot succeed in the future&hellip;I&rsquo;m not smart enough, I never had a chance, I was raised in the ghetto, I&rsquo;m too poor, I&rsquo;m too short, too old, too young&hellip; enough with the excuses. Quit using other people and other events for excuses why you can&rsquo;t do something or are unable to succeed; it&rsquo;s all too easy to do this. The other choice takes a little effort and in reality the person down deep inside really doesn&rsquo;t want to change or improve themselves, they just want to use excuses. Think about this parable; imagine yourself in the back of a truck riding down a dirt road. You are now standing in the bed of this truck looking out the back seeing the trail in the dirt from the tires. These tracks in the dirt are your past. Now think about what is moving the truck forward, it&rsquo;s the engine. Consider this engine as the driving force of YOU, to improve your life, to become successful. Now ask yourself, do the tracks the tires are leaving in the dirt make the truck go forward?  The answer, of course, is NO; so enough with the excuses of things that have happened in the past. It is now time to start moving forward.<br />
<br />
Residual or Passive Income<br />
<br />
When another company owns you, in other words trading your time for money, you only get paid while you are working. Wouldn&rsquo;t it be nice to make money all the time? This is the definition of passive or residual income. The simplest example of this is having money in a mutual fund drawing interest. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if you&rsquo;re sleeping, eating, playing with your kids, or whatever, you are always making money. This is what you must set in place to make a living and be able to do what you enjoy doing. Again, going back to your passion; write a software program and put it on a web site where people can pay for it and download it, so it will generate money at all times. Put some photographs on a site that people can buy, create a web site that generates a massive amount of visitors and sell your ad space. There are thousands of ways to create residual income, try them out to see which ones work for you. Generate multiple sites, put different items on them, and get rid of the ones that don&rsquo;t work, and keep and duplicate the ones that do.<br />
<br />
Success and Failure<br />
<br />
&ldquo;Before success comes in any man&rsquo;s life he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps, some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is quit. That is exactly what the majority of men do.&rdquo; - Napoleon Hill<br />
<br />
&ldquo;Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.&rdquo;- Roger Crawford<br />
<br />
&ldquo;Defeat never comes to anyone until they admit it.&rdquo;- Josephus Daniels<br />
<br />
&ldquo;Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping-stones to success.&rdquo;- Dale Carnegie<br />
<br />
Keep in mind if you are not failing, then you are not moving forward, so don&rsquo;t get discouraged, keep the &lsquo;strong will&rsquo; going and you are destined to succeed. One of the biggest fears that will go through your mind is&hellip;I don&rsquo;t have anything to offer others, maybe, getting a job is the best option for me. Don&rsquo;t fall into this line of thinking; it is part of the social programming you are accustomed to. You already know that getting a job is not the option you want to take. Don&rsquo;t listen to others who try and discourage you, &ldquo;That is crazy talk, that won&rsquo;t work, just get a job!&rdquo;  The reason so many people, including family members, try to discourage you, is that when you try to do something to better yourself, it makes others feel guilty. You&rsquo;ve heard the old saying, &lsquo;Misery Loves Company&rsquo;; they try to discourage you. Learn to trust your Intuition, even if the whole world is telling you it can&rsquo;t be done. Years from now, when you look back as a successful Work at Home entrepreneur, you will be grateful you had the intestinal fortitude to stay on the straight and narrow and become a success.<br />
<br />
Angela Bailey lives in Houston, TX with her 4-year-old son. She does freelance writing and Internet Marketing for a living. Her hobbies include Yoga, Meditation, and Cooking. Angela's Blog lists legitimate work from home opportunities go to http://findworkfromhome.com.<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>The Religion On NLP</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By People Building<br />
<br />
I find it fascinating that as people, we are drawn to the idea of being part of something bigger than ourselves. We want to find unity and yet still be unique. We want to have similarities but not be the same.<br />
<br />
For me, religion is a classic example of where people can find unity and common ground, or common beliefs. A couple of weeks ago, I tried out the whole religion thing. I've not been bought up in a religious family, nor was my school particularly religious- although we sang hymns such. Prayer time was more of an opportunity to sit with my eyes half shut whilst sneakily looking around to see who was genuinely into this praying malarkey, and then usually discovering that the rest of the school was doing the same.<br />
<br />
So this was my experience. My boyfriend has been bought up in a very religious family and for him, popping off to church for the evening, was probably equated to the ease at which I could pop off to the pub. But church for me was quite an event, so I took the plunge one week and went with him.<br />
<br />
We got fed (great!) and it was cheap (very great!), but I have to say I was quite surprised to see a bunch of Christian grandma's dishing out rice and vegetables, with a decent sized lump of chicken breast on each plate. &ldquo;That's funny&rdquo;, I thought, &ldquo;They've managed to get God&rsquo;s permission to eat his creatures. There must be some sort of arrangement, where they spread his love and he lets them know it's ok to eat chicken&rdquo;. Still I know that Jesus ate fish and if it's good enough for him&hellip;.<br />
<br />
After the food, the vicar got up and did a presentation about Jesus and how we can know that he really existed. It was a good presentation. The vicar was quite charismatic and pretty funny, too. Afterwards, we sat at our tables having a chat about what the vicar had talked about. It seemed all the regulars were pretty sold on what the vicar had said. I felt like a troublemaker by throwing some new ideas into the agenda. It's not that I didn't believe that Jesus walked the earth, in my opinion, he probably did. But I don't think he was the only smart spiritual being to have ever set foot on our planet. There's a lot of convincing stuff about other religious folk from other religions. This concept wasn't welcomed I found. Now, don't get me wrong, they were a nice bunch and no one accused me of being in cahoots with the devil, when I told them that I'm a hypnotist (although that has happened since!) When they began to discuss the power of prayer, and I linked this to a higher consciousness rather than a higher being, I knew I was pushing my luck.<br />
<br />
Life is filled with possibilities, all the time in everything that you ever do or say. You have an abundance of other possibilities you can take. How then, could anything you ever do, be wrong or sinful? Would someone so great, powerful and majestic as God really spend his time watching a DVD of each of us throughout our entire lives, ready to place judgment on us when our time is up, and tell us if we're spending the rest of eternity in his kingdom or in the fiery furnace of hell?  That's a tough call.  How would He ever decide? Some people have done some really bad stuff, but they might have done it with a positive intention.<br />
<br />
You're probably guessing by now that I am in no way qualified to speak about religion. I don't claim to be, but bear with me.<br />
<br />
My other concern for a long time has been that there are a lot of good people in the world. Surely then, heaven must be suffering from over crowding, not least from the vast array of rabbits, hamsters, and goldfish I've had over the years, that my nan told me had all gone to heaven when they'd popped their clogs. I guess there are dead architects up there, god must have gotten them to create a high rise building like they have in China. Especially since Jesus said that the entire kingdom of heaven is smaller than the mustard seed.<br />
<br />
If you were married and your partner died, then you met someone else and got married again, which partner do you end up spending the rest of eternity with when you die?<br />
<br />
In my confusion, I decided to relate what I'd learned to the presuppositions of NLP, since they have for me for the last few years, been my bible.<br />
<br />
This is what I came up with.<br />
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Everyone has a unique model of the world. This could mean that what you absolutely believe to be true is true, (for you at least), so if one person has absolute belief in god, then he exists, and if someone else believes that he doesn't then, for that person, he doesn't.<br />
<br />
The map is not the territory. In quantum physics, the whole contains the part and the part contains the whole. In the same way that an apple contains a part, which is just a seed, the seed contains all the information required growing into a tree and creating further apples. So I could be god (it has been said!) at the quantum level. When I die the tiniest quantum part of me that remains, could be god, who has the power to create further things.<br />
<br />
The meaning of all behavior is dependent upon the context it exists in. This might means that there is no judgment at death.<br />
<br />
All behavior has a positive intention and everyone one is doing the best that they can with the resources that they have available. No hell maybe?<br />
<br />
Everyone has all the resources they need to succeed and to achieve their desired outcome. Knock and the door shall be opened unto you.<br />
<br />
There is no failure only feedback. My flesh and my heart may fail, but god is my strength forever.<br />
<br />
I'd never thought about NLP as a spiritual tool before, more as a series of change techniques, but this ever-evolving subject continually inspires me to take on new perspectives in my life. I'm thinking now about starting up a spiritual group- no not a cult! - Something where people can meet together and discuss their ideas about the meaning of life, etc. It will probably create more questions than answer, but what's the harm in that. When we think we know the answer to something, we become cut off from all of the other possible answers. When we have only questions, we also have the wealth of possible answers - you might like to call that confusion! Possibilities create many opportunities. I suppose the one thing that I discovered about my introduction to religion, is that sometimes religion is about stating what you can and can't do, say or believe, how you should or shouldn't behave, and this could limit life's opportunities. I'd like to be part of something that is open to limitless possibilities of being. I think that that's the way god would like me to be.<br />
<br />
Welcome to People Building, a self-development company dedicated to inspiring growth, progression and better results in your life. The mind, body and human behaviour have fascinated us for many years now. It is our privilege to present to you authentic NLP and Hypnosis training for the betterment of your skills in Business, Education, Therapy and many other areas. Our unique trainings have been designed as one of the most innovative trainings available in the NLP field of learning. We will never cease to evolve, and it gives me great pleasure, to invite you with us on this epic adventure.<br />
<br />
http://www.peoplebuilding.co.uk<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>Are Leaders Born Or Made?</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Wally Bock<br />
<br />
For centuries people have debated whether leaders are born or made. Several decades ago researchers started trying to answer this question. The debate goes on, even though we know the answer.<br />
<br />
It turns out to be a little of both. Leaders are &lsquo;sort of&rsquo; born and they are always made. Knowing the details will help you develop effective leaders for your company.<br />
<br />
Leaders are &lsquo;Sort of&rsquo; Born<br />
<br />
There's only one thing a person needs to actually be born with in order to be a leader later in life; that is intelligence. A leader needs to be smart.<br />
<br />
Effective leaders are not necessarily the smartest people in the room, or the company, or even on the team. They have to be smart enough to do the job they are assigned.<br />
<br />
The kind of person the potential leader is when he or she becomes an adult is very important. The person who emerges from adolescence into young adulthood has the psychological and character traits they'll demonstrate for the rest of their life. Some of those characteristics matter for leadership.<br />
<br />
By the time a person reaches adulthood, we can tell if they know how to help other people achieve results. That, after all, is what we expect leaders to do. We expect them to achieve success through a group. We expect them to help their subordinates grow and develop.<br />
<br />
When a person becomes an adult, we can tell if they want to achieve objectives or if they just want to go along and take it easy. We expect leaders to be responsible for achieving results. You can have a marvelous life without a results focus; however, if you're going to lead successfully, you have to have the drive and willingness to be measured by the results of your leadership.<br />
<br />
Upon reaching adulthood, we can tell if they are willing to make decisions or not. Lots of people wake up every day and let the world happen to them. Leaders must be able and willing to make decisions that affect themselves and others.<br />
<br />
When achieving adulthood, we can tell if they have the basic qualities that we expect leaders to have. We can determine if they're smart enough to do the job. We can tell if they are willing to help others to achieve results as a group. We can tell if they will make decisions.<br />
<br />
Those things are essential. People who have those qualities can learn the multiple skills it takes for them to become effective leaders.<br />
No one emerges from the womb or from adolescence with all the skills in place to be an effective leader, no matter how they measure up on the key essentials. Everybody has to learn the job. That's why leaders are always made.<br />
<br />
Leaders are Always Made<br />
<br />
Leadership can be learned by anyone with the basics. There is a lot to leadership that cannot be taught.<br />
<br />
Leadership is an apprentice trade. Leaders learn about 80 percent of their craft on the job.<br />
<br />
They learn from watching other leaders and emulating their behavior. They choose role models and seek out mentors. They ask other leaders how to handle situations.<br />
<br />
Leaders improve by obtaining feedback and using it. The best leaders seek feedback from their boss, their peers, and their subordinates. They modify their behavior so they are able to obtain better results.<br />
<br />
Leaders learn by trying things out and then critiquing their performance. The only failure they recognize is the &lsquo;failure to learn from experience&rsquo;.<br />
<br />
In their book, Geeks and Geezers, Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas identify the special power of what they call &quot;crucibles.&quot; These are trials that teach hard lessons which leaders use as the basis of their strength in later crises. Many of these events can be called &quot;failures,&quot; but leaders turn the bad situation to good by learning from it.<br />
<br />
Effective leaders take control of their own development. They seek out training opportunities that will make a difference in their performance.<br />
<br />
Effective leaders look for training programs that will help them develop specific skills they can use on the job. Then, when they return to work, they devote specific, deliberate effort to mastering in real life what they have learned in the classroom.<br />
<br />
Marshall Goldsmith and Howard Morgan studied the progress of 88,000 managers who had been to leadership development training. The people who returned from the training, talked about it, and did the deliberate learning applications, were judged as becoming more effective leaders. The ones, who didn't, showed no improvement.<br />
<br />
If you're responsible for leadership development for your company, you should structure your support for your leaders to recognize that most leadership learning happens &lsquo;on the job&rsquo;. Help people develop leadership development plans. Help them select specific skills training.  Then work on transferring skills from the training to the job. Help them find role models, mentors and peers to discuss leadership issues.<br />
<br />
Help your leaders get feedback from their boss, peers and subordinates. Work to create the culture of candor that will make that feedback helpful and effective.<br />
<br />
Don't stop there. Make sure you evaluate your leaders on their leadership work. Reward them.  Hold them accountable for accomplishing the mission through the group. Hold them accountable for caring for their people and helping them grow and develop.<br />
<br />
A Leader's Growth is Never Done<br />
<br />
Leadership learning is a lifetime activity. You are never done. There's always more to learn. There are always skills you need to improve.<br />
<br />
Effective leaders seek out development opportunities to help them learn new skills. These might be project assignments or job changes. This develops knowledge and skills that can be used elsewhere.<br />
<br />
Effective leaders seek out opportunities that will increase their visibility. Great performances alone will not propel you to the top in your career. You also have to be visible to people who make decisions about promotions and assignments.<br />
<br />
If you are responsible for developing leaders in your company, set up programs to give your leaders both kinds of development opportunities over the course of their careers.<br />
<br />
There is no magic formula for developing quality leaders in your company. By selecting potential leaders with the essential traits, supporting them with training, feedback, on-the-job learning, developmental experiences, and holding them accountable for results, you will have the leaders you need to shape your company's future.<br />
<br />
Wally Bock is an author, speaker, and coach who help leaders improve the performance and morale of their teams. Wally is the author of Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership (http://www.performancetalk.com/) and the Three Star Leadership Blog (http://blog.threestarleadership.com/).<br />]]></description>
<link>http://miraclemoneyblog.com/homebiztips/HomeBusinessTips_CNa_110/user/index.php</link>
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<title>The Humility Advantage - How Less Ego Creates More Sales</title>
<description><![CDATA[<br />
<br />
By Jeff Mowatt<br />
<br />
See if this applies to you or the team members in your organization: You've been working in your industry for several years. Your responses to requests from customers, prospects and co-workers are fast and accurate. You know your stuff and your product k