joom's Blog

Facebook isn’t exactly the be-all, end-all for small business internet marketing, but it sure doesn’t hurt to start using it. Why? Because social networking sites like mySpace and Facebook are the models for the internet marketing of the future. Once consumers get used to using social networking sites, they will be prepared for personalized business networking. Imagine that you are handling internet marketing for a small business. You’re not, of course, going to take over the world by creating communities on existing social networking sites, but what if you could build your own social business network targeting your own community or niche? By that time most people will be old pros at building profiles, finding communities of common interest, and sharing pertinent videos and articles. So get started now so you’re not left behind. Here are 11 ways to do that:

1. Join Facebook: The only way you’re going to learn how to replicate a social networking site is to familiarize yourself with how they work. Use the Friend Finder feature to find people you already know with Facebook accounts. Join some groups to learn how people interact on social networking sites. Post some video clips and articles that interest you to see how others respond. You might even find that Facebook allows you to make business contacts you would never met in real life.

2. Join mySpace: mySpace users tend to be musicians and teenagers, but it will help you learn how to market yourself beyond your own website.

3. Subscribe to 10 Blogs: Open an account using an RSS reader and subscribe to 10 blogs about social networking and blogs that relate to your industry. Check your account every day to read the new content

4. Comment on Those Blogs: This is as simple as social networking gets. People get to know you and what you do, and you get more traffic to your own site!

5. Open a LinkedIn Account: LinkedIn has been dubbed “Facebook for Businesses” because it allows you to connect with businesspeople in your niche.

6. Open a Twitter Account: Twitter is a scaled down version of blogging. Essentially, it allows you to type 160 characters about what you’re doing at the moment. It seems a little silly, but many folks are using it, and opening your own account will allow you to gain some insight about how it might be helpful for you as you market your own business.

7. Use Workbench: Workbench is an example of personalized business networking. Since we’ve already said that such sites will be common in the future, why not spend some time now seeing just how they might work?

8. Open a StumbleUpon Profile: This social networking site allows you to build communities based on the websites that you like. If yours happens to be one that many users like, you can get a lot of traffic to your site.

9. Check Out Ning: This is a social networking site that lets you create a community that you can brand to match your own business.

10. Digg It: Digg users vote on website content that they think is most important, and it allows you to stay current with what’s happening in the business world.

11. Visit Squidoo, Flickr, and Mixx: See if any of those sites would be appropriate for building niche communities related to your business or product.

No one can predict with personalized business networks will become the norm for internet marketing, but it’s worth your time and effort now to learn how to use the social networking sites upon which the personalized business networks will be based. And don’t forget that an SEO expert can help you make a plan for getting your business involved in personalized business networks.

Property conveyancing

Conveyancing is the transfer of property titles from the present owner to someone else. The process includes an exchange of contracts (equitable title passes) and the completion stage (legal title passes).

In England & Wales, this process is usually undertaken on behalf of the property buyer & sellers by a conveyancing solicitor (or property solicitor) although it is possible to undertake the process yourself. Under English & Welsh law, agreements are not considered legally binding until contracts have been exchanged. This can result in wasted expense & effort if either buyer or seller pulls out prior to exchange. In order to minimise this, Home Information Packs have been introduced (since August 2007) as a means of the property seller providing the information & thus saving the buyer the expense of undertaking local authority searches etc.

It is recommended to engage a solicitor who is regulated by The Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Costs & fees

Solicitor’s fees can vary although are considered to be quite competitive in comparison to those charged in some other countries. Many will work on a fixed fee basis with additional charges to cover items such as BACS transfer fees and local authority searches.

Timescales

The process of property conveyancing will usually take up to 3 months depending on a number of factors which can include agreement to existing covenants, production of necessary guarantees for works undertaken (such as damp courses etc) and planning permission for extensions and release of funds by mortgage providers etc.

Gazumping

As acceptance of offers are not legally binding until the exchange of contracts, the act known as gazumping can occur when the property's seller withdraws from the sale process to accept a different (usually higher) offer from a 3rd party. More recently, the underhand practise of gazundering has developed which is the method of the buyer demanding a reduced price at the latter stages of buying a property. When the owner accepts the offer on a property, the buyer will usually not yet have commissioned a building survey nor will the buyer have yet had the opportunity to perform recommended legal checks. The offer to purchase is made "subject to contract" and thus, until written contracts are exchanged either party can pull out at any time. It can take as long as 10-12 weeks for formalities to be completed, and if the seller is tempted by a higher offer during this period it leaves the buyer disappointed and out-of-pocket.

Conveyancing in Scotland

The process of conveyancing works somewhat differently in Scotland than in England & Wales - primarily because contracts are exchanged at a much earlier stage of the process after the initial offer and once this is accepted by the seller, is legally binding. The contract is formed by missives which are letters between the solicitor on behalf of the buyer and seller of the property. Normally the contract is conditional on matters such as the seller being able to prove they are legally able to sell the property.

This method of early stage contracts means that gazumping is much rarer in Scotland than in England & Wales.

Are you one of those people living on your tips? It may seem hard to believe that some people do it, but it is possible. Of course you need to be working in a location that gets a ton of customers all the time. It is hard to earn very much in tips if you aren’t getting a steady flow of customers.

You don’t have to work at a high priced resort or restaurant either. You do need to know your job inside and out though and you do need to enjoy working with people. You definitely need to be able to effectively communicate with all types of people. If you are genuine in your efforts you will certainly earn more in tips than the other people you work with.

The service industry often is an area where customers feel something is lacking. They want the special treatment no matter where they are out. Eating out is a luxury for many people so they expect it to be a worthwhile experience. They expect the wait staff to be on top of things from the moment they walk in the door. Now we all know that there are glitches. The food may take a while to prepare or it simply doesn’t taste good.

If you are living on your tips though how do you address such a situation? Easy, you take control of it immediately. You need to accept responsibility for the problem and do all you can to make it right with the customer. Some people are able to earn big tips just by being a good listener. At the end of the night a good bartender can walk away with some serious cash to show for his ability to listen to what is bothering those that approach the bar.

Living on your tips isn’t always easy though, and that is definitely true right now with such hard economic times upon us. Consumers seem to be spending less and less on extras due to the rising cost of other things. If you are out there in the job market you already know that is a tight situation too. Don’t overlook jobs where you may be able to make some tips though.

Even though your actual paycheck may not be anything to brag about, the tips coming in can more than compensate for it. The good thing is that you always have money in between paydays. You will have the change to wash your laundry, money for lunch, and always money to fill up your gas tank. That is definitely a perk of working at a job where you can make tips.

If you aren’t making as much as you would like to though take a serious look at your approach. Find ways in which you can make the occasion more enjoyable for all guests and they will make sure you are well compensated for your efforts. While the work won’t always be easy, knowing you are earning enough to pay your bills will help you get through those tough situations that arise.

Thousands are getting rich on the internet..........So you can!

SFI is a division of Carson Services, Inc., headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska USA. Founded in 1985, Carson Services has a long and successful track record in the publishing and network-marketing industries.

We are a longtime member of the Better Business Bureau serving Southern Nebraska, as well as members of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce.

SFI was launched in 1998. Today, with tens of thousands of affiliates in over 200 countries, it is believed to be the largest affiliate network in the world.

SFI's unprecedented success has been largely attributed to the unique makeup of its affiliate program—a hybrid combination of the best parts of traditional direct sales and network marketing, combined with the technological advantages of the Internet. Highly automated, SFI's expansive core computer system processes thousands of requests a day, around the clock, from around the world.

SFI is revolutionizing the way companies market their products and services. With its enormous base of independent affiliates, SFI has the power to reach tens of millions of consumers and businesses worldwide. SFI affiliates can also aggressively target niche markets with high market penetration.

If you are the prime source of a product or service that could benefit from SFI's "marketing muscle," you may submit an overview of your product/service at http://www.carsonsi.com/sfimg/proposal.html.

Carson Services, Inc. and SFI's founder is Gery Carson. Gery's success as a entrepreneur has been told in Money Makers Monthly, Upline, Opportunity World Magazine, and in several books and videos. He has authored several best-selling marketing tools and has been featured as an expert guest on live call-in radio shows. Gery was selected to the 1992 Outstanding Young Men of America list and 1997's Who's Who in the Media and Communications.

There's nothing more powerful than people working together towards a common goal. It's called synergy and it creates amazing results! You see, it doesn't matter how intelligent, rich, energetic, or dynamic you are—we are all limited to the same 24 hours a day. By working as a TEAM, however, you can overcome this limitation. SFI's Team Network makes it possible to have dozens, hundreds, even thousands of people all working indirectly on your behalf on their time ' and receive a cut of everything they do.

Building a network also builds security into your business. Why? In most traditional businesses, what happens if you become ill or disabled and are unable to service your customers? Or perhaps you just want to take a vacation? Whatever the case, you could lose most, if not all, of your income overnight because it relies on your being there. That's not owning your own life, and that's certainly not financial freedom.

With SFI, however, you can create total financial freedom for yourself. With your own team of independent business people, you no longer have all your eggs in one basket. On the contrary, because each person on your team has a vested interest in continuing and building their own businesses, you create an income that is non-dependent upon you – an income that can continue, even grow, indefinitely, with or WITHOUT you.

What Others Are Saying

"SFI has provided me with the tools I need to reach my financial goals. They have been very supportive whenever I needed help. This company is full of successful opportunities, and I am proud to be an affiliate. "

Steven B. Bennett
VI, UNITED STATES MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS

"SFI is is an EXELLENT opportunity! The best thing is that you're NOT alone! People at SFI WANT to help us succeed!"

Richard Cox
SC, UNITED STATES

"I have been seriously marketing Internet opportunities for a few months now. In that time, I have researched dozens of companies. SFI is simply the most powerful and productive!"
R. Louch
ON, CANADA

"No other company is comparable to SFI. It's easy to implement and is affordable. They have the resources and products necessary to build a very profitable home-based business."
L. Hathorn
OK, USA

"I've involved myself with several online businesses, and SFI is by far the best of all. I don't think anyone could go wrong with the superior training and support that SFI freely offers to their affiliates. And the products are great too."
R. Riney
AR, USA

"SFI ROCKS!! I just started and got a look at the SFI Website and was amazed. SFI, you rule!!!"
K. Allyn
TX, USA

"Gery Carson [SFI founder] is the best in his field that I've ever seen. Don't give it a second thought about signing-up for SFI. The program does ALL that it promises and more."
A. Hinkley
MI, USA

"I've been in network marketing for a very long time and thought I had seen it all. SFI is the most incredible and absolutely best system I have ever seen to become financially free while helping other people do the same"
M. Drummer
CO, USA

Affiliate Marketing is attractive to both the newbie and the advanced internet business person alike. Here are 7 very good reasons why this is so.

1. Low Cost/Low Risk

Many people are afraid to start up a home based business because of the capital they think they will require. In affiliate marketing, you don't have to spend much to get started. You do need to budget for advertising but you can accomplish a great deal through free article marketing.

2. No Inventories Required

If it is a physical product you are promoting, the merchant is responsible for the inventory, storage, management, shipping, etc. If it is a digital product, again the merchant/owner is responsible for the online delivery and follow-up. You simply attract the potential buyer with your pre-sell (landing) page and send them on to the merchant's salespage. It is advisable to have the visitors give you their name and email address so you build your own list of potential customers.

3. No Customer Support Required

As an affiliate, once the sale is made, any customer support is provided by the merchant. Choose a merchant carefully, noting the number of refunds that occur. Refunds, of course, directly impact your income.

4. Unlimited income

When you have a paid job, your income mainly relies on your hourly – or monthly wage. It relies on the number of hours you work. With affiliate marketing it relies on how many of the millions of surfing people happen to open your website, click to the product and make a purchase. If you decide to produce your own product and have an affiliate management program, you can have an army of affiliates promoting your product, leading visitors to your sales page with ads and banners you provide. The sky’s the limit!

5. Global Market

The world is your oyster. You can live in Florida and sell your products to someone in Sri Lanka. If it is a digital product, say an e-book, you have no shipping or mailing costs. It’s magic!

6. Your Business is Open 24/7

With affiliate marketing, your business works every single second of the day and you don’t have to have round-the-clock staffing. In fact, you don’t have to have any staff at all.

7. You Can Work the Hours You Want

You are your own boss and, with an internet connection, you can work wherever you wish, e.g. a beach in the Caribbean.

But all of these benefits will be wasted unless you:

• pick an in-demand product in a niche market where people are willing to spend money

• find a merchant who has a good converting sales page and pays an attractive commission

• have a squeeze page that does a good job of pre-selling your visitors

• have your squeeze page optimized for the search engines using the keywords people are using to search the internet.

• have links coming into your web page (squeeze page). You can get these from the articles you submit which have your web page address in the resource box. The more articles you submit, the more links back to your web page.

• have ads in an Adwords program and in ezines that attract people to click to go to your squeeze page.

Here’s to your success.