jturnrich's BlogArchive March 2008
by Lesley Spencer, MSc; Founder & President HBWM.com Inc. One of the most common obstacles many home-based working moms face is trying to start or run a new business on a limited budget. The first few years of a business are usually the hardest financially. Some moms leave full-time careers and substantial salaries to start a new business. Others start a home business as stay-at-home moms wanting additional income to support their family as well as a professional outlet to balance their diaper-changing days. In either case, starting and running a home-based business takes money. How much money, will depend partly on you and the type of business you choose to run. Below are our top 10 tips to save you and your home business money: 1. Do your own market research by talking to potential clients or customers. Many new home business owners skip this step only to come back to it later (or wish they had). Those who start businesses without doing any type of research risk the possibility that their target market doesn't need or want their particular product or service. The competition may be too fierce. There may not be enough potential customers to support the business. Or the product isn't priced correctly. It is just as important not to price your product too low as it is not to price it too high. Talk to others in similar businesses as yours to see how much they charge and what they offer for that price. 2. Team up with other non-competitive businesses that target the same market to do some co-marketing. For example, desktop publishers and print shops can do a direct mail campaign together advertising both of their services or buy an ad in a local publication and split the costs. Neither is in competition with the other. They also can hand out business cards or flyers for one another as well as give word-of-mouth referrals. It's a great way to double one's marketing efforts while splitting any advertising costs. 3. When you have a satisfied customer, don't be afraid to ask for referrals. People like to help others especially new businesses trying to succeed. Show pride in your work and people are sure to notice. And when they do, ask if they know any others you can send a brochure or sample to. Another great way to encourage referrals is to offer a discount or special offer for any customers who are referred to you. 4. Barter or trade your services for other products or services you need. Associations and organizations are not only great places to network; they are also great for finding businesses that offer services and products you need. Look for businesses you could help with your product or service and offer to barter or trade for theirs. (Be sure to check with your tax professional for tax issues involving bartering and trading.). Diana Ennen of Virtual Word Publishing(http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com) has found bartering her virtual assisting coaching has allowed her to get web design work done, PR work out, proofing of assignments and much more. It's a win/win for all. 5. Find another home-based working mom to swap babysitting with. All home-based working moms need some dedicated time to work on their business tasks. By swapping with another mom, both can work on their businesses without adding to their childcare costs. 6. When buying new office equipment, go to a place that offers a low-price guarantee. You can save time and money by shopping at places that will refund any difference in price if you find the product cheaper elsewhere. 7. If you are looking for computer equipment, consider buying used equipment. Look in the classifieds and talk to others that may know someone looking to upgrade. Ask for warranty information and make sure the machine is in good working condition. Also take a look at the computer companies offering refurbished machines. Some are priced accordingly and usually come with some type of warranty. 8. Send postcards for direct mail solicitation. They are cheaper to print and less expensive to mail. Another advantage is that they are more likely to be read since they take no effort to open. 9. If you hire sales help, pay by commission only so you only spend money if you make money. A salesperson can increase your sales without adding any up-front fees or salaries. 10. Use pre-printed design papers for letterhead, brochures and business cards if you only need a small amount. The papers can be found at most large office supply stores, and they are great for new businesses trying to get started on a small budget. These money-saving ideas should help with your budget but new business owners also need plenty of drive and determination to succeed. It takes time to develop and grow a business so be patient and give it all you've got! About the Author Lesley Spencer is founder and president of the HBWM.com Network
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Cancer is the second leading cause of death in North America (after heart and other cardiovascular diseases) and breast cancer is among the leading causes of death among women. Cancer prevention, not cancer research or cure, is therefore a top priority for all women. Of known cancer causes, smoking tobacco accounts for about a third of the cases and diet is blamed for another 30-50 per cent, although the relationship between food and cancer is hazier than for tobacco and there are no pat answers. But "prevention" may simply not be possible. If it is, and there is some evidence that change of diet and occupation (reduced stress levels) in combination with a special herbal dietary supplement may be effective in preventing some types of cancer in women, so much the better. If it isn't, the alternative is early detection and surgery. But not just surgery, surgery in combination with other treatments which may include any or all of chemotherapy, radiation, lymphectomy, tamoxaphen (tamoxifen, and a new replacement called Arimidex which may have frightening side effects) and even radical mastectomy (complete breast removal). Mammograms may be painful. All reports indicate that they are. However, the alternative, breast cancer left long enough to detect by conventional means (pain, lumps, etc) is virtually always resultant in radical mastectomy, chemotherapy and often in death. Check this web site for basic information on cancer, breast cancer, side effects, etc. My wife has had 10 tumors removed from her breasts. The first two, in the late 1980's, and the last two (1 each breast each occurrence), about 1996-7, were benign. The six in between (four in the right breast, two in the left breast) were malignant. Although the diagnosis of breast cancer is a devastating experience, most women face up to and cope well with it. In fact, studies show that many respond with renewed vigour and enjoyment of life and stronger interpersonal ties. But there is an inevitable period of adjustment, usually improved by knowing as much as possible about the disease. My wife has been “free of cancer” for well over 8 years, but at her last mammogram checkup, in Jan ‘05, they discovered a growth they could not otherwise account for and wanted to do another biopsy-type lump removal. This inevitably raises the heady and frightening spectre of “cancer” once again. As I began to write, this “ectomy” was still in our future, the results and reactions were also “still in our future”. We’ve been there, several times, but that didn’t make a diagnosis of malignancy any easier, any less emotionally stressful, even though the “period of adjustment” was eased somewhat. So after 8-9 years cancer free she was diagnosed in January, 2005 with another lump and it was removed in early April, 2005. Yes, it was malignant, but, in the doctor’s words, it was a “friendly” tumor. Our “period of adjustment” has been much easier this time around. My mother had a radical left-breast mastectomy when she was about 77-78. She lived another 11-12 years cancer free. At what age am I most at risk for breast cancer? Actually, most at risk is probably after 40. But breast cancer has occurred in teenagers. I'm not sure if it occurs in pre-teens? Breast cancer is extremely rare but not unknown in men, also. The age group most at risk of dying of breast cancer is the younger women because "I'm too young to have breast cancer" and so the warning signs are ignored until it is too late. What are the causes of breast cancer? There are many. They include stress, diet and lifestyle, and genetic tendencies (inherited). What are the methods of detection of breast cancer? Intermittent or continuous breast pain or breast discomfort for no apparent reason should be quickly investigated. "Feeling" a "lump" or "hard spot" in one's breast should also be quickly investigated. But the best "early detection" method remains, as painful as it may be, a mammogram. My sweetie has had 7 malignant lumps successfully removed from her breasts (four from the right, three from the left) as well as 4 benign lumps (2 each breast), all detected by mammogram. Had she not had those mammograms she would long since have died of breast cancer; as it is, she also still has both breasts (slightly reduced in size). How do we prevent breast cancer? The first thing is to eliminate undue stress. This may require a radical lifestyle change and could hinge upon something as simple as running one's household in a period of low income - just making ends meet! The next step is to make certain one's diet is not counter-productive to a cancer-free existence. A regular program of exercise, such as walking a mile or two a day, every day, is beneficial (golf is excellent exercise). Finally, an herbal dietary supplement taken as a preventive may be beneficial? However, even doing all of the above is no assurance one will not develop breast cancer. So make sure you get your mammogram. Disclaimer: This article in no way should be taken as “medical advice” on any product, condition or course of action, nor does it constitute in any way “medical advice” endorsing any specific product, specific result, nor any possible cure for any condition or problem. This article is meant as a source of information upon which you may base your decision as to whether or not you should begin using any vitamin, mineral and/or herbal supplement for better health, or begin using a “greens” product as a dietary supplement. If in doubt, or if you have questions, you should consult your physician and, if possible, consult a second physician for a possible different opinion. The author does not bear any responsibility for your decisions nor for the outcome of your actions based upon those decisions. About the Author Loring Windblad has studied nutrition and exercise for more than 40 years, is a published author and freelance writer. http://www.organicgreens.us
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Pure Truth About ‘All Natural’ Products & Other Beauty Myths Myth: "All Natural" Beauty Products Are Best Pure Truth: First of all, there are not really any ‘all natural’ products available for commercial sale. Unless you make them yourself, and are prepared to refrigerate them & use them within a few days, you really can’t find any. This is because, just as in food products, the ingredients are perishable. Just think what would happen to a jar of ’natural’ ingredients sitting on your vanity... The smell alone would keep me from opening the lid, let alone touching it! So beauty products, like foods, use preservatives to give them added shelf time. When you buy products, they have to last through storage with the company, shipping and still have some time left for you to use them. As for the term ‘natural’ it is not even regulated. This means any company can call their product natural, no matter what it contains. Myth: Chemicals Are Bad For Your Skin Pure Truth: Not all chemicals are bad for your skin. Just as medicines are chemical or synthetic versions of medicinal plants, so the science of chemistry brings us beauty products. Many natural ingredients have been re-created in synthetic form for ease of use & distribution, which can also make them cheaper to supply. Myth: Product Packaging Does Nothing But Add To The Price Pure Truth: Many people believe there is no importance to the packaging of beauty products, that the bottles and jars are just made ’neat looking’ in order to make us buy the products. This can be true, but with some of the ’new’ beauty ingredients, packaging has a much larger, more important role. Some ingredients are considered unstable, meaning they are affected by sunlight and air exposure. For those ingredients, like retinol and some antioxidants, the packaging is a big deal. If you want to get some use of what you paid for, look for packaging that limits the products exposure. This may mean a dark colored container, or those similar to pharmaceutical products. Myth: Buying Beauty Products Is a Gamble Pure Truth: If you want to avoid buying products that simply don’t work, being an educated consumer is your best bet. For the best information on cosmetics ingredients in the US, go to the http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-prd.html, the FDA site. This site also has information on labeling & label claims. There are also several websites with product reviews, done by independent consumers, just like you. The best sites will post the reviewers’ information, so you can get an idea if the reviewer’s skin type, age etc. is similar to your own. Two review sites are http://www.cosmeticconnection.com and http://www.emakemeup.com/reviewboard/cgi-bin/main.cgi. You may also try the various message boards devoted to beauty. These boards are a great place to get information on new products or companies before you buy. And reputable companies will allow exchanges and refunds. If the company you are considering doesn’t, look for another... In the competitive beauty game, you can always find a company that is more like to cover your bet. Deanna Ferber is President of GlamKitty, a cosmetics and skin care company dedicated to helping Busy Women with 9 Lives find their own Tabby Chic (tm). Take a ’paws’ in your day at http://glamkitty-beauty.com
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How to blog to make money from it?
Truly the whole picture of making money blogging is simple:you blog (B), traffic comes to your blog (T), you PREsell to them (P) and finally monetize (M). You may ask me "I have blog and peoples are coming. I need to know how to monetize, though not sure about what the PREsell means. So, tell me how to monetize, NOW." Understandable request. But before you rush into monetization, there is something you must take care of, otherwise you'll rush in vain. I read some articles talking about "how to monetize or in what way can you make money from your blog." They were OK and nothing was wrong. But most of them were missing one thing, very important one. If you have a lot of traffic, say 10,000 visitors a day, you may need to focus only for how to monetize. And the way of monetization is simple, something like placing banner, affiliate text link, Google Adsense, (listed a few) on your blog page. What you have to realize is that "B--T--P--M" is really STEP-by-STEP. Monetizing will work only when you make a good success in previous three STEPS (B--T--P) What blog can make money? The answer is Any Kind! So, the right question should be "what blog can make more money?" The answer is Well Prepared Blog! :-) What to prepare? Why not just posting? If you want to just blog and you don't care things to prepare, maybe you're not serious about making money from your blog. Otherwise, please read on. First, I want to say this, "DON'T BLOG unless you know what you're going to blog!" By this, I don't mean only conclusion of you blog. Before you blog, sit back from your keyboard and take a time to answer following 3 questions: 1. About what topic am I going to write? Are many people want to know about that topic? 2. With that topic, what product or link am I gonna introduce? 3. And how am I gonna do that? What do I have in mind about those questions? 1. About topic, I'll do a little bit of research before I write. Have you heard about "keyword research"? There are free tools fit for keyword research. Not only for blog but for any kind of writings, if Internet is involved, I do keyword research first. For example, for this article, I took a little bit of time to find what kind of keyword people are using when they want to look for information about how to make money from blog. And I found people are using "make money blogging." This keyword research has two fold benefit. One is that it helps you fine what kind of topic people want to read. The other is that by using these keyword you'll have better chance to be positioned high in search engine result page. 2. About question 2, I'm thinking about what monetization method I'm going to use. Am I going to introduce an affiliate program, a book or place Adsense? 3. The purpose of asking question 3 was to emphasize the word "PREsell". In blogging, though you want to sell something or want your visitor to click links, don't rush it. What do you do if you see a blogger is doing nothing but a sales pitch. You leave him once and for all, don't you? So PREsell is the key of how to write.It is something like creating a worm mind to your suggestion. If you want to make money from your blog, start writing it only after you know what keyword is related your topic and what kind of monetization you can apply. This can make a huge difference. If you want to know about how to do a keyword research, you may want to read this blog, Traffic to Blog: Keyword Research. To sum up, a blog that can make more money is; 1. a blog talking about the topic people want to read and this can be found by keyword research 2. a blog that uses the the keyword in the post so that search engine can easily pick up 3. a blog that PREsells product by creating warm mood. About the Author Ryen Kim is an MBA, specialized in marketing research and analysis. His current focus is blogging and home based affiliate business as a work-at-home scheme. He is a founder of Blog Sites and running Hom Based Affiliate Business web site.
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