Make 2007 Your Year!

Here we are looking at another year and thank you all for riding it in with me. I appreciate the comments and feedback...it's kinda hard ranting when no one else can hear ya!

One of my colleagues from Orlando Florida sent me this link and boy, it's great for all Solo's. Getting this kind of marketing for your business can't be beat! This will work for kitchen table, spare bedroom, garage or on the road. Go take a look....you are going to get a lot of exposure for your small business with this resource and yes, it is FREE - atleast for now  Merchant Circle. When you get there, click on the bottom of the page for more information and watch the video how it works. This one is high on my marketing tactics list for 2007.

Another quick recommendation for getting a jumpstart on 2007 - Aweber.
If you are doing any part of your business online, even if you only have a blog...then you know keeping in touch with your prospects and customers is a must. You probably receive 90% of your business ezines from an Aweber autoresponder. It just makes operating your business much more enjoyable and gives you more time to do all the other things you have to do to grow your business. I set mine up tonight and wish it had been sooner!

Finally 'snail-mail'! Yep, the U.S. Postal Service is great for sending postcard mailings. Not all your prospects or customers are glued to their computers. As Solo's, we can not rely on one trick pony marketing when it comes to keeping food on the table. Here's a little secret: postcards will bring people back to your site (believe it or not) better than any bookmark! I know because I'm a postcard sending fool - 2x's a year! Guess when I do not send postcards? Christmas and New Year's. My special mailings are as strange as I am - Arbor Day and Valentine Day. Pick your own special day and get those postcards going.

Before I bid 2006 adieu, let me take this time to wish you and those who make your life precious: Be safe, take care of what's important and leave the rest!

I will leave you with this:

"Once you recognize within yourself a hunger for something beyond just continuing, once you taste even the possibility of touching the meaning enfolded in your life, you can never be completely content with just going through the motions. There is no going back. Learning cannot be undone. The wisdom touched in moments of real intimacy penetrates the soul with knowledge of whom and what we are.
It transforms us." - Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Be Responsible

Some of you have your gizzards in an uproar over the video (yeah, it's a loooong bugger) about the IRS and taxes.

I posted this video to make you think about what your business really stands for. Many of you are chasing the next 'hot, big, super-duper' thing on the internet. Why? Because somewhere, someone pushed your emotional buttons! This video is a perfect example.

Some of you are going to be insensed, "How dare she say my government is doing something illegal!". Others of you will nod your head, mumble under your breath and say "Yeah, I knew all along they were a bunch of crooks!". Understand this: Whatever you think, it's your perception and how it affects what you do next.

Do I pay taxes? You betcha! Why? I like my cat, toothbrush, passport and wearing something other than an orange jumpsuit that's 2 sizes too big.

Here's what I'd like for you to take away from the video and this post: What are you doing, today, in your business or your life that you have given serious thought to? Are you operating your business because 'it's what everybody says will get me rich' or are you operating your business because, for you, it made sense for where you found yourself before you got started?

That's it for now. Go have an opinion, heated discussion or just find a quiet spot and give some thought about why you are doing what you're doing.

America Freedom to Fascism Authorized version

Please visit http://www.freedomtofascism.com to purchase the DVD. This is the "Director's Final Cut" authorized version of Aaron Russo's documentary, America: Freedom To Fascism (AFTF). It is being uploaded to Google Video for the first time during the evening of October 19-20th, 2006. Aaron has listened to everyone's feedback - volunteers, students, lovers of freedom & liberty, young and old alike - and, true to his word, he is putting this up "for free" on Google Video knowing that the hour has come for Americans to either be awakened to restore the Republic or be swept aside by the dark global forces of fascism that seeks to enslave mankind. AFTF's main focus comes in a statement with six very simple words: SHUT DOWN THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM!! After viewing the movie, please be sure to visit http://www.freedomtofascism.com where you will soon be able to view a much higher quality "pay per view" Internet version of AFTF, buy the DVD and sign up as an affiliate to sell/distribute DVDs to others. We also urge everyone to be sure to sign up as volunteer, register for email alerts and tell your family, friends and neighbors about this groundbreaking movie.

Applaude With Your Wallet

I wasn't going to post this but as the animal lover, Birkenstock wearing, tree hugger I am...Go away if you don't like it!

This blog made me think of all the 'Solos' who do some mighty amazing things when their back is against the wall. Here's the heading for their blog:

You can adopt an Australian Purebred Merino Sheep for only $35. Your "donation" will provide essential hay and grain for 100 days, as the farm family battle the worst drought in 1000 years. Your sheep will love you for it. Simply click the MAKE A DONATION button on the left of your screen and let the PayPal system do the rest. It would make a terrific Christmas gift!

Michael Kiely and his family are caught in that "worst than locusts" drought in Australia. Since this is his family's source of income (and probably dinner), I was immediately taken with the fortitude (for you folks that hate big words - guts!) it takes to follow your heart. No, I don't know if he inherited the business but what I do know...he sticks with it!

I'm including the link for 2 reasons:

1. Read the story behind this very interesting family business.

2. Make a donation! Remember: Sometimes $35 is all it takes to make a huge difference in someone else's life.

Here's the link: Adopt A Sheep

That's it and I leave you with this thought:

If......

Private Label Rights

Have you looked around or done a search for "private label rights" lately? I have and it's interesting what's available. Ebooks, graphics, source code, scripts, videos and on and on...but the one thing I noticed that turns me off? Too much and not enough!

Let me explain for those of you new to my 'rants'.

Say you have a cosey little site on crocheting that pays a few bills (rent/mortgage/car note/groceries) and you're tired of writing your own content. So you decide..."hmmm, these private label rights sites look pretty interesting. Maybe I can find one that gives me about 40 or 50 articles a month I can use that relates to crocheting."

Good luck Chuck! Most of these sites offer so much 'generic' content, it can be written by a bored 4th grader who definitely has no interest in crocheting. Then they add insult to injury (at up to $97 a pop) by trying to make it appear you are getting 'exclusive' content when you and 500 (or more) people have access to the same junk?! Why do you want to pay for access to 400 to 1,500 articles a month when you only need at most 90??? At 3 new articles a day, your site is fresh to your visitors...and guess who still gets to do the work!

I don't know about you - but I do not want more articles, ebooks, scripts, graphics or anything else that takes up my limited time working on my business. Much less for generic junk on every topic under the sun except specific to my business!

Brief Apology (sorta politically correct):
If you're building a site a day that uses 100 articles...you can skip this little tirade...and go back to your dungeon. We won't miss you!

But, if you're in business for the long haul...understand how the search engines 'think' (yes, there really are live people behind Google). Search engines are for, cater to and love John and Jane Doe looking for ways to live, manage, create, build, stop, compare or understand their world. Get that stamped on your forehead if it helps...but get it!

At some point you will want to get out of struggling to create your own articles - private label rights is an excellent way to do it. Just be aware of the kinds of information these sites are trying to sell you. Don't confuse your customers or keep reinventing your business to fit someone elses content - find a private label rights site that gives you more of what you need in the business you have.


That's it for today and I leave you with this

“There is a great deal of advertising that is much better than the product. When that happens, all the good advertising will do is put you out of business faster.”-- Jerry Della Famina

Choices For 2007

What choices and plans are you making for your solo business for 2007?

One of the things I've come to realize with my online and offline business projects is that I do need other people...not in my business, but to do those things I have made choices to not do.

Like what? Adding a security script to my membership sites or hand addressing post cards for an offline mailing. I paid the programmer to install my script, writers to increase the content for the site and a high school student with excellent handwriting to address and mail the postcards!

Should I do all these tasks myself because I'm a Solo? Maybe, then again it comes to making a choice of where my time is best spent.

What about your choices? Are you trying to learn marketing, copywriting, Adsense site building, writing 20 articles a month, submitting your site to directories and a hundred other things all at once or are you looking at how best to spend your time?

As a Solo SOHO (Small office, home office) business owner, your time is best spent doing those tasks that will bring in the money - Period! Not becoming 'expert' at those things which will eat up your time. Spend a little money to get those things off your plate.

That brings me to another thing. As you know, I signed up for Craig Garber's offline Seductive Selling newsletter. I also receive his online 'free' ezine. For me, the audio CD and 'this is what you do' newsletter arriving in my mailbox every month is worth waaaay more than the $50 investment every month. (Don't tell him that - he'll raise the price!).

Anyway, some of you are still looking for the 'free and easy' way to create a 6 figure business. Can you do it?

Here's a better question: Are you willing to work your day job another 5 years or more doing things 'free'? Didn't think so! Unless you are willing to put money into your business building efforts, you're not ready to build a business.

By the end of February 2007, I'll be completely off the 'full-time' day job thing for good. Did it cost me money to get here? Yes, it did. How much....not tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars because I did not have that. Let's say all total, a little less than $600.

This is where I share another resource with you. Do you need it? No. I share with you what I'm doing and not to talk you into anything! If what works for me also works for you, then great. If not then ignore it and find something that will work for you...no hard feelings!

Here's the resource and what it does: Business Bootcamp 2006. These are teleseminars for consultants, coaches and any other independent professional in the startup years of a new business. When I went to the site, it had only 2 MP3's at the time and the price point for a Silver Membership is $47. Luckily that's a one-time fee. I've paid more than that for one teleseminar so it was a decent investment.

Precaution for those of you considering starting a membership site. I purchased Jason James' Membership Riches in the hopes that there would be something in it that I didn't know or atleast would make my current site building efforts easier...at $97 it was a bust. Save Your Money!

This same information can be had free by doing a Google search for "membership site" articles. Did I ask for a refund? No. Why not?! Because when I'm asked for my opinion on the forums I'm active in, I tell it! It's information for someone interested in reading a huge bunch of compiled information that has no meat in it and enough affiliate links to choke a horse.

If you are serious about creating your first paid membership site, check the program at Membership Site Advisor. At $47 a quarter, you'll get enough information to decide if this is the business model you want to follow. Plus, if you don't like it after 3 months - unsubscribe!

That's it for today and I'll leave you with this

"Every choice moves us closer to or farther away from something. Where are your choices taking your life? What do your behaviors demonstrate that you are saying yes or no to in life?" - Eric Allenbaugh