The Home-Based Business Blog

I truly believe that marketing IS an art and telling your story lets people know the ARTIST. People who can come to know, like and trust you are more likely to partner in business with you AND make better business partners in the long run. Working hard to share that message with the world. Thanks for the article!

I agree totally. There are so many people pitching so many things it is impossible to decipher. If you personalize your approach it will add much more value because it will show your prospects that there is a real person at the other end. Also, it will instill others with confidence because now that they can relate to you and your business, maybe they will want to give it a try, and most importantly try with you.

Gopal (www.boom.thevfusiongroup.biz) ...

Exhibitors usually get invitations to send to their customers. Sometimes just ringing an exhibitor and asking nicely can get an invitation sent to you!

Not only what "Tall Paul & Gem" said is true but, the site owner not only allows members to openly harass and slander others, he has now made certain people Mods.

Some of these Mods are completely unfair/unjust in what they do. They either allow their friends to post whatever they want or, they are the ones posting the slanderous and insulting threads.

Either way, I too would recommend staying away from BluJay as a seller. Or at least, stay away from the forums.

Backing up is something most small business owners are really bad at. It's one of those "important, but not urgent" things that gets put on the back burner way too often. Thanks for the reminder.

I have mailed to my self from Florida to New Jersey four packages via priority male, it cost me $ 51.80. I told the clerk that I would like to a delivery confirmation for all packages. The Post Office was very busy so she told me that with priority male it is not needed so I complied. After three day I got one package and now 33 days later I'm steel watching for the other three, no site of them.
I called the post office in Florida and I was told that the packages were shipped the next day and I should have received them. I went to the Post office in New Jersey to see if they have them on a shelf, I was told NO. I emailed the Post office and they agreed that I should have received the delivery however I did not. What other step may I take to trace my priority may boxes. Kindly advise. Thank you, Frank.
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One thing I have noticed from watching all the billionaires is that they duplicate a proven system. I believe in the business world that you should "Duplicate then Create". That doesn't mean that you should give up what you are passionate about, but you should first try to duplicate a proven system then do a little bit of your own thing.

Thanks.....
Narger Joseph
202-276-5705
narger1@gmail.com ...

"Is Network Marketing an independent home base business?" Yes, and No. Yes, it's true when would become an agent or representative for a network marketing company you are independent. You are independent from a boss. You are independent from a schedule that someone else set for you. Yes you are independent from all the employee employer rules that you have to face when you work for someone.

But you are not independent of some type of rules and structure, much like buying a franchise. Most reputable network marketing companies have proven systems that have developed from a large amount of research and development, R&D. This R%D allows the company to formulate a system that you should follow, but you can do your way if you want. The rules come from different government regulations, as well as the companies need to maintain brand awareness. That means the network marketing company sets rules to keep a consistent honest product. This is what is done with companies like McDonald's. McDonald's sets rules on how to make their product, sell it, and market it as well as some other rules.

The bottom line is people should see a network marketing company for what it is. It's a company that in which you pay a licensing fee in order to market and sell their products and services, like DirectTV or Cell phone carriers. If you owned a independent T-mobile store in a mall you would be an independent business owner, but you would still have to follow T-mobiles rules. This is the same for a network marketing company.

The Network Marketing business is a great business to get into. It allows individuals the opportunity to go into business for themselves with minimum investment. At the same time it also allows individual support, constant self paced training, and the opportunity to truly work for yourself.

If you think, or were told, that you can do nothing and make millions of dollars from scratch, you were very wrong or miss led. If you put some work and some time into it you can make possibly more money than you have ever made in your life. The beauty of a good network marketing company is that you can work hard for a few years, stop working, and still have income coming in. But you must open up yourself for business.

I could probably go on for ever about the network marketing and its opportunities, but I don't want to sound like an advertisement. If you to listen to hear more or just talk about business. Give me a call or send me a email, I'll listen.

Thanks.......
Narger P Joseph
202-276-5705
narger1@gmail.com ...

I left eBay early this year because of all of their new changes, I had a store there for 9 years. I got tired of paying those fees and the terrible feedback system.

I am proud to be on Blujay and have had very good sales there without any problems. I also show my eBay feedback which customers can refer to.

I would welcome any and all to come by my Blujay store
www.blujay.com/impulse27 ...

You should go back to work at your job with eBay the way you are beating up on Blujay.
Each store on Blujay is independently owned not by Blujay and each owner/operator is responsible for themselves.
Your analogy is like blaming the gun manufacture for making the gun which shot someone.
The buyer protection comes from Paypal not eBay and anyone buying on line should use the service which provides protection whether it is paypal or who ever.
Blujay provides the meadium which to sell not the responsibility for the seller.

Here is a link that contains updated information (and a lot of comments) related to Yahoo's customer service:

http://www.contacthelp.com/directory/Internet/Web+Sites/Yahoo?ListingID=148 ...

Now a days there are so many online portals where you can go far wholesale buying online but these deals are no longer worthwhile because so many times buyer has been cheated either with low quality product or not on time delivery. In this way wholesale shops can play better role where buyer can have better options to check the quality as well as the quantity,in this dollar stores(dollardays.com)are playing major role.One of my friend has been doing the same since 2yrs is very successfull in his business.

I've seen it again and again the best business to start for a person is the one they get inspired by and have belief in. OUr beliefs are powerful and shape or decisions. I agree doing what you live is key.

"It's a true statement that if a person really wants to be then he will be but passion is required in it".
So we can say that passion is not only requires in business instead in each and every field if he love that field.
_____________________________________________
Mac
Wide Circles ...

Blujay used to be a site to sell on, but for the last couple of years things have been going downhill and getting worse! Blujay is a trainwreck waiting to happen!
*NO customer service; questions and emails to support are left unanswered for months and in some cases 1 or 2 years. Members are on their own other than the forum which cannot be taken seriously!
*Unsecure site, no SSL anywhere on the site. As stated above; a hacker's dream! Stores have already been hacked into and no explanation as to what happened given!
*Problems with google and not showing on the google search, probably because the site is overrun with illegal and disallowed listings.
*The site is a free for all, with all kinds of XXX porn, drugs, etc. being shown on the whole site in all categories! You will find sex toys among the childrens toys! Many stores that are in direct violation of TOS are there and some have been there for a very long time.
*Listings are covered with competitor ads, mostly for ebay! Ugly wide item pages with many ads!
*The forum is shameful with vulgar and TOS breaking posts overrunning the site! Nothing is done about this even though members have been pleading with owner for months! Unbelievable!! Spam is common! Trolls are welcome!
*Reports reporting violating items and posts are ignored! No customer service/support on the site and forum!
*Site has gone down several times with no explanation as to why! In one case for several days, while the members were in the dark as to what happened and still don't know why!
*Impossible to change your email address or store name, and there is NO way to close your store and/or account; very unusual!
*Blujay cheerleaders seem to be able to ignor all of these things and claim everything is just peachy keen!
They have their heads in the sand about what is really going on with Blujay! Blujay is in trouble and sinking fast!

I have shoped at bj & e-crater,amazon and the rest of the ebay wannabies.

Main problem with bj is absent or slow ownership.
Unsecure site for the sellers loging into their account and buyers checking out, Hackers dream !
Say you want to ask a question on their fourm page you first have to sign up for a store that you don't want!
How crazy is that!
If youre a seller and want to close a store, you can't?
they say just remove your items and your closed!
Thats a solution there!

Lot of bogus stores in the electronic sector and ladies fashion merchandise.
Fake stores go unchecked, some scamer can open several stores and go un-noticed! (ask the above guy that lost $300)

Like all venues there are good honest stores but you better do your homework first or you will be like the guy that spent $300 and got nothing!

Why doesn't Google like Blujay? that may be the key!
Untill Google jumps aboard the Blujay ship, its just a whisper in the internet trading community.
No amount of rah-rah will change that from the store owners, its up to the mall owner to get the proper updates and fix the Google problem.

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Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. My understanding of Blujay is that each store is operated by different people. I have had an experience similar to your only I had it on eBay. eBay also did nothing but PayPal did. That is the protection you need and get when buying on line. Use your credit card and buy through PayPal. You also have to do a little research first before you spend the big bucks. I'm not saying it is your fault you got the shaft from a seller, just that you have to be careful and not blame 400 stores for what one store did. That seems a little extreme. I still buy on eBay, Blujay, Amazon, eCrater and anywhere else I can find what I need. Sounds like you got your money back too so protection was in place. Plus you said the store was gone which would kind of seem like Blujay did or was doing something.

I started listing items on Blujay back in January 2007. It was a good month before I had my 1st sale, but then things picked up and I've been very pleased with the sales that I've been able to make with No Fees..and no intrusion by a 'venue' -

You're right that these venue type websites do not get involved when there is a dispute between a buyer & a seller.. No Matter where you shop, if you are buying a $300 item, You should use a major credit card - no matter where! That is the only absolute consumer protection you can get because you will have chargeback rights, or at least the right to file a dispute.. And consumers need to be Smart.. If you plan to part ways with that much money, its just a good idea to spend 5 minutes, do your research and make sure you aren't 'the next victim of this seller..'

My store there is called NameBrandDealz.
Feel free to look it up... I've had well over 150 successfully closed invoices on Blujay (most with multiple items on one invoice..) and I truly enjoy selling on the site..
I hope this one shopper doesn't turn folks away who might have otherwise been interested in the site.. Its a good site, and the price is Right!

http://NameBrandDealz.blujay.com
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blujay is an on line shopping mall.As such, the site itself is not responsible for the individual sellers actions. And as for EBay protecting their customers, I'm afraid you can get as badly taken there as any other on line site. And I was one of them. blujay does have a forum to check out sellers, and more customers should take advantage of it before making a major purchase like this individual did. And the sellers actually encourage the buyers to do just that, the reputable ones anyway.
If a buyer is going to lay out a large amount of cash to an on line seller, they should definitely be checking the seller out first. For me personally, if I'm going to spend more than about $10.00 on something I check them before buying. EBay's on line bank, PayPal can only get funds back for you if the seller has those funds available, if not, EBay is not going to take the $$$ out of their pockets to reimburse you and you'd be in the same postion this person is.
blujay has some awesome sellers and some really neat stuff on it's site. And the prices are great
Stores I would reccomend are
http://renegadesrelics.blujay.com
http://rayvensrarities.blujay.com
http://101koko.blujay.com
http://pzerbe.blujay.com
and these are just a few.
Great items, super store owners and nice people to deal with.
Be smart when buying on line, especially with major purchases ...

I have only been on blujay a few months...but many many years on the big site...e***. I left there and do not need to give the reasons it was all over the net for months with the changes. But for you to slam blujay for the same thing that happens from what I read on Seller Central on ebay there are scammers on that site. If you had problems with not receiving your item.. you should have gone to the forums. ALL the sellers there would have made an effort to find contact the seller you purchased from.
Unfortunately there ARE scammers everywhere... there are a lot of dedicated sellers on blujay.. so I just happened on this site tonight and read your post.

You really should have checked into the forums.. they have a forum there Buyer Seller check. And anyone who hears of .. or had non-performance of a seller on blujay will post there.
Just not fair to be so critical of the site.. I do feel badly that you lost your money. Did you pay via paypal? You should have had the same protection purchasing on blujay.com as the big guy...e***.

Also before purchasing on blujay.com you are invited to go to the forum and ask about a seller if you find you cannot navigate. Everyone is very tuned in to keep scammers and cheats off the site.
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I cover these important issues in my book -- Small Business Cash Flow: Strategies for Making Your Business a Financial Success.

One of the best ways to ensure cash flow stays on track is to use a cash flow budget worksheet. Your readers can pick up a free cash flow budget template at http://link-url.com/cashflowbudget ...

Frank -- Really great advice about a professional email address for evey small business. And I agree that the freebies are useful for peripheral activities. I also want to add that there's no place in business for an aol.com address either. Just don't do it.

I haven't had an experience with USPS - but I am curious to know how you handle customers calling and complaining about something that is out of your hands? I have been going through a customer service survey with my employees that has seemed to open some eyes about why customer service is so important - but when situations like this arise, could it be a whole new story? Thanks for the discussion!
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Hey Frank, great post. I've been a full-time networker for the last 6 years after leaving a lucrative Corporate career. This issue you've raised is one that I've been concerned about for years as government entities continue to monitor our industry. In fact, I built a large organization with a nutritional NWM company and this very issue caused me great concern.

In fact after 5 yrs and having built a large group in the tens of thousands, I decided to walk away. I found a company that acutally has 5 times more retail customers than distributors and charges a very comparable price for product compared to what consumers will find elsewhere. According to the Network Marketing Business Journal this 5-1 customer ratio is one of the highest in the Industry. At the end of the day, the product has to get to the end user or what are we really accomplishing.

Anyway, thanks for allowing me to share.

Joe Carpenter
http://www.mytripcost.com ...

Your blog is very informative. However, earning money and balance your credit cards is pretty hard task but your post and experienced serve and teach me how to handle and make it more simple and manageable.

Thanks for the tips? Best regards.

I now know why ebay charges its fees and has such strict policies -----to protect the seller and buyer. BLUJAY.COM offers no protection for the buyer. I paid for my product immediately via paypal and received a receipt from paypal. I waited a week and tried to email the seller. No answer, I went to his blujay store and tried to email him again. No answer. Then suddenly his store disappeared without a trace. Now i'm short $300 without any help at all from BLUJAY.COM. Now i know better than to buy on websites like BLUJAY.COM. I for one will stick to buying from the big boys (i.e. ebay, amazon) because at least they offer protection for the buyer.

That book I mentioned is called Deliver and Measure - you can find it here... www.deliverandmeasure.com ...

I really like the points you brought up, but what caught my attention was the comment from "Ed." I recently purchased a book by the president of the company he uses (Mindshare). It has helped me learn a lot about customer care. I would recommend it!

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Alot of products are drop shipped which is a huge economic advantage and fairly well developed . Where suppliers are frequently lacking is developing the whole package including customer service , selection, web design ,information , inventory management , marketing , and descriptions .

Recognizing the difference between auto pilot and auto ignore is the key. When imagining setting up systems and processes to automate your business it's easy to dream of turning away completely from the business but that's probably not the best idea. I use systems and web tools to manage little processes that I don't want to worry about. I use surveys by Mindshare for customer feedback and that plays a hufe role.
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I recently just got into the MLM travel industry and was wondering if anyone could take a look at what I had got into!.. It is still in pre-launch and was hoping to get as much info as I could..
heres the address.
www.travelstar.biz/dlevinson

any advice would be greatly appreciated
Dan Levinson
d_levinson@yahoo.com ...

It is very true what you had written here...I have tried a few business on line and I could say I havent been on the top,just a few results I had yet I never give up and I keep on trying and reaching what is there. What is really behind business on line? I truly believe there is a what we call success there thats why patience and keep believing plus application are factors to consider to be successful on line. As a matter of fact, I recently started my new venture on line and everyone is invited to visit my website. http://www.t10wah.com/3134.html ...

Internet business is headed toward the focus on the vertical, the niche market segments. Get ahead of the game and become an expert in one now. With so many opportunities to connect with like-minded people, there is an available market automatically. If you love seashells and are an expert on them... open an online seashell resource... here's more tips to get creative towards niche-oriented businesses.. www.readtheanswer.com/index.php?RTA=web2 ...

Hi, I wanted to say that I found this blog very helpful. I always think I know it all and then I read one of these blogs and I realize I don't know much. I started this business: www.2008cashheaven.com
I hope it works well. I am going to use the advice you give and utilize it towards this business.
Thanks...

Terapeak is free as long as you have an ebay store which only cost $15.95 per month and even that cost goes down according to your sales and feedback. It may only be free for awhile, I do not know yet, as it suddenly appeared on my listings page. If it goes away, then it is not free, but so far it is and has been for over a month. So do not pay for this-get it free by opening an ebay store which by the way only cost 3 cents to list something but 12% of final value fee. God Bless, Kathy ...

Refreshing to see a blog on the realities of working at home! You would think by now that people would stop LOOKING at "get rich quick" promotions...every time I hear of someone actually believing they might work I cringe...then I wonder if they have any sense of reality..and rationalize it by saying not everyone knows the realities of business...Personally, I think the trick is finding something you love to do, then do it and make money from it, then it won't seem like work.

Now if I could stop reading blogs I could actually get back to work...

Agreed,

As a former traditional travel agency, I saw these card mills popping up in MLM and saw them for what they were, card mill operations who were nothing more than pyramids paying headhunting fees for recruting others.

Sadly, this has hurt the industry over the years, but I saw this early on, and along with last recession, I sold agency, and I am glad I did.

Most who are in the traditional travel industry know it has gotten less and less profitable, so it is no wonder MLM got involved to attract those who wanted to travel for less, and earn money from home.

I use to run travel agent training classes, and they were booked solid every month, so I had no doubt there was a huge demand, too bad most MLM deals focused on money rather than quality services, it might have worked.

With so many still trying, I doubt it will ever be what the industry needs to be, dedicated long term relationship building client based business is where you make it or break it in travel, not paying recruiting fees.

Just when I thought I saw it all, a truly unique new travel related service has just started. Travelencia is different from all the rest, they are focused on long term travel program without the huge upfront fees of $400.00 to $800.00 and up to $80.00 a month, Travelencia is only $50.00 and $19.95 per month, and what makes them unique is they are offering no credit trip financing options.

Travel is way down due to recession in U.S. and other parts of world, and with dollar at all time low value, international travel is all but non existant. I feel travelencia is filling a huge niche no one in travel has addressed before. I know I wish I have this option when I was in the industry when last recession all but killed most small agencies. This could be the answer to all those who want to be in travel industry, but don't want to commit the time and effort to get fully trained.

I feel this is the niche which will attract all those who could not justify the high cost of all the MLM travel deals we have seen over the years. Besides, unless you were a big recruiter, you rarely earned enough to cover monthly fees, never mind recoup your initial investment.

Better yet, with simple compensation plan, low cost, high value guaranteed lowest travel rates without the need to become fully trained, this is perfect for the average passive effort housewife or stay at home Mom which makes up the largest catagory of travel agents. I like this, and if you need help getting your initial $50.00 and cover your $19.95, there is a group who work to place your first four under you to break even, which will eliminate attrition, the number one killer in all MLM's.

Now you can access discount travel, plus earn more than enough to cover the cost of your own travel arrangements, and all for very little out of pocket expense. When you research them all, no doubt in my mind, this is the best of the best, way above all the rest in value and ease in which to break even. Share it with others, simply tell it, no need to sell it, and I like that. Nice to be back in the travel industry for so little. (g)

Good luck to all, Travel-FAMS.com ...

Wow! That is some list. There are some things in there even I had not thought of - thanks!

Obviously there are advantages and disadvantages to every work situation.

Here are some advantages and disadvantages between Being Self-Employed vs Being Employed:

DISADVANTAGES OF BEING EMPLOYED
Boss watching over you
Fixed schedule
Limited opportunity to increase your income
Fixed vacation period
Set office attire
Office gossip
Office politics
Co-worker problems
Company rules to follow
Morning and evening commute
Government gets paid first
No tax advantages-deductions
Follow a set of rules
Limited flexibility for family & personal time
Limited freedom to make decisions
Get paid to do something you don?t love

ADVANTAGES OF BEING EMPLOYED
Predictable income
Sick leave pay
Fixed earnings
Health insurance
Less responsibilities
Less discipline

ADVANTAGES OF BEING SELF-EMPLOYED
No boss
Flexible hours
Unlimited opportunity to increase your income
Free vacation period
Free work attire
No office gossip
No office politics
No co-worker problems
No rules to follow
No morning and evening commute
You get paid first
Many tax advantages-deductions
No rules
Total flexibility for family & personal time
Total freedom to make decisions
Get paid to do something you love

DISADVANTAGES OF BEING SELF-EMPLOYED
Unpredictable income (is up to you)
No sick leave pay
Uncertain earnings
No health insurance
More responsibilities
Need self-discipline and be a self-starter

The important thing is to adopt the one where we can excel the most according to our desires, skills, and personality.

http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net ...

If you use MongoSCAN you can accomplish the same thing as you were doing (scanning, saving as a PDF, and then emailing it), but with less steps. In a nutshell, MongoSCAN allows you to scan hardcopy documents from your standard fax machine, and they arrive via email.

All the sender would have to do is replace their existing fax cover sheet with the Cover Page you create and print at www.MongoSCAN.com

The signed documents instantly arrive as scanned PDF attachments into the recipients inbox, and you (the sender) would receive a digital copy for your records too.

This is really a great and simple to use service that requires no special equipment, hardware, software, monthly commitments, or accounts to set up. It was designed as a pay-per-use service and costs .25 cents per page making it cheaper and more convenient than running to your local Kinko's :)

Here's a two minute demo of how the product works:

http://www.mongoscan.com/V14/howitworks.mongo?cid=30467

Hope that helps and that you find the service useful! The product is in beta so we certainly appreciate and welcome any feedback!

Sincerely,

Shawna Barabas
www.MongoNet.net

shawna@MongoNet.net
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http://www.pricepicture.com tracks music CDs on the Amazon Marketplace and has a free Music Bargains Report that is updated daily.

Hi Mr. Ross,

We offer private mail boxes to clients and we are located in an NON-shared location. So you don't have to deal with a suite number that is already in place. We've had a lot of clients comment that that helps.
YourUSaddress.com ...

Frank, I structure my work schedule in the same manner. Working from home I am able to start my day early with a cup of coffee here in the office. Then I get up stretch or whatever I need to do between projects. I take an hour break for lunch and I don't work (except for reading your advice) between the hours of 4-7pm. Then I work a few more hours, if necessary and rap up the night. It's great.
Having my own business is the best decision I ever made. It is very important, however, to structure you day and your work week so you are in control.

After all, isn't that why we left the corporate world to begin with.
---Jeff Bayne www.BuildaFutureOnline.net ...

I signed up for an internet voicemail service which required me to upload personal greetings. With my handy desktop mic and sound editing software the personal greetings came out great. With 101voicemail service I can use as many voicemail greetings as I want.

This was hysterical! I wonder how many people use that paypal link to get this person's information. It is really amazing to see all of the scams, and "send me money now" links everywhere.
I am sure the "Poor Loser Handbook" would include markers and crayons at no extra charge. (free with $15.95 in shipping/handling charges)
I am very glad I have a REAL business and talk to REAL people everyday. Visit http://www.BuildaFutureOnline.com for more information on what I do to be a work at home dad am still able to make six-figure income.

That's funny! The really sad thing is, I bet he/she made a ton of money off of that even at $7 per sale. I must admit, I like their style! Straight and to the point! Did you notice at the bottom of the page that their website is for sale?? LOL! Way to go and get your retirement set up!!

No matter what home based business opportunity you choose marketing your goods or services will be essential to your success. Hey, everyone needs to know about your website! Get started with 1,000,000 real visitors - (no joke!). Get the full details @ https://paydotcom.com/r/17261/sabre23/18062236/
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No matter what home based business opportunity you choose marketing your goods or services will be essential to your success. Hey, everyone needs to know about your website! Get started with 1,000,000 real visitors - (no joke!). Get the full details @ https://paydotcom.com/r/17261/sabre23/18062236/ ...

Generally, if you need more business coverage, you can expect to pay about 10 percent more than you are currently paying for your personal policy.

Depending on a number of factors, such as the state you live in to the type of car your business owns, a commercial auto policy can cost more, or less, than your personal auto coverage. Keep in mind, however, that prices in the auto insurance industry overall are on the rise.
http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net ...

Most large and small businesses don?t understand the importance of writing website content that satisfies their visitors. Instead, they concentrate in providing a ?sales pitch?. However, you must always remember that when you start a business from home, you?re serving two masters: your visitors, and search engines, and you?re pleasing both through informative, valuable content. Your Internet home business idea will grow at a faster pace when you provide your visitors with a content rich website. Search engines will notice your site and will increase your rankings. You?ll attract more visitors and they?ll keep coming back. In turn, those visitors will become customers and the snowball starts rolling. That?s the power of content, informative, focused, targeted content. http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net ...

Dear Mr. Ross, Pushing $5.00 a gallon for gas, loaf of bread, or gallon of milk, OJ. or what about the mortgage market? This video isn't about selling fear! It's called a "reality check!" Some people, beleive it or not don't know that there is a problem until you hit them over the head... I could show you three prominent examples running for president! I think this website is a very good example of helping people wake up to the problems we are really facing as a society and maybe some posible alternatives to fight back.

The 2 best motivators in the world are Fear and Greed. we do things (most of the times) out of fear or greed. We fear what we don?t know, and one of the best ways to avoid fear is by obtaining knowledge. With regards to a home business, first, you need to identify your fear. Maybe you?re afraid of not having a steady income if you work at home, losing money, lacking the knowledge to get started, etc. All of these boil down to fear of failure. Face your fear, take the first step, and with prudent and informed actions you will overcome your fear of starting a home business. http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net/overcome-your-fear-of-starting-a-home-business.html ...

Things have been going better than I would of ever imagined. I simply plugged into the system in place saved myself money on services I already use and have a new technology (videophone) that allows my whole family to talk and see each other, which the kids and grandparents love using everyday. It's a win win situation for me and my family. Oh and then there's the extra money that comes in every week also on top of everything else. It really brought a lot of excitement and joy into my family.

An online business is one of the best ways to create multiple streams of income. Besides thousands of affiliate programs available, you can place Google AdSense ads on your site, or set up a referral commission with local merchants. Another great advantage to these incomes is that they can become "Residual Incomes". This means that you put the time and effort at the beginning ONCE, and then the income keeps coming 24/7. That's what I call leverage! http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net ...

Meg Whitman made a bad deal or two when running Ebay. Now the sellers who built Ebay have to pay for it. With postage and all the other expenses associated with doing Ebay for small sellers this is what is going to be the straw that breaks the camel?s back and it may even break Ebay. Allot of people have left Ebay over the past year and thousands more are expected to leave this year. The upper level executives at Ebay failed Econ in college, or just never went. Ask them to draw a supply and demand curve or tell you what an equilibrium is and they would ask you, what?s that? The people who built Ebay the sellers will also be the ones who destroy Ebay. How you might ask, they will stop selling. Why because Ebay is no longer Ebay. It is now called fee bay a market place that acts like a parasite that sucks the life out of you until you are dead, but needs you to live. Check out my Ebay store at www.primeonly27.com while it is still around. I pay about $1 to $5 an add or more just to sell an item. If it does not sell I am out the $1 to $5 I paid for the add. If it sells then I pay 8.75% plus about 3% to pay pal then the tax man, the internet company, Intel to make me a Cpu, a web hosting service, the post office, and rent for some hole in the wall. The only people who will continue to do Ebay will be the thieves and people who have no business skills that can afford to pay someone to take their stuff away while wasting all their time programming the Ebay site with stuff that they bought in the 50?s or before and paid about nothing for the item hoping that someone still wants it and will pay them a few bucks so that they have gas to go to the post office with nothing left over. If you get a monthly government entitlements you can make Ebay work for you. All you need to do is pick up your entitlement check at the same time as you take your packages in once a month. Please don?t talk to bad or nasty about Ebay on their website go to a communist country and learn about state run media corp. In life if you get greedy you get burned, some people never learn. Ebay will get burned at the stake by their sellers if they keep their fee?s up and up. Ebay will go up in smoke, short term their stock may be a good buy before it goes bye bye. Amazon is a better trade. It is better to sell Ebay on a short sale. Meg Whitman is a _____ bag.

Myspace is full of amateurs. It was cool about a year ago because you could steer traffic from your myspace page onto your blog or squeeze page and make offers or collect newsletter sign ups, but now because of all the spamming that went on, I would recommend youtube or squidoo. Cheers, http://www.ceosalarynow.com ...

Onlywire is a great service that allows you to submit your website link to several of the top bookmarking sites with a single click. You create a free account at Onlywire.com, then enter your username and passwords for all your bookmarking sites. This not only saves you a lot of time but gives you effective leverage! http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net ...

I am a member of a number of social networking sites. As someone who is fairly new to network marketing, I discovered and learned a lot from members of theses sites. You are correct that you will learn a lot. I am new to network marketing. I started about 8 months ago, but many are surprised when I tell them how new I am. I feel that the social network marketing sites are one of the reasons I have learned so much so quickly. Thank you for letting me share...

This article is really helpful. I know what it can be like to decipher IT jargon or even attempt to use some of the programs to design your own website or logo. After doing some research I found a low cost and easy site to use. Most of the individuals are based in China, but I was surprised about how many of them speak Enlgish and the quality of the work is good as well. If you're worried about payment the site mytino.com uses an escrow payment service so you can be sure you will have the work completed before you pay. Also I found it useful that I could set the price that fit my budget and because you are dealing with a Chinese economy, you benefit from having lower costs.

I think the feedback change is a good thing. There are sellers selling useless wholesale lists and they have 100% feedback, isn't suspicious to anyone? The only thing a seller should care about is if he gets paid or not. Most buyers are honest and they pay so it's all good. Few don't pay and very very very few are scammers. In those cases, you can always report to eBay. You can blacklist them. You should automatically blacklist buyers with 0 feedback in the first place. If the buyer is really bad, you can even submit their ID's to www.rottenbidders.com - a site where sellers share their bidder blacklists.

I work from home as a Virtual Assistant and although I use electricity, heat and a computer at home, these are things I would be using at home even if I worked elsewhere. I have been impressed with the number of software programs which are web based or can be downloaded from the web, which saves production, delivery and disposal. Using a Virtual Assistant to do tasks from their home instead of from your business is a green way to go! Terri Carey Virtual Assistant for Coaches TLCServicesOnline.com ...

These new fees is make it more difficult and expensive to sell low-cost products. Amazon is catching up with eBay and keeps building a non-auction alternative. Amazon has a complete system with independent sellers and a used items marketplace growing at a rapid pace. http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net ...

These type of centers are excellent for home-based businesses that don't have a need for permanent office space. I had a "virtual office" arrangement with one of these centers for over ten years. They took my calls and I was able to secure meeting space whenever I needed it -- all for one low monthly fee.

Daniel, outsourcing isn't as expensive as you may think. Speaking as a Virtual Assistant, our rates vary from small tasks to large projects. My answer to you is YES it is worth it if you are finding yourself 'wasting' time on repetitive tasks. Frank, thank you for exposing the outsourcing options for small businesses. There just isn't enough exposure to this idea!

Good concept. An email with your domain name not only makes a better impression, but it reminds your clients of your business name. http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net ...

This is a good post. I agree that you have to test to see if images enhance your website or not. I think it is also very important to have professional, clear pictures. A pet peeve is pictures that are "fuzzy" or unprofessional looking. Laurie Neumann www.christianhomebusinessconnection.com ...

ALLBUSINESS,ANY CHANCE OF GETTING A NEW SCREEN SHOT OF THE STORE CATEGORIES AND THE NUMBERS.MAYBE SOME TYPE OF CHART THANKS MELVIN ...

Blujay is definatley taking off to a good start.There are people pouring in like mad over here.Everyday people are being welcomed in the forums and explaining that they are coming from the dark side{ebay} mainly ebay refugees as they are called by most.They are looking to get away from ebays steep prices and strict policies.The sales at Blue jay are also taking off at a good as expected pace and getting better everyday.The forums are exploding with excited new comers as well as blujay veterans that have been there since the opening day.The new comers just can't believe how nice they are being treated and how much everyone is helping them with the small minor adjustment problems that take place in any transit. What could anyone expect,it's 100% free and most can't believe how nice it is.They now accept google & paypal checkouts as well as the usual checks & money orders.Some people are bringing in verbal communications for use with customers and fellow blujayers.The auction counts are up to about 350,000 and all categories are rising.WoW people you just have to come check this place out. MELVIN of USED HOUSE STUFF http://melvin.blujay.com ...

Sandy that's a great idea for tasks like mass mailing - local high school kids. And these days, they can often do more advanced work such as lightcomputer programming and web design. Daniel, only you can decide if outsourcing costs too much. The key questions to ask would be how much time can you free up by outsourcing "x" and would that be enough time to help you add value to your business in other ways.

I only run a small website so i find that outsourcing my tasks would be completely inappropriate since my turnover is only just maiking me a profit. I have started fairly recently though and i do understand what you are saying, it does take so much time to horrible, boring and repetitive tasks. Do you think outsourcing would be worth the investment in the way that i can spend more time focusing on my home business growth?

Outsourcing can definitely save your sanity. One company I used successfully for website or blog help, as well as newsletter design, etc. is elance.com. They are easy on your checking account too! For direct mailings, you can also try using a high school student who wants to make some money part-time. Sandy Reed Soulpreneur Sucess Strategies ...

Skylights are helpful for natural light but I have found them to suck out heat! At least that's the case where I live. I believe they have a device you can install on your TV to shut it off after a certain time. Might that help instill a good practice?

That's a new option Sergio and it can really benefit people in states where there is no state income tax (such as Washington where I am). That means you can use sales tax as a deduction. But one caveat - you need to keep good records if you're going to do that!

Those are great Sergio, I am guilty of hitting print too soon myself. I will definitely keep that tip in mind. And Kim, I can only imagine what kind of paper must be in that industry - Forms forms and more forms. But I'm glad to hear it's making a move toward paperless.

Thanks for the tips Mark - That sweet spot is hard to hone in on and not everyone is an expert.

Thanks for the tips Sergio - whois.sc is a great resource!

Great tips for working at home and trying to do your part. I never thought of turning off the router at night. Of course, I am apt to be on the computer at odd hours, so I don't know if that will work here, but great idea nonetheless. A another thing that home basers help out with is take out trash. I know that sounds a little silly, but when I am working at home, I tend to eat at home. The days when I am out running around, it seems that I always have a sack in the car that gets full of trash! I also have many windows and skylights so I don't even turn on a light unless it's raining or dark out. I can sure tell a difference when the kids are home all day though! If someone could figure out how to instill in their brains that all televisions and lights don't need to be left on it would be great! You would think after 18 years of that being drilled in their heads it would sink in!

Sellers rating buyers absolutely does happen outside of eBay, and has been happening for years. Many retail stores and hotels have sophisticated tracking systems that allow them to monitor "bad buyer behavior" trends (excessive complaints, excessive refunds, etc.) and even ban certain customers, when possible. I've worked with three such systems. When casinos find cheaters, they publish their names in a black book, and they usually immediately phone all other casinos in the area to warn them that the cheater may be on the way to their establishment. And I can remember my local stores used to rate buyers before the advent of such technology. Before Telecheck came along, stores would post signs saying "Don't take checks from these people!" next to each cash register. Word would get around town, and those deadbeats weren't welcome many places -- and rightly so. There is nothing "quaint" about networking with other merchants and tracking trends to ensure you do business with as few scammers as possible.

Both, GIF and JPEG image formats are compression based formats. Whenever you have images in both formats and don't know which one to use remember: Lots of colors, use JPEG. Solid colors or no gradations, use GIF. Regardless of the format you use, keep your image size within 20KB, otherwise it will take a lot longer to upload when visitors enter your site. http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net ...

In the mortgage business, it's all paper, paper, paper! I have been in this business for about 10 years and can say I unfortunately have been responsible for the demise of many trees! That is the one side of this business that I have never liked and pushed to change. I can gladly say now that most mortgage companies have gone paperless! It is such a relief to not go through 2 reams of paper a day. Now, I have electronic files for all my clients and store everything there. It is such a change and has saved a fortune in paper expense not to mention the green effect!

I recently did my income tax for 2007 and my accountant said the following: "This year you have a choice to either deduct your state income tax or your state sales tax". So he calculated both to see which tax deduction was higher. In my case, the state income tax was higher. Depending on your type of business, this option will benefit many home business owners. http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net/ ...

Here are a few procedures that help me print less pages: 1. Review your document before printing. We tend to push the "print" button too soon, only to find out that there are mistakes on our documents and we have to print them again. 2. Reduce your margin settings. When working on Word documents with multiple pages, you can go to File>Page >Setup and reduce your margin settings. This will enable more text per page, therefore, reducing your total page count. 3. Don't print in color unless you have to. Color ink is more expensive and all you have to do is go to the Printer's Property Box and change the settings from "Color" to "Black and White", and from "Normal" to "Draft" 4. E-mail your documents. I e-mail my invoices to ALL of my clients. Besides saving money, it saves you time and they get them almost immediately. http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net ...

I agree that longer domain names are difficult to type in and you will lose some of your customers there. Further, there is a school of thought that preaches domains with multiple hyphens are penalised by search engines who see them as "spammy" and contrived. At the same time new domains that hit the right spot are hard to come by now, yes. I have one brilliant suggestion for your readers: Buy a short domain. There are people selling domains are very affordable prices if you know where to look. First, you can pick up "dropped" domains really cheap. And you can use notification services like domainbroadcasting (google it) to find you these domains. Places like sedo also provide notification services. Not all sellers are highly skilled domainers. Many are ordinary webmasters and let go of domains they don't need anymore. Here are some places where you can find such domains for sale. http://www.experienced-people.co.uk/ ...

For a longer domain name is always better to use hyphens to break the words apart and make it easier to read. For instance digital-photography-resources vs. digitalphotographyresources. Another good idea is to use a domain name that is spelled exactly the way it sound to avoid being misspelled. www.whois.sc is a good place to find a good domain name. They combine your keywords together in a number of ways to try and find the best available domain. http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net ...

Hi we are members at blujay and absolutley love it.The price is right FREE.Unlike ebays high prices and harsh policies,blujay is a better enviroment all around.Yes blujay does need to make adjustments in it's services but please remember that it is a free site.The owners have a full time job and only does this in spare time.You won't find nicer sellers and customers anywhere on the internet than what blujay offers.This site is growing in a fast pace since ebays new policy changes and come may-june it will explode.The listing on blujay is only slow once in a great while,maybe one out of every 30-40 listings might be a little slow.This is actualy pretty good for a small site.If a person wants to give blujay a shot,everyone there will give them a very warm and friendly welcome,just check the discussion boards and you will see. THANKS MELVIN ...

When I call leads for my business, I focus on their quality. I like to generate my own generic home business leads which are either live or very fresh, I get a great response that way. I own http://libertyhealthnetleaders.com ...

When I started my home translation business, I'd make cold calls from an Exporters Directory offering my services and most companies said "NO". About 120 calls later I got a new client that gave me a $12,000 project. From then on, I did all of their translations for about 5 years totaling more than $80,000. The best way to figure it out, is to divide the total earnings from a client by the number of calls. My calls WERE NOT A WASTE OF TIME, I figured each of my phone calls was worth about $666. http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net ...

I am a newbie in studying and analysing on how to start a home based business, your content let me clear about some queries I have had and thank you for the useful tips. By that, I also sign up as a member and wish to learn from you more about this catagory. Thank you from : lamchu http://10homebasedbusiness.blogspot.com ...

I am from the insurance and finance sector. You might enjoy this information. I have overseen 250 million in premium in the construction insurance market place in the past five years. I'm sure your readers will appreciate my view on the economic change. http://pipelinephil.blogspot.com/ ...

A highly recommended site is elfingo.com for online auctions. They are the new ebay. Many smaller sites like this offer buyers far better deals than ebay ever could. Buyser also save a ton because this site charges little or nothing depending on the