Sunday 16 August 2015

How to start an errand business

Shopping cart su If you’re looking to start your own retirement business and work from home, consider starting an errand running business. This type of business offers you the ability to help people, make personal connections with customers, and make a nice income. Here’s what you need to get started:

Customers

An errand running business has a number of potential customers. New mothers and mothers of young children are a fantastic audience. Additionally, the elderly or people that are home-bound can also benefit from your services. Finally, also consider targeting affluent customers who work twelve-hour days and don’t have time to complete many tasks.

Services

As a concierge or the owner of an errand running business, you have many options. You can offer a number of services or you can specialize. Some options include:
  • Dry cleaning
  • Grocery shopping
  • Shopping
  • Post office/shipping
  • Banking
  • Appointment making
  • Buying tickets
  • Walking/caring for pets or taking them to the vet
You can also specialize in a specific type of task or service like financial errands which would require a high degree of trust. Research your competition to choose what services you offer and how you price them. You can charge by the hour, by the errand or offer package or membership pricing.

Start-Up Equipment

The wonderful thing about an errand business is that the start-up costs are extremely low. If you already own a reliable vehicle, your costs may be less than £100. However, you’ll also need a telephone and email address. If your phone has email capability and texting and instant messaging options, that will help your customers stay in touch with you. You’ll also want a computer, a website, and the means to invoice your customers.

Marketing Your Business

Initially your marketing campaign will be local. You’ll want a website for customers to reference and you’ll want to be listed on local search engines like Google Places. You will also likely want classified advertisements in your local papers, Gumtree or Craigslist and the yellow pages.

Networking and word of mouth are perhaps your biggest sources of clients. Help your clients spread the word and consider offering a referral bonus. Flyer and brochures will help spread the word too.

An errand running business is a wonderful business if you’re personable and responsible. Additionally, it’ll help if you’re excited to start and grow a business focused on helping people. Research your competition, plan your business, and help meet the needs of your community. What are you waiting for?

How to start a green house cleaning business

Green cleaning suThe demand for house cleaning has been on an upward trend for years. As more and more households now have two working parents, the need for extra help within the house is often necessary.

And now there’s a trend that’s growing even faster – green house cleaning. As more of us are becoming aware of the dangers of using toxic chemicals in our home environment - as well as the conscious drive to take better care of the planet, we’re aiming to be a little more “green” when it comes to cleaning.

This is where the green house cleaning business model comes into play. By starting your own green cleaning business, you’ll set yourself apart from the general cleaning companies and you’ll target a niche customer base – those that want green house cleaning services.

How Do You Get Started?

The first step is to find an area where the demand for green house cleaning is evident. Your customers will tend to have disposable income and have an interest in all things green, such as recycling and hybrid cars. It’s important to identify who your key customers will be and whether or not they're in your current locality. If not, then you’ll want to target a different area.

The next step is to take care of all the paper work. A house cleaning service is not difficult to start but you’ll want to ensure your business is registered (if you're in the US) and that you have the necessary insurance to cover yourself as much as possible.

If you’re going to start as a one-man/woman operation, you won’t need to worry about hiring employees just yet. But if you’re starting out with employees, you’ll need to advertise to hire the right people and ensure that you have the correct insurance to cover your employees.

You’ll also want to ensure that your business really is “green”. You should aim for all of the items you use - from your cleaning products to your car - to be environmentally friendly. Your potential customers will be interested to know just how green your credentials are, so be prepared to tell them.

Finally, you’ll need to find customers. Good marketing is the key to success for any business. You can start small by printing and sending out flyers in the local area. A small ad in the local paper may also be relevant for this type of business. And don’t forget the internet - even local customers may use the net to find you. Ensure you have a user-friendly website that represents your business in the best light possible.

Green house cleaning is a growing trend that looks to increase in the future. If you like the idea of starting your own housecleaning service, this may be a great option as you’ll have a tight, targeted market with plenty of disposable income. You’ll also feel great for helping others and the planet at the same time.

Wednesday 12 August 2015

How to start a pet sitting business

Pet sitting suIf you love animals and are good with them, then a pet sitting business may be a great option.

So how do you start your own pet sitting business?

It’s not really all that difficult. Your main requirements will be enthusiasm and a love for animals. For a pet owner, leaving their pets in someone’s care may be the equivalent of leaving their children in child care. This means that in order to be successful in this business, a true love of animals will help you stand out from the competition.

Here’s how to get started:

You’ll want to identify what type of services you’ll offer. For example, will you care for pets in their owners' homes or your own? Will you offer dog walking as well? Will you offer extended pet care for people going on vacation?

Writing a detailed list about the services you feel you’re able to offer will help you get organized and know where to place your marketing efforts.

Once you have a clear idea of what you’ll be offering, you’ll want to make the business legitimate. (If you're in the US, you can get information about registering your business at your local county office.) This will ensure you present a professional image and that you’re meeting all regulations. You’ll also want to look into any relevant insurance you may need.

When all the legal aspects are taken care of, your next step is marketing your business – i.e. finding customers!

You can easily get started by sending flyers out in your local area. You may also want to consider advertising in your local paper. Getting a sign with your business logo and placing it on your car is also a very effective method of local advertising. Just ensure your details are clear for all to see.

And don’t forget your internet presence. Even a small local business can benefit from an online presence. Here are just a few reasons why:
  • People may find your website when using local searches for pet sitting or pet care. This will increase your client reach.

  • People will have time to look through your website and learn more about you and your services. This means that once someone contacts you, hopefully your website will already have pre-sold your services. This is great news because the prospect will probably need very little convincing to now use your services.

  • People can get recommendations. A good website will include testimonials from other customers.
This creates trust and reassurance for any potential new customers who may find your website. Again, this helps to pre-sell your services.

Starting a pet sitting business can be both fun and profitable. If you love pets then this may be just the right venture for you.

How to Start a Kids' Party Organizing Business

Party suDo you love kids and parties? Are you super at organizing and do you have a great eye for detail? Are you enthusiastic and outgoing? Do you still have bags of energy? If so, then a kids' party organizing business may be just right for you.

Party organizing is a growing trend. Birthday parties seem to be getting more and more elaborate and this trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down!

A kids' party organizer will help plan and create fun and unique parties that may range from a cowboy-themed barnyard party to an elaborate party in a castle with all the works.

How Do I Get Started?

Firstly, you’ll want to ensure that your personality is suited to this business. You’ll need to be creative as well organized. Having an outgoing personality will also help a great deal.

The next step, and a crucial one at that, is to decide who your target market will be. Parents willing to hire a party organizing service will likely have disposable income and be quite happy to spend it on their children.

You’ll also want to be clear on what type of services you’ll provide. Some party organizing services will handle everything from finding the right theme, to setting up and organizing the party, to decorating and even catering.

Offering an all-in-one service is ideal because this is probably what your customers will want – someone to plan the whole thing from start to finish without too many complications.

Write a list of what services you’ll offer. As you do your research, you’ll notice the list may be endless - from providing an ice cream van to hot air balloons! Of course, you don’t have to start at this level and many of these services can be subcontracted out. However, it’s important to know exactly what you can and can’t offer customers at the start.

What about the Legalities?

If you're in the US, you’ll want to start by registering your business. You can do this at your local county office and they'll let you know of all the requirements you need to meet. Depending on what type of services you provide, this may vary.

If in doubt, contact your local county office and they should be able to provide you with all the details.

How Do I Find Customers?

Advertising locally through banners and perhaps a small ad in the paper is a great starting point. A magnetic sign on your car with your company logo and information is another good option.

But the main way of finding new clients in this business is through word of mouth. If parents attending the party see and like what you’ve done, they’ll ask for your details and before you know it, you’ll have a full client list. Word-of-mouth marketing is extremely important in this type of business so you’ll want to do your absolute best to provide a great service.

If you love kids and parties, are highly organized and outgoing and still have the energy for it, this may be a fantastic retirement business idea to pursue.


Tuesday 11 August 2015

A Membership Work At Home Business Model Means Continuous Income

Members su Here's how you see it coming down the line... you set up an online retirement business about something you already are an expert at, then you set up a payment processor that collects the money and delivers your product without you being there, then you start earning passive income night or day, and, finally, you (mostly) sit back and enjoy your retirement! This may seem like a dream, but it has the potential to come true when you set up a membership retirement business model.

Here's how membership sites work:

People subscribe to your membership site to get your digital info, physical info, discount coupon, software, or whatever you offer, and pay you every month for it. It's up to you to feed your members new stuff - the stuff they want - every month to keep them happy and continuing with their subscription.

You create the material once and sell that same material over and over again with the membership business model. You can even limit the membership to a certain time period, such as three months or one year, and continue to offer the membership to new potential customers. This is continuous passive income at it's best!

Here's how to get a membership site going:

Make a list of what you know, or what you feel you can become an expert on fairly easily. Remember, an expert means you know more than someone else; you don't have to know everything on the subject.

Do research and find out what topics people are willing to spend money on. If you find a good one that meshes with what you know, you might have a winner.

Decide on the details - the best way to set it up, method of delivery, how often delivered, how much material and in what form, and so on.

Get to work creating the material and establish the framework for each month. Think pdfs, audio interviews, how-to screenshot videos, ebooks, PowerPoint presentations, Q and A, member-only webinars, etc. Consider outsourcing to get some help with the creation. Always give your subscribers more than they expect.

You can start your membership site before you have all the material created, but know that it can be stressful always trying to stay one step ahead of the members. It's better to stay at least 3 months ahead to give yourself some breathing room.

Once you've got the whole thing up, it's time to market your membership. You may have completed your membership info for a whole year, but your job is not finished. You need to market the heck out of it to get subscribers. Never stop marketing it because for various reasons, some people will leave the membership before it's finished and you'll want to replace them.

Having a membership site(s) means creating the material once and having continuous income coming in from your many members through the lifespan of the membership site. This is steady income you can be proud of.



Monday 10 August 2015

5 Benefits of a Digital Product Business

Ideas su If you're looking for a retirement business model that allows you to generate genuinely passive income and to make a lot of money in the process, then a digital product business might just be right for you.

Digital products are products that exist solely in a digital format and include the likes of software, eBooks, e-courses and computer games. They also just so happen to offer perhaps the best business opportunity of any type of product, so read on to find out what makes them such a great choice for making money online.

1. No Overheads

Right away, with a digital product you have no overheads. That is to say, you might have overheads initially while you're developing your product but from that point on you will then be able to sell as many copies as you like with no need to pay for materials or anything else. Apart from Paypal fees, every sale will be 100% profit - which can't really be said about any other business model.

2. It's Truly Passive

Of course some services are also like this. If you're a writer or web designer for instance, then you probably won't have to spend any money to make money and that means that you can keep 100% profit. But where a service business falls down is in the fact that you'll be exchanging your time for money. This, in turn, means you'll need to constantly be available at specific times of day and you might even need to travel.

A digital product though is truly passive. Once you have set up an online store and you have people visiting your site, you can make money while you sleep or while you're on holiday somewhere sunny.

3. No Stock

With a digital product you require zero digital space for stock and that means you don't need to rent a warehouse or fill your front room with books.

4. No Investment

Just as there are no overheads, there is also very little investment necessary. This means it will take barely any time for you to break even and to start generating real profit. In turn, this also means that there's no risk so you'll be able to start your business without taking out a huge loan and putting your family's finances and livelihood in danger.

5. No Delivery

As though all that wasn't enough, digital products don't even require delivery. That means you won't have stock going missing or customers claiming they never received their goods. Digital products are cheaper and faster in every way.

Websites That Earn Ad Income, Another Work At Home Business Model

Click su

Maybe you've thought you'd like to earn some online income now that you've retired but you're not sure where to start. So what should you do? Well,,, you could get an online income stream started by building AdSense sites.

What Are AdSense Sites?

AdSense sites are typically websites you set up with keyword-rich content and strategically placed AdSense ads. You can never encourage people to click on the Adsense links as that will get you tossed out of the program, but when people do click on the links you earn money for each click. They don't have to buy a product, although the originator of the AdSense ad hopes they will; you get paid for the click.

Typically, the site is set up and usually not manually maintained, meaning you don't keep adding content. There are ways to keep content coming with the advent of plugins that pull in news feeds, EzineArticles, eBay auctions, Amazon product reviews and so on. Each of these serve a different purpose and should be investigated as to their efficacy and reliability, and whether they are legitimate.

Aren't AdSense Sites Dodgy?


Sometimes sites made for AdSense get a bad name because unethical marketers use content they've "scraped" illegally from other legitimate sites. Do it the right way, add content you have legal permission to use, and you won't have to worry about your sites getting banned or sandboxed by Google.

Your income on one or two sites probably won't be enough to pay the bills so you might need to have a lot of sites. One other thing you need is a lot of is traffic. If people don't come to check out your website, they certainly can't click on your AdSense links.

Selling Ads Directly


Another way you can make money from ads on a website is through offering ad placement on your site for a fee. Before you do this, build up your site with good quality content and use ways such as article marketing and backlinking to help build up your traffic. The more traffic you get, the more you can charge for an ad. If you have high traffic numbers, the company placing the ad will be willing to pay more for it because the exposure to viewers, and possible sales, will be higher.

Check out some of the bigger blogs and see how and what they offer in the way of advertising. If adding advertisement to your site doesn't seem like enough income for you, try a three-prong approach - sell advertising, sell affiliate products, and sell your own products for greater income potential.




Sunday 9 August 2015

10 List Building Tips For Growing Your Subscriber Base Fast!

Email suWhen it comes to building a business, we all want to see results as fast as possible. And, while building a list of email subscribers will be a long term effort, you can help improve the speed at which it grows by employing as many of these list building tips and techniques as possible.

1) Use Forms On Your Website: Make sure you place opt in forms in a prominent location, above the fold, on the homepage of your website. Add them to other areas, such as above blog comment areas, to get them noticed even more. Whatever you do, make sure that your subscribers can see a way to sign up on every single page of your website.

2) Provide An Incentive: No matter where you choose to start promoting your list, you’re going to find it difficult to get people to actually hand over their email addresses unless you provide them with an incentive for doing so. All list building tips will start with providing a good incentive, whether that's an eBook, a coaching session, an eCourse or anything else of value to your visitors.

3) Post In Forums: Most niche forums will allow you a signature where you can place a link back to your site. Include a link back to your newsletter page and make sure to post a number of helpful posts around the forum, several times a day.

4) Place Ads In Forums: Prominent forums in your niche may have a classified ads section where you can post a big incentive for people to sign up to your newsletter. In the internet marketing niche, for example, you can pay $40 for a Warrior Special Offer and expect a number of sign ups. This is perfect for new email lists where you aren't yet well known.

5) Write Articles:
Submit informative, useful articles in your niche to some of the many online article directories. In your author bio section, include a link to the page where interested readers can sign up to your newsletter.

6) Create A Facebook Page:
Create a Facebook Page for loyal customers and fans of your business to "like". At the same time, make sure you include an email opt in form on the welcome page to take advantage of the interest you get.

7) Sign Up Your Buyers: If you use an automated shopping cart system then most will allow you to automatically add customers to a designated customer list. Use this to send them product updates or offers tailored to what they've already bought.

8) Blog: The more people come onto your website, the more times they'll see your opt in forms and your freebie incentive, and the more likely they will be to sign up to your newsletter! How do you get people to visit your site regularly? Start a blog with the latest updates, tips and insights!

9) Ask Subscribers To "Tell A Friend": If you've got a fantastic freebie, or are sending out very useful information, then your subscribers will want to share it with others. Include a note in each of the emails letting them know that, if they want to share it, they should direct friends to your newsletter sign up page.

10) Participate In Ad Swaps: This means promoting another marketer's list in exchange for them promoting your list to their own subscribers. This works best if your lists are a similar size, and if you're very careful about the people you promote to your subscribers (i.e. make sure you trust the other party!)

Remember, none of these list building tips are going to do you any good unless you start employing them TODAY!


Saturday 8 August 2015

How to Start Your Own 'Writing for Pay' Business

Money from writingIf you enjoy writing or have a way with words, you can turn that skill into a retirement business.

There are numerous opportunities for aspiring writers online and off. Businesses need people to write content, to blog, to write sales copy and advertisements. They also need writers to write books, articles and technical manuals. In short, there’s a high demand for writers. Here’s how to start your own writing for pay business.

Step #1 - Decide what you want to write and if there’s a demand for it. For example, do you want to write articles and blog posts? Would you prefer to write books and eBooks? What about sales copy? Additionally, do you have a preference for the topics you’d write on? You can specialize in an industry as well as a content format.

For example, you could position yourself as a brilliant blogger or a fitness expert. You could be an eBook ghostwriter or a writer that specializes in animals and pet care. Choose a speciality that you enjoy. If you don’t like writing about a certain topic, chances are you’re going to procrastinate and not give your client your best effort.
 
Step #2 - Create your business. This will include choosing a business name and a website address, and creating a website. You’ll also want to consider creating a standard work for hire agreement. This will outline the rights and responsibilities of both parties. (If you're in the US, also consider registering your business as an LLC. It offers a few more protections than a sole proprietorship does. Ask your accountant or lawyer for advice.)

Finally, you’ll want to create an invoicing system. Many writers require a fifty percent deposit to begin a project with the remainder due when they deliver the content. This helps ensure a writer gets paid for their work. Sometimes, not often, you’ll run into a client that isn’t professional. You’ll need to decide in advance how you want to handle this. Sending someone to collections isn’t fun.

Step #3 - Market your business. You’re a writer, so one of your best marketing tools is the written word. Article marketing, blogging and a well-written sales or landing page are great ways to begin to drive traffic and clients to your website.

Get out and network too. Online and offline, networking offers a valuable way to connect with potential clients and partners. Join your local small business association or chamber of commerce. Comment on blogs in your specialty areas. For example, if you’re a pet writer then visit and comment on blogs about pets. Link to your website to drive traffic and customers to your front door.

Also participate on industry forums and chat rooms. Social networking sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook can also be good traffic-generating and awareness-building tools.


How to Start Your Own Virtual Assistant Business

VA dpVirtual assistants are in demand worldwide. As a virtual assistant you could find clients in your own community or half way around the globe. It’s a great way to make a living and work from home. You’ll meet interesting people, learn new tasks and responsibilities and perhaps best of all, enjoy the freedom that comes with being your own boss. Here’s how to start your own virtual assistant business.

#1 SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This is a personal assessment. Take a look at what strengths you have that will contribute to a successful virtual assistant business. Communication skills, organization skills, professionalism are some strengths. However, you likely bring a lot more to the table. List your strengths.
 
Take a look at your weaknesses as well. You’re not looking for reasons to not go into business for yourself. You’re simply making sure you’re aware of all you’ll need to do to run a successful business. If you have a weakness, and we all do, then you’ll want to create a plan to manage it. For example, if your weakness is writing and you need to have sales and marketing copy for your business website, you can learn to write or you can hire someone to do it for you. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses helps you create the best business for you.

Opportunities and threats are the next part of this assessment. Opportunities can be anything from the fact that you have a friend who designs websites to a growing demand for virtual assistants. Threats are things that may challenge you, like competing virtual assistants and a sluggish economy. When you’re fully aware of your assets and challenges, you can plan for them.

#2 Create a business plan. Plan the services you’re going to offer and how you’re going to offer them. For example, will you charge by the hour or by the project? Will you offer a discount for ongoing clients? Research your competition and decide whether you want to specialize.

You can specialize in a certain task, for example transcription. Or you can specialize in an industry like real estate. Specialization is a way to demonstrate expertise and adds credibility to your business. That being said, there are many clients who want a one-stop solution and would prefer a virtual assistant that can do a number of tasks.

#3 Set up your business. You’ll want to create a website to market your virtual business. Most of your clients will be online and they’ll often find you through online searching. A website is also a way to demonstrate your expertise. You’ll also want a business address, a phone number, email and a way to accept payment. PayPal is an easy way to invoice and track your income and expenses.

Once your business is established, the next step is to spread the word. Consider social networking, advertising, SEO and article marketing to market your business. A blog is also a good way to demonstrate credibility, enhance your brand and drive traffic to your website.

Virtual assistants are in high demand. Whether you’re looking for full-time work or a part-time income, it can be the perfect solution. Create your business and start making money from your skills.




How to Make Money Online - The Basics

Make money online dpIf you ask how to make money online, you’re generally going to hear one of two things. You’re going to hear people telling you that you can’t make money online. That all the good topics and business models are taken up. (That’s untrue, by the way.)

You’re also going to hear people who will promise you that you can make millions online. While that IS true for some, it’s not common. What is true about making money online is that anything is possible, and it’s quite likely that you can make a very comfortable living doing something that you love. So here’s the lowdown on how to make money online.

What Makes Money Online?

There are a few basic business models that generally achieve a good deal of success online. They include:

  • Information marketing – Information is sold online, generally about a specialty topic

  • Membership marketing – Profit is made by selling memberships and selling advertising space

  • Service provider – Profit is made by providing a service. For example, virtual assistants provide administrative services online

  • Retailer or ecommerce – Profit is made by selling a product online

  • Affiliate marketing – Profit is made by promoting the products or services of others and earning a commission

There are a few things these five business models have in common. They all operate online - that’s a given because we’re talking about online business. They also all need people to visit their website in order to survive. How do they get people to their website?

Content

Content is the unifying theme behind successful websites. People go online to be entertained, to be informed, to connect and communicate. The single unifying thread for all of these interactions is content.

Content can be read, watched, listened to and shared. It can be an article, a blog post, a report, a book, an online course, a video or an audio. Without content a website doesn’t stand a chance. Information is the reason for the internet. If a website doesn’t provide information, it has no value to online users.

The Basics

Okay, so you choose your business model. You choose a business topic or specialty; this is often called a niche. A niche is a speciality topic. For example, you could decide you want to start a membership site. Great - about what? Recipes, because you love to cook and share recipes. Fantastic! Now it’s time to create the content for your website. You need to give people a reason to visit your website and become a member. The next step is to continue to provide value. What are you going to offer your members to motivate them to stay members?

What information are you going to provide as an information marketer that will motivate people to buy your books? What information can you provide clients to motivate them to hire you as a service provider?

Online, regardless of the model you choose, people want to know one thing: “What's in this for me? How will this benefit me?” Choose your topic and model wisely. Create fantastic content and provide value. That’s the core of any successful online business.

 


How to Become an Online Infopreneur

Solution Depositphotos_13165668_s-2015Information marketing has taken the internet by storm. As more and more people begin utilizing digital information, and reading and learning online, more opportunities open up for information marketers. If you have specialty information or have a passion for a topic, information marketing may be the perfect business model for you.

What Is an Online Infopreneur?

An online infopreneur is someone who makes a living selling information. It can be a very profitable business model. An example is someone who is an expert when it comes to bird training. They have a passion for or a strong interest in training birds. They might create training manuals, videos and courses on how to train your pet bird. The information could range from beginner to advanced tricks like how to train your parrot to play dead. Sounds crazy, right? I mean, who needs to train their parrot to do that? Believe it or not, there’s a market for it.

An online infopreneur’s first job is to determine what their passions are and if there’s a market for it. You might begin by making a list of the topics you’re knowledgeable in or passionate about. Then you begin your research. Using keyword research tools and investigating online, you’d look to see if people are searching for that topic.

Continuing with the parrot training topic, perhaps that infopreneur began with a passion for birds. They found during their research that many people were struggling with their exotic birds. They were biting and screaming and being generally unruly. This infopreneur then saw that there weren’t a lot of other businesses providing information on the topic. In short, there was a good demand for the information but not much supply. This is the perfect opportunity to create an information marketing business.

So your first step is to find your interests and passions. Your second step is to research them for profitable niches. A niche is a specialty topic. It can also be a demographic like teen bird trainers or bird training in the desert south-west. Or it can be a skill level - beginner bird training, for example.

Once you’ve chosen a niche, it’s time to create your website and information products. Your website will be dedicated to helping your audience learn what they need to know or want to know about your topic. You might post free article or video content. You may offer free reports and digital downloads.

Once you have people interested and accessing your free information, you can take them to the next step which is to offer them a product to buy. Often this is an ebook, an online course or a video series. The information products that are successful generally solve a problem for their audience. For example, “How to stop your parrot from biting.” You may uncover common problems during your research or you may need to do additional research to find the answers.

If you have a passion, interest or specialty knowledge about a topic, consider using that to create an information marketing business. It’s a great way to make an income. Some information marketers have gone on to make millions from their books, courses and videos. Here's to your retirement business success!



Thursday 6 August 2015

How An Accountability Partner Can Help You Meet Your Goals

Partners suThe new trend in goal achievement is finding an accountability partner - a friend that's available online or in person who you can share your goals with can help you monitor your success and ultimately achieve your goals.

Gaining the support of a friend, spouse, partner, or a co-worker that understands your goals and their importance to you can make all the difference when it comes to sticking to your plan. Here are some of the ways in which an accountability partner can help.

1) Keeps You From Procrastinating

When you have someone constantly checking on your progress, you'll be far more likely to work on your goals daily. It will virtually become impossible to put off tasks that you need to complete today, because you know at the end of the day you'll need to check in with your accountability partner.

Procrastinating is easy when you're working on a goal or goals yourself, but when you have to check-in with someone else, it is almost embarrassing to procrastinate. An accountability partner is more likely to keep you working each day towards your goal or goals.

2) Keeps You Accountable

Certain checkpoints can be established where you will be forced to be accountable, such as reaching certain benchmarks at designated dates. Whether it is daily, weekly or monthly, you have to be accountable for the goals that you are planning on achieving when someone is checking in with you.

An accountability partner will ensure that you maintain your responsibility in meeting your set timelines for accomplishing certain parts of your goal or goals. If you're not good at this, use some extra incentive like giving your accountability partner a sum of money that they can only return to you if you check in each day!

3) Keeps You Motivated


Receiving support from someone else gives you the motivation to work at achieving your goals. Sometimes, just having someone available to talk to can really motivate you to keep going when you hit a roadblock. Talk the problem through with your accountability partner and you may just renew your energy.

4) Keeps You Focused

A strong accountability partner will keep you focused on achieving your goal and the steps you need to take to gain that achievement. You want a strong person, because he or she will ensure that you don't give up or slack off in meeting your benchmarks and ultimate goal.

Remaining focused can be difficult, especially if you can be easily distracted by some setbacks. An accountability partner can keep your mind focused on the prize when you achieve your goal or goals. They can remind you why you're doing it in the first place.

When working on your own, sometimes it’s easier just to give up than make adjustments. Having an accountability partner means you can talk things through and come to a logical decision not based on fear, doubt, or pure laziness!

Domain Flipping Using Flippa.com

Flippa isn't just a place to buy and sell websites - many people have also made a lot of money selling domain names. Domain flipping means buying a domain name, whether direct from the registrar or from another seller, and selling it on at a profit.

Setting Up A Domain-Only Auction

Setting up a domain-only auction on Flippa is much like selling a full website. Simply select the domain option as you create the listing, and you can go on to enter further details such as the date registered, and any listing text you feel is valuable for the buyer. Specific information to include should be the domain age (aged domains are generally higher in value), whether it comes with any content, whether it has any backlinks, Google Pagerank and so on. Once you've set up the listing you'll need to pay the $19 listing fee and verify that you own that domain.

Flipping Newly Registered Domain Names


There's no reason why you can't flip domains you've only recently registered, but there are a few things you need to know before you do. When you try to sell a domain you've bought within the last 60 days, Flippa will display a "recent domain registration" warning to buyers.

The reason why Flippa does this is because domain regulations state that you can't transfer a domain name to a new registrar within 60 days of buying it. For example, if you registered the domain using Namecheap, and the buyer wanted to transfer it to GoDaddy because that's where they have all their other domains, they wouldn't be able to do that until the 60 days was up.

This doesn't mean domain flipping can't be done with new domains - you can still generally transfer the new domain name to the buyer by pushing it to their account on the SAME registrar. So, if you registered it at Namecheap, they'd just have to register a free account at Namecheap for you to push it over to them.

Once The Auction Is Over

Domain flipping is generally a lot quicker to finalize than website flipping, thanks to the fact that all it takes is to transfer the domain name to the new owner. To do this, they will have to go through the transfer protocol of their current registrar, or simply sign up at your registrar as mentioned in the example above. Once the domain has transferred (this could take up to a week) they will have full control and ownership until the expiry date.

Domain flipping can be an extremely popular endeavour once you know what to look for in a domain name!


Wednesday 5 August 2015

How to Become a Sought After Website Translator

If you have a second language in addition to English, you can make a good living as a website translator in your retirement.

As internet marketing continues to grow and expand, businesses all around the world are needing to have entire websites translated into English and other languages. Imagine the profitability if you get a handful of large websites to translate. Some websites have more than 100,000 pages. It’s a big project with a potential for significant profits. Spanish, Chinese, and other European languages are in high demand.

So how do you become a sought after website translator?

One of the easiest ways is to bid on projects on freelance job sites. One or two projects under your belt gives you the credibility and portfolio to market your services. These freelance websites are also a good place to research the market.

Generally provider’s rates run at the low end of the scale - to be competitive. However, once you transition away from freelance job sites and are attracting your own clientele, you can increase your rates to meet demand. When working on freelance websites it’s recommended you collect an initial deposit because a translation job can, potentially, take several months and you want to have some money to live on while you’re working.

Among the freelance service-providing community there are a few keys to being successful and having a full schedule. They include:

  • Being professional 100% of the time. Don’t talk negatively about your clients, their websites or their business. Always, ALWAYS, deliver projects on time or early. Don’t change rates in the middle of a job (This means you may have to ask a lot of questions in the beginning to provide an adequate quote.) Respond promptly to enquiries and client questions.
  •  Communicate effectively. Your job is to translate language; this means people will expect you to have good communication skills. Demonstrate your skills by sending clear and understandable email messages, having a website which is easy to read and understand, and by simply being easy to work with and talk to.
  • Become more than a translator. If you can offer insight and act as a consultant, you will offer more value to your clients than someone who merely translates. If you have a specialty in Chinese, for example, and are translating an English written website for an American company, and if you can provide insight into the culture for the company you’re translating for, you can help them position their website and their business effectively in the global market place.
  • Once you’re up and running, don’t forget to market your services. Word of mouth may be your most powerful marketing strategy; however, advertising, article marketing and search engine optimization will all help you fill your schedule with translation projects.

There’s a wealth of projects just waiting for your expertise. If you have good knowledge of an in-demand language, you can make a nice living translating websites. The start-up is low risk and you can get up and running without too much fuss. Here's to your success!

Tuesday 4 August 2015

10 Quick Tips For Writing Your Own eBook

If you want to start making money from eBook sales, then your options are to outsource the content creation to a third party, or to try and write it yourself. If you can write the product yourself then this is actually the preferable choice as it will mean that you retain full control over the outcome of the product and that you can offer some genuine insight and something truly new. Hiring a writer will usually result in a passable book that covers all the basics, but if you have something truly special to say, you really need to say it yourself.

Writing an eBook is hard though, which is why you should follow these ten tips that can really help:

Plan a Structure

If you're writing a blog post then you can probably get away with making it up as you go along. With an eBook though, it really does pay to have at least a loose structure in mind first - so spend some time planning this out.

Read Other Books in Your Niche

This is a great way to get inspiration for your own ideas and to become better versed in the subject matter.

Write Every Day

Writing that much content takes discipline. Make your aim to write everyday - even if you only write a paragraph, that's better than writing nothing at all.

Add Images and Tables

If you want to add value to your eBook and you're not sure about your writing quality, then adding images and tables is a great way to give your product more bang for the buck.

Choose a Subject You Know

There's no point in writing something you know nothing about. Pick a subject matter you're an expert in - if that's your career, then that's fine!

Choose a Subject You Enjoy

More important still, make sure that the subject you're writing about is one you enjoy. That way, you'll be more motivated and your enthusiasm will come across in your writing.

Pick a Small Niche

That said, writing a fitness book will mean going up against every other eBook author on the planet. Try to pick a niche that's less saturated, with a clear route to market.

Get it Proofread

Even if you're the best writer in the world, it's very difficult to spot your own typos and errors. Hire a proofreader to ensure absolute professionalism.

Focus on the Value Proposition

Your value proposition is defined as the way in which your book is going to change the life of the person reading. Will they be richer? Stronger? Smarter? Famous? Focus on this and tie each point into that.

Say Something New

Finally, make sure to say something new. Don't just rehash old ideas - come up with something that's completely your own!