5 Ways to Kill Competition for Your Business

Is there an easy way to make the competition irrelevant? In an age with so much access to information, bombarded by advertisements and commercials, is it possible to keep the attention of your potential customers? What is the secret to help customers make an easy decision to buy? There is a secret formula that works for e-commerce, retail, bids and proposals. It is a simple formula that has worked since the days of bartering beads, beans and burrows.

1. Create Differentiation
Create differentiation within your own products or services. If you have an assortment of products or services to offer, you may have identified your differentiation already. Common examples of differentiation for products may be based on size, speed, color, components, combinations or accessories. Common examples of differentiation for services include speed, performance, quality, responsiveness, availability, ease or integration. If you are in the unique position of having only one product or service to offer potential customers then you should consider accessories, partners or other options to create a variety of levels from the perspective of your future customers. If all else fails, you can offer different levels of shipping speed or delivery.

2. Focus on the Moment of Truth
Focus on the moment of truth, the place or position that your products or services will be offered to the customer. In a retail environment this may be the end-cap, a wall display, shelf space or a counter display. On the Internet this may be an on-line store, e-bay or your personal site. It may be in a catalog or a brochure. It could even be part of an email communication. Occasionally the moment of truth may be in the form of a bid or proposal after several months of discussions with a potential client. The moment of truth is the moment that the customer has a an option to make a purchase decision, to buy your products, invest in your services or hire you. This is the moment that you need to put your good, better and best foot forward.

3. Good, Better and Best
Give your customer three options. Show them something good, show them something better and show them your best. It is a simple formula that takes a little care and creativity in crafting your message. The three offers should be based on the foundation of a consistent theme, the single most important underlying reason to invest in your products or services.

The 'good' product or service should be the lowest cost option but still demonstrate your inherent value and differentiation from the competition. You should be able to clearly define your value, the features, advantages and benefits of what you have to offer. This is the customer minimum investment to buy, and it should be a good one.

Step up to better. Using the foundation established with your 'good' offer, add something more for a slightly higher price. The customer value should be easily distinguished and highlighted as more significant than the slightly increased price. Make a clear comparison to the "good" product or service. This should be a preferred alternative for the potential customer. The option should be slightly more expensive, but worth it. Some examples may include, "with additional 1GB memory", "includes six months of Satellite Radio", "bundle package includes download of 50 songs", "50% faster than the original", and similar comparisons.
Show them your best. The third option should be the best that you have to offer, the cream of the crop. This is the most expensive option and will only be selected by the most exclusive of customers. It should also have something in common with the original "good" option and the "better" option, but the third and final option should be recognizable the best you have to offer. The price may be significantly higher than the other two options, and that is fine. Demonstrating a significant leap to a higher price point for the top of the line option will help to differentiate the cost value of the other two options. Do not expect large volume of sales on the best offer. Rather, use this to demonstrate competitive advantage and differentiation with the "wow" factor.
Even if you have hundreds of customized solutions or products, select and present three options, good, better and best. In the decision process, human beings can easily compare and contrast three options. The mind can juggle three prices and three sets of features for a quick and easy decision process. Once you add a fourth element, the customer needs to start a deeper level of analytical comparison. If you have too many options then the customer will need to spend more time to consider the alternatives, and while they are weighing your multiple options they may start to consider the competition as well. Limit your presentation to three options. If the customer makes a specific request for an alternative, then provide the alternative that the customer has requested, but avoid introducing too many new variables unless asked. The more factors in a decision, the longer the process and the more likely to turn your "Moment of Truth" into a Lapse into Confusion.

4. The Value Proposition For each option that you present to the potential customer, provide a value proposition. Your value proposition should be something that can be conveyed in three to five bullet points, three to five sentences, or spoken in thirty seconds or less. You should be precise and succinct. Present the value proposition from the customer point of view. For example, rather than say "we ship in three to five days", you could say "the product will typically arrive at your door in three to five days". Rather than say "we have the fastest process", you could say "our process is fast, so you get results faster".

A value proposition typically contains the essential elements of Feature, Advantage, Benefit, Image and Offer. This is a reference to a specific important feature of your offer, the advantage as compared to the competition, and the benefit to the customer. The Image refers to a photograph or diagram. The Image is an important element of your value proposition, as people will generally remember an image more readily than words. Images convey feeling, and typically depict a lifestyle example of the customer enjoying the benefits of the feature's advantage. The Offer is a call to action. Give your customer an offer to buy, and let them know specifically how to conduct the purchase. Examples of the order call to action are "buy now", "limited time discount" or a number to call to place the order by phone.

An example of the value proposition with the essential elements is "Call now to order the self-cleaning home brew coffee maker and start enjoying fresh, hot coffee with the extra convenience of no fuss, no muss and no clean-up. Order on-line to receive your free sample of assorted coffees, available while supplies last." All we need to complete this enticing offer is an image of hands gently caressing an aromatic steaming cup of coffee, cradled over a saucer.

5. Plan, Do, Measure and Adjust Carefully plan your three offers and the value proposition for each. Once you introduce your three offers, measure the success rate of each option by the corresponding sales attach rate. Typically the "good" offer should be about 25% of your sales, and the "best" offer is normally only 15% of your sales. Some customers will want the lowest cost option, and some will want to be exclusive and purchase the best option regardless of price. The middle of the road "better" offer is customarily the lion share at 60% of your total sales. Most customers are willing to pay a little more for quality, speed or convenience associated with the "better" offer if presented properly, even if they do not want to pay the high price of the "best" option. The "better" alternative gives customers a chance to do a little better than "good", but still feel that they saved money as compared to the outrageously priced "best" option.

If you do not experience the desired result in mix of sales then it may be necessary to adjust your plan or your value propositions. In any case, as long as the customers continue to make a selection between your options, the competition is irrelevant. Your customers can get what they want, and they will remain your customers.


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8 Steps to Attracting New Customers

To keep your business healthy you need a steady flow of customers coming through your doors. Follow these eight steps to attract more new customers to your business.


Step One: Get Clear On Who You’re Targeting
Before you begin any marketing, you must find your target audience. Do your research and discover who your products or services can help the most. Without a clear understanding of exactly who you’re targeting, your marketing can’t be effective.

Specializing your approach will definitely help your conversion rate. It may make you nervous to think of narrowing your options, but it’s the first step in attracting more long-term clients. Here’s one more benefit to narrowing down your focus: each time you specialize a little more, you’re able to charge more for your services.

Step Two: Understand What They Really Want Emotionally and Logically
Once you’ve identified your best target audience, it’s time to learn what they really, really want. What do they dream of accomplishing? What keeps them awake at night?

There’s no point in marketing your products if you aren’t sure what your target market wants. Here’s a key concept: people buy what they want, not what you think they need. Get to know your market and you’ll find making sales much easier.

Step Three: Package What You’re Offering Toward Desired End Results
Because you understand your market so well, you know the desired end result they’d like to achieve. The closer you get to that desired end result, the better you’ll do in business. Package your products toward that result, so that you’re always meeting the needs of your clients.

When you’re really tuned into the needs of your target market, you’ll experience the rush of business running smoothly. You’ll stop having to push and shove to make sales and see how it all flows together—the needs of a group of people, and products packaged to meet those needs. What’s the takeaway? People don’t buy because they understand something, they buy because they feel understood.

Step Four: Create an Irresistible Offer
What, exactly, are you delivering with your products, and what must the client give in return? To be effective in marketing, you need to be able to answer that question in one sentence. Here’s an example: “Give me ten minutes per day and I’ll give you the body you’ve always wanted.”

You want to state your offer in a compelling way that has people raising their hands to say “I want that!” Work on developing your one-sentence offer; it will form the basis of all your other marketing.

Step Five: Go Find Your Target Audience
Where do the people most likely to buy your products hang out? Do they congregate on online discussion forums? What publications do they read? Which organizations do they join?

If you’ve done good market research in the previous steps, you’ll already know the answers. Now, go out there and make your irresistible offer to them in ads, talks, comments on forums and whatever way you can that makes them affordably reachable.

Step Six: Practice Great Follow-up
You’ve done your research, created great products, packaged them to meet the needs of your target audience, and made your offer where they congregate. To maximize all the hard work you’ve already done, you must follow-up consistently.

What’s the best way to make sure that happens? By automating and systematizing as much of your follow-up as possible. Here’s the rule: Always follow up, and find ways to make it automatic.

Step Seven: Close the Sale
This one gets stepped around so often, and that’s a shame, because it’s essential if you want to succeed. Learn how to ask for their business. For some companies, that might mean a face-to-face meeting, and for many others, the entire sales process can be automated. Unless money changes hands, you’re not really in business.

Whichever way you chose to close, you must give your prospects enough information that they can buy with confidence. Automate that information-sharing as much as you can, with web pages, sales letters and brochures, so that you can expand your impact in less time.

Step Eight: Make Additional Offers
The bulk of your profits are going to be made from additional sales to satisfied customers. You’ve already built a relationship with them and they know you can be trusted. Create products you can offer them as you continue to listen and hear what solutions they need.

These long-term clients give your business stability, and you’re not out chasing new clients constantly. Learning to make additional offers will make the difference in whether your business lasts.

Following the eight steps puts you on the path to attracting new clients and earning more income. Keep working through them until you’ve perfected your products and your offer. Automate as many of your processes as you can, and don’t forget to offer additional products to satisfied customers. By doing so, you’ll be on the road to the income you want.

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by Bernadette Doyle

Advertise Your Website for Free in 5 Proven Ways

Looking for ways to promote your website on a budget? How about for free? Some of the best website advertising methods will cost you nothing more than a little time.

1) Directory Listings
Search for free company rosters and see what comes up. Tons and I mean loads, of websites that allow you to list your business or site for absolutely no cost. Why? Because their financial models are typically based upon the up-sell, see that, the premium listing. Oh you get the basics free of charge, but what you really prefer is the one that allows you to load pictures, videos, and the longer, expanded version recap. The good part is, nearly all of the free versions will list your site link, and this helps individuals discover you and your internet backlink method. Here are a few of the most popular directories:

• Manta.com
• Biz Highway
• Dexknows
• Superpages

And let's not lose sight of the search engine wars that lead to millions of gratuitous, unclaimed listings for companies like:

• Google My Business
• Yahoo Local
• Bing Places for Business

Does it take time to complete their listing forms? You know it! It's free, but not effortless.

2) Complimentary PR
Have a new good or service you would like to get recognized? Write a news release and get it submitted through a PR service that, like the directories, provides free fundamental press release submittal services. These generally won't arrive at the main media outlets, most of whom use sites like PR Newswire or Business Wire, but the middle tier media outlet market can be accessed by PR services with cost-free options, like...

• PR.com
• PR Log
• 24-7 Press Release
• I-Newswire

3) Social Media
If you are trying to get reach on the internet and you don't have a Facebook page, LinkedIn account, Google+ page and Twitter username, shame on you! All of these provide absolutely free listings on websites with extremely high Google page rankings. They're the most significant social media websites on the web. If you have a business you can also get a business page on these sites that links to your individual profile. Even when you don't have time to "work" these websites to their fullest, there is link juice available from even the most horrible fan profiles.

A better method is to get in the social media arena and pick one or two of these to construct pages and initiate a communication with others who are already comfortable using this vehicle.

And there are lots of supplementary social sites for headlines, bookmarking et cetera that enable you to acknowledge your site if not get a posting. A solid listing of more of them than you can possibly manage can be located on Shareaholic.

4) Offer Commentary
You and I both know there is way too much free information on the net, however we still have a couple of favored blogs or news websites we go to get our fill of self-help or what's taking place in the realms that we follow.

So do others who might just want to visit your blog. On nearly all blogs, you are able to write comments. The blog writers like this because it tells the search engine world and new readers that people are engaged in their content, and nothing detrimental can stem from that. When you leave a comment, you'll usually have the option to connect your website link to your reply. Often you can link to other items to as a possibility, like your Facebook or Twitter page.

Do it. If you reserve 30 minutes a week, you can browse recent columns from your favored sites and write purposeful (key word) remarks on them. Gradually, the value of your insights combined with the link back to your website will create traffic and SEO power.

5) Your Email Signature
This is the easiest free of cost technique I know of to get people to a blog, and the one that is surprisingly most often overlooked. Every email you send ought to have a standard footer that describes you. It usually has a name, title or something captivating about you, and some way to connect with you. It should also have your website linked or whatever other page you may want to lead people to, like a LinkedIn page. You can use a text anchor link, like Visit us for your San Diego SEO, or spell out the link beginning with http so it looks like http://www.yourlink.com and will be visible in text-based web mail browsers also and a live hyperlink in most email programs. Emails get forwarded, copied, and otherwise shared. You don't know who is reading and clicking.

Free stuff is normally worth what you pay for it: zero, but using these 5 techniques, Free Website Promotion is alive and well. Use the mechanisms at hand, add a smidgen of energy and initiative, and get your blog out there.

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From Karl Walinskas's work

Reasons & Steps You Must Consider Before Going Into Consultancy Business

Reasons to Become a Consultant
Although money is sometimes a key factor when someone decides to become a consultant, there are a few other reasons why more people are choosing this profession:

• You are not living your dream -- Maybe your dream has been to work on your own, and to be your own boss. As a consultant, you are responsible for your career; not anyone else.
  
  
• You are about to lose your job -- Job security is becoming a thing of the past, and for people who are about to get laid off, becoming a consultant is a viable way of earning a living and using their expertise.
  
  
• You have a talent people will pay money for -- Whether you are an expert as a fundraiser, computer wizard or marketing guru, once you discover your talent, you will find an audience who will pay you to do what you do best.
  
  
• You believe you can make a difference -- Many people become consultants because they know something in a particular field better than anyone else. And they use that knowledge to make a difference, either in the corporate or nonprofit world.

Steps to Becoming a Consultant

If the above information has you ready to say "yes" to becoming a consultant, congratulations, but take some time to create a plan before you hang out that shingle and start looking for clients. In other words, there are steps you should follow before launching your own consulting business, including:

1. Assess your skills and talents -- People who want a career as a consultant should be aware of both their strengths and their weaknesses. Be honest when making a list; if you are not, you will end up with problems down the road.
   
   
2. Decide on your specialty -- Do not make the mistake of deciding to become a consultant in a "hot" field just because there is a demand right now. Think carefully about where your interests lie, and how dedicated you believe you can be in serving other clients.
   
   
3. Research your field -- If you want to become a computer consultant, carefully research everything about that field. Who uses computer consultants? How much money can they make? Will it be easy to find clients?
   
   
4. Define your target audience -- No matter what type of consultant you have decided to become, you must define your audience. For example, will it be companies and large corporations, or individuals? Will it be nonprofit organizations or politicians?
   
   
5. Take the plunge -- If you truly believe you are ready, then take the plunge and launch your consulting business. Be sure to obtain any local or national licenses that you might need, as well as paying careful attention to any zoning laws, especially if you will be operating your consulting business from your home.

4 Reasons Why Your Organization Need A Consultant

Consultants are hired on the basis of their expertise, and their ability to get the job done. Organizations hire consultants for a variety of reasons, including:

• To identify problems -- Sometimes employees are too close to a problem to identify and deal with how to solve it. A consultant can come in and save the day.

• To supplement the staff -- Sometimes a business discovers it can save lots of money by hiring consultants on a temporary basis, rather than hiring employees.

• To bring new life to an organization - Often times a consultant is needed to "kick start" a company that has found themselves in a rut.

• To teach a new skill -- Technology consultants are especially in demand, as companies are hiring them to teach their employees how to use the latest computers and other high tech gadgets.

While many people have a preconceived notion of what a consultant does, there are some common denominators that all consultants share. These include:

• Listening skills -- When people talk, the consultant will listen. By paying careful attention to your clients' problems, you will be able to serve them well.
• Investigative skills -- A good consultant will have the ability to investigate and uncover data necessary to meet the goals of their clients.
• Action skills -- A good consultant will be ready to "take the bull by the horns" and do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Read more...

Top Ten Consulting Businesses You can Start with

According to the latest statistics, here are the top ten consulting businesses in the United States and across the globe:

1. Accounting -- Every business needs good accounting help, and many are hiring accounting consultants.
   
   
2. Advertising -- With the price of advertising these days, it is no wonder that advertising consultants are in great demand.
   
   
3. Career -- With more people finding themselves victims of corporate downsizing, career consultants are thriving.
   
   
4. Computer -- From software to hardware and everything in between, if you know computers, you will have no problems finding clients.
   
   
5. Executive search -- Despite the downsizing trend, headhunter consultants are in great demand these days.
   
   
6. Human resources -- As long as businesses have people problems, there will always be a need for this type of consultants.
   
   
7. Public Relations -- Getting good press coverage for any organization is a real asset for these types of consultants.
   
   
8. Management -- If you can help a company manage their business and solve their problems, they will beat a path to your door.
   
   
9. Insurance -- Every company needs insurance, and if this is your area of expertise, go for it.
   
   
10. Education -- From helping a parent find scholarship and grant money to helping school districts cut costs, this field is also in great demand.
    
    
    
    

5 Guided Steps to Starting a Bookkeeping Business

 









Thinking about starting a bookkeeping business? Bookkeepers are always in demand, and if you are good at organizing financial information, it might be the right business idea for you. Follow these steps to start your own bookkeeping service.

Sometimes the best business ideas are simply finding something that people could do but don’t have the time, the education, or the personality type to do well. That may be why bookkeepers are always in demand.

Some people are organized—others are not. Surely, you know somebody who is super smart but a quick look at their office reveals organizational disaster. Maybe you’re the type of person that organizes for fun. The idea of a closet in shambles or a stack of bills and bank statements that need addressed may be your idea of a great time. If that’s true, you would probably love being a bookkeeper.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2012 median salary for Bookkeepers was $35,170 per year--$16.91 per hour. The industry is expected to add about 204,000 positions through 2022—an average rate of growth compared to other professions.

But these stats reference somebody who works directly for a single company. According to Entrepreneur, independent bookkeepers make between $25 and $40 per hour depending on where they work and the nature of the job. As you become more established and gain more clients, you may consider bringing in a partner or small staff. Some bookkeepers establish larger companies with hundreds of clients but first, you have to land enough clients to sustain yourself, personally.

Some formal training will help establish credibility but as long as you have some formal experience managing the financial affairs of a company or organization, you can start your business right away. Here’s how to get started.

Step 1- Train
You don’t have to become a certified public account but in a world where so many people advertise themselves as experts, it’s hard to stand out from the crowd if you have no training. Community colleges offer bookkeeping courses and some offer additional or specialized services including tax preparation, loan packaging, and software training. The popular account software, Quickbooks, offers certification programs, for example. You can also become a Certified Bookkeeper through the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers.

Step 2- Home Office or Office Building?
If you’re just starting out, don’t quit your day job. An advantage to this type of business is the ability to take on clients you can service after hours. These clients will likely come from contacts you’ve made in your current job. In time, your increasing client mode will force you to make the decision: Is it time to quit your job and devote all of your time to bookkeeping or keep your business part time?

New independent bookkeepers often work from home. They may meet clients in their home office or at a local coffee shop but some advise to rent a small office as soon as possible.

Because clients trust you with their money, having an ultra-professional working environment may be important to some of your clients. And don’t forget privacy. If you have children or other people living with you, clients may see your home as an insecure environment. Finally, having meetings at your home might make your clients feel uncomfortable.

Look for a company that offers office space for rent as needed instead of a traditional lease. Larger cities tend to have places like this. Ask friends who are business owners if they have extra space for rent, and if that fails, look at traditional office space. Single office rentals aren’t as outlandish as you might think.

Step 3- Establish the Business
Laws in your state may require that you establish a formalized business structure. A limited liability company, or LLC, is the most common type of business structure for small businesses. In most states it’s easy to set up and costs less than $100. Go to your state’s Secretary of State website to learn how. There are also business registration services that can help.

Because of the nature of the business, consider insurance. Errors and omissions insurance is a common type of insurance held by bookkeepers but general liability is another option. E&O insurance is cheap—some policies are around $25 per month.

Step 4- Pound the Pavement
At the beginning, clients aren’t going to find you; you have to find them. Prepare some basic marketing materials. If you have an eye for design, you may be able to create these materials yourself. If not, there are plenty of templates for sale and freelance designers that can help for a reasonable price.

Ask others in the industry what clients find to be important. Look at marketing copy from bookkeeping firms and observe what they stress. They’ve already done the research for you based on their experience in the business. If they stress something, so should you.

Also create a basic website. Unless your business model will exist mostly online, keep your site simple and professional. Only include the important information. No fluff.

After that, do some old-fashioned marketing. Work your contact list, go door to door reaching out to small businesses and individuals, and attend community events. Start with people who know you from your current job and branch out. Once you become more established, clients will find you through word of mouth but plan to always market.

Step 5- Go Overboard with Great Service
Any business that survives beyond the startup phase knows this instinctively. Going over the top with customer service, is what makes you stand out. Are you available after hours? Do you have a network of trusted professionals you can refer clients to when they need something outside of your expertise? Are you fast an error free? Did you remember to acknowledge their birthday or their child’s high school graduation? Great service isn’t a strategy; it’s thoughtfulness—taking an interest in your clients as individuals will make you a stand out. Customers in all businesses complain of the lack of a personal, human touch in business. This is an easy way to stand out.

Bottom Line
If you love numbers, organization, and some financial grunt work, bookkeeping is the perfect business for you. Don’t quit your day job. Start small, care about your clients, do a fantastic job, and soon enough, you’ll be your own boss if that is your goal.

businessknowhow 

Top 7 Principles For Transforming Your Business From Mediocre To Great

In the words of motivational speaker, Les Brown -- "You don't have to be great to get started, but you do have to get started to be great." Where do you start to transform your business from mediocre to great?

Below are your top 7 essential ingredients for cultivating greatness within your own business:

1. Know What Your Business Stands For And Live Those Values.More than ever, today, customers don't just ask "what products do you offer?" They also ask "what values do you stand for?" What values does your business stand for? What practices have you developed to live those values daily?

2. Know Your Compelling "Why."Viktor Frankl, the great Austrian psychiatrist, said it best: "Success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue ... as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself." For what "transcendent" purpose does your business exist? How does your business make a difference in your customers' lives?

3. Always Seek The Edge.
In 1954, Roger Bannister did the seemingly "impossible" and ran the first 4 minute mile. When asked how he did it, he said "It's the ability to take more out of yourself than you've got.'" How can you "take more out of yourself than you've got" to achieve the seemingly impossible in your business?

4. Dare To Be Different.
Contrarians are the change agents in the business world. These wealth-building businesses are not simply "executing better" -- they're radically changing the rules of the success game in their field or industry. Where in your business can you break the rules? How can you set yourself apart from the crowd in your industry?

5. Find Models Of Greatness.
Within every industry, every geography, every career path, there are examples of greatness everywhere. Find those people, those businesses that inspire you the most. What is it about them you would like to emulate? What changes can you make today to be like them?

6. Know The End In Mind.
Great businesses **decide** their future. They are not dictated by it. They know exactly where they want to be, by when, how, and then persist in getting there. What decisions have you made about your business future? What do you need to decide differently in order to have a great outcome?

7. Commit To Personal Greatness.
Your business is a direct reflection of where you are at. It only grows as quickly as you do. To build a great business, you must commit to your own personal greatness. How do you define personal greatness for yourself? What changes can you make to unleash your own greatness?

By Denise Corcoran

Why Cyber Security Should Matter to Your Business

At the moment, almost nothing seems secure. Cyber security is a huge issue right now. The Black Hat hacker conference starts in early August in Las Vegas with big announcements coming from the automotive industry and cyber security on the tips of nearly everyone’s tongue. Right now, cyber security is huge. And it looks like it will only get bigger.


I’ve had at least 20 topics or news stories come through on Facebook in just the past two days. Hackers attacking the latest version of Windows. Hackers attacking Chrysler vehicles. Hackers overtaking the transmission in a vehicle 10 miles away and also forcing the driver to listen to only Kanye West songs. Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse. And in the past couple of years we’ve seen demonstrations of ATM machines being hacked to spew out hundreds of dollars, smartphones being cloned from a distance, and pacemakers and insulin pumps being commandeered from 50 feet away.

It’s crazy and it’s dangerous, and that doesn’t even touch the millions of credit card holders affected by hacks on some of the big box stores and the millions of government employees whose identities were stolen last month by hackers in foreign countries. Yes, what’s this world coming to? I’m not sure, but burying your head in the sand won’t help. Here’s why you should care:

It can happen to you – and your clients. You can easily end up a victim even if you just don’t believe it can happen to you. But guess what? You have customers. So if it happens to you, then it happens to them. And they will know it’s because it happened to you. Meaning, in their eyes, you let it happen. Ouch. Few things will cause you to lose customers faster than giving away their personal information. I know you didn’t give it away, but you didn’t fully protect it either.

It’s in the news everywhere. Now is the best time and most important time to care. If you think the concept of copycat crimes is crazy then you are in complete denial. It’s a lonely deep web person’s 15 minutes of fame. They steal your stuff and they’ve accomplished something cool. So you should care because as more of those sad individuals are successful and gaining publicity for it, more will do it. But on the flip side, that also means more individuals and organizations will be rising on the side of good to help you do something about it. Be careful as you weed through the potential solution providers – Joe doing it out of his basement still might be on the side of wrong. And it will never be perfect. Just as a hole in security is being patched, someone is working very hard to get past it.

It’s a matter of trust. It boils down to how much do you value your clients and how much does your business mean to you? You work hard to build a reputation, a client base, and a business that consistently delivers to your valued customers. It’s hard work – no doubt about it. It’s not luck. Something may happen that gains you exposure and customers quickly like an article or an award from a local survey of you and your competition. But that doesn’t mean you were an overnight success – I’m sure that concept would make you laugh. Business shooting up overnight after you’ve sweated over it for 20 years says it was neither luck nor overnight success. However, one good security breach that compromises your service or your customers’ confidence and trust can bring your business down very quickly. It would be nice to blame it on a stroke of bad luck, but the real reason would be your own failure to act in advance on the risk of a cyber security breach. Bad luck? No, not really. Just poor planning.

Summary
So, should you be worried about security? Absolutely. Are you going to do something about it? I hope so. Personally, I’m just about as bad as everyone else who thinks it won’t happen to them. But recent developments have made me re-think the entire security concept, and I don’t have sensitive customer data stored anywhere. Do something about it – the time is now. You haven’t been affected yet. Keep it that way.

By ...  Brad Egeland

 

The 4 Cs of Business Idea Evaluation

Evaluating business ideas is one of the most prevalent and important tasks for any entrepreneur. Whether you are a small business owner, a business manager, or a C-level executive, you will have to evaluate a business idea at some point in your career and determine whether or not it's worth putting a financial investment into. Here are four criteria for evaluating your ideas and ways you can judge those criteria for your company's benefit.

Company – I'm talking about your company. What do you do and how well do you do it? Are you the leading company in your industry? Second place? You need to know your company's strengths and weaknesses. Do you have the resources necessary to turn your business idea into a winning marketplace performer? If not, why not? What would it take to get your company to the point to where it could manage the business idea from fruition to success?

Customers – Who are your customers and what do they want? What do they value? Do you serve a particular demographic? What aspects of your business idea would they find most appealing? What about your idea might they not like? These are questions you'll need to know about your customers before you start manufacturing or marketing your idea. If you don't know your customers, you'll never be able to satisfy them.

Competition – Who is your competition? Better yet, what companies or individuals are your stiffest competitors? Is anyone else in the marketplace doing what you want to do? If so, how successful are they? Are their clients happy? Why or why not? How will your business idea differ from what is already in the market? How can you improve upon the competition's product or service? These are all things you need to know about your competition before you roll out that business idea.

Collaboration – Have you polled your business partners to see if they like your idea? You should. Your collaborators may think of things you haven't. In fact, you may find that a member of your team has already tried what you want to try. You can learn from their experience. You should also concern yourself with how your business idea could potentially impact your collaborators and business partners. Will it affect your relationship with them in any way? Don't allow yourself to be blindsided. Explore all possibilities before you implement your idea.

Which of the 4 Cs is Most Important?
None of the 4 Cs are more important than the others. They are all equal. You should write a business plan for your idea and section out each of these criteria within your plan. As you go about evaluating your idea, write down what you discover about each of the 4 Cs so that you have it in writing. Make it visual in order to evaluate it more effectively.

Summary
When you want to implement a new business idea, check the 4 Cs—your Company, your Customers, your Competition, and your Collaborators. Mine them for information and solicit feedback before implementation.

- businessknowhow 

7 Mistakes that Could Drive Your Star Employees Out the Door

Your best employees are worth their weight in gold. The last thing you want is for them to quit and go to work for the competition. Be sure you aren't making one of these mistakes. 

Regardless of how good of a manager you are, sometimes employees are going to leave. Often, their departure stems from factors outside of your control but it’s still a good time to make sure you aren’t making these mistakes.

1. You aren’t paying enough- Yes, you’re a small business but your employees are working to pay the bills, put food on the table, and build a nest egg. Other factors are important but money is a primary motivator.

For employees that prove to be valuable, pay market rates or above as soon as you can. Is it understandable that you’re a small business and don’t have a large budget to pay what the major corporations pay? Yes, but asking somebody to accept less money than they can make elsewhere isn’t inviting a loyal, long-term employee.

2. You aren’t training enough- A star employee didn’t get that way by accident. They love to learn and they want to be a little better each day. What does that mean for you? Constantly give them opportunities to train. Send them to conferences, pay for a new certification, or connect them with somebody you know in the industry.

Is there a chance that you’ll invest heavily into them and they’ll take all of that knowledge to another company? Yes, but it’s a chance worth taking.

3. You aren’t challenging enough- As they receive the training, they’re eager to put it to work. They aren’t happy coming to work and doing the same job every day. As a manager, you should constantly look for a new way to challenge them. Adding more work isn’t the answer. As they solve a problem, give them a new one to tackle.

4. You aren’t respecting their time- While this is true of any employee, it quickly becomes a problem with great employees, often without you realizing. Because they’re reliable, they’re the first people you call on to take care of important tasks but you can’t overload them.

Respect their job description. Let them know that you expect them to put their family first and want them to tell you if they feel overloaded. Be careful not to burn them out.

5. You make them work 9-5- We live in a connected world. In most businesses, employees can do a portion of their work from just about anywhere. Star employees who have gained your trust can work anywhere, anytime they would like so let them make their schedule.

Sure, there will be meetings and other scheduled events they must attend (and they understand that) but outside of that, judge their performance instead of the amount of time they spend at their desk.

6. You don’t praise enough- Bad managers have the attitude that if somebody is getting paid, doing a great job is an expectation—not something special. Everybody should come to work to do a great job but if you aren’t the complimenting type, you’re likely to have higher employee turnover.

Everybody likes a compliment. At home, from friends, on Facebook, and by their boss, public recognition makes people smile and lets them know that you care.

7. You don’t ask for enough feedback- Your great employees have a wealth of ideas. If you aren’t asking for them, you’re missing out on something that could transform your business.

But more important, ask them how they feel about their job and encourage them to be honest. Simply asking and listening goes a long way but with that information, you can constantly tweak their position to keep up with how they’re evolving as a professional.

Bottom Line
Even if you do all of the right things, sometimes employees will leave. When they do, don’t hold a grudge. Give them a grand sendoff, and commit to keeping in touch. Keeping a relationship in place could be lucrative for you. What if you used them as an independent contractor for some projects? What if they send you other great employees they meet?

Just because they’re leaving doesn’t mean that they’re no longer valuable to you.

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8 Ways to Improve Employee Performance in Your Small Business

When your employees just don't seem to care about what they do and put little effort into their jobs, it's easy to blame it on the employee. Before you give up on ever finding anyone with a good work ethic, check out these eight things you should be doing to motivate and inspire your employees. 

1.  Give all your new hires a packet or written handout that explains your company, work culture, policies, and guidelines for interacting with customers, suppliers, and others with whom you do business. This sets your expectations early on. Employees really want to do a good job, but without clear guidelines they may not know what is expected of them.

2.  Establish an employee training program and delegate someone to carry it out. This will involve making your more vested employees feel more valued by giving them additional responsibilities. Have them train new employees on using the equipment, handling customer service complaints, and taking care of other routine details. A training program can go a long way to making your employees feel they are a part of a company that knows where it is going.

 3. Delegate. By giving people additional responsibilities, no matter how small, you are letting them know they are valued. Employees appreciate that, and they work harder when they know someone appreciates their efforts.

4. Once a year, have a company picnic or get-together outside of the office environment. Give your employees a chance to socialize away from work, and present them with performance incentives.

5. For every new task or responsibility you hand out (and you should increase employee responsibilities as much as is feasible), establish your expectations right up front. Manage your expectations every step of the way to ensure that employees understand your end goal and know that you are watching. You have a responsibility to help your employees grow into the best version of themselves they can be. If they see you doing that, they'll work harder to meet your expectations.

6. Be honest. Nothing builds trust better than telling the truth. If an employee isn't good at something, don't be afraid to let them know. But do show some empathy. You have your weaknesses too.

7. Don't show favoritism. Even if you have a favorite employee, don't let others see that. Treat everyone the same regardless of attitudes and employee skills. That doesn't mean you should let the bad apples spoil the bunch. Discipline when necessary, but let it be known that you'd treat every other employee the same way if the situation called for it. You'll earn their respect and their loyalty when you treat everyone the way you'd want to be treated.

8. Have a system in place for dealing with negative situations. It's not something you want to think about, but every business has issues arise from time to time. Have a plan before it happens. If employees feel like you are being arbitrary, they will not want to work for you. If they know expectations up front and the consequences for violating your guidelines, then they are more likely to steer clear of those consequences. They will work harder to please you. Go out of your way to be consistent and fair and end every negative counseling session with an action plan for improving employee performance.

At the heart of every employee is someone who feels either valued or devalued. Employees who feel valued are more likely to give you their best. Those who feel devalued are more likely to slack off or develop a lackadaisical attitude. You have it in your power as manager of your business to empower your employees to be more productive, efficient, and diligent.

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How to Keep Your Affiliates Active and Loyal: The 4 Proven Tactics

With so many affiliate programs available these days, people may jump from program to program with little thought. Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep affiliates interested an active in your program. 

Maintaining an active affiliate base is the key to the success of your program. If people are continually jumping ship, you're not going to make any money. If you've got a good product with reasonably high demand and an attractive, easy to navigate website, you should be able to keep a happy and stable group of affiliates, right? So what's the problem?

Well, assuming that your program is potentially successful; that is, your product is in demand and that you have a professional looking, user-friendly website, I can pretty much guarantee that the problem lies in communication. If your affiliates are trickling away, it is most likely because they feel ignored or just uninformed. Here are a few communication basics you can use to keep them feeling involved.

First. Have a good "thank you" page. 
Don't just use a canned prefab form. When your affiliates sign up, give them some pertinent information, like what they can expect from you and a little more about how your specific program works. Maybe even give a few sales statistics from your most successful affiliates. This will make them feel really involved right from the start.

Second. "Send a sincere "thank you" email. 
Don't just send a cursory "thank you" with your new affiliate's linking code. Once again, offer some more information about the program. Tell them a little more about the product, or mention a technique or two for placing classified ads for their site. Always close any communication with your affiliates by letting them know that they can always contact you with questions or concerns.

Third. Keep on top of sales alerts. 
Try to set up a regular schedule for informing affiliates of their sales. Frequent alerts, say once or twice a week, will keep people much more interested than a monthly mass mailing.

Fourth. Keep in touch. 
Start an affiliate newsletter, or send out emails with updates about your program, sales statistics from your top affiliates, and marketing tips. This will keep people excited about the potential of the program.

These tactics may seem a little time consuming, but believe me they're worth it. And besides, just think of the recruiting hours you'll save if everyone sticks with it. Now obviously, there are going to be affiliates who leave your program no matter what you do, that's just the nature of the business, but, provided you have a good product, if you follow these steps and stay in communication with your people, you'll find that your program is a lot more successful.

SFI AFFILIATE IS GOOD FOR YOU 

How to Earn A Living Online through Netcontacts: Over #150,000 monthly

Who we are

Netcontacts membership emerged from our desires to create an easy and legitimate money making opportunity for Nigerians, through the internet. In Netcontacts your friends, neighbors, relatives & acquaintances or even strangers etc. have the opportunity to share money with you.

How it works

Netcontacts membership is an online networking business. Where members are paid by the persons that they invite to register as Netcontacts members. Whenever, any member invites somebody to register under him or her as Netcontacts member, the invited person registers for free trial membership. The member in free trial membership cannot invite other people to register under him or her, until he or she migrates to full membership. And for a free trial member to migrate to full membership, he or she has to activate his or her membership, by paying N1,500 membership activation fee to the person that invited him or her. So, that the person that invited him or her will activate his or her membership. After his or her membership activation, then would he or she be able to invite other people, so that each person he or she invites will also paid him or her their activation. 

Membership Activation 

To activate any member, the member must have paid the N1,500 to you either through your bank account or any other means of financial exchange e.g mobile money, online transfer, recharge cards etc. After the payment he or she should text you his or her Invitationcode & you are required to activate any member that paid you within 24hrs of the payment confirmation.  

 

How to invite people
  # Visit and tell your relatives, friends, neighbours or any person in the street, to register under you
  # Call or send SMS to any person you know, in any town/city within Nigeria, asking them, to register under
  # Send email to people inviting them to register under
  # Send bulk SMS to phone numbers, inviting them to register under you

 

 

 

 JOIN FREE HERE...

Top 10 Ways to Lose a Customer

You spend a lot of time and money drawing people to your Web site. Don't drive them away before you make the sale.

No matter how many visitors you are able to attract to your website, there are still ways to lose them before making a sale. Below are the top 10 ways to lose a paying customer.

1. Navigation - One of the easiest ways to turn off a website visitor is create a complicated website. If a customer struggles to find their a product, they will more than likely get frustrated and leave the website before they buy.

When I first designed my website I had no idea about design. Looking back, I'm not sure I accomplished pretty and I did not create an easy website to navigate. Much like the one I mentioned earlier, my website was frustrating to visitors.

2. Busyness - The wrong type of website can turn off visitors and repel sales. Create a website designed for your target audience. For example, if you're selling aromatherapy products, you'll want a relaxing environment. However, if you're a life coach you want to pump people up. Your website should be full of life and activity.

3. Sizing - Many websites make the mistake of sizing their design to fit their screen. Unfortunately, the standard resolution that most monitors are sized to (800 x 600) does not always match. When this happens, visitors must scroll not only up and down the page, but left and right as well. To eliminate this frustration, set you width to no more than 800 pixels.

4. Point of Contact - When visitors to your website have a question they want to be able to easily find your contact information. Many websites display their email address, phone number, or a link to their contact information either in their menu or at the top/bottom of their website, which makes it easy to find.

5. Hidden Pricing - Customers want to have all of the necessary information before they make a purchase. Make sure your prices are available up front. When customers have to dig for pricing information, there's a good chance that they will get frustrated, give up and leave your website.

6. Customer Service - You can set your business apart from all the rest by offering fast, friendly and helpful service to your customers. Try to respond to emails and phone calls within twenty-fours hours. Smile while you type or talk on the phone because your customers will hear the lilt in your voice and respond.

7. Follow-up - If your customer asks a question about a product or service, follow up within 48 hours to see if they have further questions. Many times this follow-up can lead to a sale. Neglecting follow-up can lose you customers.

8. Spam - If you offer a newsletter or other type of mailing list, be careful with what you send to your subscribers. Avoid mailings that look like spam. Choose a template that works for you and that will be recognizable to your readers.

9. Professional Conduct - In the business world it's important that you're professional, especially when dealing with difficult clients. It's imperative to be kind, courteous and take care of business. Refrain from any type of name calling or blame placing. Stand up for your business in a professional manner and treat your customers with respect at all times. Remember the old adage - the customer is always right.

10. Payment Options/Security - Customers want to know that they can trust you with their financial information. Choose a payment provider that offers a secure way to transit orders and credit card information. If possible, offer more than one payment option to give your customers the ability to choose how they will pay.

Creating a website that is customer-friendly isn't as simple as one might think. There are many aspects to consider and the designer must choose carefully or risk losing sales. Avoid these ten no-no's and make your website into a successful business venture.

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12 Common Web Design Mistakes That Drive Customers Away

Your Web site can draw customers in or send them running. Find out what mistakes to avoid in your company's Web site design.

In the early to mid 1990s, commercial web sites weren't very common and just about every "live" site was considered acceptable. With tens of millions of sites online now, users will not tolerate unprofessional and disorganized sites that don't provide the information or solutions they are looking for and expect.

Web design mistakes can have a tremendous negative impact on business growth. At best, they upset your prospects. Worse, though, is you lose them forever.

Here are 12 common web design mistakes you must avoid to please your visitors and grow your business:

1. Lack of Focus Too many web sites leave visitors wondering what the site is about. Be sure your home page explicitly conveys what you do and the value you offer, and entices them to explore other pages for additional information.

2. Text-heavy Pages Actually, lots of text is OK, just don't use lengthy paragraphs with no visual breaks. Reading online is much different than print. Use the following to break-up blocks of text: shorter, more focused paragraphs; headlines and subheads; bullets and numbers; a few well-placed photos or graphics; and appropriate white space.

3. Legibility Issues Dark fonts on dark backgrounds, light fonts on light backgrounds, and tiny fonts that strain the eye are obviously poor choices. Use common sense.

4. "Noise" and Clutter Even if you have a great site, if your visitors are forced to wade through long blocks of copy, promotional offers, animation, sales pitches, and worthless dribble, you'll quickly confuse them and drive them away.

5. Blatant Advertising While we all hope to use our web site to move prospects along in the sales process, in-your-face advertising isn't the answer. Information, solutions and value will do the job more effectively. And while pop-up ads are widely used and acceptable, full screen pop-ups that are difficult to close infuriate everyone.

6. Navigation Issues A clearly obvious navigational panel makes sense doesn't it? But common sense isn't always common practice. How easily can a newcomer navigate your site?

7. Inappropriate Graphics and Photos Photos and graphics can visually enhance the appearance of your site as well as support and substantiate your copy. But don't use load-intensive graphics or photos of your corporate office which are relevant to no one.

8. Outdated Information Nothing screams "unprofessional" any louder than outdated information.

9. Too Many Clicks Needed We're all impatient and in a hurry. Our online waiting threshold is much less than off-line. If more than a few clicks are required to get to a page, you'll lose a prospect every time.

10. Lack of Contact Information This also seems obvious, but I have searched numerous web sites for contact phone numbers - and I am amazed how many times I was unable to find one. Just because a web site is online doesn't mean a prospect only wants to contact you online.

11. Form Frustration The large majority of online forms are too lengthy. Get rid of questions/fields that simply are not needed. And don't identify one as mandatory if it really isn't.

12. No Privacy Policy In the age of rampant spam, we all want to be certain we are offering our e-mail address to someone who will protect it carefully. If you ask for an e-mail address on one of your forms, let your prospects know that you will not sell or distribute their address to anyone (if that's true of course).

Your prospects are visiting your web site specifically for the content. But the appearance and usability are also critical factors. If a visit to your web site is a positive experience, you have a much better chance of converting prospects to clients.

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5 Simple Networking Follow-Up Strategies

Networking is vital to growing your business. Simply put, unless you go out and meet people nobody will know you exist. If they don't know you exist they can't hire you. You can be the best 'networker' out there but unless you follow up with the people you meet you are wasting your time.I have met so many people who complain to me that they meet people but that the leads go nowhere. Here's why, business cards sitting in piles on your desk are not clients. I have found it easiest to follow up after networking events when I have a plan in place BEFORE I even leave my room.

Here are five simple strategies that I use to put that plan in place and make sure that I carry through.

1. Decide how and when you will follow up with people after the event.
Things that have worked for my clients and me are:
a. Send an article that is a good follow up to most of your conversations that represent what you do and is of value to readers. (Note: This should be an article that helps your new contact, not a sales brochure).

b. Pick up the phone and call.
(Note: Set aside time on your calendar to make those calls and decide what you want to accomplish with these calls...again, this is your opportunity to get to know them, NOT sell). c. Share a resource with them. Put them in touch with someone who can be of service to them or share your favorite book about a topic.

2. Bring a sharpie with you to all networking events.
After you speak with someone write a quick note or two to remind you about what you spoke about and, if appropriate, what your next step will be. Why a sharpie? A lot of people have glossy business cards. A pen doesn't always work.

3. Bring extra business cards (or even blank cards).
Since most people do not follow up after a networking event, it is more important for you to gather names than for you to give your card out and wait for them to call you. If someone you meet doesn't have a business card (many people don't bring enough) you can write his or her information on one of your own card or on a blank one.

4. Tell them how you will be following up.
Will you call them in a few days? Will you send them an article? Will you call to set up a lunch date?
When you tell them what to expect it makes it real for both of you. You will be more likely to follow up because you told them that you will and they are going to be more receptive to the follow up because they know it's coming. Oh, and the best part, they will often share the best way for you to follow up with them so they will be even more receptive.

5. Just because someone doesn't call back or respond to your email does not mean they are not interested.
Reaching out one time after meeting them is not enough. It generally takes seven or eight touches before someone decides that they are ready to engage you. Touch base with them regularly. Continue to give information of value and interest to them.

When you follow up regularly and share information of value after meeting someone you become someone they trust. You will naturally build a solid relationship and before you know it the cards on your desk will become your best clients and partners.

What's your plan for following up after your next networking event?

Businessknowhow

10 Proven Ways to Find Customers for Your Business

As many new business owners quickly discover, the most difficult part of starting a business is finding customers.

Having a great product or service that you are sure many people will need isn't good enough. Customers won't find you or your web site just because you have started selling a product or service. Indeed, most business owners have to go on regular and frequent fishing trips to find customers and keep new business coming in their doors. But how do you do that? Here are several suggestions to get you started.

1. Develop a plan.
Consider who would make the ideal customer. If you sell to businesses, consider what department is most likely to buy your products or services, and what individual (what level of responsibility) would be the one to determine the specific purchase requirements. (Make some calls if you don't know!) Then consider how that individual would normally find products or services like yours. What circles do they travel in? Who are they likely to listen to or where do they look when they want to buy a product or service. Find a way to put your information, or yourself, in their path.

2. Realize there is no one path to success.
Sales often happen because prospective customers hear about your products and services in several different ways and from several different sources. The more often they hear about you, the more likely they are to consider what you have to offer when they are ready to buy.

3. Work your local newspapers.
Daily and weekly newspapers are an incredible source of contact information and leads to potential customers. Watch for names of people who have been promoted, who have won awards, who have opened new businesses, or who in any way may be potential customers. Send those people personalized mailings congratulating them on their success or telling them how interesting the article about them was. Include your company name and slogan along and any appropriate product information with your signature. (Example: Chima Sabastine, Business Support Group, Financial and Taxation Planning Help For Business Owners).

4. Attend meetings and seminars that your prospects might attend.
If you've been doing that and haven't made contacts that could lead to sales, try new networking groups. Look in the newspapers to see what other organizations hold events that might attract your target market and attend some of those meetings.

5. Follow up after meetings.
Contact the people you've met to see if they may be prospects. If they say they don't need your services now, ask when a good time to call them back would be, or if they have business associates who could use what you sell now.

6. Give a little to get a lot.
Give away free samples of your product and ask the recipients to tell their friends if they are pleased. Or, if you are a consultant, give away some free advice. This could be in the form of a newsletter with that contains news or tips and hints, or it could be a free consultation during which you provide just enough information to help the client scope out their project and know that you have the ability to handle it.

7. Work your personal network.
Ask your friends if they know of people who can use your services, or people who may know others who could use your services. If your pricing structure will allow it, offer friends and business associates a finders' fee for referrals that turn into jobs.

8. Study your successful competitors.
Where do they advertise? Where do they network? What tactics do they use? What works for them may work just as well for you.

9. Claim your "place" in Google Places.
While you're at it, be sure to list yourself (and make sure your website address is correct) in any directories you qualify for. Chambers of commerce, and other local business groups often have member directories in which you can list contact information and website url.

10. Ask for feedback when prospects don't buy.
Did they find a product that better served their needs? Did they decide they don't need the product at all? Did they just postpone their buying decision? Did they find it difficult to place an order on your web site? Use what you learn to make needed changes and watch your sales start to grow.

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Easy Ways To Get Money While You Are Unemployed

Job hunting is a time-consuming job, but learning how to make money fast doesn’t pay a cent until you actually land a job. We are going to give you few pointers below, you may find one or two suitable. Combine several or focus on a single area, but make sure you get paid.

1. Sell What You Don’t Need
All those clothes and gadgets you don’t use anymore, old books, furniture,games – you can sell them and make few bucks. Remember the saying “one man’s food is another man’s poison”? That item you might consider worthless or useless can be very useful for some other person. How and where you can sell? You can choose some traditional way like going to the street, to bazaar, etc. But we recommend to sell online – it will save your time and give much better result. Try out MoboFree Board of Classifieds – it’s totally free for buyers and sellers.


2. Rent Open Space
Do you have an open space or a spare bedroom in your home or apartment? If so – try renting them out. Not only will renting out excess space help you make money, it will help you reduce expenses. MoboFree classifieds is a good place to find trusted tenant.

3. Turn Your Skills Into Money
Do you have a talent that you’re not putting to use? Have you ever thought of making money from this talent? For example, if you can write very well, you can make money from freelancing (you can join freelancing sites like Elance, Guru etc). If you can teach you can make money by organizing extramural classes for students or private tutorial classes. This can be the beginning of a very lucrative business. Have no ideas how to find people interested in your lessons? Post free classified about your services in MoboFree Services Classifieds.

4. Research studies/ works / Survey
Year in year out students and scholars carry out research works that need tedious field works and surveys. You can help out these students in their surveys and field works and get paid for it. You can also participate in product surveys for companies and get paid for this. Usually information on these products surveys are posted on classifieds.

5. Pharmaceutical/ Clinical Testing
If you live near a university with a medical school or medical research centre, you can earn for taking part in a clinical research study. Various medical institutes and pharmaceutical companies need people to test their new products and are willing to pay for this. However, you should be careful because this can cause severe harm to you or even death if the product is defective.

6. Launch your own blog or website and monetize it
There are a lot of tools allowing to create own site or blog without any coding skills and for free. For example WapEgo sites builder. Google AdSense allows you to get money for every click and requires little to no supervision: Once it’s there, you don’t need to do much more.

7. Freelance Work
Freelance work often pays pathetically little until you’re well established and collecting paychecks can require the muscles.” For some reason, people don’t place as high a value on creative skills and many have no qualms about asking you to work for free. That said, freelance work can be an excellent way to maintain your skills while developing a network for a real job.

You can make it here on MOBOFREE...