Acne Proactive Solution: Treatment to the Stars

Author : Jay Moncliff

You may have seen the infomercials featuring stars like Jessica Simpson and Vanessa Williams, but is the science behind the acne treatment Proactiv Solution solid? Is it all sales pitch or does this product really work?

With over one half of adult women and one fourth of adult men experiencing some form of adult acne, it is no longer just a problem associated with adolescence.

Acne occurs when a pore or hair follicle gets clogged with oil and bacteria. As more and more oil enters the follicle from the skin, the pore eventually becomes inflamed and turns into a pimple. Pimples can be whiteheads, or small white lesions below the surface of the skin, or blackheads, formed when the trapped oil and bacteria come to the surface of the skin. Both the whitehead and blackhead are considered non-inflammatory acne. Inflammatory acne can take the form of papules, pustules or cysts. These are more serious forms of acne and may cause scarring.

Acne can occur on the face, neck, shoulders, chest and back. Although your teenager may not believe it, acne is not life threatening, but it can lead to scarring, embarrassment and lack of self confidence. Most doctors agree that acne can’t be cured. Several strong prescription medications are prescribed for the most severe forms of inflammatory acne, but these often have side effects.

As a solution for acne, Proactiv Solution works by helping to clear existing blemishes and stop new ones from forming, The core system is a three step system combining several different medicines to accomplish these goals. Proactive was developed by two dermatologists trained at Stanford University.

First, the benzoyl peroxide in the renewing cleanser gets down into the pores and kills the bacteria residing there. Gentle cleansing grains clear the clogs in the pores and help exfoliate the dead skin cells to prevent future clogs.

Next, the toner helps further open the pores and remove the rest of the dead skin cells. The alcohol free formula is gentle and refreshing and helps balance the skin’s surface.

Finally, the repairing lotion soothes the skin, provides moisture and treats the pores with micro formulated benzoyl peroxide to protect the skin against future breakouts.

Proactiv doesn’t just treat current blemishes, it works to prevent future ones by removing the bacteria and dead skin cells that can accumulate in the pores. Botanical extracts in the formulas leave skin soft and supple without the redness that accompanies most other acne treatments.

It’s gentle, effective formula is unique in the industry, and testimonials from many users attest to its effectiveness. The beginning kit is priced at about $40, so it is not prohibitively expensive, although you must order it from the infomercial or online retailers. It is not available in drugstores.

If you have been suffering with acne, you may want to try Proactiv. Not only will you most likely see an improvement in your skin, you’ll be in the company of stars like P. Diddy and Jessica Simpson!

About The Author

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.acnesolutioncenter.info a website specialized on Acne, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Acne. For more info on Acne visit : http://www.acnesolutioncenter.info.

You Can Protect Your Car From Mother Nature

Author : Matthew C. Keegan

Mother Nature has it out for you…your car, that is. The moment you bring your vehicle home from the dealership, the assault has begun. Sun, rain, snow, hail, dust, birds, debris, pollution, and a host of other elements and items can doom your “new car” look in no time. What can you do? Fight back, that’s how. Let’s take a look at some smart ways you can protect your vehicle’s finish and keep it from looking old before its time.

Wash and wax. Okay, so you don’t have a hose handy. If you go to the car wash, make sure that it is brushless, otherwise the circular marks on your finish will certainly do a number on your car’s appearance in no time. As far as waxing your vehicle, polishes made by popular brands including Turtle Wax should do the trick. Yes, I know, a friend recommended a particular brand that can give your car a look that is better than new. Go ahead and use it…just follow the directions on the bottle precisely!

Keep it covered. Yes, driving down the street with a car cover on your car will certainly get you some attention! I do not recommend that you do that, but having a car cover available for your vehicle makes sense even if you keep your prized possession garaged. Dust and indoor pollution can take its toll even when your car sits in your garage while bird crap, moisture, hail, tree sap, the sun, and small impacts can hurt your car’s finish when parked outside. The more layers your car cover has, the better the protection it will offer too. Select one that has mirror pockets for the best fit.

Minor details. Other accessories that offer protection for your vehicle include: floor mats and liners, seat covers, vent shades, hood protectors, and brake dust shields. If you carry pets regularly then a pet pad or pet box can protect your interior like nothing else.

When purchasing cleaning products make sure you read all labels carefully. That cleaner you use may not be the best thing for your wheels and the interior of your car should have its own type of cleaner. Check manufacturer’s recommendations to make sure that the product you use is the right one; some cars come with an initial supply of cleaning materials to help you properly treat your brushed aluminum or burl wood interior.

About The Author

Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for PitStop Auto Parts, a seller of car accessories: such as Ventshade Visors: [www.pitstopautoparts.com/1-ventshade-visor.html] and Covercraft Car Covers: [www.pitstopautoparts.com/1-covercraft-car-cover.html]

Three Auto Insurance Secrets

Author : Steve Gillman

Want to learn something new about auto insurance? Something that can save you a lot of money or get a claim paid? Forget the usual tips. Check out these secrets.

1. Demand the legal policy minimums if you have no assets. Do you really need a lot of liability coverage if you have no money in the bank? Insurance companies will tell you that you do because you can be sued regardless. It's possible. I can't promise you that you won't be sued and end up paying a chunk of your paycheck to someone for life.

However, honest insurance salesmen admit that people without assets are rarely sued. Lawyers work on a commission in these cases, and won't take a case where there is no money to be collected. In fact, having a bigger liability policy can be an invitation to sue, and it won't protect you from personal liability, because they always sue for more than the policy limit anyhow.

If you have no assets to protect, why buy auto insurance? Because it is a legal requirement. In that case why not just buy the minimum coverage required? But be careful. My own insurance guy lied for years, claiming I had just that, when in fact I was paying for "company-recommended minimums." You might have to push the point, and may even have to sign something saying you understand how risky it is to be "under-insured."

2. Claim diminished value. If you have a collision policy, your insurance company will pay for the repairs after an accident. However, is the financial damage really fixed? Not necessarily. A car that has been in an accident and had the body fixed may look the same, but it won't sell for the same price. Would you pay the same for a car that has been in an accident?

A car that has been in an accident might be worth $2,000 less than a similar un-damaged car. This is called "diminished value," and may be covered by your policy. However, diminished value is often not paid unless you push the point. Get a car dealer to do an estimate of the diminished value if necessary, and present this to the insurance company. You pay for insurance to have your losses covered, and they aren't covered if you aren't paid for this.

3. Lower your premiums by removing kids from the policy. You may have already discovered that you pay a lot for insurance as long as you have driving-age children at home. Even if they are off at school, if their legal residence is your house, you pay more.

However, there is a little-known exception to this rule. If your children are at a college that's more than 100 miles away, you can have them taken off the insurance policy. This can dramatically reduce your premiums. The catch? They are excluded drivers, so you can't let them drive the car when they come home to visit.

These are just a few examples of the auto insurance secrets that insurance companies probably don't want you to know.

About The Author

Copyright Steve Gillman. You'll find 11 more ways to save money on auto insurance secrets in "Money saving Secrets," a bonus in the "You Aren't Supposed To Know - A Book Of Secrets" package at: www.TheSecretInformationSite.com.

Teeth Whitening, The Plain Truth

Author : Jonathan Leger

Virtually everyone wanting to brighten their smile can benefit from teeth whitening. Patients with teeth that are discolored due to age, smoking or other extrinsic staining factors are excellent candidates for teeth whitening. Research indicates that teeth whitening is completely effective in more than 78% of people. As teeth whitening continues to grow in popularity, research continues into all types of whitening systems.

Teeth whitening is not permanent, and works by removing the organic materials in the enamel by dissolving them with a peroxide derivative. Also, teeth whitening is only effective if there is a lot of enamel.

There are two principle forms of teeth whitening: professional whitening and teeth whitening kits.

Professional Teeth Whitening

The most effective and safest method of teeth whitening is the dentist-supervised procedure. First, the dentist will determine whether you are a candidate for teeth whitening and what type of whitening system would provide the best results. The dentist should also go over what you personally can expect for your individual situation. Before the teeth whitening treatment, most dentists clean the teeth, fill any cavities, and make sure the patient's gums are healthy.

Dentists will usually advise trying teeth whitening first, to avoid the need for more complex cosmetic work. Complications that can occur in professional teeth whitening are infrequent and are usually minor in nature. Overall, teeth whitening under professional supervision is an effective method for whitening the teeth.

Teeth Whitening Kits

An alternative method to professional teeth whitening is to use a teeth whitening system or kit. Most teeth whitening systems consists of a whitening gel that is placed in mouthpieces that fit over your teeth for various amounts of time. On average, quality teeth whitening kits cost approximately $500 to $800. Budget teeth whitening systems start at around $29.95, though they are generally less effective.

The American Dental Association has granted its seal of approval to some teeth whitening products, so be sure and look for the ADA mark of approval if you are going to purchase a whitening kit. It is important that the manufacturer’s directions are followed precisely when using an at home teeth whitening kit. Also, do not use a teeth whitening product for more than 14 days without consulting a dental professional.

Disadvantages and Limitations of Teeth Whitening

Although teeth whitening is very effective, there can be short term disadvantages, such as sore gums or sore teeth from the bleach. Crowns, bridges, bonding, and fillings only return to their original coloring; they do not lighten any further with professional teeth whitening. Different stains require different solutions, therefore it is important to have a consultation with an oral health professional before trying a teeth whitening product.

While teeth whitening does create brighter smiles, some people’s expectations are very high and they are disappointed with the results.

Research continues into all types of whitening systems. Due to its effectiveness, teeth whitening is sure to continue to grow in popularity. Regular professional teeth cleaning by your dentist will help support the lasting success of teeth whitening.

Consider teeth whitening if your teeth are darkened from age, coffee, tea or smoking.

About The Author

Jonathan Leger runs a website devoted to the latest in dental care. It has a section dedicated to teeth whitening at: http://tooth-whitening.fdental.info

Free Exercise Tips: Learn Do's and Dont's Of Exercising!

Author : Ashley Green

Just working out is not enough. One has to be careful while exercising. There are some common mistakes that can easily be avoided. Here are a few of these common mistakes that most people make.

Some Do's and Dont's while Exercising.

Not Stretching

It is very important that you stretch your body, both before and after exercising.Get someone to show you how to warm up and stretch properly. A goo trainer is sine qua non while exercising. Work on all the big muscle groups.

Overdoing

Remember that your body needs to build its strength. You might start out with the best intentions and spend 40 minutes on the step machine. But the next day you wont bo able to work out. If you are out of shape, increase the time of your workout or weights you lift by 10 per cent per week. No more than that.

Another common mis-step is to lift weights that are too heavy. Your back is a good indicator for this. If you feel it hurting, you need to try out with lower weights. So, next time, try out weights that suit you.

Over speeding

Eliminate momentum from your reps by trying some agonizing slowness. Try going up for two counts down for four.

Also take rest of around 1.5 to 2 minutes between sets to give your body some rest.

Must Read: Muscle Building Do's and Dont's at http://www.weightloss-health.com/muscle_building_do_donts.htm

Dehydrating

Your body needs water. Carry a bottle with you and drink constantly. It will help your lose weight. Dont worry too much about high tech sports drink. A pinch of salt in the water bottle and a banana before the workout will do the job just as well.

Random Tip: It is the quality that matters not the quantity.

About The Author

Ashley Green for http://weightloss-health.com your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.

Look out for highly effective and recommended muscle building programs from the best in this field and a chance to go through muscle building articles directory at Muscle Building Supplement, Tips, Programs, Equipment and Workouts

If you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and LIVE link to our website.

What IS a Healthy Diet

Author : Chris Chenoweth

There is so much information about what is healthy and nutritious these days that it is very difficult to sort out the hype from the truth. Following a healthy diet can be accomplished by making some simple adjustments to your current diet.

If you think it is just too much trouble to make some simple changes to improve your family’s diet, think again. Most people do not realize the incredible impact that a healthy diet has on our bodies, making the difference between poor health and good health.

Along with regular physical activity, a healthy diet is the most important factor that determines your weight. If you are overweight or obese, your chances of developing many diseases or conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers, increase significantly.

EASY STEPS TO A HEALTHY DIET

Your first step to following a healthy diet is to make sure you include food from all food groups. Vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, legumes, lean proteins and low fat milk products should all be incorporated into your daily diet.

*VEGETABLES – A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. It also contributes to a healthy weight, reducing your risk of obesity and the conditions associated with it. There are a multitude of vegetables to choose from, the healthiest being dark green vegetables like broccoli, lettuces, and kale, orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash, and red vegetables like red peppers and tomatoes.

*FRUITS – Eat a variety of fruits each day, canned, dried, fresh or frozen. Stay away from fruit juices as they can be high in sugar. (Unless you make the juice yourself.)

*WHOLE GRAINS – Choose whole grain cereals, breads, rice, and pasta. Read the food label and make sure the grain that is listed such as wheat, rice, oats or corn is referred to as WHOLE in the list of ingredients. Whole grains are an excellent source of fiber. Fiber can help reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

*LEGUMES – This class of vegetable includes beans, peas and lentils. They are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, are high in protein, and have phytochemicals, compounds that help prevent heart disease and cancer. They are also a good source of fiber. Add pinto, kidney, black and garbanzo beans, split peas and lentils to your daily diet.

*LEAN PROTEINS – Choose lean meats, poultry, and fish. Bake, broil, or grill it. Do not fry! Beans, nuts and seeds also provide protein.

*LOW-FAT MILK PRODUCTS – Eat low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese or low-fat milk every day. Dairy products can lower your risk of diabetes and help build strong bones, reducing your risk of osteoporosis.

There are a variety of foods that should not be present in your diet except in very small amounts. These foods, such as sugars, alcohol, and some fats, contribute to diseases and poor health.

*SUGARS – Avoid foods containing sugar. You know what they are! Always check food labels to see how much sugar is present as some foods contain sugar that may surprise you.

*ALCOHOL – Avoid alcohol. If you must drink, limit intake to one drink a day. Alcohol can increase your risk of many conditions including some types of cancers.

*FATS – There are different kinds of fat in our foods. Some are detrimental to your health and others are very healthy.

1. Monounsaturated fats (olive oil, flaxseed oil, peanut oil and avocados)

2. Polyunsaturated fats (safflower, sesame, sunflower seeds)

These fats raise your good cholesterol levels. To stick to a healthy diet, choose foods with these fats.

3. Saturated fat and trans fatty acids raise your bad cholesterol levels, contributing to your risk of heart disease. Limit your intake.

Saturated fats are found in beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, butter, cream, whole milk dairy products and can be present in processed foods like frozen dinners and some canned food. Always check food labels before purchasing.

Trans fatty acids, the kind of fats that increase the risk of heart disease, are formed during the process of creating cooking oils, shortening, and margarine and are found in commercially fried foods, some baked goods, and crackers. When checking food labels, make sure the ingredients do not include hydrogenated fats.

Following a healthy diet is a necessary step for the improved health of you and your family. It is not difficult to make the simple changes necessary to change an unhealthy diet to a healthy one. The advantages, better health, longer life, and more energy, far outweigh any inconveniences you may experience.

About The Author

Chris Chenoweth is the author of the DO-IT-YOURSELF HOME, HEALTH & MONEY GUIDE, 500 pages of household tips, home remedies, diet and nutrition information, health issues and thousands of recipes! http://www.money-home-biz.com. If you would like additional information on healthy ways to lose weight, learn how to burn fat with one of the most effective and healthy fat-burning systems available, the BURN THE FAT program. http://www.ezniche.com/data/article.php?l=18

Interested In Free Targeted Traffic

Author : Jason Paris

How to Get Free Targeted Internet Traffic to Your Website

No matter what opportunity or product you promote via the internet you do not have a business unless you have customers. One way to increase sales is to increase your customer base, this means more visitor traffic. If you are not interested in free web traffic, congratulations, you must have deep pockets or all ready have more than you can handle. For those who are interested in free web traffic, read on.

Just getting large numbers of visitors to websites is not enough. These visits have to turn into sales. A chance or uninterested visitor is little better than no visitor. Every site needs targeted visitors. Your site needs people who have seen your message and have had their interest peeked. With a targeted market approximately 3 visitors for every 100 will make purchases. Without targeted visitors this conversion rate drops significantly.

Throughout this article you will encounter numerous ways to increase your web traffic. This traffic will be well targeted free leads, all through online marketing methods.

Do you like to be sold, or pushed into a sale? Like most the answer is a definitive NO. One of my mentors has instilled in me the importance of building relationships as apposed to selling someone. Once the person gets to know, like, and trust you they will be more willing to join you in your opportunity or buy product from you. Remember, know, like, trust, buy!

Free Traffic and Message Boards

Relating this principle to free internet marketing, I suggest you visit message boards. These boards are so effective that I still receive requests and referrals from posts made over a year ago. Visit various boards post messages, meet people, ask questions, share your wisdom, and words of encouragement.

Suggested tips to keep in mind when posting to message boards. Remember you are there to build relationships, you want people to know, like and trust you.

Do not spam: - do not post the same thing over and over

* post something meaningful and relevant to the conversation
* do not advertise unless otherwise specified
* do not participate in negative postings about others (criticize or flame)

To make the most of message boards and insure highly targeted traffic to your website:

* select boards that pertain to your product or opportunity
* get your name out and popularity up, post a response to a question or simply post a question yourself
* include a signature file with your name and URL, no email. This can be placed in the profile page. It is a good idea to set-up a second email because, you will get spam
* spend one or two evenings a week posting on several different message boards
* be genuine, helpful, and try to learn a few things
* HAVE FUN and MAKE FRIENDS

Free Traffic and Traffic Generation Sites

Traffic generation sites can be good and bad. Most are not worth your time, however, there are a few good ones, so choose with care. I recommend Traffic Swarm. This site is better than most because people select a site from a list in topics they have selected to view ads from. An ad is then chosen based on a tag line and a short description you have written. If the visitor wants credit for their selection you have their attention for a minimum of 20 seconds. After that they may click another site without penalty. Again this is that target traffic so necessary to success.

To read about Traffic Swarm and sign up for your free stream of free targeted traffic, click here.

http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?190318

Free Traffic and Viral Marketing

Let others help with your marketing efforts. You can have strangers pass your site to others and span the globe with viral marketing. Create viral marketing with a free e-book or inviting email, it is powerful and free. To start a viral marketing campaign that grows exponentially and without effort send a witty or clever joke, picture, or poem to people in your address book. If enjoyed the recipient will pass it on to those in their list and so on. You may have received the Bill Gates free offer in your own box. This email has been circulated around the world for over three years and seen by countless. Be sure to include your url with a heading, either near the bottom or in a signature file. Do this once a month and watch your web traffic grow.

Pass on a free e-book with you contact details inside. Encourage others to add it to their websites and offer your branded e-book to everyone. As part of your introduction include your website and a message stating that the e-book is free and is to be passed along, so long as nothing is changed or altered. This includes your bio, contact information and links to your site. Cannot write? No problem. There are thousands of books available for you to co-brand and start your viral trail.

Free Traffic and Joint Ventures

Setting up joint ventures may be the most powerful free method available to increase targeted traffic. Joint ventures are simply colorations or partnerships between two or more people or businesses. It is not essential that the partnerships even be in related businesses, though helpful. Just about any combination will work. Obviously competing businesses are not a wise or practical option for a joint venture. That still leaves plenty of other partners. There is no limit to what can be done with this marketing technique. The venture can be as simple as trading client databases, or it can be an elaborate cross promotions with contests and giveaway. A joint venture is only limited by the creativity of the parties involved. If you have the right partner this will do wonders for your credibility and, the know, like, trust, buy formula for success.

Free Traffic and Meta Tags

Meta tags are very important. I am not an expert on tags so I highly suggest you research Meta tags optimization techniques. To have a Google spider find you and have you listed will do wonders for your traffic. Never pay to have your site listed, there are too many ways to have it listed. Too often these pay sites will not do what is promised or what you could do with a little effort.

Free Traffic and Offline Marketing Techniques

To maximize your online presence you have to go offline and bring foot traffic to the web as targeted web traffic. Here are a few low cost offline marketing techniques that will give you added visibility and translate to a more powerful web presence. Turn your automobile into a mini billboard. Place bumper stickers and magnet signs on your vehicle. Leave a business card wherever possible. One suggestion is to leave it with your tip at a restaurant. Hang flyers on high traffic bulletin boards, be sure to leave a pull tab. Change your body into a walking billboard for your opportunity and products instead of someone else’s. How often do you promote Nike, Polo, Guess, or a professional sports team? Start promoting yourself and get your clothes embroidered. It does not have to be anything fancy, a good descriptive url will work.

Free Traffic and Your URL

One last tip. As I mentioned before, I get traffic from posts that are over a year old. Once something is on the internet it is there for good. The url you promote should be permanent. This is important because anything could happen. What if you are no longer with the same company? All previous links to that business are now useless. If you have one url and it either links or redirects to you business opportunity and products you simply have to change the link or redirect page. You will always get a hit when someone clicks on your link.

I hope you enjoyed the article and wish you all the best with you business venture. I am sure you are well on you way to becoming a successful internet marketing professional.

About The Author

Jason Paris is an internet entrepreneur using the Robert G Allen Mentors to Wealth Team marketing model to build a USANA home business. He is also a Mastermind group participant with mentoring for free. http://www.mentoringforfree.com/3867

http://www.freewebs.com/robertallenworkfromhome

http://www.mlmwealth.blogspot.com

Feel free to distribute article as long as it is not change or altered in any way.

How To Start A Home Based Business?

Author : Bing Zou

How To Start A Home Based Business? by Bing ZouIn today's society, home based business has a specific meaning. It is totally different from traditional home store, home factory or home craft.

Broadly speaking, home based business includes everything working for you except working for others. But the main steam is that you can work at home and make money online with your home based business.

Start A Home Based Business Step by Step:

1. Get Your Domain, Your Web hosting and Your Website

It is very similar to traditional business. You have to have a business name and place. Doing online business, you need a domain and web server to host your website. You also need consider how to accept online payment. Visit Yahoo! Small Business and PayPal to know more.

2. Search Engine Optimization And Tracking Your Traffic

More and more people in today's world use the Internet as a tool to get or sell product, service or information.

The trend is that most of them use keywords search. Google holds the half market of keywords search.

To be indexed and ranked high in search engine for your product, you have to do search engine optimization and tracking your traffic.Visit Seo Elite and Get Your Site on Google to know more .

3. Promote Your Website Or Your Products

PPC (pay per click) campaign has hit the web like a storm. Pay per click campaign attracts much more interest from both advertisers and webmasters. Google AdWords is the best one of PPC search engines.

Mastering Google AdWords will enable you to drive traffic to your web site and start making sales immediately. Visit Google Cash and Mastering AdWords to know more.

4. Make Money On eBay

The online auction site eBay is an excellent tool for making money online. Think of eBay as an online yard sale and shopping mall.

Whether you want to start a business selling merchandise or sell the stuff that is cluttering your attic, eBay is the place.Visit eBay and The Sales Machine On eBay® to know more.

5. Make Money With Google AdSense

There are two ways to think about Google AdSense: you can think of it as a way to make money with AdSense; and you can think of it as a way to make money with your website.Visit AdSense Gold and Google AdSense Secrets to know more.

6. Make Money With Affiliate Programs

Affiliate programs can be an excellent way to start an online business.

Signing up for affiliate programs is easy and there are some that do not require you to have a web site to get started. Visit Super Affiliate Handbook and Affiliate Link Cloaker to know more.

7. Make Money With Paid Survey

Paid Surveys are usually conducted via the Internet or over the phone. You may receive up to $150 or receive other prizes for your participation.

You can pay a member fee to save your time and get start at once or pick up survey companies one by one. It's up to you. Visit Survey Scout and Paid Surveys Online to know more.

About The Author

Bing Zou is the owner of website www.haveatry.com and www.onlyworkonline.com. Haveatry.com is designed for making money at home with a new lifestyle. Onlyworkonline.com recommends some websites for you to make money fast. You can contact him at email: infofreetoyou@yahoo.

Secrets of Donald Trump Revealed!

Author : Dan Lok

If you're like most of the television-watching public, you're hooked on Season #2 of "The Apprentice" and the flamboyant entrepreneur in the "starring role."

Love him or hate him, you can't deny that Donald Trump is one of the world's most intriguing success stories… arrogant, conceited, and an absolute lightening rod for wealth of the largest magnitude. Trump is a billionaire! His accomplishment speaks for itself.

I like the man a lot.

One of the "big guns" leveled at "The Donald" is that he's boastful and egoistic. But while his attitude may or may not make him good company in a lifeboat, I think a "super" ego is a great characteristic to have in business.

I'll admit it: sometimes I have a big ego myself. My "ego strength" comes naturally out of the fact that I absolutely, positively believe 100% in what I do.

I have a little gadget on my desk saying, “I might be wrong, but I am never in doubt.”

If that makes me an egoist… so be it. Because if you show me a person with low self-esteem, I’ll show you a loser.

Self-esteem is the foundation of all achievement. You gotta love yourself. You gotta stand up for yourself. You gotta believe in yourself. And don’t be afraid to toot your own horn!

Many people are conditioned that "bragging" is unseemly. But seriously, if you don't shine the spotlight on yourself, who will?

In most businesses, the owner is the "face" of that business, and he must sell himself as well as his products and services. Trump understands the concept, and what’s why you see his brand “Trump” on everything.

"The Donald" knows that you've got to be your own full-time marketing campaign 24 hours a day…because nobody else will!

Especially if you’re an entrepreneur.

Starting a new business is like having a new baby. In the first weeks and months, you're surrounded by support and encouragement…love from friends and family eager to help you with your "newborn."

But how long does that last? Not very. Suddenly you're out there on your own, and you've got to trust yourself. If you don't have confidence in yourself and in your decision-making abilities, you'll be paralyzed…unable to move.

Here's something huge: you have to believe that you'll be able to bounce back no matter what comes your way. Trump certainly has! And you can bet it was his unshakable ego that made the difference.

So, before you judge "The Donald" for being arrogant and full of himself, consider how having an over-developed ego can be a real asset.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in business is – don’t criticize the negative traits of super-successful people. Instead of looking at their flaws and mistakes, say…

“What can I learn from this guy? What are some of his characteristics? How can I adapt this concept to my business?”

Frankly, if you can’t pick up at least a good idea or two from a billionaire, you’re pretty hopeless.

OK, enough of this "appetizing" chitchat. Let’s get to the meat…

What I’d like to do is share some of the key insights I’ve learned from Donald Trump and successfully applied to my own life.

I'll give it to you Trump's way… then, I’ll "Lok and load" it with my own personal spin.

Fasten your seat belt, because this first insight is probably THE concept that completely changed my life.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Trumpism #1: Making It Big

“I like things big. I always have. To me, it’s very simple: if you’re going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big.”

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Several years ago, I set a goal for myself: to make a 6-figure annual salary as a copywriter. What a small thinker I was!

Today, I’ve more than achieved my goal, but I didn’t get the fulfillment and satisfaction that I expected. It’s more like, “OK, I’ve achieved my goal, now what?”

What if I had set the goal to become a millionaire copywriter?

What if I set the goal to utilize my marketing and copywriting and build a $10-million company?

Would that make a difference? Would I be even more successful?

I think so.

As motivational speaker Les Brown said, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars."

My mother didn't raise any ignorant kids, and you don't have to tell me something twice. I’ve learned my lesson and adopted this philosophy in both my business and personal pursuits.

My long-term goal is building a $100 million-dollar company.

Isn’t that pretty outrageous? Does it sound ‘impossible’? Well, I've got a lifetime to work towards it!

And if I reach that goal, I'll set a new one!

You’ll experience a paradigm shift when you think BIG. You’ll look at things differently. You’ll look at yourself differently.

And most of all, you’ll approach your business differently.

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Trumpism #2: Accentuate the Negative

“It’s been said that I believe in the power of positive thinking. In fact, I believe in the power of negative thinking. I happen to be very conservative in business. I always go into the deal anticipating the worst. If you plan for the worst – if you can live with the worst – the good will always take care of itself.”

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More success, more wealth and more money are created out of knee-knocking, nail-biting desperation than out of "touchy/feely" positive thinking.

Positive thinking alone won’t get you anywhere unless you combine it with practical plans, well-defined goals, follow-through, action, knowledge and persistence, etc.

I'm living proof.

I got into the copywriting business out of desperation. I still remember when I was to the world of business and no one would hire me. Feeling helpless and hopeless, I was motivated to become my own boss.

It was do or die for me…and I sure as hell wasn't about to die. And I found out that if I used the power of “negative thinking” in a good way, it was an extremely powerful motivator.

I always like to put myself in situation where I HAVE to grow, I HAVE to adapt, and I HAVE to change. I am constantly pushing the envelope and stepping outside of my comfort zone because…

The success that you want can only be found outside your comfort zone!

Any time you have a decision to make, ask yourself this, “What’s the worst possible outcome? Can I handle it? Will it kill my business?”

Expect the best, but plan for the worst. Don’t assume things will go smoothly because 9 times out of 10…they won’t!

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Trumpism #3: Hiding Your Light Under A Bushel

"You can have the most wonderful product in the world, but if people don’t know about it, it’s not going to be worth much.”

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I’ve pitched this concept until I am blue in the face to clients who stubbornly say, "I have a great product, so I don't have to advertise it."

That's insane!

No business can survive without a constant stream of qualified prospecting coming to your business. So it doesn’t matter what industry you're in or what product/service you make available, whoever you are…

Essentially you’re in the marketing business!

Having a good product or service is NOT enough…although it's certainly mandatory! Quality and value what brings your customers back for more.

But how the heck do they do how “wonderful” your stuff is if they haven’t even bought from you yet?

In order to make a sale, you need someone you can sell to. To achieve that you need effective marketing systems to get these people in your “funnel” in the first place.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Trumpism #4: Show Me the Money

“Don’t believe the critics unless they love your work.”

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

I have a reputation for being blunt and aggressive. It's well deserved.

I am tough on my clients. I slap them around (figuratively, of course!). I use swear words when I write. I use even more "colorful language" when I talk.

I could be a real SOB sometime. I don’t sugarcoat stuff and I definitely don’t care about hurting someone's feelings. I’ve even fired clients on more than one occasion.

Because of my straightforward and tell-it-like-it-is style, I get a lot more criticisms than other marketing experts. Do you think I care what other critics say or think or about me? Not for a microsecond.

Because my clients either love me or they hate me. But regardless of how they feel about my style, all my clients put up with a manic like me because I make them rich, enormously rich.

And it's my satisfied clients that pay me… not dissatisfied critics.

The world is full of "naysayers" eager to find fault and point to the negative. You can't avoid them. They're a fact of life. Elbert Hubbard said it best, “To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.”

I am a firm believer that the best way to fail is to try to please everybody. So the only criticisms I take to heart are the ones from my mentors, my closest associates, and my advisors.

Period.

Remember…

Your critics aren't buying from you
Your critics don't want to see you do well
Your critics probably aren't qualified enough to criticize you!

Okay, I've "distilled" the essence of the four most intriguing concepts I’ve learned from Trump’s books that have put money in my pocket. If you're motivated to go deeper "The Donald" has written seven incredible books (and you'll notice that each of them has "Trump" in the title!)

* Trump: How to Get Rich
* Trump: The Way to the Top
* Trump: Surviving at the Top
* Trump: The Art of the Deal
* The America We Deserve
* Trump: The Art of Survival

Some people like them. Some them say they’re crap. And whether or not you shoot over to Amazon.com to get them for yourself is totally up to you, my friend.

But I'd ask you to consider this: if you can beg, borrow, or steal just one or two ideas from a man who's sitting on a billion-dollar empire…ideas that could jumpstart your business empire…wouldn't it be worth 20 bucks?

The choice is yours.

Dan

Copyright 2004 Quick Turn Marketing International, Ltd.

About The Author

Dan Lok is the World’s First Quick-Turn Marketer, with a proven track record of selling over $17.3 million dollars of merchandise and services. He’s the rebel copywriter who’s created hundreds of money-making ads and sales letter for over 39 different industries. And now you can get inside the head of one of the world’s top copywriters without paying a dime at: http://www.QuickTurnMarketing.com

Automated SEO Tools- Why Aren't You Using One?

Author : Joe Borges

Oftentimes, the most important facets of SEO are overlooked, even by webmasters and seasoned SEO experts. Why? Because somehow all the emphasis gets put on the importance of keywords, leaving all other SEO elements in the dust.

Equally important aspects of SEO include:

1. Reciprocal Link Exchange (Linking Strategy)

2. Page Rank

3. Avoiding getting penalized by the Search Engines, and more importantly, avoiding getting banned.

I am an online business owner and SEO specialist. I have seen people put emphasis on the wrong things, to the detriment of equally important elements.

So, how can you build a website that is completely optimized and that attracts thousands of visitors each month? One way is to simply analyze the websites of your competitors. Sound confusing? It's not, once you really understand the concept of not "reinventing the wheel". If you follow this philosophy, you can parlay the success (read: copy) of websites that are already successful into your own online success.

Your first step is to completely automate the SEO process. This means choosing an SEO software tool that will let you analyze all of the important SEO information of your competitor's sites - Reciprocal Link Exchanges, PageRank, Search Engine Ranking and Reciprocal Links. This way, you can quickly and easily see exactly what your competitors are doing to be ranked as well as they are. A good automated SEO tool will give you a step-by-step process, that you can follow for any website you set up, to ensure your success. Best of all, that formula will have been proven to work because your successful competitors are already using it!

In addition to all of this, a good SEO tool will help you to avoid being penalized and even banned by the Search Engines.

Consider the following:

1. You can be penalized by linking to websites that have been penalized and even banned by the search engines.

2. You have to keep track of all the websites that you are linking to manually to avoid having this happen to you.

3. You need to know who your link partners are linking to; they may be linked with a site that has been penalized or even banned by the Search Engines, which could lead to your getting penalized or banned as well.

Automating your SEO process will make all of the above not only easier, but quicker as well, since you will no longer have to search through and keep track of thousands of websites manually.

About The Author

Joe Borges makes it easy to get your website optimized and listed in all the major search engines. Learn how to automate your SEO Process for online business success by visiting: http://www.tekretail.com/bestseo.html

Get Your Website to Profit With the Best Affiliate Programs Available

Author : Steven Gerber

The Internet is one of the most frequently used tools for communication today. There are over millions of people who log on to the Internet every single day. Besides, with the benefits that the Internet gives, who would not want to be a part of this information superhighway.

With the Internet, you can communicate with your family and friends through emails and instant messengers, you can purchase goods and services without leaving your own home, and the Internet is one of the most promising income generating tools that everyone can use today.

In the past, you needed products or services in order to make money through the Internet. Today however, you can make money through the Internet by using affiliate programs. This program will allow you to make a substantial amount of money out of your website and is a very good home business that you would want to get in to.

First of all, you need to know what an affiliate program is and how it works in order to fully understand how you can make some money out of it. Affiliate programs is like a joint venture where you or your website becomes a partner with another website that have already developed a product or service that they are already selling in the Internet. As a partner, your job is to direct the visitors of your website to your partner website and hope that they will purchase the products or services being offered. Your website will be like the company's marketing arm, among several.

The company you plan on being affiliated to will be providing all the necessary tools that you need in order to start the affiliate program. They will be providing the links, and some companies will provide free e-books on how you can effectively earn from affiliate programs.

The best way to profit from your website through affiliate programs is by promoting your website in the Internet. The key to success in affiliate programs is targeted traffic. This is why you should think of a product or service that you would want to promote and also a product or service that you are knowledgeable about. Think about your hobby. For example, if you like fixing cars, you want an affiliate program that promotes cars, or car parts.

In your website, you will then discuss about your hobby. Make some articles and post it in article publishing websites and also in your own site. Since your affiliate program is selling cars or car parts or even car accessories, the traffic you generate in your website will have a greater chance of clicking the link or banner of your affiliate website and buy from that website. You will then earn a commission out of the sold product.

As you can see, it is very simple to earn money from affiliate programs. However, when you are just starting out in the business of affiliate programs, you have to work hard to establish your reputation as an expert in the product or service you are promoting. The best way to do this is publish your articles about a particular product frequently. This will build your reputation in the Internet and soon, you will get that targeted traffic you have been always wanting. It is also a good idea to update your website once in a while (once a week) with tips and tricks on a particular product.

The best thing about affiliate programs is that you do not have to be in front of your computer 24 hours a day 7 days a week. All you need is a few minutes of checking up in your website and also check out your earnings in your affiliate programs. Always remember to update your website frequently in order to keep your readers and keep them buying from your affiliate website.

About The Author

Steven Gerber is a professional copywriter & marketing consultant. He is a protégé of Dan Lok, the World’s #1 Website Conversion Expert, & in Steven’s totally biased opinion simply THE BEST. You will find the latest internet marketing techniques & tricks at: http://www.websiteconversionexpert.com.

How To Create Charisma With Colors And Style

Author : Sue Brubaker

Ever seen all those celebrities on television and how they just exude so much radiance and magnetism, that you cannot help but stay glued watching them? What is it about them that keep them attractive and desirable?

The answer is one word: charisma. The process on how to achieve and possess such similar charismatic flair involves another word: colors.

The following are basic tips and advice to help you have your own charisma with the use of colors and style techniques.

First things first, know yourself.

It helps to get the varied opinions of people who know you best. Ask around and interview family members, friends, relatives, or colleagues, and try to make them give an opinion – an honest one of course – of what it is they think are the colors that best suit you. Alternatively, you could always ask and engage the services of a consultant that specializes on image enhancement.

Such a professional could readily determine the kind of colors that work best for your particular eye color and tone of your skin, as well as your hair.

Choose the colors that work best for you.

A very effective way to test which colors are best for your skin is to face a mirror, preferably with natural available daylight, while holding a fabric or a piece of clothing under your chin or beside your eyes. Now, observe which stands out. Does the color stand out or do your features stand out?

Appropriate colors should focus more on you, and not on the dress or garment. If you have eyes as blue as the ocean, then wearing a dress that is similarly blue in color will help make your very own eyes attractive and stand out.

Wrong colors are those that make your appearance dull. It may even look repulsive, or it could cast a shadow on you. Wrong colors also give people the impression that you are sick or tired, even if you feel perfectly fine.

Apply prints and shapes.

Prints in any garments you plan to wear should just as well be proportionate to your physical features, as based on the naturalness of your body’s geometry. If your features are between medium to small, it is just as perfect that any patterns or jewelry you are to wear are sized in a similar manner.

Also, your face’s shape and features should also determine the shapes and kinds of accessories you are to wear. Oval faces may just as well wear oval earrings as well. However, a combination of features is present sometimes. Eyes that are oval sometimes belong to a face with a chin that is square. Look in the mirror and analyze what goes best with what.

Layer your clothes.

Sometimes, this is the best recourse for anyone, so as not to appear overly dressed or under dressed for the occasion. Wearing layers makes it convenient for anyone to take off that scarf, jacket, or tie, so as not to appear too formal.

Overall, practice makes perfect. Eventually, getting used to the colors you have on you will make you more confident and attractive, as you get to determine which makes you feel more magnetic and charismatic. The important thing is being comfortable with your own skin, your own color, and your own style. Work on those features, enhancing them without the need to change them. You are unique; embrace your uniqueness. That charisma cannot be bought or sold.

Please visit http://www.AntiAgeCenter.com for more beauty tips.

About The Author

Sue Brubaker shares information gathered from years of study and research on Anti-Ageing and Self Improvement.

Tips For Wearing Perfume

Author : Marilyn Pokorney

Perfumes can be fun to wear. Here are some tips on buying and using perfumes.

When buying perfume always try a sample. Wear it for about 10 minutes before deciding if you like it. This allows the alcohol to evaporate and the oils in perfumes to interact with the oil on the skin and will be a little different for everyone.

Try samples in the late afternoon. The power of smell is stronger during that time of day.

When starting a new perfume always use it on only one small area of skin. If there is an allergy to any of the ingredients it's the safest way to discover it. After an hour, if there is no reaction, the perfume is safe to wear.

When wearing perfume put it on the pulse points. The inner wrists, behind the knee, and below the jawline near the ears. The pulse sends out the scent.

Perfume will keep fresher longer if you store it in a cool, dark place since sunlight and heat interact with the oils in the perfume.

When testing or wearing perfume don't rub the wrists together. It lessens the effect of the perfume.

Don't apply perfume to clothing or jewelry. It can cause stains and even damage jewelry.

Don't wear one perfume all year all. Temperatures affect the scent. Cold temperatures reduce the intensity of the perfume so wear stronger scents in the winter.

In the summer wear lighter scents. But be warned, bees can be lured to the perfume mistaking it for flowers.

Once you open a bottle of perfume wear it! It will keep indefinitely when not opened but......... once the air has gained entrance to the perfume, it must be used within a year or two at the maxium.

For unusual perfumes including one called Tomato Perfume visit: http://www.apluswriting.net/beauty/perfume.htm

About The Author

Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net

Ten Ways (plus 1) to Save on Printer Ink and Toner Cartridges

Author : Larry Andrew

Are you getting tired of the high cost of printing? You’re not alone. Many consumers are up in arms. For example, they believe paying $22 per ounce for printer ink and $150 to $300 (or more) for a toner cartridge is way too much.

Most of the major printer manufacturers have adopted the same marketing model as the razor blade, TiVo and cell phone industry. Simply stated, they sell you the printer for cost or less in order to sell you printer ink and toner cartridges at huge markups. In many instances, they charge seven to ten times what it costs to manufacture these products.

In addition, these major companies spend thousands of dollars trying to convince you to purchase only their products. They strongly criticize printer ink and toner cartridges offered by third party companies. However, did you know that many of these major companies are now selling their own recycled cartridges… and you’re still paying full retail price for them! As someone once said, to get a real education, read the fine print on the label.

With the advent of online marketing, consumer have more choices than ever. There are a large number of reputable companies that sell printer ink and toner cartridges at significant savings. It is very common to save 50-85% when purchasing your printer supplies. In addition to substantial savings, you'll get a money back guarantee and your order is normally shipped the same day.

Ok, here’s ten ways (plus 1) to save on printer ink and toner cartridges:

1. Purchase a compatible inkjet cartridge. These are cartridges made from new parts and manufactured to meet or exceed the OEM specifications for you exact printer.

2. Purchase a remanufactured inkjet cartridge. Third party companies collect empty printer ink cartridges. They refill them with ink and test them vigorously to make sure you get exactly the quality and quantity you expect from your inkjet cartridge.

3. Purchase an ink refill kit. You’ll get step-by-step instructions, the tools and printer ink you need to refill your ink cartridge in just a few minutes. On the average, you can refill an inkjet cartridge ten times.

4. Your inkjet cartridge will eventually wear out. Instead of purchasing a brand name cartridge, purchase a compatible or remanufactured cartridge. Then, when compatible cartridge is empty, refill it with printer ink just as you did your original.

5. When you’re printing, always use draft mode until you’re ready for your final print.

6. Whenever possible, select black and white print. If you’re final product is to be in color, your draft can be done in black and white until you’ve double-checked everything. Then, print your final copies in color.

7. Purchase a compatible toner cartridge. Third party companies make these toner cartridges from brand new parts. They are manufactured to be equal to or better than your original toner cartridge.

8. Purchase a remanufactured cartridge. Many companies collect empty toner cartridges. They empty any toner waste and then refill the cartridge. They quality check the drum and other parts of the cartridge to insure maximum performance for the consumer.

9. Purchase a toner refill kit. These kits include the tools and instructions necessary to refill your own toner cartridge. On the average, you can refill a toner cartridge about three times.

10. When you toner cartridge is not producing the quality of print you expect, check to see if you can replace the drum, instead of the entire cartridge. This will keep money in your pocket.

11. Purchase multiple ink and toner cartridges if you can. You will save substantially over the already discounted cost, plus you will probably get Free shipping.

By ordering your printer ink, toner or ink cartridge online, you’ll experience the best service, the best warranty, and the best products available, for all your printing needs.

About The Author

Larry Andrew is an educational consultant, author and publisher of www.ez-printer-ink.com. Purchasing printer ink, toner and inkjet cartridges on line should be fast, convenient and cost-effective.

Asking For Proof in the Economic Pudding

Author : Donald R. Carroll III

There are no stupid questions, only stupid people. Ask an economist for proof of one of their pet theories and you'll find quickly that the age old axiom that we all learned in school and work place training seminars is dead wrong. You can ask a stupid question if you're talking to an economist and that question can, in fact, make you stupid.

It's a well accepted fact that scientists are not the greatest communicators around. They generally are not strong in the customer service or public relations fields. Scientists spend their time preaching to the well educated, well informed, scientific choir. When the time comes that a scientific discovery leads to a consumer product, it is not scientists that explain the benefits and dangers of the new product, a marketing company will handle that. Because of the disconnect between the science behind a product and the actual implementation of that science, there are a slew of products which are around 1.25% scientific fact and 98.75% marketing hype (take a look at your average diet pill). Consumers don't know the difference because scientists won't talk to us.

Economists also fancy themselves as scientists. They like to say that they have laws and they also don't feel the need to deign to speak to the general public about their work. They talk to each other, develop their theories, push for the implementation of those theories and generally think that Liberal Arts majors and auto mechanics should mind their own business. Maybe it's time that we lowly non-economists demand a few answers.

It's tremendously irksome to hear an economist speak about an economic law. Ask the economist to demonstrate the law and he will fall quickly to an explanation of the theories which, in his opinion, make the law true. Supply and Demand can only be verified by reading those theorists who endorse the idea. The theory cannot be measured, cannot be duplicated under scientific standards, cannot be certain to have the same outcome at all times, even given the same circumstances. It is therefore not a law. It's just a widely accepted theory.

I've got no problem with widely accepted theories. What I do find disturbing and even dangerous is the application of widely accepted theories into public policy without regard to whom is being hurt and without question as to whether or not the theory is working. Take free trade for instance. It's an economic policy which is not demanded by the average working person, but which both major political parties endorse to some extent and which the Libertarian Party makes a cornerstone of it's platform. The theories all indicate that some job loss, even great displacement of a given society's workers, is to be expected. In fact, the displacement is a good thing, since it allows once unskilled laborers to study and become highly skilled technitions, or accountants or something. Unfortunately, the American people aren't privy to this part of the working economic theory and thusly aren't excited to hear that the reason that their job was offshore is due to India's comparative advantage in call center operations. The displaced worker may not feel that they are a worthy subject for the grand experiment of free trade.

Of course, no theory says that America has to be the winner in the free trade free-for-all rush to the top of the comparative/absolute advantage heap. No, economists don't often talk about nations at all. Their theories do not aim to find ways of make America the most economically powerful nation, or the richest, or the most comfortable; their theories work to ensure a true free market. The problem with a truly free market is that the displaced workers can just as easily be upper middle class Americans and the new skills that they may be acquiring just may be menial labor. Ask an economist why the displaced workers are always poor and always must be and I'll bet you money that they cannot give even a small piece of evidence to show a reason why that is so.

Yet our politicians, being taught economics in universities which are almost universally in support of free trade, themselves support free trade. They support an economic theory that has no evidence of actually being affective, but which may cause damage to the American economy, a fact which any honest free trade supporting economist would have to admit doesn't matter to them. Yet, the average person is not supposed to question these theories and certainly not the logic of the theorocrats that endorse them. If you fail to remain quietly on the sidelines of history and make the mistake of questioning the theory behind free trade, then you will be the recipient of a litany of the names of long dead authors who will all prove you wrong. You'll be called an idiot (trust me, I've had these discussions), they will threaten your mother's virtue before they admit that they can provide no evidence that they are correct.

Does a lack of evidence prove that the economists are wrong? Not at all. In fact, my desire for evidence is proof that I don't know enough about economics to ask more informed questions than, "can you prove that?" I do think, though, that is a damn fine place to start. Maybe more economists should start their path of theoretical enlightenment by questioning the fundamental truth of what they are being taught. Maybe economists should consider being the first scientists to learn customer service. If that seems like a bit of a demotion, just call it retraining for new economic conditions.

About The Author

Donald R. Carroll III is a student, insurance adjuster and freelance writer from Kansas City, Missouri.
dcarroll04@kc.rr.com

Affiliate Marketing What Is It And Why Use It?

Author : Stephen Warren

Affiliate Marketing is having Affiliates do your Marketing for you. What I mean by Affiliate is someone who tells people about your product/service and you pay them for a desired response, such as a purchase.

Affiliate Marketing is one of the best ways to get the word out about your product/service.

The best way to pay Affiliates is pay per sale. This means that you only have to pay your Affiliates when they actually make a sale. This reduces your advertising costs dramatically. your Affiliates take on all the risks so you don't have to worry about wasting your money on advertising which may not produce any results.

Using Affiliate is a very cheap way to advertise, however it is very effective. The software required to start up your own Affiliate program can cost only about $50 per month.

Then after that just wait for people to start promoting your product/service for you.

Please remember that 5% of your Affiliates will do 95% of the selling. What I mean by this is that most of your Affiliates will just sit there and do nothing. This can be countered if you teach them what to do, exactly how to do it and providing everything for them so they have to do as little work as possible.

To find out about teaching your Affiliates please see the "How To Super Charge Your Affiliates" article

You don't have to use this form of advertising just to sell your product or service. You can also use it to grow your opt-in mailing list. This is discussed in another article.

How Much Should You Pay Your Affiliates

How much you pay your Affiliates really depends on how much your product/service costs, its profit margin, how much you're willing to give up and what action you want to take place.

Lets say that your product is priced at $100. Lets also assume that it cost you $10 to make it. This leaves you with $90 profit.

How much of this do you want to give away to the person that made this sale possible?

Personally, I believe that you should give a rather high percentage of the profits back to the affiliate (Depending on how many sales they regularly generate), because without them, you wouldn't have made that particular sale at all, so reward them for it.

A fairly decent reward is about 50% of the revenue generated. Your product is priced at $100 so a $50 commission is quite generous. It really depends on your other costs (such as a mortgage) you have, which would help decide on a fair commission to both you and the Affiliate.

Another factor which plays a part is how much additional advertising you do, such as pay per click. For example, if you rely solely on your Affiliates to Market for you, then you may want to reduce the commission you pay to them to help you survive. However, you may want to pay them more, to encourage them to send more sales you way. It really is a judgment call.

On the other hand, if you advertise in other ways effectively, then you can afford to pay higher commissions, because you're not putting all your eggs in one basket.

In the end it's all down to how greedy or generous you are. The best advice I can give you is to pay the affiliate what you think he/she deserves. Hopefully that way everyone is happy and earning their fair share.

That is the key to a successful affiliate program.

By Stephen Warren, the creator of http://www.marketershandbook.com, the completely FREE guide to marketing online, with useful articles and links.

Working With Affiliate Programs

Author : Jude Wright

Everywhere you look you see affiliate program offers for every product or service that you can think of. Some have fully automated systems that sell high volumes of hard products all over the world. In case you don't know, "hard" products are those that you can touch...unlike an ebook or downloadable web template. Many affiliate programs have several thousand affiliates and one or two of the bigger companies have over one million affiliates.

What are the advantages of joining an affiliate program?

They provide a ready-made business. This is a very big plus for those people who want to earn some kind of living off the Internet but lack the knowledge or inclination to set up a business by themselves.

Commissions and rewards are generally good, and the more established programs offer a real chance of advancement to higher and better-paid levels.

Other affiliates are usually on hand to offer practical support.

What are the limitations?

You are restricted in your promotional activities due to the fact that you do not actually own the affiliate site they give you. You won't be able to put such things as banners, images, links, meta tags, etc. onto your page. The URL of your affiliate page is often either too long or contains such awkward things as question marks, which many Search Engines will not index.

Any promotional ads or articles have probably already been used by thousands of other people and consequently may have lost its impact, making it more difficult to achieve sales or referrals.

If the program you have joined has not yet established itself (or in some cases even if it has), then you may encounter problems with payments owed to you not being honored. You also run the risk of low quality products or sub-standard statistics that do not accurately record how many referrals or sales you have made.

You may be required to purchase a minimum quantity of the product on a regular basis before you start to qualify for commissions or even before you can become an affiliate. You may not get the technical or affiliate support you might expect from the company. This may be due to inadequate staffing, or the company's negligence.

Other people in your downline do nothing to promote the program.

At least four of the above limitations can be overcome with a little time and effort. You could, for example, come up with fresher ads to promote the program (provided this is allowed).

If the company supplies the email addresses of people in your downline, then you could offer to help the less active members. Very often these people are passive not because they are lazy or apathetic but merely because they don't know HOW to promote effectively! your guidance could mean the difference between no sales or referrals and healthy downlines and residual incomes.

As regards promoting your actual page, here are a couple of little tricks that should overcome a number of restrictions:

Cloak your Affiliate URL to stop hijackers Affiliate Masker While this will not help you to get listed on the major Search Engines, it will make your web page easier for prospects to remember and type into their browser's address bar.

Go to your affiliate page. Place your mouse pointer anywhere on the page and right click once. In the drop-down box choose "View Source". This will display the HTML for the page. Save this to your hard drive as a HTML document using the "Save As" function. Upload the page to your web site. If you don't have a web site then get some free web space from one of these:

http://www.tripod.com
http://www.fortunecity.com
http://www.hypermart.net/index.gsp
http://www.coolchat.com
http://www.crosswinds.net
http://www.htmlpublishing.com
http://www.freehomepages.com
http://www.pageproducer.com

Submit your 'new' page to the Search Engines. You are also now able to place banner codes, links, images, testimonials, in fact anything you want onto these pages, because you are in control of the HTML. A word of caution, though. Don't change the actual HTML of your original affiliate page. Just put the other stuff, like banners etc, around it.

Making this "mirror page" of your affiliate page will dramatically improve your advertising options.

Contact Email Address: publisher@aboutaffiliates.com
Word Count: 689
Category: Affiliate Marketing
Copyright Date: 8/16/04
Internet Address: http://aboutaffiliates.com/news/viewart icle.php?id=11
Autoresponder Address: workingaff@aboutaffiliates.com
Special Requirements For Reprint:

You have permission to publish this article in your ezine or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the byline is included and the article is included in it's entirety. I also ask that you activate any html links found in the article and in the byline.

You may not use this article in any publication that is not-optin (spam). A courtesy copy of the publication or link to the website you use my article on would be appreciated.

---------------------------------

Working With Affiliate Programs
by Jude Wright (c) 2004

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Jude Wright has been an Internet Marketer for three years. She has just created a product that will help other Internet Marketers keep all their marketing information in one database. Check it out at: http://i-marketingorganizer.com/organizer.htm

How to Booost Your Affiliate Commissions by almost 30%

Author : Satyajeet Hattangadiis

Affiliate marketing is one tough business. Everyone online today is looking to make or save money in any way they can.

In the good old days when internet marketing was in its infancy, most of the people who clicked on your affiliate links used to purchase without a second thought... but, now as times are getting tougher, and visitors getting more cynical, you'll be amazed at the number who won't!

Just one flaw in a system and you will find dozens of unscrupulous people waiting to exploit it. Same goes for affiliate commission tracker systems. People who know how to manipulate the system will replace your affiliate ID with theirs and "hijack" your commissions.

Most affiliate links are some form or the other of http://www.thesite.com/?YOURID

Where your affiliate id is passed as a parameter. A thief has to simply change the "YOURID" part to "HISID" to put your money in his pocket.

In other cases, there are visitors to your site who simply can't stand the thought of you "making money off them" so they bypass you by simply chopping off the end of your affiliate link that contains your ID.

Instead of buying from http://www.thesite.com/?YOURID -- the bypasser will simply "chop off" the affiliate ID at the end and simply buy from the plain URL http://www.thesite.com/ --without your affiliate ID attached!

Bam! you just got cheated out of your rightful commission.

Studies have shown that this phenomenon causes about 30% lost sales.

By following some of these simple tips you will be able to, if not all, at least confuse most hijackers and, in many cases, often disarm them completely.

You might notice i said most and not all. This is because if the hijacker is well versed at html and javascipt he will be able to eventually get to your affiliate link. However, most hijackers are just opportunists who will only act if they see an easy buck and its this segment that we can beat

The simplest way to hide your affiliate links is using a javascript redirect page.

This is where you hide your affiliate link in a page on your site using a simple javascript that redirects people to your affiliate link.

This way your "naked" affiliate link is not exposed in your actual email messages and ezine ads, but, once people get redirected to the true affiliate link.

One possible drawback of this method is that some affiliate programs, like clickbank for example, expose the affiliate link along with your ID in the browser address bar.

So if the viewer is eagle-eyed he will notice that hes been redirected through and affiliate link.

A safer method to hide your affiliate links is using a zero-frame or "invisible" frame that masks the affiliate link by making it appear you are sending people to a page on your website. In reality, you are actually sending them to your affiliate link.

This technique is also used by many domain redirection service sites.

Unfortunately is the user views the source of the page. He know whats that youve loaded an affiliate link.

The solution is to use javascript encryption to scramble up the page code.

Even though there isn't a 100% perfect solution to this problem, if you want to get paid more often through your affiliate links, make sure it's not obvious you're referring people to an affiliate link.

If they can't see that its a affiliate link, lower the possibility of you getting stiffed of your commission.

If you are looking for a tool that lets you do all this plus earn affiliate commissions even from those folk who dont click your affiliate link then do check out Covert Affiliate

About The Author

Satyajeet Hattangadiis the Owner of Novasoft Inc, a software solutions provider, who specialize in affordable customized software solutions.

The Passive, Inwardly Focused Organization

Author : Mike Beitler

In a recent Harvard Business Review (HBR) article the three authors (Neilson, Pasternack, and Van Nuys) described what they called the “Passive-Aggressive Organization.” While we are all familiar with the concept of the passive-aggressive individual, what the authors described in the article does not qualify as passive-aggressive.

Even though I disagree with their passive-aggressive designation, the three authors point out a very serious organizational problem. They describe an organization where conflict is rare, consensus is easy to reach, and problems are graciously overlooked (a “happy” place).

What the authors describe is what I call a “Passive, Inwardly Focused” organization. It’s a serious diagnosis because this type of organization does not have long to live. This organization will soon lose any hope of responding quickly to market changes. They typically remain passive and inwardly focused until they are near death. But as you can imagine, they don’t die happy.

Of course, it is important for organizational members to treat each other in a respectful way, but professionalism also requires the “backbone” to take a stand. In fact, I have been called into several organizations that claimed to have a conflict problem. After data gathering and diagnosis, I told the senior executives that their problem was that they did not have enough conflict. They needed to stir up some debate!

Living in a “happy world” is appropriate for children and smurfs. But, a highly effective organization requires healthy disagreement. Passively accepting the status quo leads to complacency. Questioning the status quo leads to innovation.

Of course, concern for the preferences and work habits of employees has its place, but it must be balanced with the demands of the marketplace. Ultimately, satisfied customers are more important than satisfied employees. If customers are not satisfied, eventually employees will be very unsatisfied. They will be out of work!

In passive, inwardly focused organizations several things can be done. First, match incentives to performance. Second, recognize doers, not “good ole boys (or girls).” Third, establish quantifiable goals. Fourth, bring in outsiders who can shake up the status quo. Fifth, invite (or demand) debate in meetings. Sixth, actively solicit customer complaints and concerns.

It is only a matter of time before passive, inwardly focused organizations experience financial distress. Don’t wait, act now!

Is your organizations “happy” but not productive?

About The Author

Dr. Mike Beitler is the author of "Strategic Organizational Change." Read 2 free chapters of the book online at http://www.strategic-organizational-change.com.

What Your Cat Wants You To Know

Author : Danielle Hollister

If your feline friend could speak your language, here a few things she would probably like you to know.

1) I am the boss of you. Get used to it. I decide when I want your company. I am not a dog who relies on you to make these choices in our relationship.

2) I am fenicky. I like the food I like and I will not eat the cheap stuff. I prefer to have the nasty, overnight water left in my dish dumped first thing in the morning. If you cannot accommodate this need, Do Not Yell At Me when you see me desperately dipping my head into the toilet for some fresh water. Believe me, it's not something I Want To Be Doing - But If You Don't Take Care Of Me Properly - I simply have no choice.

3) I like my space. I choose my space. I pick special places through out Our House to lay in the sun, take my afternoon nap, relax after dinner etc... Deal with it. Do not expect me to clean up my own hair. I cannot help it if I shed on your precious sofa, and I personally don't really care if I leave a little bit of me behind on my Favorite places.

4) I do not want to have a new "sister" or "brother" ie: feline relative. If they came to live with you when I did that's fine. If you're trying to improve the quality of my life by giving me a new friend, Forget About It... I don't want one. I like being the Queen/King of Our Domain. I do not want to share my palace with anyone.

5) I like you and I like your children (or most of them). But I chose when I want to be bothered with the youngsters. Please do not push them on me when I'm clearly not in the mood to play, which consequently results in me being forced to let them know I do not want interact with them in the only way I know how - by hissing, scratching, or trying to run away. My actions inevitably lead to you yelling at me for showing my feelings. So we could make life much simpler, if You prevented this whole scenario from the start.

6) I have certain innate needs - like the need for something to scratch - Please make both of our lives easier by getting me something just for this purpose... So I do not have to resort to using the back of the chair, the carpet, the comforter or the front porch screen (which will definitely result in you having to Yell at me yet once more for something that I have a natural desire to do...)

7) Remember You picked me. You decided to bring me into your home. I did not pick you. I had no choice. Yet I treat you with respect and love, thus you should treat me equally as well...

About The Author

Resource Box - ? Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine - A free newsletter for quote lovers featuring more than 10,000 quotations in dozens of categories like - love, friendship, children, inspiration, success, wisdom, family, life, and many more. Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.a sp

Tips For Toys

Author : Margaret Svete

Toys are fun both for our dogs and us. Lucky for us there are endless choices.

But did you know how important toys are for your dogs - puppies especially.

Toys play a great role in the emotional and mental development of puppies. They also act as solutions for inappropriate chewing, boredom, and separation anxiety. In fact most dog trainers recommend that new puppy owners buy lots of toys for the newest member of the family.

Variety is the spice of life. Most experts recommend buying different kinds of toys for your dog so that you can discover which ones he really likes.

You might be surprised with the answers. Berry, my 95 pound German Shepherd just loves cuddling up his stuffed animals. Who would have thought!

Trainers and behaviorists recommend that their clients have three sets of toys.

Primary toys are your dog's favorite. Leave these out for your dog when your not around. This helps reduce separation anxiety because your dog associates you leaving with his getting his favorite toy.

Secondary toys are the toys to have out when you are home. Be sure to pick up the primary toys.

And finally the third set of toys is used to rotate with the the first set. Trainers recommend swapping toys every 3 days or so. This helps keep your dog interested in all his toys.

And always choose toys wisely. Try to buy toys that match your dog's size. And always make sure there are no dangerous small pieces that your dog can chew loose and swallow or worse yet - choke on.

About The Author

Margaret Svete, best-selling author, television and radio personality, and dog rescuer helps dog owners discover easy dog care tips. Subscribe to the premiere dog care ezine, The Dog Enquirer, at http://www.allaboutdogcare.com

Beating The Business Blues

Author : Terri Seymour

Internet marketing is a wonderful business, but if you are like me, there are days when you get really down and just can't seem to get going. This is compounded for some people with the Winter Blues. Sometimes sitting in your lonely corner of the bedroom or living room, it seems like you are the only person on earth. You sometimes feel like you are in a cage and there is no way out! This can also be compounded by a slump in your business sales or successes.

When you feel like this, it is hard to get any work done and can be very counterproductive for you. You must step back, take a break and clear your head.

I have found a few things that can help alleviate these problems and would like to share them with you.

1. Get up and get away from the computer for awhile. Even if it is only for 10-15 minutes. Walk around the house, stretch your muscles, do a few neck and back stretches. These can do wonders!

2. Take a walk. Get dressed, go outside, breathe in the fresh, cool air of winter and take a 30 minute walk. This is one of the most invigorating things you can do to clear your head and get the cobwebs out. Walking is the one activity I would recommend most.

3. Call a friend or family member and talk for awhile. This can also be a great way to lift your spirits and confirm your suspicions that there are other people on this planet! ;-) Chat for awhile and laugh a little. Laughter is a great medicine!

4. Have some fun! Put on some of your favorite music and dance around the house for awhile. Let loose and have some fun. Act goofy, crazy or waltz yourself to China. This helps get out some of the frustrations and pent up emotions that can cause the blues.

5. Just relax! Turn everything off, make yourself a cup of coffee, cocoa, or just plain water. Just sit in complete silence and watch the birds outside or put a cool cloth over your eyes. Let your mind go blank for awhile. Forget everything and just relax!

6. Exercise your mind! Show your mind that there is more than just the computer. Do a crossword puzzle, play a few games of solitaire, or read a book. These are all great ways of getting your mind of business and clearing out all the old to make way for the new.

7. Do some housework! This might not be the most fun thing to do, but it helps take your mind of business for awhile and believe me, after about an hour of housework, you will be more than ready to get back to business!

8. Take a TV break! Watch a program that allows you to escape to another world. After you are finished you just might be glad to get back to your world!

If you would like to find out more about beating the blues, you can visit these sites:
http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/FacStaff/Ergonomics/stretch.html
http://www.divorcekit.com/blues.htm
http://www.smile-publishing.com/tips.html
http://www.lifetimetv.com/shows/strongmedicine/chatroom/1210/1210.html

I hope some of these pointers will help you relax and get back to business. I know that they have been a great help to me more than once. Sometimes when you are feeling unproductive or just plain tired, the idea is not to work harder, but to stop working and give your mind and/or body a well-deserved break!

About The Author

Terri Seymour is the publisher of Web Success Ezine and owner of Web Success Central. You can contact her at ter02@newnorth.net. Subscribe to Web Success Ezine and receive two free gifts by sending any email to web-success-subscribe@egroups.com or visit Web Success Central at http://www.websuccesscentral.com for lots of resources, helpful information and moneymaking programs.

How To Create A Lifetime Income With Affiliate Programs By Changing Your Focus!

Author : Mark Meyers

Most people join an affiliate program so that they will make some money by referring people to the products and services of the affiliate company.

This is, in fact, a great way to earn a really nice income.

However, if you JUST focus on this you are missing out on a great residual income stream.

Many affiliate programs are based on a 2-tier commission structure. This means you will earn a percentage for each sale that you bring in and a percentage for each sale that an affiliate that you referred brings in.

For example, you could earn a residual (ie you are not doing the work to earn this) 5%+ from the sales that your sub-affiliates bring in. This can really add up when you have a large base of sub-affiliates.

So where do you find these people that will help build your nest egg?

Let them find you!

Using the search information from Overture: (http://inventory.overture.come) we find that thousands and thousands of people are looking for a way to work at home:

Searches done in July 2004: Work At Home

Count Search Term

313502 work at home
310780 work from home
28662 work at home job
16197 work at home opportunity
12538 work from home job
11149 work at home moms
11053 work at home business opportunity
10371 work at home business

Thousands and thousands more people are looking for a home-based business:

Searches done in July 2004: Home-based Business

Count Search Term

401436 home based business opportunity
362672 home based business
5514 home based business idea
4398 based business earn from home home home home income money work
4200 best home based business
4079 internet home based business
3495 home internet based business opportunity
2999 based business home legite

There are even thousands of people are looking for an affiliate program to join:

Searches done in July 2004: Affiliate Program

Count Search Term

152632 affiliate program
5941 free affiliate program
3999 best affiliate program
3200 online affiliate program
2168 casino affiliate program
2120 affiliate marketing program
2046 web affiliate program
2013 web master affiliate program

Your affiliate opportunity could provide the answer that these people are looking for and this will build a long-lasting money-making business for you too! Sounds like a win-win deal to me.

If you would like to know which affiliate programs I recommend, please visit my website:
Internet-Income-Advisor.com

Have a great day!
Mark Meyers
Internet-Income-Advisor.com

In "The Internet Income Advisor" newsletter I cut-to-the-chase and give you ideas and opportunities for earning a nice income online. Why not grab a free copy of my new book: Reliable Monthy Income http://www.Interne t-Income-Advisor.com/Reliable-Monthly-Income.html-ACF-EA

Why Does My Pet Eat Grass?

Author : Deena Caruso

Are you concerned when your dog or cat eats grass, then throws up afterwards? You'll probably feel relieved to know that pets eat grass because their bodies need it.

Dogs and cats have been eating grass for a long time. In fact, grass is so popular among dogs that one species, dog grass, is named after them. Dog grass is also known as couch grass and quackweed, and it grows in all but the southern-most states.

You can think of grass as an herbal medicine. It acts as an internal cleanser, expelling excess mucus, bile, and other impurities. It also cleanses the bowels and expels worms. Cereal grasses contain enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Grass also contains chlorophyll, which was used for relieving pain, treating infections, ulcers, skin diseases, and anemia prior to the use of antibiotics.

Some pet owners grow grass specifically to give to their pets to prevent or treat diarrhea, anemia, cataracts, fleas, tumors excessive shedding, and other pet health problems. Pets that are fed grass on a regular basis are less likely to crave outdoor grass. So, if you don't feel comfortable with your pet eating the grass in your lawn, you may want to grow your own grass for them to eat.

Try growing rye or barley sprouts. These sprouts are preferred over wheat grass because some animals are sensitive to wheat.

Follow these instructions to grow rye or barley grass. Soak one cup organically grown grain in one quart water for 8 to 10 hours. Then drain the container and leave it on its side in a warm place, away from direct sunlight. A tiny white rootlet will sprout from each grain within 24 to 48 hours. Caution: If you don't see these rootlets, your grain isn't viable and should be thrown away.

Next, spread the sprouting grain on one inch of moist potting soil or top soil in a plastic garden tray. For drainage create a one inch channel around the soil.

For two days, cover the tray. Then uncover it, and water thoroughly. Place the tray in direct sunlight or under grow lights. Keep the soil moist by watering when needed.

When the grass is 6-8" tall, cut it with scissors or a sharp knife. Place grasses in a ziploc bag, along with a damp paper towel. Be sure to expel air from the bag before sealing. Then store the grass in the refrigerator.

When feeding the grass to your pet, cut or mince it into tiny pieces, or place a small amount in a blender or food processor with other foods. To be sure your cat or dog will accept the grass, begin feeding just a fraction of a teaspoon. Increase the amount gradually to approximately one tablespoon per 50 lbs. of body weight.

Once your pet is given the amount of grass his body needs, you probably won't be seeing him eating the grass in your lawn. And you can feel relieved knowing that you're feeding him something that he craves and that his body needs.

About The Author

Deena Caruso, author, teacher, & distributor of natural pet products Helps pet owners create healthy, happy pets. To receive FREE "Pet Pointers" Newsletter, go to: http://www.healthyfoodforpets.com

deecaruso@cox.net Ph: 760/758-7963, 877/877-0665