Raising Fast Money To Finance Your Biz & Marketing

September 22, 2010 By Tuks

The simple truth is, you DO need a budget when you start your internet business – some people will say you can do it all for nothing, but this is misleading at best. Think about it. You’ll need a site and all the tools to create it (or pay someone to do it), hosting, an autoresponder…and more.

Today, we’ll look at a few solid ways of raising fast cash to fund your busines. If you’re willing to be creative, and to invest a little effort then you can zap up more than enough funds & savings to make a real go of your internet business. Remember, there is always a way when you want it bad enough.

Here are a few creative ways to get those funds…

1. Ebay – Yes, I had to mention it because damit it’s a great way of getting rid of stuff you do not want and do not need. And getting a cash injection in the process. Think about it – are you really going to watch that Avatar DVD again? Will you really be using the coffee machine aunty Maude gave you last Christmas, and if so why is it festooning in the upstairs closet? Fact is, you can probably identify at least a HUNDRED items that you can sell for cash that can be used to invest in yourself and your business.

Even if you sold your items at an average of $10, you’d dummy up a grand in working capital, less seller fees. You just have to love ebay don’t you?
2. Restrain Your Spending – Whenever you want something, or do not buy something you ordinarily would have – that money can be put towards your business. So, for a month – put the $20 friday night pizza dough (get it?) towards your business kitty. Missing out your weekly pizza generates eighty bucks per month – eat some brocolli instead and you’ll feel and look better for it too.

Identify your luxury purchases and channel all those funds into your business. The sacrifice will pay for itself in multiples once you’re up and running and generating cash flows. Then you can stuff your face with as many Super Supreme’s as you want!

3. Sell Your Old Mobile Phones – Many people have their old phones stashed away in drawers, cabinets, closets etc. There is an argument for keeping them of course (in about 30 years time, our now primative cell phones will be valuable…because so far into the future mobiles will be able to do everything from teleport you onto the moon to firing deadly laser beams to destroy the lizard people who have invaded)

Depending on the make and model of your phone you can get as little as a few dollars, and as much as a hundred or more (but rare to get that much frankly unless you’re chucking your new iphone)

There are numerous phone recycling companies out there – do a search online and find one.
4. Consider Working A Few Hours A Week – If you’re in the UK, check out the government site “Slivers” – it allows people like you and me who have a business (or are setting one up) to work a few hours per week to generate income. It’s very flexible, you can choose your number of hours and the time that you are available – so you can use your skills to generate additional cash and do so around your own business. I have not personally used it, but were I starting a business now that was yet to take off, I would.
5. Open Numerous Betting Accounts Using Free Bets – type in “online betting” (in the UK) and you’ll be met with a sea of online bookies offering you a free bet when you open an account. Some can be as much as £50 to £100. It does not take a genius to realize that if you have a little knowledge on any sport (or even any event which bets are open on) you can actually make a lot of money – you can then close the accounts down after you have withdrawn your winnings.

There you have it – five real-world solutions to generate fast funds for your business. And when you get these funds, be careful how and where you invest them. Be wary of the big guru launches…invest your funds in the key areas that your business needs. Your site. Your list. Traffic generation. These are the things that will bring you tangible revenues. Not pie in the sky software and digital downloads that the gurus try and sell for 3 or 4 figure fees.

DRR Pro members, you may or may not be aware that there are videos and resources in the client area that show you how to raise money using very clever methods not talked about in this newsletter. Really clever, simple stuff that very few people know about. There is  a “7 Ways To Make Fast Money Online” video that DRR members can get as part of their membership. Non members can get it for a very reasonable investment too (it’s not new, but it certainly is one everyone should check out):

http://www.digitalresalerightspro.com/packages/7ways.htm

If you’re not yet a DRR Pro member, you can join here:

www.digitalresalerightspro.com

There are over 500 resources – streaming video tutorials, blueprints, ebooks, software, templates, PLRs, MRR’s…just about everything you need to set-up, manage and educate yourself about internet business. All available to you right away.

Can I help you actually set up your business? Maybe – if you’re starting out with no idea for a business and your funds really are strictly limited then I can set up an online business for you that people outside my inner circle have to pay many hundreds for. The links for these are after my sig in case you want to learn more.

Finally – $3 Bargains To Scoop Up Now…

I’ve had a few emails asking not to stop the recent $3 bargains. So, I’m going to keep offering them – the two ones today? There is an awesome new keyword tool, plus video/ebook on creating your own information products. Here are the links:

Competition Equalizer:
http://digitalresalerightspro.com/blog/142/

Product Creation Secrets:
http://digitalresalerightspro.com/blog/product-creation-secrets-3/

Filed Under: Internet Business

How To Do A Personal Performance Review & Make More Money!

July 28, 2010 By Tuks 0

We used to call them 360’s , back in the day when I used to work for a corporate giant. In the days when I’d wear a suit and be in the office by 7 come rain, snow or shine. After work, I’d head to one of the many thriving bars along the Canary Wharf waterside (the financial hub of London) with my work mates. We would discuss a myriad of topics over a pint – from new regulations and what a pain they were, to Man Utd’s dominance in the EPL…down to the fit new girl in HR.  Things were different then – I was different.

Single, somewhat over confident, and enjoying life perhaps a little too much.

Those days are long gone, but there’s one thing that I learned from those days that I still apply diligently to my business. Without it, I’m quite sure there would be less sense of purpose and direction – not just for me but for everyone who works for our small company today.

I’m talking of course about a performance review. And whether you’re a Fortune 500 giant, or a work from home mom motoring away in the basement, you really need to do one for yourself. And now, midway through the year, is a pretty good time.

A. Why Do A Performance Review?

Usually, sometime in January my long term readers know I publish a newsletter recommending that they set out goals for the coming year. A plan to outline what you wish to achieve, and how you aim to go about doing it.

It’s proven that when you set out your ambitions, goals and aims on paper, and read them regularly…your mind has a map to actually make it happen. Take a look at most successful people, and you’ll see they are big planners.

If you really want to grow. If you want your business and your income to grow – then plan. And, every few months (I would recommend 6) review those plans. Review your performance.

B. How To Do Your Performance Review

How should you go about doing your performance review? It’s very simple – follow these steps…

- Print out your original plan in front of you, and give it a good read.

- For every aim that you had set out, write a comment next to it – are things on target? Have you done or are you doing the things that you had planned?

- If you had set out specific goals(for example income) – how are they going? Are you on target to meet them? Or maybe launching new products…

- Finally, you can change your plan where required. Plans are allowed to be flexible!

When I did my performance review a few days ago, some things were on target and others were not.

My plan for this year was to continue to develop products that would help my existing clients make more income, and help the newbies own an internet business. To continue to grow DRR and keep it as a key resource for marketers, resellers and budding internet entrepreneurs. And, to continue offering services that actually help my clients build their own business.

You may recall a few weeks ago, I launched the IM Membership Site Development Project… it was the biggest project that I’ve ever offered, and the hardest to develop. But, I managed it only because I had a plan to overcome all the obstacles.

Another major plan of mine was to use my marketing skills to actually build a list for my clients. I’ve noticed that despite all the videos, and resources and tools I’ve brought to them, the majority of my clients still struggle with list building. They still pine to have that all important list so that they can really get a foothold within the IM game. So, this is something I need to provide, as messy and difficult as it may be.

This one should have been launched this summer, but is ages away. That’s because I made a mistake in gauging how long the Membersite project would take to develop and the level of resources required to complete it. That’s ok, these things happen. So, I simply amended my plan, to release the list building service at a later date.

My plan looks a little different after my performance review than it did on 2nd Jan when it was completed.

How does yours look?

Well, we don’t call them 360’s in our little company – just a plain old performance review. And I rarely get out to the clubs and the bars with my old work mates anymore – I much prefer working in my garden, or in a coffee shop. And most importantly, I no longer lust after the HR hottie – because I married the most incredible woman imaginable. In fact, the 360’s are about the only thing that I’ve kept from my old life…they’ve been instrumental in helping me grow my business, and guiding everyone in our small company to bigger and better things.

And they can do the same for you. I urge you to take an hour out of your day today, and do one for yourself.

God bless, and best of luck with your business.

Tuks Engineer

PS – Want me to build a powerful internet business for you? For A Limited Time, You Can OWN The Same Business That Cost Me $10,500 To Develop…For An Investment Of $69!

Your Own Hosting:

http://www.nichebusinessempire.com/membersitesetupch.htm

If You Do Not Have Hosting:

http://www.nichebusinessempire.com/membersitesetup.htm
Filed Under: Internet Business

Why The Things You Find HARD Will Make You MONEY

October 20, 2009 By Tuks 0

In most aspects of life, I have found the following to be true:

“Nothing that is worth doing, or achieving, comes easy”. It applies to just about everything you will ever do. Take a look at sports stars. People knock superstars like Christiano Ronaldo (the world soccer player of the year) who now earns millions a year in wages and endorsements. They say stuff like “oh he gets paid so much for running around a field, it’s a disgrace!”. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In actual fact, Christiano (and everyone who gets to the top of their game in any field) has sweated blood to get where he is today. He practices day and night, looks to continually improve his skills and techniques, has a tediously strict diet and trains like a beast. In an interview shortly after getting his player of the year award he revealed that he got there by working HARDER than the others in his profession. When training finishes, he’s there for an extra two hours working on his skills, his techniques. To get that little bit better, day after day.

This is even more true within the internet business and marketing niche. Without exception, the people who climb to the very top have got there by doing the hard things that many others have given up on. There are always big challenges to be met in business and marketing – you have to view that as a good thing. Because, when you come over a hurdle…everyone else also comes over it. Many will fall – but if you stay at it, and succeed…you can bet it will reflect on your bottom line. It’s good to have it hard, it separates the men from the boys – the wheat from the chaff.

This is very different to what you may hear elsewhere. The sad truth is many people will try and con you into believing that there are easy ways out. Yes, there are ways to be more efficient, and to be more productive but there’s no magic red button that does it all for you on autopilot.

Sadly some programs/products rely on the weakness & laziness of people to grab them sales. Here are some examples:

- Some programs will tell you that you can build a six figure online business without your own site/blog, or opt in list, or any budget. To someone who’s struggling with the technicals of blog/site development or who has yet to earn a penny you can see how it would have a strong appeal. Many of these programs don’t work – often such programs simply sell a tool, or concept that may be effective but only for those who have a business set-up already.

- Some software will promise you the moon, saying you can just switch it on and traffic will start pouring into your sites and blogs. There’s only one slight problem – it doesn’t work. Again, it’s an ideal “solution” for those who don’t want to get their hands DIRTY by doing the effective marketing strategies that can take time and effort. With time and experience, you’ll learn how to spot these a mile away.

There are hundreds more examples, but I’m sure you get the gist. Think about that the next time you come across something that you feel you cannot overcome. Remember that everyone else, including your competition, are in the same boat. If you can rise and beat the challenge, you’re a step closer to where you want to be.

And, remember that online business and internet marketing is a long term game – the process of finding an in-demand product/service to offer, and then setting up a business system to offer it is no joke. To do it right takes hard work. The more you apply yourself, and win on the small challenges, the more battles you’ll start to win – and sooner or later that will filter through to your Paypal account. Big time.

Filed Under: Internet Business, Internet Marketing, Something Different

Offline Vs Online Business? Why Online Wins With A KO…

October 9, 2009 By Tuks 0

Recently, I saw an interesting documentary on the credit crunch that’s really started to bite economic powerhouses such as the U.S. my own U.K. and many European countries among others. It starts with an entrepreneur named Sue who’s locking up her toy shop at the end of the day – for the last time ever. Sue is one of an alarming number of small business owners who are FOLDING due to the credit crunch – it’s bad enough that people are now unable or unwilling to spend money on many things (and unfortunately for Sue, oversized novelty elephants sporting pink sunglasses certainly fall into this category – one of thousands of stock items that remain unsold in Sue’s shop). But the credit crunch has made low cost credit incredibly difficult to get hold of. Like thousands of other businesses, Sue is unable to get a loan to service her working capital requirements, like paying her staff or the rents during this slowdown.

Sue explains to the camera with a sigh, that in fact she needs to make over $600 a day just to break EVEN – yes, before even a single penny has been made in profit. When asked how much she’s making on average these days, she reveals that she may scrape together $80 or maybe $150 on a holiday. A long haul short of what she needs to keep this business operating on a surplus.

The thing is, this is indicative of what’s happening to MANY small and medium sized companies. Someone has to say it, but the debt bubble that has evaded the pin for decades has now burst in the most explosive way. When cheap credit vanishes in the bricks and mortar world, only strong competitive businesses with underlying profitability and clear unique selling positions survive – because cheap credit can plaster over the cracks in a fundamentally unsound business…but when that credit goes, the structure collapses.

Online, it’s a different story altogether for many internet entrepreneurs. Take for example, Johns Wu, a 22 year old who recently sold his 2 year old finance blog (bankaholic) for a cool $22m – look at the site, it’s really nothing special but the fact that this fellow turned it into a clear, well laid out site that had traffic streams built in, means he ended up with a payday that has allowed him to retire. In fact, the majority of online niches are booming – from travel and finance to internet marketing and more. Because, when you build your site right, and you can find your target customers, an online business can pretty much make money in a variety of ways with minimal capital requirement. It’s an entrepreneur’s paradise.

Now, lets get into the ring and see just why an online business can kick lumps out of an offline one.

1. A Website Or Blog Requires Minimal Start Up Costs – A Bricks & Mortar Business Requires Big Capital Investment Before It’s Made Even A Dollar

OK, if you don’t have the technical aptitude to get a quality site or blog up and running you can still hire a professional to get one developed. But after that, you can professionally host a site with autoresponder for under twenty or so bucks a month. A site also incurs no significant maintenance charges – by contrast, an offline business has immense overheads that the online entrepreneur does not (necessarily) incur – real estate, rents, insurance, repairs, staff costs…the list goes on. The more expenses a business faces, the harder it is to break into profitability and the more likely (especially when the economy faces a downturn) it will fail. That’s another point – when a website fails, the loss is typically minimal (if it’s one that has been set-up by a solo entrepreneur). When an offline business fails, the potential loss to the owners can run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands. Online business wins round one then.

2. Online Business Allows Switched On Entrepreneurs To Utilise Technology To Earn From Multiple Sources.

It is difficult for traditional bricks and mortar businesses to form true, mutually beneficial alliances. Take Sue for example – how could she generate additional revenues from people who come into her shop? She really can’t.

In the online world, the site/blog owner can generate income from a variety of sources – they can offer their own product or service, they can affiliate with potentially hundreds (or even thousands) of affiliate programs. They can generate additional income just by referring leads (CPA) to other companies within their industry. Unlike Sue, they can offer people who come onto their site an option of sending them newsletters if they wish to hear from them again. They can form JV partnerships with authority sites in their niche, and technology means they can offer all sorts of payment structures to make sure it’s a win/win. The possibilities online are endless.

Round 2 goes to online then.

3. Online Is Global – Offline Is (Mainly) Local

My website and blog network is open to anyone in the world, 24/7. There are no opening or closing hours, there are no sassy minimum waged till donkey’s giving out attitude to my valuable customers. Someone from the U.K. or India, or China, or USA (etc) can buy any of my products and services and (in digital cases) download the product right away, without them even having to put a foot outdoors and brave the nasty weather, or without me even knowing about who they are or what they look like. It’s global commerce in the truest of senses. It’s marvellous.

With small offline businesses, this is not so. Generally, an offline shop will operate within a specific geographical boundary. Their clients are typically within that boundary, so a book shop in Potters Bar will sell to the residents of Potters Bar. No one from Trotters Bottom (yes, it’s really a place in England) will go there.

You could argue that it’s possible to start a chain of stores – but unless you have the capital backing of Donald Trump (or someone of his ilk), building a chain of offline businesses is remarkably difficult, and expensive. And woe betide if you grow too fast during the good times…because when the economy slides, you quickly have to slash your overheads by shutting down shops. In my near decade of doing business online, I have never had to shut down a website or made a loss on one. Not even old Trump can say that about his business record.

That’s three rounds, and it’s a knockout.
Now The Obligatory Disclaimer – It’s Not Always Rosy Online Either

Look, what I’m saying to you is that if you’re at the point of having to decide “online or offline”, it’s an easy decision from my view. But, there are many challenges to meet even when you’re trying to develop an online business.

First, be careful who you take advice from and what you buy. There are sharks out there selling digital snake potions. If you’re new, they’ll eat you alive. There are also clueless people trying to teach things they don’t know (as a famous Politian said, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still just a pig). Because of the vibrant online business conditions, people without any real credentials, ability or substance are coming online to make a fast buck. Don’t fall for everything you see.

Second, choose your niches soundly, after doing your due diligence. Contrary to the hype, developing and marketing a business online requires a fair bit of time and effort. Marketing a good niche requires as much time as a rubbish one, but the end results will be wildly different. So When they try and sell you PLR on headlice remedies, promising that it will make you wealthy…use your loaf and close the browser.

Finally, remember that it takes time, patience and effort to start any business from scratch. Even with the best site or blog, you need to allow yourself a little time to market it and turn it into an authority site that generates traffic on demand. It doesn’t happen overnight, but once you uncover the method that works for you, you can duplicate it – over and again.

By the way, for every resource video and software you need to set-up, market and grow your own internet business please check out DRR.

Filed Under: Internet Business, Internet Marketing, Top Internet Niches

How To Analyse Your Internet Marketing Performance

October 7, 2009 By Tuks 0

How did you do in 2008? And how are you doing in 2009? Do you know? I can all but guarantee you that experienced entrepreneurs who have money rolling in from all sides will have a detailed plan set out in front of them. It would entail things like what projects they wish to develop, what levels of income they would want to see and how they would achieve it. Trying to develop or grow your business without a plan is a little like driving a car with a blindfold on. You have no idea where you’re going, and you’re almost certainly going to crash.

If (as I suggested at this time last year) you had created your plan for the year, then take a look at how it stood the test of time. See what you wanted to do. And achieve. Did you? If you did, congratulations but the work’s only just starting – you need to pinpoint exactly what factors were behind your success. Did you excel at list building? Find out what worked, and do the same thing again – only twice as hard. The great thing about the internet is that success can be duplicated – once you find a system that works well, you can duplicate it over and over and get rewarded each time.

In case it all went wrong, again you need to find out where. Your intentions may have been perfect – you may have wanted an opt in list of 10,000 more people. You may have wanted to increase traffic. Or income by X amount…your job is to calmly analyse the facts and see what went pear shaped. Then, you can take corrective action so that this time around – you do better. The trick really is to know what happened, and to change your actions to improve your performance. In reality, you may find that some of your plans went well, and others not quite so.

Personally, I also have a monthly review for my own performance as well as the performance of everyone who works in my business. And, I have an annual one that takes place every December. It’s the one I love doing the most. If you’re early on in your internet business career, then start drawing up your plans. It’s very important.
How To Set Your Goals For 2009

Believe me, people who know what they want and write it down get far better results than those who don’t. It’s simple logic really – if we ourselves don’t know what we want, how is our mind supposed to go about achieving it. You’ll be confused, moving on from one thing to another and almost certainly not achieving very much, sort of like some giant unstoppable idiot.

In contrast, if you spend just an hour or so to develop a plan – and come back to it frequently, your mind has a blueprint to follow so that you can actually get what you want. Your plan should be detailed – and challenging, without being unrealistic. You also need to enter as much detail as possible about HOW your plan will come true. What learning goals will you have for 2009? What sort of in come will you believe you can get? How will you do it? What level of investment will you have available? How will the floundering global economy affect your projections?

I would also strongly suggest having additional plans for each month of the year, these should be tied in to your yearly plans too.

Thoughts, Actions, Results

There is a wonderful little book called Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T.Harv Eker. I keep it handy when my own mind gets a little riled. Anyway, one of the greatest things I learned in this book is how and why two people with exactly the same education, information and resources at their disposal can see such varied results.

In a nutshell, it’s all to do with how our minds think. This is key because our thoughts give rise to certain feelings. Our feelings lead us to take action. And those actions lead to the results we achieve. Most people only focus on the results part – but they don’t consider the thoughts that gave rise to it.

I know a lot of my clients are eminently successful, and my word it makes me happy. But I also have a lot of newbies, and early entrepreneurs and this section is very important for them especially. Because, one of the biggest challenges that newbies and early entrepreneurs face is the mental one. Some of the biggest problems that newbies have is (a) overload of information (b) too many hyped product launches and (c) changing their actions so that their results also can improve. Instead, many people will keep doing the same old things, because they have the same old thoughts – and still expect to see different results. It’s not their fault – it’s human nature. But now that you know, look out for it.

Filed Under: Internet Business, Something Different

2009? Time To Move Into Defensive Niches With Big Payouts

October 7, 2009 By Tuks 0

Today, we look at what types of niche internet businesses to potentially consider setting up for the coming year. Hopefully, over 2008 you’ve managed to set-up a handful of quality niche sites and are starting to see good returns from them. Certainly, over the past 18 months I’ve handed you some gems that should now be coming home to roost – the debt help and credit repair one (first highlighted in 2007) is beginning to gather pace, as is the foreclosures niche to name but a couple.

It’s certainly been an eventful 2008. The economic disaster that had been looming for years, threatening to cut short the credit fuelled boom in many global economies finally did – and did so pretty convincingly. Some huge Fortune 500 companies (and their UK equivalents) that many thought to be unsinkable went into liquidation. And that process is still going on, as market forces put fundamentally weak businesses with flawed business models or over-geared balance sheets to the sword. Who can forget the sad image of a cringing Dick Fuld (CEO of Lehman Brothers) in front of a panel of US Congress, trying desperately to explain how his mighty financial empire, which reported a record year only some months ago, could now be in the position of going bust.

And it doesn’t stop at just the banks. Throw a dart at the stock pages of the Financial Times and there’s a probability that you’ll strike a company that’s struggling to survive. The huge auto industry, once the very backbone of the U.S. economy has taken a seriously bloody nose – the big 3 have experienced such a downturn that they simply cannot survive (at least not without a huge blank check courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer).

So, aside from maintaining and growing your existing niche businesses, will you still be able to set up thriving sites and blogs in 2009 and enjoy the same level of profits? Surprisingly, the answer is actually “yes”. Whatever the economy is doing, some businesses and some industries always prosper. There is often a “transfer of wealth” during times of economic uncertainty, which means that there is always an opportunity to set-up niche online businesses that have outstanding potentials for revenues. But, make no mistake over the next 2 years it will become more crucial than ever before to identify and penetrate only the strongest niches with the biggest financial muscle. It will be more important than ever to follow the correct advice, and steer clear of the insidious “1000 niches in a box” type junk that’s floating around. And, now more than ever it has become crucial to select only the pedigree niches to set-up shop in, and back them all the way. Luckily, that’s what I’m here for…

How To Pick Your Online Niches In 2009? Time To Get Defensive…

In 2009, our online-niche-business set-up strategy should be to get into defensive industries that are more resilient to economic downturns. Niches for which online business is on the grow, where advertising spends (be that via pay per lead and Adsense or pay per sale) continue to be strong.

Often, these are niches where the underlying products/services are a “need” rather than a “luxury”. Because, this is what people look for when times are tough. This is why (in the UK), luxury supermarkets like Marks & Spencer and Waitrose have experienced downturns while the budget supermarkets like Aldi have actually increased their market share and profits. And, this is also why the car industry has all but collapsed – the sudden unavailability of cheap loans coupled with people scaling back on luxuries (of which a new car is certainly one) is responsible for the deep plight of this industry.

That’s the bad news – now here’s the good news. The internet as an economy within it’s own right is STILL growing. Businesses from far and wide, across countless niches are continuing to report that a greater percentage of their sales are being generated online. The number of global online browsers and shoppers also continues it’s march north. So, now is still a very good time to set-up new online blogs and websites in the RIGHT niches. In fact, get in the correct niches, and get the delivery right and I can all but guarantee you won’t even know there’s a slowdown. Amazing things are happening online.

If you’d like to know about a new niche that ticks all the boxes then check out these niches below which should perform well in an up, down or sideways economy:

Debt Help & Credit Repair

Health Insurance

Internet Business & Marketing

Diet & Weight Loss

Blogging

Filed Under: Internet Business, Top Internet Niches

How To Pick Only Ferociously Profitable Niches For Your Online Business

October 7, 2009 By Tuks 0

Today, we’ll take a very stark look at how your choice of niche can have a profound effect on what type of returns you can achieve from your niche site portfolio. If you’re a seasoned internet business entrepreneur, perhaps you know these niche picking truths…but if you’re a newbie who’s mind is continually flip-flopping on whether to set-up in this niche, or that…then could well be an eye opener.

Because, 95% of newbies venturing into the world of online business tragically choose poor, low potential niches. The fact is, the industry you choose to enter is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make.

Despite what else you may hear, the amount of time and effort involved with marketing a rubbish site in a penniless niche is equal to the time you’ll spend on a good one. The results however would of course be remarkably different, so it’s crucial to pick wisely. You only reap what you sow, as the old saying goes.

So, how can you make sure you only choose niches that are bursting with opportunity and potent financial rewards for website owners? Start by checking the following are in place:

1. What’s The Financial Power Of The Niche?

Ultimately, the amount of money swirling about withinin any industry determines an awful lot. The financial muscle impacts how much the companies and advertisers spend on things like adsense & pay per lead. This trickles down at every level, and a blog or site in a ferociously wealthy niche will fare MUCH better than that of a mediocre one.

Take the health insurance industry itself. This is an industry that has about $2,873 billion of trade per year. That should TELL you something about what the potential is for everyone involved with this market – that, if you get it right, you can take a little piece of that pie. Compare it to some of the other niches, and it’s a GIANT by comparison. Ultimately, to get paid the big bucks from your blog/site you need to be in the big niches.

Always do your research – read some reports – talk to insiders or people of authority within any niche you’re planning to penetrate. Make sure the money’s really there, or it’s just not worth your while to get involved. Then, once you make an informed decision back yourself and go all out to make it work.

2. Is The Industry Growing, Shrinking Or Stable? Is There A Trend Change To Take Advantage Of Or Be Wary Of?

A while back, I wrote in my newsletter about the importance of getting into a growing, or at least stable niche if you’re building for the long term (which everyone should be). Take online travel as an example – the emergence of the internet has had a seismic effect on the travel bookings and research industry…with millions of people transferring the research process and booking of their holiday and travels from offline to online. This is why a number of online travel agents have grown so powerfully, and wiped the floor with the more traditional high-street travel agents (many of whom have gone bust, or moved online to survive).

Online travel is a living, breathing example of an industry that has boomed in a big way from a trend change.

3. “It’s The Economy Stupid” – Understanding The Local & Global Economy Before Setting Up Shop

If there’s one thing my financial background has taught me, it’s that you just can’t ignore market forces. So, anytime you’re choosing your next (or first) niche site to open, keep your finger on the pulse as to what’s going on out there.

In a boom, you can practically open any site and (assuming you’re able to draw traffic) it will probably do fine. Ask someone who runs any type of luxury site in today’s choppy economy, and they’ll tell you that sales are down in a big way. People are more reluctant to spend on the frivolous items that in a better climate, they would have purchased without a second thought.

Not all businesses struggle in a downturn – in fact, I read a report some days ago on how the infamous “one pound shops” are doing a roaring trade in the streets of London since the economic downturn. As are the pawnbrokers, due to the lack of affordable credit. And the budget supermarkets. Some places do well, or are unaffected by downturns – typically, these niche tend to be in essential industries where the product or service is a need rather than a want. This brings me back to the health insurance niche – people need health coverage in bad times as much as good times, which is why this niche will not be affected by the savage global downturn that has already crushed entire market sectors beneath it’s foot.

Usually, a little common sense is all it takes to make sure you pick a niche that will not vent spleen everytime the economy slows down, and spit you out in the process. This is not the first global slowdown, it wont be the last – so use it as a way of setting up a niche that’s good for all seasons. After all, your website portfolio should be as balanced and resilient as your stock portfolio – there should be a good mix of defensive and aggressive blogs/sites that will keep your income growing no matter what the economy is up to.

4. How Many Buyers Are In The Niche? What’s The Average Price Of The Product? Is It Residual?

Different people will tell you different things about whether the number of people in a niche matter. From experience, I can tell you that it does. Having a blog in a niche that is crawling with millions of cash rich buyers is far better than being in a niche with a few thousands where people don’t have the resources or mindset to spend. That should be from the textbook of 101 frikin obvious niche marketing strategies, yet some gurus keep bleating on that the number of people in a niche don’t matter. Sorry, it does – and if they owned a site for one of the Halloween costume niche PLRs (or whatever) they’re trying to peddle, they’d find that out pretty quickly.

5. How Will YOU Get Paid? Strength Of Affiliate Sale Commissions, Pay Per Lead, Adsense And So On

If you want to get a little hint at how strong a niche is take a look at the sort of payments that leading companies offer their affiliates. Again, this ties in directly with many things we’ve seen above like the financial muscle of the niche, the price of the product, the number of buyers and competing firms. Rich niches have money to pay handsomely for their leads. Poor niches don’t. Despite this fact, I see more newbies choosing to enter useless, impotent niches instead of the true paymaster industries. It really astounds me. Because, why would anyone want to settle for a niche with a few thousand prospects where you can only earn a pittance, when for the same effort and investment they could get involved with a niche crawling with millions of cash rich buyers and where the returns are countless multiples bigger.

See, when trade is measured in terms of billions of dollars, that acts as the engine that drives online companies to pay you (the blog/site owner) bigger and better affiliate commissions, and pay per leads, and Adsense. Because the managers of these companies know exactly what the worth is for each lead that they get through your blog /site – and a lead from a health insurance blog to a company selling health insurance is worth MUCH more than the lead a Halloween costumes company gets from a Halloween blog. The Halloween costume lead may get a $40 sale for the company. The health insurance company lead may result in a $5,000 per year revenue.

That’s exactly why the Halloween company can only offer a few cents per Adsense click. And why the health insurance firm is willing to pay upto $60 per lead, and bid upto twenty bucks on some Adsense keywords.

Yet, even as we speak countless of eager entrepreneurs will be downloading a box of 100 niche site type package, and excitedly setting up their “make your own chocolate” sites, and “peacock grooming” and “lice remedy” type sites…not knowing that, because of the very reasons above, they are doomed to failure. It’s really quite unfortunate.

But, you know much better. So, make sure you set up shop in only the very best online niches that will give you a real chance of getting good revenues.

Filed Under: Internet Business, Top Internet Niches

Why Experience, Plans And A Long Term Approach Are The Keys To Your Internet Success

October 7, 2009 By Tuks 0

Today, something a little different. Because, usually in this blog we’ve discussed internet marketing techniques that work, niches that rock, how to do this, and how to do that. Helpful? Yes. But let’s look at some lesser talked about things that can help your internet marketing and business growth.

1. What Is It That Successful Internet Entrepreneurs Have, That Can Put Money In Anyone’s Pocket, That You Can’t Buy Right Now…?

Experience. The simple fact is that experience is one of the most wonderful assets to have under your belt, whatever your trade. In the online biz world, only with experience can we understand what’s good and what’s trite. Only experience can tell us what is a good business proposition and what latest big ticket fad to avoid with a bargepole. Experience guides us as to what advertising methods are worth the time and investment, and which are scams.

When an employer looks for a worker for whatever job they wish to fill, you can bet it’s experience they look for, even above qualifications or other traits. In the game of football (soccer), even the most youthful, energetic and skilled team can be blunt and win nothing at the end of the year unless shepherded by an old pro who’s been there and done it (just ask Arsenal fans if you don’t believe me).

It’s a great thing, but it’s also a double edged sword. Because, only by DOING and over TIME can we actually gain experience. We cannot buy it. It’s not to be found in Bob The Guru’s shiny new video course, and no teleseminar or any third party product/service can give you this most elusive of traits. It can only really be earned through the virtues of graft and action.

Experience taught me that not all niches are the same. Experience taught me that what monetisation model works for one website business will fail in another. Experience taught me that an opt in list is well worth the trouble to develop, and that it cannot be reliably bought at any price (not even for 1.5k as I had “invested” with one “guru” many years ago).

So, go ahead and “experience” things. Go ahead and have a GO at building your list, at setting up a niche business, at getting traffic using a myriad of different methods. Do it fearlessly and don’t be afraid to fail. Because with each day that you try something new, you’ve found a method that may or may not work. Either way, you’ve gained experience…and that’s worth it’s weight in gold, because one day your accumulated experience will afford you more success than you dared dream possible.

2. Know Yourself, Know What You Want And Understand Why…

A few days ago, we talked about the importance of goal and plan setting. I wont go over the logics and technicals of this again but there’s another thing that plans can help you with.

As you scribble down your plan, you’ll actually have a clear idea of what you want in your business, and maybe even in life. You’ll discover why you want whatever it is you’re striving for. This is important, because when a person knows with crystal clarity what he or she wants, they have a good chance of achieving it. Subconsciously, they will find a way to make it so. And, I believe strongly that there is an unwritten law within our universe that rewards those who have a strong, clear desire for something.

Personally, I don’t seek money first. I seek happiness. In fact, I can name you some gurus who make probably twice what I do…but, I’m willing to bet not one of them can match my level of inner-peace and happiness.

Fact is, I choose happiness first in my blueprint for life. Money is simply a part of that happiness, and the internet business I’ve built over the past decade is a fantastic way of achieving wealth without sacrificing happiness. In contrast, during my stressful banking career I had oddles of cash but rarely any peace of mind. Only through experience did I learn that money can be a very fickle mistress to worship, and that we need much more to enjoy life.

I still keep in touch with some of my old bank buddies – some have made it to VP, some haven’t – but all are looking seriously tired, haggard and, dare I say it, unhappy. What’s the point of that? I choose to have more than just wealth. I choose to enjoy love. I choose to take care of my body by going to the gym and being selective with my diet. I choose to go on nice holidays when I wish and buy whatever I want be that an iphone, ipod or PS3. That is why I am an internet business entrepreneur – because the title allows me not only wealth but so much more of the wonderful things that life has to offer, such as time to enjoy life and stay fit and healthy. And only this combination can make ME happy. It may be different for you.

So, what do YOU choose? What do you want? Why do you want it? Write these things down, and refer to it from time to time. Be honest with yourself, because you’re brilliant and wonderful and you deserve getting whatever it is that you really WANT. And once you know what that is, not much can stop you.

3. The Beauty Of Long Term – It’s The Only Term Worth Thinking About

Excuse me. I promised when I set out to write this article that I would NOT criticise the internet marketing industry today. But, one of the things that do get my goat within it is the amount of “short termism” that exists within it.

The emphasis is almost always on the here and now. The big magic red button that will fill your paypal button. The magic software that will fill your autoresponder with fresh hot subscribers and all that garbage.

In fact, it’s only the long term that matters and we all need to know that. Only by providing consistently good products or services will we ever get repeat clients. Only by steadily building a list of qualified prospects in your direct market (and giving them useful content) can we build our list into the tens of thousands. Only by learning, applying, and repeating this countless times can we ever hope to have the know-how to be leaders in the industry of our choice. And, like it or not, this is likely to take years as opposed to months, weeks (or even minutes as some sales pages may have you believe).

It’s all about the long term, not about being a one hit wonder. Most people give up, not because of any fault of their own but because that’s the default setting in human nature. If after a few days, or weeks, or months they don’t see a wild ROI, they are liable to just quit. That’s sad, because there’s greatness to be had – just hang around long enough to let it embrace you.

4. Take Care Of Your Mind, Body & Soul

Ok, I don’t wish to sound like your mother here but this is as important as everything else above. It’s important to achieve balance in life. That means working not only on your business, not only on getting traffic, not only on list building, outsourcing and the thousand other things that we need to do to run a successful online business.

It also means working on everything in our life that matters. Because, human beings have a complex nature – it’s impossible to be happy in life unless a number of key needs are met. We need other things besides money to be content – there are no shortage of wealthy yet miserable people in life and I’m not sure about you but I would never wish to be that way. Believe it or not, we can all make small changes that can impact our lives very positively, no matter where we currently are.

For example, our health. Everyone is at a different stage in life, but for most it’s never too late to make small changes that can dramatically improve our life and health.

Like, even small amounts of exercise a week can help to keep us healthy – and exercise has the added benefit of stimulating our brains (I swear, so many of my best ideas have come while I’m in the gym…just make sure you go with a tiny notepad.) And, if the gym is not an option then there’s lots of other things you can do, from jogging to gentle walking. Together with exercise, consider eating the right foods too – what we put in our body has a big say in how we feel, as well as our energy levels and so much more. It’s funny, but the best I’ve ever felt in life has always been when I’ve eaten the right things and done my time at the gym. And, most important of all, that’s also been when I’ve produced the best work for my clients and my business. And, whichever stage of life you may be reading this at, I’ll bet it’s not too late to start. There’s always time for YOUR health, don’t you think?

5. Have Faith In The Internet – Amidst The Global Economic Downturn, It Will Hold It’s Own

I’ve touched on this in recent times, but now is probably a better time than ever to set-up an online, internet based business. I’m not the only one who seems to think so, with The Economist recently publishing an article that predicted that online spending will remain relatively buoyant, with particular mention to online advertising.

That means, that for those of us in high-demand, high-impact niches there is every cause for optimism. Big companies, in big niches will continue to offer big payouts through Adwords, CPA offers, and other general commissions. That means your blog/site, when in the right niche, should not see the type of slowdown and brutal wealth devastation that we’re seeing in the offline world.

It’s to do with a change it trend. It’s to do with the internet business model being a low-cost, high efficiency one. That’s why offline companies like Woolworths (UK) have gone bust, while online retailers like Amazon and Play.com have reported record holiday profits yet again. All of them sell DVDs, gifts, playstation games – but while Play.com and Amazon are able to utilise the benefits of an internet business model (with a fraction of the staff and real estate costs of Woolworths), Woolworths just could not compete – it refused to change in a changing world. It did not develop it’s web presence (indeed, it’s website and what it offered just could not stand up to those of established internet retailers). It was trying to use a business model developed in the late 1800s, when horses and carts were still in use – in an age where we have spacecrafts orbiting Mars.

There’s a lesson here for all of us – to keep our fingers on the pulse, to see and hear the winds of change coming and to act on them before we’re swept away.

Believe me, the internet as a source of income for more and more ordinary people is only starting. Wealth is being transferred from offline to online at a remarkable pace. And everyone, you included, can be a part of it.

Filed Under: Internet Business, Something Different

The More You Learn, The More You Earn (And Silly Mistakes Of Highly Paid CEO’s)

October 6, 2009 By Tuks 0

It was Arie De Gues who said “your ability to learn faster than your competition is your only sustainable competitive advantage.” – This quote is actually more apt for individual internet marketers and online entrepreneurs than anyone else. Fact is, in our fast changing online world, you cannot afford to miss a trick.

Today I’m out to remind you that, as you get settled into your 2009 routine, you must never lose your hunger to learn new things. New ways of generating traffic. New ways of making your blog look better, and do new things. Because, the moment we switch off and think we know it all…it all changes, and we can find we’re knee deep in deep trouble.

So what is it you need to be doing? Simply to understand what the core customers and target audience in your niche wants, and to make sure you’re delivering exactly that. To get a feel for what skills and knowledge are key to provide your clients with these products or services. To do that, you really need to keep up with the current – keep learning, because that’s a key ingredient to increasing your revenues year on year.

Before we talk about learning though, it’s equally critical to understand exactly what it is that your clients want from you. Change can be important when the trends are shifting – but sometimes, inaction can be the only action required. Don’t believe me? Just ask ebay…

1. Understand What Your Business Clients Need And Don’t Fight Them…Look What Happened With Ebay – It Misread The Trends & Now It’s In All Sorts Of Trouble

In the recent past, John Donahoe (CEO of ebay) faced serious challenges and questions with regard to his leadership of the company. It seems that a lot of ebay clients are turning their backs on the giant auction firm in favour of low cost alternatives like Amazon and Play.com. The company’s stock levels are bumping along levels not seen since the dot com crash in 2001 – naturally, stockholders are pretty ticked off.

The main problem has been the change in ebays core business model, from being less of an auction site to more an ecommerce site – after years of being a successful online auction, Mr Donahoe inexplicably decided that ebay would change strategy and encourage more of their sellers to offer fixed price items, as you would find on sites like Amazon.

But why? The whole point of ebay is that it joins smaller, solo traders with the public. So that bargain hunters can find cool little products at prices they like. So Susan could potter around and find some unique trinkets of jewelry for a couple of dollars without leaving her bedroom. So Larry could find a DVD of The Rock and pay a few bucks to have it delivered at home. The bidding process was all part of the fun of ebay, many buyers were hooked on that very aspect of the auction site. That’s what made ebay so special. So unique. And ultimately, so very profitable.

Ebay failed to understand what people wanted from it. It failed to understand that it had a perfectly unique and successful business model, and moved away from this model in favour of a model crawling with competition, that small sellers found uneconomical and buyers failed to see value in. In the process, it aggravated it’s customers, sellers and stockholders alike.

Frankly, ebay has a history of making abrupt, often thoughtless policy changes that has harmed thousands of the very people who contributed to it’s success. For example the way it treated it’s digital product selling community has been nothing short of disgraceful. It didn’t listen to the protests then. It’s not listening now. 

This will apply to you only if you already have a vibrant business going –if this is so (and well done by the way) understand exactly what your clients WANT from your business. Then, deliver it. And, before making any ground-breaking changes, make sure it’s what your CLIENTS want, not what you think must be best because some guru somewhere sold a product or course that said so.
2. Your Knowledge Is One Of Your Most Powerful Assets – Just Ask Those People Making Five Figures+ A Month…Make Learning An Active Part Of Your Day

Say what you like about the internet – the simple fact is that there has never been a more incredible, genuine opportunity for individuals to earn staggering amounts with minimal outlay of capital. And, the beauty is that there are so many different online business models to follow, and succeed at. I cannot believe anyone would even consider doing a job, or setting up a bricks and mortar business, when they could be an internet entrepreneur.

Of course, there are challenges – such as learning the key information and skills that are needed to set up your business, and get traffic to it.

One thing that’s common to EVERY successful online entrepreneur is that they share a thirst for knowledge. They want to learn about ways of improving their business in every respect. They want to learn about increasing traffic, increasing their conversions on that traffic, building a list, using PLRs, using the social media phenomina to build business even more, learn about new sites that they can leech potential clients from… and this is always an ongoing process.

The best thing is that as the internet business niche has exploded over the past few years, the availability of learning material has sky-rocketed.

And it’s easier and cheaper to learn today than ever before – Whereas a decade ago when I first started my online business, I had to rely on poorly written ebooks to get a grasp of technical and theoretical concepts, today we can download videos and audios that teach us the same with a lot less pain and confusion. It’s really brilliant, and it means if you’re reading this as a newbie, you can master the learning curve with a lot less hassle than a decade or so ago. 

Ultimately, one of the laws of life is that whatever industry you’re in, the more you learn the more you’ll earn. Hopefully, you’re serious about setting up your own empire of niche businesses. In this economic era, there can be fewer better things you’ll ever aspire to do. And, if you’re serious then you’ll understand that learning is an integral aspect of getting to where you want to be. So, whether you’re currently earning zero or twenty grand a month, make learning an active part of each and every day.

If you can do that, and if you fearlessly apply everything you learn…the simple fact is that you’ll understand how to set-up and grow a flourishing business that has clients coming to it again and again, from all over the place. You WILL earn money, and probably more so than you might dare imagine. Or, as a worse case scenario, you’ll at least be able to get a high paying job as CEO of ebay and show it’s board how not to shoot itself repeatedly in the foot.

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Filed Under: Internet Business, Internet Marketing, Something Different

F C U K Fear – The Only Way To Market Your Internet Business

October 4, 2009 By Tuks 0

One of my favourite T-shirts from my youth had a brash, loud slogan on it – F C U K FEAR it screamed, in deep, menacing red letters (f c u k of course being a popular clothing brand). In 1992, when I was about 17 it was pretty much my attitude to everything, and I suspect that the same probably rings true for you at that age. For me, that approach worked quite well back then, and I managed to get pretty much most things I wanted.

Now, I’m far more tempered and humble in all areas of my life, but the internet marketing inner voice within me still wears that T shirt today, as proudly and arrogantly as in 1992. And, it’s helping me reach new summits in the world of internet business.

How about you? Are you as confident and bold in business now as you were towards life back in the day? Or are you more tempered, and cautious? And, is it possible that a little fear may be stopping you from surging ahead? Let’s find out… because today, I’d like you to consider putting on your own mental F C U K FEAR t-shirt – so that you can grow and develop your business without any worries, and take the considerable internet business returns that many ordinary people like you and I are making everyday.

Here’s a little more on why fear is counterproductive to your business and marketing, why it’s stopping you from doing all things from list building to traffic generation – and how you can overcome it…

1. Fear Is A Primitive Emotion That Has No Place In The Online Business World…

Unless you were bunking biology classes (and shame on you), you’d know that fear as an emotion came about because it helped animals and early humans escape primitive dangers such as being chased and eaten by a hungry sabre toothed tiger. It was important back then  because fear, in it’s extreme’s,  taught early humans to be wary. Cautious. It helped them to survive, and the ones who did not feel it often ended up as snacky-poo’s for old sabre puss. Ironically, they were the ones who would have probably done quite well in business were it not for the mauling.

Unfortunately, in today’s highly evolved world – where satellites orbit the earth and you can watch the Simpsons on your Blackberry – as emotions go, fear’s become a right old burden. Like your appendix, it’s become pretty useless, existing only to cause problems and serving no real purpose. Fear is responsible for many individuals and small business from evolving. Fear stops otherwise bright people from achieving their true potential. And, fear must be removed as you would a troublesome appendix.

2. Why The Fear? Many New Internet Entrepreneurs Are SCARED  To…

Fail. Fear and greed are two of the most powerful emotions in the world of business – and that applies as much to a large corporation with thousands of employees as it does to a work-from-home mom, plugging away at her internet marketing from her basement.

It’s normal to feel fear – fear of failure – fear of wasting your capital – fear of trying new advertising methods. The thing is, 100% of people feel it, but only 2% or so master it – and those are the people and the businesses who perform the very best in the world of business and marketing.

Want some examples?

Fear WON – In 2001, Yahoo was by far the biggest search engine around. It was the boss – the absolute baap of search engines. However, it couldn’t ignore a resurgent, but then very small, Google. With Google’s huge growth, and it’s rampant ability to attract more and more people to use it as their primary search engine, it seemed almost compulsory that Yahoo should have bought Google out while it had the chance. And the financial muscle.

Yahoo would have acquired Google’s growing client base. It’s technlogy. And stopped it’s biggest threat dead in it’s tracks – but it didn’t. Why? Basically, it bottled it. It was petrified by Google’s high asking price. So, it turned it’s back on the obvious business it should have bought out, and then set about on a series of magnificent purchasing blunders of useless, non competing companies and sites that barely added value (have you heard of Pixoria or Konfabulator? Me either, but Yahoo squandered a fair bit of cash on them). That fear, at that key moment in it’s history has relegated Yahoo to a footnote in the chronicles of internet marketing history. Chalk that up as a big win for fear.

Fear LOST – In 2000, two chaps by the name of Edward Wray and Andrew Black launched one of the internets first online betting sites – betfair. They had lots of fear and doubt going in – the internet, while growing, was still nowhere as rampant as it is today. Online bookies were practically a “pie in the sky” concept, and offline betshops like William Hill and Ladbrokes still ruled the hearts and minds of punters. These guys faced an incredible amount of uncertainty – would internet gambling really take off? Could they really dare to snatch the client base of the big betting shops? Would they be able to create an online betting platform that users would feel comfortable in using? And countless other issues. But, they saw the trend of the internet, saw how people wanted to stay at home to have a flutter, and ultimately bet on themselves. For the last results I have available, Betfair has over a million active users and has grown to be a multi million dollar company. The gamble certainly paid off for Betfair – and all because they saw past the fear.

3. How About You? Do You Feel Fear? That’s Ok, Do What You Have To Anyway…

Do you suspect fear may be holding you back from starting or growing your own business? Is there anything that you know you should be doing, but for some inexplicable reason, you’re not? Perhaps it’s finally picking a quality niche and hitting it with all you’ve got. Perhaps it’s advertising your blog/site, or even getting started with one? Perhaps it’s advertising or marketing your site because you’re worried about the time/financial investment.

Fact is, even the most confident and experienced among us can get scared if we look for reasons to. That little voice will always be there whispering nonsense in your ear – telling you that you’re making a mistake. That you’ll lose your shirt. That business and success isn’t for people like you. Sometimes, you’ve just got to close your eyes and take the plunge – because as long as your reasons for acting are sensible, fear is irrelevant. So, next time you hear that little voice, just tell the idiot to shut up. And do what you have to.

Fear?  F C U K it.

Filed Under: Internet Business, Internet Marketing, Something Different
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