Playoff fever is getting ready in Indianapolis. The Colts already know that they will face the New Orleans Saints and a lot of fans are already looking forward to watching the Super Bowl 44. True blue Colts fans held their initial Indianapolis public meeting with regards to the playoff season at the Circle Center Mall.
Autographs from the players and a playoff ticket raffle are the used as a lure. Fans were patiently willing to wait in line, even though everybody knows that the first Colts playoff game is still more than a week away. Fans that were there are also imagining the thrill of a Super Bowl appearance in Miami.
Paula Szczepanek a Colts super fan said Oh no, we do not have to go to Miami. But the Colts are. Surely, it would absolutely be worth the trip, Andrew Burrows said. He will not have to think twice about that.
A trip going to the Super Bowl is too costly for almost all the fans. But there are a lot of prepared Web sites with a lot of houses with pictures just waiting to be occupied by the arriving tourists, fans and the general public. If you've got a budget of about 1200 to 10,000 dollars a day Florida homeowners will provide you the keys to their wonderful houses over for the Super Bowl weekend.
For Jason Patterson, it will be dream come true, he is an avid Colts fan. He does not want to go to the Super Bowl unless the Colts will be playing there. But we are definitely going to be there, he said. On Craig's list, fans can look for a package that not only includes a place to stay for the weekend, but also a vehicle driver and a game ticket. The price tag for this package is only 3,000 dollars per person.
But another diehard Colts fan with the name of Nikki Gott might be going to the Super Bowl and not having to spend a single penny. She is hoping to, this is what she said. She is taking part of a contest right now. She is representing Indianapolis as the NFL Fandamonium Director. And all she needs to be is one of the top two vote getters on NFL-Monster, a website sponsor. She is now one of the eight finalists of the said contest and a ticket hopeful of the Super Bowl 44.
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By John Wilkins Some of the greatest fishing in the world, is available within a mile or two away any where in the US! Many anglers miss out because their gear is too big and not sensitive enough to show them bites. Fish feed in a delicate fashion 90% of the time. In order to catch them, you need to change your ways. If you do, you can be rewarded with 500 fish in 4 hours- my record is 512.To get in on this action, you will need a few items and, you will need to get rid of a few old items you may be used to.
It might help the reader to know that until the Spring of 2000, I was a big game fisherman with a box full of lures and plenty of spinning gear as my main tools for catching fish. Everything changed about the way I fish, especially the fact that I actually caught fish, every time out. I still have not been “skunked” since changing my ways. By the way, it’s a good thing we don’t smell like a skunk when we don’t catch anything as a group of anglers, otherwise our families would know for sure how miserable a fishing day we had. Getting “skunked” (catching no fish) stinks!
There is no need to be skunked, if you follow a couple of fishing basics and transform your gear for local waters (instead of our tackle being based on Florida Bass or Kentucky crappie or Wisconsin Muskie.
Even the “ultra light” spinning gear we are accustomed to using as a standard for local fishing is cutting down on our catches! Most anglers in the US have never truly fished “ultra” light. Years ago I changed my gear and I caught sacks full of fish all summer and for the first time in my fishing career, caught fish into very late fall! I never knew that fish would feed in late November and early December on open water!
I will give you two examples of having a blast catching fish vs. casting at them. At a 4th of July picnic on a small pond in suburban Chicago, I was fishing with my 30 foot pole while a pack of kids nearby were busy throwing a bass jig connected to a 2.5 inch bobber (way too big) at a weed bed extending 4 ft. out into the lake from the edge. Their problem was simple. They couldn’t cast well with the short “kids” rod and closed face reels. Their giant bobber was not giving them any indication of bites and the bass jig was too big to fit in any of the nearby fish’s mouths. Their 10 lb. line was like a cable being seen by even the aggressive fish in the area approaching this rig (read- avoiding).
When the rig was actually wet,because these kids could not get the thing into the water near the fish because of tangles and weeds on the jig head, it was not catching fish. Their “casts” couldn’t get the lure/giant bobber combo past the 6-foot wide weedy edge. I fixed that problem by putting down my pole and setting up my shortest 7 ft. graphite telescopic “pole” with a delicate float (the size of an pencil eraser) with 1.5 lb. line leader attached to a siz #14 hook and baited it with a tiny grub.
I handed the pole to the first kid and she caught a chubby blue gill within 5 seconds. With this non-mechanized fishing pole there was nothing to getting the bait just 6 feet out, past the weed bed. The kids could easily put the bait in front of the fish. As for the fish, they could easily pull under thetiny natural bait with the small hook and the float, which was about 1/30th the size of the bobber. The sensitive rig picked up on the fish sucking in the tiny bait immediately so the kids could react. Sure, I had to stop fishing for a while, but I had a blast with this pack of 6 kids. My newly adopted friends were out-fishing the guys with spinning gear working around the pond 40:1 ! The reason most kids don’t catch is those short little “kid’s” rods.
Kids rods come with the Mouse on the box, wrapped in plastic as one unit and are way too short. The closed face reels are not bad, but the short rods require a giant 55-gallon drum bobber which are often sold with these kits. Every angler in America should own and use a cane pole to fish with! A pole with no reel! On another day that summer, with nothing more than the cane pole, I won the 1st day of the U.S. Open with a top weight of 19.75 lb. of blue gill caught in 4 hours.
The answer to this victory was the simplicity of my rig and the size of my line using a tiny hook. By using this cane pole (really composed of graphite) I was able to fish quickly for blue gill that were in front of me. The conditions that day had them feeding in past the first break of the shoreline and were only 8 inches of water. My rig allowed me to get the bait out to the fish easily, accurately and quickly. Most of the other anglers in the match were fishing much farther out. My neighbor had a 60 foot pole!!! He was 58 feet past the fish with his expensive gear and I crushed his weight by 83% using little more than what Huck Finn used -- a cane pole. Some competitors were even casting far out into the lake some 70 yards away.
On this day, AS MOST DAYS IN OUR LOCAL LAKES, the plentiful smaller fish caught in great number, will offer you success as an angler. I would brag even more about that U.S. Open, but my teacher Hall of Fame Angler - Mick Thill, came from behind and crushed me in day 2 to win the tournament overall, I finished 2nd.Here are details on setting up to fish for most every fish in your local ponds. Follow these (8) steps and you will have a pan fish blast of your own.
1. Consult local bait store owner.
They will give you great information on local ponds and you should be able to buy some floats, and the rest of your gear below. While not every store owner is great for information, most can get you to good fishing spots. To start, find waters with panfish.
Panfish are abundant and for the most part active. This will provide you with a chance to catch fish.
2. Throw out your bobbers and purchase a couple small floats.
Bobbers are no good. Red and white are the worst. Throw them out or save them as museum pieces. America is about to find out what the rest of the world has known for 2,000 years.
Floats catch fish. Even if you must cast larger float, a properly balanced float will crush a round bobber every day. Slip bobbers are not as good as floats either. This is because the line comes out the top in a slip float and catches wind, current messing up the presentation.
3. Get some good fishing line
6 lb. test is overkill for pond fishing. Use 4 lb. with an even lighter 4 - 6” leader line to the hook. If a fish feels the line, they are gone. If the fish sees the line, they are gone. Your leader should be 2 lb.!
Fish feed by sucking their feed in with water. If the line is heavy, it gets sucked in slower. Most of the time, heavy line is just spit back out. Fish can spit a poor presentation out faster than you can see your float move up on the surface!
With heavy line, you can miss hundreds of fish bites each time out!! In the World Championships- I fished with line that is 1/8th the thickness of U.S. 2 lb. line!
4. Get some small, SMALL hooks
Size #12 should be one of the biggest hooks you ever use! If the majority of you checked your tackle box, I am sure that some 90% of you don’t own a hook this
small! A big hook will kill your fishing! Kill it. Take a look at the nail on your pinky finger. That is about as long as your hook should be or smaller. (Ask your bait store owner or check out mickthill.com for these hooks). MOST MAJOR CHAINS DO NOT CARRY THESE HOOKS. Some aren’t interested in you catching fish, just buying stuff. They are quite happy selling a bunch of giant bass hooks, because that is what you have been buying!!!
As we ask for proper equipment, the stores will change and offer us great selection. You may find these hooks in fly fishing sections of big stores but you can ask your local dealer to special order them. Size #14 or #16 hooks are perfect. If you are wondering, I have landed a 9 lb. walleye on a size #14 hook with small leech.
5. Get some small bait
Again, the thumbnail on your pinky finger is probably the biggest bait you should use. There are times the fish only want 1 maggot (spikes) on a tiny #16 hook. Even the big gills will not take 2 or 3 spikes as readily as they would 1 tiny piece of bait, this is especially true in early Spring, late Fall and after cold rains. Same would go for worms. Sometimes using a tiny cut piece will give you success. Only the fish will tell you. Lastly- big fish eat small bait! I have caught 15 lb. fish on a piece of crawler the size of my small fingernail.
6. Get a cane pole or telescopic pole
I have landed a 3.5 lb. fish so far on the cane pole with 2 lb. line. We call them “whips” and some call them crappie poles. I plan on landing bigger fish than that, but the greatest number of fish are best caught in our local ponds using a whip and tiny delicate floats with small baits. The whip will deliver the bait out to the exact spot you need to lower your bait. This could be a drop-off, rock edge, gravel edge or weed edge. You can hit the exact spot every time! No missed casts. No birds nests. Once you find the fish, you can put the bait back in with the whip in the spot where the fish are. Whips vary in length from 6 ft. to 25 feet (longer if you find pro versions).
7. Balance Your Setup
Good shot is essential to this setup. The bite indicator (float you use) should be the smallest you can find. Take your line, rig this float up and then using a bucket of water to add split shot below the rig until your float is nearly sunk. It should be 95% below the water if you have the right amount of shot on it. 75% of that shot goes right under the float. Take a few small shot and this will go close to the hook. The best shot is Anchor brand split shot! This is premium splitshot that will stay on the line better and not slide around on you. It also tangles much less than the brand with the wings on it- round shot is best.
Correctly balance your tiny float on thin line with a small hook and you will have created a very efficient fish-catching machine! When your bait is on the hook, float in the water- the bait should sink the float a little. When the rig is properly balanced with bait on it- the slightest movement will show above water for you to see. If you have too much float tip sticking up-you will not see the bites!
8. Catch (and release) bags full of fish
You will need a keep net for the water if you want to have some fun. Seeing how many you can catch is all the fun. There is nothing like pulling a bag with 100 fish out to show people what fishing is all about. If you want to fish in a local club competition, the net is also required to keep the fish you catch for weight of your total catch. Keeping some medium sized fish and returning the largest fish is the way to improve your lake. If you take all the big fish, they won’t be in there next time you go fishing. If you take the medium sized fish, the bigger fish will get even bigger! It is essential that you release large fish to keep the bloodlines breeding and ensure future fishing on your lake!
9. Teach a kid to fish and take them fishing
With a cane pole and the basics, kids can have a blast! If we don’t take our kids fishing, and above all, show them a good time, our sport will fade. Improving our sport brings better fishing programs, cleaner local waters and education on preserving our environment for kids. We need kids to care about their local world and taking them fishing for bluegills is the absolute best way to show them a good time. Incidentally, there is nothing wrong with catfish, golden roach shiners, bullheads, carp or bass as any fish gives the kids just as much fun. Any fish they catch will be a blast on a whip.
Who knows, you might even get hooked on pole fishing. I did. As an angler, is our time best spent casting all day, or catching fish? Certain situations will require spinning gear, a very long rod and casting, but for the greatest number of situations in our local ponds and lakes the reel-less pole will outperform casting gear sometimes by more than 200% and up. I mean, take a look across the pond at spin casters sitting fishless and you destroying them with a pole-that is the goal! Or should I say whipping them!
John Wilkins has fished on the US Fishing Team competing at the highest levels of fishing in Europe, Canada, China & the United States. He has fished in 2 World Championships and has educated anglers on the basics of fishing urban waters. His teacher is angling legend and Hall of Famer Mick Thill. John's top catch is 512 fish in a 4-hour competition and top finish is second in the US Open Championships in 2000.
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The holidays next year will be to a great extent affected by the economic recession most countries suffered this year. That however does not mean that people will not go on holiday, but that instead they will be more careful with how and on what they spend their money. Holiday makers will spend more time searching for great deals, such as exploring new travel destinations to find the best bargains and joining Online Travel Agencies (OTA) to gain good discounts. Below are some of the predicted top travel trends for the year 2010.
1 - Looking for budget options
Economical holidays will the key deciding factor this year, with holiday makers searching out the best budget details and discounts. Make sure when you plan your holiday this year, not to just go for what looks like the best rate, but hunt deeper for complementary give-aways, such as a free night's stay on a multiple night stay, gift cards, spa credits, coupons and free dining etc.
2 - Eco Travel
Humans are slowly but steadily becoming more aware of their impact on nature. Think 'green' is the trend these days, with its effects being felt even by the travel industry. Most travelers look for eco friendly holiday options, holidays that cause minimum damage to nature. Eco travel was born out of this need and is a continuing trend for 2010.
3- Mixing business with pleasure
The world is always on the go, with most travelers finding it more economical and viable to mix business with pleasure. Nowadays business travelers look for accommodation options that cater to all their business needs while providing leisure activities as well, so they can enjoy the best of both worlds.
4 - Latin adventure
Latin America is finding itself growing more and more popular with travelers as a luxury travel destination.
5 - Train Travel
Rail travel in Europe has grown popular, as this is an economical way of traveling while enjoying the wonderful scenery on the way. This has become even more popular with the new high speed rail links into Spain and Italy.
6- Going Mobile
With the growth of mobile applications and capabilities, it is now even easier to plan your travels, such as tracking flight information and planning itineraries. Mobile phones now play a very important role for travelers in helping them with their travel planning. They are used to receive information from travel agents etc and are fast proving to be invaluable to travelers.
7 - One platform for travel plans
With the busy schedules most of us have, it is easier to have one central platform from which to plan your travel details. This way you can keep track of everything happening in the travel industry, be up to date on the latest happenings and not just make one off purchases. The Internet offers strong travel centric sites where such central services are offered, so that people can plan every aspect of their travels, from creating the trip, to searching for accommodation, getting advice about the intended trip, finding the best deals down to updating profiles so as to keep friends and family informed.
8 - Adventure Travel
The year 2010 will find people looking for holidays with more action. Most now look beyond the standard and look for adventure such as jumping out helicopters, skiing, safaris, bungee jumping as well as more personalized holidays with private tours of museums and art galleries. For the more adventurous a growing trend is to take a high-speed car tour around major cities!
9 - Seeking out new hotspots
As with everything in this world trends change. As travelers expand their travel horizons, China, India and the Gulf States find themselves growing into the latest hot spots. This trend will grow more in 2010 as travel to the ever popular European destinations at the moment for most, is not economical. So traveling to China, India and the Gulf States gives the traveler an exotic holiday while being easy on the purse, with favorable exchange rates and low travel costs.
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If your dream to own a business has moved to the back of your mind because money is tight, change your thinking. First know that starting and operating a small business requires far more time and energy than it does money. Second, there are plenty of businesses you can start cheap and grow to millions even. I started with $100 and grew a multimillion dollar company. Here are ten things that can make it happen for you.
1. Choose a business that fits. Start a home-based business using resources and talents available to you. You can go on the internet and learn about hundreds of businesses you can start from home, many of which have low startup costs that fit a home base. Starting a service business is usually cheaper than one where you need inventory. Whatever business you decide on, know that starting and running a small business needs far more time and energy than it does money.
2. Grow slowly and thoughtfully. If you do not have start-up money, you do not have much choice but to grow slowly and thoughtfully. You will be thoughtfully trying to figure out how you can do all that you want to do in the shortest time. Stay focused and purposeful and remember cash is king. Without it there is no business to grow. Good cash flow is a sign of a healthy business.
3. Create an Image. No matter if you are a one-person shop, professionalism, quality and customer service can make your company appear larger and more prominent. Here are some actions that will heighten your image at little or no cost:
• Get good business cards and letterhead. You can develop both on the internet free.
• If you use your home telephone as your business phone, answer it professionally during business hours.
• If your business is home-based, set meetings at your clients' place of business or do lunch meetings and dress for success.
• Go above and beyond servicing your customers. It will not matter to your customers how small your business is if they are more than just satisfied.
• Choose your name carefully. Your name helps you create a professional image.
• Computerize your invoices, proposals, and other business forms.
4. Network, Network, Network. Networking sets up mutually valuable relationships that offer an exchange of ideas, advice, contacts, leads and strategies that will increase your business revenues. It is an essential skill to develop, especially for entrepreneurs.
5.Build and Manage Relationships. Loyalty can mean the difference between landing a contract and losing it. One example - your suppliers can partner with you to secure contracts by offering longer payment terms or reduced pricing for the promise of future business. As well, your banker becomes most important when you are ready to borrow money.
6. Be Creative. Be open to new and effective ways of getting what you need for less money. This is a talent that can carry you far even after you are pulling down millions. For example - partnering with other small businesses to buy supplies in bulk or bartering for supplies and services can save money.
7.Attend Industry-related workshops, conferences and trade shows. Your attendance promotes a professional image and boosts your credibility to the hundreds of other participants, many of whom are your potential clients.
8. Be patient. Take the time to network and promote your company realizing it will take time for it to come back to you in contracts and clients. That client you keep meeting at events, visiting or calling regularly will either admire your perseverance or grow tired of you and give you a chance. If you quit, you will never know how close to success you were.
9. Embrace the Risk.If you have no money to start your business, you stand to make a profit the first day out. There is no risk. But there is everything to gain -- a better life, a better you, a dream come true. Starting and growing a successful business takes hard work, belief in you, the wish to learn, patience and perseverance, far more than it takes money.
10. Name Your Success. Decide what success means to you and perform as if it is right in front of you. Imagine yourself running your own business. Practice this vision several times a day. See yourself making much money in your business. Feel the fulfillment. It is essential to have a positive mind-set in business. But it is not something that comes naturally. You learn it.
Carrie H Johnson is founder of three businesses including a cleaning service she started with no money and grew to a multimillion dollar contract-cleaning company that supported 165 employees. During her 17 years as President of this company she received several business and community awards.
Ms. Johnson is a small business adviser specializing in business and program development, business planning, public relations and marketing. She also is a journalist and author. She has written for several newspapers and has a book scheduled for release in early 2009.
Ms. Johnson has served on several Board of Directors including for The Center for Women and Enterprise, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower women to be economically self-sufficient and prosperous through entrepreneurship. She also served on the board for the New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Wayside Youth and Family Network, and the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.
Ms. Johnson has a BA and MA in journalism from California State University, Los Angeles and Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Please visit http://www.carriehjohnson.com.
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If you have had enough of working for other people, the rat race and spending hours traveling to and from work, a profitable home business is a great way to support yourself and your family. Life is just too precious to spend it under-appreciated, harassed longing for weekends while making someone else rich. People who work for themselves tend to be more relaxed, have more spare time and in general lead happier and more fulfilled lives.
It would not be a good idea to quit your job immediately and rashly start the first kind of home business you can think of. It is best to begin working from home in your spare time while you still have a job so you can get your business off the ground with minimum risk. Then, when your own business is doing well, you can leave your job. A home business is not profitable to begin with. A need to put in a lot of hard work and use clever marketing become a successful home business owner.
Many people who fail in their attempts to get their home business running successfully, blame the business opportunity or product. The truth is that they probably did not work hard or smart enough. Setting up a successful business is not easy but if you diligently work at it, you can become successful. If you are not prepared to work hard to get your own business up and running, perhaps a home business is not for you.
There are also, lots of people believe who genuinely believe that there are no legitimate online home businesses because of the number of scams on the internet or because they were not prepared to do what was required to succeed. The truth is that more people now than ever are successfully working from home so becoming a profitable home business owner is an attainable reality.
Many of the people you see as you drive around during office hours may very well be the owner of a profitable home business. They can organize their time to suit themselves and still keep an eye on their business. Don't just dream, make this an attainable reality for you as well. There are a lot of people online who are running success home businesses. The home business industry is booming and growing ex-potentially every single month.
It is a big mistake to conclude that all home businesses and home business opportunities are scams and that there is no room for your principles or your individuality as a home business entrepreneur.
For example, I own my own website. It is a profitable home business. I offer information, resources jobs and business opportunities for sale to people who are tired of the corporate rat race and want to set up their own home business working on the internet. Setting up my own home business was easy and one of the most productive things I have ever done. I might be one of those people you see driving around during the week and wonder... What does she do for a living?
Janice Sharman, enjoys helping independent thinkers make the journey from employee to profitable home business owner. Subscribe to her FREE "Secrets To Sure Profits" ezine at mailto: secrets@profits4sure.com for information on how you can build your own "Profitable Home Business" starting Today!
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Financial freedom is often construed as a notion that can only become reality if you stay loyal to one institution in the hopes that the combination of your talent, devotion to work, and sheer determination will lead to career growth and a more substantial income. However, this is not always the case, now you can sit down and continue day dreaming of that great house with a white picket fence or you can take charge of your life and make things happen.
Making money from blogs is one of the easiest and fastest ways for you to have financial security. If you are new to the concept of blogging, you can relate it to writing a journal except that it will be available for everyone to read and you will get paid handsomely for it.
The concept of making money from blogs is very attractive to a lot of people especially those who are stay at home moms and dads who would want to make use of their spare time wisely. Making money from blogs is also viable for those who have very low paying jobs and are looking to increase their cash flow.
There are opportunities that you can grab anytime as a professional blogger. All you need is a computer and a few bright ideas that people would actually be interested to read about. Before you know it, your blog site is already an advertising tool for a lot of online businesses that are willing to pay you so that they can use a little bit of space for their products to be seen.
Arthur Williams," Join TraVerus , Travel for Less and get paid the Travel Agent Commissions Yourself. Let us show you how to, "Start Your Own Online Travel Business And Work From Home. "
This article is for the direct marketer that is trying to close the sale on a product. Use the power of the sales letter to sell one product to one person. Read on to find out why offering the customer too many choices can hurt your sales.
When you are selling via direct marketing, too many novice marketers use the idea that they should send an entire catalog or multiple choices for the customer to pick. They think the shotgun approach to selling will work better than selling one at a time. The problem is that most customers don't always know what they want either. They want their attention sparked and to be shown new ideas.
If you give the customer too many choices, even two choices, many times they will pick NO choices. The best choice with your direct marketing is to give them one choice, whether to purchase or not to purchase a single product. You can accomplish this by drafting a sales letter that will showcase your product in the eyes of the customer's life.
When you create a sales letter for your SINGLE product, never try to sell it. You are having a conversation with your customer, one-on-one and you walk them through your product, showing how it will improve their life and how it will remove a problem they are currently having. Don't make any promises that sound too over the top, even if your product can deliver. Under-promise and over-deliver instead. It will make your product look like a masterpiece when the customer receives it and it will cut down on returns. Remember to sell just one product at a time to one person at a time and your direct marketing business will be a success.
Arthur Williams," Join TraVerus , Travel for Less and get paid the Travel Agent Commissions Yourself. Start Your Own Online Travel Business And Work From Home. "
It seems like the American dream has turned quite a bit in the last decade. It used to be to land a great job (with benefits), buy a house, have a family, and eventually retire. Now a large number of Americans have placed owning a business at the top of this list and I have been one of those. I would just like to shed a bit of personal experience to people who have grown up in the go to college and get a job era. I hope that this helps anyone who is considering owning a business and help them make the best choice for them.
There are many choices when looking at what to invest your money in. You can buy a franchise, start from scratch, work an online business....really the choices are overwhelming. The bottom line is that people would like to make more money and for the most part be in charge of their schedule more. There is a major problem that most of us have and it is that the American education system has programmed us to go to college, get good grades, and find a "career". There is nothing wrong with that, just that all of the education that we spent our hard earned money on taught us how to work effectively for other people, not how to run a business.
My advice when looking into investing your money into a business is to make sure that there is training available to help you succeed. Whether it is franchise training, online training, or you help yourself by going to seminars and training in the field of your choice. There are a number of people and groups that offer classes and training that will save you thousands of dollars. In today's internet age this training can even be offered online. Whatever it is make sure that you will not be alone, because it is a very hard place to be. There are also a lot of books that are at your local bookstore that shed light on the situation.
In closing if you are looking into starting a business I wish you the best of luck and I do think that it is a great time to jump into that adventure, just make sure if you have worked in a traditional career your whole life that you are able to change your way of thinking and have the support it takes to be successful.
Arthur Williams," Join TraVerus , Travel for Less and get paid the Travel Agent Commissions Yourself. Let us show you how to, "Start Your Own Online Travel Business And Work From Home. "
Now is not the time to stop marketing your business. Fact is sales and marketing are the two ways to produce revenues. You must continue to keep your customers interested and informed and attract new customers. The economy will turn around and you want to be ready for it. The key is to find cheaper ways of promoting your business.
One-way that costs little or no money is applying for and winning small business awards and contests offered by corporations, professional associations and government agencies.
As a small business owner I received multiple awards from the Small Business Administration, local Chamber of Commerce and community organizations. Each time I was recognized for excellent service, community service, or leadership there was another story in the newspapers about my company. Television interviews and speaking invitations rolled in. More opportunities to bid on contracts came our way.
When someone else toots your horn it increases your credibility. Potential customers learn about you and become customers. The media wants to tell your story. It starts with you. You have to toot your own horn first by nominating your company or getting a customer to nominate you.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
Yearly the U. S. Small Business Administration has a Small Business Week program during which they present an award for Small Business Person of the Year for each state. From the state award recipients they choose a national winner. There is no entry fee.
The U. S. Chamber of Commerce has the America Small Business of the Year awards program which is open to members and nonmembers. The online application is available for $25 for members and $150 for nonmembers which include a one year e-membership. You must be able to attend the organizations annual summit where the awards are presented.
Check to see if your local Chamber has an awards program. I received an award for the fastest growing business in the region from my local Chamber of Commerce.
The Stevie American Business Awards celebrate business people in many categories. One category recognizes women entrepreneurs and their achievements. The entry fee is $230.
The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship offers awards for achievement and advocacy as well as education and others. The Association presents awards at their annual conference. There is no entry fee.
Check out awards and contests and awards sponsored by organizations specific to your industry. I was in the contract maintenance and cleaning business and received the Executive Housekeeper of the Year award from the Massachusetts chapter of the International Executive Housekeepers Association.
Newspapers and magazines recognize entrepreneurs with business lists such as largest business, fastest growing business, fastest growing woman-owned business, largest woman-owned business.
When you win an award write a press release and send it to your media contacts just in case they did not get the news. Put it on your website, in your newsletter on your Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook page.
Carrie H Johnson is founder of three businesses including a cleaning service she started with no money and grew to a multimillion dollar contract-cleaning company that supported 165 employees. During her 17 years as President of this company she received several business and community awards.
Ms. Johnson is a small business adviser specializing in business and program development, business planning, public relations and marketing. She also is a journalist and author. She has written for several newspapers and has a book scheduled for release in early 2009.
Ms. Johnson has served on several Board of Directors including for The Center for Women and Enterprise, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower women to be economically self-sufficient and prosperous through entrepreneurship. She also served on the board for the New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Wayside Youth and Family Network, and the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.
Ms. Johnson has a BA and MA in journalism from California State University, Los Angeles and Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Please visit http://www.carriehjohnson.com
Arthur Williams," Join TraVerus , Travel for Less and get paid the Travel Agent Commissions Yourself. Start Your Own Online Travel Business And Work From Home. "
Now is the time for small business owners to wake up and smell the roses. If you've survived up to this point, you should be congratulated. No doubt it's been tough out there and surviving has been difficult at best. If you did your homework, you did good. Now it's time to look to the future and think outside the box.
In the so called, good old days, you could do business just by being in business. All you really had to do was open your doors and they would come. The bad news is that those days are gone and may never return. It's time to put your marketing hat on and find new ways to attract new business in the future. You're going to have to find ways to market that may seem out of the ordinary and a outside your current knowledge and skills. That doesn't mean you can't learn to do it or hire someone to help you.
Set up a website - More and more people are looking to the internet for what they want. That's especially true with younger people. It's even true with the senior generation and that includes me. I can't remember the last time I looked in the phone book for something. I can get a lot more information from a website than the phone book. If you don't have a website, you need to get one and sooner rather than later
Social Media - Look into social media to communicate and build relationships with your customers. Younger people are obsessed with social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and the like. I have to admit that I was really turned off at the idea of these social media sites. Who cares what I had for lunch or when I went to bed, etc.? After a few weeks of this nonsense I started putting business ideas and my thoughts and began to attract a whole different class of people. These were the ones I wanted to connect with all the time. Give it some thought.
Get listed in your local business directory with Google and Yahoo. This will bring visibility to your business. Search for your business type and city in Google and see what comes up. For example, type in plumbers San Diego and see what comes up. Are your competitors there? You should be.
Learn to network by joining clubs or organizations like Lions, Kiwanis or the local chapter of the Better Business Bureau. This may seem like a waste of time, but you'll be surprised at what might come of it.
Leverage your small business by sending out press releases to your local newspapers about timely topics affecting something your small business can handle. For example, send out a press release on what homeowners can do to reduce their heating bills this winter. Make it timely and make it valuable so that it gets traction.
Above all, recognize that you have to think outside the box and find new ways to attract new business.
Arthur Williams," Join TraVerus , Travel for Less and get paid the Travel Agent Commissions Yourself. Start Your Own Online Travel Business And Work From Home. "
Let's be honest, as a small business you don't want to look small. You want to present an image of professionalism, while still keeping costs low in the background. Unfortunately, the rising costs of voice and data plans are stressing your budget, while expensive design teams that over promise and under deliver are leaving you high and dry. You are stressing out about things that you shouldn't be, while your business suffers.
Most companies know that they have you in a bind. They know that you have no choice but to use their services, so they price gauge and treat you like small potatoes. Design teams know that you probably don't have a clue about web design, so they charge you twice the standard rates, for a product that doesn't look anything like it needs to. Your web design says more than you think about your business. Also, your ability to communicate both internally and externally says a great deal about how professional and organized your business is.
There's no way around it, you have to have that one two punch. You need that combination of presence and communication. Too many companies try to skate by without having it together, and it costs them - big time.
I hate to paint a gloom and doom story, because it doesn't have to be that way. You can find a voice and data plan that doesn't break the bank. You can also find a design team to give you a powerful authority presence online, all without putting you into the red.
You see, many people look in the wrong places for these providers. You've been looking where the wolves prey on the weak when you should be looking where the big fish protect the little guy. To put it simply, there are providers out there that can bundle all of these services for you for as much as half the cost the big boys pay. You just have to know how to find them.
They don't have a name, but they do pack a big punch. They take care of the little guy so that he can manage his business without having to worry about the little stuff. Companies like this exist with the sole purpose of trying to take back the pie for the little guy. They're battling for you so that you don't have to get gauged by predatory service providers. They can renegotiate your contracts, get you new deals, and make you look like an all star. All of this can be done at a fraction of the normal price, which will give you the peace of mind to know that your business will make it past that crucial two year mark.
Don't become a victim of circumstance. It is up to you to make the decision to get what you pay for and pay for what you get. These companies can help you do that, but you've got to take the next step and contact one today. Even if you are locked in or have an existing contract, they can help.
Arthur Williams," Join TraVerus , Travel for Less and get paid the Travel Agent Commissions Yourself. Start Your Own Online Travel Business And Work From Home. "
No kind of achievement can be seen until we form certain habits. Being part of a MLM Marketing home business opportunity is no different, and will require us to form these crucial habits to begin to be successful with a MLM Marketing home business opportunity.
Creating success with MLM Marketing needs us to focus on several areas, such as prospecting, communicating with your team, and also regularly communicating with your upline. We also need to take a look at our goals, and be aware of where we are on the path to reaching those goals.
It all boils down to being organized. And when we take these habits of prospecting and all the other things needed to create a successful MLM Marketing business, get organized and create a habit which flows naturally in our day to day running of our MLM Marketing home business, we soon see that we have more time on our hands.
All a habit really is, is taking an action which we do regularly, and by continually doing that action we soon forget about the action as a conscious action and start doing it unconsciously, which now becomes a habit. Think of when you're driving a route that you regularly travel. Have you had times when you get to your destination and can't remember actually driving the journey? This is a habit.
Some of the habits that are necessary to form a successful MLM Marketing work at home business are:
- If working from a script, memorizing that script so you can flow naturally when you talk.
- Organizing time so you know what to do when.
- The most crucial of all, to form the habit to market your MLM Marketing home business.
- Forming the habit to actually take action during the times that you have allotted for your MLM Marketing home business.
Why form a habit?
Forming a habit is crucial so it frees up more time. Imagine the first time you do something, whether it is something to do with your MLM Marketing home business opportunity or something else, you always find it hard to do it as you still have to learn the steps to doing it.
The whole point of all of forming the correct habits which we consciously start to form is so we can become more productive. It is the starting point of mastering anything and not just within your MLM Marketing home business opportunity.
When you consciously start to implement certain things that you do with your MLM Marketing home business opportunity for the purpose of forming a habit then things become easier for you. When you master one thing, you can begin to work on other things within your MLM Marketing home business opportunity. Soon you will find that you are achieving much more than you did before. And this is crucial to achieve sustained success with your MLM Marketing home business opportunity.
Forming habits takes time. To form a successful and productive habit with your MLM Marketing home business will require you to do it regularly. Think of the time you get up in the morning. Generally you very likely get up at the same time every day. This is because when we repeat the action over and over, we naturally work within that framework. With your MLM Marketing home business it is exactly the same, whether prospecting or keeping organized, your level of success will depend on you repeating that over and over till it becomes second nature to you.
Sure, you could slave away night and day, never having time with your family. You could get to work early and leave late, hoping the boss will notice. You could have a day job and a “nights & weekend” job, just so you can pay your bills today and have a teensy bit left over for tomorrow's nest egg.
Sure, you could do all that.
But why would you want to?
There is a better way.
I wasn't satisfied with the limits of my traditional career so I began to explore the opportunities in the direct sales market online. What I discovered is absolutely amazing. Did you know you can earn more money online than many of your friends with fancy titles in big traditional companies? Thanks to the world wide web your target market is UNIVERSAL and your potential profits are LIMITLESS.
Even if you don't have the first idea how to begin a business online—it doesn't matter! There are great affiliate companies out there whose main function is to help Internet business entrepreneurs succeed!
·You don't need a big investment.
·You don't need special talent.
·You don't need experience.
·You don't need a degree.
If you've got persistence and enthusiasm you can succeed in online marketing. Find out how easy it is to get started. Simply select the Web site below and you'll be on the road to running a business!
Arthur Williams," Join TraVerus , Travel for Less and get paid the Travel Agent Commissions Yourself. Start Your Own Online Travel Business And Work From Home. "
Arthur Williams, " Join our business, Today!" Select the Business Opportunity below that suits you. Leave your name and number and I will get back to you. No one else will see your information :
