Too Old to Learn Scuba Diving?

We are always told we should learn sports when we are young, when our bodies are more resilient to the bruises and bumps which can be afflicted on us when we learn a new sport. This is true to a certain extent.

Take for example, my experience learning wind surfing. I learnt the sport when I was 26. If I were to learn this sport now at age 42, chances are I would not go far and would probably give up after 1 or 2 tries. Learning wind surfing was like battling with all the forces at the same time! We're talking about trying to balance on choppy waves on a slippery wet board, at the same time maneuvering a sail which weighs more than you in the correct direction that you want to go.In the process, I contributed blood and flesh from cuts on barnacles and bruises from hitting the surf board more than once before falling into the waters.

But there is a huge difference with scuba diving. YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN SCUBA DIVING. I can never say this enough. I learnt scuba diving when I was 38. Now I'm not saying that 38 is a ripe old age but still, the body does feel somewhat less strong and less resilient. Added to that, as we get older, we also seem to have more fears. Perhaps we feel we have more to lose if something should happen to us.

I say middle age and beyond should never be a factor in learning scuba diving BUT you do need to have these:

- an intense love for the sea
- a willingness to learn from someone younger than you
- relatively good health

and last but very important ... time and money.

Now I'm assuming that you are thinking of learning scuba diving because you want to make this a sport that you can enjoy every other weekend if time and money permits and not just learning for education's sake.

An Intense Love For The Sea

To enjoy a scuba diving trip, you will have to love the sea and I mean really really love it with all its wonderful creatures large and small. You will know what I mean on your first ever scuba diving trip after you have cleared your Open Water tests.

It is unlikely that your scuba diving buddies on your first dive trip will be the same classmates in your scuba diving course. Because of time and money constraints, you will find that you may be the only one keen enough to join a scuba diving trip soon after your certification.

More often than not, your dive buddies will be a dive-crazy bunch who will do at least 4 dives a day plus another at night. This means that on a scuba diving trip, most times you will not do anything but dive, talk about the sea creatures and encounters of each dive, before suiting up for the next dive. For someone who only wants to do one dive a day and then go shopping, he/she may be disappointed as many great scuba diving spots have few of these shopping and entertainment facilities.

In case you are already getting stressed just thinking about this, don't be. Every scuba diving newbie goes through this. Just have an attitude of a newbie, be humble and you will find that the seasoned divers are more than willing to share tips and may even help you to gear up before a dive.

A Willingness To Learn From Someone Younger Than You

Your scuba diving instructor is likely to be someone much younger than you. Some dive instructors have an attitude and are cocky so you may have to live with it for at least 3 weekends before you become certified - 1st weekend for classroom and theory, 2nd weekend for pool sessions and a 3rd weekend for the actual open water tests. Put aside your ego and just bear with it, it'll be worth it in the end.

Having said that, that's not to say that there are no good and kind scuba diving instructors around. I was fortunate to receive dive instruction from PC, a very kind and patient man, without whom my dive learning experience would not be as smooth and enjoyable.

Relatively Good Health

It's not necessary to be in peak fitness before you can take up scuba diving. However, you would need some strength to be able to walk with full scuba diving gear strapped on you. Once you enter the waters with all your gear, you are almost weightless. But it's the few steps you have to make to get into the boat or to cross the beach into the water that may be a challenge for a person who is not used to carrying heavy loads on them.

Having said that, some scuba diving resorts have fantastic dive staff who can help to overcome this by carrying the tanks and gear to the boat for you to suit up inside the boat. And of course if you are on a live-a-board (live, eat, dive, sleep, on board a boat throughout the dive trip), then this may not be relevant.

Time and Money. This is probably the 2 most deciding factors of whether someone continues to enjoy scuba diving after passing the Open Water tests. Getting certified through a scuba diving course is very fast, just 3 weekends basically. And not too expensive, probably about $300 to $400, including an out-of-the country dive trip for the open water tests. But unless you live near a scuba diving area, you are most likely going to have to travel a distance or even out of the country to do a good dive.

Now just think how much each trip is going to cost you and multiply that by how many times you would love to do scuba diving in a year. When you do the sums, it can be staggering. So you cut down the number of dives you want to do in a year, and then calculate and cut down some more.

In our scuba diving class, my husband and I were the only ones who continued to dive after the class was over. Even then, we did not manage to do the number of dives we would really have loved to do in a year. That's how it finally ends up that we are doing an average of 1 dive a year. This more or less ensures that we will always be diving as a "scuba diving newbie" (hence the blog's name). A scuba diver gets "rusty" when the interval is too long between each dive trip. Ideally, we should dive at least once each quarter.

I have not even gone on to calculate the other "investments" to personalise your gear such as your own BC (buoyancy control), your own octopus (breathing appartus) and your wet suit.

Having said all this, I still believe it's never too old to learn and enjoy scuba diving. Even with our limited dives since we were certified and diving as scuba diving newbies, we enjoy each and every one of our dive trips. Find the right people to dive with, find a fantastic dive spot that suits your preferences (whether macro, to check out small sea creatures, or see bigger fish) and nearby spa facilities to sooth your body aches after a dive - it's a wonderful combination that will almost always ensure a great scuba diving experience!

A scuba diving newbie can still enjoy happy diving!

Rona Limsy loves scuba diving and has dived in the waters around Indonesia, Malaysia and Maldives. She shares her dive stories so that more people, especially people who are thinking about taking up scuba diving but are apprehensive about it, can find out more about what to expect. Read more on http://www.scubadivingnewbie.blogspot.comArdath Blog30445
Alys Blog63090

Make Money on eBay - A Great Part Time Opportunity

eBay presents an almost perfect work from home opportunity for many entrepreneurs. You can make money on eBay to supplement a full time job, it is great for stay at home moms and what an opportunity for retirees. In fact many of eBays full time sellers today started as part time sellers when they first entered the eBay marketplace.

Unlike many business opportunities you can make money on eBay from almost anywhere. It doesnt matter whether you live in downtown New York City or the remote reaches of Montana, there is an opportunity for success.

You can make money on eBay no matter who you are. It doesnt matter whether you are just out of school or retired. It doesnt matter whether you have a high school diploma or a college degree. The eBay opportunity is equal for all.

One of the real advantages to an eBay business is that you have a huge number of ready, willing and able prospective buyers just waiting. You can make money on eBay without many of the traffic generation challenges that come with other online businesses. Your initial challenge is finding the right products and then just getting that existing traffic to come to your listings. As you gain experience you can learn more sophisticated traffic strategies to make even more sales.

Give eBay a try. You can simply register as a buyer and learn the ropes while you start to develop a solid positive feedback record. After making a few purchases the next step is to register as a seller. Make a few sales and you will soon know the basics of sales. From there you can decide if the opportunity to make money on eBay is right for you.

To Your eBay Success!

Bob Hamilton is an entrepreneur, writer and consultant. Bob sold his brick and mortor store to sell on eBay and has been helping others to get started on eBay ever since.Anna Maria Blog92300
Almira Blog82432

CASH FLOW - The Life Blood of Every Business

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to familiarize business owners with a kind of financing that is unfamiliar to many people, Factoring. I will explain, in a simple yet comprehensive way, how to improve your companys cash flow. You may then decide if using the Factoring approach is a sound business decision for your particular situation and needs.

The Life Blood of Every Business

If we were in a room full of small business owners and asked them all, What is the one thing your business needs the most in order to survive and grow? we would probably get a variety of answers: a needed product or service, a solid base of loyal customers, a well-prepared business plan to chart your course, a good location, or effective marketing. All true answers. But in addition to these, there is one need central to every business that is the need for available CASH. This is where factoring or accounts receivable financing comes into play.

Cash to business is like fuel to a car. You need to have enough in the tank to start the engine and you need to maintain enough in the tank to keep it running. Now the car (your business) will take you where you want to go. If you run out of gas cash on hand at any point along the way, wellwe all know what will happen.

Where can a business owner obtain the cash he or she needs? Banks, venture capital, private funds of the owner, friends, and relatives are the most common places in turn. However, banks usually want a minimum of two or three years worth of business financials before theyll give a loan. Venture capitalists want part ownership of the business. Not being in business long enough or not being profitable enough to satisfy the banks; and not wanting to give up any ownership; and with private resources already tapped, the business owner may be stuck. Where can I find that cash to grow my company? I have a good business with loyal customers, Im profitable or would be with enough cash to fuel the engine; I just need to get over this hump of not enough cash flow. What can I do?

The answer to this question may be right under your nose and you dont even know it. If you have accounts receivable with good, solid customers who are credit-worthy, you have something with intrinsic value that other business owners are interested in buying. The cash that can be obtained for your good receivables can be exactly what you need to get over a cash flow crisis.

By selling something you own your receivables youre not generating any debt that must be paid back; and youre improving your credit stature because youre converting assets (invoices) into immediate cash. That cash can enable you to save further by getting volume purchase discounts, discounts for cash, create market opportunities, or hire needed staff. And most of all, you can start new and expanded production without waiting for earlier invoices (sales) to be paid.

Setting accounts receivable at a discount is a means of financing called factoring or "accounts receivable financing." Its been around for centuries and is a billion-dollar industry for large businesses today. And it is growing rapidly in popularity with small and medium sized companies. Factoring not only has saved countless businesses from going under, it has provided many more businesses exactly what they need to grow: cash to fuel the engine.

Further Benefits of Factoring

Selling accounts receivable puts you in control of your business like no other form of financing. You control the discount by specifying when the advance is to be made. You can space the advances to create a steady flow of cash. If you dont need cash now, you can wait to receive the advance and save on the discount (waiting on an advance creates a line of credit).

Whats more important to realize is no debt is created, you have no loans to pay off, you create and keep a cleaner financial statement, your access to cash grows with your business sales, and there is no need to re-apply. Finally, you can stop factoring at any time. There are no long contracts and you only factor the invoices you want. YOU are in control.

Conclusion

Invoice factoring is filling a tremendous void that banks have created. Companies accelerate their profit and thrive whether you are a start up or established business.

Factoring requires, less paperwork than loans and no credit or reference checks of your business and is also faster than tradition bank loans..

Invoice factoring offers bussinesses tremendous growth opportunities to assist in the management of cash flow and delivers working capital for your business needs.

If you are seeking an invoice factoring company, then Diversified Financial Services is the smart choice. Our Financial Consultants are ready to answer any factoring questions. Call today 800-954-0012.

Thomas McCarthy has designed, developed & implemented financial systems for many years. Thomas was a Factoring customer for over 7 years before becoming a business owner and webmaster.Audi Blog21346
Aidan Blog85290

Five Money Saving Tips When Selling Your Home

Your home is undoubtedly the most valuable asset for the vast majority of us and selling it will cost thousands. Using the money saving tips in this article should reduce the cost of moving home.

Estate Agent fees vary, so shopping around and dont forget to haggle and pay one off against the other. You should aim for 1% commission, also push then to limit the tie-in period to no more than 6 weeks, this gives then enough time to sell the house, but if they cant you can move to another agent without going multi-agent which will increase the fee to about 3%+, a big no-no! Ensure you get a fair valuation, never tell an estate agent what other agencies have valued your house at. They will use this to manipulate its offer, often resulting in wide distortions.

It is false economy to go for the cheapest solicitors, so get recommendations from all the estate agents you speak to and remember to ask for the name of specific people, rather than just the legal firms. Give them a call and ask what their charges are, also note whether they are they friendly, helpful, and most important efficient? Fees are negotiable so haggle! Play off each one against the other to get yourself the best service at the best price.

Selling you house privately can save thousands. One in twenty vendors are now taking the DIY route which could save you thousands. That is a massive money saving tip, but there are a couple of downsides, basically time and effort. You could consider newspaper advertising, flyers and signs. Newspapers usually charge per line or per word so try to keep your advert as brief as possible without making it uninteresting. The simplest way would to sell your house yourself is to use one of the many online house selling service.

Obviously it is best to sell your house when the market is strong and demand is high, so keep an eye on the local property market. Generally, the market tends to be stronger in early and late summer than the rest of the year, so aim to sell your house then. Also avoid completing with your neighbours so if there are already a few For Sale signs on your street, it might be better to wait a bit.

Research has shown that a poor presented house can take longer to sell and may reduce the price by thousands. So get your paint brushes out, give your home a lick of paint and finish all of those DIY jobs which are outstanding. Also talk to the estate agent about adding value to your property it maybe worth spending a bit of cash to make some more. However, be careful not to over spend, you might not get your money back, so talk all planned improvements through with your estate agent.

If you are determined to save money when selling your home, do some more research, as they say knowledge is power. Websites such as Moneysavingexpert.com specialise in offering money saving tips, a brief browse around such sites will allow you to get all the information you need to save you a ton of money.

Julian Smith works for http://www.maxxsave.co.uk, a website which provides free impartial advice, reviews, buying guides, and http://www.maxxsave.co.uk on personal finance, household bills, insurance and electronic products.Ann Blog73831
Barbabra Blog50283

Why Pay Others To Recover Unclaimed Money Payable To You? Do It On Your Own!

If you have received communication indicating that you may be owed unclaimed money by an individual offering to recover your unclaimed money at a hefty cost, then you are not the only one to have received such an offer. Such offers are very common. However, individuals baulk at the idea of paying a lot of money to recover their own money. If you want to recover your unclaimed money without denting your wallet, there is an effective and efficient method for you to do so.

Contrary to the fears of some individuals, the service of recovery of funds or finding of money is not illegal. It is a legal service offered by property locators or by heir finders.

Unclaimed money recovery services are regulated by the law. So much so the maximum that can be charged from a person who is owed unclaimed money has been provided for in the law. The money is paid for the efforts of the individual to bring the existence of proof of unclaimed money to the individual.

If you are not comfortable with the idea of paying some other person for locating YOUR money, then you can act on your own and try to claim the money yourself.

The money that you had deposited in the old checking or savings accounts or the value in the stocks, bonds, dividends, insurance policies and safety deposit boxes, which have been forgotten and ignored are the prime constituents of unclaimed money. If you remain untraceable, the institutions shall hand over the money to the State after the expiry of a fixed period of time.

Once the money is handed over, the agencies hold it waiting for you to come and claim the same. These agencies are required to advertise and are expected to try to contact you to repay the money. However, this never does happen and the owners are expected to take the initiative.

Searching for unclaimed money is very simple. The first thing to do is to search an unclaimed money database. If the database searches details of unclaimed money from all state and federal databases, then that is the database that you ought to be using. Using any other database will give you incomplete results. You may still be owed unclaimed money.

All-in-one databases charge for their service. However, the databases do not demand immediate payment. They allow one free search to the individual to determine if he or she is owed money or not. Then, it is for the individual to decide.

Once the unclaimed money is found, all one has to do is fill the appropriate forms, which can be downloaded from most of the websites for free. The individual is required to attach proof of identification and/ or proof of either ownership or entitlement of the unclaimed money. Together, the two documents should suffice.

Verification process is initiated if the documents and the form are found to be in order. The unclaimed money check should arrive, at the earliest, within two weeks and, at the latest, within sixteen weeks.

If additional documents are required, you shall be contacted by the agency.

If you follow this procedure, you can easily find and claim the unclaimed money without having to pay even a single cent to any other person.

Nicole Anderson offers detailed information about the problem unclaimed money at http://www.cashunclaimed.com. The database of http://cashunclaimed.com includes information from the state as well federal databases. The website offers unlimited search to the members. A free money search to locate your missing money is possible today.Alison Blog271
Adelind Blog23741

Internet Marketing - Some Do's and Don'ts

If you're new to internet marketing, it can be quite confusing and overwhelming. You've decided on an idea, done your research and determined that there is a market for your idea, developed a web site and now you're ready to take the plunge into the world of internet marketing.

Internet marketing isn't as complicated as it might seem -- there's no particular mystery to it. You just have to know where to start and what proper steps to take to help get your site seen on the web and ranked by the search engines. The first step in your internet marketing plan is to write a press release announcing your new site and pointing out the benefits and features of it that makes it useful to the public. It doesn't have to be long -- about 300 words or so -- but it does have to sound newsworthy. One thing you should keep in mind is to be sure you have your relevant keywords in the title, subtitle and liberally sprinkled throughout the text. Also, you'll want to write it from a third person point of view and make sure it doesn't sound like an advertisement. Also, keep it mundane, i.e., something suitable for a general audience.

The next step in advancing your internet marketing goals should be to write an article and submit it for online publishing. Again, it doesn't have to be long (about 500 to 800 words). Again, you'll want to have the right keywords in the title and spread throughout the text. For example, this piece has the term internet marketing in the title and interspersed in the body of the text as this is what it is being optimized for. A good place to submit your articles is SubmitYOURArticle.com. For a monthly subscription, they'll submit your editorials for you to top sites, thereby giving you great exposure. We've used their services ourselves and found it to be superb. Both the press release and writing articles are two important steps on the road to internet marketing success.

The next stop on the internet marketing highway is to generate some free traffic to your site. Two ways to accomplish this are to post on forums that are relevant to your subject matter (with your URL in your signature line) and getting listed in directories in the appropriate categories. The press release and the article(s) should help to generate a lot of free traffic via the backlinks pointing to your site as they are published and distributed, but hey, the more traffic, the better! Beware of internet marketing services claiming to list your site in a ton of directories -- most aren't worth the money. Also beware of internet marketing companies claiming they can get you high placement on the search engines. We tried this and it didn't work. You may come across yet other internet marketing companies saying they can send targeted traffic to your site for a fee, of course. We tried this, too, and it didn't work either! We have yet to come across any internet marketing company promising this or that who can actually deliver what they say they can by way of placement or traffic.

Basically, what it boils down to is that your internet marketing success is mostly dependent on your own efforts and wisely choosing services and software that will genuinely help you achieve your internet marketing goals.

About the Author:

Murray Williams is one of the owners of HelpfulInternetMarketing, a site that is designed to help the new entrepreneur just starting out. After having met many dead ends in his own internet marketing journeys, he decided to develop this site and assist others by offering quality articles and software that have been screened for their usefulness. To view the site and the articles and software, please visit HelpfulInternetMarketing .

Murray Williams is one of the owners of HelpfulInternetmarketing, a site that is designed to help the new entrepreneur just starting out. After having met many dead ends in his own internet marketing journeys, he decided to develop this site and assist others by offering quality articles and software that have been screened for their usefulness. To view the site and the articles and software, please visit HelpfulInternetMarketing at: http://www.helpfulinternetmarketing.com.Alysa Blog80769
Alvera Blog99353

Successful Work from Home Careers

Just search for work from home careers in Google and you will see thousands, in fact millions of people are competing to get you to read their 'unique' ideas about working from home. Each one claims to be the best, however having spent the past few years trying out various work from home businesses, I found that many of them required the skills and time that I just didn't have.

My career allows me to work from my home, in the comfort of familiar surroundings, and has proven to me that a work from home career can be both exciting and straightforward. The most unusual opportunity to me has become the most valuable, ensuring my high income of around $11,000 over eleven months - it has been totally enjoyable and, above all, easy.

I started out in business thinking that I had to buy into business to make it. Losing me money along the way, I fell for numerous scams. One of the most memorable was an opportunity that taught me that we can't all sell products and earn a living. The thing here was that I did not find a suitable product that had not been on the market already, and I don't have the best of selling skills. Bearing in mind that I could only earn from that opportunity by selling products, this meant that working from home wasn't always an option. This career failed and moved onto the work from home career that has made me a success.

Having no knowledge of how to sell and market a product was not an issue in my current work from home position. I didn't need to be an expert in anything, in fact I literally spent very little time building up what is now a very lucrative and top ranking online business.

Building careers by working at home used to be an unusual way of earning money, but now it is seen as one of the easiest ways to make money. You can even save money by not having to drive to the office every day, and because you do not need to rent office or shop space, most of your money is profit from the day you begin your work from home career.

The formula I found to earning an income this way was indeed a great lesson to learn and has led me to see results, not just by the number of hits my site (http:///www.mysecret2success.com) sees daily, but by the figures on my bank statements.

Simply being true to yourself and ensuring that what you want is out there to be had, then thats the first step. Being sceptical before you begin a work from home career will see you fail even before you begin - a lesson here is to be confident that you are going to achieve fantastic results and you will see those results over time.

Basically by following a proven program that has already been tested by a team of like-minded people, will ensure you see success.

Can it be done by giving away free products?

Well, of course the answer to this is quite simply a yes! Being part of a program that was giving away free learning products without obligation to my customers was the beginning for me, and it can be for you too. Think about how much you want to achieve by taking very little time out of your already busy day. I found this working from home careers opportunity around a year ago and it has started paying more than I could have earned by selling and marketing products that nobody seemed interested in.

By giving away free products and services, you can be an online success. Work from home careers can be made easy by becoming part of that big team, all you have to do is be confident in yourself.

Following the huge success of his website Kelvin Tan has, in just ten months, earned just over $10,000 which began with just a few emails based around his interest in work from home careers. Kelvin now enjoys a regular income from his work and continues to offer fantastic advice and business opportunities without having to leave his office. For more information and an amazing limited free bonus e-book How to Make Money the Simple Way, visit his website right now at http://www.mysecret2success.com. Angil Blog20610
Anica Blog57213

Start A Prosperous Specialty Shih Tzu Grooming Shop

Cost of investment:

The major elements involved in setting up a Shih Tzu Groom Shop are:

1. Rent and security deposits.
2. Renovation
3. Tools and equipment
4. Furniture and fixtures
5. Legal fees
6. Insurance
7. Advertising
8. Supplies
9. Cash reserve

The cost will depend upon your location and the materials you start out with. You can estimate at least $10,000 to start your Specialty Shih Tzu Grooming Shop.

Rent: Will vary according to the specific location. Rent in a major metropolitan center will be greater than in a rural area. A landlord will usually demand a security deposit in advance or with your first months rent. In addition, there will likely be deposits required for utilities.

Renovation: Is dependent upon the Shih Tzu Groom shops condition and your desire to alter or design the shop.

Tools and equipment: A basic assortment of clippers, blades, scissors, shampoos, brushes, combs, cosmetics for your Shih Tzu Groom Shop will cost at a minimum of $400. Heavy equipment such as dryers, cages and tables fitted with groom loops will cost at a minimum of $2,000.

Legal fees: If you choose a lawyer to negotiate a lease on the most favorable terms for your Shih Tzu Groom Shop, his or her services can cost more than $300.00. The investment may be well worth it, however, if you are unable to negotiate a favorable lease term yourself.

Insurance: Is a must have item.

Advertising: Before opening the doors to your Shih Tzu Groom Shop, you will want to advertise and promote the shop as quickly as possible. Ways of advertising could be through the Yellow Pages, newspapers, direct mail and flyers, at vet offices, pet supply warehouses and the internet. One page websites on the internet describing your business with e-mail and telephone numbers would be quite helpful. You would need to market and promote your website as well.

Supplies: Pet supplies such as designer pet clothing, shampoos, crme rinses, toys and treats, even a pet food distributorship such as HealthyPetNet Lifes Abundance could become quite prosperous in a busy Shih Tzu Grooming Shop. The possibilities for retailing pet supplies in a Shih Tzu Grooming Shop are endless.

Reserve cash: You will of course need to start out with a fair amount of reserve cash in your Shih Tzu Grooming Shop.

This article is FREE to publish with resource box.

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. Purchase Shih Tzu puppies and sign up for FREE Shih Tzu newsletters at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com Pet care article collection http://smalldogs2.com/ShihTzuCastle Visit Camelot Articles http://www.camelotarticles.comAlmire Blog71895
Alis Blog86532

Bad Credit Home Mortgage Loan : Why You Should Get One Today

Buying a home is a worthwhile investment because real estate appreciates in value with time. It is also a profitable asset for raising money during emergencies. You might have postponed the decision to buy property for many reasons. May be you did not earn enough or you were wary of mortgages or just that your credit history was less than satisfactory. Even if you had problems with meeting your creditor payments, you need not be deterred from buying property because you could get a bad credit home mortgage loan.

There are several occasions when life throws up surprises or things just do not turn out exactly as you had planned. Illness in the family, layoff at workplace, divorce etc. can have adverse repercussions on your financial planning. Bills would mount as you struggle to find the money to meet them on time. These could be trying and frustrating times when you get subtle and not so subtle reminders from creditors. You could postpone your decision to invest in profitable avenues like real estate. Or you could apply for bad credit home mortgage loan to help you in the process.

Many of the mortgage lenders are usually sympathetic towards borrowers with a poor credit history. They concentrate on three main aspects for bad credit home mortgage loan. First, they study your credit history in detail to understand how you landed yourself in trouble or where your calculations were flawed. Second, they assess the value of the collateral or home that you wish to buy. Then, they match your present and future earnings potential with appropriate discounts for living expenses and other outgoings. They would then have a fair idea of how much you could bear towards the mortgage. This helps them to calculate the monthly payments.

Applying for a bad credit home mortgage loan is easy as the process is transparent and several lenders have personalized advisors to help you. Transactions are completed online. You only need to be careful in reading the fine print regarding any upfront or hidden costs.

Bad credit home mortgage loan comes handy in solving several financial worries. You could buy a house or if you have one, you could either do improvements to it or offer it as mortgage for debt consolidation or a major expenditure like child support.

Copyright © 2006 Joel Teo. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author's information with live links only.)

Joel Teo writes on various financial topics relating to Home Mortgage Finance. Learn how you can make money today by signing up for his free online Real Estate Investing newsletter today and gain access to the Six Day Real Estate Investment Profits Course at http://www.realestateinvestment101.info/Home_Mortgage.htmlAnnamaria Blog20187
Babs Blog53243

Traffic Exchanges Revisited - Part One

Traffic exchanges, for the uninitiated, are programs where you can submit your website(s) to be placed in a rotation for other members to see. That's the simple, watered-down explanation.

But there is more. In order for your site to be put in the rotation of the exchange, you need to have accumulated credits in the program. Some programs will offer free credits to new members as enticement to join but you need to view a certain number of websites first before you get the credits assigned to your account. Most programs will not usually show you your own website because of the obvious waste of time and credits that would implicate for you.

I don't know exactly how many traffic exchanges are out there but there are many and the way they allocate credits vary from program to program. Some, for instance, will give you a straight 1:1 surfing ratio meaning that for every site you view your own site will be shown one time. Other less generous sites offer higher surfing ratios of, say, 2:1 (where you need to see two sites to have your site shown one time) or 3:1 and so on. The websites to be viewed are put on timers and these too run the gamut from 10 seconds to as high up as 30 seconds.

Most exchanges are free to join with a paid (usually a monthly fee) option to upgrade to "pro" level where you are entitled to extra perks that vary with the program. Some of these perks include a better surfing ratio, free monthly credits, unlimited surfing (some programs limit the number of sites you can surf a day), and other privileges. As for anti-cheat prevention, many of these programs have put in place rather sophisticated scripts that makes surfing with automated programs (and therefore cheating) very, very difficult if not impossible.

Even though traffic exchange programs are very popular and are widely used, they have their fair share of detractors. Some people contend that exchanges are only marginally effective because the traffic your website receives can hardly be called "targeted" and furthermore people are not really paying attention to the websites since they are just surfing because they have to not because they want to.

I beg to differ with this view. While it may be true that the traffic may not be as laser targeted as when, for instance, you do a Google keyword search, the rotating websites are seen and those that catch the eye and pique the curiosity of the viewer will get attention. Human beings are curious by nature and we react to words, colors, sound, layout, etc., etc., even if exposed to these things for only a few seconds. Indeed, when we do a Google search most of us will only give a website a few seconds to "state its case" so to speak. If we get turned off by any of the website's components, i.e., color, layout, etc., we will move on to the next website faster than fast.

As you may have guessed by the slant of this article, I use traffic exchanges to promote my affiliate business. I started a few months ago and I have seen good results so far. First I signed up with a couple and then decided to join a few more so now I regularly surf about 20 traffic exchanges on a regular basis. This number of exchanges may sound daunting but it's really not if you know how to manage them. I will discuss managing your traffic exchanges and will offer a few helpful tips on the second part of this article.

Lourdes Sanchez is an aspiring internet marketer. Adriana Blog71724
Amargo Blog40332

Digital Cameras- Which One To Buy?

Make sure you know what you need from a digital camera before you buy!

You might be thinking about making the leap from a regular camera to a digital one but are unsure of what you need. This article should be able to clear up some of the finer points to help you make the best possible purchase for your money and needs.

First, when looking at digital cameras, think about what you really want out of it. Do you want to save time and money on developing costs? You will definitely benefit with just about any digital camera on the market here.

Second, you may or may not know that digital cameras are the best way to go for most any household. The range of features available make a digital camera very cost effective and more than likely you can find the exact type of camera for your needs.

If you are not the best photographer and often end up getting back your developed pictures to find out that you have cut the head off your Aunt Mary, then relax, the digital camera is here to help. For this type of photographer, you will want a camera with a wide screen on the back. This way you see what you are taking a picture of and the best part about it is that you can see the picture seconds later instead of waiting until they are developed, which saves time and money.

If you were looking to print out your pictures to hang on the wall or send to relatives then you would want a digital camera with a high resolution. This is especially important if you tend to have your pictures enlarged.

On the other hand, if you tend to share picture by viewing them on your computer or only on the web, then you really don’t need to be concerned with buying a high resolution camera.

The Macro Feature would be something to look for in a digital camera if you tend to take close up pictures or love to shoot pictures of bugs, coins, or very small objects.

Another consideration is if you are going to be taking pictures of high speed objects or at sporting events. Then you would want to look for a fast burst rate. In addition if you are taking many pictures at night then you would be looking for ISO equivalents or sensitivity settings.

There are many factors in buying a digital camera and like so many events that take place in life, there seems to be a digital camera to match. Read up on the camera that you are considering buying before making the purchase. You just might save yourself some headaches by doing a little research before you buy.

Philip is a logistic consultant and owner of http://www.discount-tech.com where you can find the best quality and price for wholesale electronics sold to the individual or company.Angele Blog37115
Arden Blog97199

Loving Money Attracts More Of It Into Your Life

To be in vibrational resonance with money, you have to love it. If you fear money or do not love it, you will repel it away from you. By thinking thoughts such as you should not love money or feel desire for it, you are causing vibrational dissonance between your subconscious mind and money. By loving money and being comfortable around it like it is your good friend, you free yourself to have money and have it more abundantly.

We have been taught that the love of money is the root of all evil. Therefore we think that it is wrong to love money. But that is one of the biggest errors the world has ever made about understanding money. The truth is, the love of money is not evil. It is only the root of evil. The love of anything can be the root of evil. People have done all kinds of evil for love. Love is not evil. It is when people love with ignorance that results in evil. Loving with awareness only results in good.

When you love money, it can be the root of all good or all evil. Remember that all truth are half truths. The glass can be half empty or half full. One perspective is only half the truth. When you can see things one way as well as the opposite, you have full perspective and total truth. When you love money, that love is the root that can grow into that which is good or evil. Loving money with awareness leads to all good whereas loving money with ignorance leads to all evil.

Observe of the way you behave around money. Notice your thoughts and feelings when you are dealing with it. Do you try to handle it discreetly as though you are almost ashamed of it? Do you find it awkward when you talk about any subject that involves money? Do you try to think as little about it as possible as you quickly pass it to the person you are buying something from, or taking it and putting it away hurriedly as if the longer it stays in sight, the more unacceptable it feels?

All of such behaviors and attitudes shows how you really are towards money. You have an unconscious dislike towards money. You may have all the conscious thoughts about how good it is to have money and believing that you are wealthy, but if you are acting like this towards money, you are creating resistance which prevents money from flowing freely to you. This awareness will open your eyes to your relationship with money and free you from unwittingly repelling it.

Wealth is a state of being. Having wealth begins with being wealth. When you are wealth, you are one with everything that is wealth. To be one with something is to love it, accept it, embrace it and be completely comfortable with it. Money being a form of energy that facilitates enjoyment and providence is a form of wealth. Therefore to be wealth is to be one with money and to love it, accept it, embrace it and be completely comfortable with it. Money moves to the one who loves it the most!

Take out some bills from your wallet and hold it in your hands. Look at it and just be with it. Say to yourself that you love money and money loves you. Feel good about it and feel the love for it. Do the same with your credit cards, your jewelries, your checks, your back account statement, and things that represent money. See all these things not as separated from you, but they are all extensions of your being. The more you love money and are at one with it, the more you attract it into your life.

Treat money with respect and appreciation. When you pass money to someone, do not just chuck it in their hands as if it were a bunch of papers. Hand it over to them as though you were presenting a sword with both hands to a worthy knight. When you receive money, do not take it as though you were grabbing a bunch of dirt and putting it away as if you are trying to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Take your money with appreciation and handle it comfortably as though it is your favorite pen.

Anytime you see money come into your life such as when you see commissions from sales or gifts from people, love it, welcome it and feel that it loves coming to you. Have the attitude that people love to give money for what you have to offer, and share it willingly and happily with you. Anytime you spend money to get what you desire, do it happily and willingly. Whenever you give money to loved ones or charity, handle your money comfortably and give it as though you are giving your love.

Loving money unites you with it. Fearing money separates you from it. We have an unconscious fear for something when we keep distancing ourselves from it and see it as separate from us. We have an unconscious love for something when we keep being near or around it and see it as a part of us. Allow yourself to identify with money and see your money as you. But when money goes away from you, do not think of yourself as any lesser because to love perfectly is to love freely without attachment.

Love material things in the material world as well. Love your house, your car, your toys, your clothes, your looks, your body and all your material possessions. Feel good about them and see them as all extensions of yourself. Be unashamed to show your money or your material possessions to others. In heaven everyone shows off the beauties of their creation to one another proudly and joyfully. Material things and spiritual things are the same because they are all energy of the source which is God.

People who see themselves as good but see money as evil repel money away from them. People who see themselves as evil but see money as meant for good people, repel money. People who see themselves as good and see money as good attract money to themselves. People who see themselves as evil and see money as evil also attract money to themselves. It is all about being in vibrational resonance by seeing you and money are of the same kind which draws it to you.

Enoch Tan aims to help people achieve greater awareness in living and experiencing life. To evolve human consciousness to higher levels. To change lives and transform the universe. To revolutionize the way we understand the mind and reality. Because that is what governs every area of life and destiny. Get Free Ebooks of The Most Powerful Knowledge and Learn Secrets of Mind and Reality That will Fully Benefit You Now at: http://www.MindReality.comAlejandra Blog75873
Aimee Blog95352

Borrow Money From Friends, But Pay Special Attention To The Promissory Note

Borrow money from friends and relatives only after careful consideration. Having a fantastic money-making idea but bad credit may point you in the direction of family and friends.

Financial risk will always be part and parcel of any loan. Borrowing money from family and friends highlights a double whammy though. Risk and emotional challenges.

A well rounded, thoroughly researched business plan can be very effective though. It can lower the risk involved and at the same time allay any fears of emotional challenges.

These issues should already have been settled by the time you discuss the promissory note. The promissory note will require a mutually well thought out plan before it is signed.

The Promissory Note

The promissory note is your promise to pay back the loan. The repayment of the loan is set out in the schedule outlined in the promissory note. All successful loans have as their foundation this type of note.

Without it not only would financial protection for the lender be in jeopardy, so would the relationship. The following are some of the protections that the promissory note provides:

1. It sets out repayment dates.
2. It also sets out repayment amounts.
3. Outlines agreed upon grace periods.
4. Indicates first repayment date and final repayment date.
5. Sets out interest rates.
6. Nullifies confusion, and protects the relationship.

When you borrow money, always observe and gauge your lender. An apprehensive yes may mean yes because of your relationship. But otherwise it would have been no. You could allay that apprehensive yes by offering to secure the loan.

You could put up your brand new Chrysler Jeep as security. This may be just the thing that turns the apprehensive yes into a full-fledged yes, with a smile. You have to gauge that sort of response. Be prepared.

Maybe your lenders concern is not the security but the low interest rate. Stay in the zone. You know the person. Again, be prepared. Make a response. It could be the seasonal nature of your product causing concern. Realistically adjust your payments for that time period.

Have you considered a third party? A third party would diffuse a whole lot of discomfort.

When the note has been signed, and the borrowed money received, you must know when the repayments are due. Should you encounter repayment challenges, immediately communicate with your lender. Do not miss payments and leave your lender in the dark.

Should the need for a readjustment to the repayment schedule be necessary, work it out with your lender. Keep communication lines open. Protect your relationship. You dont want a ruined relationship be the main conversation at thanksgiving.

Wycliffe WilliamsAgata Blog28241
Angele Blog37115

Get Rid of those Bills Credit Card Debt Consolidation Loans

A credit card acts as temporary money for you. It allows you to make spending when you are short of cash or if you are uncomfortable in carrying too much cash in your pocket. But it is not freeyou get the bill at the end of every month for the value of all the spending you had done during the month through the credit card. And you are required to pay these credit card bills on time as banks and financial institutions are very strict regarding these payments. A little delay and be ready to pay the charges for the penalty and fine. This is the story of a single piece of plastic known as credit card. The situation become worst, when you are carry too many of them. So, when these credit card debts become unmanageable, you can take the help of credit card debt consolidation loans.

Credit card debt management loans helps you pay all the existing debts for credit cards which you are carrying. These loans are easily available in the loan market with large number of lenders. Also, in order to attract borrowers, lenders are continuously reducing the interest rates on these loans. So, a research among these loan lenders through online option can be beneficial for you in choosing a loan lender for credit card debt consolidation loans. You can apply for the credit card debt consolidation loans with or without offering the collateral to the lender.

There are various steps which you can take along with going for a Credit Card debt consolidation loans to get back the control over your credit card bills. These include attending credit counseling, planning a budget according to your income, close your credit card accounts which you dont use, making cash purchases wherever possible, using debit cards, transfer your balance to the credit card with lowest interest rate. All this steps will make the loan more effective. This will also give you the freedom from the stress and anxiety which you may be facing due to threatening calls and legal letter from your creditors to repay the credit card debt.

While filling an application form for a credit card debt consolidation loan through online option you need to fill simple details about your personal information, residential and employment status, loan amount required and an idea of your credit score. The lender once convinced will call you back for further assistance.

Credit card debt consolidation loans considers homeowners, non-homeowners, employed and self-employed, people with bad credit etc. So you dont have to worry about your status to apply for a credit card debt consolidation loan, which can serve you with a debt free life.

Alex Jonnes is associated with Easy Debt Consolidations. He is Masters in Business Administration and writes on various finance related topics. To find credit card debt consolidation loans,Debt consolidation loan bad credit, online debt consolidation loan, easy debt consolidations visit http://www.easy-debt-consolidations.co.ukAmber Blog69726
Aurilia Blog88629

Home Business Copywriting Ideas

When you do any online research about home based businesses, you will likely find thousands of results that tell you that the most successful and easiest business to start from your home is a copywriting business. You can make a great living without ever having to get dressed or leave the privacy of your own home.

Out of all the home businesses that give you the option of solely working from home, such as marketing programs and designing companies, copywriting is still touted to be the best of its kind.

The biggest reason that copywriting has been dubbed the perfect at home business is due to the extremely low startup costs. You really dont have to have any special talent, just be able to write in good English and grammar, mix in a little creativity, and you are raring to go.

If you have had any previous writing experience at all, you simply just boot up your computer, and go to work. For those who have little to no experience, but are still interested in starting a copywriting business from home, they should check out one of the many online classes available that teach you the writing basics you will need to know in order to get started.

Another benefit of an at home copywriting business is that you have the option of working your day job, and running the business on the side, or just simply depending on your copywriting business for your sole full-time source of income.

Few people are able to just up and quit their job to try and work from home, as they dont have the capital needed to make ends meet while waiting on the profits to start rolling in. Home copywriting is also taking off with stay at home moms who are interested in contributing to the household income while still staying at home to care for their children, they can work when their schedule allows, and care for the family as needed.

The best of both worlds all in one tidy package, especially since the money made by these moms is extra income, there is no risk involved, and their family wont starve if it doesnt work out.

You can start this business no matter how old you are, what gender you are, or what type of physical condition that you are in. If you can write, and are physically able to sit at the computer and type, then you can do this work.

The success of your home copywriting business is not affected by changes in the economy. There will still be work for you, even if unemployment rates rise, and the cost of living and interest rates go up. The better the economy, the more work you will probably get, but no matter how bad it is, you will still have work to keep your business afloat, unlike some other home based businesses out there.

If you want to earn some extra money, for whatever the reason, then you should consider beginning your own at home copywriting business. If you do good work, and become highly sought after, you may be able to produce enough income to be able to stay at home and work fulltime for yourself. Wouldnt it be nice to tell your boss goodbye, and know that you would still be financially secure?

Vincent Murphy is the Webmaster/Owner of the http://www.HomeGrail.com Website/Home Business Copywriting Ideas. To Join His Newsletter All About Making Money Online Send A Blank Email To: homegrail@getresponse.com.Althea Blog92600
Anica Blog91056

Online Turnkey Business Opportunities and Ideas

Anyone who wants to make more money than they ever could with their 9 to 5 J-O-B, owning his or her own business is the only opportunity for the average person to consider(besides winning the lottery). Owning a brick and mortar business, is way out of reach for the average person. If you have a computer and an internet connection, then you have the ability to own your own work at home online turnkey business.

Recently, more and more people have become interested in making their income on the internet, unfortunately few of them ever make a decent living. Making money working from home takes a lot of time and effort. It is not a get rich quick solution. Be ready for months, maybe even years, of hard consistent work before you finally reap the benefits. Follow the wrong path into get-rich-quick schemes and you will be back to your day job in no time flat, more broke than when you started.

Here's a six step formula for starting a home business.

#1. Find out if you can make huge sums of money without selling anything. Is this possible? Yes! There are business opportunities out that do not involve selling. This works primarily if the business uses a powerful Direct Response Marketing approach. The beauty of this approach is that it attracts all the right people and turns away the wrong ones. Folks are bought into the home-based business system automatically! Direct Response Marketing also eliminates the biggest objections, educates people about the major advantages of a product or service, and best of all, it makes people want to buy now! Therefore, finding an opportunity like this is crucial.

#2. Discover if the work at home opportunity offers help, support, and guidance from experts with a proven track record of making millions of dollars. This will require some research. It's safe to say that many opportunities will fail miserably in this area. However, if such a home business opportunity is found, your chance of success will be very high.

#3. Check to see if the company offers long-term opportunity. In other words, is the system the company has in place designed to make people money for the next 10, 20, and even 30 years? Avoid opportunities that sound golden, but will lose their glitter very quickly.

#4. Determine whether the home-based business opportunity can produce automatic income. It is useless to become involved in a business opportunity that will take months before any results or income can be seen. Why? People will usually become discouraged and quit if efforts are not rewarded in a timely manner. Avoid opportunities that will take months before any type of cash reward will be seen.

#5. Always ask if the start up is easy. If it will take three months to start up the business, why even become involved?

#6. This could be the most important question. Never forget to ask if there is an exit strategy. This is not being negative at all. On the contrary, it is being smart! Remember, there are no guarantees in life and business

Denise Nuttall owns the "Home Business Resource Directory" where you can find everything you'll ever need to start, run and grow a home business at: http://djnuttall-enterprises.comArlen Blog54850
Arlen Blog54850

Personal Finance - Three Quick & Simple Ways To Improve Your Personal Finances

Many Americans and people in countries where ready credit is available find themselves in greater debt then ever before and this makes you wonder whether you are working for yourself or for your creditors. This ends up being a problem of financial spending & control and if you take a short moment to reconsider your own financial health, you might be able to correct your financial situation today.

You will find that many people today are living from paycheck to paycheck and running from payday loan provider to another. This article suggests three simple & quick ways to improve your personal finances.

Firstly, you might want to draw up a Cash flow statement for yourself. This is quite simple to do actually. Just take a blank sheet of paper and draw a line in the middle and consider how much money you are earning each month and list all the sources on the left and total it up at the bottom. Next on the right column figure out how much money you are spending each month, including how much interest and debt you need to repay. Take your credit card statements out and use it to work through this section. Once you figure this out, then you will be better able to manage your own finances or at least have a better idea about your spending habits.

Secondly, budget to save before you spend. This idea is taken from many millionaires who recommend that you use auto-transfer each month a sum of your money and either save it or invest it into some thing like real estate. My personal favourite idea is to take a sum of money each month and use it to purchase my favourite Exchange Traded Fund which works like a mutual fund only that it just buys up the entire index of stocks. This way you do not need to work about over performing or underperforming the market and the management fees for these funds are really low.

Finally, now that you know how much money you have left to spend each month, budget how much you want to spend each month. As terrible as it may seem, try to pay for things with cash and with a debt card so that you are kept in touch with how much you are actually spending. Its so easy to flash a credit card and then lose sense of reality and you only get hit with it at the end of the month when the bill arrives. So try to remind yourself constantly about the need to avoid spending exuberance.

In conclusion, doing a simple cash flow statement ever so often helps to keep yourself reminded of how your spending and investing patterns are each month. Budgeting to save before you spend will ensure that you will retire quite well off and budgeting before you spend will help you figure out how you want to use your available funds each month. Remember that the more credit you use on consumer products which drop in value really fast, the most the credit card companies are going to make from you and the less you will have to spend in the longer term. Take control of your finances today and you will find your life starting to look brighter and happier.

Copyright © 2006 Joel Teo. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author's information with live links only.)

Joel Teo is the successful Webmaster of http://www.RealEstateInvestment101.info. Learn how you can make money in Orlando Investment Property today and start generating a positive monthly cashflow from your property investments.Alyce Blog56982
Adrian Blog14854

Search Wars Continue Is Social Search The Holy Grail?

Abstract:

The latest frontier in search engine technology is social search. Born out of the social networking boom, social search will attempt to humanize search results thereby providing users with consumer driven answers to their queries. Considering that 50% of queries go unanswered, social search could be the biggest breakthrough since page ranking.

Overview:

As search giants, Google, Yahoo and MSN continue their fierce battle to become king of the search engines, internet marketers are faced with increasing challenges to dominate in the rankings. As algorithms and methodologies change, savvy entrepreneurs and Madison Avenue continue their heated battle for a coveted Top 10 spot in search engine rankings.

Social search is not officially here but the debut is not far off. Yahoo, MSN and Google are all purportedly working on methodologies to converge search and user generated content all while walking the tightrope known as privacy. Yahoo has been beta-testing Yahoo Answers since December 2005 and has hired powerhouse, Raghu Ramakrishnan, the co-author of Database Management Systems and co-founder of QUIQ. Mircosoft is in talks with Eurekster.com, a company specializing in social search and Google is experimenting with Google Base Beta.

Why are these internet behemoths investing so much in social search? Social networks such as MySpace and Friendster are threatening the domination of established search giants.

Social networks are pulling in a significant and increasing share of web traffic.

Social network sites are actively working to improve their internal search capabilities and provide an even richer experience for their members. Search giants such as Google, Yahoo and MSN must accelerate their social search efforts or they may be left out of the search game that they now dominate. Search giants must step it up or they will get left behind.

Why now, what drives this apparent sudden change?

It is hard to believe that in the early days of the net, there was an underlying assumption that technology would replace or hinder human interaction. There were those that believed users would prefer getting their information from a computer rather than a person. Social networking is really something old made new by bringing it online. It turns out we humans still rely on other humans and technology simply allows us to expand the boundaries of our social networks. Studies have proven what we already knew intuitively, we pay attention to recommendations from real people.

Social search, viral marketing and social networking are not at all new concepts. Social search is really the technology derivative of asking friends and colleagues for recommendations. In the long ago, dark ages before we googled, if you needed a mechanic you asked your neighbor, your colleagues and your friends for a recommendation. We now google for mechanics and visit websites to gain information that will help us in our decision.

Social search will enable users to combine the two for a robust result that combines user driven content or the human element with the power of technology. Pretty heady stuff, when you contemplate the impact of this new era of search.

What does all of this mean to the internet marketer?

The internet marketers goals remain the same - drive traffic and convert that traffic to profitable sales.

Social search will not change the foundation of marketing but it will change the way in which you present your information to generate leads. In other words, you will still need to apply good old fashioned Public Relations and Marketing tactics to the new fangled Social Search Medium, fondly dubbed SMM by some.

Drive traffic to your site from social search and search engine optimization

To take advantage of social search, the first step is to develop a plan, and finding your niche. Contrary to popular belief, the world is not your customer. Often the focus is on pure traffic results, but none of that matters if youre not hitting your sales goals. Answer these:

- Who is your ideal customer, what does he look like?
- Do you merely want 200,000 hits per day or do you want 200,000 hits from people that have a problem your product or service can solve?
- What complementary products or services do they buy?
- How often do they make purchases, when?

Take the time to identify your target market before you launch a marketing plan. Make sure to also include complimentary offerings through popular email courses, as in: http://www.microsaw.com/myform.htm to educate your audience first. Then, sample them via a survey, to find out more about them. And, because you gave them something for free, they'll be more willing to fill out the survey.

Now that you have identified your niche, youll have a much easier time capturing them using SMM. Marketing whether online or off is all about relevancy, visibility, and credibility. As an internet marketer you want to dominate your niche market by establishing yourself as the expert in your area, delivering content to your potential customer that is relevant to their needs and preferences and have greater visibility than your competitors.

Steps that you can take to achieve expertness with SMM:

1. Become an expert source of information.

Use the bookmarks and article submission features of sites such as Digg to establish yourself as a credible and recognizable source of information.

2. Hitchhike on a blog.

Post relevant and informative content on high profile blogs in your industry. Contributing to a blog on relevant subject matter will increase your visibility and credibility with your target market.

3. Share, share, share.

Create a Squidoo lens, write and publish articles to online article banks (i.e. ezinearticles.com), contribute to wikipedia. Issue quarterly press releases through PR Web. Providing content will establish familiarity with your name (the havent I heard of you? effect) and enable you to cement your expertise with your audience. You will then drive pre-qualified users to your site, who has already established interest in what you have to sell.

4. Create your own friendly network.

Link sharing with complementary products and services is still a great way to expand your social network, and hence your visibility.

5. Build on your existing foundation. The technical aspect of search will not be eliminated with the dawn of social search. Rather social search will augment technical search. Thus, it is important to continue utilizing the tools and resources that drive technical search including optimization techniques and paid inclusion.

6. Apply innovation directly to your site. Here's an example: http://microsaw-swicki.eurekster.com/ that we are using, and it's a free service.

Summary:

Social search will not entirely replace the traditional technical driven search but does open up yet another avenue for internet marketers. One of the more exciting aspects is that smaller businesses are better positioned to make the most gains from the social frontier. We have seen the power of the regular Joe community in driving site popularity and outpacing Madison Avenue marketing efforts.

YouTube, MySpace and Facebook owe their growth to the power of viral marketing. Big Business has not yet mastered the art of getting up close and personal with its users providing savvy entrepreneurs with the opportunity of a lifetime. By using the simple techniques outlined in this article you will be well poised to take advantage of that opportunity.

Social Marketing Resources:

Digg, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Flickr, StumbleUpon, Newsvine, LinkedIn, Del.icio.us, MySpace, Ma.gnolia, Yahoo Answers, Reddit, Technorati, Squidoo, Shoutwire, 43 Things, YourElevatorPitch, Ning, Yahoo 360, BlinkList, Shadows, Wetpaint, Jotspot

Article Banks:

Ezinearticles, GoArticles, SubmitYourArticles (fee required), Buzzle, Articlealley, iSnare

Jon Rognerud is a recognized authority on the subject of search marketing, and has spent over 10 years developing websites and marketing solutions at companies like Overture and Yahoo. His website, http://www.microsaw.com, provides a wealth of informative articles, tips and tools.Aubine Blog39078
Anjanette Blog83602

Affiliate Marketing: Making Money Finding Clients!

As a business owner, Bill had a good thing happening. He was able to run his store and run it well. He had customers that would even come from quite a ways away because they liked the products and the services that he provided. But, since he was only one person, he didn't want to really expand with other stores. He liked being able to go home to his family and not worry about a lot of other employees.

Yet, it would be nice to be able to get his product to others, wouldn't it? Bill knew he would have more customers if he could get his business online and then promote it. But, he knew nothing of how to do that. The last thing that he wanted to do was spend money advertising his company only to not make anything off of it.

Bill wanted to be able to retire one day and give his children the ability to have a business that was already stable so he decided to try his hand at developing a website. With a little help from his son, he learned that there were people out there that would work for him to promote his website. All he had to do was to hire them and only pay them when people came to the site to buy a product.

These affiliate marketers did all of the work for him. They brought people to his website where his products did all of the talking. And, he paid them for bringing the customers. Soon, they came back on their own and his business grew well beyond his hopes.

Fred was one of the affiliate marketers that worked with Bill. He created a website that was geared at promoting Bill's and made a good amount of income off of just this one site. He brought the customers and Bill paid him to do so.

Affiliate marketing is one of the most sought after types of internet marketing. For those that are looking to get in, the process is simple. Advertise for a company and bring clients to them. If it is just that simple, though, more people would be after this highly profitable game. In affiliate marketing of any type, there is some work that needs to be done to make it successful. For that reason, understanding just what affiliate marketing is and how it works is how you'll know if this is the right place for you to be in.

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

The job of an individual in this business is to promote web businesses like Bill's. The affiliate marketer is then rewarded for every visitor that is brought to the site because of what he did to promote it. You may be promoting for subscribers for services. You may be promoting for customers who will make purchases. Or, you may be compensated just for having the individuals make it to the right web page. In any case, affiliate marketing is set up to be that of a finder's fee situation because you are bringing new businesses to the client.

Some terms to know:

Affiliate: An affiliate is an individual that is affiliated with a company to help promote the company.

Marketing: Is the act of promoting a website or product.

Affiliate marketing: Promoting of a website, product or service through affiliates as opposed to paying for and placing the advertising yourself.

Affiliate marketer: An individual that does the marketing for the company.

Compensation for affiliate marketing ranges in how it is provided. There are three main types of payment structures available.

a. Pay Per Lead: In this scenario, the affiliate marketer is paid based on the individuals that they get to register or subscribe to the site's product or service.
b. Pay Per Click: In this method of compensation, the company will determine a set rate to pay based on each time that a new client visits the website.
c. Pay Per Sale: In this case, the affiliate marketer will be paid based on the amount of sales made from the purchase of a client that is attracted to the website. This is a commission based program.

The Benefits

From the aspect of being the affiliate marketer, you can make money virtually anytime of the day and night when your sales medium works. Whatever you do to make sure that the clients click through to the buyer's website, you'll be able to be compensated for that. Another benefit is the fact that there are many affiliate programs out there being run. Bill's small business is nothing compared to the larger companies out there. One of the largest that runs its own affiliate program is that of Amazon.com.

On the other hand, businesses like to use these set ups and are willing to provide the opportunity because nothing is paid for until it is realized. They pay only when you give them the results of clients to the site. Bill liked this, of course, because he knew he wasn't wasting his advertising dollars.

The Cons Of Affiliate Marketing

Like any other money making opportunity, it is important for you to understand that you may need to invest. Often, the affiliate marketer will need to invest in a website to attract visitors to and in advertising and marketing. For some individuals, the plan is to develop one website that is a launching pad for several affiliate marketing campaigns.

For example, if the affiliate marketer wishes to tap into the world of credit card affiliate programs, he or she will design a website that provides key information about credit cards. They will be able to link the website to the official websites of the credit card companies. By luring customers in with quality information on credit cards, the potential customer will click on the banner ads or links provided to take them to the official site to sign up.

But, affiliate marketing is not that simple. You will need to invest in providing good quality information. You will need to furnish your content yourself or hire a professional. Then, you'll need to get customers to your site. To do this, some affiliate marketers use search engine optimization and article directories while others pay to have their website listed as an advertiser on search pages.

Is There Money Out There?

It may seem that you are putting quite a bit of money into this business, but in fact, affiliate marketing can be a good way to make decent money. The amount can range from just a few dollars to quite a bit. It all comes from the knowledge that you have or obtain and the work and dedication you put into the task. Affiliate marketing has the potential to make a decent income. You help Bill and he pays you to do so. Both win in the game of affiliate marketing.

Keith Lee is a motivational speaker, a life coach and a fitness instructor for the past 10 yeras. He study and did research on the Internet Marketing Industry for years. Go to his webiste http://www.MyInternetMarketingSuccess.com for some superb tips.Audre Blog80301
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Losing Money In Real Estate - A True Story

What if you were able to buy a decent two bedroom home for about $30,000, fix it up a little and put it on the market for $80,000? Do you think you could make some money that way? This is the story of a man who lost it all that way, followed by a few lessons to be learned from his sad tale.

The story takes place in 2002, in a mountain town in Montana, where the last of the good jobs had left town twenty-two years earlier when the copper smelter closed. It is a beautiful town, but the resulting economic decline caused a population decline of more than 30%, down to about 7,000 or 8,000 people. My wife and I bought a great little house there for $17,500, so home prices had obviously tumbled along with the population.

A neighbor, at eighty-years-old, decided to become a real estate investor. He bought the house next to us for around $30,000, and borrowed more from the bank to fix the place up. Given the price of our own home and the fact that this other house wasn't nearly as nice, I wondered if he had overpaid. He seemed sure that he had a good deal, though and could make some money.

As the weeks went by, he did get the place looking better. He put in an incredible fireplace, and new carpeting. The electricians worked on the old wiring on and off for a long time, always finding something else that needed to be done, and then taking their time doing it. The old guy was paying by the hour, with no contract, of course. The heating system needed replacing, at which point our neighbor mentioned, "I didn't know the house had so many problems." At some point his enthusiasm started to fail.

His bank account started to fail too. Eventually he admitted to me that he had over $65,000 into the place, but still seemed certain he could sell the home for $80,000. I politely nodded. It was too late to say anything anyhow. He didn't even have money to fix up the rusty iron fence around the house. In fact, from the outside, the appearance had hardly changed at all, since all his money went into the interior.

The sign went up, though I am not sure why the real estate agent wanted such a listing. Perhaps it was with the hope that he would maintain the listing when the bank took the house and dropped the price. In the end, that is exactly what happened. "I gave the house back to the bank," the old guy told me one day.

A Few Real Estate Lessons

I like this story because my old neighbor did so many things wrong. This makes it a great teaching story. Often real estate success consists as much in avoiding common mistakes as knowing intricate techniques. Here, then are some of the mistakes he made.

1. He had no plan. He had only a vague idea about what he would do and how much the home would sell for.

2. He had no idea of how to value a house. If he had compared the home to recent sales (like our $17,500 purchase next door) he would have realized that the most he would get for the home was probably around $30,000, if that.

3. He had no concept of his market. This was a two bedroom starter home. Buyers for these homes are not looking for a fancy fireplace.

4. He had no contracts or firm quotes from contractors. He let them find as much as they wanted to do and charge him by the hour.

5. He didn't get an inspection. Had he gotten the home inspected, he might have had some idea of how many problems it had, and how much it would take to correct them.

6. He didn't understand the concept of return on investment. Even if buyers liked the fireplace and other features he put into the home, these features probably increased the value less than what they cost.

7. He didn't have enough money or financing lined up. This was a fortunate mistake, perhaps. Since the project was doomed to fail, it may have been good that he ran out of money.

Why not learn from the mistakes of others? As a side note, we selectively put $1,900 into our home there for a total investment (with purchase price and closing costs) of $19,800, and sold it for $28,000 four months after we bought it. We might have been lucky, but we also avoided some common real estate investing mistakes.

Copyright Steve Gillman. For a Free Real Estate Investing Course, visit: http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com.Alice Blog97555
Ailyn Blog79915

A Checklist of The 8 "Must-Have" Marketing Tools for Service Professionals

There are countless tools available today to help you promote your services and generate more clients. However, before you experiment with the latest and greatest, you'll want to make sure that you've equipped your marketing toolbox with the following eight "must-haves":

1. A "Spot-On" Self-Introduction: This is that clear, concise sentence (typically ten words or less) that quickly sums up what you do and who you do it for in a compelling way.

2. A "Business Boasting" Business Card: Your business card should not only include your name, business name, mailing address, telephone number, email, fax and website, but also your marketing message or tagline.

3. A "Client-Generating" Website: If you're in business today, you need a website. Period. Make sure you're squeezing every bit of mileage out of this 24/7 marketing tool with excellent copy and a solid client-generating strategy.

4. A "Brand-Building" Photograph: From business cards to your media kit (and everything in between), this instant brand-building tool will help you establish further credibility, and become more easily recognized in your market.

5. A "Do-It-All" Database Management System: The fortune is in the follow-up. Make sure you've got an automated and well-organized, follow-up system in place to manage your communications with all of your prospects, clients, colleagues and networking contacts.

6. An "Easy-to-Buy" Service Menu: Make it easy for people to purchase from you by bundling services into easy-to-buy packages that fit their needs and solve their problems.

7. A '"Tell-All" Tagline: Oftentimes, your tagline the ONLY thing people will remember about you or your business. Make sure yours is not only catchy," but that it also clearly communicates what your business does.

8. A "Raving Fan" Plan: A "Raving Fan" is someone who's experienced your work, has benefitted from your service, and will happily tell others about you and your business. Every small business needs a "Raving Fan" plan to help attract and retain this type of client, who will ultimately end up doing 85% of your marketing for you.

If you're looking for ALL the marketing tools you need to generate more clients and more cash in your business, you can find them in my Client Generator Boot Camp Program. http://www.conniecoach.com

(c) Connie Scholl 2006

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: "Connie Scholl, of www.ConnieCoach.com works with Professionals & Small Business Owners who want to generate more clients and make more money." For your FREE 7-Day MARKETING e-Course, visit http://www.conniecoach.com

Connie Scholl of ConnieCoach.com provides self-employed service professionals with simple, effective and low-cost marketing solutions designed to quickly jump-start sales and consistently generate new clients. Get free marketing tips and "how-to-articles" at http://www.conniecoach.comAdrien Blog60710
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Saving Money Online With Digital Coupons, Freebies, And Comparison Shopping

The Internet is a great invention for many different reasons. But, did you know that it can be a great resource for saving you money when shopping? You no longer have to clip coupons out of the Sunday paper; you can find them right at the tip of your fingers just by knowing where to look!

Coupons

One of the easiest ways to save money on the Internet is by printing online coupons. All you have to do is type the search criteria "online coupon" in your favorite search engine and you are on your way to savings! Here are some examples of great online web sites that help you save money:

CouponSurfer CouponSurfer has almost 300 coupons from over 100 stores on their web site. Do you need new brake pads on your car? You can save up to 50% just by filling out the free registration form at CouponSurfer and printing their coupon. Other recent savings at CouponSurfer were a 40-cent coupon from Tropicana, a 50-cent off coupon from St. Joseph's aspirin, and coupons from Pampers.

Hot Coupons Hot Coupons lets you type in your zip code or city name to find discounts offered in your area. You can find savings for local restaurants, automotive centers, health centers, retail stores, and businesses including real estate, lawyers, hotels, and doctors.

Also, pay attention to television commercials. Many times, companies coming out with a new product will advertise on television and list a web page where you can print a money saving coupon. A recent commercial from Febreze listed their web page address. By going there, you can fill out a form and have Frebreze mail you $20 in coupons for many of their products, including their latest electronic air freshener, NOTICEables.

Coupon Codes

There are also web sites that offer a percentage off online purchases. Ultimate Coupons is a great example of this type of online savings site. Ultimate Coupons constantly updates their site with the latest in online savings. A recent search showed coupons for 10% off at http://Target.com, 15% off Pet Supplies at Petco, and $5 off $20 on Digital Photos & Gifts at Snapfish. Many times, if you search online, you can also find codes for free shipping to places like Macys, Sears, Amazon, and Old Navy.

Freebies

Many web sites have user forums where people can share online savings and free offers with each other. Big Big Forums is an excellent place to visit to find coupon codes, freebies, and reward programs. Members (there are over 31,000) post different offers they have seen on television or found online. There are folders for each particular type of offer, so it is very easy to find things here. Once you register for free, you too can post coupon codes and freebies. You may even be lucky enough to get in on a free subscription to a magazine such as TV Guide or link to a free Schick Quattro razor.

Comparison Shopping

A great feature of many Internet web sites is that they will give you price comparisons of items for which you are looking. Froogle is Google's shopping search engine. All you have to do is type in the name of what you are looking for and Froogle does the rest! It will find web pages selling the item you are looking for and lists the price. That way, you can find the best deal available. There are several other web sites that will help you to do comparison shopping such as MySimon and Bizrate. Letting these sites help you find the best price can make every online shopping experience enjoyable.

Other web sites can save you money online too. You can refinance your home loan and find the lowest interest rates by searching at Ditech or search for the cheapest car insurance at Geico. How do you learn about all the sites available? The best way is to pay attention to the media. Commercials, newspapers, and magazines are always listing web sites. Also, join a forum such as Big Big Forums. When people share ideas and resources, it can be great for your pocketbook. Remember that every coupon and savings opportunity adds up!

Jean Gibbons offers valuable tips and advice on saving money online, internet coupons, and using coupons codes for discounts. http://www.free-coupons-online.com.Ada Blog85176
Amelina Blog45172

Instantly Online Unsecured Loans without Pledge

To qualify ones desirable requirements, individuals need to have make adjustments- financial adjustments. So as to taking account of todays money market inflation, its getting harder and harder day by day to maintain budget accordingly. People avail the benefits of loans, the loans which not only provide with ample money, but also do no contain any sort of collateral pledging, the loans contain collateral pledging proves to be financial rather detrimental to the borrowers property. For, the convenience of such borrowers, the lending authority has provisioned the various lenders with online unsecured loans.

Availing the online unsecured loans online accelerates the processing pace of these loans. No need of keeping collateral, evades borrowers from property evaluation and that quickens the processing procedures of online unsecured loans. Therefore, these loans attest the special attention of those who are tenant or non-homeowners. More so, those homeowners who do not want to produce their any valuable item before lenders too, can avail the facility of these loans.

Individuals having in grave adversity of bad credit history i.e., CCJs, IVAs, bankrupts, arrears, and defaulters, too have been given chances of availing online unsecured loans, all that they may have to face with a little more paper works and documentation. Due to degrading credit scores, lenders make their lending steps with clarity and cautiously.

Amount raised by the lending authority under the online unsecured loans is 5, 000; however this amount can be further increased up to 25, 000 too. Borrowers invest the amount as they wish to. Home improvement and renovation, childrens higher education, for ones business infrastructural development etc., these loans contain wholesome lending package.

In order to get benefits from the online unsecured loans, lenders keep the repayment period shorter to other loans. In view to make up the insurance of unsecured loans, lenders incur upon higher interest rates, as these loans contain no collateral as of borrowers security. Nevertheless, period stipulated to the online unsecured loans is 5 years, which can be further extended up to 10 years terms too.

Now, what required is right selection of a lender, the lender may offer feasible terms and conditions of online unsecured loans. Due to presence of too many lenders in money market, it becomes somewhat harder for the borrowers to select amongst from. Possibly, not to forget taking help of financial expert, if one may having any problem regarding online unsecured loans.

Tim Kelly is an expert in finance having completed her LLM in Finance (Master of Laws in Finance) from Institute for Law and Finance at Frankfurt University. She is currently working with Bad Debt Unsecured Loan as a financial advisor. To find bad debt unsecured loan, online unsecured loans, bad debt business loan, bad debt fast unsecured loan, unsecured loan that best site's you need visit http://www.baddebtunsecuredloan.co.ukAngelica Blog93362
Astra Blog5021

5 Sure-Fire Boosts to Your Online Money-Making Success

Ok, youve purchased one of those money-maker products and its giving you all sorts of ideas for making money online. Now what?

Although its possible to generate Internet income without a website, youll eventually want one or even several so you can get listed in search results. But dont forget, search engines love to send visitors to content-rich websites, so youll want to cram your sites with useful information. Heres how it works Good content impresses your visitors, who are then coaxed into buying.

What can you do to boost your fledgling online business? Study and learn, and then keep studying and learning! I know it sounds like work, but competition on the Internet is fierce and soon only the very knowledgeable will succeed. You can make yourself one of the success stories.

Heres how to build a website business that will put more online cash in your pocket.

Step 1: Buy a product that includes a free, starter website.

Some money-making products offer a free website after you purchase the package. Its a great start for your Internet empire, so take advantage of the offer.

Recommended: Adwords Miracle, The Ultimate Wealth Package, The Rich Jerk.

Step 2: Use Adwords ads to get traffic to your website in a hurry.

Check out books from the library or book stores to get familiar with Google Adwords (that's the name of Google's pay-per-click (PPC) ad program). These ads appear in the Sponsored Links area, to the right of web search results.

How does Adwords work? You pick targeted keywords and write a brief ad to entice your visitors to click. Its the quickest way to get traffic to your website, but it will cost you. You bid on the keywords you want your ad to be listed for and pay the bid price each time a visitor clicks on your ad.

Recommended: If you have the money, buy at least one information product that teaches the basics of PPC advertising and gives you some insight into the techniques professional marketers use. Two excellent products are Adwords Miracle and Beating Adwords.

Step 3: Learn some HTML and put Adsense ads on your websites.

You will want to adjust and adapt your websites to add more income-producing content. For example, Google has a free program called Adsense where you place Google Adwords ads on your web pages. Google gives you the instructions making it easy to place Adsense ads on your web pages, as long as you know basic HTML.

Adsense ads are matched to the content on your pages so theyre relevant to your website and of interest to your visitors. If someone clicks on an Adsense ad from your website you get credit for the click at approximately 50% of the per-click cost the ad owner pays Google.

Heres the benefit of Adsense: if your visitors arent ready to buy the products on your website, they may want to click on a relevant Adsense ad instead. If they do, you get some income to offset the cost of any Adwords ad they clicked to get to your site in the first place. In fact, some people actually make a living from Adsense revenue. You could be one of them!

Recommended: Your public library has books and CD-ROMs that can train you in basic HTML. If you prefer online instruction, try the free courses at W3Schools: (http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_intro.asp). For Adsense information: (https://www.google.com/adsense/).

Step 4: Become fluent in SEO (Search Engine Optimization.)

This is a fancy phrase that simply means adjusting the content and some of the HTML to make your websites more appealing to search engines, like Google, Yahoo and MSN. Search engines look for keyword-rich content and certain HTML tags to determine the topic of your site. The more search engine friendly you make your website, the higher you will appear in the search results. But why bother, if youre forking-out cash to have Adwords ads send traffic to your site?

Consider this Statistics show that searchers trust and click normal search engine results more than Adwords ads. So, if you tweak your site a little bit you will eventually get FREE search placement. Instead of clicking on one of your expensive Adwords ads, a prospective customer will see your website listed in the general search results and click there instead. That, my friend, is a NO COST click! Well worth a little study and some massaging of your website content and HTML.

Recommended: SitePro News. Sign up for their free newsletter about site promotion and search engine optimization at http://www.sitepronews.com. This is a quality site that wont spam you.

Step 5: Repeat, then repeat again.

Once youve mastered the above strategies, you simply create more websites using what youve learned. Check the money-making product you originally bought for ideas for website topics and products to sell.

Your Strategy Summary.

Ok, lets review how the whole process works. Heres what you do:

(1) Buy a money-making product with a free website that jump-starts your online business.
(2) Use Adwords to generate quick traffic to your website.
(3) Put Adsense ads on your site to offset your Adwords costs.
(4) Tweak your HTML and website content to improve your search engine placement and visitor interest.
(5) Create more websites using the free site as a template and duplicate your success, over and over again.

Thats how money is made on the Internet. Theres no real trick to it, you simply go from one successful website to another, earning a little money from each one. With some study and a certain amount of work, youll eventually own a website empire that generates enough cash for you to make a comfortable online living.

Tom Thomas is an Internet marketer who reviews the best money-making products, domain name registrars, website hosting companies and online marketing tools. See his reviews at http://BestMoneyMakersGuide.comAila Blog83372
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