Even if it’s a certain section of your dining room table, having a dedicated office space is crucial if you work from home. Use this office area strictly for work and keep all your files and equipment here. This will prevent your work from getting lost or unorganized.

Without a structured office environment, work from home moms need to create their own work schedules. Take some time at the beginning of your work week to write down your upcoming projects and their deadlines. Be sure to include non-project tasks such as children’s meals or running errands. Analyze how much time you will need each day to complete your projects. Keep your work schedule in an easily accessible location and refer to it often to stay on track.

Clutter in your workspace is a major factor in becoming disorganized. Take some time and review your paperwork often, recycling what you no longer need. Scanning papers and saving them on your computer is one useful way to reduce clutter and get organized. Files on your computer should also be cleaned out on a regular basis and organized in a way that makes sense to you.

With children’s schedules and activities to maintain, work from home moms may not be able to focus on their projects uninterrupted for long periods of time. However, eliminating distractions is a key factor in staying organized. Some situations my arise that necessitate straying from your work schedule, but try to eliminate as many distractions as you can control and stick to your task list for the day.

Work from home moms take care of many things during their days, from meals to naptimes to errands, not to mention their own projects. With a few simple tips, moms can stay organized, ensuring their children’s needs are met and important deadlines aren’t missed.

Check out Randy’s Home-Business Ideas for more information and sign up for the free newsletter and a free informative book today.

Of all the ways that people have invented to sell things over the
Internet, writing free articles to run in ezines is perhaps the most
effective. One great thing about this method of marketing is that
you can do it with NO money. So if you are just starting your
Internet marketing career, put away the Visa and warm up that
keyboard! Article marketing may be the perfect way to market. It’s
free to do. It educates prospects. It gets your message in front of
thousands of interested prospects you would NEVER reach otherwise.
It’s viral. Best of all … it works!

So what is "article marketing" and how can it impact your world?
Glad you asked. What we call "article marketing" is simply
writing informative articles and having those articles run in ezines.
If that sounds hard, it’s not. Let’s run the numbers for a moment.

There are over 300,000 ezines out there. Estimates say that over 90%
of them use free articles in their ezines. That means there is a
HUGE market for your articles, no matter what you want to write
about.

We like to say it this way. From cat food to Katmandu, there’s an
ezine out there for everyone. You included.

The Big Picture

The first step is to understand the goal of article marketing. The
goal is to write an informative article and have it run in as many
TARGETED ezines as possible. When people read the article they see
your resource box at the end of the article, click to your website
and buy your stuff. They learn something, and you make money. Very
simple.

Notice the emphasis on targeted? Please, please, whatever you do, do
not waste an editors time with articles that they don’t need. One of
the greatest things about the Directory of Ezines is that you can
use it to find the perfect ezines for your articles … fast. Use
the DOE, but never spam editors with articles they can’t use.

<Getting off soapbox now>

How to Write the Article

You want to write an informative article about something you know.
Once you chose your subject, here’s the magic formula for writing
the article. Five easy steps.

1. Be yourself. Don’t try to write like anyone else. Let your
personality shine through.

2. Tell a story. People love to hear an interesting story.

3. Limit yourself to 600 words. This is an ideal length for most
ezines. Format your article to 65 characters per line with a hard
return at the end of each line.

4. Have a clear opening, make three or five points it the middle,
and have a brief conclusion.

5. THIS IS THE BIG ONE. Give the reader a few steps he or she can
take to make your idea work for them. Tell them what to do first,
second, third to accomplish the task you are writing about.

If the reader can take ACTION based on what you wrote (just like you
can now apply this formula to your writing) you will have delivered
valuable information to them. Do that and, hopefully, they will keep
reading your stuff!

How to Find the Right Ezines

The absolute, 100% effective, surefire way to do this is to use the
Directory of Ezines. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Look for ezines that have these three things. First, the ezine
content matches your article content. Second, the ezine accepts
articles. Third, the reader is someone who would be a good customer
for you. Once you nail down those basics you have found the perfect
market for your articles.

How to Approach the Editor

The BEST way to approach an editor is this.

1. Subscribe to the ezine.

2. Read a few issues.

3. Write a personal note commenting on what you enjoyed about the
issues that you read.

4. Offer your article as one that might fit in.

5. Ask to be informed if your article is run.

6. Thank them for their time.

7. Be available if they have questions.

If an editor chooses your article, the odds are they will run your
articles in the future as well. Stay in touch and you can develop
close relationships with literally hundreds of editors. Remember
that each editor represents thousands of readers that you may never
reach any other way. Also remember that the editor is a busy person.
Keep your email brief.

How to Maximize Your ROI

Include a "resource box" at the end of the article. A resource box
is where you sell the reader on going to your website, subscribing
to your ezine, or taking any other action you want them to take.

Marketing with ezine articles is truly a win-win-win proposition.
The publisher wins because he or she gets great free articles. The
reader wins because your article is informative and tells them how
to accomplish an important task as easy as 1,2,3. You win because
hundreds of thousands of readers see your selling message at the end
of your article.

All of this with no out-of-pocket costs. Now THAT’S a beautiful
thing!

Charlie Page is the owner of the Directory of Ezines, the first
and most comprehensive list of quality ezines that accept
advertising available on the Internet. Charlie can show you how to
sell more products and earn more affiliate commissions using the
Internet’s #1 marketing method … ezine marketing!

The goal today is simple. That goal is to pull back the curtain and
show you how a professional copywriter creates the copy that causes
people to reach for their wallet or purse. Copy you would normally
have to pay for, only now you can do it yourself.

Let me begin by saying how very much I hate hype. Hate it. Loathe
it. Don’t want to read it and will not write it. The pure fact of
the matter is that it does not take hype to sell products. It does
take capturing a person’s attention, then their imagination, long
enough to help them see the desire they have for your product.

Here’s the first foundational truth about copywriting. The people
who visit your site WANT to buy what you sell. They have the desire
now, or they wouldn’t go to your site. They didn’t just wander by.
They chose your site because something interested them.

Your job now is to enhance that sense of DESIRE and persuade them to
take action now. Enhancing their desire to benefit from what you
offer. That’s the name of the game. Don’t confuse desire with being
convinced. Desire creates sales, being convinced doesn’t. I’m
convinced the Golden Gate Bridge is a fine bridge, but I don’t want
to own it.

On the other hand, there’s this very cool laptop I want so bad I can
taste it. I need a laptop like a hole in the head, but I want it.
You see, a person doesn’t have to need your product to buy it. They
just have to want it. Very few people really need a Palm Pilot, or a
laptop, or heated leather seats or an expensive ink pen when the one
the dry cleaner gives away still writes, but they buy these things
(and more) every day.

Why shouldn’t they buy them from you?

With that in mind, consider the following five key points to writing
copy that gets results … no matter what product, service or
opportunity you offer.

The five points are:

1. Sell with emotion, support with logic.
2. Be honest.
3. Be brief, but not too brief.
4. Ask for the order early … and often.
5. Emulate, don’t imitate.

The first point is so important, so foundational, that I’m devoting
this entire article to understanding how this will work in your real
world. If you get this first step right you will see results even if
you bobble the other four. Without this one, the other four will
have to work overtime to get people to reach for the Visa.

Pay careful attention because this is where 99% of ineffective copy
fails to do it’s job.

1. Left Brain — Right Brain

People generally buy things in a very predictable way. They make a
decision to buy based on emotion and defend or justify that decision
with logic. Rarely do people (even engineers!) buy in the reverse
order. Memorize this: People buy based on emotion, and defend or
justify that purchase with logic. That idea is the reason that
people buy. Period.

Let’s take a closer look. Here is a quick example from what is
perhaps the best example of buying on emotion and defending it with
logic known to mankind … the world of new car sales.

Example #1
You go to the dealership one fine weekend just to ’see what your
trade-in is worth’. These sharks are not going to sell you anything.
You are there for facts, just the facts. Not even shopping. Just
getting information. You were in the neighborhood anyway.

Then it happens. The smell of a new interior. The purr of the
engine. (You didn’t really realize how loud your old car is inside.)
Then there’s the shine of the new paint job. Red. You always wanted
red. You deserve red. You want red! You can almost feel the pride
swell inside you as you imagine driving down your street for the
first time, your neighbors drooling with envy. ‘Bonnie must be doing
well.’ they say. ‘She’s always seemed smart.’ You can see the look
on your friends faces as you drive home for Christmas in your new
RED car.

By golly, you ARE going to have red. You wanted red in high school
and got the old family junker. Remember the embarrassment? You
wanted red in college but your idiot boyfriend talked you into
black. Black! After you dumped him you couldn’t stand to even drive
the thing. It’s red you want. It’s red you’ve always wanted. And
you’ve waited long enough.

You drive home in your new red car. It smells good. It sounds good.
It looks good. You feel great! When tightwad Fred asks how much you
paid, you tell him that the old junker you traded in needed an
engine overhaul and it just wasn’t a good investment to repair the
poor thing. You were smart to buy now. In fact, you got the much
better end of the deal.

My friend, you just bought on emotion and defended the purchase with
logic.

What else does this happen with? As you read this list, ask yourself
how many times you’ve bought more than you needed in one of these
areas just because it ‘felt right’.

– Suits
– Dresses
– Homes
– Jewelry
– Stereo Equipment
– Computers
– Software

Let’s face it, we are a community of people who love to compare. We
compare how fast our cars go from zero to sixty, how big the diamond
is we gave our girl (or she gave us!) how many square feet we have
(never mind there are two empty bedrooms). The list goes on and on.
Advertisers know this about us. When you are the advertiser, you
must know it too.

How can you apply this to your real world? Three simple steps.

Step 1 – Get a legal pad now and write down the five top
things that make people want your product. Focus on how they will
feel, how others will perceive them, how they will feel about
themselves. Remember, a feature is what something does. A benefit is
what it does for me. People want benefits. People buy benefits.
People will interrupt what they are doing now to buy benefits.

Step 2 – Look at your selling copy now, whether it’s a web
page, autoresponders, radio ad copy, classifieds … doesn’t matter.
Look at that copy and see if the five emotional pressure points you
wrote down are in that copy. Does the copy move you? Does it compel
you to action? Does it tell you, in very clear terms, what’s in it
for you? If you can’t be objective, solicit a friend to take a look.

Step 3 – Change portions of your copy to add some punch. I’m
not talking about a major rewrite, just change some key areas to
appeal to a person’s emotions. Help them imagine life with your
product. The time they will save. The money they will save. How good
they will look to
their peers. How great it will feel to finally (insert benefit
here).

Better yet, give them hints about what they can do with that time
and money. Here’s a very short sample.

———Begin sample————

Our clients often save over $100 a month when they switch to our
widget. Imagine how good it will feel when YOU begin to save $100 or
more a month, just by choosing our super-widget! That’s over $1200 a
year! What will you do with your $1200?

– Pay off bills?
– Take a vacation?
– Pay for your child’s college tuition?
– Finally have some ‘mad’ money just for you?

The choice is yours. Do what thousands of others have done. Click
here now to start saving today.

——–End sample—————-

Notice in the example above how the ‘need to’ and ‘want to’
motivations alternate? We ’should’ pay off bills and pay for
college. We ‘want’ to take a vacation and spend money like a madman
on a weekend pass just because it feels so very good. By including
both ‘want to’ and ‘need to’, this copy appeals to the broadest
possible audience. No matter what else your copy does, make sure it
appeals to a person’s emotions. Remember, people do what they want
to do, not what they have to do.

If you have a hard time finding the emotional points of your
product, service or opportunity, remember that people are moved by
the promise of gain or the fear of loss. Using those two
super-motivators, it won’t be long before your copy will be charged
with the emotional electricity that creates orders and causes people
to take action now.

Charlie Page is the owner of the Directory of Ezines, the first
and most comprehensive list of quality ezines that accept
advertising available on the Internet. Charlie can show you how to
sell more products and earn more affiliate commissions using the
Internet’s #1 marketing method … ezine marketing!

Every day we hear reports about a "soft" economy. One expert
predicts a long recession, then 15 minutes later another expert
predicts a quick recovery. All of which leaves customers confused.
How can we ensure that we will attract and maintain customers during
good times and lean times too? By giving them WORLD CLASS customer
service. Let’s look together at three "rules" of world class
customer service and see how we are doing.

======= The Customer Is Still King (Or Queen)

The first thing we must realize is that customers need to feel
important. Many of them feel that *their* business is what keeps us
in business, without regard to the size of their purchases. Some
customers don’t mind reminding us of that fact every time they see
us!

They’re right to a large degree. Most businesses today could lose
their largest client and survive. Not many businesses could lose the
smaller, regular customer that is the lifeblood of their cash flow.

Rule 1 — Never Forget the Customer is King

======= Stop Small Problems At The Source

No matter how hard we try, we won’t please all of the people all of
the time. This is where our problem solving and communication skills
come into play. The rule here is to nip problems in the bud before
them bloom into disasters.

We all know the stories of a simple miscommunication that, when
passed down the line, becomes something much more than simple. The
sooner we intervene in problems, the better. Wal Mart does
especially well at this, instructing associates to literally walk a
customer to exactly what they are looking for, thus preventing
confusion and any hint of less than excellent customer care.

The more we are willing to invest the small amount of time necessary
to stop small problems from growing, the more time and lost business
we will save in the long run.

Rule 2 — Prevent Small Problems From Becoming Disasters

======= How Well Are You Doing?

Finally, there is customer feedback. Rarely will you see a customer
more delighted that when you spontaneously ask them how YOU are
doing. Many of us are afraid to ask, thinking that the customer may
unload on us and waste our time. Yet nothing is farther from the
truth. While they may unload, this is *no* waste of time.

Customers almost always feel that their opinion (good or bad) is not
being heard. Let customers know that not only is their voice being
heard but that policy is being shaped around that opinion. We always
hear from the minority that believe they must complain to get what
they want. Here’s a chance to let our customers know we value them
and hear from that "silent majority" of happy customers as well.

Rule 3 — Ask Customers How YOU Are Doing

There you have it. Three quick "rules" which, if we follow them,
will ensure that we are in touch with our customers, can prevent
small problems from growing and help us learn what our customers
*really* think of us.

When we adopt an "attitude of gratitude" and actually THANK
customers for no more than simply being our customers, relationships
bloom and good things begin to happen.

Your clients may never meet you in person. Yet, the more personal
the attention you give them and the more informed you are about
their needs, the more loyal they become.

Charlie Page is the owner of the Directory of Ezines, the first and
most comprehensive list of quality ezines that accept advertising
available on the Internet. Charlie can show you how to sell more
products and earn more affiliate commissions using the Internet’s #1
marketing method … ezine marketing!

While the number of people who sign on to the Net for the first time
still increases every day, people are *leaving* their Internet
businesses in record numbers.

Some have even made a career out of leaving the Internet.

People are leaving the Net because they are fed up … frustrated
… disappointed.

You may have felt the frustration too. So much hype, so few real
answers. So many promises, so little reality.

One of the things I like about my autoresponder service is that
people can leave comments behind when they leave our little DOE
Insider family.

Mostly, people tell us what’s on their minds. If I can help, I write
them back even though they left the list.

We had 10 people leave the list last week (we’re blessed with a low
unsubscribe rate) and the comments they left behind point up an
interesting trend.

—–

Comments: I just do not have time to deal with it, but I think you
are doing a good job for the people that do

Comments: I am withdrawing from Internet Marketing so I no longer
require this service. Thank you.

Comments: I do not need the information anymore. I have quit my
business. Thank you!

Comments: Changing direction from mlm to investing.

Comments: Fed up with the whole internet thing. Nothing to do with
you

—–

That last person summed up something one hears much more often
lately. People are fed up, disappointed, frustrated.

Frustration is an interesting emotion. Many years ago, a very wise
man said that frustration ultimately stems from unrealistic
expectations.

Does that describe the Internet or what!?!

So, WHY do people become frustrated and what can you do to AVOID the
frustration? Below are several ideas to help.

===== The Problem

First, the causes of frustration.

There seem to be three main causes of frustration on the Net
today.

1. Too much hype.
2. Lack of real support.
3. Rampant false expectations.

People are frustrated with the hype out there. The problem here is
self-evident. I heard a guy say the other day that if he could bag
up all the manure (not the word he used) he has seen online, he
could fertilize the entire state of Texas. Great line.

People are also fed up with being sent to a Frequently Asked
Questions page when what they need is to speak with a real person.
People need, and want, personal support.

Third, and to be truthful, people come online with their
expectations set *way* too high. The Internet is NOT the pot of gold
at the end of the rainbow. Never has been, never will be. No one
makes their fortune in 30 days, or 35 days, or 45 days. They just
show you a glimpse of their bank account that makes it look that
way.

Here’s the frustrating part of this for me. I KNOW that almost
anyone can succeed online.

But if you let the frustration win, if you let it get you down and
quit, you have ZERO chances of succeeding online!

===== Now … A Solution

You can beat this frustration! DON’T give in to disappointment. Stay
the course and you WILL win!

Here are  ways to beat back the frustration, keep your chin up,
and put yourself in a position to profit online.

1. Become Hype-Proof

Learn to see the information you receive in a larger context. All
good marketers know how to make their product sound appealing, and
know how to create a sense of urgency.

Only YOU know if you really NEED another autoresponder, or another
eBook on how to write an eBook, or … you get the point.

See number five for a quick way to become hype-proof.

2. Understand That Off-Line Business Rules Still Apply

We must understand that it still takes money to make money We still
must advertise to sell goods and services. The Net makes this
wonderfully easy and effective, but we still must take the steps.

3. Separate Yourself From The Net – Don’t Be Online Too Long

Many online entrepreneurs work late into the night. About the worst
possible time to make a purchasing decision is after a long session
of being online. It’s often wise to wait until the next morning, or
next evening, to make a decision.

4. Don’t Fall Prey To Information Overload

In this is the number one problem I see with people who have gone
online within the last three to six months. Everyone gives away so
many e-books and the courses. How can a person be expected to read
everything, much less not drown in the information.

One solution to information overload is to make a list of things
that you really need in your business, then research them one at a
time.

For example, you’re going to need an autoresponder, you’re going to
need to do advertising, you will need a web hosting company, you’re
going to need to create a web site, and you will need for five other
things before you can successfully do business online.

Now take one thing at a time, and learn what you need to know about
that one thing. Then, move on to the next.

5. Wait 24 Hours Before Buying Anything

When I wrote this line my bank account hollered Amen! If only I
practiced get faithfully. I have never waited 24 hours to buy
something and regretted it.

Please don’t fall for the JavaScript trick where web sites tell you
that you must order within the next three days, three minutes, or
three seconds to get that "once a lifetime" price.

I can guarantee that 99% of the time, this is a trick. To prove it
for yourself, bookmark the next site you visit that offers a limited
time guarantee. Then visit the site the day after the guarantee was
supposed to expire. Or, if you know how, view the source code and
see the JavaScript for yourself.

6. Take Something Of Value And Stick With It

Recent studies show the common pattern of behavior on the Internet
is to join a program, promoted a little, and then leave it. This can
not lead to success.

In any business, success takes time. Give your online business the
time it needs to succeed and it will reward you with passive income
for years to come.

7. Don’t Fear You’ll Miss IT … IT Doesn’t Exist

This is the BIG ONE folks! Right now, for example, Mastery TV is all
the rage. Only six months ago, a program called Cash Evolution was
all the rage. As I understand it, Cash Evolution, even with Mark
Joyner’s endorsement, was a disaster.

Will Mastery TV end up a winner or loser? While I don’t pretend to
know the answer, and many factors will determine that answer, I do
know that no one who signs up, promotes for two weeks, and quits,
will make ANY serious revenue.

Doing business on the Internet has been challenging lately. Spammers
make it harder to get messages delivered, yet you’re reading this
one. More and more web sites means more competition, yet your site
got visitors today.

Success online comes down to this ….

Do the basic things very well, stick with it, and success WILL be
yours!

Charlie Page is the owner of the Directory of Ezines, the first and
most comprehensive list of quality ezines that accept advertising
available on the Internet. Charlie can show you how to sell more
products and earn more affiliate commissions using the Internet’s #1
marketing method … ezine marketing!

There seems to be a growing sentiment on the Internet that email
marketing is in big trouble. Only this morning I read one report
that claims that "95% of email marketing messages" won’t be
deliverable in the near future. Every day we read new, and
increasingly intense, articles about how Habeas will put us all out
of business.

Yet in the face of what is undeniably a troubling situation, I know
people who have only started marketing via email (primarily using
ezines) in the last few months and are prospering.

Given these two seemingly opposite pieces of evidence, I wonder if
it’s time to revisit the basic tenets of successful email marketing?
In that light, I offer these five ways to succeed with email
marketing in any environment.

One. Understand that it takes work. If there really is an automated
way to spend a few hours a week working at an online business and
make big bucks I respectfully ask to see the proof. Feel free to
email me with the details, but only if you are personally making
over $200,000 a year.

The Internet provides a wonderful opportunity to anyone willing to
work, learn and apply the skills they gain. It’s also the fastest
way short of Las Vegas to go broke if you are looking for a quick
buck. Like any business, look at your online business as a long-term
venture and you will do well. Which brings us to point #2.

Two. Commit to quality. Want to know the absolute, #1, surefire way
to beat the spam filters at their own game? Produce information that
is so valuable that readers will take action in order to receive it
and notice when they don’t receive it.

It’s all too easy to blame filters for non-delivery when in fact
readers don’t take what we say seriously because we don’t stand out
from the crowd. We, as email marketers, have an obligation to
produce content of such high quality that readers clamor for it.
Doing this is actually quite easy if what you have to say is
relevant to your reader’s life and comes from your heart. Commit to
quality and the marketplace will reward you.

Three. Be personal. I’ve spoken to so many people over the years
that said "I’m not a writer so I can’t produce an ezine (or write an
article, or a sales letter, etc.)" But once I see what they have
written I’m shocked by their insight, desire to succeed and skill.
Some of the best ezines I’ve ever read wouldn’t hold up to an
examination by a fourth grade English teacher … but they changed
my life by teaching me something. Do that, change their life and
teach them something, and your email marketing will be well
received.

Four. Be flexible. I can’t recall a time on the Net where being
flexible was more important than now. If spam filters are killing us
we must learn to adapt. We must be informed. We must adapt. We must
overcome. If our email does not get through we must find a way to
get the message to readers another way. If readers want HTML we give
it to them. If they want weekly editions vs. bi-weekly, we meet that
need. You will never go wrong meeting the needs of your readers.
Which leads to point five.

Five. Know your readers. Readers are individuals, just like you and
me. Great email marketing is a lot less about using pithy wording
and making an emotional appeal that it is about knowing and meeting
the needs of your subscribers.

The good news is that subscribers love to interact. They love to
tell you about their needs dreams and desires. The more you listen
the more you can meet those needs and make the profits you seek.

Is it too late to begin email marketing successfully?

No way.

Use the five suggestions above as a platform and begin to build your
email marketing business today. Just like the story of Chicken
Little, there will always be those who claim the sky is falling.
Don’t let them dissuade you from acting.

Commit to quality, be yourself and provide a product or service of
value. Combine those things with a little "sweat of the brow" and
you simply cannot help but doing well.

Charlie Page is the owner of the Directory of Ezines, the first and
most comprehensive list of quality ezines that accept advertising
available on the Internet. Charlie can show you how to sell more
products and earn more affiliate commissions using the Internet’s #1
marketing method … ezine marketing!

A number of years ago a business book was written with the title
"Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive". The Internet is a
lot like the title of that book. The water is certainly full of
sharks, all ready to take their $39.99 (or more) bite out of YOUR
wallet!

Before you become someone’s next snack and make your credit card
scream "Not again!" let’s look at the things you will need to
succeed now and in the future.

Before we go further let me say that you CAN make a living online,
pretty much without regard to your age, experience or education
level. Let me also add that I’m not going to recommend anyone’s
product or service, even mine.

The FIRST thing you need is knowledge, and plenty of it.
Fortunately, there are great resources you can tap that won’t cost a
dime. This ezine is one of those resources!

Here are the five things I would tell any person wanting to "make
it" online.

—–> Know the Language

Imagine being dropped by helicopter into the deepest, darkest jungle
you can imagine. The natives don’t speak your language and you
certainly don’t speak theirs.

Welcome to the Internet!

The *first* thing you must understand is the language of the Net.
You must become familiar (not an expert, just familiar) with things
like…

* Autoresponders

* Cost Per Thousand (CPM)

* Ebook

* Ezines

* FAQ

* HTML

* ISP

* MLM

* Opt-In

* PDF

* And more!

The more you know, the more time you will save sifting through the
offers you receive and the less money you will waste buying
something you really didn’t want.

Here’s a tip. When you find a site that defines terms well, copy the
definitions and create your own "Internet Dictionary". Soon you
won’t waste time OR money.

—–> Avoid Confusion

There is a proven path to success on the Internet. It includes great
web copy, getting traffic to your site, placing ads in ezines, using
autoresponders to follow up, having a way to collect money, selling
more stuff to existing customers and so forth.

The *problem* is that there are about a thousand web sites and
"gurus" who are all saying the same thing … but in different
words. No wonder most people are confused!

Here’s a great way to avoid confusion. Make a list of the things you
will need to succeed. A good list to start with is the list above.
Then find *one* eBook, eCourse or ezine that deals with that
subject. Now, here’s the really hard part … you have to READ it.
Read it all. From cover to cover. Pretend you are going to make a
book report on it.

You must have this basic knowledge to begin in earnest.

—–> Understand the Cost of "Free"

We would all like to believe that you can get everything you need
for no money and go on to make millions on the Net. But that’s not
the real world.

The fact is that you will need to spend money at some point. You
simply won’t want the limitations that "free" requires such as other
people’s ads in your auto-responders.

Here’s a tip. Look for services that have either been around a long
time (that’s anytime before the year 2000 in the Internet world) or
one where you can upgrade to a paid service when you are ready.
Switching services later will cost time and money.

—–> Avoid the Hype

If there were a magic formula, a "shortcut to success" or a way to
make millions in 90 days everyone would be doing it.

The next time you get a "too good to be true" offer ask yourself if
it makes sense for someone who makes a million dollars a year to be
spending time sending YOU an unsolicited email. Then hide your
credit card for the next 24 hours. If you still want the product
after cooling down, go for it!

—–> Have a Plan

I’m NOT talking New Year’s Resolutions or time management

here. I’m talking about sticking with something until you have the
chance to succeed. SO many people on the Net join a program, don’t
make a dime in the first couple of months and then quit that program
to do another. No one can succeed this way.

The best advice I know is to find something that interests you,
investigate it well, make sure real people (not just the
super-promoters) are making real money and then make a commitment to
it. How long to commit will come out as you investigate it.

Want to make this your best year ever? Focus on the basics of
success, be persistent and smart and success will be yours!

Charlie Page is the owner of the Directory of Ezines, the first and
most comprehensive list of quality ezines that accept advertising
available on the Internet. Charlie can show you how to sell more
products and earn more affiliate commissions using the Internet’s #1
marketing method … ezine marketing!

Do you have a dream today?

Can you see yourself in one year, three years, ten years? Can you
describe the house you will live in? The clothes you will wear? The
routine you will follow every day?

Far from some pie-in-the-sky hype, dreams are the real currency of
the Internet.

Many reading these words dream of quitting their job and working at
home. Some dream of having a home of their own. Some don’t dream any
more.

No matter where you stand today please consider the following.

My friend, your dream is your map. Without it how will you know
where you are going?

Recent events have driven home the fact that life is short indeed.
Too short to spend it working at a job we don’t love.

Listen to these words by Brian Tracy …

All successful men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what
their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work
every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose. – Brian
Tracy

If you were my brother or sister, this is what I would say to you.

You must have a dream to make a dream come true. And you must never
surrender your dream.

If you are like most people you will spend more time working than
doing any other activity. Yet, many today don’t like their work.

So the question becomes this. Can you do what you love for a living?
Can you find the joy that comes when you WANT to go to work?

To that question I answer YES … you can. I can say that because
it’s happening to me.

I don’t usually write something this personal, but please allow me
to share with you the five steps I used to make my dream come true
on the Internet. And let me encourage you to take these steps in
your life today. Time is fleeting. Begin now.

1. Realize that the Internet really has changed things. Jobs exist
today that didn’t five years ago. The thing that got me started on
the Internet, that helped me create my dream, was a book called
‘Finding Your Perfect Work’.

That book helped me realize that I could create *any* situation I
wanted on the Internet. The Net is still new territory. To a great
degree, if you can dream it you can do it.

2. Know yourself. What do you REALLY want? Spend some time with
yourself and ‘wave the magic wand’. If you could do anything, if
money wasn’t a factor, what would you do? Keep asking until you find
an answer.

3. Research your answers. You will be shocked to discover the career
possibilities online. Pick your favorite search engine, start a
bookmark folder just for this, and find everything you can about
your passion.

4. Ask for help. Once you have zeroed in on what you want, find
someone who excels at it and learn at their feet. Be prepared to get
turned down a few times from people who are too busy or uncaring.
But never quit. You *will* find the mentor you need if you try.

5. Be willing to start small. You may only be able to commit a few
hours at night to your new field because you have to feed the
family. That’s OK. Time is your ally. And time will prove if your
idea will work.

Careers like being a virtual assistant, a net researcher, or doing
graphic art for e-Books exist today because of innovative thinkers
who found their passion. Find your passion and you will create your
opportunity.

Don’t stop until you find (or create) that type of work that both
makes you happy and pays the bills. Who knows, YOU might be the
innovator who creates the next online industry.

Winston Churchill said ‘The nose of the bulldog has been slanted
backward so it can breathe without letting go.’

When it comes to our dreams we need to be like the bulldog. We must
never surrender our dreams.

Charlie Page is the owner of the Directory of Ezines, the first and
most comprehensive list of quality ezines that accept advertising
available on the Internet. Charlie can show you how to sell more
products and earn more affiliate commissions using the Internet’s #1
marketing method … ezine marketing!