Access To The Internet

In today’s world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

There are many bloggers who make incomes of several thousand dollars per month from their blogs. These are not casual bloggers who only want to see their words and their name online or who just want to put forth a point-of-view, these are serious bloggers who have made blogging into a full-time (or nearly full-time) job.

Here are some of the ways they make money from their blogs and ways you can also blog for bucks:

Advertising! There are many advertisers waiting for you to approach them, these are programs such as Google’s Adsense (https://www.google.com/adsense/) where you allow companies to place their ads . . . ads related to your topic . . . on your blog. Each time one of your readers clicks on an ad on your blog, you earn a small amount of money (a predetermined amount). A slightly different approach is used by companies such as CrispADS (http://www.crispads.com/). With this type of service, you tell them how much you want to charge for advertising space on your blog and they will attempt to find an advertiser who will pay that price (plus a commission for the go-between company). These are just two of a large group that is expanding daily.

Blog Feeds! RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and ATOM Feeds are two of the dominant blog feeds. The object of a blog feed is to distribute every new post you add to your blog to a list of subscribers; you make your blog posts available to RSS or ATOM, people who want to read your stuff on a regular basis can subscribe to your posts and read them on a newsreader. The latest trend is to include advertising to these blog feeds and, as before, if your subscriber clicks on an ad that is included with your feed, you get some money. There are no BIG bucks here yet but its a rapidly growing field.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of blogging is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about blogging.

Affiliate Programs! Online companies have been offering affiliate programs to bloggers for years, some of the big ones are Amazon, Linkshare and Clickbank. They work by providing you a unique URL that you add to your blog. Any readers that click through to the company and buy something are providing you with a commission. Another version of the affiliate program is the “mini-mall” concept offered by companies such as Chitika eMiniMalls. The mini-mall works (like the affiliate program), through a link on your blog that takes your reader to a page with a variety of merchandise — all sales earn you a commission.

Sponsors! Large corporations are very aware of the blogosphere and of the growing number of people who read blogs and, in response, they are using blogs to advance their business interests — blogs may never replace the Michael Jordan-type superstars for corporations but blogs are already gaining many fairly lucrative corporate sponsorships. If you have a blog that is dedicated to a particular topic, e.g., digital cameras, that is published on a regular basis, that has a good readership and is recognized as an authoritative source for digital camera information, your blog may draw the interest of a corporate sponsor and you may be approached to run their advertisements for new products on a long-term basis. If and when you reach that point you know you’ve made it to the big time, professional blogger’s league.

Your Product! The methods mentioned above are just a few of the very many ways you can start making money from your blog . . . but there is a catch!

As you probably noticed every scheme mentioned and every other money-making blogging scheme you’ll find requires a great blog . . . a blog that draws hundreds of readers (as a minimum) on a regular basis. To reach this stage of readership you need a blog that offers the reader some type of unique, quality content.

If blogging is to be a money making business for you, you’ll need to treat it like a business by dedicating your time, energy and creativity to its success. Also, like any successful business, you need a product or service that is a ‘customer magnet.’ Your “product” is your content: it could be news or information or entertainment but whatever it is, it must be unique and interesting.

So now you know a little bit about blogging. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve expanded your knowledge.

Articles for Website Content SEO Tips

One of the most popular questions I get when I speak about online marketing is how to drive more traffic to a web site. Eight different techniques for doing just that are outlined below. Save this article, and refer to it for additional ideas whenever you try to expand your online marketing campaigns:

- Business Blogging. Start a blog for your business and update it on a regular basis. A business blog is an excellent tool to toot your own horn, let the world know about your new products, and tell your target customers why they should do business with you, rather than your competitor. A business blog is also a great tool for attracting potential customers to your blog and your web site.

- Search Engine Optimization (or SEO). SEO is the process of modifying web page content and meta-information to improve the search engine ranking of the page. Successful search engine optimization will greatly increase the number of visitors that come to your web site since over 70% of people who are looking for products and services use search engines to locate them

- Article Writing and Publishing. This is another great way to drive traffic to your web site. When you write and publish your articles, other web site owners pick them up and publish them on their web sites, while giving you a link back to your web site.

- Newsletter Publishing. Keep in touch with your clients and potential clients by sending out a newsletter on a regular basis. Every time you send out a newsletter, don’t forget to invite the subscribers to visit your web site.

- Online Networking. Mention your web site address in your signature when networking online. Make sure that your web site is prominently displayed on the page, provided to you by every online networking service that you participate in, so that your fellow networkers can visit your web site.

- E-mail Signatures. Every time you send out an e-mail to one person, you have a chance to get an extra visitor for your web site. When you send an e-mail to a mailing list, you have a chance to spread the word to even more potential customers. All you need to do is to append a signature to every outgoing e-mail message. Make sure that the signature contains a powerful tagline that invites the readers to click on the link and visit your site

- Pay Per Click Search Engines. Here you can control exactly how many new visitors you want to get. There is a catch, though — you have to pay for every click to your web site. Make a budget and stick to it an make sure to monitor your account – those clicks add up fast.

- Affiliate Marketing. An affiliate program is another way to drive traffic to your web site. Your affiliates are your commissions-only sales people who make money when they sell your products. They drive traffic to your web site in exchange for commissions on sales.

Today I have discussed eight different ways of driving traffic to your web site. Which techniques are you not using yet? Take one of the techniques and incorporate it into your marketing plan. You will get a whole new pool of web site visitors coming to your web site.

Find a great portfolio of American properties here!

In spite of the fact that the Property Index service is seen as a new kid on the block house, (they were founded only in March 2007), they have quick proven their mettle. On closer scrutiny, they are a pretty unassuming house specialised in catering to every client aiming to sell, buy, rent or let land almost anywhere in the world. What they pledge to do is to aid you spot squarely what you are looking for quick and, furthermore, sans hassle. Estate is available anywhere in the world currently, probably the elite area being property available for sale in America. It’s no big deal to tally the great estate you can purchase in America, the reason for looking into realty here is properties available for sale and the chance of living right amid this lively, optimistic and lively populace.

It is one of the truly favored countries currently, and considering the beauty and climate surrounding you round the clock, who could be wrong? Estate in America is steeped in history, this region has been and is still home to numerous sophisticated cultures. About 25 or 30 years ago there’d be just a small number of English looking for estate in America. Ask everyone who has moved to America and they will tell you the same thing. Some people would prefer to see it as a craze and others prefer to see it as a virtually a fixation… Shoppers intending to repair to this region will range from young yuppie couples in search of a life perspective to the older generation meaning to enjoy themselves and slow down.

Bear in mind, however, that you may well encounter a few complications when purchasing estate overseas – you’ll have to cover a million actions to take up whether organizing, inspecting or actually purchasing. If you miss out on a single step it can engender wide-ranging complications and, even more important, monetary loss. Obviously, as can be assumed with this fashionable region, estate might be expensive in this destination and that’s naturally owing to the top market demand. Despite this real estate buyers are patently spoilt in terms of choice in such an area full of ripping site. It has the whole thing anyone could wish for, and more.

A year ago, I began reading about real estate and
residual income. My desire to become an entrepreneur was born. As I read, the term network marketing and its synonym multi-level marketing (MLM) kept popping up. The authors of these buzz words didn’t bother explaining or defining them. They assumed that I, their eager reader, knew their meaning.

I asked around, but no one had a clue as to what network marketing was. Thus began my quest to discover what I could about MLM, since its proponents boast that anyone could start a business for as little as a few hundred dollars.

Finally, I struck gold. I stared open mouthed at my computer screen. The name of the network marketing company jogged an old memory. In high school, I had known a young man who belonged to this company. A couple of times, he came to pick me up for a date, and before we left, he would clean my mother’s stove or refrigerator, showing her the miracles of his product. His goal, I assume, was to make money and dazzle me with his entrepreneur qualities. I was humiliated because my mother was taking advantage of him to get her kitchen cleaned and because this boy was embarrassing me – I wanted to go to a movie or to a party, and he was cleaning my mother’s appliances.

I had the holy grail in my hand, but I felt apprehensive. I told my colleague what I’d discovered. He shrugged and said, “It’s a pyramid scam.”

But I found that the lure of residual income far outweighed my apprehensions. Today, I’m a proud network marketer, ready to give anyone, who is as clueless as I was about network marketing, my fledgling expertise. Here’s the scoop.
DEFINITION: Network marketing is a business that markets a line of products or several lines of products through independent salespeople. An independent salesperson is recruited; she, in turn, recruits other people; these people recruit others, and so it goes. Each representative builds her own business with her recruits and their recruits under her, and she makes commission on the sales volume of her team. The people under the independent salesperson are called the downline. The potential for increasing the downline and earning money is exponential.

SCAM or LEGIT BUSINESS: When I was in high school and amorous young men were cleaning appliances, many fawned upon these companies. Let’s face it. There were lots of jokes. Most people didn’t make much money; they pestered their family and friends, and horror of horrors, they had garages filled with unused products that they had to buy to meet their quotas (a certain amount of the products a salesperson or team has to buy). Times have changed. Today, major corporations and Fortune 500 companies, like AT&T, MCI, Citigroup, and IBM, have multilevel sales forces.

The difference between network marketing and a pyramid scam is easy to explain. Network marketers sell products; they run businesses. A pyramid scam is a con. People give someone money in hopes that they can get other people to give them money. The claim is that anyone can get rich just by finding other people to do the same. There is no product, no business. The people at the top make lots of money. The scam falls apart. This is illegal. People get arrested.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY: Not all network marketing companies are created equal. There are some excellent ones, some okay ones, and some down right awful, ugly ones. If you are looking for a network marketing company, you have to do your due diligence and make sure that you find an excellent one. Remember that you are investing in your future.

RESIDUAL INCOME: What network marketing offers is a way to create residual income, while working part-time. Network marketing is not a “get rich quick” scheme. Those who succeed work hard, but they are creating something magical: residual income.
You go to work, and you get paid. If you don’t go to work, you don’t get paid. This is linear income. Residual income doesn’t depend on you working. Think of an author, who writes a book and gets a royalty check year after year. Residual income, like royalty checks, keeps coming and allows people to retire, have the freedom to travel, and do other wildly pleasant things.

MY 12 SUGGESTIONS FOR NEOPHYTES FROM ANOTHER NEOPHYTE:

1. Don’t rush into network marketing. Look around and find a good company that suits you and your needs. Don’t get pressured into anything. Ask lots of questions of the network marketer you are talking to. Avoid high pressure people.

2. As soon as you finish reading this, run out and buy Wave 4: Network Marketing in the 21st Century by Richard Poe. I don’t know Richard Poe, but I do know that this book explains everything.

3. Find a company and product that you are EXCITED about. It’s hard to sell something you don’t believe in. Ideally, you want a product that people buy over and over again, month after month, year after year, and a company with values that are congruent with your values.

4. Look for a company that has been around and proven itself. Someone who has been in network marketing and has experience might take a chance on a new company, but a novice should be more careful.

5. I’d suggested publicly traded companies. Their financial statements are public, and you can request their financial portfolio. Go to www.morningstar.com, or www.nasdaq.com, or www.valueline.com, or your favorite place and do some research. You just need the company’s ticket number, and you’re off and running. If you don’t feel confident doing this yourself, find a friend who knows something about stocks and financial statements, and ask her for help.

6. Check out the compensation plan. Is the commission fair? How often do it pay? Does excess sales money roll over? Does your team have to meet a quota? This could be a big drawback. If there are hefty quotas, you might find yourself buying products you don’t want. Poe’s book is priceless here; he explains the different commission plans.

7. Do you have to buy, store, deliver products? Most network marketing companies don’t do this any more. Most companies provide online or phone ordering, and the company distributes its products. You place an order, and they do the work.

8. Training is very important. What kind of training program do they have? In network marketing, team members help each other build their businesses. In network marketing, if the people on your team are successful, you are successful.

9. How do you work your business? Face to face with people you meet? On the internet? Or a little of both? This is important. Are there hidden costs in marketing? Ask for details.

10. See if you can find any dirt on the company. Check with the Better Business Bureau. Are there complaints against the company? What kind of complaints? You can do this online. Know what you are getting into.

11. IMPORTANT: Make sure that you are willing to commit time and energy to building your business, 10 to 20 hours per week. If you have a family, make sure they are cool with this.

12. Don’t quit your day job! At least not until you are making more money in network marketing than you are in your nine to five.

Cora L. Foerstner teaches English and composition at
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She
is also a Master Practitioner of Neuo-Linguistic
Programing (NLP), Master Results Coach, and most
recently, a network marketer. You may
contact her at 714-774-0624 or email her at cora@usana.com Visit her web site: http://www.corafoerstner.com

In many businesses you have a product and a consumer. In the marketing business your more like the person who brings the two together. Marketing is a service but it incorporates many other services to bring about a network of advertising vehicles. The internet online marketing advertising business is about efficient and powerful advertising vehicles that bring powerful results without high expenditures from the company who uses them to market their product, site, or service. Nowhere else have I ever seen a system so powerful and yet so cost effective. The internet is becoming more and more powerful as more people start to use it more.

I find it incredibly mind boggling how much we can do with the internet these days. In just the internet online marketing advertising business alone a single person can reach millions of people in literally seconds. I wonder how we ever got along without the internet. I do however understand how were able to do so many things so much faster than ever before. Internet marketing is alot like a model for the potential of currents in social networking as well as the most brilliant way to market your site, product, service or even yourself! In the marketing business online their is a network of people, services, infrastructures, and components in place that a person can utilize very easily.

Business is the process of taking raw materials, goods or services from a beginning point and adding value along the way to the final user.

It is the added value by the entrepreneur that entitles him to profit. Every venture must have the opportunity to add value or it is not a feasible enterprise. Generally there are five categories of business ventures where adding value can be measured.

The first is the retail sector, a category where the entrepreneur adds value by investing his money, providing a facility to sell products, making available inventory from many suppliers, having the facility open to the public and providing staff and methods that allow customers to purchase these products. Often these retail stores are in malls or strip centers but they can also be web-site retailers, home based or network marketing entrepreneurs providing the same retail sales opportunity.

Next is the manufacturing and assembling category. Value is added by investment in equipment, facilities and employees to utilize raw materials in making something for sale; or assembling operations that may take intermediate products and assemble them into a product for sale. Beside the investment in equipment and facilities, the creative process of design of products and other related functions adds value.

The third category includes distributors, jobbers, commission agents, independent representatives and other similar type “middlemen”. They provide the marketing function for those who do not or cannot afford to provide direct marketing to their customer. These entrepreneurs represent one or several suppliers of products and sell to one or several classes of customers either in the retail, industrial or commercial sectors of business. Some maintain inventories, provide credit, warehousing while others merely facilitate the sale between customer and supplier. The margins involved represents the amount of added value performed by the “middleman”. Importers and Exporters often are included in this category and the added value includes the knowledge of the foreign markets and suppliers as well as the various customs procedures involved in the export/import commercial world.

The fourth category is natural resources. The added value is taking the natural resource and performing whatever tasks are necessary to convert them into saleable products for the ultimate consumer. Obvious examples include farming, fishing, cattle raising, hunting, mining and wildcatting for oil or gas. The amount of added value is a function of the cost of converting them into saleable products and bringing them to market.

The final category is the service category. Education, skills and experience of individuals or firms represent added value. Included in this category are doctors, lawyers, entertainers, consultants, construction and tradesmen, beauticians, fashion designers, engineers and architects, accountants and other service providers. The added value includes the cost and time of education, knowledge, experience, reputation, training and providing facilities to render these services.

Most small business enterprises fit one or several of the above categories. What is important is that the entrepreneur understands the added value they contribute to the process. It is the added value that entitles them to profit from their venture. Too often some undervalue their contribution while at the other end of the spectrum some grossly overvalue their contribution. In our complex market economy, every contribution is valued and market prices are set to reflect the added value performed by efficient contributors. Each entrepreneur must understand how much value he or she contributes and insure that their performance is equal to the most efficient producer in the marketplace. This is necessary in order to survive and enjoy well-earned profits.

If you are already in business, it is important that you take some time to understand how you add value and to compare your business to your competitors insuring your position in the marketplace.

For those of you contemplating starting your own business, you must carefully describe how you propose to add value in your selected enterprise. The better you understand how you add value, the more rewarding will be your business. It is those, unfortunately, who do not understand where or how they add value or what their added value is worth in the market place, that soon find themselves out of business. It is worth the effort to understand that concept now.

“Ed” McMahon’s career includes the small business and corporate world. With degrees from Villanova Univ., an MBA from the City University of New York and completed postgraduate work at the Stanford University. He is the author of the book” UnderstandingSmallBusiness (http://www.Understandingsmallbusiness.com)
Ed has extensive small business experience. He has counseled several hundred small business prospects in the principles of small business.
He drafted the FTC disclosure statement for a major convenience store chain currently operating.
He has held senior posts as executive vice president of a mid-size oil company, headed up the polymer division of a major chemical company and was taught “UNDERSTANDING SMALL BUSINESS” workshops employed as an officer of a major consulting company.

Ed has taught Small Business workshops at the business college level, and for the past 11 years.
For 6 years his monthly column on small business has been published in a regional business journal. He can be reached at USB@houston.rr.com.

The first thing I noticed when I purchased Sit Stay Fetch was that it is meaty.

SitStayFetch is one of the most comprehensive and complete dog ownership tools I have found. Let me say upfront I am a big fan of this Dog Training Package. I was very
happy when I discovered it and have used it to great effect with my own dogs ever since.

Sit Stay Fetch is over 150 pages chock full of all the latest dog training methods and techniques. This, along with the 4 free bonus books that come with it cover every aspect of responsible dog ownership and training.

From before you bring home your new puppy or older dog, right through to advanced obedience training, it seems nothing has been left out of SitStayFetch. If you have a specific question or problem that isn’t addressed you can even email the author Daniel Stevens for the answer! (This is another free bonus that comes with Sit Stay Fetch).

Daniel, who is a professional dog trainer clearly knows his stuff, he has a deep understanding of how dogs think, and what motivates them to do what they do.

What You Get In The SitStayFetch Package

1. SitStayFetch – Dog Training To Stop Your Dog’s Behavior Training

Well over 150 pages jam packed with dog care and obedience training advice. It also includes more than 100 photographs which prove to be a great visual learning tool. The book is very detailed and descriptive and offers clear step-by-step solutions to your dog issues. The main book is broken up into 9 seperate chapters, which I discuss in more detail below.

2. Bonus Book 1 – All The House Training Methods and Tricks

Everything you need to know to quickly and successfully house train (potty train) your new
puppy or even older dog. The two most effective methods of house training are discussed
and described in detail.

3. Bonus Book 2 – Secrets To Becoming The Alpha Dog

One of the key areas to learn and apply if you want a happy and obedient dog. This e-book is based around dogs having developed as pack animals and how you need to maintain the proper hierarchy in the owner-dog relationship. I found this part of SitStayFetch to be most beneficial in curbing some dominant/aggresive behavior in my Dalmation, Harrison.

4. Bonus Book 3 – Dog Grooming Made Easy

This book explores the different bathing, grooming, dental and clipping techniques needed to
keep your dog looking and feeling in peak condition. There are also some very
useful tips in this book on detecting early signs that something may be wrong with your dog.

5. Bonus Book 4 – Tips On How To Security Train Your Dog

It goes without saying that if you are considering training your dog to be a guard dog, you
need to do it the right way. This book outlines the correct methods needed to security train
your dog.

6. Bonus 5 – Free Email Consultation With Daniel

This is a great add-on to the SitStayFetch package, it can be used for any specific dog
related query you may have. Whether you are struggling to correct a behavioral problem or
would like to teach your dog a new trick, you can use this consultation to find the answer. I actually used this free service to fix a destructive chewing habit my mum’s Shih Tzu had developed. It took a couple of days to receive a reply from Daniel (or one of his team) but it was very thorough and did the trick with little Macy (the Shih Tzu).

Topics Covered Within SitStayFetch

As I mentioned earlier Sit Stay Fetch really is the complete dog ownership and training
resource. It’s not really fair of me if I detail every topic Daniel has included in the books, but I’ll just outline the 9 Chapters that provide the books framework.

1. It’s A Dogs Life

2. Caring for Your Dog

3. Training Methods Revealed

4. Secrets To Understanding Your Dog

5. Dog Problems Solved

6. Commands To Start With

7. Dog Whispering Uncovered

8. More Dog Problems Solved

9. Advanced Commands and Tricks
   

Some specific tips in SitStayFetch which I have personally found to be very useful:

• Daniel discusses and explains many of the dog training techniques and methods being used today. He then picks out a couple which he believes to be superior to the others. He bases this on personal experience and most importantly results. A relatively new technique called Dog Whispering receives a strong endorsement from Daniel.
  

• The right age to start your dog off with the various commands and techniques is also covered in detail. For example it is important to start your young puppies off with very basic obedience commands and short sharp training sessions. At this early stage in your puppies life anything else is pointless.

• Another great insight Daniel gives is that you should never call your dog over to
  reprimand him. This is because dogs need to be praised or disciplined within two or three
  seconds of their action (or inaction). So if your dog is disobedient, then you call him over
  to discipline him, he will think you are angry at him for coming to you. He will have
  forgotten all about the thing you are actually trying to discipline him for.
  

The list of Dog Problems addressed in SitStayFetch is extensive and is backed by real life
case studies:

• Aggression
  
• Thieving
  
• Biting and Nipping
  
• Travel Problems
  
• Coprophagia (poop eating)
  
• 2 Dogs In The House
  
• Destructive Behavior
  
• A Death In The Family
  
• Digging Holes
  
• Bad Breath
  
• Disobedience
  
• Cat Chaser
  
• Dominance Aggression
  
• Flatulence
  
• Fear of the Leash
  
• Fleas
  
• Fights Between Dogs
  
• Hot Weather And Heatstroke
  
• Nuisance Barking
  
• Jealousy
  
• Off-Leash Problems
  
• Jumping On Furniture
  
• Jumping On People
  
• Worms
  

These are the Obedience Training Commands and Tricks Explained in Sit Stay Fetch:

• Come (Recall)
  
• Roll Over
  
• Sit Stage 1
  
• Seek (Find)
  
• Okay and No
  
• Training Program
  
• Hold and Leave
  
• Advanced Sit and Stay
  
• Sit Stage 2
  
• Advanced Seek (Find)
  
• Sit and Stay
  
• Beg
  
• Down (Drop)
  
• Fetch (Retrieve)
  
• Heel Stage 1
  
• Catch
  
• Heel Stage 2
  
• Shake
  
• Heel Stage 3
  
• Climb
  
• Stand
  
• Crawl
  
• Wait
  
• Jump
  

What Type of Dog Owner Would Benefit Most from SitStayFetch?

The easy answer is probably – any responsible dog owner. But more specifically:

1. Anyone who is just about to get a new puppy or has just recently brought one into their family. If you bought SitStayFetch at this stage you would be able to use it immediately and right throughout your dogs life. It will help prevent any behavioral problems and correct any which may develop along the way.

2. Anyone interested in addressing a specific behavioral problem in their dog. This type of user would go straight to the relevant section of SitStayFetch and begin to remedy the problem immediately (or even use the free email consultation).

3. For a dog owner who wishes to teach their dog a difficult or advanced level command.
   

My Experience With SitStayFetch

I read the books from cover to cover when I first downloaded them (they are also available to order in hard copy). I picked up heaps of useful and useable tips right from the start. I was soon applying the recommended dog training techniques and have now
had great results with my own and families dogs. Even now, if one of my dogs looks to be developing any behavioral problems I reach for my copy of Sit Stay Fetch.

Chris Smith is a dog lover and creator of http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com.

You are the best person in the world to train your dog – why not do it the right way, at home?

Harness the presence of eBay throughout the world to increase your sales or find new bargains. A lot of sellers on eBay tend to trade within their comfort zones without realising the potential of expanding global markets. Whilst it its true that for some sellers it is simply not practical, in shipping terms, to target international markets – for many it is an opportunity missed.

For buyers the sheer scale of items available makes international purchases an attractive proposition. On any given day there are thousands of items listed worldwide by the over 169 million eBay users across 33 markets.

Obviously when considering venturing into international markets a lot of questions will be raised and here are a few of the top points for consideration:

Payment
Quick & secure payment is the top concern for most eBay sellers and when the buyer is many thousands of miles away this is never more true. Whilst it may not be everyone’s favourite payment processor Paypal has enabled international trade on a scale never before envisaged. There are other methods of payment but very few if any have the instant recognition that Paypal has accumulated over the years.

Shipping
Costs to ship to other countries can vary greatly depending on the distance, shipping method and the item being sent. It is avisable when creating a listing to present the shipping information so that prospective buyers can see the total cost upfront and can therefore make an instant decision. It is worth remembering when selling an item into an overseas market that the buyer may well have to pay additional duties/taxes or Customs clearance fees. You should always ensure that shipments sent by you are insured and the ability to track your consignment will enable you to provide proof of delivery should there be a dispute with the buyer.

Taxes & Custom Duties
It is normal practice for buyers to pay for any taxes or duties that may arise and this together with the cost of shipping should be taken into consideration when bidding. In the UK you may find that the HM Revenue & Customs website is helpful when trying to work out what the charges may be. Similarly residents of the US may want to review the Customs & Border Protection website.

Each country will have different tariffs depending on the type of item and by doing a little research you can avoid purchases that become uneconomical by the time they arrive at your door.

Local Laws/Regulations
When considering selling items internationally it is crucial that you ensure the transaction is lawful in the countries of both the buyer & seller. eBay specifically prohibits sales that contravene the local laws of either party – educating yourself about the pertinent laws prior to sale will avoid problems later. You may find further assistance available by contacting your courier of choice who should be able to provide information regarding the paperwork needed for shipping and any restrictions applicable. It is advisable that sellers visit the eBay sites that they intend to trade on for specific details as to what that particular site considers a restricted item.

Whilst it can certainly be daunting to make the initial foray onto the world market you can guarantee that if you don’t take advantage of the opportunity your competitors most certainly will!

For a helpful & comprehensive list of eBay International Auctions please visit:
http://www.auctionlotwatch.com/ebayauctionsites.html

Steve Durkin is a Director of Online Merchants Ltd which operates the Auction Lotwatch network of sites. Auction Lotwatch have been providing a selection of free auction tools and information to the online auction community for over five years. http://www.auctionlotwatch.com

Talkback radio offers a fantastic opportunity to access thousands of people instantly and relay your or your company’s messages. An interview opportunity is highly sought after in today’s business and to learn ways of working effectively with the media invaluable to any business.

In the media business radio producers and presenters talk about ‘good and bad talent’.

‘Good talent’ gets invited back again and again for radio interviews and often a regular talkback spot, but ‘bad talent’ gets consigned, literally, to the ‘never to be used again’ file.

Being available for talkback radio and being ‘good talent’ can help build your personal profile and business. It can also position you as an ‘expert’ and provide tens of thousands of dollars worth of free publicity.

Radio is the medium of imagination and talkback radio takes advantage of the immediacy and interactive nature of radio.

Talkback radio has boomed in recent years with everything from what home entertainment system to buy to ‘Ask the Minister’ sessions with political leaders.

In my 12 years with the ABC, one of the most fun, innovative and well-received topics was talkback radio on ‘chainsaw maintenance’!

So what makes good talkback talent and how can you become a talkback radio star?

Here are my Top 10 Tips.

1. TARGET STATIONS THAT HAVE TALKBACK IN THEIR FORMAT.

It is pointless chasing after FM or music based stations. Most talkback stations are on the
AM band and in Australia, the ABC with its largely talk-based format is an obvious target. Stations like the ABC will also have developed formats and may be able to offer a date in the future to schedule you in for an interview or mould their program topic to include your area of expertise.

2. FIND OUT WHAT TOPICS AND SUBJECTS ARE CURRENT, NEWSWORTHY & TOPICAL.

Scan the media for ‘Hot News Topics’ that may fit your area of expertise. Remember the goal of talkback radio is firstly to help the station produce interesting and engaging radio for the listener and provide solutions to listeners’ problems. It is not to blatantly promote your service or product. This is an especially sensitive area for the ABC where they have strict editorial guidelines preventing them from mentioning commercial products or services.

3. FIND OUT WHO THE PRODUCER IS FOR RELEVANT TALKBACK PROGRAMS.

A great resource is ‘Margaret Gee’s Media Guide’. This is updated every 6-months and
is available in the business reference section of most State Libraries. Be involved with your target station, listen to the programs and gain an understanding of the presenters and their interests and their audience.

4. CONTACT THE RELEVANT PRODUCER.

Offer not only story ideas to add value to their programming but also offer to take talkback. Make sure you have prepared what you are going to say when you contact them and call when they have time to talk. Calling during a program or leading up to their on air deadline is not a good idea.
Work out when the best time to call is. Often the receptionist at the station can provide this detail prior to contacting the producer.
A good resource full of tips and scripts for contacting the media is our book ‘Media Fundamentals: 8M’s Essential Media Kit’. Order your copy now
http://www.8mmedia.com/Media%20Fundamentals.htm

5. OFFER TO GO INTO THE STUDIO.

Make yourself as accessible and easy to work with as possible. Remember the media are very busy and talkback shows are driven by public opinion. The easier you can make their job the better. Being in the studio adds enormous quality to the sound of the program as well as giving you more credibility and authority.

Often stations use satellite links so you can still sound live and local even if you are in a studio thousands of miles away. Going into the studio also helps build rapport and relationships with the producer and presenter, especially if you actually meet them face to face.

6. ASK FOR DIRECTION ON THE TYPE OF AUDIENCE THEY BROADCAST TO AND ANY LIKELY QUESTIONS.

This will help provide a better understanding of the audience you are trying to reach so you can tailor your message. Don’t ever assume. Radio stations have very targeted demographics so access their research and incorporate into your message.

7. PREPARE NOTES FOR EASY REFERENCE.

The anonymity of radio allows you to look at prepared notes. Use keywords instead of reading out prepared sentences. Often a few key words or phrases written on a piece of paper keeps your focus rather then allowing yourself to be side tracked by other topics.

8. ALWAYS WRITE DOWN THE FIRST NAME OF THE CALLER.

When on air always write down the first name of each talkback caller and use this in your answer. This helps build rapport and empathy with both the caller and the audience. Keep answers short and to the point. Importantly, be yourself when on air.

9. TAKE A TAPE OR MINIDISK TO RECORD YOUR SEGMENT.

Always ask permission to record your talkback session. This can be an invaluable tool to use to improve your performance, transcribe your ideas and answers for use in articles or to duplicate and give away as a free resource to build credibility.

10. EVALUATE, REVIEW AND THANK.

After the session and when appropriate debrief and ask for feedback from the presenter or producer. Listen to the tape yourself and look for ways to improve for next time. Always thank the media for the opportunity and offer to come on again.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.
You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com

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