Archive for the ‘Random Stuff’ Category

I have to admit, I wasn’t always a great money manager when it came to my business, and I know I’m not alone in that admission.

In truth, I used to spend the money as fast as it came in, and then scramble later to pay my business expenses. Not an ideal situation to put myself in, especially when I had to dip into my husband’s pay or use a credit card to pay them.

But it wasn’t just me. My husband would ask for money, and I’d give it to him, and eventually he just took for granted that I always seemed to have money. I didn’t, not really, because I was spending my profits and then giving him money that was allocated for expenses.

Sometimes that money was spent foolishly, but in most cases, it merely bought groceries, gas, and paid other essential living expenses. Still, it was a very unwise thing to do because it meant I was living beyond my means.

Perhaps this really isn’t that big of a deal when you’re just getting started, but as your business grows you have to have discipline. You can’t be burning through your PayPal account when you have affiliates and contractors to pay, refunds to process, and monthly business tools/services to pay for. Not to mention contributing to the household bills.

So there comes a time when you have to manage your business finances like a real business instead of a hobby. Everything needs to be tracked, expenses paid first, and your profits taken last.

Now that doesn’t mean you have to be so strict that you never have fun with the money you’re making, because you should. In fact, my business profits pay for our frequent weekends away in the summer, as well as luxury items like a fancy digital camera, a video camera, computer, etc. Or it may be just a simple dinner out and a trip to the movie theatre.

Don’t deny yourself the fun of doing things with your hard-earned money, just be wise about it.

Here are a few things you can do to get a better grip on your business finances:

- Put away that PayPal debit card: This little sucker makes accessing your money incredibly easy, so until you have the discipline to use it wisely, get it out of your wallet and tuck it away for emergencies only. Instead, make bi-weekly or monthly withdrawals of your profits from your PayPal account to your bank account.

End of the month withdrawals are ideal because then all of your income for that month has come in, and all of your expenses have gone out. So you can clearly see what your “take home pay” is.

I’d really love it if PayPal would let you set up accounts within your account, so you could separate your money…one designated for expenses and one for income. So all of your income from the previous month would stay separated from your expenses in the coming month.

- Track: Get diligent about tracking where your money’s coming from and where it’s going, and then cut out all the extras you don’t need. If you don’t have a clear idea of what your income and expenses are, then you’ll just end up overspending.

For instance, I have various team members who are on retainer, so I know exactly what their services are going to cost me each month. I can check my records at any given time and know how much is owing to affiliates, what subscriptions I have and how much they cost, etc.

This type of tracking also allows me to budget for new projects, or allocate funds to current projects, like adding new tools to my affiliate center. It also enables me to me know how much marketing I can do in a given month, like outsourcing press release writing & submission, article writing & submission, PPC, creating viral tools, etc.

- Save & Invest: Instead of spending your profits as fast as they come in, take only what you need and leave the rest. If you need money to pay the hydro bill and buy groceries, make a withdrawal for the exact amount you need.

Then you can take a portion of those savings and invest in your business. Go to that seminar you’ve be dying to go to, or hire the people you need to get that new project completed, so you can make more money.

It’s not easy to change the way you manage your finances, but it’s so worth it. It’s nice to see the money add up in your PayPal account, and know that you have more than enough to sustain your business and cut yourself a good pay check too!

 She can already count. Here she is showing you her age:

Not from the party, but I love this pic (proud mama!):

Pssst…before you go. Sasha wants me to remind you that Press Release Profits is retiring this week. You can get all the details and an awesome deal here. But only until this Friday, August 14.

I just noticed my blog was really lonely for most of the week. Poor blog. 

It’s been busy around here with Canada Day celebrations, getting the boys ready for the 4th in WA state with their grandparents, a friend’s birthday, yoga and all those things that make up a busy mama’s day.

But add to that, I’ve been really productive in my work time. I’ve been getting a lot of accomplished and have new things in the works…and for some reason, that sometimes make me neglect my blog. Poor thing.

But I’ll be back soon and in the meantime, here’s a couple of new things:

Speedy APLC Publisher Plug-In: All Private Label Content monthly membership received a new feature to their accounts – at no extra charge.

Speedy APLC Publisher is a handy plug-in for your WordPress blog that allows you to instantly publish your PLR content to your blog with just a few clicks of a mouse.

With the plug-in, you can:

1. Mass upload articles – .txt format – All our articles are in .txt format, but you can also use the plug-in for other PLR content, provided it is in .txt format as well

2. Schedule imported articles for publication e.g. Every other day, every 2/3/etc days.

3. Choose your categories. Publish all articles in one category of your choice or individually select a category.

4. Choose your authors. Assign all articles to one author or individually assign articles to author(s) of your choice.

It’s VERY handy plug in that will make it easy for you to use all your PLR content. Your plug-in license remains active for as long as you keep your monthly membership active.

Extra Support on Self-Study Courses for Sweetie Saturday Report Club Members: Sweetie Saturday Report Club Membership already includes a discussion forum where members can discuss monthly materials, ask questions and talk Internet Marketing in general.

I’ve made an extra commitment to my members that whenever they purchase any Sweetie Self-Study course, you can request access to a special student discussion for that course. You can ask questions, get feedback on strategies and more.

It’s a perk that isn’t offered to just any of my students – it’s for report club members ONLY. Now members never have to buy an ebook or online course and feel like they’re left out on your own again.

Well, that’s it for me for now. Also been busy working on the book and the launch of a new PLR membership (All Green Content officially launches this Wednesday).

So tell me, what have you been up to?

This isn’t some kind of over-hyped claim…it’s true! Watch the video to find out:

Next Video: “VIDEO PROOF! 5 Year-Old Eats a Beet & Makes Millions!”

You may have noticed that I’ve been a bit quiet around here lately…well, it’s quiet for me anyway…so maybe it wasn’t that noticeable. 

Well, I’ve been quiet because I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, planning and am now settling into  lot of work as a result of all that thinking and planning. BIG things are coming. Big for me and also for you, if you’re eager to really grow your business in 2009. Forget the economic gloom and doom, because as Alex Mandossian (and others) recently pointed out – there were more millionaires made during the Great Depression than any other time in history. This is not the end or a decline for you…not by a long shot.

A Little Background to This Build Up of Quiet

March marked my 7th anniversary of my running an online business. It has been a long and great road and while many things that I did in 2002 are still very effective today, a LOT about Internet marketing has changed. In addition my own target market has evolved (as I’m sure yours has too), so as smart business people we need to adapt as well. And the most overwhelming thing is that in 7 years I’ve amassed a big chunk of virtual real estate…from websites, to mailing list to products. If it weren’t virtual, it probably weigh a ton.

So for a while now, I’ve been sitting here wondering what to do with all of this. In many ways, it’s all still very manageable – but it feels like I’m not being efficient with everything I have. It kind of reminds me of a big mess of Christmas lights that you’re wondering how to untangle and you’re just tempted to trash them and start all over instead. And I find myself thinking, “If I knew then, what I know now…I might have done things differently.”

Please, don’t get me wrong. I’m not expressing regret for anything. I love what I’m doing and I’m not going anywhere…but I just need to restructure and rework some things for the better. I want things to be even better for myself, for my affiliates and very importantly, for our clients and customers. It’s time to kick things up a notch!

It All Came to a Head This Weekend

On the weekend, I attended the Canada Marketing Summit and found myself truly feeling a little overwhelmed for the first time that I can really remember. It was a strange feeling because I’ve always been the type of person who just goes for it and gets it done. I’ve never been an overthinker (and I’ve often helped my own readers and clients get out of their overthinking traps), but suddenly I was doing it.

Then one of the speakers, Glenn Dietzel started to speak and he was asking the audience if they were overthinking and it was keeping them from action. I seriously almost starting crying. In fact, if I had been anywhere else but in a room with a hundred people, I would have been crying.

And then, it all started to fall into place in my mind.

I know what I need to do and although I don’t know every piece of the puzzle, I have a very good idea of how I’m going to get there (so thank you Rob Toth, for the invitation to the Summit…it was a turning point for me). So there are GREAT things cooking and I will keep you up-to-date as they happen. One of the key things might even surprise you – it’s something you probably never expected from me.

Getting Ready and the Quiet

So, yeah…I’ve been a little quiet because for a while I was just thinking (a LOT!). Then the plan started to take shape. In order to have more time to dedicate to this new plan, I’ve taken Kelly McCausey’s lead and am in the process of training a couple of interns…so that’s where I’ve been hiding out most of this week and will continue to do so into next week.

Anyway, I’ll have more details on what I’m working on soon. I wanted to keep you in the loop and also encourage you if you’re feeling stuck. If you need help, join us the Sweetie Saturday Report Club forum (coupon code: I am recession proof gets you your first month for $1). Sometimes it just takes talking things over with your peers, a mentor or someone who can put the situation into perspective for you. Think about all you’ve accomplished already…you CAN do this. And if you’re just getting started, just having a few people to be accountable to may be the push you need to get things finally moving.

I’ll be in touch again soon.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been hearing about and seeing some pretty sobering things that have really opened my eyes that people really are hurting out there.

Yes, I’m talking about the economy, but no this is not any type of scare tactic. That’s just not my style. It’s just me trying to tell you that we’re here for you if you need it.

But please read on first…

As I said, my eyes have been widened. I tend to live in a bit of a bubble when it comes to the media because I don’t like to focus on negativity and well, the media’s job seems to be sensationalize things and put their own spin on things. Then I started hearing things from family, friends and people I trust.

From my hairdresser telling me about his recent trip to Las Vegas which he says has nearly become a ghost town (he and his wife were the ONLY people inside the Bloomingdales home store in the Fashion Show Mall)…to a friend on Twitter telling us about the state of North Carolina telling  taxpayers they’d have to wait for their refunds because of revenue flow issues. It’s just downright scary.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that it has to be doom and gloom for us and I don’t know your personal situation, but the Internet still provides plenty of opportunity that you can really tap into. You’re not limited to your local town or state and you can truly reach the world. Plus, depending on the business you choose, you can do it with very low overhead and expense.

(Side note: My accountant is always hounding me to submit more expenses because my profit margin just seems to big too big compared to a traditional business. THAT is pretty cool!)

Anyway, all this is to say is that if you need help for your online business, but don’t want to invest in expensive information products or coaching – you don’t need to. I’m here (and have been for quite some time) to give you hand, inexpensively and effectively. And if you haven’t been tapping into this resource, I’m here to encourage you to do so now.

Let me tell you more….

The Sweetie Saturday Report Club has been around for about a year now. What started out as a simple membership with a monthly report on Internet marketing has evolved into additional resources to help you keep on track on your  business and PERSONAL help when you need it.

Last month, I added the Sweetie Saturday Report Club members-only forum to the membership and this means you can get help, advice and answers to the questions you have about Internet marketing. I’m there at least 3 times per week and my team and I are ready to give you a hand. Funny thing is, with all our current members, very few are taking advantage of this valuable resource – but it’s right here ANYTIME you need it.

If you’re ready to ride through this recession and get the help you need WITHOUT going broke in the process, join us.

No, the report club isn’t free (our families need to eat too).

You will need to pay dues on a monthly basis (you can cancel anytime) – but it’s CHEAP!

And to make it easier for you, all you have to do is pay $1 to start and you’ll get a full first month’s access. That
will give you time to take advantage of this month’s reports AND benefit from the members-only forum. If at some point, you decide it’s not for you – you can simply cancel your subscription. No hard feelings and no questions asked.

Here’s what to do:

1. Go to sweetiesaturdayreportclub.com to learn more and sign up.

2. On the order page, enter the following coupon code (excluding the quotation marks):

“I am recession proof”

…and that will automatically set you up to pay only $1 for your first month.

There are no more excuses not to get the help and
information you need to become even more successful with
your online business. We’re willing to put in the time…are
you?

Here’s another Coast Capital Saving Commercial that makes me laugh. Hope it give you a chuckle too.

My favorite line: “At my age, that’s important.”

Direct sales and multi-level marketing businesses are quite common among work at home moms, and that’s not surprising.

These types of businesses offer an effective business model with a plug and play marketing system, and if the company has been around for awhile, a product that has proven itself in the marketplace.

They also typically cost very little to join and have the benefit of a support system with the upline organization.

Then why do direct sales and mlm have a poor reputation?

Sadly, it often has to do with the methods the consultants and representatives use. Some of them can be quite vampirish in nature.

Are You An MLM Vampire?

I compiled a list of some of the more unsavory tactics I’ve seen people resort to in an effort to build their mlm or direct sales business online.

Since these are decidedly unSweetie like, I trust that none of the readers of this blog have succumbed!

1) Troll message forums for fresh blood.

If you are a member of dozens of message boards but have the number “1″ in the “number of posts” field in your profile, if you come to an internet message board or email group simply to blast your ad and then leave, offering nothing of value to the community, and if your Introductory post reads something like:

“”Just wondering if there are any other ‘XXXXXXXX’ reps here.”

Sorry, but you might be an MLM Vampire.

2) Not minding your manners.

If you prospect long lost high school buddies and unsuspecting grocery store clerks, instead of looking for the people who are actually interested in your business opportunity and product, and if you view everyone as a prospect, you might also be an MLM vampire. Also true if you ignore culturally acceptable standards of conduct (like the one that says it’s bad manners to ask someone how much money they earn) in order to push your business on everyone within “3 feet” of you.

3) The dark side.

If you use pseudo-science, urban legend, and scare tactics to enlighten potential customers, then sorry – you’re a vampire.

If you promise recruits that they will work once and get paid for life (which is probably not true, given the high turnover in MLM and other factors)…

Guess what? You might be an MLM Vampire!

4) The freaks come out at night.

What if you join newsletters of legitimate online marketers then spam them with your biz op? While you’re at it, don’t require an opt in for your newsletter. Just use your email client, and make sure all the other people’s addresses appear in the “CC” field in your email program. Then, get defensive when someone with a real email marketing plan politely asks to be removed.

Will you come to the light?

Direct sales guru Kim Klaver encourages reps and consultants to build a real, sustainable business. She says they should first figure out who their target market is. (Sound familiar?!)

Then, search for those people to sell the product to. This will build a solid customer base that provides you with recurring income.

Sounds like a great plan to me.

And no garlic required!

photo credit: Melle_Oh