Mailbox Millions

What do Benjamin Franklin, Arthur Murray, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have in common?

Successful direct mail order businesses!

Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Almanac” made him anything but in the 1730s while Arthur Murray waltzed right into a fortune the 1920s with his “Correspondence School of Dancing.” And long before Hollywood came knocking, Arnold pumped up his fortune by selling “How To” info through the mail.

You know direct mail works–the number of catalogs you receive September-November tells you as much. People like to shop by mail, in the convenience of their homes, with no pressure from salesmen.

So how can grab your share of the “mailbox millions”? There are several great ways to make money with direct mail, including:

• Sell a Great Product. Clothes, shoes, food, cars, brides–you name it, it is probably shipped by direct mail. Start with a product you feel passionate about, perhaps a hobby or favorite topic, and do some market research to determine if there’s a need. If so…fill it!
• Generate Leads. If you have a high end product, you can sort the lookers from the buyers through an effective mail piece.  People will qualify themselves by contacting you or visiting your website.
• Sell to Your Customer List. Once you have a customer who’s bought something, sell to him again and again and again. It’s “easy” money, yet 95% of businesses fail to make full use of their databases. Why? They overlook the potential. If this is you, dust off your database, send a direct mail piece, and inject some cash into your business.

With a great product, the right offer, and the right mailing list, fortunes can literally be made overnight. Sound simple? It is–if you know what you’re doing. If you don’t, it can eat a hole in your bank account. It’s a viable marketing method that translates well to the web while still being effective by “snail” mail. If mail order piques your interest, you owe it to yourself to learn more.

Resources:

How to Start a Home-Based Mail Order Business

Marketing Secrets of a Mail Order Maverick

The Leisurely Way to Make Money

The fastest, easiest way to make money is by doing something you enjoy and are good at. Often we look to “proven” opportunities to generate fast money when all we really have to do is take a good look at ourselves.

So with that in mind, let me ask you this: how do you relax? Do you garden? Play cards? Watch old movies?

What if you could find a way to turn how you relax into something that makes money? I know what you may be thinking: “My down time is off limits!” But it’s precisely for that reason that it’s a great way to make money. It’s also why it’s often overlooked.

Futurist Faith Popcorn concludes that with today’s hectic pace, people would rather spend money than time. If you could combine your love of your leisure time activity with the knowledge that people will pay to have things done, you could find yourself with some potentially lucrative ideas on your hands.
Here are some examples of what I’m talking about:

• Several years ago, I was having lunch with a group of women I worked with. We started to talk about how we liked to unwind. One woman read books. Another liked to walk her dog. Cooking and watching television were also high on the list. But one woman just chuckled. “I know you’re going to think I’m crazy, but I like to iron clothes.” It was obvious. Everything she wore was always neatly pressed.
• By the end of the meal, she had herself some clients. Before long, her quick, precise skill had won her an army of regulars-that had her netting several hundred dollars a month. All for a few hours a week of doing something that she enjoyed that helped her to unwind.
• My husband’s grandfather loved to mow lawns. It was how he could be by himself, think about nothing, and make money to boot. He mowed for several churches and schools and had private clients as well.
• One of the men who works with my husband is a visiting scientist from Japan. After they’d been here a few months, his wife wrote a long letter to one of her friends back home, detailing her life in America. The letter found its way to the local newspaper editor, who asked for permission to print it. Now the wife is a regular contributor, chronicling her life in the States.
• Love to wrap gifts? It’s a lucrative sideline for one woman I know. With her specialty papers and unusual ribbons, she can transform a mere package into a beautiful work of art.
• Her talent first caught the eye of one of her superiors when she wrapped a group gift that went to a co-worker. The boss paid her to wrap a birthday gift for his wife, who in turn hired her to wrap all of their Christmas presents. Word of mouth spread quickly, and before long, she had herself a fun way to earn enough to regularly indulge another past time: travel.
• Another woman I know loves to cook, with holiday baking being a particular passion. The orders she fills during the holidays from friends, family, and co-workers regularly end up as hostess, teacher, and business gifts, and she usually makes enough money to cover all her own Christmas expenses.
• Finally, my own grandmother, a regular social butterfly, used to love to host product parties for her business opportunity friends. Tupperware, Shaklee, Beeline Fashions-you name it, Grandma would have her girlfriends over for a look. Never interested in becoming a distributor herself, she’d settle for the hostess gifts and a percentage of the sales made during her parties. That way, she could enjoy the variety of things offered without ever having to handle products herself.

So how do you relax? Sew? Assemble photo albums? Tinker with cars? If it’s something you enjoy and are going to do regardless, why not make some money? A little word of mouth or even a classified ad could create enough steady business to put a whole new spin on relaxing. After all, people would rather spend money than time. Why shouldn’t they spend their money with you?

Want to Change Your Income? Change Your Thinking!

Have you ever seen the movie Bedazzled (2000 Version) with Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley?  The story’s about a young, geeky computer whiz named Elliott (Fraser), who sells his soul to the devil (Hurley) in exchange for a chance to win the heart of the woman he loves. Through a series of mishaps and miscalculations, with the devil having her fun, Elliott finally gives up on his dream and resigns himself to his fate. He goes out with a bang on his final wish–and gets a second chance at life. When he stops wishing for things to happen and starts making them come about, his love life finally comes together.

Now I mention this movie not for its cinematic excellence, but rather for the final message it imparts: To change your life, you need to change your thinking.

It’s the single biggest secret for success.

For just as your love life needs work to be successful, so does your claim to fame and fortune.

So many people want to make tons of money NOW, without having to go through all the trials and tribulations of building a solid foundation. Unfortunately they miss the most integral part of the whole deal: building for long term success. And like Elliott, they often find that the “quick and easy” solution brings disappointment and frustration instead of instant happiness.

In fact, studies reveal that 95% of people who hit the lottery are broke again within 3 years. They get the money, spend it, and are right back to square one. It’s the “easy come, easy go” mentality. When you don’t have to work for something and are unprepared for the windfall, it’s easy to be careless and allow emotions-and other people–to influence your actions. Which is often the case in these situations.

But when you understand the basic principles of prosperity, you’re more likely to make smarter choices. The best way to learn those principles is by rolling up your sleeves and getting to work instead of waiting for wealth to magically strike.

In his book, The Magic of Thinking Big, Dr. David Schwartz reveals that most successful people have a couple of things in common: they set goals, and they allow for errors. They know they’re going to make mistakes along the way, so they plan for it. They don’t let the fear of the unknown keep them from getting started.

I see this very fear all the time in emails from people. One young woman who recently visited one of my fashion sites felt compelled to write and tell me how her life-long dream is to be a fashion designer. She sketches all of the time, and her friends and family keep telling her how talented she is.

“It’s such a shame that I’ll never have that career,” she wrote. “I don’t have any money to get started, and unless someone gives me a break, my talent will just be wasted.”

Yes, it probably will be. Because no one is going to show up at her door and beg her to come be a fashion designer, which is clearly what she’s hoping for.

Understand this: Hope is not a strategy!

She has to take the bull by the horns and make it happen for herself. But she won’t-at least not anytime soon. Her short, 7 line email revealed a tremendous amount between the lines, including the fact that she has low self-esteem and a negative attitude toward life.

So how is YOUR thinking coming along? Are you hoping to “strike it rich” someday, or are you actually laying the foundation to make it happen?

In The Magic of Thinking Big, Dr. Schwartz gives what I think is an excellent blueprint for success. He feels that you need to set goals in the three most important areas of your life, including:

• Work - How much you’d like to earn when, what level you’d like to attain, what impact you’d like to have in your field, etc.
• Home – The family unit you’d like to have, the size of home you’d like to live in, the type of decor you’d like to have, etc.
• Community – Political positions you aspire to, community projects you’d like to participate in, philanthropic contributions you’d like to make, etc.

Since the amount of money you make pretty much determines your lifestyle and your ability to contribute to the community, you need to take particular care when defining your monetary goals.

So what are YOUR work-related goals for this year? Have you defined them yet? Even given them a passing thought?

If not, now’s the time to do so.

Start with something simple, something “do-able”, like spending an hour researching the competition for your hot new idea, or placing an ad for your latest product.

Don’t make it “Make $100,000 this year”.

Why not? Because that sets the bar too high. It’s so monumental a task, that you’ll never get started.

Yes, that may be your ultimate goal for this year, which is fine. But to make $100,000 this year, you have to have the blueprint to make it happen…which includes things like researching the competition and placing an ad for your new product. Don’t put the highest hurdle first. You’ll never make it. Instead, make a bite-size list of things to do that will help you accomplish that final goal.

Remember that old saying, “Inch by inch, it’s a cinch, yard by yard, it’s kind of hard”?

Well, most people want to get to the end so quickly, they opt for the “yard-by-yard” approach. Unfortunately, it’s the hardest way to go. They tire quickly and throw in the towel. Or, like Elliott in Bedazzled, they encounter situations they aren’t prepared to handle, and give up on their dreams.

Don’t let this happen to you. Plan your income like you’d plan a road trip: know how long it’s going to take, how much it’s going to cost, and each stopping point along the way. Once you get into this habit of “inch by inch”, you’ll not only get started, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll be able to accomplish your goals.

Don’t wait for lightening to strike or sell your soul to the devil to accomplish your goals. Make a solid, step-by-step plan for success, and then go for it! If you plan your work and work your plan, you can’t help but succeed!

Good luck!

Starting A Business: The Questions You Need to Ask

Most people start a business to make money.

Now this may seem obvious, but the high percentage of business failures clearly indicates that while the intentions are good, the execution is poor. Build a house without a blueprint and you’ll have a lopsided structure that could collapse at any minute. Build a business in the same fashion, and you’ll get an equally unstable result.

If you’re going to do it, do it right. Begin with the end in mind. If you know your destination, the itinerary comes together easily. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll be all over the map.

Here are the steps you need to consider:

1. Start With Something You Like To Do

Whether you’re looking for spending money or an entirely new career, start with something you enjoy doing. I’ve seen so many people “crash and burn” by running where they think the money is. As soon as the going gets tough, they quit.

Make a list of things you enjoying doing. This could be your line of work, your hobbies, or your “things to try in this lifetime” list.

2. Find Out What People Want

If you want other people to give you their money, you need to give them what they want in exchange. Find out what people are willing to pay for, and then start building your concept around that. So many people get this backward. They figure out what they want to sell instead of determining what others want to buy. Don’t make this mistake.

Research is the key. Fortunately, the Internet makes this fast and easy. Here are a few suggestions:

Go over to both Alexa.com and Technorati.com to see the most popular sites on the web in different categories. You can see the most visited sites web-wide, or the top Travel sites, Shopping sites, Entertainment sites, Health sites, etc. This gives you an idea of what people are looking for.

Sign up for the keyword ezine at Wordtracker.com.   This resource gives you the top 200 keywords people are searching for in the search engines. You’ll almost always see MP3, sex, Napster, Yahoo, and Britany Spears, but you’ll also see a lot of other phrases that will send your brain into overtime.  This week’s list including phrases like Travel, Disneyland, Paris, Food, Research, Song Lyrics, and Music. Any of your interest coincide with what others are looking for?

Check out the forums in your area of interest at places like Yahoo! Groups. Or, tool around Facebook for favorite groups.  You’ll see first hand what people are talking about, and you can ask questions, solve problems, and get some great ideas.

3. Determine Your Niche

Now that you know what you like to do and what others are looking for, try to create a niche. The narrower, the better. Let’s say that you like to shop when you travel. Travel is too broad. Shopping is too broad. Great shopping in New York City (or Detroit, Madrid, Moscow, etc.) is also too broad.
But great diamond shopping in New York City is a niche. Where to find car deals in Detroit is a niche. Stocking your bar with Spanish wines is a niche. Where to find jeans in Moscow is a niche.

Don’t be a little fish in a big pond. Be a big fish in a little pond. Dominating your niche allows you to do that. Define and dominate. It makes a bigger bank account.

4. Decide What To Do

If you’re working a full time job, running a house, spending time with your kids, etc., your time is at a premium. You need to be realistic in what you can do. If you like to travel and shop, your ultimate goal may be to conduct shopping tours or write about the different places to shop while you’re traveling the globe.
But don’t put your life on hold until you can have your goal. Work towards it. If you have 2 to 5 hours a week, for example, you have a couple of things you can do to make money and hone your skills. You could:

A. Write articles about the shopping in your area. You could sell this to your local newspaper travel and/or lifestyle sections, a regional magazine, national and international travel magazines, and national and international magazines in your area of interest (like diamonds, car deals, wines, and jeans, from above).

B. Create an information product about the shopping in your area for sale to travelers coming your way. My bookshelves have many such regional titles from our travels, including Plantations of Louisiana”, “The Decorative Iron Works of New Orleans”, “The Ghosts of Charlottesville and Albemarle”, “Texas Travel Guide”, “What To Do in San Francisco”, a copy of the Mayflower Compact of 1620, and so forth. We picked up most of them in the gift shops of the tourist places we visited.

C. Become an affiliate  for different programs in your area of interest. Focus, focus, focus, and deliver with a twist.

Love finding diamond deals in New York? Give tips and tricks of where to go and what to look for and become a reseller for airline tickets, hotel rooms, Broadway shows, and jewelry supplies like cleaners, safes, and insurance riders.

Know the best places to find wine in Spain? Write about local festivals and events and become a reseller for airline tickets, hotel rooms, restaurants, car rental, wine cellar supplies and books about wines.

The fastest, cheapest way to put up a web site and maintain control? Buy a Site Build It! license and follow the instructions.  Not only will this program walk you step-by-step through defining a niche and figuring out the marketing angle, it hosts your domain and handles all the technical web stuff so all you have to do is market. VERY cool!

5. Determine If It’s Feasible

Can you deliver your idea? If you have a fantasy about writing but can’t string two words together, taking a writing course. If you want to conduct shopping tours to the Big Apple, can you manage all the details that are involved? If you want to export Spanish wines, do you know all that’s entailed in exporting? If not, find out.

Sometimes you’ll discover that you’re in way over your head. That’s okay. The time to determine this is BEFORE you sink a lot of money into the venture. Now having said that, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should “chunk” the idea. Rework it until it IS something you can manage. Start small. Grow. Learn.You can build it to your ideal later, when you have more resources and experience under your belt.

6. Test, Test, Test

Do you have a winner? You don’t know yet. Put it in front of some people who are likely to buy it and see if they do. If they don’t, change something – the title, the presentation, the sales pitch. Try it again. If they bite, you have a winner. If they don’t, change something else and try again. Try to find out why they are or are not buying. You’re looking for feedback at this point. You also want to work out “all the kinks” before it gets to market.

This is another area where so many people drop the ball. They roll out their product and assume it will be a best seller. On rare occasions, it is. More often then not, it isn’t.

Some people will like what you have. If you have a few sales, you’re striking a chord. But if your sales are very few in comparison to your traffic, you’re missing something that’s keeping more people from buying. Your task is to determine what that “something” is. Testing will tell you.

7. Promote, Promote, Promote

Once you have something people want and are willing to pay for, tell as many people as you can as often as you can. Don’t neglect the marketing. Only a handful of people are actively looking for what you have to offer. Everyone else is waiting for you to come to them. So go – and make it easy for them to buy from you.

Then keep in touch. If you they bought from you once, chances are, they’ll buy from you again.

Seem simple? It should be. Don’t make it more complicated than it is.

Good luck!

The Super Affiliate Handbook

Super affiliate Rosalind Gardner started tooling around the Internet in 1996, swapping seeds and growing tips with other passionate gardeners.  When she visited a dating site a few years later and saw a “Webmasters Make Money” banner, she was intrigued and clicked on it.  A few months later, after setting up and playing around with a dating website, she got her first $10 affiliate check payment in the mail.  She knew she was on to something.

That was 1998.  By 2000, she’d replaced her air traffic controller salary with affiliate marketing income and quit her day job.  By 2002, she was earning nearly $500,000 a year as an affiliate marketer and wrote the Super Affiliate Handbook to tell how she did it.  It was an instant best seller and remains popular to this day because of Rosalind’s step-by-step approach (she updates it regularly as the Internet changes and her skills increase).  She wasn’t a business person when she started and had no prior experience selling stuff online, but she had an idea, a desire to replace her income, and a strong work ethic.  That’s all it took.

Today, Rosalind works just a few hours a week, frequently takes month-long vacations, lives an affluent lifestyle — and makes six figures a month with affiliate marketing. 

I’ve learned a lot from her and the Super Affiliate Handbook and think you can too.  If affiliate marketing sounds interesting and profitable, the Super Affiliate Handbook is a ”must have” resource for your digital library.

Affiliate Programs: Make Money Selling Other People’s Stuff

Affiliate programs are one of the hottest trends on the web today, with good reason. If you’re looking for an easy way to add to your income without spending a lot of time doing so, promoting different affiliate programs could be what you need.

Here’s the basic premise: you sign up in different affiliate programs and promote another company’s goods or services in exchange for a percentage of the sales you send to them. There are no sign up costs to participate, and because visitors you send to the host sites are usually “tagged” with a traceable “cookie”, you can get credit for the sale for a certain length of time if the customer returns to buy later (although this varies from program to program–read the fine print on any agreement).

Affiliate programs are strictly pay-for-performance and the ultimate “win-win” situation. Businesses get an army of salesmen to promote their product or service (not to mention TONS of advertising), with no payroll costs–and individuals are able to sell great products, with no inventory, handling, or fulfillment hassles.

Here’s how you can make money with affiliate programs:

1.  Easily establish a web presence. Want to make money online but have no product to call your own? No problem! Determine what your site is about, and find existing products to promote until you can develop a product of your own. Visit AssociatePrograms.com to find suitable products. Sign up for Allan’s newsletter while you’re there.

2. Create an instant backend. Have a great product but nothing else to offer your customers? Join and promote several affiliate programs relevant to your website and collect a percentage of the sales.

3. Easily add to your bottom line. Once you’ve established a web presence, people are going to ask you about your vendors. Why? They want to know the fastest way to get up to speed. If you’re satisfied with your web host, merchant account, tracking software, etc., recommend them to others and collect a percentage as an affiliate. It’s only good business sense, after all.

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“Best Bet” Resources

If the affiliate programs idea appeals to you but you have no idea where to start, download these resources and get on the FAST track to success:

Super Affiliate Handbook

Rosalind Garner collected her 1st affiliate check for $10 back in 1998.  Over the next two, through hard work and by making lots of mistakes, she was making $10,000 a month and quit her day job.  By 2002, she was raking in $400,000+ per year as an affiliate, and these days, she does six figures a month – working a few hours a day and taking month-long vacations.   This book shows you how to do the same…A LOT faster, and without all the trial and error she went through.  A “must have” for your affiliate library.

Google Cash Sniper

This program will have you up and running fast and profitably within a matter of weeks.  Super Affiliate Chris Fox shows you step-by-step how to find a niche, do keyword discovery, set up a website, and promote the heck out of it.  Once you’re done, you’ll have a network of sites that not only score well on Google, bringing you TONS of targeted, hungry buyers for FREE, but that fill your bank account as well.  I’ve been online for a decade and learned some stuff I’ve never seen.  Awesome!