A recent study of 29,000 business startups noted that 26,000 of them failed. Of those failures, 67% had no written business plan. Think that’s a coincidence?

Here’s the top 10 myths Solo Entrepreneurs often have about business plans-usually, the reasons why they don’t have one. De-bunk the myths, and see how having a business plan for your solo business, can actually be easy and fun–and can jumpstart your success!

1. Myth: I don’t need a business plan–it’s just me!

Starting a business without a plan is like taking a trip in a foreign country without a map. You might have a lot of fun along the way, and meet a lot of friends, but you are likely to end up at a very different place than you originally set out for-and you might have to phone home for funds for your return ticket.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Successful Solo Entrepreneurs know that the exercise of creating a business plan, really helps them think through all the critical aspects of running a business, make better business decisions, and get to profitability sooner.

2. Myth: I have to buy business plan software before I can start.

Business plan software comes in many shapes and sizes, and prices. Many are more geared at small and growing businesses with employees.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Business plan software can be helpful-but it’s not required. Software is more likely to help if you have a more traditional type business, like a restaurant or a typical consulting business.

3. Myth: I need to hire a consultant to write my business plan.

Consultants are an expensive way to have your business plan written.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Your business IS you-and you need to be intimately involved with the creation of your business plan. A better strategy, if you think you need professional help, is to hire a coach or mentor-someone who can guide you in what you need to do, not do it for you.

4. Myth: The business plan templates I’ve seen have all these complex-sounding sections to them-I guess I need all those?

The only time you need to follow a specific outline is if you are looking for funding.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Your business plan needs to answer ten basic questions-that’s it! Don’t make things more complicated than necessary.

5. Myth: My business plan needs to be perfect before I can start my business.

If you wait for everything to be perfectly detailed, you may never start.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: If you have at least a first draft that answers those ten basic questions, you are ready to launch your business! Make your business plan a living, evolving document. In the startup stages, review and update your plan every 2-3 months. As you grow and stabilize, you can slow down the review cycle to every 6-12 months. All business plans should be reviewed and updated at least once a year.

6. Myth: I have to do everything I say I’m going to do in my business plan, or I’m a failure.

Many Solo Entrepreneurs never start because of this myth-which leaves them feeling that the success of their future business suddenly rides on each stroke of the pen or click of the keyboard!

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Think of your business plan as a roadmap for a trip. Expect to take some detours for road construction. Be flexible enough to take some exciting, unplanned side trips. And don’t be surprised if instead of visiting Mount Rushmore, you decide to go to Yellowstone, if that turns out to meet your vacation goals better!

7. Myth: A good business plan has a nice cover, is at least 40 pages long, must be typed and double-spaced?

Business plans intended for investors, such as a bank or venture capitalist, must meet certain requirements that such investors expect.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: As a Solo Entrepreneur, your business plan need only satisfy YOU. It might be scribbled on a napkin, on stickie notes on your wall, or consist of a collage of pictures and captions. It might be all in one document or scattered among several mediums. As long as you know it in your head and heart without having to look at it, and and it is easily accessible to you when you have doubts, that’s all that is necessary.

8. Myth: I don’t need a loan-so I don’t need a business plan.

YOU are the investor in your business-and would you invest in the stock of some company without seeing a prospectus?

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: Seeing your plan in black and white (or color, if you prefer!), can give a whole new view on the financial viability of your business. If "doing the numbers" seems overwhelming, remember you don’t need fancy spreadsheets. Just lay out a budget that shows where all the money is coming from (and going), and have an accountant review it for additional perspective.

9. Myth: My business plan is in my head-that’s good enough.

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes can’t remember what I planned yesterday to do tomorrow, if I don’t write it down!

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: There is a real power in writing down your plans. Some schools of thought advocate that the act of writing a plan down triggers our subconscious to start working on how to manifest that plan. And, of course, it’s a lot easier to remember when you have it in front of you. And a lot easier to share and get feedback from your non-mind reading supporters.

10. Myth: Friends and family are the best sources of feedback and advice on my business plan.

If your brother is an accountant and your best friend is a market research expert, then this might be true.

Solo Entrepreneur Reality: As well meaning as our friends and family can often be, they just aren’t the best way to get honest, objective guidance. Instead, seek out folks that have specific knowledge that will help you, are willing to be candid with you, and that have a genuine interest in helping you succeed. A business coach is one resource to consider!

Copyright 2004, Terri Zwierzynski - Accel Innovation, Inc.

_________

Terri Zwierzynski is a coach to small business owners and Solo Entrepreneurs. She is also the CEI (Conductor of Extraordinary Ideas) at Solo-E.com and the author of 136 Ways To Market Your Small Business. Terri is an MBA honors graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill. Terri has been coaching for over 10 years in a variety of settings, including 6 years as a senior-level coach and consultant for a Fortune 500 company. She opened her private coaching practice in 2001. You can reach Terri at http://www.TerriZ.com.

_________

***** Find more articles like this at http://www.Solo-E.com ? Keeping Solo Entrepreneurs Juiced in Business and in Life. Our team of Solo Entrepreneurs are comprised of small business experts who support others in finding business success with the flexibility and freedom to have a life, too. Network with other freelancers, self-employed and Solo Entrepreneurs in our forums, enjoy our articles and newsletter, and find other online training opportunities. *****

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When five years ago I was faced with having to sell my services for the first time I was terrified. I hated asking for the sale. I dreaded the part where my potential clients inevitably came up with objections why they couldn’t use my services.

I’ve since learned that lack of objections is not necessarily a good thing. In fact, I now welcome it when prospects tell me "why they can’t".

Frankly, when a potential client shares his reasons why he or she hesitates to take advantage of my offer, to me it’s a sign of two things; one ? they are interested in my services, and two ? I’m getting closer to closing the deal.

But many professionals find "overcoming" objections and "closing" the deal stressful, unpleasant and "pushy". If that’s you I want to share with you two lessons that helped me develop a different mindset around this.

First, a "no" doesn’t always mean "no". Mostly it simply "not now" or "I don’t have enough information to say yes."

Second, you can’t "overcome" your prospect’s objections ? but you can give them information and tools that allow them to make a new decision.

If you too experience anxiety around "closing sales" here are my favorite responses to the top five objections your prospective clients are likely to raise.

OBJECTION #1: I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT

–> “I don’t blame you. Hiring a can be a big decision. Can you share with me what specific aspect of my services you are concerned about?"

–> "Yes, I can see how this can be a big decision. You know I found that typically my clients are initially concerned with one of the three things: is the problem important enough to solve it now, is this the right solution for your situation, can you afford the solution? Which one of those concerns you the most?"

–> "Hmmm… I see. Let me ask you? Let’s say we get started on this project ? what are the downsides?"

OBJECTION #2: I HAVE TO TALK TO MY PARTNER ABOUT IT

–> "Great. What kinds of questions do you think they might they ask?"

–> "Good idea. I always discuss decisions like this with my partner (or spouse). But let me ask you a question ? what will you do when your partner doesn’t like the idea of us moving forward with this?”

OBJECTION #3: IT’S TOO EXPENSIVE

–> "Expensive comparing to what?"

–> "Yes, it’s a sold investment. I tell you what - I know this is only worthwhile if you produce solid results, right? What’s the one result you would want to be absolutely sure we could produce in the next that would have you really happy you hired me? ? Great- why don’t we make this our top priority and get started right away?"

–> "Not really. How does this price compare to what it’s costing you to do nothing about this problem?"

–> "Frankly, that’s exactly why you need me."

OBJECTION #4: I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT ON MY OWN

–> "Hmmmm?how long have you been dealing with this issue? If you haven’t solved it on your own so far what makes you think you can do it now?"

–> "Yes, I suppose you could. But let me ask you something ? when was the last time you saw (heard) of a heart surgeon performing an open heart surgery on himself?

–> "With all the respect?I must disagree. If you thought you could solve this problem on your own we wouldn’t be talking right now. Tell me, how would things be different if you could rely on an unbiased opinion to give you a fresh perspective of this problem?"

OBJECTION #5: I DON’T HAVE THE TIME RIGHT NOW

–> "Yes, it will take some time to address this issue. How much more time per week could you devote to other, revenue-generating activities if you could eliminate dealing with this problem on ongoing bases?

–> "That’s funny; you just told me it takes you 10 hours a week to deal with this problem ? wouldn’t it make sense to hire someone like myself and solve it so that you can use your time on more productive tasks?"

–> "Wow, if you are that busy and you are still not getting the results you want perhaps it would make sense to start the project by helping you better prioritize your activities and leverage your time more effectively?"

These are only a few examples of responses I found helpful in getting to a "yes" in negotiating a sale. Rather than trying to memorize those specific sentences learn the underlying concept.

On objection is a cover for a deeper concern. By voicing it your prospect gives you an opportunity to address it and provide information to eliminate it. So quit trying to prove your point and instead ask thought provoking questions. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the outcomes

(c) 2004 Adam M. Urbanski

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Author, Adam Urbanski, a Marketing Mentor, helps Service Professionals and Small Business Owners attract more clients. For more free tutorial articles, hot how-to tips and a FREE 32-page marketing guide go to http://www.themarketingmentors.com

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A UCLA study said the "typical" meeting includes nine people. If you have nine people in a meeting room for one hour, you have consumed one entire workday ? plus some.

What about the dollars associated with this? Say the average salary of meeting attendees is $40,000. Their hourly pay is about $20.00. Nine people for one hour costs $180.00. Not bad, right?

But consider the implications. People don’t spend just one hour a year in meetings. In a 3-M online survey in 1998, people reported spending between one and 1.5 days per week in meetings. They also said 25% to 50% of those meetings was wasted. Being conservative, let’s think 25% of one day’s worth of meetings?that’s two hours. Per week. Times nine people. 18 hours a week. Times $20.00 an hour. 18 times 20 times 48 weeks = $17,280.00.

This is a conservative number. For only nine people. How many people are in your company? And how much time do they spend in meetings each week? These figures do not include the preparation and debriefing time, their benefits, meeting and travel expense or, worst of all, opportunity cost. Really, what could these people have been doing for your business if they weren’t tied up in ineffective meetings week after week?

So, what can we do about these vampire meetings?

Start by looking at your regularly scheduled meetings. What is the objective? Are they really necessary? Can most of the agenda be covered via paper or email? Do you need all the people there for every meeting? Or can some attend only occasionally?

Once you know this meeting must be held with these (fewer, I hope) people, then set a meeting objective for each time. And share it with people before and at the start of the meeting. Post it on a flipchart if possible. Typical meeting objectives include: Generate ideas to overcome our funding problem, Find innovative ways to cut the budget without cutting service, Gain understanding of our new retirement plan, Get updates on three key projects, etc. The advantage of having a clear objective for your time together is that people will police themselves and stay on-topic. And if they don’t, you can point to the objective and say something like, "We have 30 minutes left and still have to achieve this goal for this meeting." Knowing and sharing the objective is a wonderful way to manage the group’s energy and focus.

Another way to keep your meetings productive and efficient is to manage the people dynamics. One of the most common meeting problems is when one person talks and talks and others never get to say a word. If possible, have a meeting facilitator whose job is, among other things, to make sure everyone gets appropriate airtime. When you do not have the luxury of a content-neutral facilitator, then the chairperson must assume responsibility for managing the group. It’s easier than it may seem. In this situation of one dominant personality, the chairperson can enforce brevity for all. Explain that you want everyone to give his or her thoughts in a sentence first and then elaborate on it. So, when that individual starts his/her comments with an unfocused beginning ("20 years ago, I worked at a company and we had something similar happen, except there were some differences like there was this woman named Ann?."), you have the permission to step in and say, "Could you give us your point in a sentence first, Paul, and then some background?" Being even-handed in implementing this approach is very important, obviously.

Another technique to help in this situation is to paraphrase the speaker’s point. Interrupt when he or she takes a breath and say, "So you’re saying that?" and when they agree, you turn to the rest of the group and ask if anyone has anything to add or a different perspective. Thus you use the power of paraphrasing to help the speaker be concise while taking back the control of the group. You might even just jump in when the speaker takes a breath and say, "Good point, Paul. Does anyone else have a different perspective?" and turn your eyes to others.

How you close a meeting is very important. Much like mythical vampires who fade away at sunrise, many meetings tend to sputter to a close when the allotted time runs out. We’ve all been in meetings where the chairperson is trying to set up another meeting while attendees bolt for the exits.

For a meeting that energizes attendees, do this instead. Five minutes before the ending time, call a halt to discussion and revisit each of the agenda items and state what was decided. Then identify next steps with as many specifics as possible. "Sandy, you said you would investigate prices for printing a brochure, right? When can you have this done?" Also set the time and place for the next meeting and tell participants what they can expect from you before then (notes from this meeting, an agenda for the next one, an interim email, etc.).

By pointing out what has been accomplished in the meeting, identifying next steps, and setting the next meeting (not to mention ending on time!), you will create a sense of momentum and people will feel the time they spent in the meeting was productive.

Like a wooden stake, these tips will slay pale, unproductive vampire meetings and replace them with lively, effective ones. Attendees might actually look forward to your future meetings! And you will, too.

Peg Kelley, MBA, has been a professional meeting facilitator for 25 years & is co-author of the booklet "39 Secrets for Effective and Enjoyable Meetings" available for $6.00 at her Facilitation Plus website at www.meetingswithmuscle.com. She publishes a free e-newsletter on Meeting Management Tips. Send your email address to her at Kelley@facplus.com if you want to receive it.

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My wife really gets the credit for the title.

Here’s how it happened.

Years ago, she and I were both truck driving instructors for a major national carrier at their Dallas training facility. Every week, we got a new batch of about 30 people to train, most of whom had never driven a truck (that’s a big truck, semi, tractor-trailer). Our trucks had 10 forward gears spread between two ranges, had to be double-clutched (if you don’t know, don’t ask - it takes too long to explain), and all shifting had to be done at specific engine RPM’s. Upshifting was a different technique from downshifting, and we threw in tricks of the trade such as skip-shifting, speed-shifting, and rolling into second (don’t ask, I told you).

Needless to say, many of our students, most of whom were bright and willing to learn, had difficulty learning the shifting techniques. My wife ran a tutor room at night at the motel where the students stayed, and students could come and ask questions about almost anything to do with the course, including shifting. It was a popular place. So popular in fact, that one night she tutored a guy for half an hour before she realized he was training with another company! We’ll save the story about the night the Dallas SWAT team had a shootout there for another time, but just for the record, yes, she did throw a full grown man to the floor.

Anyway, one night a student kept complaining about how hard it was to learn to shift all those gears. She sympathized with him for a while, and gave him some tips and pointers, but he just wouldn’t shut up! She politely responded for a little longer, but finally her patience snapped, and she uttered those fateful words,

“Well! A shovel only has ONE gear.”

I said that most of the students were willing to do whatever it took to learn everything we threw at them, because they realized what the rewards would be. Without dwelling on the trucking industry too long, they had the chance to earn over $30,000 in their first year, and after that, they could double or even triple their income if they handled it right. For people with no formal training in other fields, or with only experience in areas where income potential was limited, this was the way up, and my wife and I got to help a lot of these people get their start.

However difficult the training was, the reward was usually worth the effort to most of the people we trained. We saw our share of the others as well. The ones like the guy who was actually asking why the company didn’t buy trucks that were easier to shift, when my wife shot him down.

I’ve been in and out of network marketing since 1994, and regularly active in internet marketing since about 1999, and I have seen my share of people who wanted the program to be easy…to do the work for them. Just a few weeks ago, in fact, I got an email from a gentleman asking about a business opportunity I was involved with. He wanted to know what kind of income he could expect the business to “earn him”. He even went so far to say that if he couldn’t be told how much to expect to earn and how soon he would begin earning enough to replace his current income, he would consider the business to be a scam.

The earnings anybody can expect to realize from any internet or network marketing endeavor, and quite often the average job, will depend on a lot of things, including how much effort someone is going to put into their new business or position, and how long they intend to expend that effort. As a matter of fact, if I had to pinpoint one major factor of success for most network or internet marketers, I would just have to say such seemingly simple things as, “Stick with it no matter what.” “Don’t give up.” “Try, try again.”

Honestly, if the business, product, or program is good, and if there is a market for it, sustained effort on your part, not only in selling the product or program, but in learning about the benefits of the product or program to the customer as well, will be one of the deciding factors in the success or failure of your venture.

I very often mention two friends of mine who became millionaires simply by handing out a brochure to everyone they met or came in contact with for three years. They never sold anybody anything! Or I can use myself as an example. Even today, although I make a very good living on the internet, I am not a salesman, and have only what I consider to be a basic skill at internet marketing. However, I also have dozens of websites, most of which are simple as simple can be, that I built (after teaching myself html) and promoted regularly for almost three years before I began receiving regular income from the internet. As I have continued to build more and more informational sites, I have made more and more sales of more and more products, and my income has grown.

It’s probably never going to be completely easy, but if you are willing to study, to learn, to practice, and to make the required effort and not give up, someday you will succeed.

Copyright 2006 Donovan Baldwin

About The Author

Donovan Baldwin

Retired from the Army, the author has worked as an accountant, purchasing agent, optical lab manager, restaurant manager, instructor and long-haul truck driver. An active internet marketer since 2000, he now makes his living online. Find more of his articles at http://donovanbaldwin.blogspot.com and http://business-info.xtramoney4me.net/.

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How often do you do that-especially on an introductory call? How often do you project your fears and insecurities onto the prospect you are calling and decide that you are doomed before you dial?

The definition of a cold call or an introductory call is that you are calling a stranger. This stranger could be having a good day-or a bad day. This stranger could be warm and friendly or brusque and dismissive. There is no way of determining this ahead of time. Beware of doing a mind read of your stranger/prospect and basing your subsequent actions on what you think your prospect is thinking.

"I don’t like calls on Monday morning"-therefore, no one likes calls on Monday mornings. This leaves out all the people who actually like calls on Monday mornings because that’s when they plan their calendars for the week.

"I know my prospect is avoiding me." How do you know this? How could your prospect be avoiding you? Your prospect doesn’t even know you.

We all have choices. You can choose to believe that your prospect does not want to speak with you, is busy and not interested, or you can choose to believe that your prospect will enjoy hearing from you and will be open to what you have to say. The first belief is self-limiting and does not serve you. The second belief leaves you free to pursue new business.

The emotional "baggage" that you bring to introductory calling influences your attitude, which you then project in your conversation. Your prospect can hear if you feel unsure, afraid or uncomfortable, in the same way that you can pick up on those uneasy feelings when speaking with someone. On some level, you help create the attitude of the person to whom you are speaking. If your expectation is that your call will be unwelcome, this will make you anxious and tentative. Your prospect will pick up on that, and it will be likely to make her less receptive to you.

Put another way, there are the facts and there are the stories we tell ourselves about the facts. The facts are: You need to make some introductory calls. You will pick up the telephone and make a call. You will either reach your prospect or not. If you reach your prospect, you’ll say what you have to say. Your prospect will say what she has to say. And that’s it. Those are the facts.

The story: I’m interrupting my prospect. My prospect does not want to hear from me. My prospect already has a vendor. My prospect is avoiding me. My prospect hates me? And on and on?

It is time to change your story. I invite you to use my introductory calling story until you create a better one of your own. My story: I will reach my prospect, who will be delighted to hear from me. We will have a good conversation. I will get what I ask for.

Wishing you all introductory calling success!

© 2004 Wendy Weiss

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Welcome to?nothing

Look at your site’s web copy. Does it begin with "Welcome to??" If so, get rid of it. It means nothing. It doesn’t speak to your customers. It’s just a waste of your customers’ time and space. Rather than the worn out phrase, "Welcome to?" try a statement that captures the essence of your company, explaining it in terms that’ll benefit your customers. Instead of "Welcome to Crazy Dave’s CD Emporium," try "Crazy Dave’s CD Emporium, where you can find quality CDs and crazy prices."

Where do I go?

If you track your site’s metrics, look at your customers’ paths. How many customers get past the home page? If it’s less than desired, there might be a problem with your site’s navigation. If you’re one of those people with mega-content sites, add an internal search to help your customers find there way. If you’re a smaller site, add navigation bars that update automatically when your site’s structures changes or evolves.

"It’s all about me." Your site is supposed to be about your customers not you. Let’s face it: Your customers don’t care about your Nobel Prize or that you were the first person to sell a condominium on Jupiter, they do care, however, about how your expertise can help them.

Quick tip: Visit your site. Does the copy contain more "we," "me," and "I" statements than "you" and "your?"

Marco?Polo

Have you ever visited a site to be sold on the product, then when you needed to ask a quick question, you couldn’t find their contact information? The solution: Put at least an email address or phone number on each page, preferably at the top or bottom. Then put more detailed contact information on your contact page.

Rarely read but really important. Just the presence of terms and conditions and privacy policies instills confidence in your product. It also eases the minds of your more anxious customers.

Vague, iffy, testimonials

Testimonials are the easiest and perhaps the best way to capture your customers’ attention and confidence. But simple statements saying that your product is good, won’t work. Detailed testimonials praising how much your product improved their life work best. Another way to give testimonials more selling power, get a picture. Even better, get a picture with you customer using your product or benefiting from your service.

Vanessa Selene Williams an independent writer who writes for businesses and corporations. She currently offers 30-minute and 60-minute critiques and consultations. To learn more about Vanessa and her services visit her online at http://corp.vswilliams.com or email her at

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I learned in first grade that one plus one equals two. But, that’s not the right equation when counting work experience. We often think we’re building experience to help us get ahead. In reality, we’re passing time. Ten years working like a cloned Bill Murray in Groundhog Day is not ten years worth of experience. Doing the same thing again and again yields an experience formula more like: ten times one equals one.

I used to equate years of work with years of experience. No more. I learned by making plenty of hiring and promotion mistakes in twenty years of management the two are not equal. Neither are years of work and performance. Doing something for five, ten or twenty years doesn’t make you automatically five, ten or twenty years better than when you started. I’ve been cooking for thirty years but I remain a mediocre cook.

Two or three years involved with a business start-up or a new project might provide more growth and knowledge than ten years in a stable venue. And it might not. Gaining experience is more about you and your approach than anything else.

Recurring work events can be predictable, boring, and unchallenging ways of passing years at work if what you’re doing is updating last year’s memo, tweaking last year’s budget, or fine-tuning last years goals without applying innovation, analysis or critical thinking. Retiring on the job is as prolific as spam and will get you as blocked as those unwanted emails.

I’ve found the difference between people who are winning at working and people who aren’t, is the difference between passing another year at work and gaining another year of work experience. Those who build their experience build their futures. And, you can build experience without changing jobs.

Building experience is about the depth, diversity, challenges and learning you gain by offering the best of who you are at work. It’s about seizing and creating opportunities. And it’s about continual self-improvement and constant self-feedback.

You know you’re gaining experience when you problem solve your own mistakes; learn to use knowledge building blocks to handle more complex issues; make contributions more valuable than the year before; acquire new skills by venturing outside a comfort zone; embrace new ideas or technologies; or recognize you don’t know as much as you thought you did as you begin to see a bigger picture.

People who try new things, push the envelope, pitch ideas, offer innovative problem solving, take accountability, and never stop learning and making a difference, are people gaining experience and building their work future.

(c) 2004 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.

Sign up to receive Nan’s free biweekly eColumn at www.winningatworking.com. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, small business owner, and on-line instructor. Contact Nan at info@nanrussell.com.

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How would you like to make money with your podcast? If you are podcasting, the potential to generate revenue from your podcast is an extra-added benefit to you as a podcaster.

As a podcaster, you don’t have to worry about large overhead and the revenue generated through your podcast will be mostly profit.

There are three main ways in which you can make money with your podcast.

1. Generate Revenue through Commerical Sponsors

One of the greatest ways to generate revenue for your podcast is through commercial sponsorship of your show. If you are able to obtain a major sponsor, you can bring in large revenue for your podcast. As time goes on, major companies are beginning to recognize the true importance of podcasting.

Two Moms, Paige and Gretchen, from Virginia understand the significance of commercial sponsors. They host a weekly show called MommyCast that focuses on mothers. Paige is a mother of 5 and Gretchen is a mother of 2.

They have obtained two major sponsors for their show, Earthlink and Dixie. As a result, they are making substantial revenue just from commercial sponsorship to their show. When they started podcasting, they probably had no idea how popular their show would become. However, Earthlink and Dixie recognized the impact of their show and decided to become sponsors. (www.mommycast.com)

If two Moms from Virginia can do this, anyone can accomplish this same goal. It doesn’t matter where you live or what you are podcasting about. If you are able to generate a substantial listening audience, the chances of obtaining major sponsors for your podcast will increase.

Commercial sponsorship for your podcast is an excellent way to generate a great source of income. If you are able to obtain a big sponsor, this could bring in large revenue for you as a podcaster.

When two major corporations like Earthlink and Dixie recognize podcasting as a way to reach potential customers, this is great news for all podcasters. When a major sponsor advertises on traditional radio, the radio station’s signal is limited by wattage to a specific geographic region. However, with podcasting, there is no geographic limitation. Anyone in the world with a computer or mp3 player can potentially hear the show. Thus, this is an excellent selling point to potential sponsors.

2. Make Money with Donations

Another way to generate revenue with your podcast is with donations. For example, Adam Kempenaar and Sam Hallgren host a twice-weekly film podcast from Chicago called Cinecast. They review different movies and give their opinions. Their podcast is becoming very popular and continues to grow on a daily basis. (www.cinecast.com)

If you visit iTunes, you will see that they are listed as a featured podcast in their podcast directory. This is a major plus for Cinecast. (www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts)

Adam and Sam have decided to make money by requesting donations for their podcast. When you go to their website, you will see a button for PayPay in which listeners can make a donation to their podcast. PayPal has a positive reputation and offers an excellent way for accepting donations.

If you provide valuable information to your listener, they will appreciate your efforts and be more likely to make a donation. However, in time, Cinecast will probably be able to acquire national sponsors.

When you first start podcasting, donations are an excellent way to generate revenue as your audience grows.

3. Get Money from your Website or Blog

The third way that you can make money with your podcast is with advertisements on your website or blog. Google Adsense is one way that you can accomplish this goal. Adsense places ads on your website and when someone clicks on the ads, you get paid. (www.google.com/adsense)

Another way to make money with your website or blog is by promoting different products through Clickbank. ClickBank offers over 10,000 products that you can promote as an affiliate. It is free to sign up as an affiliate at ClickBank and you make money every time someone purchases a product through the links that are displayed on your site. (clickbank.com)

The key element to generating revenue is getting your podcast noticed. The best way to accomplish this goal is by getting your podcast listed in iTunes and also listing your podcast with other podcast directories. You need to let people know that you are out there so that you can obtain a large audience. Over time, as your audience grows, the potential for commercial sponsors will also grow.

Copyright Patrick Curran

About The Author

Patrick Curran is a professional radio Disc Jockey who takes you through the process of creating your own podcast. He reveals insider secrets to skyrocket your podcast - nothing held back. He provides easy steps to learn podcasting so that you can start your podcast today. To learn How to Podcast, please visit: http://www.radiosecretsforpodcasting.com.

Copyright by Patrick Curran

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Use Postcards to Generate Website Traffic and Sales Leads

A brief captivating message on a postcard with an enticing offer sent to the right prospects will generate a flood of traffic to your website - or a large number of sales leads.

Keep your postcard simple. Make it look at first glance like a message from a friend instead of like an advertisement. This creates a pleasant emotional response from readers even though they quickly realize that it is a commercial message.

State the biggest benefit you offer to customers. Then briefly add a few other advantages or features you provide. End with a compelling reason for prospects to contact you …or to go to your website for more details. It’s that simple.

Tip: Don’t try to close sales directly from a postcard. There’s not enough space on a postcard to provide all the information your prospects need to make a buying decision.

People Read Postcards

Almost everybody will read a postcard - even those who usually throw out other direct mail without opening it. That’s because it’s almost impossible to throw out a postcard without looking at the message.

This high rate of readership is the main reason why postcards produce a bigger response than other types of direct marketing. With other types of marketing you often lose prospects who would have responded to your offer - but they never saw it.

Tip: Postcards are an excellent low-cost alternative to email. People get so much email today that even legitimate messages are getting deleted unread. But they get few if any postcards. Your message is guaranteed to get their attention when it’s delivered on a postcard.

Postcards are Cheap to Produce

Postcards cost less than 2 cents each to produce if you print them using your own computer. You can print postcards individually on blank 4 x 6 inch index cards or print 4 postcards on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of index card stock and cut each sheet into quarters.

Your postcards will cost between 4 cents and 9 cents each to produce if you use a commercial printer …depending on the number you have printed and the quality you want.

Postcards are Cheap to Mail

Even the postage for mailing postcards is cheap - 23 cents each to send them by First Class Mail in the US. The only requirement for this special rate is that the dimensions of your postcards must be at least 3 1/2 x 5 inches but not over 4 1/4 x 6 inches.

Tip: Always use a real 23 cent stamp on your postcards. It produces more replies than a printed indicia (imprinted postage) …probably because people associate a printed indicia with junk mail.

Don’t overlook postcards the next time you want to drive a huge amount of traffic to your website or generate a flood of new sales leads. They’re simple to use, highly effective and very low-cost.

Copyright 2004 Bob Leduc. http://BobLeduc.com

Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards …and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter to help small businesses grow and prosper. You’ll find his low-cost marketing methods at: http://BobLeduc.com or call: 702-658-1707 After 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV

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1. Doing what you enjoy 2. Concentrating on your strengths 3. Understanding Job Excellence

Let’s start with doing what you enjoy. Your quality of life is in many ways dependant on how much (or little) you enjoy your job. While every job has aspects that you may not enjoy as much as others, overall your job satisfaction should be high. The higher your job enjoyment, the more effectively you will be in getting things done.

If you are working in a job that you don’t enjoy, you have two choices. The first is to minimize those things you don’t care for. This does not mean you no longer do them, but you look for the positive things about those individual components you don’t like. Over time you should be able to reduce the number of negatives and increase the positive aspects. This will automatically increase job enjoyment.

If you are certain you will never be able to enjoy your job, it’s time to consider option 2, changing jobs. This is a drastic measure and should not be done without careful thought. However studies continually show that people who do make a decision to change from jobs they don’t enjoy to jobs they like almost immediately experience a better life with less stress.

Second, concentrate on your strengths. It is important to recognize where both your strengths (talents) and weaknesses are. Some people successfully use a matrix commonly called SWOT.

The SWOT technique is a helpful matrix that helps you understand where your Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats are.

For your “STRENGTHS” list only what you believe your strengths are but also include what others think your strengths are. Include the available resources that you use to your advantage and those activities you do well.

“WEAKNESSES” are areas you and others around would identify as areas where you are not as strong. Things that take you away from productive activity may be considered a weakness if they interfere with your goal.

“OPPORTUNITIES” are areas where you see a trend changing that may affect your goal. Don’t forget to look at technology and changing demographics when working in this dimension.

“THREATS” are considered to be the specific obstacles that you currently face. Those obstacles can range from cash flow to technology. Look for anything that may detrimentally affect the way you do things now.

By analyzing the completed SWOT matrix you may be surprised as to the areas you can focus on to reach your business goals.

The third focus in setting your work priorities is to become an expert at your job. Being an expert is going beyond academics and entering into the real world of your business. Keeping up with trends, competitors, market and demographic changes are critical areas where you should strive to be regarded as an expert.

In addition you need a plan to keep on top of your field. You must learn to make and keep good goals that are complementary with your company’s growth.

This requires that your goal and the goals of your department be in total sync. Set a meeting with your manager, make sure you both are in agreement and the goals you are setting are the same, or are a part of, the department goals. The department goals should be the same as the company goals.

Here are some good questions to get clear answers on that will help you set priorities:

– What is the purpose of this job? — How am I measured for success? — What does exceptional performance look like? — What are the specific priorities and deadlines? — What resources are available? — What is your budget? — How does what you do relate to other people?

Carefully consider this time of year to get a fresh start on the fall and your sanity at the same time. After all, it may not be Time Management that is keeping you from accomplishing everything you think you need to do. It may be doing what you enjoy and concentrating on your strengths.

================================= © 2004 TrainingConnections.ORG All Rights Reserved

John Robertson is a Professional Trainer with over 20 years experience in Mid to Sr. Level Management in several Fortune 500 companies. His real world experience will bring credibility to your meetings. TrainingConnections.ORG focuses on three major categories of Employee Performance Improvement; Leadership, Management and Sales Training. Contact us today for more information or check our web site: www.TrainingConnections.ORG. =================================

This newsletter may be shared with others in its entirety. However credit must be given to John Robertson and TrainingConnections.ORG and the following text must be included.

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