4 Steps to Unbeatable Advertising And Still Keep Money in You

Advertising doesn't have to wipe out your bank account to be effective. When you learn to negotiate, know when smaller ads are as effective as large ads, ask for discounts, and create an irresistible offer, you're on your way to skyrocketing profit margins! 1. Negotiate Have you noticed that some people seem to always get the best deals? Yeah, you pay full price and think you did OK until they show up with the same thing, only they paid several hundred dollars less. It really get your goat! How do they do it? They're not afraid to ask for an extra discount. Yep, don't sell yourself short because you didn't ASK the next time your advertising rep makes an appearance! Even if you're already getting a discount, ask for a bigger one. You have not...because you ask not. 2. Trim Bigger is always better...or is it? When it comes to advertising, don't be surprised if some of your short ads meet with more success than larger more expensive ads. Trimming down on the size and cost of advertising doesn't mean you'll be trimming the results! 3. Exploit the Freebies What's the difference between advertising and publicity? ...who's doing the talking. Yeah, when you sell yourself, it's advertising. When someone else is selling you, it's publicity...and it generates credibility and interest that you don't want to miss out on. Think about the different ways you can get your business in the spotlight. Do you have some news… write a press release? Write some “how to” articles with a short byline at the end and release them to ezines, magazines, newspapers, and other publishers. Why not promote the product of a non-competitor in return for them promoting yours...think of the totally different market they affect! Yep, there are a lot of ways out there to get free advertisement that will benefit your business. Of course you won't be able to rely solely on the freebies, but hey, you can get a little extra for nothing! 4. Improve Your Offer Is your deal too good to pass up? If not, you need to improve it. Hey, I'm not talking about cutting prices even more...you've still got to make a profit. You can make the deal sweeter just by increasing the readers knowledge of the value of the product, or adding bonuses that are perceived as valuable, but cost you little. Motivate purchasers with expiration's. Yeah, an open ended offer encourages procrastination...which leads ...yep, nowhere. When the customer knows he has until Saturday to purchase an item he'll pay more for on Sunday, he'll make it a priority to head for your shop. Advertising doesn't have to wipe out your bank account to be effective. When you learn to negotiate, know when smaller ads are as effective as large ads, ask for discounts, and create an irresistible offer, you're on your way to skyrocketing profit margins!

3 Simple But Powerful Off-Line Advertising Strategies

There are several ways to advertise and get the word out about your business online and the best of them include f-ree search engines, pay per click search engines, writing articles, utilizing press releases, doing joint ventures/ad co-ops, and posting to message boards and forums related to your target market. But one advertising method that's neglected by most online marketers is off-line advertising. There are several low/no cost ways to advertise off-line and I want to share 3 of them with you. 1) Business Cards If you are serious about your business you must have business cards. They are cheap and are a great way to attract potential prospects or customers. Simply hand them out to people who you feel may be interested in your business. Also, whenever I visit a restaraunt, bar, or club, I'll leave my business cards in all of the bathroom stalls. (Just make sure nobody is in there of course... lol!) And don't laugh at this! It really works. When I visit the bathroom an hour or two later, I'll find that all of my business cards are gone and I'll have a fresh new set of sales the very next day. You can get f-ree professional looking business cards at VistaPrint.com, all you have to pay is shipping and handling: http://www.vistaprint.com 2) Flyers With today's technology, flyers are very easy to make. You can simply design a flyer online and just print it out and make copies. Then you can post them in area businesses where you feel your potential customers may hang out. (Just make sure you ask permission from the business owner.) Or simply hand out your flyers to people you meet on the street. Many bars and clubs don't have a problem with posting flyers in their establishments either, especially if you are a patron. And don't forget about supermarkets! Many have bulletin boards, at least here in New Jersey where I live, and you can post your flyer there. There are hundreds of people walking into supermarkets everyday and they are in a purchaseing mentality. Take advantage of it and post your flyers often. Here's a site that lets you create and print flyers or brochures online for f-ree: http://www.mybrochuremaker.com/ 3) Automobile Advertising What... ? Yes you read that right! Your car is not only a driving vehicle but a great advertising vehicle as well. You can stick magnetic signs or plates on your car with your company name and/or domain name for all to see. Your business can be exposed to hundreds, if not thousands of people everyday whether your car is parked, you are driving, or even when you are stuck in traffic. It's fairly inexpensive and a great way to "drive" home your message. Here are a couple of sites to check out for this very sort of thing: http://www.iditplates.net http://www.magneticsigns.com Those are just a few of the ways to advertise off-line. I'm sure you can come up with other clever ways as well. You've got a brain... use it!

3 Unusual Formats For Auctions on eBay

eBay users are accustomed to only two "standard" formats for sales on eBay: either the 'regular' auction which involves bidding and waiting; and the purchase It Now, which is an instant purchase. But there are three other formats that are less well known. 1. Live Auctions Before eBay, the traditional auction included live bodies in chairs and an auctioneer up front (talking so fast he was frequently unintelligible). Any purchaseer can still participate in these live auctions via eBay. Live auctions are a hybrid - a purchaseer is 'sort of' present in a live setting yet is at home using an Internet connection. The products for sale are usually expensive and unusual. There are such items as expensive and unique coins, Asian art, native American artifacts, incredible jewelry, costly furniture, memorabilia from major sports stars and even history. Today, for instance, there are documents signed by John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, James Madison and Ulysses Grant (he confides that he was strenuously opposed to the "wicked" war with Mexico). If you choose to participate in a live auction, be certain that you register first because you can't just drop in on a whim. You can find all the details here: http://www.ebayliveauctions.com - Just Copy & Paste, don't need to type it. 2. Private Auctions Private auctions are similar to the typical auction that we're all familiar with except for one detail - the identities of the bidders are kept secret. Only the seller has access to the names. Why would anyone create a private auction? It's usually for one of three reasons: * The item is quite expensive and purchaseers might be uncomfortable having others know they can afford such merchandise. Their concern about their financial status is most likely misplaced because it is quite possible to distance yourself from eBay contact information, but much of selling is about perception. * The purchaseers might be embarrassed by the nature of the merchandise. * Some sellers habitually use private auctions to make it harder for their competition to snoop on them. 3. Restricted Access Auctions This is usually for sales of "adult" items. The main purpose is to prevent children from seeing this kind of merchandise, and is similar to having covers on racy magazines at store checkouts. To bid on these items, the purchaseer must: * Be 18 years old * Must have supplied credit card information to eBay.The theory is that no one under 18 can get a credit card and therefore cannot get into these sections. * Agree that he is voluntarily accessing restricted access auctions In addition, restricted auctions are excluded from the Featured pages. So if you are a seller using this format, your listing will be harder to find. Even though they are less well known, these three formats for auctions on eBay still account for tens of millions of dollars in sales each year. If they suit your business model, you might consider them.

3 Internet Home Based Businesses Anyone Can Do

If you’re serious about having a home based business, then you need to prepare. The leading reason for a failing home based business is the lack of preparation people commit after they’ve made a decision to start a home based business. So what kind of home based business opportunity should you take on? Do you want to have an internet-based home business? Millions have done it, are doing it and are earning good livings doing so. Here are three different kinds of Internet based business models you can try: 1.) Be an online retailer for reputable companies. Your home based internet business can give reviews about all the products and services of these companies. Your customers will browse around your website, and then click on to the link. The link will send the customer to the company’s customer service website, which takes care of processing and shipping their order. Your home based online business website does the marketing, promoting and advertising aspects for these companies. Your commission comes from the proceeds of the sale. You don’t even have to spend money for expensive e-commerce software. 2.) You may not be able to bear the pain of separating from your oldest possessions, but how about auctioning these things off? For a minimal entry fee and closing fee, you can put your prized possessions on auction at Ebay or other spin-offs found on the net. This is a virtually free home based business since you don’t pay for web presence. You’ll get traffic since Ebay receives as many as 4 million visitors a day, and you won’t need to worry about your e-commerce software. Plus your small home based internet business stays open even when you go fishing! 3.) Sell information. You can start your home based internet business by writing on a subject that you enjoy or are knowledgeable about. If you can do this, then this small home based internet business is for you. Write your e-book and sell it on sites like Ebay.com, ebookAd.com, or Clickbank.com. These home based internet business are all simple and easy enough to do. You can earn a living on these ideas if you view this small home based business with passion and commitment. Just remember these home based internet tip: Constantly fine-tune your marketing strategy and always test new ad copies to see what brings you the most sales!

A Look at Laser Acne Treatment

Laser acne treatment has been around for a few years now, and it is quickly replacing more traditional forms of acne removal and prevention. As antibiotics become increasingly ineffective due to overuse, more and more people are opting for this new technique. During laser resurfacing, a doctor holds a laser pen just above the acne or acne scar tissue and waves the concentrated beam of light back and forth, vaporizing only the unwanted tissue and creating a new surface for skin cell growth. Thus the term “laser resurfacing”. New collagen actually forms after laser treatment. (Collagen is a protein in the skin's connective tissue that helps give the skin its texture.) Although laser resurfacing is safe and painless in almost all cases, some post-procedural bruising and swelling are normal. In most cases, these side effects persist for seven to ten days. Wait until this passes before applying make-up. Currently there are no federal restrictions on who can perform laser resurfacing; regulations only affect the laser manufacturers themselves. There are many types of lasers for many different purposes, so be sure to use a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Be sure to ask where your doctor was trained to use the laser equipment and whether your doctor rents or owns his or her laser equipment. Ask to see before and after pictures of the doctor's cases, and find out how many different types of lasers the doctor owns and how often each piece of equipment is used. Many doctors feel that laser resurfacing isn’t meant for dark skin because it alters the color of skin too dramatically and unpredictably. Others believe that in the hands of a very experienced surgeon, people with darker skin tones can benefit. Lasers acne treatment is much more invasive than non-ablative lasers. They remove by erosion, melting, evaporation, or vaporization. Ablative lasers are not recommended for use on darker skin colors. Laser resurfacing costs upwards of $2,500 for a full face, versus $1,000 for other types of scar and acne removal. Consult with an experienced aesthetic dermatologist and laser surgeon to determine what it best for you.

3 Easy Ways to Treat Body Acne

Are you suffering from Body acne? or Zits below the neckline? Don't worry. You are not alone! Lot's of teen get body acne. It is common in the winter months, when you are wearing piles of heavy clothing. Sweat can clog skin pores and lead to breakouts all over. Other things that can cause body acne are tight fitting clothing ( It traps sweat against the skin, leading to clogged pores and blemishes) stress and hormones. Body acne commonly pops up on the chest and back. * To zap body acne and prevent it from coming back, you can wash your body daily with a salicylic acid based cleanser. Look for this ingredient on product labels. * Shower daily and be sure to shower as soon as possible anytime you have been sweating - such as after playing sports, working outside or just being in the sun. After your shower, you can follow up by a body moisturizer that contains Alfa Hydroxy acid. This will exfoliate skin and help prevent breakouts, without drying skin out. * At Nighttime you can treat body acne just like facial acne, by applying an acne zapping gel or cream at the effected parts. * If your body acne is particularly bad and wont respond to this treatment after about a month, you will probably need to see a dermatologist.

7 Things to Consider Before purchaseing Small Business Accounting Software

The world of small business accounting software can be a minefield for any business owner. However choosing the right package is one of the most critical business decisions you will make. Here are the seven things you must consider before making a purchase that will help you achieve your businesses goals. 1. Scalability Businesses change over time so it's critical that the small business accounting software you choose can change too. Some things that often change are the number of products and services offered and the number of employees. When you choose your package try and imaging the business in 5 years or 10 years time and how different it will be. Use this information to guide your purchase decision. It may well be better to pay a little more now for the software knowing that it can be easily upgraded when needed with minimum disruption and cost to your business. 2. Support It is important that any software has great support for when something goes wrong (and it always does). Most major companies offer support but you also need to think about support in your local area. It's often much easier to have someone locally come in and do things you need done with your software than have someone trying to help you over the phone. Make some enquiries with other businesses about the package they use and who helps them. 3. Accountant Interface It's most unlikely you will handle every aspect of your businesses accounting. Your accountant is an important factor in making the right decision. What software are they used to working with and what do they prefer? Can you easily supply them data and reports from your package without the need for any extra work (which you'll have to pay for). Don't be afraid to ask their opinion as they live and breathe this stuff. 4. Best Value For Money Once you have selected the right package for your business you may as well get the best value. Shop around as the price can vary greatly and the product is exactly the same. Online merchants such as Amazon may offer better pricing because of the sheer volume of products they sell. However price is only one part of the equation so if their is great merchant locally with support or installation assistance this may be far more valuable. 5. Major Brands There are two major players in the small business accounting software market. They are QuickBooks and Peachtree. Microsoft is expected to enter the market soon. I recommend choosing a major brand so that you can get regular updates and you know the company will be around as long as your business needs them. 6. Ease of Use Ease of use is a personal thing but it is worth trying the software before you purchase it if you can. Remember to get the person who will be the main user to test the software as well. Also consider how well the package can interact with other software you use. This is an advantage the Microsoft package may have when it's available. 7. Features Needed I touched on this earlier when talking about thinking ahead as to where you business will be in 5 or 10 years time. Most accounting software packages come in several different versions. If you don't need certain features now and can't see a need for them in the future then don't purchase them. The major differences are usually - number of users allowed, inventory management capability and number of reports available. To sum up think ahead when planning your purchase of small business accounting software. You will make a much smarter business decision that will save you plenty of trouble and money in the future.

3 Essential Tools for Starting and Maintaining a Small Business

We believe that there are 3 factors that drive the success of small businesses.


1) Acquiring start-up capital
2) Finding customers
3) Accounting for, budgeting and controlling sales and expenses



The following resources will help your small business achieve these success factors.

Acquiring Start-Up Capital


An adequate supply of capital is essential as many profitable businesses fail because they don’t have enough cash to pay their employees and suppliers. But what is an adequate supply of capital? The only way to tell is by doing a significant amount of research on your potential market and formally documenting this in a business plan. I’m sure you know that a business plan is a very important document that is crucial to convincing your banker to lend you money.


There are two ways to obtain a business plan.


1) Do it yourself by amending a business plan template, or
2) Hire a professional to do it for you.


Obviously obtain 1) will be a great deal cheaper.


Our research led to a website that has over 60 high quality and free business plan templates. We also found a directory that you can use to easily find a business plan writer in your city – where ever you live in the world.


Finding Customers


Finding customers is a difficult and expensive task for service business owners such as accountants, lawyers and plumbers. We believe that a cost effective marketing strategy for service business owners is to simply give all their personal contacts a few business cards.


Our research led to a few websites that have pre-designed business card templates. We felt that the diversity and quality of these designs was outstanding. In addition, we found that you can obtain a significant saving by finding a printing service on the Internet. We found that you could get 2,000 full color business cards for as little as US $150.


Accounting For, Budgeting and Controlling Revenue and Expenses


Accurate accounting is very important for small business owners. It’s essential that you have timely access to information that could make or break your business. If stocks are running low – you need to know about it. If a large proportion of your debtors haven’t paid – you need to know about it. If you do not react to these situations quickly you may have a situation where you don’t have enough money to pay your employees – or worse still someone is stealing cash out the till.


Our research led to a website that compares and reviews top accounting software for small businesses. The cheapest software cost US $89.99 and the most expensive software cost US $1,499. It was interesting to note that the top 3 ranked websites were not the most expensive and cost between US $250 - US $300.


Hopefully you now have an idea of some of the tools that you can use to grow and maintain your small business. If you would like to benefit from our research please visit our website. We do not charge for this research and offer the content freely on our website.