Serious Entrepreneurs Avoid New Years Resolutions Like the Plague

By Art Barron

Serious Entrepreneurs always make New Year's resolutions, right?

New Year's resolutions are made in the heat of the moment, in the enthusiasm of ushering in something fresh. By the end of the week, New Year itself, and New Year's resolutions with it, become history.

Serious entrepreneurs are optimists who sit up till the clock strikes twelve, so that they can see that precious hour face to face and make New Year's resolutions.

However, I tried and tossed out some New Year's resolutions in 2009, just for the heck of it. Why don't I try to become a star baseball player? Better said than done! Why don't I start writing a book? But who will read it? Why don't I quit smoking? And redefine life itself? Definitely not! Maybe improve my business a bit? That may not be a bad idea!

After taking a 90-Day Challenge online marketing course for serious entrepreneurs early this year and saw the impact it made on my focus and mindset, I've decided to challenge myself. No one-week resolutions that by next year will be long forgotten. But 90 days to meet a list of goals I made for myself:

1. Leverage my time and money. After experiencing tremendous growth this year, of which I'm very grateful, there's no better time to hire some help than now. With the economy in the worst slump in decades, people are desperate for work. There are talented people waiting to be discovered. So I'm investing my money in people instead of "stuff."

2. Master social media. As you all know, the internet marketing industry is not for the faint of heart. It takes time, dedication, and perseverance. Building relationships and trust is crucial. Knowing how to use and leverage PPC is a huge part of the online game; but if visitors to your sites don't know or care who you are, you can kiss their business goodbye.

Using Web 2.0 and social media is a way to let potential customers that you're a real person, not just a name and email address. And Twitter is the breakout star! It's going to be an important way to market and stay in touch with customers in the future.

3. Evaluating the performance is the next important rule. Serious entrepreneurs should diligently monitor their rate of progress and whether they are really achieving the goals that they have set, within the time frame in which they were planned to be achieved. They should analyze the success strategies to effectively reuse them, and find out the gaps and weaknesses to either repair them or jettison the very idea where necessary. What is lacking has to be continuously fed into the system.

And serious entrepreneurs cannot afford to rest on their laurels. They have to move on, constantly moving the target further.

Don't let fear of the recession guide your goal setting plans for 2009. This is a BIG mistake!

Don't just blindly keep on running to escape from minor obstacles. Serious entrepreneurs can't afford to run blindly, for saving the situation pro tem. To chart steady progress, they have to proceed according to planned strategies, come hell or high water.

Recession or not, internet marketing is poised for big growth. The overall turnover is believed to reach a whooping $145.1 Billion in the next year.

The current evolutionary trend is gradually making a man a computer animal for he prefers to buy and sell and choose and learn things through the medium of internet. So, internet marketing profits is also continuously on the rising curve.

Recession is no juggernaut that is going to waylay people and destroy businesses. Serious entrepreneurs should have their vision relentlessly fixed on higher goals of making more money in 2009.

About the Author:

If you've enjoyed all the exciting information you read here about social media,you'll love everything else you find at Serious Entrepreneur

Could Your Affiliate Marketing Use A Boost?

By George Wendtz

Hardly a week goes by that someone doesn't contact me to ask me about their website. They generally state that they have just started with affiliate marketing and they're wondering why they aren't seeing any sales. Usually after a brief glance at their website I can tell them exactly why they're not seeing any income from their affiliate programs.

I usually know without visiting their websites what the problem is. That's because I continue to see it time and time again. The reason is because many of these beginners are taking the advice of people who have never made a dime with affiliate programs. You see, there is a whole industry out there made up of people who couldn't hack it in affiliate marketing so they turned to selling crap to Noobs. Noobs don't know any better so they make excellent targets to be taken advantage of.

I jotted down a few thoughts that will help you make more money with your affiliate marketing.

First, take a long hard look at the affiliate program you're pushing. Is it really something that the masses will want? If you pushing a specialty item, you have to know that many people may not want to buy your new and improved Chia pet.

Another mistake I see is Newbies trying to out sell major companies. Sure, the Internet is a great equalizer, but you have to have the experience and resources if you plan on taking on a big corporation with a nearly unlimited advertising budget. You'll be better off targeted something that isn't being sold 24/7 over radio, TV, print media and Cable outlets.

One of the biggest mistakes I see Noobs make is that they give up too soon. Affiliate marketing is a long term project and you should never enter this business thinking you're going to strike it rich over night. When I start a website, I expect it to take at least 6 months to become productive if it's in a low competition market. 12 to 18 momths if it is in a very competitive market. Sure, you can take a shortcut and use pay per click ad programs like Google Adwords, but you'd better have deep pockets and know what you're doing!

Another common mistake I see beginners make is driving the wrong type of traffic to their affiliate offers. It doesn't matter if you have the best deal on the Internet, if you're driving people who have no use or who are not in the buying mode, then your efforts are going to fail. As the old saying goes, sell to people who are wanting to buy your product! If you're driving hordes of Social traffic to your site and wondering why you're not making the sales, it's because Social traffic does not convert well. These people are just surfing the Internet looking for something to read, they're not in the buying mode. Organic search engine traffic converts much better.

One last thing I see beginners fail to do is pre-sell their products and offers. What will make someone buy from you rather than them continue to shop for the best deals on the Internet? You have to convince the traffic that you get that they need to buy right then. If you're unsure of how to do this, read several books on copywriting or have it done for you.

About the Author:

If you are searching for an affiliate program to begin making money online, then your search is over. These links will lead you to affilate marketing programs designed for Beginners and Advanced users alike. Just remember, the secret to making money with affiliate programs is traffic!

Nine Issues to Consider When Selecting a Financial Planner

By Hank Brock

First, is the consultant experienced? Ask about how many years he has been in business, what has been the nature of his practice and the types of problems he has solved, his existing clients, and the breadth and depth of experience. You may not think your issues are complex, but you are likely not aware of some of the strategies that could benefit you most, nor are they be understood by a novice. For example, it may take years of apprenticing to be ready to address the myriad issues facing seniors, so don't be someone's guinea pig. This is especially true in the area of tax and estate planning, where many novices present public seminars with only a basic understanding of complex issues.

Second, what is your advisors educational background? You'll want to look for genuine credentials such as Chartered Financial Consultant, Certified Financial Planner, Certified Public Accountant, Certified Life Underwriter, Juris Doctor, or other legitimate credentials. These indicate an educational background in finance, business, insurance, law, accounting, etc. and require years of experience and/or comprehensive examinations from accredited institutions. Beware of quickie course designations such as the CSA, which only require a two-day course and minimal knowledge of planning topics.

Third, does the advisor have a commitment to high ethical standards? Look for membership in at least one industry association (such as NAIFA, Society of FSP, FPA, IBCFP, etc.) that enforces a code of ethics. Of particular concern in ethics are those that not-so-subtly use their church affiliation in advertising.

Fourth, is the advisor diligent in their continuing education? In an increasing regulated and governed environment, laws are constantly changing, and the economy is always in motion. Are they keeping up with current laws, and keeping on top of changes that affect their clientele? What level of study do they pursue (basic, intermediate, or advanced)?

Fifth, does the advisor handle the services you need? Consider whether you need comprehensive financial planning, tax planning, or investment advice. Will you need help with securities, or simply need someone to give tax advice? Is the planner simply an insurance salesman? Find the consultant that specializes in the services that you need.

Sixth, is your advisor a solo-practitioner? Or is your advisor part of a team that he can turn to for strategizing on complex issues? Or to bring an additional perspective? Is his firm large enough to provide the extensive resources as a large firm of pros?

Seventh, what is their clientele like? You want to find a financial planner that handles similar clients to yourself. If you have a net worth of $200,000, but your advisor primarily handles people with a net worth of $5 million and up, are you going to receive the attention that you deserve? Are there other advisors with the firm that may be better suited to your situation? Does the advisor have a particular age demographic, or preferred client type?

Eighth, how is the advisor compensated? Is he/she paid by fees only, commissions, or both? More about planner compensation in an upcoming article.

Finally, is your advisor a professional? Be wary of persons who are merely part-timers working out of the trunk of their car, lack membership in professional societies, omit commitment to continuing professional education, and criticize others who do commit to high standards. Often they will downplay the need for education, or boast they "know more about estate planning than most attorney's out there." Smooth salespeople are often very charming, and may even present a charismatic public seminar-but they may also be dangerous because they don't know what they don't know.

About the Author:

Hank Brock is president of Brock and Associates, LLC, a firm specializing in retirement, estate, tax, and business planning. Be sure to check out Hank's article on finding a financial advisor for more extensive information.