Small Business Network TV

Will Smith Wisdom

2010-01-29T11:35:00.000-08:00

Will Smith is without a doubt one of the most successful actors in the world. He is not only successful in entertainment, but in philanthropy, humanitarian efforts, as well as a father and a husband.

What makes him so special? Or is he? Listen to his philosophy on success and what it takes for ANYONE to achieve their dreams.

Now go turn your 'unrealistic' dreams into realty.

Ready, GO!

Gail Turner Brown

2010-01-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

Do You Have The FUBU Mentality?

2010-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Do you know Daymon John? He is the CEO of FUBU which designs clothing for young people.
Daymon started with $40 and now has a $6 billion dollar business.

How'd he do it? I'm glad you asked. He attributes a lot of his success to street smarts. Whati street smarts and how can you apply it to your business?

Well take a listen to him as he talks to Donny Deustch and see if you have what it takes -

The key here again is to TAKE ACTION! Don't just ponder on your idea and don't wait until everything is perfect! It will never happen. The time is now because that is all you have.

So take what you know, along with your burning desire and you will break through any obstacle that stands in your way.

Ready, GO!

Gail

*******
We want to hear from you and what is your idea. Or if you need help with coming up with some ideas, contact us at sbntvlive@gmail.com and I will send you a FREE pdf 101 Money Making Ideas"
********

Are You a Toilet Paper Entrepreneur? 8 Attributes of a TPE

2010-01-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

When was the last time you were in the bathroom and there was no more toilet paper?

How did you react? What did you do?

According to Mike Michalowicz, best selling author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur and one of the featured cast members of the latest blockbuster hit DVD The Yes Movie, what you do could determine your success as an entrepreneur.

Check him out right here.

Mike Michalowicz, Author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur - The 8 TPE Attributes - Website Video from Toilet Paper on Vimeo.

Okay got it, good! Now what'ya gonna do. Stop reading and TAKE ACTION!

Ready, GO!

Gail

How to Make Your First Million

2010-01-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

Did you ever wonder what it takes to make your first million?

As a blog contributor for Mike Michalowicz best selling author of TPE - The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, I along with 49 other entrepreneurs, was tasked with providing 1 tip that would answer that question.

Here is my response -The best way to make 1 million dollars is to make $1.

Everyone wants to make a million and haven't figure out the formula to make $1 dollar. Though it is great to have a lofty goal, it makes more sense to determine the right strategies and tactical implementation to create that first dollar.

If you don’t know how to create a dollar, how would you create a million? It is the same as
the answers to the “How do you eat an elephant?, one bite at a time”. In other words
small, consistent, incremental steps is how to get to your destination.

If you know that $1 million dollars is your ultimate goal, then work backwards to determine what steps are necessary to achieve your goal.

Here are some ways to determine what actions steps are needed
to make your first dollar.

1. How long are you willing to allow to reach your goal?
if you say I want to make a million dollars by tomorrow and have never
created any money on your own before, it would be unrealistic to believe
you would accomplish your goal. However if you give yourself 1 – 5 years, then
you will increase your chances and avoid disappointment.

2. Begin at the end. Back track from your desired goal and determine how much you would
need to earn in a month. Then how much you would need to earn daily. By creating chunks
of time, you make sure your goal is not only obtainable but you then have a gauge to work
with.

3. Next figure out how many sales are necessary to meet your daily or monthly target. You
must design a funnel system to place your target audience in. That way you can calculate
your ratio of how many people do I need to talk to before a sale is made.

4. Then repeat this process until you get your million.
You have to work with your system, adjusting and tweaking along the way until you hit your
mark. Use models , mentors and coaches to help you stay on track. Then make that first $1
and rejoice because when you have creating that formula, you know you are on the right
pace to get to the finish line.

There is a Chinese proverb that states ‘the journey of a million miles start with a single step”. So it is with a million dollars. Take that first step to reach a dollar and the million is not far behind.
******
There you have it! Want to get the other 49 tips from great entrepreneurs?
Click here to discover more on how to make your first million.

Much Success in 2010!

Gail

The Year of Credit Empowerment

2010-01-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Whew, 2010 can you believe it?

I think we can agree that the last decade has been a bit of a rollercoaster can't we?

It's been a challenging year and overall decade for many people, but this is the time to get empowered and take control. When things get their toughest is when we really discover what we're made of and we can dig deep within ourselves to use the power and energy inside to turn things around.

I'm sure you've set up your 'resolutions' and goals for the upcoming year, right?

If you made a decision to get your credit and finances in order this year, we are on it!
Credit affects every aspect of our life and the banks and lending institutions are making it more and more difficult to come by.

From slashing credit lines, to hiking interest rates to making it more difficult to get credit in the first place, banks are putting on the pressure and it is up to us to be ready to meet and overcome whatever comes our way.

There's lots happening this year. New credit card protection laws, consumer protection bill just to name of few which you'll need to know about and how it will affect you, your credit and money.

In the coming weeks, I will make available tons of information and resources so you will be armed with the ammunition you need to take the action necessary for you to be in control of your financial destiny.

So roll up your sleeves and get ready to make 2010 the most empowering year ever!

Gail

P.S. Oh, I forgot to mention, if you haven't done this already, a great start for the
new year is to get a copy of your credit report. It's like stepping on the scale before
you start your weight loss program.

It may be painful and you don't really want to look, but.. you'll know your starting point
and how close your are to reaching your goal! So don't be afraid, it's just a number and numbers can't hurt you.

You can start here www.annualcreditreport.com (It's FREE!) your report only OR
www.creditchecktotal.com all 3 reports and 3 scores. (it's free 9 day trial)

Stop reading and go get that done! Okay, see ya

Help! My Credit Sucks!

2009-10-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

The Challenge

Credit has become more important than ever for creating and maintaining financial stability.

The use of credit touches practically every aspect of our life. Not only is it used to purchase large ticket items such as homes, cars and education and small businesses, but it can determine whether you receive low rates on your insurance premiums, utility services like phones and electricity as well as some employers determine if you are hired for your next job based on your credit score.

With so much at stake, wouldn’t it make sense to stay in control of your credit report?

You bet it does. Yet many consumers and small business owners are kept confused and in the dark about the rules and laws surrounding this critical financial tool.

There was a time before the recent economic down turn and credit crunch that money flowed easily and a credit score of 620 was considered very good. However that is not the case today. Banks and lending institutions have made it very difficult to get a mortgage, start or expand a business or even get credit cards without a score of 720 or more.

The paradox is the more difficult the banks make it for individuals and business owners to borrow money, the longer it takes the economy to recover. As long as recovery stalls, the tighter the credit crunch becomes.

And with individuals losing their jobs and small and big businesses closing, the increase in credit derogatorys skyrocket as borrowers fall behind in payments.

So how do you get off the vicious cycle of credit craziness?!!

Good question. And I am here to provide you with some great answers.

Read more

Credit Scores Are Not Created Equal!

2009-07-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

Fico Scores/Reports

Do you know your credit score? You don't? It's no wonder since you never know what you are getting when you get it. Did you know you can have a difference credit score depending on which credit bureau is providing it and just because you receive your score, that doesn't mean its the same score your lender is evaluating you. Confused yet?

Well I certainly was recently when researching for my score and seeing a significant difference between the 3 bureaus and based on how I received it.

So after searching around, I found a great article which explains the difference and where you can get a true FICO score to get the best idea of where you stand.

Check it out below:

****************************************************

Saturday, March 26, 2005

Why credit scores don't always add up

By MICHELLE SINGLETARY
SYNDICATED COLUMNIST

Humorist Mason Cooley once said, "Every path to a new understanding begins in confusion."

That quote applies to e-mails I received from confused readers, who recently ordered their credit scores to gain a better understanding of where they stood credit wise.

In one case a husband and wife paid for and got all six of their credit scores (one for each of them from the three major credit bureaus). The scores ranged from a low of 602 to a high of 712.

But when a mortgage bank pulled the credit scores not long after the couple did, their scores were significantly lower, ranging from 598 to 649.

"Why are our scores from the mortgage company different than the ones we pulled online?" the husband asked. "Shouldn't they be the same scores I pull from the three credit bureaus?"

Another reader from Los Angeles wrote that his wife bought her credit score online from TransUnion. The score she received was 864. Three days later, after applying for a home equity loan, the score the lender got from TransUnion was 775.

"That's a drop of over 67 points. It doesn't seem plausible," the reader wrote.

There's nothing amiss here. Here's why.

Most of the credit scores you buy or get free online are not the exact ones used by lenders. The gold standard is what's called a FICO score, named after the San Rafael, Calif.-based Fair Isaac Corp., which devised a mathematical model to predict the credit risk of consumers based on information in their credit report. FICO is the model most widely used by lenders.

It's only been in the last few years that consumers could even buy their credit scores, three-digit numbers that are generated using information from their personal credit files. The higher your score, the better credit risk lenders think you are. A high score often translates into better rates on the money you borrow.

All three major credit bureaus -- Experian, TransUnion and Equifax -- use different scoring models, including FICO, which ranges from 300 to 850. Lenders also use different credit-scoring models, including FICO. Is there no wonder there is confusion?

Several years ago, largely because of pressure from consumer groups and public officials, the bureaus began selling credit scores to consumers. It was long overdue. Now, knowing their scores, people can take steps to improve their credit ranking.

Equifax and Fair Isaac teamed up to provide consumers with their FICO credit scores. The other two credit bureaus, TransUnion and Experian, decided instead to sell to consumers a score that was similar -- but not the real McCoy -- to the FICO score.

"The confusion and irritation of (consumers) is understandable," said Craig Watts, public affairs manager for Fair Isaac. "It could be avoided if Experian, TransUnion and their various consumer Web sites would only be upfront to consumers about the nature of the consumer scores they sell -- they aren't FICO scores, they aren't widely used (if used at all) by lenders. They are at best someone's estimate of what the consumer's true FICO score is."

To be fair, Experian and TransUnion do have disclaimers that inform consumers that the scores they provide aren't FICO scores. But the information is buried in fine print.

When you order your credit score from the three bureaus, here's what you're getting:

# Equifax's credit score is called "Score Power." Even though this uses the FICO scoring mode, you may get a different score than one pulled by a lender because the information in your credit file is constantly changing, which means your score can change as well. The score you get this week may not be the same score a lender would get from the credit reporting company the next. In fact, the last two statements are true for any score you may buy.

# Experian calls its credit score product "PLUS Score" and is based on factors similar to but not the same as FICO. The PLUS Score ranges from 330 to 830.

# TransUnion's credit score product is also not a FICO score, but based on the bureau's own proprietary scoring model, which is why the Los Angeles reader's score was outside the FICO range.

So in addition to scratching your head, you may still be wondering which score to buy.

Well, keep this Cooley quote in mind: "In the theater of confusion, knowing the location of the exits is what counts."

At least you now know why you may have gotten a different score than one shown to you by a lender.

"The key message is that there isn't one credit score, there are a lot of different credit scores," said Heather Greer, a spokesperson for Experian.

I think the key message here is that until there is one uniform credit scoring system, consumers will continue to be confused and probably be forced to buy more than one score from one source to get a rounded picture of their credit standing.

Michelle Singletary welcomes comments and column ideas, though she cannot offer specific personal financial advice. Her e-mail address is singletarym@ washpost.com. Readers can write to her c/o The Washington Post, 1150 15th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20071.

***********************

Well there you have it! So make sure you check with FICO and get the monitoring system, since that is where your lender will begin his search. You could even ask your lender which bureau he'll be using to make his determination.

But check regularly because it's your financial future.

Do you have any credit stories, suggestions, solutions to share? Don't forget to add your comment

7 Steps to go from idea to cash!

2009-06-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you've got a ton of ideas on how to make money and put some cash in your pocket, but where do you begin? Not to worry, I've got a few strategies to get you started. These are not the only way, but should give you a boost in the right direction.

1 Skills vs. Experience

What are your skills? What are you really good at? Maybe you are good with people, or are really technical and analytical. Are you a good organizer or have writing skills? Your skills will be extremely vital to the success of your endeavor.

Example - Maybe you are a stay-at-home mom, chances are you are a good planner, organizer, problem solver and multi-tasker.

What about your experience. Have you worked as a teacher, an attorney, a manager or a community organizer? What are you really good at? Consider what you've done in the past. Use these skills and experiences to determine what you bring to the table and what you need to get your new venture off the ground.

Write your skills down, get friends and colleagues to help you assess your best attributes

Did you know you can use OPE and OPS? You can borrow others peoples skills and experience to accomplish your business goals. If you are good with sales and people, but not a good organizer, then find someone with those skills and put them on your team, or hire them on a consignment basis.

.
2. Find a model and duplicate it
There is nothing new under the sun. Chances are some one already has a successful business like the one you are starting. Find a company doing what you want to do. Do your research, then call them up and interview them. Take a field trip and investigate the business you're considering. Determine your target market, who needs your product/service
Locate them and hang out where they are. You'll be surprised at what you'll learn. You may even be able to do a joint venture or take their overflow work.

3 Income streams

Write down how much money you need to make per month, per week and per day to cover your expenses and then to profit. Then come up with as many ways to generate revenue from your venture as you can.

Example: If you can do it, can you teach it? Can you record to audio or video and sell it? Can you have others teach it and receive percentage of their profits? How many ways can you teach it, live classes, seminars, workshops, ebooks? Write them all down.

4 –Draft a plan.

Outline your concept. Determine what makes your business different from others. What your twist? What's your USP (unique selling proposition)? Then create your action steps. Sequence your strategy, what comes first, second, third and so on. Get someone else to help map out your

5. Team Power

Since success is not created in a vacuum, the fastest path to cash is with a team. Figure out what team members you need:

1. Vision team - help to get a clear understanding of what your business looks like
2. Professional team - helps with entity structure, legal formalities, bookkeeping, accounting
3. Sales team - execute sales
4. Marketing team - create and promote marketing strategies and materials
5. Coaching team - helps you stay on track, stay focused, analyzes your strategies and provide constructive criticism to improve your results. Also your coach and mentors should hold you accountable and not let you off the hook for achieving your dream.

6 -Develop the Marketing and Sales Strategies

Determine who are your clients and go where they are. Are they online; if so, where? Forums, social networks, online groups? Are they offline? Do they network with associations, trade organizations, community groups, business referral exchanges, churches, schools, etc.?

Find out what they need and what media are they using.

Beginning marketing ideas: newsletters, newspaper ad, internet sites, radio, email campaigns, posters and flyers, parties or get togethers, third party endorsements, craigslist, twitter, facebook, etc.

Make your marketing pieces full of benefits for the customer. Communicate to them in plain english. Craft your message to let them know why your product will help resolve their problem, or enhance their life

7. Ask for the sale

No matter how good your product or service is, no matter how many networking functions you attend, how good your website looks, you will never make any money until you ask for the sale.

Make the sales process simple and easy for your customers. Your website should be simple to navigate and your call to action should be clear. Let them know what to do, then make it easy
for them to do it.

People buy from those they know, like and trust. Help customers get to know
you. Use video in your marketing campaigns to help customers get to know your
personality. Use 3rd party endorsements for added credibility. Provide samples or FREE services if possible, then ask for feedback. Use these are testimonials. Provide value.

Always give more than your customer expects. Be truthful, don't exaggerate. And don't be afraid to ask for the cash!

There you have it! Seven simple steps that will help you go from concept to cash!

Now get off your duff and make it happen!

Gail

If you have a business idea and would like to bounce it off of someone to help you
come up with strategies and implementations, contact me at divatalk@helloworld.com

Gail Turner Brown, CEO of Small Business Network TV. Business marketing strategists and consultant. Provide tools, resources and information to small business owners to start, build and grow their.

Save for college, feed a child, with NO out of pocket money!

2009-03-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

What if you could turn your everyday spending in to college savings?

What if you could help feed America's children in need?

What if you could do all this without it costing you a dime?

Would you consider that's a pretty good deal? I thought so.

That's why I teamed up with Upromise and the Feed the Children

What's this all about? I'm glad you asked. Let me tell you about it.

I am a marketing consultant and one of my clients is Upromise. Upromise allows you to save toward college for anyone you designate just by doing what you
already do, shop. When you buy groceries, go out to eat, buy gas, go to your local drug store,
a percentage of your receipts is placed in a College Savings account. Join Upromise for FREE and let hundreds of America’s leading companies help you save for college

Not bad, huh?

Heat or Eat? America's parents are facing a tough choice. Help families avoid the dilemma of heating their homes or feeding their children.

Helping Hungry Children and Families in the United States

Feed The Children believes that no child should go to bed hungry in this blessed and plentiful country. There are many ways that we try to feed those in desperate need right here in America.

You are helping us make an important difference in the lives of families for whom hunger and need are daily realities.

What do these two have to do with each other? Nothing, except I've decided to combine these two powerful organizations to make a huge difference. When you enroll in Upromise and register your grocery store, credit/debit card or pharmacy card, you will begin building college savings, I will donate $2 to Feed the Children The idea is for a lot of people to do a little, to make a big difference in the lives of millions.

My goal is to feed 2,000 families during the month of March..

Isn't that awesome!, So let me recap:

You enroll in Upromise for FREE, register your grocery store, pharmacy or credit/debit card to begin your college savings when you shop for everyday items.

I will donate $2 to Feed the Children to feed hungry children in the United States
You will receive special savings and bonuses for items you buy everyday while saving for college
and we will all help in eliminating hunger in America for so many needy families

It can't get any better than that. Imagine, never can so little do so much for so many. And you didn't have to spend a dime, nothing, nada, zilch!

Why not get started now. The deadline is March 31st for this promotion. So do it now while you're thinking about it.

Join me as we help make a difference in the lives of many struggling families in America to provide higher education and put food on the table.

Do it today!

Gail Turner Brown
Small Business Network TV

P.S. Remember it costs you NOTHING when you join Upromise and begin saving for college for anyone, and I will donate $2 to Feed the Children

I’m Facing Financial Leprosy, Help!

2009-02-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

The economy is not in the greatest of shapes at the moment, you’d have trouble borrowing a pen from a bank let alone money and if you entered this crisis with a credit history report that looked like a marker pen wielding, epileptic, tic-tac-toe fanatic had gone to town on it, then you haven’t got a chance.

Lenders don’t want to know you unless you have a credit history that resembles Christ’s resume; but all is not lost. This is the time when you should look to preserve what credit score you have and possibly improve it by some positive action.

We’ve already mentioned that lenders will treat owners of bad credit histories like social lepers, well that’s not completely true. If you are a home owning leper you may have a chance!

With the government urging banks and financial institutions to start lending again the likelihood is that the first borrowers who will benefit, are those able to offer collateral so if you fall into this bracket you may be able to apply for a secured consolidation loan, it won’t be easy though, and hopefully, by the time you will be able to do this, you may even have some value left in your!

If you don’t have any collateral I’m afraid it is about making the best of a bad situation and the best way to do this is to manage your debt effectively. You need to work out your income and your vital expenditure (mortgage or rent, utility bills, telephone, car costs, taxes, gas, basically everything you need to live, get to work etc.). Now, what you have left over is what you have available to pay off your unsecured debt each month.

Your biggest concern should be if you are struggling to make monthly payments yet you have more than enough to cover your monthly repayments – this generally means that you are partying way too hard and you probably have a drug problem too, get some help. If, however, and I suspect this maybe the case, you don’t have enough left over to cover your debts, then you need to start the process of negotiating with your creditors to lower your monthly payments before things start to get ugly and you’re debt keeps growing.

There are two ways to go about this; the first is to approach one of hundreds of debt management service companies currently available, many of them are excellent but just as many deserve to be put up against a wall and shot. I don’t, and never will, condone this sort of behavior towards financial institutions, it doesn’t work for a start; best to hit them in the pocket.

Seriously though, check out whoever you are considering speaking too with the Better Business Bureau first.

Debt management companies are excellent at negotiating with your creditors and will manage your debt by asking you to make a singular payment to them each month which they will distribute between your creditors, after taking a small management fee of course, even the non-profit companies have to eat!

The other alternative, and it is the one I would advise to use is as above but you act as your own debt manager; it is not as hard as you may think and the biggest benefit is you remain in total control the whole time.

If you want to know about the methods that the banks and other financial institutions hate people using to eliminate their debt quickly check out the sites at the end of this article. I have knick-named these methods ‘MEL’, which stands for Moral, Ethical and Legal, no wonder the banks hate them!

By: Daniel Major

Now Is the Time says Donny Deustch!

2009-01-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

People are scared! Everywhere you turn the bad news keeps coming in. Recently the jobs report came in at 10% unemployment and over 100K people lost their jobs in 2 days. Whoa! that's enough to make your hair stand on end! Are you wondering is your pink slip next?

If you have finally figured out that job security is an 'oxymoron', and you have watched your 401K turn into a $1k and discovered your blood pressure and your home value is about the same, chances are you maybe scared to death and ready to jump out of the nearest window.

Before you take the plunge think about one valuable asset you may have forgotten. Think about it, there is someone you can always count on to get you out of any financial disaster. Someone who can never be fired and that has the capability to build a huge portfolio that can never go down. It's YOU! Yes, you heard me right, "You" are the best asset you can have. Your ability, your brain power, your creativity and imagination.

According to Donny Deustch of the "Big Idea", now is the best time to rely upon you. Let's face it, you can't rely upon anyone else. Not your boss, your company, your government. It's time for you to invest in "YOU".

I know what you are thinking " ARE YOU CRAZY IN THIS ECONOMY?" Stop yelling at me and just listen for just a minute. Even during the "Great Depression" there were millionaires created because they understood that the best time to create and innovate was during bad times.

This will be the most innovative, creative, robust time in a generation. We have to learn to do more with less. So why not put your thinking cap on and figure out what you want to offer. Everyone has great ideas, often times million dollars ideas, even you.

Listen to Donny Deustch of the "Big Idea" and hear what he has to say about it.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Ok, feel better now? Maybe you are still a little skeptical and think no way can you, just an ordinary Joe or Jane can do this.. is that's what's going through your mind? I see you still need some convincing. Take a look at this lady. Donny Deustch highlights her in his new book.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Come away from the window, sit down at your desk, take out pen and pad and start sketching out your "Big ideas". I know they are in there. Just let it flow. Don't second guess or judge just allow your creative juices to go for it. You have nothing to lose. I know you can do it!

Get on your mark, GO!

***********************************************************************************
Need some help with your ideas? Would you like to have someone to bounce some suggestions back and forth in a positive, supportive way? Looking for a way to share your thoughts with confidence? We are here to help work with you to get your ideas out of your head and into the marketplace. Just contact us at sbntvlive@gmail.com for a FREE 30 minute brainstorm session. Our consultants and strategists will help guide you toward your "Big Idea".
***********************************************************************************

It's All About Teams

2008-12-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

You’ve heard of the term ‘self made millionaire’, haven’t you? Well guess what, that’s a myth. There is no successful person from a child, to multi billionaire who did it without a team or network of individuals and systems behind him.

I think it’s amazing how so many entrepreneurs and small business owners think they can do it all themselves without enlisting a great team.

If you have watched the political transition, it is made up completely of teams. There is the transition team, the economic team, the foreign policy team the domestic team all led by its leadership the President.

Well if the President has to put together a team in order to lead the country, why do you think you don’t need a team to lead your company? Makes sense doesn’t it?

Why is a teams important to your success? Because one you can’t do it all yourself, and two teams help take your vision from concept to reality more quickly and efficiently. The team also takes your vision and helps to implement it according to your guidance and leadership.

Are you convinced yet? Ok good. So who should be on your team as a business owners. Well, there are several areas but there are 6 basic areas of every successful company:

Financial
Sales and Marketing
Management
Communication
Ecommerce
Health Care

Let’s examine some of the key players and components of these teams and networks.

Financial

You will want to attract people who can assist you when you need a loan to start or expand your business. You need people to help guide you through the process as well as investors and lenders who are open to your type of business.

Then there are the professionals and tools to help keep you build or rebuild your credit, protect you from ID theft, bill payment system and accounts receivables.

These professionals and tools are critical for the financial wealth of your empire n whether you starting out or expanding.

Sales and Marketing

I don’t care how great your product or service is, if no one knows about it, it’s useless. Sales and marketing are the life blood of any business, heck for that matter to any endeavor. Think about it when you were dating or looking for your first job You marketed yourself every way possible from how you dressed, your makeup and grooming to where you put yourself. Whether it was on the internet network or a social setting.

We are always selling and anyone who says I don’t like sales, doesn’t want to make any money or succeed. Nothing happens until a transaction is made. There are buyers and sellers in every situation. You are either selling or being sold, period.

So what’s needed to help get the word out about your product or service and start ringing up the sales? Glad you asked. Here are a few tools,

Press releases, PPC, classified ads, banner ads, directory listings, SEO, article submission, Video email, events, social networks, print shops, newsletters, etc.

Think about how you could rev up your sales if you decided to put your attention into just a few of these strategies and tools.

Management

Every good business needs proper management. The problem is most of the time the one doing the managing is the one doing everything else. So not much gets managed. Your job is to put together a great team and then lead them to your satisfaction.

Who’s on your management team?

Legal professionals, tax professionals, business consultants, coaches, mentors, You are going to want your team to help you set up the right entity structure, understand your tax liabilities and advantages, guide you through a business plan, be a sounding board and help keep you on track.

Telecommunication

In our high tech society it’s there is no excuse not to stay in touch with your customers and clients and for them to stay in touch with you. Here are some of the tools of the trade.

VOIP with unlimited Long distance, fax, voice mail, conferencing, IM, email, mobile
phones, Podcasts

Proper use of these tools managed properly can have your customer and clients coming back again and again because you cared enough to stay connected.

Ecommerce

No matter who you are and what type of business you have, you need an online presence. Oftentimes your website is the first place someone will go to determine more about you and your products and service. Even if you have a brick and mortar business, consumers today expect you to have a website or a blog.

Who plays a role in this team,

Web designers or DIY builder
Web hosting
Email
Domain registrant
Graphic Designer
Blog
Shopping cart
Merchant account
Streaming media

Health Care

Let’s face it, if you are not healthy and fit, you won’t be able to spend all the money you are planning to make. Also, if you can get affordable health care your business will thrive.

Team mates -

Doctors
Dentists
Pharmacy
Vision Care
Spa and Health Care

There you have it the main ingredients to a highly successful business venture regardless of the economic climate or the kind of company you plan to build or are building.

Though it may seem a daunting task to find these tools and players to participate in your game, it will be much easier if you find networks of companies that offer these services.

Join your local chamber or business network groups and ask for referrals. Talk about putting together a group comprised of your community professionals. Remember, it’s all about teams. That is what will take you to the level of success you want to achieve.

Gail Turner Brown
Business Consultant

If you'd like put together your team of professionals and get access to marketing and managements to start, build and brand your company check out My CEO, Inc

Turn Everyday Spending into College Savings!

2008-11-19T06:37:00.000-08:00

What if you could turn your everyday spending in to college savings?

What if you could help build a home for some of the most impoverished children around the world?

What if you could do all this without it costing you a dime?

Would you consider that a pretty good deal? I thought so.

That's why I teamed up with Upromise and the Caring House Project Foundation

What's this all about, I'm glad you asked. Let me tell you about it.

I am a marketing consultant and one of my clients is Upromise is it? Upromise allows you to save toward college for anyone you designate just by doing what you
already do, shop. When you buy groceries, go out to eat, buy gas, go to your local drug store,
a percentage of your receipts is placed in a College Savings account. Join Upromise for FREE and let hundreds of America’s leading companies help you save for college
Not bad, huh?

Ok, so what is Caring House Project? I knew you'd ask that.
Frank McKinney is a Real Estate "artist";
super hero meets Robin Hood, 2-time international best-selling author (with 3 more books by 2.13.09);
risk taker & visionary who sees opportunities & creates markets where none existed before.

He is considered the Maverick real estate developer who is famous for building the most luxurious, most
expensive homes in southern Florida. In 1998 he developed the Caring House Project
to provide homes and villages for the poorest people, in the poorest locations, in the poorest cities in the
Western Hemisphere.

What do these two have to do with each other? Nothing, except I've decided to combine these two powerful
entities to make a huge difference. When you enroll in Upromise to begin building college savings, I will donate
$2 toward the Caring House Project Foundation. The idea is for a lot of people to make a big difference in the lives of millions.

My goal is to reach the $2,000 which is the donation required to attend the grand unveiling of Frank McKinney's newest project, Aqua Liana, the the most expensive green house estate and book signing on February 13. This donation will build 1/2 a home for a family in the Caring House Project Foundation.

Isn't that awesome!, So let me recap:

You enroll in Upromise for FREE and begin your college savings when you shop

I will donate $2 toward Caring House Project unveiling on February 13
You receive great satisfaction in knowing you are saving toward college for your loved ones
and helping to build homes for some of the world's poorest children and families

It can't get any better than that. Imagine, never can so little do so much for so many. And you didn't have to spend a dime, nothing, nada, zilch!

Why not get started now. The deadline is November 30th for this promotion. So do it now while you're thinking about it.

Join me in these worthwhile projects of higher education and building homes for some of the world's poorest citizens.

Do it today!

3 Ways to Succeed in This Economy

2008-11-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

3 Ways to Succeed In This Economy

By Brian Tracy

November 11, 2008

Excerpt From: Sales Success

Are you wondering what to do to attract clients and create a surge in sales? Are you frustrated by getting minimal response to your advertising or online promotions? Are you asking yourself,

"How can I avoid having my sales and profits dry up in this market?"

"Should I reduce spending on marketing to preserve cash?"

If you're like most business owners and marketers, you're doing everything you know how to bring in more sales, and you're still not realizing the profits you want. You've worked for years to grow your business and now a financial meltdown that you had nothing to do with is making it harder.

What can you do? You could bury your head in the sand and hope you've still got a business in a few years. You could copy your competitors' marketing, but their sales are hurting, too. Or you could ask yourself,

"Is there a way I can actually grow my business in this economy?"

Yes, there are easy and inexpensive ways to increase your profits.

Start with these 3 steps:

1. Change Your Marketing Strategy
When we get the rare cold spell here in San Diego, I change the clothing I wear. I put on a sweater or even a jacket. The same is true for your marketing strategy; when the economic climate changes, you need to respond.

In good times you can get away with fairly ineffective marketing, and the rising tide will float your boat along with everybody else's. In an economic downturn, you can't afford to be haphazard about your marketing. You'll pay the price in reduced sales. Spending money on ads or mailings that barely generate sales isn't affordable anymore.

2. Focus Your Efforts
While fusion food is popular here in San Diego, we don't have a single restaurant that is a combination of French, Italian, Mexican and Chinese cuisines. Can you imagine a pasta dish with jalapeno cream sauce and a ginger root topping? It'd taste terrible. That's not a time-tested combination of flavors; it's a mess in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, most small business marketing isn't much more than a mess in the kitchen, a collection of sales and marketing activities that don't work together. Many businesses don't grow as fast as they could because they don't have an optimized marketing strategy or a system for implementing it.

3. Use Cost Effective Marketing Strategies
Let me tell you a secret. Some of the most effective marketing and selling tools are inexpensive or even free. Most people don't use them, so when you do, you can easily beat the competition. 92% of businesses overspend on marketing. They're wasting money on marketing that isn't getting results.

You may be doing all the right marketing activities, but without an effective marketing system, you could be struggling for a long, unprofitable time. Now, thanks to marketing expert Charlie Cook, there's an easy way to transform your marketing, grow your business and maximize your profits.

60-minute CD

Your Price:
$23.60
$19.95

Abracadabra - YOU'RE RICH!
Change your Marketing, Change your Life!
Do you want to put your business or yourself at the top of your industry? Do you want everyone to know that your services or products are the best?

It's easy - With Magical Marketing
Now you can... in my 60-minute CD I teach you the key strategies, concepts and ideas of marketing practiced by the most successful and profitable companies in every industry.

>> Buy Magical Marketing today, and like magic, you’ll be rich tomorrow! <<

Do you know how to "Ask for the Cash"

2008-08-27T10:53:00.001-07:00

Do you know your fastest path to cash? Are you sitting on skill sets that you could turn into a cash machine and just don't know it?

In a recent message from wealth expert, New York Times best selling author, Loral Langemeier recently she had this to say about building wealth: (excerpt from her message)

A Personal Message from Loral:

"We live in a high stress world these days. If it's not one thing, it's a half a dozen others! One of the things that I can help you to let go of is the stress of paying bills and not having enough left over to live well. Are you in?"

"I'm an advocate of making more money, and that's what I teach. Not only do I believe in building wealth accounts, I believe in creating cash machines. Both of those will increase the money you have and build a solid, secure financial future that will last for generations to come. I don't want to spend my children's inheritance! And, I don't think you do either."

We all are looking for more ways to earn money or to build upon different angles for expanding what we already have.
So why don't we do it? Why are we constantly floundering?

My guess is, because we haven't found the right mentors or teachers to simplify the actions and the strategies to propel us forward.

Check out this 7-minute video from Loral Langemeier explaining her philosophy on how to "ask for the cash" and building your cash machines

Want to know more about building cash machines? Tune in to www,smallbusinessnetworktv.com on Wednesday, September 3rd at 800pm EST and hear Loral Langemeier as she helps you discover what it takes to build your cash machines and your wealth in this economy.

Gail Turner Brown

P.S. if you'd like to market your business during our show, contact us at sbntvnow@helloworld.com for details on how to get your business seen.

How to Heal Yourself

2008-08-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

Things You Don't Need to Launch Your Business

2008-08-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

New Slideshow - The Things You Don't Need To Launch Your Business

By Mike Michalowicz
Author, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

Starting your first business requires a lot. Products to sell, employees to work, knowledge to

Mike Michalowicz

be imparted... the list is endless. At first pass, it looks like you are going to need more experience, more time and more money than you could ever afford. Better pass up on launching your business. Squash those dreams! Trample those desires! Vanquish your vision! At least until someone miraculously hands you a wad of cash and a ton of talent. And you and I both know that ain’t going to happen. No way. No how.

But if you look hard enough, there are often short cuts that don’t require money or tremendous effort. Not to mention experience is overrated. Cash, knowledge and time are limited commodities. Instead, there are paths that are less traveled in the entrepreneurial world that will yield HUGE progress. Here are the top ten things you DON'T need when launching your first business!

Click here to see the slideshow!

What's the Key to Happiness?

2008-08-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

The Key to Happiness
By Brian Tracy

Your ability to achieve your own happiness is the key measure of your success, of how well you are doing as a person.

You learn the key to happiness that has been the same through all of history. You learn how to dispel the two myths that may be holding you back and how to achieve more happiness in everything you do.

Dedicate Yourself to Your Best Talents
The key to happiness is this: dedicate yourself to the development of your natural talents and abilities by doing what you love to do, and doing it better and better in the service of a cause that is greater than yourself.

This is a big statement and a big commitment. Being happy requires that you define your life in your own terms and then throw your whole heart into living your life to the fullest. In a way, happiness requires that you be perfectly selfish in order to develop yourself to a point where you can be unselfish for the rest of your life.

Imagine if you could become a millionaire today!
Your life would be easier and more fun. You could be taking more vacations, and spending the kind of time with your family that you really want.

Please Yourself First
In Edmond Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano is asked why he is so intensely individualistic and unconcerned with the opinions and judgments of others. He replies with these wonderful words: "I am what I am because early in life I decided that I would please at least myself in all things."

Your happiness likewise depends upon your ability to please at least yourself in all things. You can be happy only when you are living your life in the very best way possible. No one can define happiness for you. Only you know what makes you happy. Happiness is an inside job.

Your Happiness is Up to You
The biggest myth about happiness is when people say that it is not legitimate or correct for you to put your happiness ahead of everyone else's. Throughout my life, I've met people who have said that it is more important to make other people happy than it is to make yourself happy. This is nonsense.

The fact is that you can't give away to anyone else what you don't have for yourself. Just as you can't give money to the poor if you don't have any, you can't make someone else happy if you yourself are miserable.

The very best way to assure the happiness of others is to be happy yourself and then to share your happiness with them. Suffering and self-sacrifice merely depress and discourage other people. If you want to make others happy, start by living the kind of life and doing the kind of things that make you happy.

Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, define for yourself the activities that you really love and enjoy, at home and work, and then organize your life so you do more of them.

Second, believe in yourself and trust your own feelings. Then, please at least yourself in all things.

Third, determine what it is that you do that brings the most happiness to others and then organize your life so that you can do more of it.

Brian's Biography
Brian Tracy is the most listened to audio author on personal and business success in the world today. His fast-moving talks and seminars on leadership, sales, managerial effectiveness and business strategy are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that people can immediately apply to get better results in every area. For more information, please go to:

www.BrianTracy.com

Are There Any Real HomeBased Business That Work?

2008-07-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

As I'm onlines in business forums, lots of people are asking the question "are there any sites on line where you can really make money online?" People are looking for a way to make money at home or online. Unfortunately there are so many scams, and wrong information out there it is difficult to know what to do.

I have gathered some information and resources that have proven to be
extremely beneficial for making money online, all 100% legitimate and
practical to begin on your journey to success.

What you need to ask yourself is:
1. What do I like to do?
2. How much time can I commit
3. How much money do I have to invest?
4. Is this a long term commitment or are you looking for a quick fix?

Those questions being answered you can then:
1. Determine if you want to get paid to:
a. Sell other people products or service
b. Sell your own products or services
c. Referring people to advertisers
d. Promote content and let other advertise on your site
e. Build a referral network
2. Check out websites such as:
www.clickbank.com for digital products to sell
www.cj.com (get paid per sale, per lead, per click)
www.googleadsense.com for ads on your website, blog

3. Go to:
a. www.godaddy.com to get domain name and free website you can create yourself.(no tech knowledge necessary)
b. www.blogger.com to get a blog for FREE
c. www.dtalpha.com/talkback to learn how to promote, market, generate traffic, and more money making ideas.
d. www.dsa.org to locate a direct sales or network marketing company to promote

Need a Business Lawyer?

ok, that's a start at least. Hope you find this helpful. Got more resources if you need them.

Gail
www.smallbusinessnetworktv.com

How to Use the Law of Attraction

2008-07-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Utilizing The Law of Attraction by Jack Canfield

The law of attraction states that you will attract into your life--whether wanted or unwanted--whatever you give your energy, focus, and attention to.

You are constantly giving off vibrations of energy when you think and feel. These vibrations can be picked up and received by other people. That's why people say, "he has good vibes," or "he gives off bad vibes." You are constantly giving off vibrations -- literally!

If you're feeling excited, enthusiastic, passionate, happy, joyful, loving, appreciative, abundant, prosperous, relaxed and peaceful, you are giving off positive vibrations.
On the other hand, if you are feeling bored, anxious, worried, confused, sad, lonely, hurt, angry, resentful, guilty, disappointed, frustrated, overwhelmed, stressed out, or depressed, then you are giving off negative vibrations.

The law of attraction states that the universe responds to whatever you are offering -- by giving you more of whatever you are vibrating. It doesn't care whether it is good for you or not; it simply responds to your vibration.

If you saw the film The Secret, you saw this explained in great detail.
The problem is that most of the time, you are not aware of what vibration you are offering. You are simply responding to things outside of you--current events, the news, how people treat you, the stock market, how much money you are making, how your children are doing in school, whether or not your favorite sports team wins--and then having a feeling that is either positive or negative.

When you are simply responding unconsciously to what happens around you, you tend to stay "stuck" in your current condition. This is why most people's lives never seem to change very much. They get stuck in a repeating cycle of recreating the same reality over and over by the vibration they are sending out.

It works like this... First you observe what you currently have and are currently receiving in your life. You call this your "reality." You respond to what you observe with a feeling, positive or negative, which then gives off that vibration to the universe. The law of attraction then responds to this vibration and brings you more of what you were vibrating. This keeps the cycle going over and over, until you choose to change it through the exertion of your will. You are a victim of your lack of awareness of the law of attraction.

The Process of Intentional Creation
It is possible to get out of this vicious cycle and create what you want instead of continually recreating what you already have. It is a simple three step process that you can begin immediately.

If you've been implementing the action steps I coach you through in The KEY to Living the Law of Attraction, you have already begun this process.

Step 1: Identify what you truly desire & eliminate the negative

It is important to focus on what you want rather than what you don't want. You must state it in the positive and filter out the words don't, not and no. Remember, your mind works in pictures and if you say I don't want to be mad, you are creating the picture and thus the vibration of being mad. You must create the opposite of what you don't want.

Step 2: Raise your vibration level

Your job in stage two is to create a vibrational match for that which you say you want to have. How would you be feeling if you already had those things--the perfect job, the perfect relationship, the mount of money that you want to have?
Your job is to identify what makes you feel good and do more of it, then learn not to tolerate your negative feelings.

Affirmations are an important component in raising your vibrational level to what it is you want. Remember, the law of attraction does not respond to the words you use or the thoughts you think. It simply responds to how you feel about what you say and how you feel about what you think.

For information on how to create even more effective affirmations, review chapter 10 in

The Key to Living the Law of Attraction, where you'll find my guidelines for creating effective visualizations.

Step 3. Release it and allow it.

In this third step you simply release your affirmation, your vibration, and your feelings to the universe to take care of your "request" or "order" as I call it. But you have to abstain from any doubts. If you doubt you can have it in any way, then you are not allowing it. You are pushing it away and you end up with contradictory messages to the universe
It is only when the contradictory thoughts, talk, and images are removed that your desired results will manifest. The faster you remove your resistance, the faster your dreams can be realized.

Are you "stuck" in this area? Send me your most pressing question about this topic, then join me for our monthly"Ask Jack Canfield" Tele-Clinic on August 6th! http://www.askjackcanfield.com/
* * *
If you missed previous issues of Success Strategies, I keep an archive of past issues you can always refer to.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: http://www.jackcanfield.com/

bustablog_com_JG8D69D

Request a free demo of Daptiv PPM.

Flip Flop vs Common Sense

2008-07-11T05:14:00.000-07:00

I've been excitedly enthralled with the upcoming election this year, so I've been watching all the news channels and talking heads. It has been amazing to me how different politics is from my small business.

I began to ponder what if our clients viewed and rated us the same way the media views the politicians? And what if the expectations were the same? I believe that would make for a very interesting business model.

In business when you come up with an idea or make a decision on a marketing plan or campaign, you test, test, test! That is the rule for determining if your plan is working, right,

And if you do it for a while and are not getting the desired results, you stop, analyze, get advice, then change your strategy. That makes sense to me, doesn't?

But as I've noticed in the news media, when a Presidential Candidate determines a plan, and then later re-examines it and makes any attempt to alter it, it's called a "Flip Flop" suggesting that it's a bad thing.

I just don't understand. When you have a business if you don't look at what's not working and make adjustments, we call that bad business. Can you imagine what would have happened to "Coca-Cola" if they had 'stayed the course' after the results of the "New Coke" came in?
Consumers would have been stuck with that horrible drink, and Coca-Cola would have lost tons of money and possibly gone out of business.

Thank heavens for the "flip flop"! Where would we be without it? Saddled with inventory we could not move, sales staff who were not producing, investments that were not performing and advertising that was not pulling.

Hmmm, it seems to me that the political media could learn a thing or two from entrepreneuers. That changing your policy or strategy from time to time, is "common sense" not "flip flopping"
and when used properly can make an extremely successful outcome.

Something to think about!

Gail Turner Brown
www.smallbusinessnetworktv.com

Will Video Take Over the World?

2008-07-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

Forrester Report: Get Ready for OmniVideo

In a new report called How Video Will Take Over the World, Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey encourages companies to embrace a world where video is everywhere.
by Bill Greenwood
July 7, 2008

Consumers are ready to take their consumption of video to a whole new level, and companies looking to profit from this explosion need to act now, according to a new report issued by Forrester Research vice president and principal analyst James McQuivey.

In How Video Will Take Over the World, McQuivey lays out a vision for a world in which individuals will be able to watch video nearly everywhere on a variety of different devices, in which anyone will be able to produce video, in which remixes and mash-ups will be prevalent, and in which the video industry will become much larger and more influential than ever before. McQuivey calls this vision OmniVideo (OV). read more

30 Minute Email Marketing Tip

2008-07-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

July 9th Tip: Message In An Email

MARKETING MESSAGES THAT STICK

Now you've written an award winning Subject Line, how do you maintain your customers interest in order for them to take further action? The marketing message is key in keeping your audience excited about the contents of your email, so they can make the decision to take a specific action. Remember if they have opened your email there is a level of interest, and if you follow these basic marketing message rules, you can help your customers take the next action that impacts your business.

POWER MOVES:
1. Know who your audience is, and figure out what problem they need solved related to your product or service. Create a message that shows how your business is the solution to that problem.

2. Create value by educating consumers who are prospective customers. Communicate how your product or service is unique, and why it's the better choice amongst the competition.

3. Convincing customers takes more than one attempt. Do not assume that one email marketing piece will get the phone ringing off the hook. Create a multiple email marketing campaign over a period of time, that reminds the customer of your product or service.

Need to know more? Send us an email:gems@gyenamemarketing.com

Do you need to be an S.O.B to be Successful?

2008-07-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite shows about business is the BigIdea with Donny Deutsch on CNBC. It is great! I could literally watch it all day. It has the best information and inspiration for the small business owner I have ever seen.

Well, last night Donny had on as one of his guest a Dr John Elliot who says, if you want to get ahead, stop being so nice and be an S.O.B.!

Controversial? maybe. But check out his blog and then decide. You may be surprised at
what the real characteristics of the super successful.

Dr. John Eliot's Blog - Being an SOB

Do you want to be #1, the very top of your field? Then you have to have an edge. You have to be ABNORMAL. Nobody has ever changed the world by fitting in, following the established rule, or worrying about pissing someone off. Read More

Speaking of S.O.B., guess who's going to be on the Big Idea tonight?

That's right the biggest, most successful one of them all The Donald. No matter what you might think of the Donald, we all agree, he knows how to achieve massive success and we can learn something.

So check it out tonight at The Big Idea with Donny Deustch 10p/1p et.

What's your favorite show, website or story about business or wealth building?

Do you have articles you'd like us to share?

Send an email to sbntvnow@helloworld.com and I'll post it on an upcoming blog.

Until next time,
\
Gail Turner Brown
http://www.smallbusinessnetworktv.com/

Business 101

2008-07-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Each one of us works to be financially independent and secure. Security is the magic word that makes us feel safe. We work hard to earn money so that our future is secure. But there could be unforeseen circumstances that may suddenly see all our money gone, and with it, our security. The economy that we work in is very volatile. It may see businesses prosper. With it, more job opportunities get created. We could be lulled into believing that our job is secure. A cyclical decline in the economy might suddenly find the workforce out of jobs. Large scale layoffs may send all the security notions out of the window.

Under such circumstances, one is left with very few options. One among these options is a small business. Small businesses have a wonderful concept about them. You are the boss of your time and can work as you desire. If you are looking to start a small business affiliate home based programs and home business opportunities are great to begin with.Most Popular Small Business Affiliate home based programs are getting very popular on the internet. Make a thorough search of the web before choosing a small business. Small businesses offer very good returns on low investments. Go for a business that you have some knowledge about. It should give a high degree of comfort to you.

You will need to keep certain facts in mind before selecting a small home based business. Gather as much knowledge about a particular business. Do not base your selection on half-baked knowledge. Next, collect all the necessary information on that particular business from various sources. The internet is full of information. Read as much as you can. Try to learn the ins and outs of the business. Do not hesitate to ask questions till you get the right answers on the company’s profile, the nature of their business and the business and compensation plan.

Learn about the reputation of the company,
the current members and the period for which they have been associated with the company. Once you are satisfied with the information you get, make the most of this small business opportunity. With the right kind of training and support you can make a success of your venture provided you put effort in.
By: Cushy

Dave Clark is a freelance article writer and has been in the industry for many years, he has written many books and is very knowledgeable in various fields, Dave also works for Cushy Sofa a supplier of memory foam mattresses, sofas and Divan sets