Tracking Offline Advertising Success by Measuring ROI

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

The great promise of online advertising has
always been that advertisers will now be able to
effectively track the successes and failures of
their online advertising efforts. This promise
has been met.

Yet, for those of us who still employ offline
promotions and advertising methods, we must
consider the various ways in which we can
effectively track our results in the old-world
media.

TRACKING RESULTS BEFORE THE INTERNET AGE

How long has it been? Ten Years? Believe it or
not, it has been less than ten years since the
Internet went mainstream.

Click Here to Read More

Labels: , ,

Starting Your Home Based Business on a Shoestring Budget

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

Whether seeking a supplemental income or a
full-time income, many folks have undertaken the
task to discover a viable home based business
solution to meet their personal needs.

For most folks who contemplate a home business, a
low-cost or no-cost solution is not only nice,
but also very necessary. Many also seek to find a
home business that will permit them to maintain
their regular day job in order to protect their
base income.

Taking the cautious approach to a home based
business and keeping one's job during the
start-up period is often a very good decision. By
maintaining one's job, one can maintain the
health of their personal finances while
permitting their home business grow healthy and
strong.

Fortunately, most home based businesses can be
started with little or no cash, can be maintained
on a shoestring budget, and can be operated
successfully with only a part-time investment.

One day, the business will be strong enough to
support itself and its owner. When that time
comes, it will make good sense for the business
owner to leave his or her outside job to dedicate
more time to growing and maintaining their new
thriving home based business. You will know when
that time has finally arrived.

The nature of a home based business makes it easy
and very realistic for most folks to take the
plunge into home business ownership.

Yet, many folks put off starting their own home
based business, because they have the
misconception that they will have to risk
thousands of their own hard-earned dollars at
start-up. Then later, if their business fails,
they fear they may be forced to take out a second
mortgage on their house just to stay out of
bankruptcy.

Are you one of these folks? Do you let your fears
of failure keep you from reaching for your dreams?

If so, then allow me to introduce you to a few
home business ideas that you can start for less
than $100 and can be started and operated very
profitably as a part-time business.

THE LIFEBLOOD OF ALL SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES

First of all, let me advise you to search out a
business model that will deliver steady and
repeat business. It is the one thing --- above
all others --- that will assure that your company
can survive the test of time.

HOME-BASED MAIL ORDER:
Home-based mail order is a good example of how
one can quickly grow a home business income. Mail
order is a low cost start-up business that can be
launched for around $100 USD.

With proper planning, your home-based mail order
business will not require up-front inventory
purchases. In the mail order business, it is not
uncommon to rely upon drop-shippers for product
fulfillment services.

By utilizing drop-shippers, we can sell the
products, collect the money and then purchase the
products from the wholesale outlet. The wholesale
outlet will then put a return address for your
company on the product packaging and deliver the
product directly to your customer.

Your primary expense in the mail-order business
is advertising. Classified advertising tends to
be a relatively inexpensive form of advertising
with thousands of outlets available to the small
business owner.

WHOLESALE BUSINESS:
Buy low --- sell high. You can acquire high
quality, top-of-the-line merchandise for a
fraction of the retail cost. Starting a wholesale
business would require a Wholesale Dealers
Directory as your source for merchandise. You can
find a Wholesale Deales Directory by using any
search engine to look up the term.

AUCTIONS:
Auctions can be an excellent source for buying
cheap and selling high. Both government auctions
and Internet auctions can lead to some excellent
profit opportunities. Auctions are an excellent
tool for both acquiring and selling merchandise.

MAKE AND SELL YOUR CRAFTS:
Crafts are a hot seller at country fairs, swap
meets or anyplace where people gather. Make your
own crafts and sell them for a tidy profit!

SELLING INFORMATION:
Selling information by mail is another good
example of an inexpensive home based business
start-up. One can gain the resale rights to
information for usually about $50 USD. Other
costs will include printer cartridges, paper and
postage. There are plenty of free classifieds
sites on the Internet, in which to successfully
advertise your information.

WRITE INFORMATIONAL BOOKLETS:
Write and publish your own informational
booklets; sell them at a high price! All you need
is a little know-how, a printer, paper and
stamps. This is a GREAT home business idea! You
can also sell the resale rights to others, for
extra profits. In this age of the Internet, you
may also take advantage of the fact that selling
information is one of the most profitable
endeavors one can pursue online.

OFFICE SERVICES:
Offer office services for hire in your local
paper. You'll be surprised at the amount of
regular office business that can be gleaned from
one little classified ad. Word processing, typing,
accounting, data entry, proofreading,
transcription, promotional letters and
newsletters. All these tasks can be accomplished
right from your own home office.

AVON REPRESENTATIVE:
Yes, Avon's been around for eternity, hasn't it?
Then it's not such a bad prospect as a home based
business, is it? I once knew a woman who did so
much business as an Avon rep. that she had people
calling her and knocking at her door wanting to
order products at all hours of the day and night!
Once you are an established Avon representative,
you, too, will turn a good profit.

CONCLUSION:
On your search for the ideal home based business,
try not to get caught up in any scams that will
run off with your money. There are thousands of
scam artists out there just waiting for the
next sucker to come along. Remember, if it sounds
too good to be true, then it probably is. Just
use your good judgement and invest wisely in
proven methods of earning extra income.

About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips
--------------------------------------------------

NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)

Labels: ,

Promoting Your Business with Copper Wire? Think Again!

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

So many people launch their first or second
business with the misconception that they can
survive without advertising. It is their fear of
failure that almost single-handedly assures their
failure. They fear spending the money that they
need to get and keep their business running
during those early years of their operation.

Let’s face it, when you start in business, money
is usually pretty darn tight. So, you must figure
out how to get off the ground without throwing
your money down the drain. Every single red cent
is important enough to hang onto with a tight
fist.

NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO REINVENT COPPER WIRE

Click Here to Read More

Labels: ,

Networking Your Home Business within Circles of Influence

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

When you need an auto mechanic or an air
conditioning repairman, where do you turn for
help? Sure, some people turn to the yellow
pages. But most will turn to friends and family
and ask if they know of anyone who can do the
work.

The best place for your business to be positioned
is to be the business on the tips of the tongues
of the people asked to make the referral.

THE 300 RULE

Preachers, funeral directors and people in a few
other professions have learned "the 300 rule"
through their own personal experience.

"The 300 rule" states that the average person
knows 300 people on a friendly level. Wedding
planners tend to make reservations for 300
guests. Funeral directors tend to need to make
room for 300 mourners. You get the idea.

DOODLING WITH CIRCLES OF INFLUENCE

Imagine your circle of friends, family and
acquaintances, a.k.a. your circle of influence.
Now, draw your circle of influence as a circle on
a blank piece of paper.

Click Here to Read More

Labels: ,

Keeping Your Email Box Organized & Ready for Business

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

Learning how to get the most organization from
your email software is very likely the most
important skill you can learn to conduct a
successful online home business.

There are three primary email applications on the
market that folks use to manage their incoming
POP3 email. Those three are:

· Microsoft Outlook Express
· Eudora
· Netscape Mail

In order to get the most from your email
software, there are three key processes that you
should learn. These processes are concerned with
data organization, saving time and email database
management.

Click Here to Read More

Labels: ,

Is a Home Business Right for You?

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

Every morning as people wake up and make the
commute to work, many dream of the day when they
will finally work for themselves. Every time the
boss lets someone know that they must give up
their weekend plans for the good of the company,
people contemplate the benefits of being the
owner of their own business.

Are you one of these people?

If you are, it is important to ask yourself some
very important questions before you make the
uncertain leap into self-employment.

Many dream of the benefits of home business
ownership, but few take into account the
sacrifices that must be made to bring the dream
to fruition. Please don't make this mistake
yourself.

Click Here to Read More

Labels: ,

How to Win the Advertising and Promotion Game

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

I am certain that, as a business owner, you have
often entertained the question as to how much to
spend and where to spend your advertising
dollars. For most small business owners, these
questions can add to the headaches suffered in
the course of normal everyday operations of their
business.

THERE ARE NO SIMPLE ANSWERS

The how much to spend and where to spend it
questions have no easy answers.

Depending on your type of business, many people
suggest that the *how much* should be equal to
anywhere from 4% to 10% of your gross receipts.

The quandary is that a business cannot survive
without a fresh flow of incoming customers. But,
a business can seldom generate a fresh stream of
customers without spending money to get the word
out about their business.

Click Here to Read More

Labels: ,

How to Stay Focused on Your Home Business Goals

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

When you are the owner of a home business, you
will find hundreds of distractions that vie for
your time, energy and focus.

Common distractions include: children, family,
friends, neighbors, pets, phone calls, mail,
household chores, video games, television,
neighborhood children, visitors, and so many more.

As an owner of a home based business, you must
always remember your purpose in bringing your
profession home. What was your reason for wanting
to own a home business? Was your goal to work
from home so that you can share in the lives of
your children? Was your goal to be out from under
the rule of a tyrannical boss? Was your goal to
have the freedom to work when it is convenient
for you? Was your goal to make tons of money
working for yourself?

Here's a few good tips that will help you stay
focused on your home business:

Click Here to Read More

Labels: , ,

How to Measure Advertising Success Online

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

It is easy for me to tell you that you need to
track the success of your online advertising. It
is also easy for me to tell you that you must do
so in order to know which of your advertising
is helping you to make a profit, to break even,
or to break the bank. Far too many advertisers
get caught in the online money pits in an effort
to develop their online business.

DON’T BE AFRAID

I also know that when I say these things, some
people get spooked. People get spooked because
although they might run an online business, they
may not understand the technology that keeps
their business running.

Let’s face it.

More people are learning how to design and
develop their own web pages. In fact, software has
been created to help them do so rather easily.

Click Here to Read More

Labels: , ,

How to Maximize the Value of Your Time

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

How is your business doing? Is it growing,
stagnating or losing ground? If your business is
not growing, it could be the result of a poor
business idea or plan, a lack of advertising, or
the mismanagement of your business’ resources.

Let’s face it. Running a successful business
enterprise is not the easiest thing to accomplish.

Your struggles could be the result of factors
beyond your own control or factors within your
control --- your own actions and decisions.

Click Here to Read More

Labels: ,

How to Calculate ROI (Return on Investment)

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

ROI (Return on Investment) is probably the most
important calculation one needs to make to ensure
the long-term viability of their business. It is
not enough to build in a profit margin on the
product or service being offered. One must track
with proficiency the amount of dollars being
invested into attracting sales and how much ROI
those dollars put back into the business. If the
investment meets too little return, a product
line is doomed to fail in the long-term.

THE BASIC ROI PERCENTAGE CALCULATION

Many experts seem to agree, “calculating an
accurate return on investment (ROI) is not an
easy thing to do.”

I do not intend to give you a thorough analysis
of the ROI calculation process. Calculating an
accurate ROI is hard to do, but explaining the
full scope of ROI calculations in less than
1000 words is far more difficult.

As such, this article is only intended to
introduce you to the basic concepts behind ROI
calculations. Here is a very basic equation for
calculating the ROI:

ROI = [(Payback - Investment)/Investment)]*100

Your payback is actually the total amount of
money earned from your investment in your
company. Investment relates to the amount of
resources put into generating the given payback.

You should run ROI calculations on both monthly
and yearly timelines.

Click Here to Read More

Labels: , ,

Finding Your Home Business Niche

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

When some folks begin to think about a business
of their own, they know in that very moment what
kind they are going to start. Then, there are the
rest of us...

Knowing that we want to have a business of our
own is not enough. Many of us have struggled with
the important question of what type of enterprise
we would like to start.

Franchises offer a simple pre-packaged money
making idea, but the cost of a franchise often
makes it a prohibitive option to most folks who
contemplate going out on their own.

For those who do not have a million dollars to
buy a McDonalds franchise, we must look to other
ideas for our own business.

Click Here to Read More

Labels: ,

Fast-Track Your Journey To Online Success

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

No one has ever logged onto the Internet for the
first time and started pocketing dollars in a
really short period of time. As with all things
in life, there is a learning curve.

SOME PERSONAL HISTORY

Just a few short years ago, I was a working stiff
just like you.

One day, I bought and read a book called
"Multiple Streams of Income" by bestselling
author, Robert Allen. Immediately, I began my
journey.

Every night after work and after my wife and
children went to sleep, I would get online and
explore different ways of using the Internet to
make money.

In the 2 years that followed, I spent over
$10,000.00 racking up credit card debt buying
eBooks, membership sites, special reports, opt-in
leads, and joining every "guru" recommended
business opportunity that flew into my email
inbox...

I stayed up learning, working and drinking coffee
until 5:00 in the morning month after month
filled with the hope of making money online.

In my 3rd year of working part-time to build an
home based income, I finally broke through and
earned over $100,000.00 in just 12 months from
the Internet.

BECOME THE MASTER OF YOUR LEARNING CURVE

Research the lives of all of the guru's. The one
thing that you will learn is that my own
experience is not unique. Most of the high
earners on the Internet experienced a learning
curve very similar to my own.

Chances are that your curve will also be similar
to mine, but it is my hope that you can get to
the top faster than even I did. Three years was a
long time to struggle, but every ounce of
struggle was worth the reward I have finally
received.

In order to shorten your own learning curve, you
must do a few things differently than the rest of
us did. You must become themaster of your
learning curve.

THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO POINTS IS A
STRAIGHT LINE

There is only one way to shorten the curve on the
Internet, "you must plan to succeed."

Here is the deal. Most people put up a freebie
website and select a few affiliate programs to
add to their website. Right out of the gate, most
people are running for the finish line without
any real plan in mind.

After a few short weeks, people begin to see the
writing on the wall that says, "This is going to
be a long hard road."

People check their hit counters daily for six
weeks before they realize that getting traffic to
their free site is going to be tough.

At this point, they begin developing their first
batch of advertising. Then they spend countless
months finding places to show their
advertisements for free. Some make an even more
drastic mistake by blowing thousands of hard
earned dollars on their new and untested ads.

These are the people who will learn the facts of
life the hard way.

In time, they will learn how to make their
advertising work for them. But most will earn
very little money from their affiliate programs.

At this point in the learning curve, most people
throw up their hands and walk away from their
dreams in utter disgust. Instead of a walking
away point, this should have convinced the
struggling online entrepreneur that they were
simply traveling the wrong road.

YOU MUST PLAN TO SUCCEED

From day one, you must begin to learn about the
nuances of web promotion. Read everything you can
get your hands on. Don't just read the hype, back
it up with the opinions of others who have
reviewed the same programs before you came along.
Learn from their mistakes and successes.

As you begin to learn, you must also look to make
a decision. Do you want to step into a pre-built
program that is designed to help you to succeed,
OR do you want to create a completely new program
of which you are the sole owner?

If you decide to step into a pre-designed and
complete turn-key online money making venture,
then you must select the right venture to step
into. If this is your decision, then please
examine my program along with the others. You can
review my Plug In Profit Site program at:
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

If you decide to go the journey on your own, then
do all of the necessary research, planning and
preparation that is needed for your success.

PREPARE TO SUCCEED

Decide upon what you think you would want to do,
and then figure out how your planned site will
generate a real income.

Internet old-timers know about hundreds of
corporation domains that existed with IPO
millions, but did not have an actual money
plan that could sustain their business model.
Most of these companies were among the hundreds
of companies that bellied up in the 2000 dot bomb
experience.

Don't blindly believe in your plan. Research
others on the web who have undertaken similar
business models and see if they have survived.
Study your competitors in depth to learn what is
working for them and what did not work for them.
To better understand what has or has not worked
for competitor websites, check out their time
lapsed progressions using the Wayback Machine:
http://www.archive.org

Once you have determined your money plan, then
you should undertake the development of a
business plan and a marketing plan. Utilize
professional assistance if you need to do so.
While creating your plans, make a determination
as to which domain name you think would be best,
then use the domain name wizard at Host4Profit to
find the perfect domain for your business:
Host4Profit.com

Once you have developed your business plan and
marketing plan and have run them through several
revisions, then it will be time to buy your
domain name and to begin work with a site
designer and developer. You may need to have your
domain sitting on a web host for your site
developer, but this is not always necessary.
While they are doing their work, enlist a
copywriter to help you with your site sales copy.

When your site designer and developer have your
site working, you should then undertake
significant testing to make sure everything works
as planned. It is much harder to fix problems
on a operational site than it is to fix problems
on a site that is yet to be launched.

When testing is done, then you should fill in
your sales copy and then shoot for launch. Of
course, you already have a marketing plan in
place, so your preparation here will be simply
a matter of putting the pieces of the puzzle into
place.

You are finally ready to open for business. Don't
be afraid to spend the money to bring your dream
alive. Time can replace money in the goal of
starting a profitable online business, but money
invested can shave years off of your company's
growth.

If you want to save a lot of time and get your
very own money making website setup within the
next 24 hours, review and sign up for my Plug-In
Profit Site service today at:
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

About The Author:
--------------------------------------------------
Stone Evans Will Personally Build A Money Making
Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take
Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits Today!
Get All The Exciting Details And Signup Now At:
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips
--------------------------------------------------

NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this
article within your website or newsletter as long
as you leave the article fully intact and include
the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)

Labels: , , , ,

Children in the Home Business Environment

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

Operating a home business is seldom easy and
interruptions come in all shapes, sizes and forms.

Between the family, friends and neighbors who
call or come by, and the telemarketers who insist
on ringing your number off the hook, getting
through the workday can be a real challenge.

When you introduce children into the home office
environment, your productivity and patience can
be seriously tested.

For example, right now my three-year old daughter
is pulling on my shirt and begging me to read her
a story. Clearly, Im in the middle of something
important here, but how can I say no to those
eyes? I'll be right back...

Ok, that wasn't so bad was it? She's happy, Im
happy (having bonded with my daughter) and now
I'm back to continue my conversation with you! :-)

What's the lesson here? Flexibility is a major
key to balancing your home business priorities
with your family's needs.

Click Here to Read More

Labels: ,

Advertising Your Home Business on a Budget

Copyright © Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy
http://www.ReplaceYourSalary.com/pips

When you are starting out in a new home business
and no one knows who you are, one of the greatest
challenges you will face is how to drum up new
business.

If there were not people in your community or
marketplace that you knew who needed your
products or services, you probably would not have
started your business to begin with. But, once
you have talked to those who you personally knew
who needed your what you offer, then your next
task is to find others who will help keep your
doors open.

Many people know that they must turn to
advertising at some point in the future, but they
hope that day will be long down the road. For
some, this utopian concept will come to fruition.
But for the rest of us in the real world, we must
come up with creative solutions for meeting our
home business advertising needs while working
within our budget.

Click Here to Read More

Labels: ,