If you know anything about me at all, you’ll know that I can’t stand hype. You’ll also know that if and when I promote an opportunity, there’s usually very good reason for doing so, and it’s because I truly believe in it and feel that you will benefit from it.

For the past month there’s been a lot of buzz regarding AshMax, and I honestly hadn’t heard about it until I got an email from someone wanting to pay to put up a banner on my site. I had then emailed him back and forth several times talking about AshMax and why it’s different than anything else out there.

Well… this guy (who will remain anonymous) is very close friends with Ash Mufareh, the creator of AshMax. He got in right from the start (it’s only been out just over a month) and is already seeing almost a $1,000 monthly income (not bad for only a month). He said I should take a look into it and at least take the free tour to see what it’s all about.

So I did…

I’m very skeptical when the “next best thing” comes out, and I don’t want to waste my time, and especially yours, reviewing something that will be a waste of time, and money. That’s not the case here. After reviewing AshMax extensively and learning as much as there is to know about it, I wanted to provide a full, detailed review.

My review will be as non-biased as possible, and I’ll leave out all the hype. I’ll leave it up to your discretion whether or not AshMax is the perfect work from home opportunity.

So what exactly is AshMax?

AshMax was created and founded by Ash Mufareh, the top Global Domains International (GDI) marketer in the United States. If you haven’t heard of the GDI opportunity before, they’re one of the oldest and most well-known multi-level marketing/networking marketing (MLM) companies on the internet, having started back in 1999.

Now I know what you’re probably thinking. “Not another MLM!” Yeah, there’s a lot of them, but GDI has stood the test of time and there’s a reason why they’re still very popular today. That reason is because they’re an honest company and have built a solid reputation for offering a great service along with one of the most popular opportunities online.

While I was taking my free tour of AshMax, I was quite blown away. It’s new and different and designed like no other program I’ve ever seen before. I was starting to realize why there has been so much buzz about it for the past month.

Here’s the basic gist…

Ash Mufareh is the top recruiter for GDI and wanted a way to leverage on the success of GDI and also FreewayToSuccess (FTS). Both are two well-established programs, are very successful, are familiar names to most online marketers and are 100% legal and certified by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). No scams here!

AshMax is simply a free system designed to help you build your downline in both companies in the most ingenious way I’ve ever seen.

How Does it work?

1. When you sign up for the free tour, you have 7 days to check AshMax out as well as learn more about GDI and FTS. There are complete guides and videos to walk you through everything. If you don’t complete steps 1 & 2  within the 7 days, you’ll be booted out of the system.

There’s a third step that requires referring 5 people to AshMax within 20 days. If this isn’t done, you’ll be booted out of the system as well.

Steps 1 & 2 involve signing up for GDI and FTS under your AshMax sponsor. That’s it and is very easy to do. Only takes a few, short minutes to complete.

AshMax in itself is not an affiliate program or MLM. It simply is a tool to help you build your downlines in GDI and FTS, by forcing the people you refer to AshMax to sign up under you and actually take action. Consider it a way to get GDI leads and FTS leads and have them actually do something. Those who don’t take action are purged out of the system. It’s an ingenious way to ensure the members are really serious about this business when they join.

2. There is a 5X5 matrix compensation plan, and all that’s required of you is to sign up 5 people. Of course, it would be in your best interest to sign up more than that, but 5 is the minimum requirement. This shouldn’t be too hard of a task if you know anything about internet marketing. If you don’t, I’m here to help.

What Are The Products?

GDI is a successful domain hosting company (.WS domains and others) that sells domain names and web hosting packages. FTS  gives you big discounts when you shop online for food, clothes and other consumer products.

GDI costs just $10 per month, and FTS costs just $15 per month, totaling a small $25 per month investment. Once you refer just 5 members, you pay nothing out of pocket.

Why Does AshMax Work So Well?

1. The system is designed to ensure that only the right members stay in this program, with each member playing an important role to help build up a team of successful members, both in GDI and FTS. Plus, AshMax is free to join.

2. The 5X5 matrix makes it a fair system because it limits the depth and the width of your team. You will most likely get some spillover (members referred by the people in your upline). This means you won’t have to work to get these members, but you should continually work to refer people yourself. In a filled matrix, you can expect to be paid $22,300 residual income. That’s monthly income. I’ve seen the compensation plan, and it makes sense. Take the free tour to see it for yourself.

3. Everybody in your team has a vested interest to see each other succeed. So, this means if you belong to a good team, you could find people ready to help you including getting you new members before your 20 days are up. That person can be me, and I’m already building a solid team.

4.  By integrating GDI and Freeway2Success into AshMax, it frees you from having to promote them individually, helping you achieve your goal much faster. The system is built in such a way to help you achieve this.

I’m not going to tell you that this is the perfect work from home opportunity. In fact, there is no such thing. Every opportunity is different, and there are many different avenues one can take to get to the same destination. Your success with any opportunity weighs heavily on your ability to learn and put into action the necessary steps.

Having said that, after taking the Free Tour and learning all there is to know about AshMax, I have paid my dues and signed up with the GDI  Opportunity and FreewayToSuccess because I truly believe that this can help anyone who is either struggling to build a GDI downline or FTS downline or who is struggling to just get ahead online.

If you’re serious about making money online and working from home, sign up for free and join me and my team as we help each other reach the $22,300 income level within 100 days.

I hope to see you there! I’ll be providing my full support and help for everyone that joins me and is serious about building a real business and making real money online.

Don’t delay… Take the FREE Tour Today!

June proved to be a very busy month, albeit bringing in the highest recorded monthly income yet. Income from Angela’s Backlinks, Yarie, and the newest CPA added to my site, AdFish, have all seen record highs. I was very pleased with how things turned out, and July so far is following a similar path. Here’s my total online income from last month…

Income from ReplaceYourSalary.com

• ClickBank: $31.85
• PayDotCom – $56.34
• Angela’s Backlinks: $45
• Paul’s Backlinks: $12
• Yarie: $96.88
• Google Adsense: $29.92
• SFI: $11.99
• Project Payday: $4.50 (commissions earned from promoting the program, not actually using it)
• AdFish – $60
• ResponsiveData – $15
• Banner Ad – $40

Total = $403.48

Income from Internet Marketing Services

It’s been a pleasure to be able to work for a highly successful internet marketer. I’m able to learn from and apply the same strategies to my online business, all of which I’ve blogged about here at one time or another.

Total = $160

Income from Proofreading/Re-writing/Editing Services

As I said previously, I’ve gotten a decent amount of freelancing work last month. It’s great to be able to provide a high quality and much needed service, and it’s been an honor serving my clients. You can learn more by visiting the link below.

• Proofreading – $40

Total = $40

Income from Re-writing Service via David Hurley’s PLR Article Service Membership

It has been an honor to be able to partner with David, a good online friend of mine, and provide the re-writing portion of his article membership. To learn more about his PLR article service, visit the link above.

Total = $57.50

Total online income from all sources…

$660.98

The following is a guest post by Kyle Simpson. If you would like to Guest Post on this blog, please contact me.

Some people just seem to have a better grasp of the English language than others.  Whether they know grammar, spelling, and punctuation like the back of their hands or they have a proven ability to turn a phrase, they can inform, influence, and inspire with their work.  And yet, a strong background in poetry, prose, or even technical writing does not necessarily ensure the ability to make a living with your craft.

So, here are 5 simple tips to help you get it together and adapt your writing style in such a way as to provide for a viable occupation.

1. Try everything.  You won’t really know what you’re capable of until you try, so get your hands on all kinds of work.  Write for publications and blogs with all different subjects, try your hand at marketing or advertising, create an e-zine, or pen some technical service manuals.  The ability to diversify will only make you more marketable (and it will help you figure out what you excel at and what you might want to avoid).
2. Join a service.  As a freelance writer, you will spend a lot of time hustling for jobs and fielding rejections.  This can be extremely disheartening.  To avoid some of the hassle, join a free website like Elance or ODesk that allows you to create a profile (that companies seeking service can peruse) and apply for jobs posted by their patrons.  If you get good reviews and offer a variety of samples, you may soon notice that you receive enough offers to keep you busy indefinitely.
3. Keep learning.  The best writers hone their style through both research and practice, so don’t be too hasty to rest on your laurels.  Just because blogging is big right now doesn’t mean it will keep you employed for the next ten years, so make sure you learn the ins and outs of different types of writing so that you have something to fall back on if the bottom of your bread-and-butter workload suddenly drops out.
4. Be professional.  This means you deliver what the client wants and exercise due diligence to ensure that your submissions meet their standards.  For example, an informative article written for a celebrity blog (think TMZ) is probably not suitable as a press release (even if they contain the same basic information).  And if you can’t tell the difference in style, you are going to be hard pressed to expand your business.  So put in the time to learn various formats so the client isn’t forced to explain your job to you (or give you the send-off).
5. Own it.  Your skill with language and proactive attitude will help you land jobs.  But it’s the personal flair you add to your work that will interest people in hiring you again and again.  Putting your personal stamp on your writing is what makes it desirable, so don’t be afraid to own it.  All famous writers are recognizable in their way.  For example, you wouldn’t confuse Stephen King with Edgar Allan Poe, or Jane Austen with J.K. Rowling.  In the long run, a signature style will get you a lot further than dotting the “i”s and crossing the “t”s.

About the Author: Kyle Simpson writes for Medical Coding Certification where you can find more information about a career and training in the medical field.

I took the weekend off (3 day weekend) to celebrate Independence Day and enjoy being with family and friends. It was great to just put business aside and relax and enjoy myself. The fireworks show in State College at Beaver Stadium was amazing; one of the top ranked shows in the nation. It was a blast… no pun intended.

I took pictures throughout the show along with a 40 second video of the finale. If you would like to check them out, just add me as a friend on Facebook. Otherwise, one of the pictures I took is to the right.

As much fun as I had, it’s time to get back into the swing of things. June was a rather busy month, and I’m excited to see just how many posts I had last month. If you happened to miss any of them, you can find them below…

June Comment Contest – Win Cash and Prizes!

An Unforeseen “Benefit” of 3-Way Link Exchanges

It’s Official – Alan Mater is an EzineArticles.com Expert Author

How Blogging About Internet Marketing Can Make You Money Online

New Blog Theme – I’m Using the FlexSqueeze Wordpress Theme

Why You Should Incorporate Exercise Into Your Work From Home Routine

May 2010 Income Report

Why Good Keyword Selection is Essential for Home-Based Business Success

What a Man, a Dog and a Leash Have to do with Internet Marketing

Transcription Crash Course Review – Become a Home Transcriptionist Today

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I had the opportunity to interview Loretta Oliver, the creator of “Transcription Crash Course“. Loretta has been a transcriptionist for many years and knows the ins and outs of starting a freelance home transcriptionist business.

What sparked my interest in Loretta’s transcription course is that many people are looking for a way to make money without having to spend money, and her course solves that problem.

The fact is that there are many opportunities to become a home transcriptionist, but the majority of people don’t know where to look or know how to get started.

Loretta tells all in her 17-page course, detailing exactly what you need as far as equipment and skills, and where to go to land a work from home transcriptionist job or get freelance transcription work.

After going through her course I had some questions, and she was nice enough to answer them.

Here are the questions I asked, with Loretta’s responses below:

What made you want to become a transcriptionist?
It honestly sort of happened by accident. I was doing data entry full time when a friend asked me to do some transcription work for a company that had some overflow work. I figured I’d try it out and make a few extra dollars. I ended up doing overflow for that company on a regular basis for a few months. It was enough to keep me transcribing, but not a full time income yet.

That said, while I do mention a few companies that hire transcription workers I definitely recommend freelancing or working for yourself with private clients over that any day of the week. You’ll find yourself with more profits and building an industry name in no time at all.

Out of all the freelance sites you mention, which one would you recommend the most?
I like Freelancer.com (formerly GetaFreelancer.com) because I’d have to say it’s the easiest to use. But, if we’re talking about workload I’d say that oDesk.com seems to get a bit more transcription work than some of the other freelance sites. I think that’s because oDesk is geared more toward the “secretarial” type of jobs.

Do you have any tips or words of advice for people that are considering getting started as a transcriptionist?
Just get started. Stop thinking about it and start typing. Of course, like anything, it’s not for everybody, but give it at least a month or two with a good solid effort and see how it goes. You might find yourself with a pleasant career by the end of that two months.

Eventually I realized that I enjoyed the transcription work more than the online data entry that I was doing AND the transcription work paid better. It was a no brainer decision at that point to make the switch and start looking for more transcription work. Before I knew it I was transcribing almost every day.

Is it really as easy as it sounds to get started?
It actually is. Like I said, I sort of ended up in this field by accident. Once I started looking around I was surprised at how easy it is to get a foot in the door and make a name for yourself in this field. A lot of transcription companies have high turnover rates, because their work flow varies and people get distracted and do other things. Makes sense right?

That’s part of why I recommend working for yourself and taking private clients instead. You’re less likely to get distracted that way and you have more control over the workflow coming in and going out. A transcriptionist can maintain a decent monthly income with just a handful of regular clients.

Can you really get started for free?
Yes. If you already have a computer you can start right now, today, without spending any money. It helps if you have 20 dollars or so to spend on some headphones, but even that is not a requirement. I spent a solid month transcribing from my computer speakers without headphones. My husband thought I was crazy and it drove the dog crazy, but it got the job done until I got that month’s pay, which I then used to go buy some noise cancelling headphones.

What skills must a person posses to be a good transcriptionist?
Nothing spectacular is needed here, honestly. That’s what’s so great about this, anyone can do it. People think you have to be an exceptionally fast typist and that’s just not true. Sure, it’s helpful, but it’s not a requirement when you’re working for yourself. I promise you that within a few months of transcribing your typing speed will increase dramatically.

That being said, if you’re going to do this (or anything else) working from home, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time alone and at your computer. I think that is the thing that really hangs people up about working from home more than anything. It’s lonely and there’s no way around that.

Is this career saturated, or are there plenty of opportunities for people wanting to get started?
I haven’t found it to be saturated yet and I’ve been in the industry to some degree for 7 years now. There are plenty of opportunities, and I see a lot of transcriptionists going into “niches” which I think is a fantastic idea. You could be a podcast transcriptionist, a Blog Talk Radio transcriptionist, a video transcriptionist, whatever you want to be known as, go for it.

Is it really possible to land a transcription job with the companies you provide in the course?
I haven’t worked directly with any companies in a long time, so I don’t know exactly what their hiring rate is like, but I do still try to keep an eye on the forums and listen to the chatter and it seems like a lot are still hiring part time transcriptionists on a pretty regular basis. They do get a lot of applications, so it might take awhile to get a reply, but there are definitely places out here with a need.

One thing covered in this transcription course and that Loretta touched on above is that you don’t need any special skills. I mean sure, it helps if you can type, but you don’t have to be able to type 50+ words per minute. That’s just crazy. Any mediocre typist can work from home as a transcriptionist.

Since you already have a computer and internet connection, and probably an email address, you’re all set to start your transcriptionist career. Anything else that you would need you can get completely free, and Loretta explains all of this in her course.

What I think I like the most is the fact that Loretta makes herself completely available to everyone that purchases her transcription course. She encourages you to follow her on Twitter to ask her questions directly. She also sends out periodic tips via email and encourages you to email her back with any questions you have for her. Her personal approach and willingness to help you become successful is priceless, in my opinion.

Take a look at Transcription Crash Course and get started in a home transcriptionist career starting today. The small fee is a very small price to pay considering the amount of money that can be made as a transcriptionist, plus the unlimited amount of personal help you’ll get from Loretta.

Get “Transcription Crash Course” Today

This is a guest post by Sam Bakker. If you would like to guest post on this blog, please Contact me.

When I first started my own home-based business a few years ago, I thought that no matter what my first home business website would work. I thought I had everything important in place and the website was looking great. But the reality of my situation had to sink in eventually; even though I had an excellent website, and what I thought was successful home business information I was missing visitors, rendering my online presence useless.

Two years later, I took a second look, but this time with a careful look at all options. I would learn about Search Engine Optimization and how it can influence a business. Through it, I was able to add life to my websites as well as a sizeable amount of money.

If your website is currently suffering from a lack of visitors, the first place to look for answers is your website’s keywords and their search engine performance. Often we can build links for our website, writing content with the intention of ranking it. But none of that will matter if you don’t have the right keywords. There is a lot of money to be made in internet marketing if this step is taken seriously.

First of all, check the keywords you decided to compete for when you started your campaign. Review their usefulness and relative competition. Once you have done so, visit Google’s Adwords Keywords tool or use WordTracker. These tools will help you see clearly where opportunities in your niche could be for keywords.

If you are able to find some additional keywords that you should be ranking your website for, construct a plan outlining what on-page and off-page content will need to be produced. This is to get your website appearing on the front page for that term. Once your plan has been completed, stay focused on the job at hand. To rank higher in the search engines, you need to be consistently taking action.

As internet marketers, we often get excited and dive into projects without spending enough time working through our foundations. Looking for keywords is an essential step; a website cannot succeed in the search engines without it. Make sure you take the time to review your website’s keywords and take action if necessary so that your website doesn’t stay hidden from your potential customers.

About the Author: Sam Bakker has been in the internet marketing industry for the past 7 years. If you would like to find out more about Sam or learn some free internet marketing tips then you can visit his website at SamBakker.com

As promised yesterday, here’s the list of May’s awesome blog posts that you may not have gotten a chance to check out or comment on. BTW, there’s only 9 days left for a chance to win in this month’s comment contest, so check out these posts and get commenting!

Without further ado, here they are:

Free Teleseminar – Learn How To Build A Profitable Business In Today’s Economy – This post will be updated whenever there is a new teleseminar scheduled. Right now you can register for the one on June 23rd.

5 Things to Consider Before Publishing a Guest Post on Your Blog

My Blog Guest – An Active Community of Guest Bloggers and Blog Owners

Don’t Make The Same Stupid Mistake I Made… Seriously! – You definitely want to check this post out… One of my toughest website lessons ever learned is talked about here. Don’t let happen to you what happened to me.

Where Do You Get Images and Photos For Your Website or Blog?

There you have it. If you haven’t yet checked these posts out then I invite you to do so.

Don’t forget… The comment contest ends on June 30th at whatever time at night I check the list for the final time. Right now Cebu is commanding a strong lead with Mici close behind. It’s anyone’s game at this point. Don’t give up now!

I realize June is almost over, but I had so many things going on the beginning of the month. Between rolling out the new theme, posting a guest post, getting guest posts out to other blogs… and the list goes on.

I had already planned on getting May’s income report out late, and I still need to do a May blog post roundup, which will be published tomorrow. Things may seem a little screwy, but trust me, it’s all planned out.

Let’s get right into May’s earnings:

Income from ReplaceYourSalary.com

• ClickBank: $13.06
• Angela’s Backlinks: $18.75
• Paul’s Backlinks: $8
• Yarie: $32.87
• Google Adsense: $20.06
• SFI: $15.71
• Project Payday: $3 (commissions earned from promoting the program, not actually using it)
• AdFish – $21
• ResponsiveData – $12
• Homepage link – $150

Total = $294.45

Income from Internet Marketing Services

It’s been a pleasure to be able to work for a highly successful internet marketer. I’m able to learn from and apply the same strategies to my online business, all of which I’ve blogged about here at one time or another.

Total = $160

Income from Proofreading/Re-writing/Editing Services

As I said previously, I’ve gotten a decent amount of freelancing work last month. It’s great to be able to provide a high quality and much needed service, and it’s been an honor serving my clients. You can learn more by visiting the link below.

• Proofreading – $30

Total = $30

Income from Re-writing Service via David Hurley’s PLR Article Service Membership

It has been an honor to be able to partner with David, a good online friend of mine, and provide the re-writing portion of his article membership. To learn more about his PLR article service, visit the link above.

Total = $57.50

Total online income from all sources…

$541.95

P.S. Only 10 days left until the end of June’s Comment Contest!

I used to be in shape, playing soccer, basketball and running track. Since then, I’ve been rather lazy, not exercising regularly or at all. I can tell a huge difference in my body from back then and how I am now.

I was fit, and it felt great knowing I wouldn’t get winded after just a short run. Now, I’m completely out of shape, and to be honest, I don’t like it.

I’ve gained weight (not that you can tell), my metabolism is low, and I feel downright LAZY.

Simply put… being out of shape sucks!

I’ve recently mustered up enough motivation to start running again and working out. Trying to get back my 6-pack is seemingly challenging, but I’m always up for a challenge. I just want to feel fit again and be able to keep up in pick-up games of football or basketball without getting out of breath 5 minutes into a game.

Can you relate?

Not only is exercise something that everybody should practice, but it’s also great for your overall health. If you work from home, you probably have 30 minutes that you could spare to incorporate exercise into your daily (or bi-daily) routine. I mean, when you really think about it, you’re never THAT busy. There’s always time for the stuff that you make a priority, and exercise should be one of them.

Reasons to Exercise Daily When you Work from Home

Aside from the obvious benefits I’ve already stated, exercising regularly has subtle benefits as well that you may not realize.

If you’re like me, after staring at your computer screen for hours, you may tend to get tired. Not only may you get tired, but I guarantee your legs and body overall are stiff. For one, this is bad, and you should never spend more than 2 hours at your computer without getting up and moving around, if not less time than that.

I tend to get tired more so after I eat lunch. I’m sure I’m not the only one that has this problem. When this happens, I simply start exercising and moving around. When I get back to the computer, I’m much more alert, and my mind can focus better. See how exercise can help?

I’ve noticed that if I go for a run before lunch, I’m a lot less tired throughout the afternoon, and I’m more alert about what I’m doing, and I can accomplish more.

As you can see, incorporating exercise into your daily work from home routine has many more benefits aside from the obvious.

I’m proud to say that today (the day of writing this post) I ran 2 miles. Of course, I’ve been working up to it for the past week or so. It felt great, and I’ll be happy to do it again as it will become easier and easier each time.

So, what are you waiting for? Get exercising!

The following is a guest post by Sam Bakker…

I recall when I first started trying to use blogging to make money online. I had arrived at the entrance of a cyber metropolis armed with an idea and a daft look on my face. It was a multifaceted space teeming with online users, all I had to do was establish myself and I’d be crowded with customers in no time. I had bought a product that would teach me how to build a home-based business. It told me I should start a blog and begin sharing with the rest of the internet world how to be successful making money through a home-based business.

I opened an account with Blogger.com and put my hands to the keyboard. For two months I typed away, completing a design and posting content up on a daily basis. For all this effort, I had one member and no sign of traffic. My blog was floating around in an alleyway when I wanted it to be across the street from Facebook. I wasn’t making money and my website wasn’t going anywhere.

It wasn’t until a year later that I found out (and corrected) what I had done wrong. In this article today, I am going to discuss what mistakes I made in my first attempt to make money blogging online and how you can avoid them. By dodging these classic mistakes, your journey to success will help you obtain an internet marketing lifestyle that is greatly to your advantage.

Firstly, it must be said that before anything else, you must plan out what your blog’s central focus will be. As is the general nature of entrepreneurs, we get an idea and jump in head-first without planting a base for ourselves. Planning is essential especially when it comes to blogging; you not only need to identify your audience and the value you can offer them, but you also need to find effective keywords.

Keywords are the driving force behind a blog’s organic search engine traffic. You need to find the most effective ones using a tool such as “Google Adwords Keywords” to research. This will show you where you can get your search engine traffic from and what terms will be most profitable when it comes to making money. If you launch your blog without keywords in mind, often Google will struggle to place you in the index. Much of the time this means that your blog’s potential is capped very early on and your chance of getting decent traffic flow from Google is reduced. Be sure that you conduct the appropriate keyword research for your website before buying your domain name.

When you first launch your blog online, it feels great. However, now the challenge is in getting it seen. In order for search engines to rank your website based on targeted key terms, you will need to generate some external links back to your website. Use websites such as Ezine Articles, Squidoo and write for other websites in your niche to get your blog rising in the search engines and producing traffic.

Use these tips to ensure that your blog doesn’t end up like my first one, gathering dust along some forgotten nook in cyberspace. Instead, implement the techniques I have discussed with you here to get your blog off to an excellent start.

Sam Bakker has been making money online for the past 7 years. If you would like to find out more about Sam Bakker or internet marketing you can view Sam’s website at SamBakker.com