Making Money Online

As more and more people realized that the economy is not going to recover in due time, they also found out that their job is no longer stable anymore. As such, these people are looking for alternative ways to generate income for "rainy days". Naturally, most of those with IT knowledge will explore Internet Marketing, thinking that its the easy way out. Perhaps with a little effort here and there, they might just strike it rich !

What they do not realize is that Internet Marketing is as tough as doing a Networking or MLM business. It really takes a lot of time and effort to prepare the ground work and the discipline to persist in the face of uncertainty.

No doubt there is money to be made online but we need to learn from the Basic first. First, we need to know what Niche we have that the market will want. Second, How to create that awareness so that people will come to you ? Third, How to capitalize on visits made by the visitors to your website ? Fourth, How long will it take before you see the 1st dollar of this venture ?

Beside this, you need to know the technicality of creating a website for it, what type and what kind of website ? How to promote your product and through what method ?
How to create a Sales Page so that people will be attracted to your promotion and what-nots ? How to make your website popular ?

Unless you are prepared to learn or re-learn this BUSINESS from scratch ( just like Networking or MLM ), most will give up halfway through the venture. What I like about this option of business is that it gives me freedom to do anything I want. No one is going to tell me whether I did it wrong or not. It allows me to constantly go back to my drawing board to fine-tune what I have done. The only sign of success you get is when the visitors rating goes higher or people start buying the product that you are promoting and you start making money.

I know there are plenty of people out there learning the rope like me and to me, it is a marathon race that will ultimately show my potential as long I believe this business option works.

I have gone through 3 recessions in my life time and I want to be financially rich enough before the next one comes along !



"Don't Simply Retire from something; have something to retire to" -- Harry Emerson Fosdick

Fraud That You Must Know !

In a time like this when people are desperately looking for alternatives to making extra money, they will hop on to any wagon that promises a handsome returns. Especially when they venture into the Internet world of affiliate marketing.

What these unsuspecting money seekers commonly does is to enter the word "make money" into the Google or Yahoo Search Engine and they will find millions of websites out there screaming back at them to join their program.

Naturally, they will explore the First available page with links to the "successful" website that is available and start exploring their webpages. Usually these website are so professionally designed that they captivate the attention of the seekers. Some of these lures are so fantastic that they really makes the seekers to part with their money to join the program.

Most of these Long Sales Letter are displayed to impress the seekers into believing that the program works and that there are many testimonials ( some are fake actually ! ) about the services or products and that you are SOOOOO LUCKY to stumble onto their page because of some promotion that is going on which makes the commitment very cheap to invest.

Many of these Sales Letter claims that they are making thousands of dollars daily and that they are actually millionaire already ! See the following to see if its a fraud or not :

http://webcritics.peepsreview.com/2008/10/who-wants-money-or-quick-ways-programs-to-get-it/

Much as we would like to make good money in everything we do, we also must be logical enough to detect whether a business proposal is believable. There is a saying that "If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is !" and this must always be at the back of your mind whenever you hunt for something in the web.

I am not saying that all those programs out there are out to cheat your money but there are really plenty of them that does. To be well-informed in your decision to identify your niche, you must read, read and read many articles, forum comments or compare similar type industries website so that your chances of getting "conned" is at its minimal.

If you are wondering if you should build a Website to pursue your new interest, why not explore this website : http://www.2planawebsite.com/

If you are wondering if doing a Networking Business on the web is viable, you might want to read this FREE eBook on "7 Lies of Network Marketing" first.

If you are looking for some knowledge on "How to make money on the web" ( logically, of course ) then visit this forum to learn more about the facts or scams that can be found in the Internet World.

William Siong

"No Time" or Too Lazy To Make Money

When I present opportunity to people who are searching for means to make extra money, the instant reply I always get is "I have no time !" or "My children are young" or "I will look into it when I am ready" Are these truly a legitimate reasons ?

Let’s face it. Network Marketing, Internet Marketing or Any Money Making Opportunities are not for everyone. You have to enjoy being out here and learning the ropes (learn how to find your customers, rope in a few downlines, or how to get ranked in Google, partner with other sites, writing content, etc.) If you don’t, this journey will be more like a job.

Most of these successful businessmen I know never felt that what they are doing are like Works and I believe that’s why I am putting real effort into it to become one of them. Unfortunately, though, when people hear stories of successful business owner earning five to six figures per year, they think all they have to do is join the business or build a site and they’ll get the same result.

If it were really that easy, we’d all have five to six figure income now wouldn’t we?

People often want instant gratification with little work and when they don’t succeed, they place the blame on everyone, system or business when 9 times out of 10, the only person to blame is themselves.

Yes, there are some of them who make a lot of money out here, but they worked hard for it. Some of them had started their business for 2 to 5 years and there were times in the beginning when they only made about $15 per month. But they never gave up. Yes, they've failed many times along the way but they improved their business from the mistake learnt in the process.

Mistakes are OK, but Laziness is not. I have people who want to make extra money for themselves but can only devote a small hour per week to do the business. If you’re just starting out, you have to devote much more time to get it started right. If you can’t, then your results will mirror your efforts.

Bottom line…

If you are looking for a free lunch or looking to get rich overnight, then doing business is not for you. It's better off working for a Salary that will tie you down for a long period of time with no certainty.

Look around you today ! There is no such thing as a JOB SECURITY anymore. People are getting retrenched for all sorts of reasons that the Company or Bosses can think of.
However, if you want to venture into some form of business then you got to get the butt off the chair and do something!

From Articles To Ebooks To Make Money Online

After 2 weeks of searching and reading and subscribing to potential Gurus website for a way to generate money online, I learnt only one thing : Information Overload !

This does not helps much after forking out a substantial sum of money to learn the tricks of the trade about making money online. Why ? The more I read, the more confused I become ( Almost the same situation when I joined an MLM business venture ). Unlike in the MLM business, I have a Mentor ( usually my Upline to guide me as she has been in the business much longer than I am ) and the communication is close and personal whereas on the web, the so-called "Guru" throws you a ton of information's on how to get it right without pointing the Short-cut to preparing the process.

There are simply many ways to make money online. Despite everything is web-based and information is offered through the pages displayed, they all looks the same for a beginner. Its only through reading its Content, will one knows the purpose of the website presented.

Methods of generating money comes from Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Information Marketing, Network Marketing and many more. Regardless of which category of business you are interested in, you are guaranteed to do the following :

1. Read plenty plenty of information's regarding the business
2. Learn how to setup Website, Auto-responder and ways to generate traffic
3. Learn how to write Contents for your web pages
4. Learn how to write Articles to promote your business or website
5. Learn how to write Articles or EBooks to make money
6. Learn how to incorporate unique graphics, banners, advertisements to your website
7. Learn how to incorporate music, video, Forms, Links to attract your visitors
8. Learn how to SELL your Niche so that regular visitors come to your website

and there are many more tactics out there that one can learn.

I am sure by now you will be wondering if this is suitable for you just as I was asking myself when I join the MLM business venture. The answer is :

In order for anyone to learn something new, there must be an educational process by which you have to go through. Some learning are made easier because of an established system ( school and institution )or some learning comes from personal mentoring by a Leader ( Private Tutor / Business Leader (Upline) but the toughest of all is self-education / self-learning.

If you are hungry to learn something, nothing can stop you in the path. You will know how to overcome the difficulties, challenges or opportunities it presents. But if you are not prepared for it, thousands and one reasons will come out from your mouth to justify why it is not suitable for you ( we call it EXCUSES ! ), right ?

I am very convince by now that there are ways to make money online by writing Articles or Ebooks, otherwise we will not be able to see all these websites ( Hundreds of Millions ) promoting their Niches. In whatever opportunities we are looking for, we must give ourselves Time to familiarize those process so that eventually the money will start flowing in. To do it at a faster pace is obviously a choice you have to make but I always tell myself that "There is no such thing as a GET RICH QUICK opportunities out there ! If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably IS"

I urge you to treat your venture into the web as a form of learning that will eventually equip you with the skill to make the money you want. As long as you believe that you can do it, it will be done !

To have an idea of a possible money making opportunities, you can click here to learn more about PLR Articles ( Private Label Rights ).

Network marketers: pros or cons?

Monte Enbysk is a lead editor for the Microsoft.com network and writes occasionally about technology for small businesses.
By Monte Enbysk

Network marketing adheres to a fundamental tenet: Lotions, potions and a slew of other products can be better sold face-to-face, without stores or middlemen.
The industry got its start in the early 1900s, and became popular in recent years through companies such as Amway. Network marketers sold door to door for years, with varying degrees of success.

The Internet era hasn't done anything to change this. However, the Web has revolutionized some marketing and distribution practices within the industry. It has made it faster and less costly for legitimate network-marketing companies to get the attention of potential customers.

Unfortunately, the Internet also has made it easier for illegal companies — mostly the skilled perpetrators of pyramid schemes and related scams — to get in the face of consumers as well. Many of these scam artists portray themselves as honest network marketers.

If you are interested in this high-risk but potentially lucrative industry, read on. You'll find some background on network marketing, as well as eight tips to help you distinguish a legitimate business opportunity from a fraud.

Amway spearheaded industry growth

First, some background on network marketing, which is also known as multi-level marketing (many people use the terms interchangeably).

Among its founding principles:

• A direct selling process lets distributors of certain products "educate" consumers more successfully (and more economically) on the products' merits than catchy TV ads or fancy store displays.

• Customers who are sold on a certain product can be motivated to sell it themselves, and to recruit others to become sellers as well (forming a business "pyramid" of sorts over time).

• Sellers will have an incentive to sell and to recruit others, as they'll be paid commissions both on their own sales and their recruits' sales. In other words, the earlier you get in to the network, the more money you can make.

• Last, but not least, success is not guaranteed, and only the best products and services — and the best network marketers — will survive in the business.

Founded in 1959, Amway has built a multi-billion-dollar business on these basic premises. In the late 1970s, it successfully fought off claims by the federal government that it was an illegal pyramid scheme. In prevailing in court, Amway proved the key test of a legitimate business — that even the last person recruited into its networks can make money. (In a pyramid scheme, large numbers of people at the bottom end up paying money to only a few people at the top.)

Today, legitimate network marketing companies span the globe, with several hundred in the U.S., including recognizable names such as Avon, Mary Kay, NuSkin, Unicity Network (formerly Rexall) and Herbalife. The products they sell range from vitamins and weight-loss plans to skin-care lotions to software and even dental insurance. Together, network marketing companies generated $28.7 billion in U.S. sales in 2002, according to the Direct Selling Association (DSA), a lobbying association that represents network marketers and other companies who sell directly to consumers.

'Technology a two-edged sword'

How pervasive is fraud in the industry? More pervasive than ever before, say many industry experts, although the Federal Trade Commission does not have statistics to quantify the impact. "I can tell you that, in the last 10 years, with the growth of ,the Internet, we have seen a significant growth in the number of apparent pyramid schemes," says Jim Kohm, the FTC's assistant director of marketing practices.

The low cost of entry into the industry long has encouraged scam artists. But the Internet has enabled them to market their schemes to consumers as successfully as it has legitimate network marketers, Kohm says. "Technology has proven to be a two-edged sword," notes Keith Laggos, an Amway veteran and industry expert who publishes Money Maker's Monthly (www.mmmonthly.com) and Direct Sales Journal (www.directsalesjournal.com).

8 fraud detectors

So how can you tell a scam or a shady business from a legitimate money-making opportunity? Here are eight things to consider before you take the plunge.

1. Make sure that a solid product or service figures prominently in the business.
Sounds simple, but in many pyramid schemes, the product or service is a mere "fig leaf" to an illegal source of revenue — often the signup or membership fees required just to join a network. (Most will never see their money again.) Be convinced the product or service is not a gimmick or a throwaway, but one you'd buy yourself.A related scam, the Ponzi scheme, involves no products at all, but rather promises of investment or insurance windfalls. Most network marketers do charge a nominal signup fee of $30 to $60. But if there is no product being sold, keep your money — don't be swayed by the "benefits" of becoming part of a network.

2. Confirm that the commission structure is supported by product sales.

Note that you are not becoming an "employee," but rather an independent business operator earning sales commissions. In illegal businesses, you can sell well but have your commissions diluted by other costs or obligations. For example, the FTC in 2000 shut down a Las Vegas-based company operating in eight states, because it required participants to pay excessively for seminars and desk space. Only a handful ever made any money.

3. Don't pay more than $500 in initial "buy-in" costs.

Most network marketing companies require you to buy a certain amount of product to get started. If joining the company means you have to buy $500 in products or services, or if you see excessive product inventory costs, period, watch out. And again, if you are asked to fork over money without getting any product at all, flee as fast as you can.

4. Beware of high earnings claims.

Many convicted pyramid schemers have been charged with misrepresenting the potential earnings of participants. You should expect reasonable commissions and growth opportunities, but nothing grandiose. Be wary of inordinate product and earnings hype. A rule of thumb: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
5. Don't participate unless the company is willing to buy back inventory. Many scams — and some legitimate businesses — will refuse to buy back the leftover inventory you've purchased, even if you decide within a year that network marketing is not for you. In its membership requirements, the DSA mandates that network marketers be willing to buy back unused inventory, for at least 90% of the sale price, within a year of the sale.

6. Find out if the network marketer is a DSA member.

The nine-decade-old association is the closest thing to a governing body for network marketers. The Direct Sales Association has about 150 U.S. member companies and some 50 others undergoing an intense application process for membership, says Joseph Mariano, executive vice president and legal counsel. All members are listed on its Web site. While less than half the U.S. network marketers are members, if the company you're interested in is a member, that's a good sign.

7. Find out how long the company has been in business.

At least 90% of all network marketers fail within three years. About 80% fail within the first year, notes Bill Rodgers, a veteran Seattle-area network marketer who served as president of the Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce. If the company you're interested in has been around for more than three years, it is likely not only legitimate, but viable.

8. Do your due diligence.

While you want to stay away from scam artists, you also want to avoid wasting time and money with a loser company. In Rodgers' own guidelines for assessing network marketing opportunities, he asks:

"The FTC has been quick to identify and act on the companies engaging in illegal practices," says Rodgers, a marketer for Unicity Network. "Unfortunately, it takes a number of people to be swindled before the problem surfaces.

MLM -- Bad or Good ?

Have you heard people talk about MLM being a scam businesses ? I believed there are many, especially those around you and people whom you call friends or relatives. But upon further clarification of the statement, I can guarantee you that majority of them will say that they HEARD it from some other sources, which can also be untrue and non-verified.

What exactly is MLM ?

It is called Multi-Level Marketing also commonly known as Network Marketing today. Multi-Level marketing is the same thing as Direct Sales, yet no one ever questions about the integrity of these direct sales companies.

Some of these MLM companies identify themselves as Direct Sales, Network Marketing, Consumer Direct Marketing or People-to-People Marketing. No matter how you categorize it, they all do the same thing! They Sell products or services and their intention are to bring new people into the business so that that the group can grow to earn bonuses and additional incentives.

Depending on the marketing plan of the company involved, you earn money from your group effort and are paid accordingly to the various levels of activities involved. Everyone that joins you or sponsored by you can generated income on their own, as such they are also known as Independent Business Owner or Distributors.

In order to make money, they function as their own Sales Unit doing their marketing or sales of products by using a common system that the group or you would have created. Since all the level of your distributors are in marketing and sales, it is usually referred as Multi-Level Marketing !

As in any industries, there are bound to have bad apples that spoilt the basket. Needless to say, it occurs in the MLM industry too. Some leaders resort to all sorts of tactic just to make the money they want without due hesitation to others suffering. Some of these leaders were actually terminated by the company concerned. When they left the business, they start to bad-mouth the industry thus causing all the mis-conception you heard today. Of course there are some distributors after failing to make it successfully in the business also started to give false advises to their family and friends. As with any business, success does not happen over night.

Look around you ! There are some businesses that performed much worse than a MLM company but no one "crucified" them like they did to any MLM company.

My advise is that you must find out the facts about Network Marketing before jumping into conclusion. Does this FREE eBook by Ann Sieg looks negative to you ? 7 Great Lies of Network Marketing. I would recommend you to read it !

A Vision of Success through Life Mapping

Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a Holiday trip, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack / travel bag, landmarks, and route.

Origin: Who you are

A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m William and I am a 48-year old, Freelance Computer Technician.” It does not tell you about who William is; it only tells you his present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, William realized that he was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. His inclination was in the service and technology field. Furthermore, he believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.

Destination: A vision of who you want to be

“Who do I want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing William’s story, after he defined his beliefs, values, and principles in life, he decided that he wanted to have a life dedicated in serving his fellowmen.

Vehicle: Your Mission

A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Bases on William’s self-assessment, he decided that he was suited to become a businessman, and that he wanted to become one. His chosen vocation was a Computer Servicing Specialist. Describing his vision-mission fully: It was to live a life dedicated to serving his fellowmen as a Computer Specialist in the country.

Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude

Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. William realized that he needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on Computer Technology so that he could become a Computer Specialist. He knew that he was a bit impatient with people so he realized that this was something he wanted to change.

Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to William as an example, he identified the following landmarks in his life map: completing his studies and National Service by the age of 24; completing Sales and Computer Servicing knowledge by the age of 27; earning his specialization in Computer Servicing by the age of 29; providing Computer servicing and related support to his fellowmen since 1989 till today.

Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes

The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But often times our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes, thus we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly. In the case of William, he realised that the Computer Servicing industry is no longer as lucrative as before therefore he is exploring the potential of doing business in the web which is growing at an exorbitant rate as well as finding a network marketing business which can grow through a concept known as Time and Effort Compounding.