All-In-One-Business.com » Motivation

How to Organize Your Data for a Profit Producing Business

All-In-One-Business — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 21:08:23 +0000

I don’t like the title of this article. It sounds boring. It doesn’t do the topic justice. Here’s why:

You are about to discover the most powerful single concept in making your business profitable. This one key—if applied—will produce more and higher profits for you than any other single piece of information.

Let’s dig in.

Having a profitable business online or off is really about getting prospects, showing them your products in enticing ways, filling their orders and providing customer service.

Before the internet this was all done via mail and telephone. Now it is done, often automatically, using simple, cheap online tools.

Most online businesses have some sort of list management service or program they use to manage the email addresses and names of prospects and customers. These are called a variety of names. Often these services are referred to as “autoresponders” since they typically can send out a series of pre-written messages when someone signs up. But they are much more than a simple autoresponder.

Today’s services and programs can accomplish all sorts of tasks:

· Send a “broadcast” message at a pre-determined time and date

· Allow multiple lists to be managed through one account

· Send a message to all those who haven’t purchased a particular product

· Send a message to all those who HAVE purchased a particular product

· Automatically generate personalized thank you and download messages

And the best thing about these services is they cost almost nothing.

Here is how to set up your own list management to maximize profits and make customer service a snap.

First, sign up for a complete list management service.

You may be tempted to buy a program and do this yourself because it’s cheaper. Don’t. The fast and ever changing world of bulk email means you will either have to spend way too much time trying to make sure your email gets through or a significant portion of your emails won’t get through.

Keeping up with email deliverability is a full-time job. Let an expert handle it.

While there are several services you can sign up for, here is the one I recommend:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/list

It’s cheap, and it’s the best in the business.

Now once you get signed up, decide what lists you want to have. You can have a list that people subscribe to when they first visit your site to tell them about your product(s), you can have a list that serves as your newsletter, you can have a list for people who purchase your products.

Here is what I would recommend:

1 List for Your Newsletter

1 List for Each Product’s Pre-Sell Messages

1 List for Each Product’s Customers

So if you have just one product, you would have three lists.

Go ahead and set up each of the lists. You want to include some automation as well (this can be done on the list server I recommend above.) You want to:

· Add the Subscriber to Your Newsletter when they Subscribe to the Pre-Sell Messages

· Remove the Subscribe from Your Pre-Sell Messages when they are Added to the Customer List

Now, let’s add a little “flair” that will help you with customer service and follow-up.

Most people simply save a person’s name and email address in their list manager. We want to do more than that. We want to save as much info as possible.

Think about it this way: When a person buys a product from you they are giving you a ton of information about themselves—name, physical address, phone number as well as a unique product code. The more of that information you save, the better you can market to that person in the future.

So, make a list of all the data you want to (eventually) collect from your prospects and customers. A sample list might be:

First Name

Last Name

Address

City

State or Province

Country

Postal Code

Phone

Fax

Order ID

Etc.

Once you have this list, go back to your lists and add these fields as “custom fields.” When someone buys your products, you automatically add the data from their order form into your customer data fields. (If you don’t know how to create a form to do this, ask your webmaster.)

Now let’s look at this in action…

Let’s say someone buys your product but doesn’t get the download. They send you an email. You simply go to your list management panel and type in their email address. In a few moments you not only have a list of every one of the products they have purchased from you, you also have all of their contact information in case you need to call or send them something via postal mail.

Or let’s look at it another way. Someone writes asking for a refund. In our case we need to find an order ID to process a refund. Using this same method we can just type in the email address or name and instantly have a list of all the unique order numbers associated with that customer.

Having all this information at your finger tips makes customer service a breeze.

But what about your marketing?

Setting up your lists as I recommend allows you to pin-point target your marketing.

Let’s say you want to promote one of your products to only those who have not already purchased it—you simply send the promo to your newsletter list and exclude the customer list for that product.

Or let’s say you want to offer a special discount only to people who have already purchased a particular product. You can send the offer to that customer list only, not your entire list.

Let’s say you want to send a holiday card to each of your customers. Simply download their postal addresses and use Excel to create mailing labels. Ditto for a special offer via a post card or direct mail campaign.

Not only does organizing your data in this fashion save you time, it will make you money.

What it Really Costs to Start an Online Business

All-In-One-Business — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 21:00:14 +0000

How much does it cost to start an Internet business?

I get this question, or variations on the same theme, every week. Today I wanted to give you just a quick run-down of what it costs to start a SUCCESSFUL online business, while giving you a HEADS UP about the BIGGEST but often HIDDEN cost.

Now, before we go any further, I need to define what I mean when I say a “successful online business”. A successful online business is one that makes a profit for the LONG HAUL, not just a few bucks this week. There is a huge difference between the two. You will not make any real long-term income by putting up the latest self-replicating site, or hawking the newest “business opportunity”. The kind of business I am talking about is one which will support your lifestyle for years to come.

In order to start an online business, you first need access to a computer and the Internet. That doesn’t mean that you need to own a computer, just that you have access to one. That may cost you nothing–especially if you already have a computer and are already paying for access.

A word to the wise: You DO NOT need to have the latest, Pentium 8, running at 6 gigs, in order to start a business. In fact, many people who go this route spend so much on their computer equipment that their businesses grow slowly for lack of capitol.

Next, you need to have a web page. That means a couple of different costs:

You need to have a way to create web pages. By using web templates and Notepad for an editor, this may cost you nothing. But if that is beyond your ability, then you can download a free WYSIWYG editor or you can purchase one to use.

If you choose to hire someone to build your site for you, the rates vary considerably. Shop around for the best price and always check their references to make sure they can deliver you a quality, functional site in a timely fashion.

You need to have a web host. I know that there are still a number of free hosts out there, but sites that are going to be profitable are rarely able to be sustained on a free server. Plan to spend between $10 and $75 for your hosting, depending on the type of site, features and traffic.

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/hosting

You need to have autoresponders. This is the one thing most beginning sites overlook. This is your first line of customer follow-up and one of the best ways to close sales for those who don’t buy on the first visit.

Autoresponders are available either through your host or separately. I choose to use a service that provides me with more features than I would get through a hosting company alone. If you do not get autoresponders through your hosting company, plan to pay from $10 to $30 per month for this service.

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/list

You need to have advertising.

Before I go any further, I want to dispel a myth. Ready? Here it is: A slick looking site with all the bells and whistles does NOT sell products.

Did you catch that?

People tell me all the time that they have a great site. Usually, they are right. The only problem with putting all that effort (and often money) into a site is that they often have NO MONEY LEFT to get traffic to their site. A MEDIOCRE SITE WITH LOTS OF TRAFFIC WILL ALWAYS OUTSELL THE PERFECT ONE WITH NO TRAFFIC.

So, how much do you have to pay for advertising your product or service? Here is a rule of thumb: For every product you sell, plan on putting 45-50% of the gross profit into advertising.

So, if you want to sell 100 units this month, and your gross profit per unit is $30, plan to put around $1500 into ads THIS MONTH.

Can you do free advertising? Yes, and you might want to start that way if you are strapped for cash. Just know that your business will grow more slowly. In the long run make sure to set aside 50% of your gross profits for NEXT MONTH’S advertising. You will be glad you made the choice.

Now, that about covers it. There are certainly more things you can spend money on, but most of them won’t make you very much and can cost you plenty.

But, there is one cost that I haven’t yet covered. Here it is:

To start your own business will cost you more emotional strength than almost anything else you will ever attempt. Most people will never have the emotional strength to make it through those first hard weeks and months. Most people will give up just on the verge of success.
Only the strongest of us will make it, and that’s the real cost to weigh.

How to Start a Business from Home: Work Hard

All-In-One-Business — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:56:14 +0000

Starting a business is hard work.

Let me repeat that…STARTING A BUSINESS IS HARD WORK.

Did you get that? If you have had obstacles this week as you have attempted to start your own profitable business, if you have reached the point a couple of times this week where you wanted to give up, if you wonder if it is all worth it, JOIN THE CLUB. Everyone who has ever attempted to start a business has run into adversity, discouragement and crisis. It’s part of the game.

But don’t give up just yet, let me tell you what ELSE is a part of the game:

Financial prosperity is a part of the game. Over 90% of the people in the United States who earn over $250,000 per year, do so from their own business.

Freedom to be who you are is a part of the game. When you stop working for someone else and start working for yourself, you have the FREEDOM to be honest about who you are, what you like and how you like to do things.

Family is a part of the game. When you own your own business, you have more opportunity to set you own schedule to be at the important things in your family life. In addition, you actually own something that you can pass on to your children.

Friends are a part of the game. When you leave the work-a-day world behind, and start working with other people who have their own business, you will find some of the best people in the world. You don’t really get to be successful by being rude and inconsiderate-you become a success when you learn to be gracious, when you learn to be a friend to others. The people you will meet from owning your own business are a treasure no money could ever buy.

So, if you have hit some hard spots in your road to business success, you are normal. Just remember that the rewards are worth it.

The Power of Belief

All-In-One-Business — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 15:59:51 +0000

Can you hit a 95 mph fast ball?

Most people would respond with a resounding “NO!”

But here’s a better question: Given thousands of hours of batting training from the best major league batting coaches. After learning how to stand, perfect your swing, see the ball off the pitcher’s hand, do you believe you could hit at least ONE 95 mph fast ball?

Most people would likely respond with a qualified, “maybe” or even “probably.”

When learning how to start a business from home your belief about your ultimate success is key to actually achieving success. Most people start out wanting to develop an online income of between $5,000 and $10,000 per month. While they don’t know all the steps to get there, they begin believing it won’t be that hard.

They get up to the plate and a figurative Roger Clemens “brings the heat” and they don’t even see the ball go by. They hear the sound in the catcher’s glove and the umpire calls “strike” before they can even catch their breath.

In one instant, their personal belief in success is shattered. When someone asks “Can you make money online?” they respond with “it’s too hard—regular people can’t do it.”

But regular people DO succeed in starting a business from home—the key is to recognize success in anything takes training, learning and work.

No one is going to hand you $100,000 a year. Only lottery winners get that and the internet isn’t the lottery.

The reality is this: YOU can succeed in your own online business, but you have to be willing to work. Try some things. Get a few strike outs as you learn to handle the pitching. Get some coaching to find out what you are doing wrong and correct it.

Belief if your ultimate ability to succeed will get you back up to the plate.

How do you start a business from home in this year? One key might be the right coaching. You can find out more about coaching options here:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/tmdc

Playing Your Way to Success

All-In-One-Business — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 13:33:06 +0000

Have you been feeling a little discouraged lately? If so, playing might just be the solution.

I was brought up with a Puritan work ethic—work is noble, play is folly. Maybe you were too.

The surprising reality is that a balanced combination of the two will lead you to more productivity, more peace, better health and a more positive state of mind.

When we play our mind relaxes and our creativity increases. This mental rest continues even after we return to our “work” leaving us able to think more clearly, make better decisions, work harder and be more productive.

So, if you are feeling a little discouraged or overwhelmed by “all you need to get done” maybe the best solution is to watch a baseball game. Or play in one. Or shoot some hoops, crochet a rug, tackle the next level on Doom III or even spend time with your family.

You might just find your life is more fun as you play your way to success.

TrafficWriting.com Traffic Tip: Use Customer Service as a Sales Tool

All-In-One-Business — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 13:22:27 +0000

Want to generate more traffic and higher sales? Start looking at customer service as a way to get you there.

Look, no one I know really “enjoys” customer service emails. In general they are a pain. As a result some web businesses just ignore customer service emails, figuring the “few” people they ignore won’t hurt the bottom line too much.

But let me give you a surprising statistic: In 2005 I did a study comparing pre-sale customer service inquiries in my business to sales and found that those who sent a pre-sale email were likely to spend 7x as much as the average subscriber.

That’s a boatload of money to just chuck overboard.

Here are some tips and tricks to turn customer service emails into sales:

1. Offer a special bonus to those who inquire about a product.

When someone writes with a product question, have a special bonus you can offer them when they buy. End your email something like this:

“I do appreciate your asking about our widgets. When you place your order drop me an email and I will send you a free copy of my new book ‘Widget Success.’ This book normally sells for $17, but I will give it to you free as my way of saying thanks.”

2. Use a compelling signature line to tell them about a product

If someone writes with a routine question, have a pre-crafted signature line designed to direct them to one of your lower price-point products. Here is one of ours:

What silly idea made Adam $4,126 from just one
email? [It's so simple anyone can do it--you'll kick
yourself for not thinking of it sooner!] Find out:
http://All-In-One-Business.com/pi
3. Use forward-looking statements

When I first set up my business online I had a contact form. When someone filled out the form it sent me an email saying “Non-Buyer Question.” Often when I would reply to the email the subject remained the same.

Not good. Who wants to be told they are a non-buyer?

So now the subject of my email reads “Pre-Enrollment Question.” That tells the recipient they are about to enroll. It sets up an expectation in their mind.

When someone writes with a question about my courses, I typically end with the statement “I’m looking forward to working with you.” Again, this gives the expectation we will be working together in the future.

4. Direct them to solutions that have obvious value

When someone has a question I try to use that as an opportunity to send them to a resource on my site where they can see obvious value. If someone asks about how to stay focused I might send them to the free resource here:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/motivation

If someone asks how to supplement their income, I might send them to this paid option:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/passive
5. Limit your answers and point them to a more complete option

Often when you are in the consulting business people will email you asking for free advice. There’s nothing wrong with this—heck, often the person looking for advice is my best prospect.

However, you can’t spend all your days answering emails for free and expect to make any money.

One solution that produces sales for me is to answer a question that is brief and can be answered in a few sentences, then point them to a paid resource. Here’s how that looks.

“This level of help I reserve for my students and clients. If you want further help I would love to work with you as one of my future success stories. You can go here to enroll:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/index6.php

Putting a few of these five pointers to work can greatly increase the amount of money you make from your best prospects—those who are interested enough to write or call.

How to Start a Business from Home: Overcoming Previous Failure

All-In-One-Business — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 22:41:56 +0000

How many years have you been struggling to start a business from home? Come on, be honest…2? 3? 5 years?

Sometimes it can get a little discouraging to look back. When we see our failures in the past we often expect to fail in the future. The steps to start a business from home seemed so simple before we tried it. Now it seems impossible.

How do you combat self-doubt and find the motivation to do it “just one more time” when you have failed in the past? Here are some keys:

1. Get a solid step-by-step plan

The biggest reason for failure online is lack of focus—this week you pursue one plan, next week another. Getting a single, step-by-step plan from start to finish allows you to feel confident. Your commitment is to following the plan (which has been demonstrated to work) rather than simply depending on the “latest and greatest” offering.

You can get a step-by-step plan in several places. I recommend a number of them here:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/rec-rec

2. Read about the success others are having

Roy (one of my students) is a 35 year old unemployed guy. He just completed his first month of a new promotion and made over $6,000 using other people’s products. A month ago he was wondering how he could make just $9,000 a year—now he’s in a position to be making that in just a couple months.

When you hear about other people who are succeeding, you begin to believe you can succeed as well. To read some other success stories, go here:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/sots

3. Get some cheerleaders

There are lots of folks out there who will tell you all the reasons why you WON’T make money online. They will tell you how foolish it is. Find people who can believe in you, who can give you encouragement. You will succeed if you try, I know it. Find others who can encourage you to help you along.

Online forums are a great way to find those cheerleaders. Use Google to search for forums in your target market or try a couple of my favorites:

http://www.Ablake.net/forum
http://www.HowToCorp.com/forum

How do you start a business from home in 2006? The first step might just be to shake off the cobwebs of past failure and start again. To find out more on keys to staying motivated, I have put together this free guide:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/motivation

Start a Business from Home: Goals for your Home Business

All-In-One-Business — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 14:29:38 +0000

If you want to learn how to start a business from home you need to begin by understanding what is possible in starting a business online.

For most people, this is pretty tough. They have seen the hype: “Make $10,000 overnight,” “Retire next week,” “$1,000 a day just returning phone calls.”

Guess what folks? It ain’t that easy.

I discourage my students from setting up these kinds of goals. It’s like being a 250 lb couch potato and deciding you will run a marathon in 30 days—it’s just not reasobale. Often these almost impossible goals leave you frustrated and ready to give up on online business.

So let’s look at a reality:

It will take most people at least 18 months of consistent, part-time effort to reach the $10,000 per month level.

But consider this…

To start an offline business and generate a profit of $10,000 per month typically requires an investment of $100,000 into storefront, inventory, advertising and operating capital. In most cases it takes an offline business 5 years to generate a PROFIT, let alone a profit over 6-figures per year.

You can do it much faster, much cheaper online.

So what’s reasonable for someone just starting a business online? Here are some goals you can attain even if you have never done anything like this before:

Month One:

Complete market research and have a product and website completed and ready to sell.

Month Two:

Make 10 sales of your product or service.

Month Three:

$1,000 in gross income.

Month Four:

$2,000 in gross income.

Month Six:

$4,000 in gross income—at least $1,500 profit.

Month Nine:

$8,000 in gross income—at least $3,000 profit.

Month Twelve:

$10,000 in gross income—at least $4,000 profit.

While this isn’t setting any records, these are workable goals. Things the average person can achieve in starting a new business online. Business that is sustainable. Online business that can grow.

How to start an online business—begin with reachable, encouraging goals.

For more information on setting reasonable goals I have this online resource you can download. When you download this free resource you will be amazed how simple the process can be:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/getdirection