Life Is A Series of Choices

Life Is A Series of Choices

Life is a series of choices ...

Look around you. What is happening in the lives of a large percentage of this country ? Nothing much. And, whether they realize it or not, it's the result of choices : the choice to take what comes, the choice to let things happen, the choice to settle for less, the choice to let others do their thinking, the choice to merely exist from one day to the next.

Reading this statement was a defining moment for me. Life is a series of choices. You can either sit back and take what life deals you, or you can fight back, take charge, and determine your own path.

If you want and believe in something, you must take the next step and go after it.

To put this in perspective, I distinctly remember sitting with a friend who was discussing her financial woes. This person was stuck in a rut, both mentally and financially. I began to discuss the possibility of a home-based business as a possible outlet.

How did my friend respond ? By saying, "I hate to stay at home. I could never do that ... I would be bored to tears." And, in the very next breath, she was complaining again about not having enough money or job satisfaction.

So, there you go. A choice was made. She chooses to let her current situation continue to drain her instead of choosing to make a change to improve her future.

Life should not be dictated to you. It is a series of choices. It is there for you to make the most of.

What do you choose ?

Here are things to take into consideration when beginning your journey towards getting all that you want out of life :

** Open your mind and be willing to reach towards new goals and dreams

** Don't let fear be a part of the equation. Fear is debilitating, and can hinder you in everything you do in life. Disable that fear ! Quiet it with renewed spirit and confidence by moving forward with your financial and emotional goals.

** Openly accept change and welcome self-discovery

** Be aware of your surroundings ; appreciate the opportunities that life presents you.

Human potential is an amazing vehicle. With this business opportunity, you will be working closely with a group of individuals who truly care whether you make it - both financially as well as personally. It is not just about making the "quick buck" ( although financial freedom is certainly a main ingredient ! ) It is also about finding inner peace and emotional stability.

I encourage you to take that first step towards finding peace of mind, contentment, and a renewed confidence. Don't discount the role that financial freedom has to do with these important values. Free yourself from the burden of debt or financial worry. Afford the luxury to choose your direction and set your path.

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

Is the American Dream Still Alive and Achievable ?

Is the American Dream Still Alive and Achievable ?

Defining the Dream

The immensely popular 19th-century author Horatio Alger is largely credited with defining the American Dream as well as the means to achieve it. His books told the rags-to-riches stories of people who succeeded because of the opportunities they had in the Greatest Nation on earth. It didn’t matter who they were. No matter how hopeless their situations seemed, his characters found wealth and success through determination and hard work - and of course, because they believed in the American Dream.

The Dream Today

We believe the American Dream is alive and well. The 21st century continues to offer incredible opportunities. Escalating wealth is mostly a matter of finding the right opportunities and having the determination and guts to follow them through.

The materials and methods for accumulation of wealth have changed, but the opportunities are greater today than at any other time. One simply needs to learn about the new materials and methods !

So Many Things Have Changed :
Dealing With Fear and Uncertainty

The events of September 11, 2001, permanently changed the country and its citizens. Their assumptions that they are safe in their own land faded to fear and uneasiness. Maybe you used to enjoy travel, but now airports make you nervous. Perhaps you dwell on the possibilities of another terrorist attack. We’re all dogged by an unstable job market where mass layoffs and outsourcing threaten our livelihoods. The future is fraught with uncertainty about whether we’re making wise investments, whether the CEO will abscond with the pension funds, and whether Social Security will be there for us.

Even weather patterns are unstable, taking lives with devastating hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, heat waves, and blizzards. Fear can make you want to simply maintain the status quo and not take any chances - yet that is exactly what you must do to avoid becoming a victim of fear, because fear is the only thing that can prevent you from taking advantage of all the possibilities that are open to you. FDR’s famous statement still applies : “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

But think about this : All kinds of fears have always held people back from trying to improve their lives. We’ve used fear as a convenient excuse not to get on with the lives we’d like to live. It’s so much easier to stay where we are, complaining that we’ll never get ahead.

The opportunity is there for the taking, but you must be prepared to leave your comfort zone, summon up your strength and determination, and set a course towards wealth
accumulation. While money isn’t everything, it can certainly do a lot to alleviate uncertainty and to enrich your life and the lives of those you care most about.

Worrying about the future doesn’t change it. No one has ever been able to predict what will happen, or when, or why. You only have today and the lessons you have learned from your past. You can take charge of today’s reality and make it sing with tomorrow’s dreams.

Accumulating Wealth :
The Opportunity Has Never Been Better

Horatio Alger may have been right in the 1800s when he claimed that anyone willing to work hard could succeed. Today, the picture is different. It is painfully possible to work very, very hard and not get ahead. If you live from paycheck to paycheck and worry constantly about how you will meet your financial obligations, you’re living in a world of stress. You don’t even have the luxury of worrying about the stock market, because you’ve got nothing to invest.

Yet more people are amassing wealth today than at any other time.

True, the financial picture for many of us doesn’t measure up to the rosy pictures we hear of a growing economy. We worry about the war on terror, how we’ll afford gas to get to work, and whether our jobs will still be there for us tomorrow.

Yet you can begin your journey to financial success today.

Instead of the dubious prospect of accumulating wealth working for someone else, you can take control of your finances by owning your own business. It is much, much easier than you can imagine because you can do it with your own home-based business.

Did you know that two thirds of all American millionaires are self-employed ? Think about it. Who makes the most money ? The restaurant manager or the restaurant owner ? The car salesman or the dealership owner ? Owners are self-employed, and they are much more likely to be wealthy than the people who work for them.

We’re not suggesting that you buy a restaurant or an automobile dealership. It isn’t necessary to take that kind of risk or put in that kind of work. You own home-based business can be every bit as lucrative and much less stressful than a bricks-and-mortar business.

You probably already have the only equipment you’ll need - a computer and a internet connection. That’s all ! Now all you need is the information that has transformed so many people’s lives.

Take Control ...
Don't let someone else decide your future for you.

Take the first step today toward assuring a secure financial future for you and your family. And don’t wait until it’s too late. Today is the time to get started in an extraordinary business that has already changed the lives of so many, freeing them of fear and worry and showing them that they can live lifestyles they thought were meant only for others.

Always Remember : When you accumulate wealth, you generate a steady residual income that pays you every day, and every day ...

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

Is America Still The Land Of Opportunity ?

Is America Still The Land Of Opportunity ?

Here is a recent Survey of Consumer Finances conducted by the Federal Reserve Board revealed these statistics about the state of America’s finances.

Do any of these facts hit home with you ?

** The typical American family earns about $45,000 per year. From 2001 to 2004, family debt increased 33% ( adjusted for inflation ). Surprisingly little of this debt stems from unnecessary spending. Instead, credit is being used to pay for necessities like housing, household expenses and health care, particularly in low- and middle-income families.

** Average net worth, which grew rapidly during the boom of the 1990s, rose only 1.5% between 2001 and 2004 for the average American family. In other words, for most of us, the worth of our investments is not keeping up with the inflation rate.

** The middle class is being squeezed more tightly than ever. Among the wealthiest 10% of Americans, net worth rose to $831,600, or a 6.5% increase from 2001. Meanwhile, the net worth of those in the bottom 25% fell 1.5% to $13,300.

** More than a third -- 36% -- of those who owe more than $10,000 on their cards have household incomes under $50,000. 13% who owe that much have household incomes under $30,000. The percentage of disposable income used to pay debts is near record highs.

The report doesn’t point out these more unsettling statistics :

** In February, 2007, the US Commerce Department reported that the personal savings rate for 2006 was a negative 1%. The rate for 2004 was a negative .4%. For comparison, in the midst of the Depression in 1933, the PSR was -1.5%. If 2007 figures show a decrease similar to those of 2006, we’ll have a worse record than during the Depression. ( Source : Associated Press )

** “The US is becoming less of a meritocracy, where skill and intelligence determine success, and becoming more of a class-bound society, where economic background, including the better education money can provide, matters more. There are still many rags-to-riches stories. But there's stagnation in the underclass.” ( Sourc e : Christian Science Monitor )

** According to a new Federal Reserve data-based economic analysis commissioned by the Consumer Federation of America, “... more than half of American households ( 56 percent ) are behind where they should be in saving for a comfortable retirement.” A related CFA public opinion survey found that 59% of Americans do not expect to maintain their current standard of living in retirement.

Does this sound like a nation of people who believe in and are profiting from the American Dream - or simply a nation of people who want to live the Dream lifestyle without really being able to find a way to finance it ?

In fact, we have to ask ...

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

What Job Security ?

What Job Security ?

Let's face it, most of us need the assurance of a steady paycheck to sleep at night. Being able to rely on present and future income means not only that the bills are going to be paid, but that you can make major purchases, like houses and cars, without worrying that you'll lose them along with your job.

Unfortunately, job security, once taken for granted by most working Americans, is quickly being relegated to the memory boxes of an older generation, along with 40-year anniversary gold watches and other appreciation gifts for longevity.

It used to be that once you attained a fair amount of seniority, you could rest assured that if the company cut jobs, yours wouldn't be one of them. Now long-term workers get nervous when there are rumblings of downsizing and outsourcing. They are generally paid more than younger workers, and instead of valuing them for their experience, companies crunch the numbers and figure out how much they can save in salary, health insurance costs, and pension funding if they follow a "first in, first out" policy.

The most fortunate workers are lured into early retirement programs ; the least fortunate are simply given their notice. While official unemployment figures don't reflect it, countless people have been forced out of decent-paying jobs into low-paying ones. Sure, the government counts them as "employed." But most view their jobs as stop-gap measures, a way to barely get by while they remain hopeful that one day they'll find another job as good as the one they left.

Instead, the chances are they'll move from one low-pay job to another. The manufacturing jobs that formed the basis of the Fabulous 50s economy have moved elsewhere. Former areas of thriving steel plants and automobile factories are now referred to as "the rust belt." The auto industry alone announced over 90,000 job cuts in 2006. Most of these were "good union jobs" with enviable pay and benefits. But union jobs have been steadily declining. In 1945, nearly a third of Americans held union jobs. Today only 12% of workers belong to unions. As their numbers have shrunk, so has unions' ability to negotiate favorable contracts for their members.

White collar workers are hardly immune. In 2006, Ford announced it was offering "voluntary buyouts" to 10,000 salaried workers, including high-level executives. Those who took the buyouts explained they thought it was better than being laid off, which they assumed would happen next. Workers were offered the services of "outplacement agencies"- employment agencies that try to find new jobs for displaced workers. But in towns that depend heavily on one industry that is downsizing, it's more likely that laid-off employees will have to sell their houses ( in a real estate market that has also taken a price downturn ) and move to some other part of the country.

In 2002, the technology sector dumped 150,000 software jobs. In 2006, computer chip maker Intel announced job cuts of over 10,000. Students were told that their best bet for the future was information technology. They worked hard for technology degrees, earned millions for their employers, and then found themselves with nowhere to go-because their jobs were moving to India, China and Russia.

Another relatively new obstacle to job security is the practice of "offshore outsourcing." We all know how it works : Someone in India or Mexico does your job for 15% of what you were paid. More and more, outsourcing is affecting any job classification that does not depend strictly on a US or Canadian location. For example, if you're a waitress, grocery clerk, or store manager, you can't very well be outsourced. US factory workers were the first to be hit hard by the "giant sucking sound" of their jobs moving to other countries, but now software developers, engineers, journalists, and other professionals are facing the same fate.

Of course, the reason is the bottom line. Companies are in business to make a profit. Creating secure jobs for their employees is not their concern. Scaling back on labor costs is the number one way to increase profit margins, whether through outsourcing, not replacing employees who quit or are fired, paying workers less, or using non-union, lower paid, or part time workers here. The country's major employers are huge multi-national companies. Playing musical chairs with jobs among different countries is as simple for them as the children's game.

It isn't pleasant to think about. It's certainly easier to just assume that your job and your paycheck will always be there for you. But denial of a problem will not make it go away or solve it, and some day you may wish you had thought to create a backup plan for maintaining your income without relying on your current job.

At this point, you are probably asking yourself :

"What can I do to be financially secure ?"

As grim as the employment picture looks, there is still a way to provide an income for yourself that you control. Being your own boss means no one can lay you off or cut your hours and benefits. It's up to you to take control of your future income and your future security.

Fortunately, there is an exciting home business opportunity that offers you a way to create a safety net of security and financial success that no one can pull out from under you.

It may be tempting to believe that your good job will last, or to believe that even though you're not happy with your current job, there's a good one waiting down the road.

Just remember that while the unemployment figures look good, the jobs America is losing are being replaced by a whole new category known as "service industry" jobs. These are low-paying jobs in retail or customer service. Hourly workers are almost never allowed to work overtime, while those on salaries fill in the gaps without any overtime pay. The unfortunate truth is that you have to look out for number one because you cannot rely on any company to put you or any other employee first.

Your first step toward security should be to obtain information about starting your own home based business.

The beauty of a home-based business is that you need only Internet access and a telephone to build a thriving business. Our team of skilled professionals will train you and show you the secrets of their success. Incredibly, the capacity to change your uncertain future lies in your own hands.

Instead of worrying about how you'll pay the bills if you get the surprise pink slip, take the first step today towards protecting your financial future. Begin to create a considerable income right away - an income that will continue to provide for you and your family ...

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

Personal Debt is Skyrocketing

Personal Debt is Skyrocketing

With the exception of a small rise in middle-class wages in the late 1990s, real wages have simply not kept pace with inflation. In fact, the median income of average households has fallen steadily for five years in a row. Despite these facts, consumption continues to increase.

How can this be ? The answer, unfortunately, is that people are incurring an increasing amount of personal debt. We’re talking here about the 95% of us who are not wealthy, who are not saving enough for retirement, and who are bombarded constantly to buy, buy, buy.

It’s true that the nation’s economy is growing—how many times have you heard politicians point that out, while you wonder why you’re still so far in debt ? What they fail to mention is that the economic expansion is largely the result of people overextending themselves, using credit to buy such necessities as food and clothing, and even taking cash advances on credit cards to pay mortgage payments.

A Federal Reserve study showed that 43% of US families spend more than they earn. The only way to do that is to use credit. And it's pretty obvious that if you use credit to spend more than you earn, you are going to be in debt.

The credit card industry collected 43 billion dollars in late-payment, over-limit, and balance-transfer fees in 2004. The major advertising ploy used by all the credit card companies sounds like a scene out of Brave New World - “You like it. You deserve it. Buy it.” It’s easy to fall into their supposedly people-friendly trap. But the truth is, they exist for one reason only, and that is to make money from you.

“Uh-oh, the mail is here again.”

With the typical American family now owing $19,000 on non-mortgage debts, it’s no wonder that mail deliveries have become something to dread. Which bill is due or overdue ? How much are the finance charges on credit card A, B, C, D ... and on and on. ( The average family has 13 credit, debit and store cards. ) Sandwiched between the bills are offers from other credit card companies - or even the same ones you’ve already got. “Transfer your balances ! No interest for six months !” Many people go this route as a way out.

It can buy you some time, but it doesn’t work forever. The proverbial piper must eventually be paid—and when that time comes, it will be worse than ever.

“But I always make the minimum payment !”

Making just the minimum payments on your credit cards will keep your credit picture in focus as far as the credit reporting agencies are concerned. “Pays required amount. Pays on time.” Sounds good, doesn’t it ?

Actually, you’d be playing right into the hands of your creditors.

The less you pay on your balance, the more interest they make. Let’s say you have a balance of $6000 on a credit card and you STOP using it today. If your interest rate is 17.5%, a pretty average percentage, and you pay the minimum payment of $90 every month, it will take you almost 20 years to pay off the balance. You will have paid $21,240 on that $6000 balance. They made $15,240 in interest—and maybe additional amounts in annual fees.

Think about what you could do with $15,240 ! Wouldn’t you rather be tucking that money into an IRA or a college fund ?

Medical Expenses Are Enough to Make You Sick !

A 2006 study conducted by the Center for American Progress showed that most older Americans who find themselves in debt do so because of the high cost of healthcare and prescription medications. In fact, anyone of any age with a serious illness or debilitating injuries suffered by any family member can soon find themselves in deep financial trouble.

Even if you have health insurance, there are deductibles, co-pays, supplies and drugs that aren't covered. With today’s astronomical healthcare costs, a policy’s maximum lifetime payout can be reached with alarming speed. When they stop paying, and care is still needed, where do you turn ? A medical emergency can be devastating to any but the wealthy.

When Keeping Up With the Joneses Is a Bad Idea

In recent years, low mortgage rates and steadily rising real estate costs made home ownership seem like an excellent investment. While that is still true, some people find themselves in trouble now if they financed their home with an A.R.M. ( adjustable rate mortgage ) or an interest-only loan. When the federal reserve began raising interest rates, ARMs started resetting, increasing mortgage payments by as much as 25%.

If you took an interest-only loan to buy a dream house just before the housing bubble burst, prepare yourself for disaster. With prices declining, there’s a high possibility that if you can’t make your payments, you will have to sell the home for less than you owe—maybe a lot less.

“Wait ! There must be a way out.”

You could take an equity loans on your house—assuming you have enough equity to make it worthwhile, and that you can handle the equity loan payoff. Although you could try a credit counseling agency, and IRS inquiry in May, 2006, revealed that the 41 so-called credit counselors they examined were of virtually no benefit to consumers. Investigations into other agencies are on-going.

“I can always go bankrupt.”

Recent changes in federal bankruptcy law have made the procedure so expensive that people in dire financial straits cannot even afford the filing fees. While people often think that declaring bankruptcy means you can toss out your bills and just pay cash until your credit rating improves, the new laws demand a payback percentage to creditors. Credit counseling is now mandatory, although the chances are you will find yourself paying a bogus “credit counselor” for nothing more than a checkmark on your bankruptcy record that you’ve completed the counseling.

“Is There a Reasonable Solution ?”

Yes. Think about it. If you need more money to pay your debts, then you simply need to make more money. This doesn’t mean you need to go out and search for a new job in a crazy job market. It simply means that you need another income source to add to those you already have.

Ideally, you need to find a way to bring in extra income without undue stress on yourself and your family. You should still have some down time for relaxation. If this sounds impossible, there is good news : It can be done. Thousands of other people have already proven it.

If you're determined to get out of debt, a home-based business is a viable method for generating a genuine second income. It’s a far cry from working for peanuts at a night job in a retail store, warehouse, or fast-food joint. You’ll save money on commute time and gas, and the only equipment you’ll need is a computer and a telephone.

Your first goal will probably be to heave a huge sigh of relief as you realize your balances are declining and you’re getting ahead. Like many others, you may discover that you were always cut out for running your own business and increasing your personal wealth more every day.

Your second job could become so rewarding that you will decide to make it your only job. Imagine working from the comfort of your home, interacting with people who started out just like you and are now making fortunes.

The way to financial solvency - even wealth - is open now.

If you're ready to pop that steadily swelling debt balloon—ready to shape your future the way you’ve dreamed it could be - you can begin right now.

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

Baby Boom - Or Bust ?

Baby Boom - Or Bust ?

In the eighteen years between 1946 and 1964, over 78 million babies were born in the United States. World War II had been good for the American economy, pulling it out of the Great Depression for good.

During the “fabulous 50s,” unprecedented industrial growth provided steady employment and rising incomes. The four-child family became the ideal, along with a house in the suburbs, two cars in the driveway, and that wonderful new invention, the television, in the living room. One-income families were the norm - and for the middle class at least, one paycheck was enough to supply families with an increasing number of luxuries and new experiences.

While many boomers have invested wisely for retirement, the majority have just not saved enough. There have been incredible social and economic changes since the 1950s, when boomers grew up with an innocent confidence that life could only get better.

Unlike their fathers, who were likely to stay with one company and draw a sizable pension, many boomers have job-hopped - sometimes out of boredom or a desire to find work that would make them happy, and sometimes because of mergers, layoffs, outsourcing, and early-retirement buyouts.

Skyrocketing housing, education, and healthcare costs have depleted retirement nest eggs as boomers have found themselves sandwiched between college expenses for their children and care for their elderly parents. The increased frequency of divorce has also left many boomers with much less in their IRAs and 401Ks than they thought they would have.

Then there are those who have put aside nothing at all. Perhaps they followed the advice in the popular 70s song “Cast Your Fate to the Wind.” Or perhaps they lived paycheck to paycheck and simply never had anything to save.

How Much Will You Need For Your Financing Retirement ?

In 2008, the oldest of those 78 million boomers will turn 62 and will qualify for reduced-rate social security payments. In the decades that follow, more and more will qualify. As most people know, social security replaces only about 40% of pre-retirement income. Investment advisors suggest that retirees will need 60-80% of their pre-retirement income in order to maintain a comparable lifestyle.

But that assumes that their expenses will decrease - that retirees will simply put themselves on austerity budgets and make up the shortfall. Unfortunately, even if they want to be more frugal, it won’t be easy. Supplemental Medicare policies and long-term care insurance are new expenses retirees must absorb, and property taxes, home and auto insurance, energy costs, and food expenses will all continue to rise.

The Worst That Could Happen ...

Boomers’ biggest fear is that a healthcare crisis will use up funds they’ve set aside for retirement. Medical advances allow people to live much longer than in the past, but their quality of life is often not the best, and spending for prescriptions that prolong life is through the ceiling.

Boomers are worried about living out their final years in an unpleasant but expensive nursing home, or having to ask their children for help. This fear is another factor that fuels the desire to accumulate just a little bit more money and take less from retirement nest eggs so they’ll be able to grow and the funds will be available when work is no longer an option.

How Will Boomers Find Needed Funds In Retirement ?

There was a Associated Press survey reported that the majority of boomers hope to retire from their current jobs at around age 63. However, 66 percent anticipate they will work for pay after retiring. Twenty-seven percent will continue to work out of financial necessity, 43 percent because they can’t picture “sitting around doing nothing,” and 19 percent so that they will have money available for extras they could not afford on their retirement income.

The majority of boomers foresee neither full-time leisure nor full-time retirement, but a combination of both. With 30 years of retirement a real possibility, they are looking for challenges, not rocking chairs. Some plan to launch new careers or use their skills as volunteers. Others say they will go back to school, start their own businesses, or try to turn a profit from a hobby.

Are You a “Wealth Builder” or “Stretched and Stressed” ?

In The New Retirement Survey, Harris Interactive and Age Wave questioned a diverse population and identified five different types of soon-to-be retiring boomers : the "Empowered Trailblazers," the "Wealth-Builders," the "Leisure Lifers," the "Anxious Idealists" and the "Stretched and Stressed."

** About 18% were “Empowered Trailblazers,” people who look forward to retirement because they see it as a progression to another phase of life. About 90% in this group plan to work some after retirement, but they will also be busy with travel, volunteering, taking or teaching classes, and generally enjoying anything new that comes along.

** “Wealth Builders” ( 20% ) are looking for more financial security for themselves and their families, and money is the main reason 79% will continue to work after official retirement.

** “Anxious Idealists” ( 13% ) worry that they do not have enough money to retire, especially since they want to leave an inheritance for their children and a legacy to charitable organizations.

** “Leisure Lifers” (13%) just want to relax. They’re sick of work, probably never liked their jobs, and definitely don’t want to work after retirement. They had low income levels and did not save enough, but they figure “someone will do something” to help them if they get into trouble.

** The “Stretched and Stressed” ( 18% ) are well aware that they have not saved enough for retirement. They will work because they have to, but they don’t look forward to it. This group is the least optimistic.

You have an 82% chance of identifying with a group that feels it needs more money for retirement. With the economy in constant fluctuation and costs of necessities rising steadily, it’s no wonder that most people fall into the “I need more money” category. Peace of mind means knowing not merely that you will somehow be able to survive, but that you’ll have the funds to allow you to enjoy the happy retirement envisioned by the “Empowered Trailblazers.”

YOU Control Your Future.

Fortunately, no matter how old you are right now, it is very possible to become a “Wealth Builder.” This doesn’t mean you have to become a workaholic or even keep working full time. Instead, you can build an income generator that will provide funds for you to invest now and to fund your retirement for many years into the future. And you can do it in the privacy and comfort of your own home, or even from your RV or vacation hotel.

As long as you have Internet access and a telephone, you can build a successful business that will quickly transport you from a state of anxiety and pessimism about retirement to one of financial confidence and security—ready to enjoy the rest of your life in a style you may never have imagined possible.

Is There Still Time To Start ?

Absolutely. Obviously, the sooner you get started, the better. Home Based Business is the best opportunity. There are teams of skilled business professionals is ready to take you through the steps of building a home based business that can free you from worrying about the future. If you are ready to take control and secure your financial future, you’ve come to the right place ...

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

Home Based Business - Without All The Headaches of Traditional Business

Home Based Business - Without All The Headaches of Traditional Business

Why Home Based Business ?

There is a very simple way of attaining this goal that has worked well for millions of people. You can have your very own business in your home, and you can cross off all or most of the steps listed above. The best part of exploring home-based business opportunities is that there is little risk and the upside is tremendous.

Many of the inconveniences and pressures of the traditional business are wiped away with the home business. The biggest roadblock to starting or buying a business is that they require a considerable up-front cash investment.

In addition to the large investment, the time commitment you must make when starting a business can ultimately turn out to be far greater than what you have experienced in any job, and the return is not necessarily worth the extra time or the financial risk.

Home Business is the opportunity that is truly shaping your life and allowing you the freedom to live out your dreams without all of the headaches and costs of traditional business.

You may go to "Home Based Business" in my blog to learn more ...

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

What Does It Take To Start Your Own Business ?

What Does It Take To Start Your Own Business ?

How many times have you, or someone you know, said something like "I've always wanted to have a business of my own. Something I'd really enjoy doing. Be my own boss."

Lots of people have the dream, but they get bogged down in the details of how to go about it. While this article isn't meant to serve as a complete business start-up guide, but it will give you an idea of some of the steps involved in starting your own business.

1. ) Hire Professionals

The most important professionals you'll need at the beginning are a lawyer and an accountant. The lawyer can help you decide if you want to be a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or some other type of company.

A good accountant can help you make this decision based on which will be most advantageous to you from a tax angle. A lawyer can also help you register your business and get any licenses and permits you will need, and can advise you about patenting your idea or protecting your intellectual property by requiring everyone you discuss your business with to sign non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements.

2. ) Make a Business Plan

You may need to hire a writer or other business professional to help you write a business plan. You'll need one to help yourself get organized as to what your business's main purpose or goal will be. This could be anything from serving hot dogs to people outside the home improvement store to providing technology support to major players in the business world.

Either way, you need a plan that sketches out how you will proceed toward your goal and an estimate of how much money you'll need to get there. What will your equipment costs be ? Will you be hiring employees ? How about renting office space ? All of these cost estimates should be included in your Business Plan.

3. ) Get Financing

How much start-up money will you need ? Do you have savings you can use ? Friends or business associates who might want to invest in your venture ? Or do you need a bank loan ?

Whatever the situation, you'll need to present a copy of your business plan to bankers or investors if you need to borrow money to get your company rolling.

4. ) Set Up Your Record-keeping System

A good accountant can advise you on the best record-keeping software for your business, and help you set up a system for keeping track of payables, receivables, sales tax, payroll, employee benefits plans, and so forth. You will be relying on the accountant for at least your yearly tax return for your business, and possibly for quarterly payroll and sales tax returns. Your accountant can also get you an EIN number ( Employer Identification Number ).

5. ) Find a Location

Depending on your business, location may be very important. If you need to be visible to the public ( say your business is a bookstore or restaurant ), then you'll have to think long and hard about where you should set up shop.

Location can make you or break you-and the rent is due no matter which way your fortune turns. You will also need to get a phone, get the utilities turned on, install your furniture and equipment, and get a sign or two that shouts "Hey look ! We're here !"

6. ) Set Up Accounts with Credit Card Companies

Every brick-and-mortar business these days takes plastic or they don't stay in business. You'll pay a small percentage for every credit or debit card transaction a customer makes. You will need to invest in a method for checking the validity of debit and credit cards-like those "Slide Card Here" machines at cash registers everywhere.

7. ) Hire Employees

You may not need to do this step if you're a one-person operation. Maybe you can get by with just one part-time person to answer phones and do some of the paperwork.

Of course, it depends on your business. You can probably run a small bookstore by yourself, but even a tiny restaurant means you'll need a cook, several servers, someone at the cashier, and so forth. You'll need to have them complete various forms for the IRS, and you may want to run background checks or at least check some references before you hire anyone.

8. ) Promote Your Business

Decide how you will let people know you exist, what you can do for them, and why they should come to you instead of someone else. Common forms of advertising are TV and radio commercials, newspaper ads, flyers, and coupons that appear in booklets distributed by local companies.

The list above might make you think twice about starting a business of your own. Perhaps you aren't looking to make such a financial commitment regarding the hiring of professionals, finding a location ... And it's also a big, big risk.

But let's look back at the way this article began : "I've always wanted to have a business of my own. Something I'd really enjoy doing. Be my own boss."

Than, what should you do ?

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

How To Increase Website Traffic ?

How To Increase Website Traffic ?

Looking to increase website traffic ?

If you've been active in Internet Marketing or have owned a Website for more than a couple of weeks ... You already know how important Website Traffic is !

The problem is, there are so many different ways to get Website Traffic, it's difficult to know which course to take.

1. ) You could just buy "Pay-Per-Click" ( PPC ) Advertising as this can be done rather quickly and generates traffic right away. The problem is ... This traffic doesn't come cheap, and if you haven't thoroughly studied this form of traffic already, you're liable to spend your ad budget faster than you can say, "Lickety-Split !"

The other problem is ... you need to stay in this game long enough to find out which keywords are actually bringing sales and which ones are merely bringing "lookey-loo" type visitors which weren't planning on buying anything in the first place.

2. ) You could spend your time learning "Search Engine Optimization" ( SEO ) but the learning curve on this is pretty sizeable and while the rewards are certainly worthwhile, they're slow in coming.

It typically takes 30-90 days ( at minimum ) to really see any dramatic improvement in traffic from pure SEO techniques.

3. ) You could get yourself involved in "Black-Hat" techniques which generate a quick surge of traffic by trying to fake out the Search Engines, but beware ...! As soon as the Search Engines catch on, and they will, you'll be penalized and possibly even de-listed.

That's right, you could find that your site has been removed from the Search Engine's index and therefore, can never be found unless someone actually types your website's URL directly in their browser!

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

Success on Article Marketing – Part 4 of 5

Success on Article Marketing – Part 4 of 5

In part three of this Article Marketing series ; lets discussed what not to do when writing and submitting articles. Those seven tips were focused on keeping you out of “hot water” with the Article Directory Editors but they weren’t necessarily “sexy.”

In part four, I’ll try to spice things up a bit !

We’ll discuss how to craft a compelling Resource Box that concentrates on “getting clicks.” After all, the whole reason we’re involved in Article Marketing is to get our Target Audience to read our articles and then CLICK the link(s) we provide in our Resource Box ... isn’t it ?

Here’s 5 tips to make your Resource Box a winner :

1. ) Write your Resource Box text in the “third-person.” While it may seem silly, readers find them to be much more credible than those written in the “first-person.” You will get a whole lot more clicks if your Resource box says, “Author Name is ...” rather than “I am ...” – You get the picture.

2. ) Your Resource Box should include information which speaks to your expertise. If you’re writing an article about “Gardening,” you might include a statement like ... “Author Name has been gardening for over 22 years ...” Any honest, statement of credibility will be well-received.

3. ) Include a clear “Call-To-Action.” It can be subtle, like “please visit : YourDomain.com” or more direct, like “Click here =>.” Just make sure to include a call-to-action or you’ll miss out on a whole lot of clicks !

4. ) Use “Anchor Text” links whenever the article directory allows. Anchor Text is any piece of text that is hyperlinked to a website. If this isn’t clear, look at my Resource Box. You’ll find the words; “Article Domination Method” is hyperlinked to my site. This is an “Anchor Text” link and it will boost your site’s Search Engine Optimization.

5. ) Direct your Target Audience ( your readers ) to some form of “free offer.” It could be a free video, an ebook or anything else of value to your market. Just make sure to use an autoresponder to capture your visitor’s contact information in the process.

Hopefully, this article will have been a great benefit to you ! I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to craft a compelling Resource Box.

It’s quite a shame ; many article writers spend lots of time on their “body content” and then fail miserably with their Resource Box.

Remember, we’re involved in Article Marketing because we want Targeted Traffic to our websites. If we’re not bringing traffic, we might as well just buy PPC advertising !

In the next article, the last in this series, we’ll discuss some of the tools available to the Article Marketer and reveal important resources as well.

Stay tuned ...

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

Guide to Success with Affiliate Marketing Programs

Guide to Success with Affiliate Marketing Programs

Perhaps the best way to get your earnings up is to join an affiliate marketing program that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to be successful. This is extremely common when you choose to promote information products, especially ebooks from Clickbank.

It's not uncommon for affiliate marketing programs to expect you to know everything about running a successful marketing campaign - even if you don't. Make sure you choose an affiliate marketing program that is geared towards beginners, if you are a beginner. And don't waste your time getting rehashed information on the basics, if you're an intermediate affiliate marketer.

Affiliate marketing programs with detailed instructions on how to properly promote a product or service are invaulable. They're a great way for new affiliates to learn the ropes, while veteran affiliate marketers are assured that a program is professional. Affiliate marketing programs that offer training videos and even free websites to those that sign up can help make the difference between an affiliate marketer who makes money, and one who gives up in frustration.

The alternative, which many people opt for instead, is to learn affiliate marketing through pouring over forum posts and scrounging together enough cash to buy the latest ebook. While this is certainly a viable strategy, and one that is perhaps the most popular, it's entirely possible to learn the ropes of affiliate marketing by involving oneself with one good affiliate marketing program that explains all of the steps. Clickbank products, typically ebooks, are often the best affiliate marketing programs when it comes to helping affiliates be successful.

An affiliate marketing program removes the guesswork and reduces the time necessary to learn affiliate marketing. Getting started with your affiliate program should be easy. You'll need to create campaigns for affiliate marketing, and test and tweak these campaigns ever so slightly to ensure maximum conversion - and thus, maximum profits.

If you're unclear on how to accomplish some of these goals, though, don't fret. Affilaite marketing is a big subject, and it can take a while to learn all of the necessary skills required to be successful. By choosing an affiliate marketing program that fits your specific needs, you'll be doing yourself a huge favor.

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

The Best Free Online Affiliate Program

The Best Free Online Affiliate Program

What separates a typical affiliate program from the best free online affiliate programs out there ?

There are several factors you should consider when searching for a strong affiliate program with which to partner.

1. ) Second or Third Tier Sales

This is a doozy. The best free online affiliate programs offer you the ability to sign up affiliates below you - so called "sub affiliates." You make money from everyone below you.

2. ) Lifetime Commissions

Some affiliate programs will give your residual commissions for the entire time a customer buys from them. This is a great way to earn passive income indefinitely.

3. ) Generous Commissions

The best free online affiliate programs pay well. It's difficult to promote products if your profit margins are low, which is why it's a good idea to partner with professional, high-paying programs.

4. ) Strong Niche

The more rabid a fan-base a particular niche has, the more likely you are to generate a tremendous amount of profit from it. You don't have to select gigantic sectors, like mortgages. Sometimes the simplest products will have have a strong, permanent demand.

5. ) Good Branding

The best free online affiliate programs usually are recognized as the best because they've done a great job promoting their product or service, and draw in a large number of affiliates who want to promote it. Success breeds success.

6. ) Set Payment Schedule

Programs that pay whenever they feel like it do not build the confidence and trust of their affiliates. The best free online affiliate programs out there will publicize their pay schedule so that their affiliates can count on being paid at a regular time every month, whether that schedule is weekly, bi-weekly, or only monthly.

7. ) Good Communication

Keeping in contact with affiliates is a great way to build up a professional relationship. The best free online affiliate programs will contact you every once in a while to see how you're doing, and to offer suggestions on how to improve your sales. Take their advice, they're the experts on what works best for that niche.

8. ) Special Offers

The best free online affiliate programs will often have promotions for their affiliates to entice higher sales. For instance, some will offer large bonuses to affiliates who make a certain number of sales.

9. ) Larger Slice of the Pie

Affiliates who have a track record of consistent, high sales can negotiate for higher commission percentages. The best free online affiliate programs out there will gladly oblige, as they're likely rolling in a lot of money from their best affiliates.

To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

12 Reasons Why You Need A Blog

12 Reasons Why You Need A Blog

"Why Should I Blog ? I Simply Don't Get It"

This post on a popular discussion forum set me thinking - and I came up with 12 reasons you should blog.

Read them and get started on your blog. Or better still, go and get your blog up and running first and THEN come back and read this :

Reasons #1 - You Do Not Need To Know HTML

One of the biggest hurdles many hopeful website creators face is they don't know to design a webpage. Blogs overcome this - all you do is type into a box, and the blog software automatically converts it into a webpage and publishes it on the World Wide Web for anyone to see.

Reasons #2 - You Are 'Forced' To Keep Your Content Fresh

Blogs are essentially online diaries. It doesn't make sense to write in your diary every month or two. Similarly, running a blog itself 'forces' you to update it often. And refreshing your blog often makes it more useful to readers and consumers - and by extension, to search engines who are in the business of presenting *their* clients with valuable resources.

Reasons #3 - Your Blog Is AUTOMATICALLY Optimized For Search Engines

Search engines love fresh content. But that's not the only way blogs are powerful tools to rank high. Indeed, most blogs are structured to offer a high degree of search engine optimization.

All sections of your blog are linked together. The terms used as link 'anchors' are keyword-optimized. Categories can be created to host themed content. Navigating through your blog is intuitive. Archives can be customized, and generate hundreds of pages of content that act as 'search engine spider bait'.

Reasons #4 - You Get A Built-In Linking Structure

With very few exceptions, most blogs are structured to be a tightly integrated network of links - to other sections of your blog ! It's quite easy for a visitor to get 'lost' within your blog ... without ever leaving it.

Calendars link to posts on specific dates. 'Recent Post' listings point to your freshest content. Archives connect all your earlier posts. Search boxes let browsers look for certain kinds of content. And it all happens automatically, without you spending hours on creating a link structure or sitemap !

Reasons #5 - You Generate Multiple Content-Rich Pages

Every post you make on your blog is content. And by intelligently setting up your archiving preferences, you can turn each post into many different forms of content, each on a page of its own. Blog regularly for a few months, and you could end up having a 100+ page website - all filled with relevant, keyword-optimized, themed content !

Reasons #6 - You Can Keyword-Optimize Your Blog Extensively

All parts of your blog's template can be customized. And a very powerful way to do it is by inserting relevant keywords. It's a do-it-once job that will give you ongoing benefits for as the life of your blog. You can include keywords in your blog title, description, blog post headings, trackback links, comment invitations, archive titles, and category names.

Reasons #7 - You Create An Online Community

If your blog is on a specific theme, you can build a loyal readership and develop an online community. You can even take it a notch higher by tying it in with a forum or membership site. Ask for comments, suggestions, ideas and feedback, or invite reader participation. Pretty soon, your blog will be growing organically - even if you don't write a lot !

Reasons #8 - You Initiate Conversations With Readers

Of course, the first step is yours - to initiate a dialog with readers. You could do it with your blog post, asking a question or by inviting comments and interaction. Your blog will be read by an audience that's already interested in your subject or theme. This conversation will be priceless to you, the blog owner.

Reasons #9 - Your 'Inbound Link' Process - Trackbacks

Blogging is about distributed conversations online. Links are an integral part of such an informal network. Trackbacks are a kind of blog technology that make it possible - and simple ! Your blog will benefit from the inbound links a trackback will bring, and you'll also get extra traffic from other sources.

Reasons #10 - You Can Syndicate Your Content Easily

Getting readers for your content is good. Getting your content out where many more readers can see it is GREAT ! Syndication ( via RSS feeds ) is built in to most blogging platforms, giving you a quick and easy way to get a wide readership for your blog posts.

Reasons #11 - You're Creating Stuff Search Engines LOVE

Search engines exist to offer their audience a compilation of the best resources on a subject or keyword. Your blog is the answer to a search engine's prayers ! By sticking to a theme and presenting the content in an organized, structured, intuitively connected pattern, your blog will be appealing to search engines in a way only a very professionally planned and designed website can ever hope to be.

Reasons #12 - You Get 'Alternate' Traffic Sources

Remember what we saw about blogs being linked and networked together ? Bloggers like to share opinions with others. And when they 'talk' about you, they are going to point to your site, or a post on your blog, to show their readers what they mean. They become 'alternate' traffic sources - for YOU !

Other tools like blog rolls, furls, favorite bloggers and more can drive sporadic - but sometimes big floods - of traffic your way. And best of all, it's effortless and costs you nothing !

Not yet convinced ? Well, then maybe blogging isn't quite your cup of tea. But if you trust me, try it - you just might be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks for reading,
To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

P.S. : To learn more about Blogging and create your own successful and profitable Blog, just visit Blogger's PayCheck for your Must Learn guide as the offer price was going to end soon. Get it first ...

Literature is the Soul of the Wit

Literature is the Soul of the Wit

Literature is the soul of the wit. The best source of literature can be now found in blogs. The growing trend of 'blogmania' is slowly sweeping the netizens. Every person aspires to have a blog as a platform to publish his thoughts and be heard and read.

General surveys undertaken on blogs and bloggers shows a rising trend in blogging. A parallel platform for literary endeavor, the blogs are overthrowing the traditional journalistic norms.

Publishing of news and views no longer remains the privilege of an elite minority. Anybody and everybody is free to get in touch and explore the writer within himself. The anamorphic nature of the human soul is best reflected in the blogs.

A survey in the United States brought out a startling fact the 30% of the surveyed people read blogs. Also, 52% of the surveyed people advocate equal journalistic rights and freedom for the blogs. And the most striking fact is that 31% of the surveyed people revealed that they found blogs to be more credible than the newspapers.

The growing popularity of blogs can be gauzed from the fact that Yahoo, Google, MSN, Rediff and all the other bigwigs of the cyber world are experimenting with blogs and bloggers. Both free and paid blog hoisting sites have come up which offers a plethora of tools to make blogging a breeze.

MSN has even gone to the extent of making a common 'passport' database across all its services. So now, a MSN user can use his own personal 'id' across MSN messenger, Spaces and hotmail.

Also, MSN has integrated its Spaces with MSN Messenger 7.0. The users of MSN Messenger 7.0 will have a tab labeled 'gleams' which will inform them when their contacts have updated their individual blogs.

Recent statistics from MSN shows that MSN has 170,000 daily blog updates. This number is huge considering the fact that most of the bloggers do not update their blogs on a daily basis.

The Literature of the new era is no longer limited to books. From Poems to Features, from Humor to Short Stories, everything can be found in the blogs ...

Though good blogs are a trifle to find, yet close scrutiny will reveal every blog to be good in its own personal aspect. After all, blogs are a slice of the blogger's life and every one's life is a good source of learning experience.

Thanks for reading,
To Your Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

Blog Your Business

Blog Your Business

Does your Business need a Blog ?

A blog is a Web log, an online journal. Blogs started out as online diaries, in which diarists shared their everyday lives with the world. From their beginnings as a weird Web fad in 1998, blogs have moved on, and are well on the way to becoming a standard business tool.

Why ? Because in February 2003 Google.com bought Pyra Labs, the company which owns the Blogger weblogging tool. Blogger.com, one of the main sites providing blog software and hosting, boasted a million hosted web logs in early 2003.

Google.com's interest in blogs indicates that blogs are mainstream. A blog help your business in many ways, depending on whether you create a private or a public blog. Blogs are so useful that you'll want to create both.

Your Business - Internal Blog

These days, no one works alone. Even if you're a solo business operator, you have colleagues, partners, contractors, and suppliers with whom you communicate daily. A private blog makes working with a group easier, because you can streamline your interactions, saving time and energy.

A private blog can contain notes to yourself, or to colleagues. It's a place to store information and tips that might not warrant a special email message. You can post information like meeting notes, project tasks and summaries, and updated price lists. You can also post links to large files - no need to email, fax, or mail them to and fro.

Your blog is more useful than email, because blog postings are dated, and easily searchable. You can post a message you want everyone to read, and the message stays on the blog. With email, you read and delete, or read and forget.

If you've worked on a project with someone in another state or on the other side of the world, you've blessed email, because it makes sharing information so easy. Using a blog to share information is even easier than using email.

Your Business - Public Blog

A business blog is a marketing tool. A blog can add value to your Web site, or it can take the place of a Web site. Look on it as a combination "What's New" Web site page, and an online journal. Because of a blog's freewheeling nature, it's friendly and relaxed.

If you don't have a site, your blog's a place to put your online CV, portfolio and client list. You can, and should, use your blog to express your personality and expertise.

If you have a Web site, your blog page builds loyalty, because if you provide interesting content, your visitors will return to your site. And because it's a Web page, your blog will appear on search engines, attracting new clients.

Google has been treating blogs differently from other Web pages for a couple of years. Whereas it takes a standard Web page/ site a month to be indexed by Google, blogs are indexed daily. This means that your blog is mega-cheap advertising. You can post something on your blog and have it indexed by Google within a day.

Will creating a Blog help your Business ?

As I suggested in the article : "Get Googled And Build Credibility", because Google.com is so popular and indexes so comprehensively, if you focus some of your marketing and promotion time on getting your name out on the Web, you're building your credibility, both online and offline.

To Your Blogging Success

Wingcent Ning
Success-Biz Marketing
wingcent@gmail.com
http://mysignaturebusiness.blogspot.com
Singapore

P.S. : To learn more about Blogging and create your own successful and profitable Blog, just visit Blogger's PayCheck for your Must Learn guide as the offer price was going to end soon. Get it first ...