Category: Micro Business Tips

Tips and Ideas to help Micro Businesses grow and prosper.

Discover Product Creation

“If you want it done right, do it yourself.” That’s a piece of bad advice I had drummed into me as a kid. But I won’t go into why it’s bad advice today.

Instead I want to share with you an excellent program called Discover Product Creation that will help you do it yourself, if you are interested in creating your own Free Report to post on your blog or to build traffic via an upcoming Give Away Event.

I recommend you go there immediately and buy and then take the course. But if you wish, you can read my whys below.

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The course is taught by one of my favorites, Bob Jenkins or Bob the Teacher as he likes to call himself. Bob was a high school teacher and is very good at breaking down the process of creating a report from start to finish. If you take his course and do the homework, (yes he assigns homework,) you will end up with your own first report that you can sell or give away in just three weeks.

Some of you will dash ahead and do it quicker, others will need more time if your lives and the holidays interfere. But if you commit to the process, you will succeed. Bob breaks it down into three segments, and provides nice bite sized video modules in each segment that permit you to proceed at your own pace.

When you are finished with the course, you will not only have a new fresh report of your own, but you will have mastered some basic skills with at least two free software programs that will pay you dividends for the rest of your life.

I had the opportunity to participate in the original course, and can personally attest to its completeness and value. Actually, the first class is still in session. But I have gotten enough from the first two of three segments to give it my unequivocal endorsement. I have learned not only how Free Mind works, but have come to see it as a super valuable, easy to use tool to capture my “loose thoughts” and ultimately make sense and order out of them. It’s a far better approach than the traditional outline format from high school. And much better than trying to organize my scattered thoughts on paper.

And then in the second segment, I learned how to use the free Open Office software. This is a major money saver since you can easily create PDF files without having to pay for Adobe. But while I have used open office before, by the time the second segment was over I learned in detail how to format my reports so they look truly professional.

Now much of this stuff, I already knew, or kind of knew, and other aspects were revelations to me. Some of it I used to know, but had forgotten. Unless you are already a professional editor or accomplished report producer, you should give serious thought to grabbing this course soon than later.

Even though the original session are yet to be completed, Bob has the course on the market now. He is only asking $99 for it, and I’m telling you it is a bargain. I have no doubt the price will go up significantly in the not too distant future. Particularly after the class is over and he starts putting the glowing testimonials into his sales page. He will have more than he will need.

I’m a fan of Bob’s. I’ve taken several other courses from him, and for my money, this is his best effort yet.

You will learn how to Create, Format And Deliver Your Own Free Reports To Your Customers On The Internet With Step-By-Step Video Training” Your Progress Is 100% Assured! The course is split up into 3 sections for every skill and experience level…

* Part 1: Planning And Creating The Content For Your Report
* Part 2: Formatting Your Report As An Ebook (PDF)
* Part 3: Delivering Your Report Online

You will learn all the Steps From Start To Finish

Create, Format, And Deliver Your Report With Simple, Step-By-Step Instructions Delivered
Through Video You Can Watch Online Or Download.

It is meaty, comprehensive and extremely valuable. Get it this weekend, and apply what he teaches. Do your weekly homework, and you will have a marketable report on any topic you desire in three weeks. Just in time to kick off the New Year in grand style.

If you want to do it yourself, there is no better advice I can give than to pick up a copy of DiscoverProductCreation today.

Internet Marketing Thanksgiving Break Through

I hope my US readers have a Great Thanksgiving tomorrow. I will be spending it at my sister’s house this year, despite the fact that she was laid off from her job a few weeks back.

Things are getting tough these days…all the more reason to get serious about internet marketing.

There is a learning curve involved, and you only really learn by doing.  Let me encourage you to make your own personal Breakthrough this long Thanksgiving weekend.

Last Tuesday I suggested that you download a $7 report from Mike Paetzold that went into detail about how to set up your web pages to effectively monetize a free give away event. (See Links Below)

If you haven’t caught on yet, a free give away is designed to start building a list of people to whom you can sell products. It’s not the only way to build a list, but once you’ve got the basics down, its one of the quickest and cheapest ways to go.

I have begun a blog that you can use to keep up on upcoming give-aways. And since you are already on my list you can be sure to hear about upcoming events through me.

But the chicken and egg question is, “Where do you get the free products?” I’ve told you it was easier than you may have thought, but now I am going to prove it to you.

I’ve just put together a site where you can download not one, but six quality products you can resell or give away. Pick any one, or all six, and offer them on one or another of the free give-aways and you will be building your own list in no time. Use Mike’s advice on how to set up your pages, and you will be on your way.

Once you have a list, you can either sell the remaining reports individually or even resell all six complete with resale rights and keep all the profit! (See Links Below)

(This assumes you already have a Web Hosting service, know how to get a URL, and have access to an auto-responder service. If you don’t, send me a return email and I will let you know what you need to know to get set up properly.)

The six reports together with resell rights will cost you $27. That’s less than $5 a report. Mikes How To report will cost you another $7. If you buy both, I recommend you do, you will need to invest $34. Well worth it even if you never take action, but don’t let them sit on your hard drive. Read the reports, they are worthwhile, but more importantly, dig in and get started.

Pick one of the reports and get it listed on the Merry Christmas Give-away. (See Links Below) Take advantage of this long holiday weekend and make something happen for yourself.

Now like everything, it will take some effort. Some things are difficult to do the first time, but you can do it. Take your time and figure it out and you will succeed.

Step 1. Sign up as a contributor for the Merry Christmas Give-away. (If you don’t already have a big list, you probably should spring for the upgrade it’s only $17 and is worth it) This is crossing the Rubicon. Make a commitment to get a product up.

Step 2. Buy my six pack, and pick one to offer as a free gift.

Step 3. Buy Mike Paetzold’s Report and use it to design your download and confirmation pages, as well as get a handle on the entire Give-away scene.

Step 4. Once you have a list, sell them the other eBooks from my package, or sell them the entire package with resell rights. The sales pages for each of the books are part of the package as well as a sales page for the whole enchilada.

Step 5. Repeat.  Watch for upcoming Give-aways on my Give-Away Blog

Step 6. Spend next Thanksgiving or Christmas in the Bahamas or where ever you want.

Video Camera’s What to Buy, What to Avoid

I just watched an excellent video that helped my understand the range of products available in Video Cameras, from the convenient Flip to the more sophisticated units ideal for professional video production.

Increasingly video is become a dominant force on the internet, and if you are contemplating a holiday purchase for yourself or your business you will want to watch this. While he ends the video with a suggested vendor, it’s not a sale pitch. The video is half an hour long and very informative.

Camera Gear Video

Have a Mike Lust Day

It’s been a beautiful fall day today. The sun is shining and the temps are a very acceptable mid 40’s to lower 50’s. I managed to leave the computer and tend to my garden. I dug up the Dahlia Bulbs, now that we have had our first hard frost. I spent a moment enjoying frosty leaved somethings, ornamental endive and maroon mums that serve as the front corner of my garden on the street side. This is their time of year.

Today started out great for me despite it’s sad underpinnings. A friend of mine is dying, in all likelihood, from gall bladder cancel. I said in all likelihood, but he hasn’t succumbed and if anyone can beat it he will. He’s in his mid 40’s and a stalwart member of my Toastmaster’s Group

He is our club’s star, having won many a local contest and usually being a top performer at our weekly meetings. Ours is what you might call a mature club, we have people who have been there 30 and 40 + years. He was clearly one of the younger members and a major contributor in every way. We roasted him this morning, and I rose to the occasion and did a particularly good job, if I say so myself.

In my brief, less than 3 minute presentation, I indicted my friend for being a Trophy Hog, a Trouble Maker and a Rabble Rouser. A trophy hog because he always managed to rise to the occasion and give a great performance no matter what role he played in our weekly meetings or contests. He won a lot of trophies. A trouble maker, because he always took the trouble to use our training manuals and to actually try to do better every week. And finally, I called him a Rabble Rouser because he was an excellent critic in a constructive sense.

One role at our meetings is to evaluate speakers, to praise them, give them a suggestion or two, and then to once again stress the positive. We call it a sandwich. I accused him of preparing Hoagies stuffed with meat rather than the typical pettifore offered up by many, with cutoff crusts and chicken salad for filling.

In my conclusion I observed that Mike understood that the world does not reward average people very well, and that he just decided to be extraordinary. He is, and a model I can strive to emulate.

I understand that you don’t know Mike, and perhaps I shouldn’t post this on the blog, but at the same time, I’m up on my ability to poke fun and yet tell a story about Mike today. And I’m up on the idea of how much I appreciated having had a chance to learn and compete with him.

While he was in his wheel chair today, I fully count on seeing him again in an upcoming speech contest. I know I will have my work cut out for me. But next time, I’ll beat him.

Blogging Tips for Business

The internet is no longer a new idea for business. Many businesses once enjoyed a first mover advantage by entering the online arena earlier than their competitors. Today, there are few fields left where just being online is providing a significant competitive advantage.

The internet has opened the market place to customers from around the world. And it has opened the marketplace to competitors from around the world. It is no longer enough to be online, a business to succeed must be able to drive traffic to their websites. In order to dominate a field it is increasingly important that businesses establish a blogging presence online.

While anyone can set up a blog easily and inexpensively, so can your competitors. But there is a lot more to blogging than first meets the eye.

Here are some useful tips that you can incorporate in your internet business:

• You must research and then use keywords effectively – your blog’s contents should reflect appropriate keywords. Effective keyword research can also place your blog and thus your business toward the top of the search engines.

• You want to stimulate Back Links to your blog. These are valuable – you have to give importance to back links. Your blog posts should be able to incorporate appropriate back links.

• More important than the frequency of your blog posts is their regularity. You must be able to post regularly if you want to be effective. If you forget to make posts, you will loose regular readers and possibly leave viewers with an impression that you are not truly up to speed in today’s internet world.

• While regularity is the key, your blogging efforts will be rewarded most if you post frequently and if the contents are interesting. With effective blogging, you can establish your online business reputation and, you can demonstrate to the world your business expertise. To gain a positive reputation, make sure that you post interesting and relevant blog posts.

These are the basic tips you must follow to be effective blogging. As you can see, blogging requires more than a slap dash approach. Most advisors online will tell you that blogs are not that hard to compose. They are right. However, according to expert bloggers, you need to consider the interests of the readers and online researchers.

Try to understand why they are coming to your blog in the first place.

Think more in terms of what they want to discover, and less about what you want to tell them. But be sure you do get your licks in. It’s all about how you frame your blogs attitude and conversational style.

Remember that once you start posting blogs on your business’ website, you have to post frequently (ideally at least once or twice a week) so that your customers and readers will not forget you or your business.

Blogging for business is one of the most effective means of making your business a success. Set up your blog now, you will profit in the future.


If you learn to become an effective blogger, your business will benefit. If you want to learn more about effective business blogging, you can easily conduct researches online because you can find a wealth of information there.

Blogging Vocabulary 101

The phenomena of Blogging has captured the attention of the masses far and wide. Blogs vary widely ranging from Journalistic to Literature, to the baser side of things where fart jokes pale in comparison to some heavier duty material and on beyond the trivial to academic and business pursuits. The blog means many things to many people. To you as a buisness person it means taking the offensive. Instead of hoping passively that your web site will attract customers, you are going out after them.

But first you need to get a feel for the beast and learn the basic lexicon.

Content Typically, a blog’s content depends on the topic it’s dealing with. If you’re advertising a product such as perfume, apparel, or a vintage automobile, you could feature catalogs of the products mentioned.

Your Business blog should also provide stories and updates on key happenings in your business, such as upcoming sales or special promotions. While most business blogs stay on the pretty straight and narrow, some business blogs adapt a more in your face or cheeky attitude. If this is right for your business, the added flair increases readers entertainment value and thus encourages readership and ultimately more sales.

A blog should be updated daily to give readers reasons to keep coming back for more. A human mind always seeks for something new. Therefore, update. If a daily routine is not in the cards for your blog, make sure it is at least regularly updated. Regularity is a good habit and critical to blogging bowels.

Feedback Comments are very much welcome. Come one, come all! It doesn’t matter who comments as long as somebody did. Bottom line: You want to meke sure what you’ve written has an effect on people’s minds and aroused some opinions to merit it. Be glad you have a comment. At least someone has read your posts. Here, interaction takes place.

Tools and Concepts Blogging can be a fuss if you don’t how the process works. What in the world does RRS, URL, blogroll, and all that jazz mean? How can I use it? While a blog is a simple concept, they do have a number of moving parts that might not be obvious to all at first.

For greater understanding, here are some terms and definitions of some of the tool usually used in blogging and the concepts that go with it.

Archives – Archives are records of important documents or files preserved. Archives can capture significant amounts of material over time. These can be reused and/or serve as documentation.

Blogrolls – Blogrolls are a categorized list of network links to web pages. This can be a dynamic tool for your business. Permitting cross promotion with your business allies and direct linking to your main web pages. These provide your blog readers with direct access to key pages on your web site and to those of your partners.

Comment Spam – Comment Spam is potentially even a greater problem in the Blog world than on your email server. You will inevitabley receive irrelevant comments posted on your pages with links to one or more domains of the Spam poster. Thankfully, a number of “Plug Ins” available to bloggers can help all but eliminate this problem.

Downloads – Downloads is a verb pertaining to the pictures, audios, or videos That have been or could be downloaded from your site or to your site. Your blog is just another part of your web page and can access or be accessed to process downloads. Thus a simple blog post may hold multiple documents, video etc that you can in turn make available to your reader in quick order.

Excerpt – An excerpt is a set of summarized ideas of the post usually having a part of the entire article condensed upfront. This provides a prospective reader with a heads up as to the overall content. This will allow them to read your blog or not depending upon their interest in the material. An excerpt saves prospective readers time, and they will appreciate not having to read posts that don’t offer them value. A good excerpt is good business.

Feeds – Feeds are a way of transferring relevant material from one site to another. This can Permit you to automatically transfer information for other web sites of your own or a third party and have it post automatically on your blog. Creative use of Feeds helps provide a constant flow of fresh material to your blog.

Guests – Guest are the readers, viewers, spammers, etc., who visits your site. While you may not welcome the spammers, your blog exists for your guests. You want to attempt to make it as guest friendly as possible. While your objective is to accomplish a business purpose with your blog, the best way to do so is to focus on the Guests needs, rather than your own. Think about how you can build a relationship with them.

Hosts – Hosts are web sites willing to accommodate your registration as a blogger. I personally recommend WordPress and as a result frequently recommend securing a webhost who offers the use of a cpanel as their primary customer interface. If you web host has CPanel, it is a simple thing to set up WordPress.

Introduction – Introduction probably doesn’t require an introduction. But its a good idea to provide a preliminary part of the blog page to show the personal profile of the author or a brief description of the subject.

Links – Links are those ubiquitous blue words that serve as a tie up with a series of sections in the web suitable for navigation from one site to another; also known as a “permalink” or “hyperlink.”

Plugins – Plug in’s come in a huge variety and consist of characters or scripts adding additional function to the site. For example the Askimet plug in does an excellent job of screening for Spam Comments and segregating them, so you don’t need to worry about hand deleting them.

And that’s it. All the primary words above embody key aspects of the blogging community. While their is easy access to the blog and blogging in todays world that doesn’t mean easy manipulation. You must have certain concepts and tools to make blogging possible. You absolutely must get a blog going in most businesses to effectively attract the customers you want, but the process will require a bit of work and education.

Business Blogging: Buck the Bad Economy with a Business Blog

While there are many uses for blogging, in most cases, business blogging is about advertising. A business blog promotes your products or services. The business blog is gaining popularity because it simultaneously establishes a business’ credibility and their name recognition. Continue reading Business Blogging: Buck the Bad Economy with a Business Blog

Halloween Giveaway OPENING SOON Watch for it.

Opening soon is the Halloween Giveaway, an internet marketing free for all that is literally free for all.

I just donated three items to the giveaway, a HTML Primer, the one I use to look up stuff when I need to play with more complicated HTML, 7 Questions you didn’t know to ask about web hosting, and my super affiliate marketing wizard.  These and many more products and software items will be made available for free.

Why, the donors like me are looking to build out lists of people interested in internet marketing tools and related topics. You will undoubtedly get follow on emails, read the ones you like, store them in a special folder, and if some bore you, just cut them off. Each of them will have an unsubscribe link at the bottom.

Check it out you may find more than one item worth checking out.  Halloween Giveaway

What is the Micro Business Specialist All About

The Micro Business Specialist is like life a journey.  A journey whose goal is to share valuable insights, skills and knowledge to those intrepid souls who have taken on the challenge of building their own business.  But not just any business person. This blog is dedicated to those business people who are personally responsible for all aspects of their business.

I often refer to it as being where, Me, My and I are responsible for almost everything.  That may mean you have no other employees or not.  It does mean that even if you have outside help on one or more aspects of your business, you are not only ultimately responsible, it is essential that you understand what needs to be done, and why.

I have been self employed most of my life, and frankly believe that I was self employed even when I worked for others.  I choose to see my employment as me hiring a boss rather than the other way around.  It was a great mental attitude, but my boss didn’t care for it when I advised him he was screwing up.

The common truth I’ve come to understand over the years is that we each have our strengths and weaknesses.  While we may be great at certain core skills that define our business and its mission, we often has weaknesses that can interfere with our long term success.  Sometimes we are forced to spend so much time struggling with and trying to overcome our weaknesses, we spend less time doing what we are good at than we meed to for our long term success.

I don’t have the magic wand to correct that stress fault that besets so many of us, but I have over the years encountered many good ideas that I hope to share with the readers of this blog.

As I started this message, this is a journey. I am taking this journey selfishly.  I hope to clarify some of my own weaknesses in the process.  But as the same time, if I am to be successful, I need to do this selflessly.

And I intend to do so. My goal will be to identify arenas where many of us could use help and then share my best ideas on the topic and ask you to counter with your own.  Over the years I have been know to reinvent the wheel. In this exercise, I hope to borrow heavily on other peoples existing work, rather than create my own. But you will probably find me doing both.

I invite you join me on this journey if you too are struggling to develop your own business venture. Together we will face new mountains and overcome them. Together we will slide down the other side to success and prosperity.