Making Money Online – Vacation Club Business

Primo Vacations Hot Weeks

This has got to be THE best feature of the Primo Vacations Exclusive Members Travel Club.

When you sign up to Primo, you don’t just get access to low cost hotels, condos, cruises and travel – you get to stay at some of the Top Resorts around the world for a mere fraction of the regular cost.  Just check this out here:

Click to enlarge

This list is not even a quarter of what is actually available.  I just returned from Spain there and stayed in one of the top resorts on the Costa del Sol for $100 for the week.  It’s called Pueblo Evita if you want to check it out through your normal travel search engines.  If you do, just look at the quality of the site, the 5* accommodation and facilities that are there, it was unbelievable.

Hot Weeks are released to all Primo Vacations members 5-30 days before the reservation is available and savings of up to 80% can be found.  No that wasn’t a type, I really do mean 80% off to stay at luxury 5 star resorts worldwide.  How does the Caribbean, USA, Australia or Europe tempt you?

This week’s featured resorts can be found right here:

Want to know a bit more about Primo?

Click on any of the pictures below and take the tour?

I Cannot Stand Internet Marketing

Does this title immediately grab you and make you want to read more?  Well it did with me about an hour ago whilst browsing in one of the popular IM forums of which I am a member.

Here is an excerpt of some of the author’s frustrations - “people preaching trickery. Whether it be tricking search engines or people, it’s just not fair.  I suppose if I want to leave one message to whoever has read this far, it’s to remember that there are people behind those sales and profit numbers. There are people that will be putting their hard-earned money into what you sell, and there are people who’s lives you are making harder by trying to make a quick buck.   Every time you claim a system to make $x per month, you raise someone’s hopes – and exploiting their human nature to respond to that hope when you know it’s not possible is just inhumane.”

The person posting had left life in the ‘Corporate Rat Race’ for the next best thing that was Internet Marketing and was lured by what he termed ‘the dazzling claims of fortune.’  In summary and what he was actually saying was that almost everyone in the industry lured people in under false pretences.  Each promised that their opportunity was the next best thing and the author of this post claimed to have tried all these things and not earned a cent.

Now I have written several articles relating to this very thing.  Yes there are sharks out there, yes the internet is full of people making false income claims and yes a clear conscience is not something that a lot of people fall asleep with at night!  On the other hand however, it is very easy to point the finger of blame at everyone else when things do not happen.  Amongst the sharks, there are lots of good honest individuals making money on the internet in an ethical and moral way and I am one of those people.

I read this person’s post with great interest and could relate not only to him but to the many others who responded both with agreeing and opposing points of view.  Ultimately, we are responsible for our own destiny and if you think someone is making false income claims, ask to see evidence of this before you sign up for anything if you have the least suspicion.

‘Must Have’ reads before signing up for any opportunity:-

Why so many people give up on their Internet Marketing Opportunity

Adopting the Correct Mindset to Succeed in Business

Don’t fall for the hype

Brick wall ahead – non techie about to come crashing through!

I’ve gained so much technical knowledge these last 6 months or so now that I think I get a wee bit carried away with myself and sometimes I think I’m a lot better than I really am.  I try and be too adventurous and it always comes back to bite me on the proverbial.

What I’ve been trying to do for the last xx hours is something that probably sounds really simple to some people and it is to do with setting up accounts.  It was in place, or so I thought until I went to move some accounts around and realised I hadn’t quite got it right with one of them in the first place.  In the end I got so frustrated with trying to backtrack etc, I just closed the account and opened a new one.

Do you ever find yourself doing that, taking the long way round things when a really simple solution is staring you straight in the face?  Pragmatism is a large part of my personality and most pragmatists don’t take time to read instructions, they just plough straight in.  Well that is me over and over, and I never learn.  It doesn’t always result in errors but when it does, I would give anything to be the opposite type of personality and be a reflector.  Someone who doesn’t make decisions quickly but takes lots and lots of time to evaluate, to weigh up all the pros and cons and then takes things one baby step at a time.

So, that’s where I’m at right now.

On the positive side, I attended a fantastic webinar with our marketing group tonight and learned of really exciting things happening.  I’m always amazed at how we never sit still, there’s always some other high money making venture waiting to be thrust into our laps.

Tonight was extra exciting though – not only is there some really HOT STUFF coming our way but we are putting on a timebound promotion where people can try before they buy with all our marketing and coaching club.  All this for just $1 - I just can’t see how it is possible but if that’s what the boss says, that’s what we can offer.  I just wish I had this opportunity to access the best training materials and make lots of money for just $1 – I would have been laughing all the way to the bank.

So, here it is - grab it while you can because it won’t be there forever and could be taken down at any time.

Out with the Old and in with the New – Reflection of an Internet Marketer

As we get towards the end of 2009, I thought I’d take a bit of time to reflect on where I’m at personally in comparison to this time last year.

At the end of last year and having worked on an extremely demanding and mentally draining task in my corporate role, I was in work and thinking “I need another huge challenge similar to that, I need to be working pro-actively, making decisions, devising strategic plans and working alongside my fantastic team to deliver outstanding results.

It didn’t happen and much as I tried to be pro-active and forward thinking, proposing several suggestions based on sound business sense and customer service, others who needed to endorse the proposed changes were much more risk averse than I was.

Working in career guidance we teach a model called the alignment model and this basically outlines that your needs and wants have to be in alignment with the organisation you work for.  If you are out of alignment then you need to either find that motivator, that driver outside of work to feel fulfilled, or you need to look for another job.

I didn’t want to look for another job because I really love and believe in what I do, I work alongside a fantastic team who are well motivate, embrace change and constantly come up with new and exciting ideas that we discuss then implement.

So what did I do?  Well I found the challenge I was seeking by joining a Home Business opportunity with the full intention of making it a success and eventually working from home full-time.

I have to say however, I had absolutely no idea about internet marketing or how to make money online.  I knew how to surf the net and send email but that really was about the extent of it.  Now I have so much learning under my belt, I amaze myself sometimes by things I do know but thought I didn’t if that makes sense.

5 months down the road and I’m still working in my management role and running my business part-time.  That however is my choice.  Financially I could leave now but something inside of me is saying “don’t do it just yet”.

You see, I still have lots I want to do in my job, changes I want to see implemented, some of which I have personally proposed and many of these will happen in 2010.  I also don’t feel I’m ready to leave the team and sit at home on my own.  Although I love to work on my own at times, I also enjoy going to work in the morning, having a laugh with the others and seeing great results every day.

If you’re reading this blog post and you are working in a position that often leaves you unfulfilled, why not consider doing what I did and finding that challenge in something else.  You definitely won’t regret it, that’s for sure and may find like I did, that this is something I should have done years ago.

If you want to get started, just fill in your details at the top of this post and I’ll help you get started on your road to financial freedom (if that’s what you want) or get you to a point where YOU can sack YOUR BOSS!  How good would that feel?

As I sign off now with only 3 days left of this old year, I have to say it’s been fantastic, rewarding, challenging at times but just like any other year I have had, I wouldn’t have changed anything.  Everything I do and have done has been for a reason and it’s all been worthwhile.

Every day’s a school day and a day you haven’t learned something new, is a day wasted!

5 money making niches for 2010 and how you can get the edge

5 money making niches for 2010 and how you can get the edge

Doing extensive research into what is happening in the world of online marketing has led to 5 main areas that are displaying rapid growth and these are:

1. Education
2. Health & Wellness
3. Booze
4. Local, local, local
5. Pets

People ask the question “is there any niches that are too saturated” and that is a very good question.   If you do your research thoroughly and you find that questions relating to a particular niche are continuing to crop up often in various forums or search engines, then you have your answer right there.

The next question you may ask is “should I go wide or deep into the niche”?  Going deep would be something like taking a niche market and targeting it towards a particular group of society, for example ‘Health & Nutrition for older people’ and that would be called going deep in one market.

Going wide would mean doing a little bit in Booze, a little bit in Pets, a little bit in Education and so on.

3 main benefits of Niche Marketing

• Much less competition – you can own and dominate a particular niche subject
• Subject expert – owning a niche means you become that person that everyone goes to for their solutions.  More people will seek you out rather than your competitors
• Faster results – it doesn’t take long to rank well for niche related keywords

If you specialise in one particular area, it doesn’t take long at all to rank really well with the search engines.

Finding a niche and how you can get the edge

Go into discussion forums and find out what the top questions are – note how many  replies there are to each question, note how many times each question has been viewed.  Focus also on the answers that other people are providing to the questions.

One idea from there is that you do extensive research and create an eBook that in turn answers all the questions that people are asking.  I must emphasise at this point that you should never plagiarise anyone else’s efforts.  The content of the book must be in your own words and based on your research findings.

The first step is being able to build a product that people are willing to pay for and that answers their question.

How can I find forums to do research on?

If you go to big-board.com you will find there a directory of message boards that tell you how many posts each forum has and how many members, the more posts, the more active, the more people there are, the more answers you can get to questions relating to your particular niche.

Big-board does not necessarily list all the forums that are out there so what you could also do is go to Google and search for ‘your keyword forum’, for example ‘Honda car forum’ and put this in quotes.  This will provide a ton more message forums within your niche.

You don’t want to get involved with a forum that has only a few posts and even less members as this will get you nowhere.

Another great source of niches is called ‘Top Site’ and one in particular is called Squidoo.   Given that there are thousands of people on Squidoo daily, being ranked in the Top 100 is a big deal.

Another great source of information is hubpages.com and every day they have what is known as Featured Hub.   Hubs are just very simple web pages that people have made that explain how to do something or something they recommend, things like that.  Like Squidoo, you can search hub pages by category.

There’s nothing about hub pages that appears to rate one more highly than the others, the top one changes every day so if you see one that is of interest, make a note because it will soon be gone.

If all the above has given you food for thought, why not sign up here and start BUILDING A WEBSITE.  You will receive a FREE copy of ‘Create Your Own Website by 3.45 this afternoon’.

Serious about starting your own Home Business or still Window Shopping?

I have come across many people asking me questions about the Home Business Opportunity I am currently in.  The first question I always get asked is “what is it you actually sell” and this quickly turns to a look that is desperate to ask “well how much money do you make at it”?

So in my head I divide the people asking me questions into 2 groups and don’t get me wrong there is nothing negative about either group but it’s just that one section is more ready to act on their instincts.

I will call the groups ‘prospects’ and ‘searchers’.  The prospects adopt a more realistic and holistic approach whilst the searchers are on a journey seeking out as many different opportunities as they can in the hope that the next email they receive is the one that will make them a millionaire overnight!

So how do you tell the difference I hear you ask?  It is quite simple really and the categorising of each group is based on a) types of questions asked and b) how many other businesses they try and compare.

Let’s go ahead here and I’ll come up with some of the personality traits that I have come across:

1. Prospects understand the principles of costs being associated with a business opportunity and totally get that aside from the initial costs, there will be some small additional and eventually some marketing costs.  Searchers will complain about the time it is taking their business to bring them in a substantial income or how much they have to pay to get it up and running where it is making a living for them.  They will also raise comment about having to put in a lot of work in the early days and immediately expect to just work 3-4 hours each day, from the get go and the money comes rolling in.
2. Prospects are willing to learn and are like sponges in the early days, thirstily soaking up all the knowledge they can get.  Searchers will normally have their own way and consider it a better way of doing things.
3. Prospects understand the fundamental concept of internet marketing and will use the internet to grow their business whilst on the other hand Searchers will talk about all the people they know who are going to join them and help them grow their business.
4. Prospects will rapidly implement the training given whilst Searchers are always looking for ways to innovate rather than duplicate.  This can be a good thing though sometimes as well.  The world of internet marketing is continually evolving and we have to remain ahead of the game.
5. Prospects tend to follow their gut instincts and will quickly see the opportunity is right for them and will join.  Searchers will seek out the opinion of others first, valuing their opinions above their own.
6. Prospects will want to know exactly what they have to do to make money and build their team.  Searchers will be more interested in what the top earners are making and how quickly they can do the same.

The qualities I’ve found to be prevalent in both groups are:

Prospects – commitment, vision, ambition, strong work ethic, trainable, learn from mistakes

Searchers – dreamlike, unrealistic expectation and vision, work ethic if it reaps financial gain, mistakes are seen as confirmation that it doesn’t work.

If you fall into the Prospect category, you are the kind of person I want to work with in this first class opportunity.    You know where you want to go and I will do my hardest to ensure you get there.

If you are a Searcher and have been doing this for some time now, I really hope you find what you are looking for although something tells me you may spend a long, long time searching but I wish you all the best in your venture.

SMART Internet Marketing – what does it really mean?

Coming from a corporate background where SMART objectives were continuously being pushed upon you, it got me thinking as to how this applies in the online world of business, particularly within internet marketing.

SMART stands for Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time bound.  What it basically means is “are you focussed and doing something with an obvious outcome and are you spending just the right amount of time on any given task”.

It is far more difficult to work smarter within the internet marketing world.  After all, you have no-one breathing down your neck for that report to be completed by 6pm.  This is probably one of the main reasons you came into internet marketing in the first place to get away from those types of pressure.

Smart internet marketing is about setting yourself daily, weekly, monthly or even hourly goals.  First of all you need to ask yourself “what is the benefit I will get from doing a, b or c”?  Do I want an immediate benefit or is this part of the bigger and longer term picture?

For example you may set yourself a target of writing 3 articles in one day.  How much time are you going to spend on researching each topic, and how many words are you aiming to write?  This would be an example of a longer term benefit as once your article is out there, it remains there and will continue to drive traffic for you in the years to come but it is rare to see immediate results from a particular article.

If on the other hand, you have your list and want to market a particular product to them, this would be an immediate benefit, because if the product is right for them, they will buy and you will have immediate rewards.

Smart internet marketing is also about remaining focussed on your goals and not being easily distracted by other internet marketing sites, it is about having a strategy and sticking to it.  You have to also be confident that the task you set for yourself is achievable and can be realistically completed within a reasonable time frame.  You should also question your reasons for doing it.

By following the basic principles of SMART objectives within your targeted internet marketing approach, you will ensure focus and immediate and sustainable results.

Last thing each night, I think up what I want to achieve the next day and I write this down.  I also try and put a time limit on each task I want to complete and prioritise them in a couple of ways.  I start with the easiest task in terms of time to complete, and then move on that way.  I may rearrange my priorities depending on the niche market at the time and if I need to get something out pretty quickly, then I will start with that.

Work at home on the internet – is it for me and what do I need to know?

As more and more people are looking for alternative ways of working, there are so many options available that it can be difficult to sift through the quagmire and determine what the right one for you is.

For the purpose of this article I am going to focus on working from home on the internet, why it may be just what you are looking for and the basic essentials for setting up in the industry.

Why work at home on the internet?

Working at home on the internet is probably the most flexible and lucrative type of home based business there is out there.   Where else can you start work when you like, work in your underwear if you so wish and meet people on a global basis from all over the world?  The possibilities for the type of internet business are endless.

You work your internet business around your lifestyle and not the other way around which is the case with a regular job.  If you’re a parent, you can confidently take the children to school and not get frustrated and anxious when you’re caught in traffic because it really does not matter that you will be late for work.  You work WHEN YOU WANT TO and that is the beauty of working from home in an internet job.

Once you have your laptop/PC set up you can periodically walk away and do other things around the house that previously you have had to face at the end of a long working day.  You can have quality time with your children because again it is okay to be distracted; no-one is going to tell you off.

How to work at home on the internet?

Firstly you will need a PC and/or laptop with broadband access.  You will also need a set of headphones, preferably the type with microphone attached.  This will allow you to watch the many video tutorials that are out there and also chat with people through Skype which is a FREE method of communication with others who are also on the Skype system.

You will need to have good time management skills as the internet is so full of interesting information that it is very easy to get sidetracked from what your main purpose is.  Consequently you will also need to be self disciplined, self motivated with a strong ‘can do’ attitude to succeed.

In terms of skills sets before signing up to any work from home internet business, you will need to at least be able to use the internet and send and receive emails.  If you can do this, then you can work at home on the internet.

How to get started working from home on the internet

Firstly take your time and do not rush into investing in an online opportunity.  There are thousands out there so do your research, ask lots of questions to determine the following:

• A genuine opportunity and therefore a sustainable legitimate internet business
• Initial set up costs, if it is a FREE business opportunity, you really need to be aware that there is no 100% free internet business out there.  You will eventually pay a cost and that cost may be far more than you are willing to pay.  It may also not just be a financial cost so please do your due diligence.
• What do you actually get?  Is there coaching and/or mentoring available?  Is it a turnkey business i.e. a readymade business that you just need to personalise and comes with a full training package and lots of highly sought after products to get you going?
• Are you paying over the odds for just a brand?  This would be similar to a franchise in the offline world.
• Ask to speak with a real person who is in the business, or several of them, find out what they think and how successful they are

I hope this article goes some way to helping you when you are at the earliest stages of wanting to do something different with your life.  Working from home on the internet can be extremely rewarding both personally and financially but it is not easy finding the right opportunity.  Only you can say what that is so take your time and do not get caught up in the hype and false promises as there are many of those.  If this article makes just one person stop and think then carry out a bit more research, it has more than served its purpose.  Good luck and I hope you are as fortunate as I was in finding exactly the best business that exceeds and continues to surpass any expectations I had.