HOW TO START A PROFITABLE HOME-BASED BUSINESS

In these days, it's becoming increasingly difficult to make ends

meet with just one source of income. Thus, more and more people

are investigating the possibilities of starting their own

extra-income business. Most of these part-time endeavors are

started and operated from the comfort and privacy of the home.

Most of these people are making the extra money they need. Some

have wisely and carefully built these extra income efforts into

full-time, very profitable businesses. Others are just keeping

busy, having fun, and enjoying life as never before. The

important thing is that they are doing something other than

waiting for the government to give them a handout; they are

improving their lot in life, and you can do it, too!

The fields of mail order selling, multi-level marketing, and

in-home party sales have never been more popular. If any of

these kinds of extra income producing ideas appeal to you, then

you owe it to yourself to check them out. But these aren't the

only fields of endeavor you can start and operate from home,

with little or no investment, and learn as you go.

If you type, you can start a home-based typing service; if you

have a truck or have access to a trailer, you can start a

clean-up/hauling service. Simply collecting old newspapers from

your neighbors can get you started in the paper recycling

business. More than a few enterprising housewifes have found

success and fortune by starting home and/or apartment cleaning

services. If you have a yard full of flowers, you can make good

extra money by supplying fresh cut flowers to restaurants and

offices in your area on a regular basis. You might turn a

ceramics hobby into a lucrative personalized coffee mug

business. What I'm saying is that in reality, there's literally

no end to the ways you can start and operate a profitable extra

income business from your home.

The first thing you must do, however, is some basic market

research. Find out for yourself, first-hand, just how many

people there are in your area who are interested in your

proposed product or service, and would be "willing to stand in

line and pay money for it". This is known as defining your

market and pinpointing your customers. If after checking

around, talking about your idea with a whole lot of people over

a period of one to three months, you get the idea that these

people would be paying customers, your next effort should be

directed toward the "detailing" of your business plan. The more

precise and detailed your plan - covering all the bases relating

to how you'll do everything that needs to be done - the easier

it's going to be for you to attain success. Such a plan should

show you start-up investment needs, your advertising plan, your

production costs and procedure, your sales program, and how your

time will be allocated. Too often, enthusiastic and ambitious

entrepreneur jump in on an extra income project and suddenly

find that the costs are beyond their abilities, and the time

requirements more than they can meet. It pays to lay it all out

on paper before you get involved, and the clearer you can "see"

everything before you start, the better your chances for success.

Now, assuming you've got your market targeted, you know who your

customers are going to be and how you're going to reach them

with your product or service. And you have all your costs as

well as time requirements itemized. The next step is to set

your plan in motion and start making money.

Here is the most important "secret" of all, relating to starting

and building a profitable home-based business, so read very

carefully. Regardless of what kind of business you start, you

must have the capital and the available time to sustain your

business through the first six months of operation.

Specifically, you must not count on receiving or spending any

money coming in from your business on yourself or for your bills

during those first six months. All the income from your

business during those first six months should be reinvested in

your business in order for it to grow and reach your planned

first year potential.

Once you've passed that first six months milestone, you can set

up a small monthly salary for yourself, and begin enjoying the

fruits of your labor. But the first six months of operation for

any business are critical, so do not plan to use any of the

money you business generates for yourself during that period.

If you've got your business plan properly organized, and have

implemented the plan, you should at the end of your first year

be able to begin thinking about hiring other people to alleviate

some of your workload. Remember this: Starting a successful

business is not a means towards either a job for yourself or a

way to keep busy. It should be regarded as the beginning of an

enterprise that will grow and prosper, with you as the top dog.

Eventually, you'll have other people doing all the work for you,

even running the entire operation, while you vacation in the

Bahamas or Hawaii and collect or receive regular income from

your initial efforts.

For more details on market research, business planning,

advertising, selling, order fulfillment, and other aspects of

home-based businesses, check with the distributor from whom you

THE INSIDE SECRETS OF FREE PUBLICITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Product publicity is the "secret pathway" to business success

everyone wants. In simple terms, product publicity is a kind of

advertising that costs you nothing, yet brings in the orders for

you.

Regardless of what kind of business you are operating, you

should want, and strive for, as much publicity for your business

and your products or services, as possible. After all, it's

"free advertising" that is essential to the growth of your

business. However, your publicity efforts should be well

thought out, and pre-planned for maximum results.

The first, and basic form of obtaining publicity is through what

is known as the press or news release. This is generally a one

page story about your business, your product/service or an

event/happening related to your business that is about to, or

has recently occurred. These publicity stories are generally

"shot-gunned" to all the various media: local newspapers, radio

and TV, and trade publications.

Problem number one is getting the people to whom you've sent

these publicity stories, to use them - publish or broadcast

them. And this leads us back to the "right way " of writing

them and sending them in.

In every case, send a short cover letter addressed to the person

you want your material to be considered by... This means that

you send your story to the city editor of the newspapers; the

news directors of the radio and TV stations; and the managing

editors of the various trade publications. It will do you no

good what-so-ever, to send your material to the advertising,

circulation or business managers - describing how you're a

long-time advertiser, subscriber or listener. The most

important thing is that you make contact with the person who has

the final say as to what is to be published or broadcast, and at

the bottom line - this person's use of your material will

somehow make him a "hero" to his or her readers, viewers or

listeners.

The cover letter should be a short note. Go to a paper supplier

- tell him you want a hundred or so sheets of good bond paper -

8 1/2 by 11" preferably in a pastel color such as blue or ivory

- and that you want this paper cut into quarters, giving you a

grand total fo 400 sheets of note paper. "From the desk of..."

note sheets are too elaborate until the people you're contacting

get to know you - first time around, and until they use your

material, don't use these semi-formal note sheets...

On this note sheet, begin with the date across the top - skip a

couple of spaces and then quickly tell the recipient of the

note: the attached material is new and should be of real

interest to his readers, viewers or listeners. We advise our

dealers and distributors of MONEY MAKING MAGIC - our regular

publication for serious wealth builders and extra income seekers

- to send the following note to the editors and news directors

of the media in their areas:

"Here's something that 's new, and for a change, truly helpful,

to people trying to cope with inflation - the soaring costs of

living - and those engaged in building extra income businesses

of their own. Should be of real value - interest - to your

readers. Please take a look - any questions, or if you need

more info, give me a call at: (503) 666-5824..." Then, of

course, you skip about four spaces, type your name, your

business name, and your address - sign your name above where

you've typed it, and staple this note in the upper right hand

corner of your news release. This note should be typed and

double-spaced.

So now, you've got a cover letter, and you know who to send it

to... We type up one such note, and take it to a near-by

quick-print shop. They xerox the note 4 times, past these

4-copies onto one sheet of paper, print 50 to 100 copies, and

cut the paper into individual notes, all for less that $10... Do

not try to save money by photo-copying or xeroxing - a

photo-copy is a photo-copy is a photo-copy, and will not do the

job for you...

Now you need the actual publicity release, which also must be

"properly" written if you expect it to be used by the media.

Above all else, there's a proper form or style to use, plus the

fact that it must be typed, double-spaced, and short - about a

half page in total length.

About an inch from the top of the paper, with an inch and a half

margin on each side of the paper; from the left hand margin,

type in all capital letters: PRESS RELEASE: Then, underline

these words. Immediately following the colon, but not in all

capital letters, put in the date. Always set the date forward

by at least one day after the day you intend to mail the release.

On the same line, but on the right hand side of the page, and in

all capital letters, write the words, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Underline this, and immediately below, but not in all capital

letters, type your name - your phone number - and your address...

Skip a couple of spaces, then in all capital letters - centered

between the margins - type a story headline, and underline it...

Skip a couple of spaces, and from the left hand margin, all in

capital letters, type the words, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: From

there on, it's the news or publicity story itself.

You can write the headline before the story, and then a story to

fit the headline - or the story before the headline, and then a

headline to fit the story - either way, it's basically the same

as writing a space ad or a sales letter... You attract attention

and interest with the headline and fill in the details with your

story.

Here's an example of the headlines we use on publicity blurbs

for MONEY MAKING MAGIC:

HELP IN MAKING ENDS MEET

NEW PUBLICATION FOR EXTRA INCOME SEEKERS

Notice how we continue to sell or involve the editor - His

readers are always looking for better ways to make ends meet,

and he's specifically interested as to what our promise

involves... He wants his readers to "think well" of him for

enlightening them with this source of help, so he reads into the

story to find out who, what and how...

Suffice it to say that your headline, and the story you present

to the editor, must sell him on the benefits of your product or

service to his readers. Unless it specifically does this, he'll

not use it. You must sell the first person receiving your

materials. Keep this fact uppermost in your mind as you write

it. The person you send your press or publicity release to,

must quickly see and understand how your product or service will

benefit his readers - thereby making him a hero to them - and he

must be assured it will do what you promise in your headline.

Come right to the point and say your product is lower in price,

more convenient to use or in what way your product or service is

useful to the people in general. It's also a good idea to

include a complimentary sample of your product or an opportunity

for him to sample your services.

Remember, the editors receiving your information are fully aware

of your purposes - Free Advertising! They are not in the least

interested in you or your credentials - If you've sold them on

the benefits of your business to their readers, and they want

background details, they'll call you. That's why you list your

telephone number and address...

These people are busy people. They have not got the time nor

the interest in reading about your trials and tribulations or

plans for the future. They want only "a flag" that alerts them

to something new and of probable real interest to their readers.

Sell the editor first. Convince him that you've found the

better mousetrap. Show him that your product or service - that

your business - fills a need and/or will interest a large

segment of his readers, his viewers or listeners.

When an editor uses your publicity release, always follow-up

with a short thank you note. Never, but never send a publicity

release to an editor and then call or write demanding to know

why he didn't use it, use it as you wrote it, or only gave you a

quick mention. Do this once, and that particular media will

"round-file" any further material received from you, unopened!

If your first effort is not used, then you should review the

story itself; perhaps write it from a different angle; make

sure you're sending it to the proper person - and try again!

As stated earlier, these people are busy, with hundreds of

publicity releases passing across their desks every day - They

only have so much space or time - therefore, your material has

to stand out and in some way, fit with the information they -

the editors - want to pass along to their readers, viewers or

listeners. Regardless of your business, product, or service,

you must build your press release - write it - around that

particular angle or feature that makes it beneficial or interest

to the readers, viewer or listeners of the media you want to run

your press release. Without this special ingredient, you're

lost before you begin!

The timing of your press release is always important. Try to

associate your press release with current events in the news. A

story on job lay-offs and increased unemployment carried in the

newspapers, on TV and radio would prompt us to get a publicity

release out to all the media on the help and opportunity offered

by MONEY MAKING MAGIC! Say there's a deluge of chain letters

and pyramid schemes making the round - the media picks up on it

and attempts to warn the people to beware... Within 5 days, we

would get a publicity release out, explaining the availability

of our report on chain letters and pyramid schemes - a report

that explains everything from A to Z - who're the winners and

who're the real losers.

There's another kind of timing also to keep in mind...

Publication deadlines... For best results, always try to time it

so your material reaches the editor in time for the Sunday

paper. This is because that's when the papers have their

greatest circulation; the most space is available; and the

people, the most time to read the paper.

For articles you'd like to appear in the Sunday paper, you'll

generally have to get your release in at least nine days prior

to the date of publication. If you're in doubt, call and ask

about the deadline date.

IN SUMMARY:

Choose the media most likely to carry your press release.

Select those that carry similar write-ups on a regular basis.

Always use a cover letter of some kind. It pays to call ahead

to find out the name of the person you should be sending your

press release to.

Use the proper press release form, complete with a headline that

will interest the man deciding whether or not to use your item.

Be sure your press release is letter perfect - no typo's or

misspelled words - and don't photo-copy - always have each

letter or press release individually typed or printed.

When your item is used, send a thank you note or call the editor

on the phone and thank him for using your press release.

Never, but never call or write an editor demanding to know why

he didn't use your press release, why he had it rewritten or cut

it short - just try, and try again!

Bank of America launches Merrill Edge online brokerage - Birmingham Business Journal

There won’t be talking babies, but Bank of America and Merrill Lynch are ready to play the online brokerage game.

Charlotte, N.C.-based BofA, owner of Merrill Lynch, on Monday officially launched Merrill Edge, an online retail brokerage designed to compete with the likes of E*Trade and its famous talking baby TV commercials. Merrill Edge will offer BofA customers the ability to make equity trades online with little or no fees, while tapping into the expertise of Merrill Lynch’s wealth management business.

BofA called the new offering a “cornerstone” of the company’s strategy as it tries to cross-sell more of its wealth management and banking products.

"We believe Bank of America and Merrill Lynch offer the best combination of value and capabilities in financial services with the ability to serve the full range of customer needs,” Joe Price, president of Consumer and Small Business Banking at BofA, said in a statement.

Merrill Edge integrates three existing offerings, Banc of America Investment Services, Merrill Lynch Direct and Merrill Lynch Financial Advisory Center, into one product that ties into BofA’s online banking platform. Customers will be able to manage their checking, savings and investments accounts online or via mobile devices.

Merrill Edge is designed to let customers invest on their own with access to online resources or to receive guidance from Merrill Lynch brokers and advisers.

BofA says Merrill Edge will target “mass affluent” customers, a term used to describe upper middle-class investors with between $50,000 and $250,000 in investment assets. Wealthier clients will continue to be served by Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and U.S. Trust’s private banking business, BofA says.

“With the launch of Merrill Edge, we have the ability to offer financial advice and solutions to investors at all stages of their financial lives,” said Sallie Krawcheck, president of Global Wealth and Investment Management at BofA.

BofA says it has identified the mass affluent as one of its fastest-growing customer segments. Those individuals are likely to be investing for retirement, children’s education and health care costs, the bank says in a survey. Many of them want access to resources, but also want to self-direct their investing.

“This group wants to feel more in control and have told us that they want to call the shots, but at times need a sounding board,” Dean Athanasia, Mass Affluent executive at BofA says in a statement. “Merrill Edge Advisory Center clients can seek financial advice when and where they need it, and they’ll have the security of knowing they can see and access their banking and investing accounts in one place, online, anytime, any way they want.”

The Merrill Edge offering is fully integrated with BofA’s online banking, ATM network and mobile banking services. And it follows the bank’s recent philosophy shift in rewarding customers that have the deepest relationships with lower fees. Customers with at least $25,000 in certain BofA accounts can make trades with Merrill Edge without paying a fee.

Learn more about Merrill Edge here.

Click here to read BofA’s Merrill Edge Report, a research report on the mass affluent.

BofA is the second-largest bank in New Mexico with more than 14 percent of market share, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Read more: Bank of America’s Moynihan: 2010 “a necessary repair and rebuilding year" | New Mexico Business Weekly

Adam O'Daniel of the Charlotte Business Journal, an affiliated publication, compiled this report.

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Online Banking & Windows: A Dangerous Combination - All Business

Every popular technology follows a familiar curve. What starts as an obscure, complicated, niche product inevitably gets cheaper, faster, and easier to use.

Malware is no different. Exploits that once required real chops to pull off are now available as ready-built attack toolkits. The only barrier to unleashing one of these things is the user's willigness to break the law.

And there's no shortage of people prepared to cross that line.

Bank accounts are probably the single most popular target for these attackers. Malware like ZeuS and its cousins can infect a system, capture bank login information, and allow a criminal to drain a victim's account in a matter of minutes. Some ZeuS variants will even disable a user's operating system to knock them offline and buy the thief some extra time.

Here's what you as a small business owner need to know: Federal banking regulations protect consumers against financial losses due to fraud. Business bank accounts do not enjoy the same legal protection. While some banks might reimburse a small business that falls victim to malware or online fraud, the vast majority will not.

Think about that for a moment. A single piece of malware on the wrong PC, at the wrong time, could empty your bank account and destroy your business. And there won't be a thing you can do about it.

Those are the stakes. Now here's the solution: A Linux Live CD.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry. We'll get you up to speed right now. Here's how security expert Brian Krebs describes the concept:

These are generally free, Linux-based operating systems that one can download and burn to a CD-Rom or DVD. The beauty of Live CDs is that they can be used to turn a Windows based PC into a provisional Linux computer, as Live CDs allow the user to boot into a Linux operating system without installing anything to the hard drive. Programs on a LiveCD are loaded into system memory, and any changes -- such as browsing history or other activity -- are completely wiped away after the machine is shut down. To return to Windows, simply remove the CD from the drive and reboot. More importantly, malware that is built to steal data from Windows-based systems simply won't load or work when the user is booting from LiveCD.

There's the real benefit of a Live CD: Malware like ZeuS never gets a chance to load, so it never gets a chance to attack your bank account. It's the closest thing to perfect security you're going to get in the real world.

(Using a Mac or a regular desktop Linux system can be a good alternative -- malware like ZeuS very rarely targets these OSes. But neither is as safe as using a Live CD.)

Krebs' tutorial on using a Live CD has been around for a while now, but I think it's more relevant than ever. Back in 2009, account-sniffing malware was a curiosity; today it's a plague. And these instant-malware kits, available to anyone willing to buy them, are going to cause the problem -- and the losses -- to explode over the next 12 months.

Here's the bottom line: Don't access a business bank account using a Windows PC. Just don't do it. Ever.

One mistake could cost your business everything, and that's just too high a price to pay. The time you spend learning how to bank using a Linux Live CD might be the best business investment you'll ever make.

Feeling social? Follow me on Twitter @mckenzie_allbiz.

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