EntrepreneurToolKit.net

2012-01-27T10:29:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: Internet Marketing School – Coming Soon! - I’ve spent the past 5 years making my living in the ... http://ow.ly/1gXS77

2012-01-18T11:48:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: The Power of Choice - In 2012, on a seemingly typical Friday evening in January, the luxury cruise sh... http://ow.ly/1gN3ef

2012-01-14T23:36:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: Kobe System - Success for the successful. That’s the catch phrase to the new Kobe System. If yo... http://ow.ly/1gIXBh

2012-01-02T18:27:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: What would you like to do in 2012? - Happy New Year! 2012 is finally here. I’d love to find o... http://ow.ly/1gvcE3

2011-12-10T13:24:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: The 48-Hour Implementation Accelerator - WEBINAR INVITATION: The 48-Hour Implementation Accelerator M... http://ow.ly/1g6rPV

2011-11-23T08:31:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: I’m Grateful For You - Here in the states, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. It wouldn’t be proper if ... http://ow.ly/1fNxTO

2011-11-22T08:28:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: Internet Marketing By The Numbers - Internet marketing is part science, part art. Let’s spend ... http://ow.ly/1fMpXC

2011-11-15T11:48:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: 12 Marketing Predictions for 2012 - I recently read an article on the website www.marketingprofs.com.... http://ow.ly/1fFddu

2011-11-02T09:06:00.001-07:00

Another edition of the Entrepreneur Success newsletter out today. Let me know if you'd like it sent to you: scomo.me/scomo-me-newsletter/#

2011-11-01T08:28:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: Daily Habits for Website Traffic - Yes, it is true. Traffic is King. Website traffic that is. If yo... http://ow.ly/1fquXr

2011-10-31T14:29:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: 4 Step Business Formula - No matter how you cut it, business always has pretty much the same formula.... http://ow.ly/1fpFEY

2011-10-27T23:37:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: Time Warrior by Steve Chandler - Time Warrior by Steve Chandler I recently completed Steve Chandler’s... http://ow.ly/1fmamy

2011-10-26T14:11:00.001-07:00

Launched my first Entrepreneur Success Newsletter today. If you'd like a copy, I'd love to send it to you. http://ping.fm/OK6nU

2011-10-26T07:29:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: Newsletter - Today, we sent the first edition of our newsletter. Each week we’ll publish articl... http://ow.ly/1fkhFV

2011-10-21T08:29:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: Mark Cuban on Business - In the sports world, Mark Cuban is best know as the owner of the Dallas Mave... http://ow.ly/1ffvSV

2011-10-17T08:29:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: How to Get Traffic to your website for free - Inbound links are an extremely effective way to get mor... http://ow.ly/1fbaxk

2011-10-14T11:44:00.001-07:00

New Blog Post: LinkedIn in 15 Minutes a day - LinkedIn is an outstanding tool for business relationships. Learn how... http://ow.ly/1f8FS7

What Are You Doing About The Economy?

2009-08-12T06:00:00.001-07:00

I'm often asked how I'm doing in this economy. A better question is what I'm doing about this economy. Well, I'm certainly not sitting around waiting for IT to happen to ME. Instead, I'm working on making this stretch of history a successful one for me. You can too! Don't just sit around and wait for life to happen to you. Instead, be an active participant and make life happen for you. You thoughts & actions are the most important things that you've got. Let the world do what it wants. What really matter is what you are doing about it.

So, with that being said, here are things that I am doing because of the economy:

Focus more on what matters most - What matters most in your business & life? Are you focusing most of your time on that, or do you get caught doing things that don't really matter in the big picture. Every other point listed below has to do with me focusing on what matters most.
Read More - I read as much as I can. Someone recently suggested reading more children's books. So I have. These little stories often teach powerful messages in easy to understand ways. Example: The Little Engine that Could.
Canceled my cable - GASP! How are you living you may ask? No, this wasn't for financial reasons. Instead it was one of my wife's 'little experiments' that has lasted for nearly a year. No cable means more time to do other stuff like; play with the kids, talk to my wife, read, work, relax, exercise, and have fun! I've never understood the point of staring at the TV for hours watching actors fulfill their dreams and not working on fulfilling my dreams. Try it. TURN OFF THE TV!
Spending more time with family - I took an amazing family road trip this summer. It turned into an entrepreneurial voyage. (Click here to read more about it) Everyday though I make a point to spend a few minutes doing what every my kids want to do, not what I want them to do. Today it was going to the gas station to get Slurpees.
Work smarter - I'm working on automating everything I possibly can. This allows my systems to take care of the mindless task and for me to focus on what are the most critical ones. This past week I’ve worked on ways to automate staying in touch with new customers.
Taking more time to learn - In rough times you have to work harder & smarter than everyone else. In my business, I've spent a fair amount of time studying the principles taught in the Infusionsoft Double Your Sales Coaching Program. This has helped me in my business building efforts. Learn everything you possible can about what it is that you do. You can never learn enough!
Work on Social Media - Hate to say it kids, but Twitter, Facebook & MySpace are here to stay. You ought to at least take a look. Business is happening in these online forums. Case in point: I closed a deal this past week that was introduced to me through Twitter. This isn't just for teenagers.
Plan - Everyone knows the benefits of planning and the pains of not planning. So why are you planning every single day, week & month yet? Your plan doesn't even have to be the right plan. According to Michael Gerber in The E-Myth "any plan is better than no plan."
Working on Self-discipline - Each of us has habits we should break and others we should start. Now's a good time to do that. I challenge you to create 1 new habit in your life every month for the rest of the year. That means you'll have 5 new habits before the dawn of 2010. May not seem like a lot, but it is. I can be easy things like to stop swearing, drinking 1 cup of coffee instead of 5 each day, telling your wife every day you love her, hugging your kids, etc. This isn't rocket science, just simple ways to improve your life.
Write More - Writing is still one of the most effective means to getting your message out. However few entrepreneurs spend the time writing. Have a blog, write on it frequently and be sure to give good value to your readers. Post what you write online. If you're good, people will read it and want to take part in what you do.
Give - Be charitable. Nothing helps you gain good karma than by giving. It doesn't have to be money. Give time, stuff you don't use, ideas. Heck, this week I'm giving blood.
Minimize - Historically, I've been involved in a few business ventures at the same time, thinking this was the entrepreneurial way. Not true! Instead, I've minimized into 1 business focus. This has simplified my life, improved my results in that business and has made me happier. Life is much easier and more fulfilling now. Pick one venture and focus on that now.

My point in writing this is to ensure that you are not of of those types who is letting life happen to them. My newest and biggest pet peeves in life is having people say things like, well in this economy, or because of today's economic climate, or you can't expect to be happy in today's world. Get over it! Yes, I realize that there are issues out there, but you CAN and MUST do something about it. Don't let the economy bring you down. Instead, find ways to use it to your advantage. Hard times are an excellent excuse to get better.

What are you doing about the economy? Tell us your stories & experiences.

Infusionsoft Changes - What does it mean for Entrepreneurs?

2009-07-07T16:46:00.005-07:00

Last week Infusionsoft made radical changes to their pricing model and product platform. The capstone to this change is the elimination of all upfront costs to purchase Infusionsoft. So what exactly does that mean for entrepreneurs?

Well, for entrepreneurs, this is a dream come true! This means that Infusionsoft is now very affordable. BTW, when the upfront cost was eliminated, we kept the monthly subscription fee the same! In other words, this is the deal of your lifetime!!

So for you newbies out there, you may be asking what Infusionsoft is??? Well, Infusionsoft is a software program that combines CRM, email marketing and eCommerce into one, easy to use system. The real magic though, is in the automated follow up engine. (Imagine being able to follow up with the right people, at the right time, without having to do it yourself!) Big time Entrepreneurs are using Infusionsoft. Michael Gerber, Dan Kennedy, Perry Marshall, Mark Victor Hansen, Bill Phillips, Bill Bartmann, Jim Cecil, to name a few. (For a more comprehensive list, Click Here)

Infusionsoft has been designed by Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs. It will save you time and will significantly increase your revenue. When you fix your follow up, you will get more prospects. Prospects will become customers and customers = money!

Simply put, if you fix your follow up, you'll double your sales. Infusionsoft will fix your follow up!
Oh, and if you don't be live we can do it, then check out the Double Your Sales Guarantee.

Bottom line; Infusionsoft works. If you're an Entrepreneur, you should try it. For a free trial, Click Here. If you have any questions, please contact me by filling out the form at the top, right of this page.

Infusionsoft Unveils New Business Model

2009-07-07T05:00:00.004-07:00

Infusionsoft Eliminates Upfront Fees, Rolls Out New Website and Offers Free Trial of Acclaimed On-Demand Solution to Entire Entrepreneurial Small Business Sector

If you'd like to try Infusionsoft, please complete the form to the right
*For a free trial of Infusionsoft, visit www.tryinfusionsoft.com

Gilbert, Ariz. – July 7, 2009 – Infusionsoft, the leader in automatic follow-up software for small businesses, today announces record quarterly revenue and customer growth as well as a major change to its business model by completely eliminating required up-front fees (which previously ranged from $2,000 to $6,000) for every tier of its service. In addition, the company will offer a 15-day free trial of its product, complete with customer set-up and support. The new model makes it pain-free for any small business owner to learn how Infusionsoft can increase their sales revenue by solving one of the biggest pitfalls facing the small business market today: staying in touch with customers and prospects to convert interest into sales and repeat sales.

The new business model comes after two years of product and business development for the company’s flagship automatic follow-up software. Infusionsoft says that today’s announcement is an important first step toward becoming the ubiquitous marketing and sales software provider in the small business sector. Already established as the leading software by experts in small business marketing and sales, Infusionsoft is now focusing on the mainstream marketplace to help every small business automate their sales and marketing operations in order to fuel growth.

Last year, the company completely redesigned their product to make it more streamlined and user-friendly after extensive customer feedback studies. Infusionsoft then went on to raise $7.9 million in venture capitalist funding from a new investor in an otherwise investment-unfriendly climate. Earlier this year, the company introduced a tiered pricing plan to accommodate the needs of any small business, along with a guarantee to double users’ sales. These changes helped more small businesses than ever get started with Infusionsoft, and resulted in the best quarterly revenue and customer growth for the company to date. In June, Infusionsoft saw a nearly 475% increase in customers over the same month last year, and an increase of more than 225% in new customers compared to the same quarter of 2008. Now the elimination of up-front fees in conjunction with the free trial will make the software accessible to all entrepreneurs who want to grow fast.

“We have big plans for growth in the future and we know that this shift in our business model will move us toward our end goal of liberating and empowering all entrepreneurs,” said Clate Mask, Co-Founder and CEO of Infusionsoft. “This is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time: give every entrepreneur the ability to fix their prospect and lead follow–up, and thus double their sales. That’s our promise to entrepreneurs, and our customers have proven it over and over. Now we’re taking this liberating technology – and our promise – to the entire small business community.”

The eliminated fees and free trial, combined with low monthly subscription rates, means that small businesses will now have greater access to the company’s famous ‘Double Your Sales’ guarantee, a cornerstone of Infusionsoft’s approach to helping entrepreneurs avoid the pitfalls of follow-up failure.

For more Infusionsoft info, please complete the form to the right

About Infusionsoft
Infusionsoft, the leader in automatic follow-up software, helps small businesses grow fast by putting CRM, email marketing and e-commerce on auto-pilot. The privately held Inc. 500 company is based in Gilbert, Ariz. and is funded by Mohr Davidow Ventures and vSpring Capital. For more information, visit www.infusionsoft.com.
Additional marketing and small business insight from Clate Mask and the Infusionsoft team can be found on the Infusionsoft blog at www.infusionblog.com, and the Infusionsoft Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/infusionsoft.

Contact Information:
LaunchSquad
415-625-8555
Infusionsoft(at)LaunchSquad(dot)com

Entrepreneur News

2009-07-03T14:28:00.004-07:00

Below are a few articles I found today about Entrepreneurship. We are truly in the Age of the Entrepreneur!

Small Business Owners Anticipate Growth
(From entrepreneur.com)
Study shows the optimism and perseverance of business owners, and their ability to adapt to even the toughest economic conditions.

Do More with Less
(From entrepreneur.com)
New communications and PR tools offer marketers less costly (and equally effective) alternatives for building brand and product awareness

Booms Move to Self Employment
(From Forbes.com)
Over the past decade, the highest rate of new-business creation has been posted by the 55 to 64 age group.

The Power of Not Being Positive
(From Forbes.com)
Failure is an option. It's how you cope with it that matters.

Sales Principles for Entrepreneurs

2009-06-29T15:22:00.001-07:00

Anyone had Hawaiian BBQ before? Yummy! Today I went to a local Hawaiian BBQ joint for lunch. I enjoy the food. The atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired. But this caused an unexpected sales lesson today. What I’m about to share will apply to any entrepreneur.

This is a fast food style restaurant. Meaning, you order your food, sit down while they make it, and then they’ll call you to the counter when it’s ready. I was sitting close to the order counter, so I could hear the interactions between the cashier & customers. One in particular stood out. It went like this:

Customer was looking at the menu.
Cashier asked, Can I help you?
Customer said, yeah, in a minute.
Cashier asked, you been here before, right?
Customer said yes.
Cashier said nothing, just smiled
Customer then ordered.
Cashier said, what no drink?
Customer then ordered, but did not order a drink.
Money changed hands, customer sat down waiting for her order to be cooked.

Now, it’s obvious to me that the cashier really had no sales training, and probably didn’t care. I’m not saying that this was her fault. I’ve been in this place a number of times before and the same cashier is always there. She’s kind and friendly, but certainly doesn’t go out of her way to ensure you have a good experience. Personally, I come back for the food. But, based on the amount of people in the restaurant, not a lot of people do.

There are a few things that the cashier could have done to make this a better experience for her customer. These are ideas you could do as well to help your customers have a better experience when dealing with your business.

Suggested something to order when customer was looking at menu
After the customer ordered, suggest that they order a secondary item; fries, rice, desert, etc.
Ask the customer if they would like a drink when they place their order

Upselling is the easiest way to generate more revenue, yet it’s the least applied sales principle. It really works! If you don’t believe me, go to McDonalds and try to order a Big Mac. 99% of the time, you’ll be asked if you want fries with that. Are you kindly upselling your customers?

Here’s another thing, when you’re leaving and half way out the door the lady behind the counter yells: “Mahalo, Thank You!” That’s nice and all, but I don’t think it’s necessary to yell something to your customer’s backs when they are leaving. That doesn’t feel very warm or friendly.
A simple Mahalo (Thank you in Hawaiian) after ordering would be pleasant enough.

Also, give the customer something to take with them to keep in their card reminding them to come back again. A menu, frequent buyer card, magnet, business card; anything with the restaurant name, phone number location and web site on it, ANYTHING!

These tips will work in any business setting. So try them. Right now, make a list of 3 new things you will do when a customer is buying from you. Then implement them right away.

Entrepreneur Marketing Tips

2009-06-28T09:46:00.007-07:00

Below is a collection of some excellent articles & posts I've found specifically for entrepreneurs. There are tons of ideas on for both internet & local marketing for you in this post. Enjoy!

Get the Most for your written testimonials
by: Ivan Misner (from entrepreneur.com)
Make it standard practice to ask clients and contacts for testimonials and you'll build your credibility and your business.

15 Sites for Promoting Your Local Business
by: Kristin Edelhauser (from entrepreneur.com)

Want to get your name out to locals and visitors alike? Take advantage of these online marketing sites and watch your business grow.

10 Powerful Marketing Tips for Small Business
by: Ann Marie Rubertone (from About.com)
Inexpensive, yet effective ways for small businesses to market. Mostly tips designed to spread your message within your local geographic area.

How to Get a Top Listing in Google, Yahoo and Bing
by: Joe Manna (from Infusionsoft.com)
You probably are aware of all the ways that you should perform SEO, maybe even dabble in a bit of paid search engine marketing and even getting yourself noticed in social media. Getting the top listings in search engines such as Google, MSN/Live/Bing and Yahoo are the difference between getting Web leads and no leads.

7 Small Business Marketing Tips
by: Bob Leduc (from businessknowhow.com)
Here are 7 low-cost but highly effective marketing tips to help any small business find customers and generate sales quickly

Infusionsoft News

2009-06-25T10:11:00.008-07:00

*For a free Infusionsoft trial, visit www.tryinfusionsoft.com

Infusionsoft is a revolutionary software package designed specifically for Small Business & Entrepreneurs. It combines Contact Relationship Management (CRM), email marketing & e-commerence in one easy to use software package. But, the real magic is in the automatic follow up engine, because it makes it easy for entrepreneurs to fix their follow-up failure.

The company promises to Double Your Sales if you use Infusionsoft. That's a Bold claim. But it works and here's the proof that it works!

If you're interested in learning more about Infusionsoft, please click here.

Recently, I've found a ton of excellent information on the web about Infusionsoft. So below is information on what's new with Infusionsoft and why every entrepreneur should try Infusionsoft.

____________________________________________________________________

Straight talk about email marketing, shopping carts and CRM software
Double your sales guarantee: "If you use Infusionsoft for 1 year and don't double your sales, Infusionsoft will give you $1000 back when you cancel." * Used by Dan Kennedy, Frank Kern, Rich Shefren, Michael Gerber… and me ...

Big Business (Tries to) Go Small
by Tyler Garns
A couple weeks ago, Dave and I were invited to attend the Warrillow Summit in Las Vegas, which focused on connecting big business companies around small.

My Visit to Zappos: Great Company Culture | Infusionsoft Blog
by Clate Mask
I had a great visit last week to Zappos where I took a tour of their facility and had lunch with CEO, Tony Hseih. We took a trip out there to see how Tony keeps.

Looking for Answers In an Infusionsoft Review
By: dpthailand.com
There are a number of the that have the features that I am looking for, but I am very impressed by the guarantee that Infusionsoft provides. I am seriously considering purchasing this program, but would like to find an honest review ...

Marketing automatic software with Infusionsoft | Sharing Information
Sharing information about how to make money online with affiliate marketing, internet marketing, get paid to blog, pay per click, SEO, and more.

The Face of the American Entrepreneur

by Dean

“It turned out that our idea for the project was perfectly in line with Infusionsoft's message - that this is the age of the entrepreneur and that small business growth will be the key to bringing the country out of our current economic ...

Do's & Dont's of Marketing Hype

2009-06-24T16:02:00.002-07:00

Saw a Tweet the other day that said, “How to be a successful entrepreneur in 10 minutes.” 10 minutes, really? I suppose you could reach some sort of level of success in 10 minutes. But I don’t think many entrepreneurs would be happy there.

Real success takes time & effort. I don’t know of a single company or solo entrepreneur who became successful in 10 minutes. For many, they may have had a 10 minute period that launched them into a new level of success. But, that is generally preceded by an extended period of effort.

Point is, I get sick of the hype. It gives entrepreneurs & internet marketing a bad rap. For example, while writing this I pulled off of Twitter a few 'hype' tweets. Have you seen any of them before?

Get RICH in just 3 easy steps
So easy, even my blind Grandmother could do it
Home Business Tips: How To Make Money
Guaranteed $125 within 24 hrs signup now
Win a FREE iPod Touch
Sign up Free and earn $125 cash
The SEXIEST term to a network marketer's ear

I'm not even sure how a term can be sexy.

Each was accompanied with a hyper link that I’m sure led to some magical place that will immediately make me a successful entrepreneur. Yeah right!

As an entrepreneur, do you over hype yourself and your products? If so, why? I’ve found that most people really relate to down to earth people who are selling a product or service of real value. Few fall in love with the over-hype guys. Presenting your product as effective, exciting and beneficial is certainly vital. But over-hyping it shows to me that your too desperate to sell something.

So my challenge to you is this; keep the hype to a minimum. Be yourself and accurately present who you are are and what your trying to accomplish.

That being said, my next post will give you 7 easy steps on how to make your mother in law happy, make you rich beyond your wildest dreams and cure cancer in only 3 minutes! ;-)

Zig Ziglar Goal Setting

2009-06-23T10:08:00.003-07:00

The other day I listened to Zig Ziglar’s Audio book called; How To Be A Winner. Zig truly is the sales & motivation master. His insights are inspiring and if followed and executed, they will truly help you lead a successful life.

On this particular CD, he gave a few outstanding tips on goals which I’d like to share. Entrepreneurs by nature are generally goal oriented. Not all entrepreneurs will formally write out their goals, but they generally have them. Often those goals are financially based. Nearly always they are performance based. For example, this month I'll sell x amount of new units. Or, this week I will introduce my service to 10 new prospects.

Ultimately, creating the goal properly is essential. Zig outlined 6 steps for creating a goal, as well as 4 characteristics of goals. They are:

6 steps of creating goals

Identify your goal. What do you want to accomplish?
Set a deadline for reaching your goal
Make a list of obstacles that must be overcome to reach your goal.
Identify people who can help you overcome those obstacles.
Makes a list of all skills you have and those you need to obtain in order to achieve your goals
Develop a plan to achieve this goal.

Also, there are specific characteristics that each goal must possess. This will help you set the correct type of goal.

Characteristics of a Goal

To be effective, the goal must effect change
You must have big goals as well as long term goals
If you don’t have daily objectives you qualify as a dreamer and not as a doer. Daily action toward goal achievement is essential! Zig added, The difference between great and near great is the awareness that making it big means working every day to your long term objectives.
Goals must be specific, not vague or general. If you want to reach your goal you must be able to see touch & smell it.

Goals don't have to be complicated or overly lofty. I've found the most effective goals are simple, achievable, yet will stretch you slightly outside of your comfort zone.

I encourage you to follow these goal setting tips. Try it right now. Create a goal for something you'd like to achieve in the next week. Then, leave a comment to this blog post and tell us how you did.

Always remember, Whether you think you can or think you can’t you are generally right!

An Unplanned Infusionsoft Roadtrip

2009-06-19T13:40:00.002-07:00

I spent the past few days on an amazing road trip with my family. We visited tons of little towns and tourist spots in Utah. Little did I know that it would turn into an entrepreneurial voyage which taught me more about the small businesses in America.

Many of the people we visited were entrepreneurs. We visited a house painter, a small business marketing expert, a nutrition product reseller, an artist and the marketing director for a small chemical business. Some of these were long time friends while others are new faces.

It’s always fun and refreshing for me to meet with entrepreneurs. I love their can-do attitude. They always seem to be working through challenges & obstacles, rather than letting life run them. They lead great lives. This doesn’t mean that they are all rich, but rather they are all fulfilled with what life has to offer.

I made a point with each visit to ask each what their biggest challenges in business were. Each had the same answer; they are good at what they do, but they have no idea how to market themselves or their businesses. Their follow up ranged from non-existent to minimal. They needed help, but as with most entrepreneurs they had little extra finances to hire the necessary assistance.

This lead to many good conversations about Infusionsoft. Infusionsoft combines CRM, email marketing and ecommerce into one system. But, the real magic is in the automatic follow-up engine. It makes it easy for entrepreneurs to fix their follow up failure. I was able to coach these friends on how to properly follow-up with each prospect & customer, without taking time away from their core business functions.

All were very interested in what Infusionsoft had to offer. I was excited to help my friends grow their businesses through Infusionsoft!

This wasn't intended to be a work trip, but I’m sure glad it turned into one. I guess that's what happens when you love and live your work.

Entrepreneurship is not only the back bone, but also the heart & soul of American business.

Rich Schefren & Stephen Pierce Seminar

2009-06-19T10:53:00.002-07:00

Some exciting news.....There is a marketing and business building seminar being held June 26 -27 in Los Angeles, featuring world-renowned author and speaker Michael Gerber, business genius and marketing phenomenon Rich Schefren, “World’s #1 Wealth Advocate”, Stephen Pierce, and sales and marketing automation experts from Infusionsoft that will rock your world and make you look at your business in an entirely new way.

Are you a slave to your business, working 80 plus hours a week and not having the results that you want? This is the place to be to get off that treadmill and learn the secrets many businesses are using to automate many of your most time consuming tasks and ending the riddle of follow up with customers and prospects.

You will see how implementing just a couple of these strategies will give you more time in the day, and picking up new customers quickly and easily with the magic of automation!

The seminar is not free, but admission is set at an embarrassingly low $199 per person. With an admission fee, you weed out tire kickers, seminar junkies and the like, and the attendees are people you would actually WANT to meet and network with.

There are only a very finite number of seats available so register NOW.

Register Here

The exact location will only be given to people who register. It will be in LA at one of the larger hotels near LAX, that’s the only hint we can give!

You are going to see, hear, and learn:

• How ‘set it and forget it’ automation strategies will deliver more new customers in a month than you now get all year.
• How to ‘re-activate’ you dead list and find value where you thought there was none.
• The single most important ‘number’ you MUST know and use in your business – there is a 98% probability that you are NOT using it now.
• 4 break through strategies to make your business immune to the recession and current market conditions in your business area.
• And so much more!

Many entrepreneurs can fall into the ‘blaming the economy’ for all your problems, and become a self-fulfilling prophesy where you can begin accepting poor sales and profitability. I guarantee after attending this seminar, you will never feel that way again.

So while this is fresh in your mind, register now!

Register Here

This is a rare opportunity to learn from the masters themselves….people who run businesses NOW and not in their dimmest memories…..who can provide you with easy-to-use tools to completely re-invent your business plan and results!

P.S. A FREE lunch will be provided for both days of the seminar!

Tips to manage Business & Life

2009-06-19T07:57:00.001-07:00

If you're like most entrepreneurs, you have more to do than time to do it. Let’s face it, that’s part of the thrill of entrepreneurship, but it’s also a major downfall.

I've found that too many entrepreneurs get so wrapped up in their businesses, and forget to take care of the other aspects of their lives. (Stop & think, how many overweight entrepreneurs do you know? ) When you focus too much on your business a lot of negative effects result. Families are neglected, friends are lost, and the physical and mental health of the small business owner declines. (Just to name a few.)

So here are some tips for being able to successfully manage your business & your life:

Automate your business- I love business automation! It's the best kept secret in the business world. Too many entrepreneurs I work with aren't automating. They are doing everything manually. You've got to stop this! When you put your business on auto-pilot you have more time for other things.

Here are three easy to use automation tools to try:

Put systems into place. If you repeatedly do something the same way, you'll make few mistakes. In other words, it becomes a habit. Write a list of everything that you do. Figure out a process for everything you do. Then follow it religiously.
Be More educated. Working smarter could mean working less. Spend time taking classes & reading books about your industry. You will learn tips on how to be more effective. Click here to view useful educational products.
Take time for you. Believe it or not, taking a day off can add to your productivity. Your health improve, your personal life will be happier and you'll be more focused when working.
Go home- set a time schedule for yourself. Schedule the number of hours you will work and stick to that plan.
Set your priorities- Every day, create a task list & prioritize the list. Do your most important products first. One word of advice, be sure sure to add time with friends and family as a top priority.

Follow these tips you'll be more product and will have more of your precious time back.

One final thought, remember; nobody ever lay on their deathbed wishing they had spent more time at the office!

$5 Twitter Trick

2009-06-10T20:45:00.003-07:00

Have you heard of the $5 Twitter Trick yet? If you've spent any time on Twitter, you probably have seen it. I've run across the ad about a million times so tonight I broke down and bought it.

In fairness to the author, I won't give away what they consider their actual 'trick.' I will say this, most of the 'trick' is common sense and many Twitter followers probably already follow their tactics. But, there are some great tips. I've seen a few of new Tweeters who claimed to gain a thousand or so followers in just a few days following these tactics.

The guide was filled with tons of other good social media info. Some topics included:

How to tie your Blog to Twitter
Why Twitter can't replace your blog
Getting to know your Tweeps
Why Twitter is an easy way to gain clients
Best business practices for Twitter
Branding your Twitter Profile
Best Following / un-following practices

I was pleased to see that their ideas weren't full of way so simply SPAM. Instead, there is good content on how to effectively use Twitter as a marketing tool.

In addition to purchasing the guide, you also receive a few other Twitter guides on automation & driving traffic to your blog. You can also purchase different levels of reseller rights. I didn't do that, but it seemed like a good value.

If you're interested, pick up a copy by clicking here. I think it's worth the $5!

Twitter Guides & Resources

2009-06-06T13:50:00.006-07:00

There are a ton of resources & guides available on how to use Twitter. I've put together a list of some of my favorites:

Professional Twitter Marketing - Hummingbird

This is the best program I've seem. Here are a few Tweeters who claim to be using Hummingbird:
Sarah Turner - @Sarah_Turner 35,000+ followers
Travis Campbell - @mpdotcom - 20,000+ followers
Josh - @therealJosh - 16,000+ followers
Gary Vaynerchuk - @GaryVee - 430,000+ followers

It works!

Tweeter Getter Get 19,530 followers in 30 days. All you have to do is enter your Twitter name.

RevTwt
It's simple: Post tweets and get paid every time someone click on that link. Yes, it's really that easy!

Below are a few Twitter Guides

Twitter Traffic Machine - The Automated Growth & Money Making System. This system Explains How To Grow A Twitter Account Rapidly W/total Automation Via 5 Videos. In Video 6, We Then Show How Create A Viral Affiliate Business. The System Is Automated For Affiliates Using Your Twitter Account. Turn It On, Forget, & Make Money!

Turbo Cash Generator - Generate Cash At Will Using Twitter! - Using The Turbo Cash Generator You Can Generate Cash At Will Using Twitter. It's All Done Automatically. Just Sign Up, Enter Your Twitter Details And Start Earning.

Twitter Trick - The $5 Twitter Trick - This is a simple guide with excellent tips.

Twitter Traffic Exposed - Discover How To Tap Into A Massive Flow Of Traffic From Twitter Today & Make More Money In Your Online Business Guaranteed.

Twitter Traffic Machine

2009-05-26T20:40:00.008-07:00

The Twitter Traffic Machine

"The Completely Automated Twitter Growth & Money Making System for People That Want to Set Up A System ONCE, Forget About It, and Have it Grow and Make Money EVERY Day!"

If you’ve spent any time recently on Twitter, then you’ve probably run into the Twitter Traffic Machine. This is a program which promises to dramatically increase your followers and to generate extra income. If you want to automatically generate extra followers, then the system really works. If you're planning on gettin rich off of it, then think again.

Simply put, the follower part of this program really works. I purchased it as a skeptical Internet consumer and Twitter novice. I figured that this would be another up-sell or gimmick once I laid down $27 for the program. I was wrong.

Instead, I found that Twitter Traffic Machine to be easy to implement and follow. I watched my Twitter followers increase dramatically after doing a little bit of work to get the system set up. Before starting Twitter Traffic Machine I had grown my Twitter following simply by following a bunch of people and hoped they’d follow me back. That really didn't work. It took me months to get to 1,000 followers.

I had significantly better results following the Twitter Traffic Machine results. In one month, I increased my followers from 1,610 to 5,407! That's nearly 4,000 new followers!

Here are a few statistics:

The day before I started using Twitter Traffic Machine (April 23, 2009) I had 1,597 followers.
On April 24, 2009, I had 1,610 followers.
By May 1, this grew to 2,726.
On May 15, I had 4,340 followers
As of writing this (May 26) I now have 5,456 followers.
I gain 120 new followers every day!

Here's a chart graphing my growth (Courtesy of TwitterCounter.com)

*All of these stats can be verified at www.twittercounter.com

As you can see, this really works. Now, I’m light years away from the 30,000+ followers that Bill Crosby has, and truth be told I’m not sure if I want to grow that much. But, this system really does work and will help you grow.

When you purchase, you receive access to 6 video tutorials & a System Checklist outline that will help guide you through the process. Essentially you set up a number of automatically generated and posted Tweets. These Tweets are specific to your niche. For example, I brand myself as an Entrepreneur, therefore all of my Tweets are Entrepreneur related. You set up the system once and it runs on auto-pilot from there.

In addition to the automatic postings, you also configure automatic follow / un following which is also based on your niche. My followers come are generally other entrepreneurs and are therefore more likely interested in the Tweets which I post and the content on my websites.

Because of the automation of the system, I don’t have to worry about finding new followers again. Instead, I focus on what Twitter was designed for……communicating. I now spend my Twitter time interacting with fellow members of Twitter-nation and learning from them.

Conclusion

The results have been outstanding! I already shared my increase in Twitter followers, but I’ve increased traffic to my website & to other affiliate links I promote.

I strongly advocate this program. It’s just $27. No hidden fees and there isn’t an annoying up-sell once you purchase. Instead, you pay $27 to learn how to dramatically increase your followers. Imagine that, an information product that actually does what it promises.

For more information on the Twitter Traffic Machine, click here.

TwtAd Review

2009-05-12T16:12:00.009-07:00

Review of TwtAd - Twitter income & advertising opportunity
Answering the question: does TwtAd work?

Let me say this right off the bat. You're not going to get rich off of TwtAd. But, if set up correctly, it will help you fund other online ventures!

Essentially TwtAd is a software program in which you can do 2 basic functions.

Post ads through your Twitter account and make money based on how many people click on that link
Advertise using TwtAd so other Tweeters will post ads for you.

TwtAd claims to be the largest Social Conversation Ad Network. As of 5/12/09: their home page states that they are advertising to 7,092,363 Twitter users.

Let's take a closer look.

If you're interested, join TwtAd here.

Making Money - Posting Links
This is very basic & easy to do. Once you create an account and then log into the TwtAd system you will then click on Post Ads. In this section, a list will appear of the advertisements that are available for you to post. Associated with each add will be a link that states that amount paid to you per click. This is generally between $ 0.025 & $ 0.10. Simply select an ad that appeals to you, click on it and then give TwtAd permission to post that ad. Immediately, it will be posted to your Twitter account.

That's it. It's really that simple. One word of caution here......please be sure to select ads that are in line with your online brand. For example, I brand myself and an online entrepreneur. It would be foolish of me to advertise a Weight Loss product through my Twitter account; unless of course it is something that is very personal to me. As always with Twitter, be careful what you post. Don't chase away followers by SPAMing.

TwtAd has a very basis daily report showing how many times individuals have clicked on your links and how much you earned of those clicks.

Also, be sure to read the terms & conditions. The organization seems to be serious about SPAM and Click Fraud, which certainly is refreshing. Also, they have rules on how often you can post ads.

Once you reach a certain level, TwtAd will pay you via PayPal.

Spread Your Word - Advertise
Advertising is simple and seems to be effective. There are 2 ways to advertise. You can do so via Cost per click (CPC) or Cost per Thousand Followers (CPT). CPC is pretty self explanatory. TwtAd explains CPT as follows: "For a CPT ad, you pay for each tweet based on the number of per 1000 followers of the Twitter user posting your ad. Assume you specify a CPT of $0.50 and allow users with 500+ followers to post your ad. If a user with 650 followers posts your ad, you will be charged $0.50x650/1000 = $0.33 for the tweet."

Essentially, creating ads for both CPC & CPT are the same. Step 1 is to fund your account. You can do this with PayPal or Credit Card. The minimum buy is $50. Once funded, you can then create an ad. Here you will select a URL that you wish to drive traffic to. Then, craft the Title & Tweet that you will have others post for you. You determine the cost per click. This can be as much as $0.99. (Highest I've seen is $0.10) Next, determine the target countries you want your message to be sent too. Finally, if you choose you can determine a budget for that specific message.

Determining if this is a good investment is completely up to you, but I think it would be worth a shot. Let's run some math.

Let's assume that you fund TwtAd with $50 and you will pay $0.05 per click. That means that you will generate 1,000 clicks to your site. That's great! Good luck doing that with Google Ads. Assume that 1% of those 1,000 visitors bought a $10.00 product from you. (10 people x $10 = $100). You just generated $100 worth of revenue and made a $50 profit. Congratulations, you just doubled your money!

Now for purposes of full discourse, I haven't tried this yet. Maybe it won't work. But, I do think its work the risk!

If you are interested, join TwtAd here.

Affiliate Program
Additionally, TwtAd has an easy to use Referral program. In my opinion, this is the real income opportunity in TwtAd. If you refer others to TwtAd, you will receive 20% of their earnings for life. You can advertise this in many ways including sending Tweets, emailing your list, blogging, Google Ads and more. Also, TwtAd provides 2 banners to choose from:

The Bottom Line
I suggest trying TwtAd. The Ad Post program is free. In fact, you'll make a few bucks. The advertising portion seems like a good investment. Affiliate program is easy to use. Ultimately, I suggest giving this a shot. Go for it.

If you're interested, it is available here.

12 Twitter Tips

2009-05-10T15:30:00.003-07:00

12 Twitter tips from Kay Green. Kay this the founder of an online community which promotes Child Safety products. Go to http://www.mypreciouskid.com/ for more info. Kay's Twitter Page is: @MyPreciousKid

The other day, Kay posted the following 12 Tweets on Twitter. With her permission, I'm reposting these here. There are excellent tips in using & growing Twitter.

TWITTER TIP 1: NAME - Get your twitter account in your business name - build brand awareness
TWITTER TIP 2: ADD a photo, website URL and a full bio box in your settings
TWITTER TIP 3: TWEET every day, plan your time
TWITTER TIP 4: GIVE help, tips, encouragement, free samples, article, blog entries, etc
TWITTER TIP 5: FIND someone you admire and follow some of their followers
TWITTER TIP 6: FOLLOW BACK most of those who follow you
TWITTER TIP 7: FREEBIE - Create a freebie to giveaway. In the shipment include catalog and coupon off
TWITTER TIP 8: ENCOURAGE your followers to follow newbies
TWITTER TIP 9: GRADE Twitter Grader to see your grade - click elite to follow top 100.
TWITTER TIP 10: SEARCH Twitter Grader Search put in a search term of kinds of people to follow
TWITTER TIP 11: ASK for followers on twitter - ask your followers to ask their followers to follow you
TWITTER TIP 12: ENTER other conversations. ANSWER others questions

What Twitter tips do you have? What is working for you with Twitter?

Twitter - Managing Your Account

2009-05-06T23:19:00.004-07:00

Hummingbird - Very robust & professional tool for organization. One of the best out there. For serious Twitter Users.

TweetDeck - Free application you download to your desktop. Lot of Twitter users use this. Pretty easy to use.

Twitterrific - Let's you both read & publish posts directly to Twitter. Multiple account support. Clean & easy to use.

Mad Twitter - A Windows application that lets you read & post Tweets.

Twitter-r - A Twitter File sharing application.

Twoogle - Search Twitter & Google at the same time.

Twidget - A program you install on your desktop that auto-refreshes Twitter. Watch Twitter, without logging into Twitter.com

Twhirl - A desktop client for social media softwares such as Twitter, Friendfeed, identica. & seesmic.

Twinja - Desktop twitter application

Snitter - Yest another Twitter Desktop Application.

Splitweet - Manage multiple applications & your online brand.

Power Twitter - Excellent Firefox add on

Twitter - Backgrounds & Images

2009-05-06T22:14:00.003-07:00

Doctor Twitter - Free patterns & backgrounds.

Twitter Post - Free hosted Twitter Images

Tweet Graphics - Good tool to customize your Twitter Background

My Tweet Space - Free tool to create a customized background.

Twit Art - Great tool to create a customized background.

Twitter - Just For Fun

2009-05-06T21:24:00.003-07:00

When did you Join Twitter? - We joined April 19, 2009

What's Your Tweet Worth - Not sure how, but this site will put a value on your Twitter account.

Secret Tweet - Post something anonymously. We have no idea why you'd want to but people post some really funny / disturbing stuff.

Tweeple Magazine - A new favorite of ours. People magazine meets Twitter. Tons of Celeb info & gossip.

Celeb Writer - Find out what celebrities on Twitter are saying.

Celebrity Tweeter - Gossip / Celebrity News

Celeb Tweeter - This account follows Celeb Tweeters

Tweet Wasters - See how much time Tweeters are wasting on Twitter.

Famous Last Tweets - Ever wonder what Elvis, Pres Bush or Tupac would say on Twitter?

Twitter - Followers & Following

2009-05-06T21:20:00.005-07:00

Here are some of our favorite sites to help you generate followers

Twitter Traffic Machine - We've used this very successfully. Check out another blog here for details. Bottom line is that this system works! It's the best tool I've seen to increasing Twitter Followers.

Twitter Rock Star - Authoritative Guide To Marketing Your Brand Or Niche With Twitter. 11 Video's, 4 PDF's, 2 Mindmaps, And A 20 Minute Audio Session, All Conveniently Located In A Members Area For Viewing Or Download. The Most Comprehensive Twitter Guide On The Internet.

Twitter Trick - The site offers a tool to rapidly increase your followers. We suggest giving it a shot.

Twitter Hints - Learn How To Get Free Targeted Traffic From Twitter Using Ethical & Acceptable Marketing Practices. We Have A High Converting And In-demand Product That Our Affiliates Love!

Top Followed - Automated way to grow your followers. All you need to do is sign up.

Twitter Decoded - Exploit The Power Of Twitter, The Most Popular Social Network Online. Tap Into An Automated Traffic Machine That Will Build Your Lists, Sell Your Products And Grow Your Following In 72 Hours Or Less!

Follow Tweet - Automatic Program Is Set And Forget. Earn Income Automatically From Twitter Or Your Money Back.

Twollo - Enter your interests and Twollo will automatically follow people with similar interests for you.

Twibes - Organized into dozens of groups to find people with similar interests. Recommend other Tweeters you like.

TweepMe - Paid for site that once you join, everyone else who has joined will automatically follow you.

Twitter Getter - Strategy site to gain 1,000's of followers quickly & easily.

TwitteRel - Enter keywords. The system will find Tweeters who have recently used those keywords. Then you can follow them.

Twitter Karma - One of our favorites! Tools that finds all of your followers and those you are following. Very easy interface to show you which of your followers you are following & vice versa. We use this once a week to un-follow those not following us.

Twit Seeker - site that allows you to enter specific key words found in individual Tweets & profiles. Then you can follow those you are interested in.

Twitter - How to Make Money

2009-05-06T21:18:00.004-07:00

Make Money with Twitter

Turbo Cash Generator - Using The Turbo Cash Generator You Can Generate Cash At Will Using Twitter. It's All Done Automatically. Just Sign Up, Enter Your Twitter Details And Start Earning.

Twitter Affiliate Cash - The Twitter Affiliate Cash Systems Shows You How To Set Up A Twitter Account. Automatically Add Followers And Earn Money From Affiliate Sales. This Is An Easy And Effective System Anyone Can Implement In Less Than A Day!

Twitter Lead Generation - Twitter Lead Generation Pays out up to 70%.

Twitter Traffic Machine - Cheap & easy to join. Make money and rapidly grow your Twitter Followers at the same time! They teach excellent techniques that are easy to follow & implement. Try it today! Click here.

Easy Tweets - This is a great Twitter tool & has an excellent Affiliate program. Get $10, just for signing up. The program is free. It includes tons of advertising material to make life easy for you. Click here to become an affiliate.

TwtAd - Earn money while you Tweet. They give you links to post in your tweets and you get paid every time someone clicks on it. It's free, in fact you make money! Click here to join!

Mag Pie - Embed messages into your Tweets and earn money if someone purchases through that link. Very easy to you, once you set it up they do the work for you. Get paid per sale or lead! I've made some good money doing this!

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How I'm Getting Followers on Twitter

2009-04-30T19:15:00.008-07:00

So it seems like half of the free world is on Twitter these days. I keep waiting for Grandma to email and tell me she's made it. The other night I was at a Diamondbacks game here in Arizona. One of the stadium banners had a Twitter ad and there was another Twitter ad over the P.A. system. I guess Twitter is here to stay.

Twitter is an online community that's mixed with people trying to make a buck, share something profound, be completely useless or some combination of the three. But, most people seem to have one common theme, and that is to get lots of followers.

Recently, I've had some success growing my Twitter account. My account is growing at a rate of over 150+ per day. (Check out Twitter Counter for proof.) My total follower count is still retentively low, but if this trend continues, then I should be seeing massive growth soon! So let me give you a few hints & tips on how to grow your followers.

First, you really need to buy Twitter Traffic Machine. I can't begin to explain how valuable this is. Put it this way, when I started using Twitter Traffic Machine, I had about 1500 followers. A week later, I had 1,000 more! That brought my Twitter follower count to only 2,500. That's a 40% growth of followers in 1 week. Not bad. I can't stress it enough, buy Twitter Traffic Machine. If you want to have a bunch of followers, it's worth the small investment ($27.00)

Next, follow some sort of strategic schedule. My week goes something like this:

Sunday: Follow about 500 people (Below, I'll list ways to follow people easily without having to click on the follow button a million times)
Monday: Same, follow about 500 people
Tuesday: Follow about 500
Wednesday: Follow about 500
Thursday: Do not follow anyone! Just Tweet. have conversations with people. @reply to strategic people who are not following you, but you'd like them to. I also use Tweet Later and schedule Tweets to be sent during the upcoming week. This is a great way to put your marketing on auto-pilot.
Friday: Same as Thursday.
Saturday: Unfollow everyone who isn't following me. Here is the best tool I've found for that: Karma

Finally, there are tons of tools to use to help you be more effective with Twitter. Here are a few cool sites for you to try out. Use these well and you'll grow your own little Twitter Empire in no time!

Twitter Traffic Machine - Again, well work the investment. Get it!
Tweet Later - Easy to use system that will allow you to automate twitter. I suggest buying the professional package.
Easy Tweet
Twollow - Easy site to find followers within your niche.
Twellow - Good directory service. be sure to place yourself in all 10 categories allotted to you.
TwitSeeker - Another easy tool to find like minded Tweeters

Hope this all helps. Now it's your turn. What works for you? What tools do you use with Twitter?

Easy Tweets - Yes, it is easy

2009-04-25T21:58:00.007-07:00

Just wanted to take a quick second today and tell you about anew service I've been trying. It's called Easy Tweets.

This is perhaps the best Twitter-organizer service out there. The companies slogan is to "Take Complete Control of Twitter." Here are a few of their highlights

It's very easy to use. The reporting tools are excellent. Very easy to incorporate RSS feeds and you can even use Google Analytics! Their Tweet Deck view will make you forget all about Tweet-Deck.

This program is cheap & easy. Try it today. You'll be happy you did! Click here to sign up.

4 Step Plan Every Entrepreneur Must Follow

2009-04-24T13:14:00.006-07:00

There is a lot of flexibility in being an entrepreneur. That’s part of the thrill! But, there is one fact that every entrepreneur must live by. That is that Every Entrepreneur must have a plan!

Let me share with you a very simple method that will help you design, implement and stick with your plan.

I call this method the DNA of business. I call it that because this should be the core of every business you run and venture your pursue. I use this method to execute for my overall business plan, but also for specific projects to measure their effectiveness.

There are 4 simple steps:

Define Why – Why are you in business? What is your dream, vision, purpose, & mission? Why are you selling your product or providing your service? Why are you attempting this project?
Understanding What – This is where you will better understand your performance expectations. You will need to define your behaviors & start understanding their results. What do you hope to accomplish? What does success look like?
How is it measured – I find that entrepreneurs generally are very poor at this step. They have tons of ideas to try, but often do not do enough measure their success. To be successful, you must be able to accurately measure something’s effectiveness. In this step, define how you will know if you are successful or unsuccessful? What specific things can you measure to ensure that you are succeed and providing your why?
So What? – This is simply 2 if/then statements. If I am doing well, then what? If I am not doing well, then what? In other words, how will I adjust what I am doing?

Let’s give this a trial run to better prove my point. Let’s say you find a new product you’d like to promote & sell. Here is how I’d follow these steps to prepare me in promoting this product.

Project: Quickly & Rapidly Grow Twitter Followers
Product: Twitter Traffic Machine (This is an actual product I suggest trying. Click here for more info)
Plan of action: Send the affiliate link to follow Tweeters who follow me. Add link to my website. Send mass email to email list

Define Why – I am doing this 1) Give value to others by teaching them a valuable tool. 2) Generate another stream of income. 3) Grow my twitter list.
Understanding what – I hope to double my Twitter followers in 30 days and generate $500 in affiliate money through this program.
How is it measured – I have 1,620 Twitter followers today. My goal is to have 3,240 by May 24, 2009. This will be measures by Twitter & Twitter Counter. Affiliate income will be tracked through my affiliate website.
So What? – If I meet both of these goals, then I will continue this program. If I exceed these goals by 25%, then I will increase my marketing of this. If I miss these goals by 25%, then I will discontinue this program.

It’s as easy as that! That plan took me about 5 minutes to write. But now I know why I want to attempt this new project. What I am going to do. How I will measure it. And what I will do based on those results.

Easy! Now try it! You’ll be glad you did.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions. Please try this and tell me how it works for you.

The Curse of the Entrepreneur

2009-04-22T21:23:00.007-07:00

Let me tell you a quick story that I hear time and time again. The main character changes, but the story remains the same. It goes something like this…..

I’m not sure that I know what I want to do when I grow up. So far, I’ve bounced from job to job, making just enough to support my family. However, I get bored easily with each job and start looking for the next best thing.

As a result, I’ve run though my life feeling unfulfilled. I don't really know what I want to do. I have lots of ideas, but I don't really know which one to pursue

I think I want to do something on my own. I may want to own my own business. I’d like to be my own boss. In my previous jobs, I’ve loved building something new within my role and I’d love to do that with my own company. But, that takes a lot of work and money. I don't really know how to do it or how to get started. I guess I'll keep looking for the perfect job for me.

The reality is that this person does know what they want to do when the grow up - THEY WANT TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR!

Here's the really cool news about this......You can be an entrepreneur just by deciding that you are one. That's it! No school to complete, entrance exam to pass or interview to ace.

So, why do I call this a curse? Well, because frequently there is something holding wanna-be entrepreneurs back from pursing their dreams. For instance, you've got to support your family and yourself financially. Frequently when you stop working at your ‘regular’ job and start an entrepreneurial-venture there is a period of time where you make little to no money.

Or, it may be fear holding you back. The fear of failure, the fear of getting in over your head, or the fear of the unknown.

That's generally the curse.....money and/or fear. You're cursed because you want to be an entrepreneur, but are stuck in a job and can't be.

Personally, I don't believe in the curse. We live in the age of the entrepreneur! With the internet, it's easier than ever to follow your individual entrepreneur dream.

You’ve got to start somewhere. If you think you have the entrepreneur-spirit within you, then go for it! Decide that you are an entrepreneur and find a way to apply that to your life. Don’t go through life saying, I don’t really know what I want to do. The reality is that you do know…..you’re just afraid to try it.

Here are a few resources that I recommend to help you get started.

So let me ask you this, how do you cure this curse? How do you get started? How can you follow your dreams? In a few days, I'll add another post with some of my ideas. But, I'd like to hear from you.

If you are an entrepreneur, how did you get started? If you would like to be an entrepreneur, what's holding you back?

Getting Started with Twitter

2009-04-21T10:46:00.006-07:00

I'm still not sure how or why, but Twitter-mania seems to be upon us. It's always amazing to me when something that seems so simple can simply explode in excitement.

So, because there are a lot of new Entrepreneurs starting on Twitter, I thought I'd take a few minutes to discuss how to get started, how to correctly grow your followers and even how to make a little money using Twitter!

Getting Started
Getting started is simple. Go to www.twitter.com. Then click on the Get Started - Join Icon
Simply, complete all requested information and your all set! Don't be afraid to use your real name as your user name. You may also want to use your company or nickname here. I prefer to keep it basic, but this is totally up to you. Once you've complete these steps you're registered.
Welcome to Twitterland!

Grow Your Follower List
There is much debate about followers. Some want to get as many followers as possible. Others only want to have a small group of followers whom they care about. This is totally up to you and why you are using Twitter. Who to follow will also depend on your strategy. I suggest only following those with similar interested to you. For example, my main interest is Entrepreneurship. Therefore, I look for people with entrepreneur topics in their tweets & bio.

You may also want to list yourself on a Twitter directory so other like-minded Tweeters can find you. I really like Twellow. (www.tweellow.com) This is an easy to use directory where you can list yourself in various categories. So, if you're interested in cooking, then you'd want to place yourself under the cooking, food, or even the health, etc.

Making Money
You can even make money using Twitter. I'll talk about this more later on exactly how, but essentially you can use Twitter to market products. They don't even have to be your products. You can easily market other peoples products and make a profit as an affiliate. We'll talk a lot more about this in later blog entries.

One word of caution, please do not SPAM people on Twitter. If all you are doing is selling something to others, people will stop following you. Instead, talk about yourself and what you are up to. Find good articles or blogs that interest you and tell others about that. Feel free to share a url to something you are selling, but don't simply join Twitter to just sell stuff. There are better ways to sell.

Now it's your turn. Why do you use Twitter? What do you like / dislike about it? What else would you like to learn about Twitter?

Twitter Grader Review - Worth Trying

2009-04-17T21:23:00.010-07:00

Twitter Grader is one of the dozens of free tools available to help Twitter users. Like most Twitter tools, it's pretty easy to use and seems to be aimed at everyone's #1 goal on Twitter......GETTING LOTS OF FOLLOWERS! But, there is more to Twitter Grader than meets the eye.

Let's start with the basics. When you first go to www.twittergrader.com (or http://twitter.grader.com/) a very simple & clean looking interface is presented asking you to enter your Twitter username. Once you do, the grader is off and running a few few quirky, yet funny phrases while you wait. Once the 'grading' is complete, the following screen will appear.

Tons of information is returned to you. It's very easy to read & use. A few highlights:
Tweet Cloud: Located towards the middle of the screen. This shows commonly user words in your Tweets with the most commonly used in larger print. This is very beneficial because its a 2 second overview of your content. Good visual way to see what you're talking about most.

Suggest Followers: This is at the bottom of your profile screen. I'm not sure how they determine this, but for the most part the list seems to be of people with similar interests based on your Twitter profile.

Other cool features are:
TwitSnip - Nifty little tool the lives in your browser. It allows you to quickly tweet content from a web page you are currently on.
TweetIt Button Creator - Very easy to use tool to create Tweet-it links for web content. (See the Tweet it Link at the end of this article)
Badge - Tool that provides html code to show your Twitter Grade or your current followers. (See right hand column of this site)

One last feature is the Twitter Elite links at the top right of the screen. This shows top rated Tweeters and are organized by location. It's nice to see who is most active in different areas of the world. Also, if you want to be the best, you need to do what the best are doing. Here are the account this site feels are top rated on Twitter. Spend some time studying what they do.

A few negatives about the site.....The grading doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. There seems to be a world of difference between someone who ranks at 98.6 versus 99.0. It seems like they get as many people as close to 100 as possible. Perhaps this is by design. Also, it occasionally will take forever to load your Twitter Grade and other information. Sometimes, it will freeze my browser (Firefox.) Occasionally, the site wil not load.

All in all, I really like this site. Check it out and use what you learn from it to continue creating your own little Twitter Empire. Go ahead and check out my stats there as well.

Twitter Tools For Success

2009-04-15T12:45:00.010-07:00

I've spent a good chunk of time recently playing with Twitter and the many free Twitter-related services that are out there. There are tons. I love the Twitter concept. Give everyone a few lines to share what's on their mind. I love even more that they have an open API and literally hundreds or Twitter related applications have been created as a result.

So, the question is, which ones should you use? If you Tweet at all (and if your an entrepreneur you certainly should) using applications can help you develop your brand & business. Here is a list of a few tools that will help you be organized, personal in your tweets & will help you grow your followers:

Twellow.com - This is a great directory to help you find fellow Twitter accounts of similar interests. Also is an excellent place to list yourself so you can be found. Can be used to tie together your other social media profiles as well.
TweetLater.com - Allows you to run tons of automation through Twitter. Things like, automatic following of individuals who follow you, write Tweets to be posted later, have @replies emailed to you and more. Great free version. I suggest buying the upgraded version.
TwitterCounter.com - Can't say it overly useful, but it's a fun tool to show how much your followers have grown.
Twitter Search - Very easy & powerful to use. Will search for any words recently Tweeted. Will show you who Tweeted the word or phrase and gives you an option to view their profile.
TwitterGetter.com - This is a new tool that I recently tried. Essentially it's a tool that will attempt to bring you tons of followers. Frankly, I can't make a recommendation on this because I haven't' sufficiently tested it.
TwitterGrader.com - I like this one. The tool will give you a score of your Twitterness (that's a word I just made up) Will also show you a word Cloud of recently used words. This is good way for you to see what you tweet about most. Also will show you a list of Tweeters to follow based on your Tweets. Really good tool. And Free!
TweetDeck - This is an application you download to your desktop. It's a tool that will organization your followers into customizable groups. A great way to stay organized and on top of your Tweets.

One final note, make sure you respect your followers by not posting too often and only promoting things in your tweets. Instead share things of interest & value. No one wants to be advertised to all day long.

Your turn......what tools do you use? Which do you like and dislike? Comment and tells us what works.

Free Marketing Events

2009-04-14T20:29:00.010-07:00

The Infusionsoft Marketing Experts Are Hitting the Highway...

Infusionsoft's Double Your Sales Tour 2009 is rolling on with upcoming stops in Chicago & Atlanta. Infusionsoft has partnered with the best minds in marketing and small business. This event will be free!

Join Perry Marshall, Stompernet (Don Crowther and Leslie Rohde), and a Handful of Other Gurus for a FREE, Full-Day Marketing Event...And Discover How You Can Double Your Sales in 2009!

Click here to Register

They will will show you how to:

Write emails that prospects can't resist opening
Integrate online and offline marketing campaigns
Capture more leads, faster and convert those leads to sales
Easily automate your contact system for effortless follow-up
Implement a system powerful enough to send multi-step, multi-media campaigns...automatically
Use podcasts, webinars, whitepapers, special reports, and more to close more
leads and get repeat business

Click here to Register

Tour Dates:

Chicago: April 21, 2009
Atlanta: April 23, 2009

This is your chance to learn from the most successful marketing experts of our day.
They'll share secrets that have the power to put cash in your pockets at
blinding speed.

Don't miss the BIGGEST marketing event of the year. You won't find an offer like this
anywhere else.

Click here to Register

Double Your Sales Tour

2009-04-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

The great American poet Robert Frost wrote these immortal lines 90 years ago:

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

Today, almost every small business is facing two divergent roads. On one hand, we have the road of despair, of blaming the current economy for poor sales, falling profits, and general doom and gloom. This is the road most traveled.

The other road is traveled by the business owners who are committed to working smarter, not harder, and using tested and proven marketing strategies to double their sales. And for them, this will make all the difference.

So the question to you is: Which road are you on?

Click Here

Infusionsoft is bringing together some of the smartest marketers and business builders on the planet for FREE one day seminar, people who ONLY go down the road less traveled, and they have secrets; secrets that will show you how to double your sales while everyone else is sitting on the sidelines waiting for the economy to improve.

These people are going to tell you exactly what you must do today in order to get on that ‘double your sales’ road with real life examples of strategies they are using that are producing more sales and profit…and yes, doubling their sales, even in this economy.

To attend this life and business changing seminar, all you have to do is register by clicking this link:

Click Here

I seriously can’t think of a reason for any business owner who wants to still be in business a year from today would want to miss this.

Are you on the right road? The road less traveled? You simply must click the link now to find out. Click Here

About Me

2009-04-11T21:29:00.020-07:00

About Me

Hi, I’m Scott Morrison and I write the Entrepreneur Toolkit blog to help entrepreneurs be successful. I am also a Small Business Coach for Infusionsoft. Daily, I coach Entrepreneurs on how to successfully grow their businesses. This site is about the stories I hear, the people I work with and will teach you how to be a successful Entrepreneur.

I started this blog to help other entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. Starting a business can be overwhelming, but it is also very rewarding! I want to help. My goal is to help you be successful!

To contact me, please email smorrison00@gmail.com. I welcome all thoughts, ideas & feedback.

Testimonials

“Scott is a great people person. He's fun to work with and he takes his work seriously but not too seriously. He's been Support Manager, Customer Care Manager and will be moving into a new role as Small Business Coach. He is adaptable, but the one thing he has in common is that he's great working with customers. I give Scott a strong recommendation for any customer-facing role. Clate” June 25, 2009

Clate Mask , CEO , Infusionsoft

“Scott came into a small business to manage the Technical Support Team at Infusion. This team was struggling under several diverse demands, like any contact center. Scott, took charge, and in just 3 weeks made major improvements to the team's still level, service level and quality of outputs to Infusion customers. He works tirelessly to help his team, and fix the issues that directly impact customers. He does not sleep until everyone is handled- correctly. He can be counted on, in any situation, to do the right thing and do it well! Great job Scott!” March 25, 2008

Kelly Roy (Maret) , VP Operations , Infusion Software

“Scott Morrison is a full-time entrepreneur with a part-time job of being awesome. Scott Morrison is a fellow who is able to make sound business decisions in favor of customers so it becomes a win-win-win situation for all parties involved. He's a great negotiator and is a valuable asset to any organization. He has tremendous flexibility to adjust to the needs of a growing company at a whim and continues to share his entrepreneurial wisdom and focus with everyone who he interacts with.” August 10, 2009

Joseph Manna, Online Community Manager, Infusionsoft

“While I worked with our largest business partners in the field, I had to hear the good and the bad. Scott always wanted to take a hands on approach and worked with me from the ground up to understand customer needs and issues from the horses mouth. Scott was an amazing resource in getting to the bottom of customer issues and finding the right solutions to get them fixed. He made my life much easier!” July 7, 2009

Colin Daymude , Strategic Alliance Manager/Coach , Infusion Software

“Scott is a very balanced manager. He cares about and makes it a priority to equip his team and to facilitate excellent teamwork and communication within the group that he manages. I worked with Scott closely when I was assigned a special project at Infusionsoft. Even though he was occupied with his new role in my department, he encouraged and provided feedback, and in doing so helped me achieve my goals. Scott is also very metric oriented, analyzing numerical data, interpreting the underlying business causes, and offering practical solutions. He focuses his efforts on providing win / win solutions that are good for the company and good for the customer.” June 29, 2009

Dee Allomong , Infusionsoft Consultant , Infusionsoft

“Some of the toughest issues that I had to resolve with our clients, at Infusionsoft, were resolved by Scott through his professionalism and tact. He is an asset to our company and to our clients.” July 31, 2009

Kirk Masters, Small Business Consultant, Infusionsoft

“Scott Morrison exemplifies hard work and integrity! He is willing to help out in any capacity and never loses his cool. He is a joy to work with and I'm sure he will succeed in his new position at Infusionsoft.” August 4, 2009

Marianne Franco, Implementation Manager, Infusion Software

“I have been a colleague of Scott for over a year now, I find him to be consistently pleasant, tackling all assignments with dedication and a smile! Besides being a joy to work with, Scott is a take-charge person who is able to present creative ideas and communicate the benefits. He has successfully implemented several strategic plans for our company that have resulted in increased revenue and customer support. Though he is an asset to customer support efforts, Scott is also extraordinarily helpful in other areas and departments of the company!” May 29, 2008

JR Keene , Business Systems Analyst , Infusion Software

The #1 resource every entrepreneur must have

2009-04-08T21:30:00.004-07:00

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This books is a powerhouse of information! Information that will grow your company quickly and profitably. The same techniques and tactics in this book have been used by hundreds of companies to easily double, and ever triple their current sales. The book is free, but could be worth thousands, or even millions to your bottom line!

Yes, I want to download this powerful book for FREE!

Take the time to download this free book today, and see what it can do for you and your business!

Here's a Shocker: Jordan Elected to Hall of Fame

2009-04-06T19:35:00.001-07:00

In not so stunning news today, Michael Jordan was elected to the basketball Hall of Fame. Jordan was joined by fellow legendary players John Stockton & David Robinson.

This was the I grew up in. Jordan/Pippen versus the likes of Stockton/Malone, Robinson/Elliott or the end of the Magic/Worthy era. That was basketballs Hay-Day in my mind. of course, I'm sure I'm biased. I grew up in Chicago in the nineties. I grew up watching Michael Jordan and assumed that was how basketball was always played. Admittedly, I miss that era of basketball. But Kobe, Lebron & D-Wade are great and I think the future of the NBA is pretty bright.

I have fond memories of going to games in the old Chicago stadium and getting goose-bumps when they'd turn out the lights and announce the starting line ups.

I know MJ has had a few issues since retiring, but he's still easily my favorite player. I know this certainly isn't a shock that he was elected into the Hall of Fame, but I'm still really happy for him.

Congrats MJ!

For more from Yahoo, Click Here

Would you go this far for Twitter Followers?

2009-02-26T21:20:00.001-07:00

Check out what one guy did to get thousands of followers on Twitter. He's nuts!

http://tinyurl.com/bb5m47

Success Tips From Abraham Lincoln

2009-02-16T21:28:00.001-07:00

In memory of President's day and Abraham Lincoln's birthday, many websites & media outlets are posting content ranking the success of our Presidents. In many of these, Abraham Lincoln is listed as our greatest President. Frankly, I have no idea. I'm not even sure how one would go about ranking presidents.

Regardless, I found one article which really caught my attention. It's from askmen.com and lists tips & advice from Lincoln on how to live a successful life.

In short, the article gives many one line tips on how to be successful. One tip every blogger should follow and that's 'in communication, be brief & direct.' Very fitting advice for our A.D.D. generation.

Another tip, 'Be Open to Change' seems to be great advice for this day and age. All of us know some one are are in the middle of some sort of major change. With so many companies cutting jobs, many of these changes are forced. When in this situation, you can either look at this as an opportunity, or be bitter. Being open to change means being willing to look at a difficult situation as an opportunity.

I encourage you to look at yourself; are you leading a successful life? If you are or if you're not, still take a second to check out the entire article here.

Money Saving Tips

2009-02-16T09:18:00.002-07:00

Too often as we're trying to improve our financial situation we focus too much on making more money. Focusing on saving what we're already spending is just as important.

Here are a few sites I found on excellent money Saving Tips

Feed the Pig - Funny site. Tons of education and ideas you probably haven't thought of.
Keep your house from leaking cash - Great article on saving money & energy at home.
SRP home Energy - Cool site put together by SRP (energy company based in Phoenix) Gives great tips and is very interactive.
SaveMoney.com - Tons of advice on saving money

Double Your Sales

2009-02-15T15:36:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that in this economy anyone would be this bold; but one company is. Infusionsoft, a software provider for small businesses, has guaranteed to double your sales in 2009.

Rather than have me bore you with the details, click on this link to see for yourself:

Double Your Sales Guarantee
Infusionsoft Demo