Author Archive

In case you haven’t noticed or you have been fortunate enough to have been locked away on your own desert island in the sun, without  modern distractions, such as the Internet and mobile cell phones, Social Networking and Social Bookmarking have become pretty big business, not only for the website founders, but for millions of users worldwide, some of whom are looking for ways to make a few bucks online and some of whom are already making serious money.

Today, I am going to look at Social Bookmarking. Social Bookmarking websites allow you to  bookmark websites of your choice (your own included). This action, not only adds a link to the bookmark website, thus allowing readers to access your website (free advertising for businesses), it is also a great way of getting back-links to your website (or any website that you bookmark), which should help improve its search engine position.  It can be an effective SEO tool for business and blogging, if used correctly.  However, in the same way that social networking users do not liked to be spammed by other users, social bookmarking website users do not like to be spammed with pure sales related links/sales pages that add no value to their online experience. Therefore, there are some do’s and don’ts that you should follow, when choosing to submit a website for social bookmarking.

Here are some tips:

• Don’t spam. Keep your content and links relevant to the site you are bookmarking
• Do not vote for your own website to increase its importance, as you will get caught and be labelled as a spammer
• Use a bookmarking tool like Onlywire to auto-submit to all the major social booking websites, it will save you lots of time
• Do not submit every post that you make on your blog or article you write on your website. Quality is king, so only submit the best, most relevant. Also, it won’t make you look like a spammer
• If you have many websites, do not open too accounts in too many names. It is better to have a few good bookmarking IDs and spread your websites amongst these IDs, than to have an ID for each website. Also, as time goes on, these few IDs will become established and authoritative
• Alternatively, if you have a lot of websites and you can afford it, pay someone else to do your bookmarking for you. The cost can be minimal (under $10 per website) and will save you lots of time. As we all know, time is the most precious commodity in the world. People for hire can be found at websites like Elance. However, please do your research before hiring anyone and ensure that they have established, mature bookmarking accounts (i.e. They have done it many times successfully).

Thats it for today, I will be talking about Social Networking for business in the near future. Until then, take care!

PJ

Today I am briefly going to talk about a taboo subject that many people try to avoid. This doesn’t have anything to do with making money and pertains more to the ‘spiritual’ side of this blog. This subject has been at the back of mind for a few days now, ever since I heard some bad news.

A few years back, I was asked to attend the wedding of a family friend and as they wanted to save money, I was also asked if I could supply and drive the wedding car (due to the brand/ model), which I was very happy to do. The groom, whom I had only met briefly once before (at a funeral strangely enough), was a very nice fellow, but appeared awkward in public, a little shy and withdrawn, some might say troubled.

On Tuesday of last week, I heard that this gentleman had decided to end his life by jumping in front of a high speed train. The news shocked me and I am not easily shocked or disturbed. I was also informed that this gentleman had tried unsuccessfully to end his life on two previous occasions in the last six months. Since his death, some people have asked his wife, why he was not supervised 24/7 and was able to commit the final act, considering his state of mind. However, the conclusion of this story and the reason why I am telling it to you is that we cannot stop or be responsible for those who have a death wish. We can try to persuade, support and be there for them, but ultimately, it is their choice whether they wish to live or jump ship early.  Although we may feel sad, those of us left behind should feel no guilt. RIP

Yes, we are at the end of January and how many of us have already forgotten our New Year’s Resolution? Statistics show that by this time of the year, a high percentage of those who made resolutions less than a month earlier have already abandon them. Therefore, what can we do and what actions can we take to make sure that we stay on track, throughout the year? Here are some suggestions:

1) Break you resolution down in to manageable chunks – Yes, one of my favorite subjects and life changing techniques, Kaisen.  Those who are familiar with Kaisen, know that small steps lead to big success. For example, if you want to lose weight, don’t suddenly put yourself on a restricted 1200 calorie a day diet or go for a 10 mile run, if you run out of breath walking around the block. Instead, create  a healthy balanced diet, where you reduce you calories slowly. Cut out most of your bad food habits, but do allow yourself a small treat as a reward. For example, if you normally eat half a pack of biscuits a day, cut this down to a few biscuits. Eventually the aim is to cut it down to one biscuit and then none (optional). Similarly, when exercising, walk at a steady pace for 15 mins every day for one week, then increase this to 30 minutes and so on. These are just examples of what you can do, but you get the idea in general and can apply it to anything. Slowly cut down the bad habits and slowly increase the good habits.

2) Choose one resolution/goal – Do not complicate things, by taking on too much. Give yourself one clear resolution/goal to complete, so you can fully concentrate on it without spreading yourself too thinly.

3) Write things down – Yes, record your progress in a journal and you will see how much you improve as your will power becomes stronger and you get closer your goal (i.e. Sticking to your resolution). Also, as you write, you will be imprinting your goal in to sub-concious mind.

4) Define what you really want to change – Be individual and do not feel obliged to follow the usual ‘routine’ resolutions that are in the media at the end of each year.

5)  Get some support – Ask you family and friends to hold you accountable and to help keep you on track. Every week, discuss about your progress.

I purposely went to bed at a reasonable time last night to get plently of rest because I wanted to get so much done today. Alas, I did not get a good night sleep and woke up around 4am. I shuffled around in bed for an hour, still awake, so I got up at 5am and went downstairs for some water. I decided to go back to bed around 6.15am for a power nap before my kids got up for school, thinking that it would put me straight.

After I had taken my kids to school, I was still fatigued and I knew that I would not be able to work on full power, so I went to bed again at 9am to chill out for a couple of hours. However, by the time I got up again and had a shower/coffee etc., half the day had gone down the pan! I thought about all the things that I needed to do and how little time I had left to do them in and felt myself getting more and more frustrated. Just the thought of wasting all that time was winding me up.

Needless to say the rest of the day did not go well, and in the end I got very little done. I missed a couple of time sensitive work deadlines too.

So, what is the moral of this story and why I am telling it to you? Well, I am not going to go in a lecture about time management and day planning (not on this occassion at least ; ). Some days, we just have to write off and live to fight another day. It is better to go with the flow, than try to swim up stream on occasions like these. As long a ‘challenging’ day does not become a daily event, you can afford to be a little blaze now and then.

So, when you get ‘one of those days’, sit back and take a look at the bigger picture. View things from a distance and don’t beat yourself up about it. We are only human and not machines, although we often forget this as we go through our frantic lives. Above all, take something positive from the situation and end the day on a high note. Tomorrow is a new day and we can get back on track in an instant.

No I don’t mean literally! I am actually talking about trading on ebay as a business.

Owning a business that has been part of the ebay community for the last 6 years, I have seen many ‘system’ changes and I am well versed on the whole ebay experience, from the good old days to the present.  So here is my take on things.

The changes of the last few years have totally benefited the buyer and not the seller. Ebay have made it extremely difficult for anyone to make a living from selling on ebay, let alone a decent profit.  Add this to the current economic downturn  and it is a recipe for disaster. The biggest and worst of changes in my opinion is removing the option for sellers to leave neg or neutral feedback against a bad buyer, thus not enabling the seller to leave a warning for other sellers about a troublesome buyer.  Also, having to  include Paypal as a mandatory payment method and not allowing cash (in the US) has turned droves of sellers away.

The final kick in the teeth came with the recent changes to the power seller system. Some sellers have worked hard over several years to increase volumes and have a consistently good solid record. However, with the introduction of detailed seller ratings, all that is needed is one or two customers (out of hundreds) to give you a low rating which will knock you feedback down a few points and which will not entitle you to be a top rated seller. In case you do not know, top rated sellers not only get a ‘badge’ next to their listings, but also get priority search placements within ebay’s listing results when customers do an un-filtered initial search.

So, to cut a long story short (I could go on about this subject for a long time), these ebay system changes have not helped businesses in these turbulent times, , just when a business needs all the help it can get. You may say ‘good’, it is the fault of the seller/business, for not maintaining a certain standard, but it goes a lot deeper than that. Most of the power sellers affected, were already excellent, honest, visible, upright business sellers, who far surpassed most other e-commerce websites with their service anyway, because of the original feedback system and Paypal chargeback facility (have you ever purchased something from a big brand e-commerce store, only the be told that the item is out of stock 2 weeks after you ordered it, for example. This rarely happens on ebay). How many other e-commerce websites do you know that would send out an order same day or within 24 hours, without charging you a premium for this service? A majority of sellers on ebay do this everyday.

Finally, it is not surprising that ebay, as a standalone e-commerce business, has been overtaken by Amazon, and that profits have not reached expectations. Small businesses are leaving ebay by the droves or scaling down their operations on ebay in favor of Amazon. The only things that are propping up the ebay group are Skype and Paypal. So on paper, it looks OK for them. However, for ebay to survive and thrive as a major Internet force in the coming years, they will need to treat their ‘customers’, the core  businesses and sellers that make them money, a lot better than they do today.

If you have any comments on the above subject, agreeing or disagreeing, I would love to hear from you. Just reply below.

Blue Monday (no, not the song by New Order) is cited by the media as the most depressing day of year. It all stems from the winter blues, post Xmas debt, utility bills piling up, etc.etc. However, is it a self fulfilling prophecy that manifests itself on the back of all the negative publicity given to it?

If you are feeling the winter blues on Blue Monday, here are somethings that you can do:

1) Move it – I know you may be fed up of me bleating on about it, but exercise and physical activity can really make a difference to how you feel. You will get your endorphins  flowing, which will them lead you to feel more positive about life.

2) Try something new and challenging – Divert your mind from dwelling on negative emotions. When you are challenged and concentrating on something unfamiliar, you won’t have time to be blue.

3) Be good to yourself – Don’t beat your self up and a little indulgence will not hurt you now and again.

4) Talk to someone – Don’t sit there and brood alone. Open up to a loved one or good friend. Tell them how you feel. Anyone who is a true friend will be glad to help you through.

5) Ditch the junk food – A wholesome nutritious balanced diet packed full of vitamins and minerals will perk you up.

In case you have never heard of it, here is a definition of the term:

affluenza, n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by the pursuit of the American Dream.

After the usual holiday season over-consumption of material goods, food and drink, do you feel unwell? Are you suffering from Affluenza? You may not even know that you are suffering from it or you may  get a credit card bill or bank statement at the end of the month that will put you in to a state of Affluenza. You may have had Affluenza for many years, but have lived with it in your pursuit of the American Dream, even if you are not American. Bigger, better faster, more, I want it all and I want it now, the cliche list goes on.

We feel pressure all around us from the media, our peers and  loved ones  to consume more and show that we have achieved through material wealth. Even when the chips are down and recession is all around, it is very easy to get that little piece of rectangular plastic out to make us feel better and give us an instant hit! It beats any clinical drug and sends us in to an immediate state of endorphin ecstasy.

So, in conclusion,  if you are feeling the affects of Affluenza, take a closer look at your life and define what you really value, not what your monthly glossy lifestyle magazine or neibour values. If your consumer lifestyle has finally worn you down, change your direction. There is nothing wrong with having some nice things, but measure your need before you buy or commit to a purchase for that instant endorphin hit.  Finally, define your purpose in life. When you have an ultimate goal/purpose, other distractions will melt away.

Yes Folks… After several posts of spiritual, life changing contemplation on this blog, it’s now time for me to shake my Money Maker and yours too!    ; – )

You now have the opportunity to download my FREE…yes FREE… 74 Page Internet Business Guide. It is packed full of information on how you can build a business and make money on the Internet. Pages of good information for just being a friend. All you have to do to get your hands on this guide is join my newsletter/tip sheet.

Fill in your name and email address in the form on the left. You will be sent a confirmation email. Once you have confirmed your email address, you will get access to this exclusive information document. Please be assured that I will never share or sell your email address and that you can unsubscribe to my newsletter at anytime.

Occasionally, you will receive my newsletter which will contain ‘golden nuggets’ of hot tips, trends and exclusive information.  What are you waiting for sign up now!

<<< SIGN UP HERE

Continuing on the New Year New You theme, here are some tips  to help move you closer to your goals. If you do not have any goals, take some time out to think about what you really want to do or achieve in your life. It doesn’t have to be a mammoth goal or project and it can related to any subject, not just finance and career. Just take a few ‘Kaisen’ steps towards your goal every day and you will achieve

• Focus on what you really want – Think about what you would like to change or achieve in your life right now. Write a list of everything and choose the two most important goals. Be honest and visualize what your life would be like this time next year if you do not take action to change your life immediately. Now visualize what your life will be like if you do take action to change your life and what it will feel like to achieve your most important goals. Even write down the positive benefits, so that your sub-concious mind gets the message about where you want to go.

• Play by your own rules, not another persons – Many of us worry about what other people think and will stop short of trying to change because of these limiting thoughts. Be good to yourself and focus on what you really want, even if it means having to change the dynamics of a relationship with a loved one or friend. This is your life, not theirs.
• Be honest with yourself – Self denial is one of the biggest killers of the human spirit and leads many people never to achieve their life’s desires or make even the most basic of changes. Take yourself out of the comfort zone if you are stuck in a rut. Remember, short term pain will lead to long term gain in this instance.  For example, if smoking is slowly killing you and you are coughing your guts up everyday, make a slow ‘Kaisen’ step to eliminating this habit, such as buying one less pack of cigarettes a week. At the same time, reward yourself with a positive action to balance your sacrifice (e.g. Put the money saved towards a family day out and imagine how great the day will be).

The main message is that you can and you will achieve, if you set you mind to it. Do it now!

I found this fascinating quote today:

This leads us to spiritual entrepreneurship… the spiritual pursuit of profit. These types of entrepreneurs do not seek to make money to buy the fancy home or car or buy status and friends and fame. There isn’t a crave for more and more, but rather a cyclical, ecolistic way of perceiving the world. Instead they pursue money as a means to bring about great change to the world and become connected to the divine power. There’s a jewish term known as ‘tithing’, which means that you give away part of your wealth, whether it be to charities or other projects, because that genuine act of giving will come back around in the form of luck or serendipity to help you gain more profit. But it is crucially important to understand that this doesn’t mean you give solely to make more money and gain more self-benefit. You give so that you can make more money and continue giving. This has to be the drive to truly transcend from classical to spiritual entrepreneurship, and it entails a spiritual growth and humility within the individual in which they feel a connection to a force greater than themselves and their personal ego. They feel one with the world around them.209.85.229.132, Ecolism: Spiritual Entrepreneurship, Dec 2009

You should read the whole article.