Marketing Explained

"Quality time" generally refers to focused and meaningful interactions or activities that contribute to building and strengthening relationships. This term is often used in the context of spending time with loved ones, family, or business in a way that fosters connection and deepens relationships.

Bad uses of business time include...

1.Checking your sales stats constantly - check them at the end of the day if you must.

2.Checking email all day long - I constantly struggle with this. My phone allows me to check my email and I've gone so far as to check my email several times on a date.

3.Reading everyone's emails - start unsubscribing from other marketers' lists. You shouldn't be spending any more money online until you have a hosting account, domain name and autoresponder.

4.Being on instant messenger all day - Only use instant messenger when you have to.

5.Being on forums and sites like myspace/Facebook all day long set a time limit.

Good use of business Time on includes...

1.Writing sales copy - you need to be able to write sales copy or have someone else write sales copy for you.

2.List building - you need to work on building your list. My list allows me to spend a lot of time doing what I want to do all day long.

3.Networking (JV's) - start connecting with other marketers and start going to offline events.

4.Product creation - you should have your own products it is easier to sell your own products to your 

existing customers so keep giving them what they want.

5.Public speaking - be on teleseminars, webinar or start speaking at events because you can create a 

product while you speak and make money selling products at the end.

6.Testing - start testing your sales copy when you boost your sales copy you will build a bigger list and make more money.

7.Write Articles - articles are a wonderful way for you to become an expert in your prospect's eyes. 

and you can use them in your products as bonus special reports.

Quality time doesn't always have to be planned or structured. Being flexible and open to spontaneous moments can add a sense of joy and adventure.

Remember that quality time can vary between individuals, and what matters most is understanding the preferences and needs of those involved in the relationship. Whether it's with family, friends, or a business partner, the intention to create meaningful and positive experiences is at the core of quality time.

I wish You Great Success.

Secure your Disk

Computer security, including the security of hard disks, is crucial for protecting sensitive data and ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of information stored on computers. It is of utmost importance to safeguard your data and privacy.

Software, computer and network security are all ongoing battles between attacker and defender. Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs in the United Kingdom lost two disks with personal data on 25million British citizens, including dates of birth, addresses, bank-account information and national insurance numbers. A similar event occurred with The U.S. Veteran's Administration with the loss of 26 million personal data of American veterans.

When using an external hard drive or SSD, consider opting for one that offers strong encryption. These drives allow you to encrypt selected files and store them securely. Some hard drives are self-encrypted at the hardware level. 

Cryptography can solve the security of data when it's not in use. Encrypting files, archives and even entire disks. The defender has an inherent mathematical advantage: 

Longer keys increase the amount of work the defender has to do linearly, while geometrically increasing the amount of work the attacker has to do. Unfortunately, cryptography can't solve all computer-security problems.

The reason you should encrypt your entire disk, and not just key files, is so you don't have to worry about swap files, temp files, hibernation files, erased files or browser cookies. You don't need to enforce a complex policy about which files are important enough to be encrypted. And you have a quick answer to regulators and the press if the computer is stolen: "no problem; the laptop is encrypted."

Encrypt everything you don't need access to regularly, archived documents and old e-mails.

You should also encrypt external disks, which means you can secure USB memory device when travelling.

Properly disposing of old hard disks and securely wiping data before decommissioning or repurposing them helps prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information that may still be stored on the disks.

Implementing monitoring and auditing mechanisms allows organizations to track and analyze activities related to the hard disk, detect suspicious behavior, and investigate security incidents.

Although, you are not secure against the authorities telling you to decrypt your data for them.

You can try to convince the authorities that you don't have the encryption key. 

You're also not secure against someone at your unattended computer, a Trojan infected computer or 

someone snatching your laptop while at the local coffee shop. 

 

Computer security is hard; The best defense against data loss is to not have the data in the first place or to minimize the amount of data on your laptop.

Educating users about best practices for computer security, including safe browsing habits, password management, and recognizing phishing attempts, helps mitigate human-related security risks that could compromise the security of the hard disk.

I wish You Great Success.

Keyword Hot Spots

By placing your top-performing keywords in strategic places on your website, you tell the search engine "spiders" that those keywords describe exactly what your site is all about. And that's what convinces the search engines to include your site in the search results for those keywords.

So... where should you put your keywords on your site?

Here are the strategic "hot spots" that are considered most important by the search engine "spiders":

1- Your domain name. You want to get that domain working for YOU. 

The search engines REALLY like URLs that are saturated with keywords! Sites whose 

domain names include keywords will likely rank higher in the search engine results for those keywords than sites that don't. Brainstorm a list of URLs containing some of your hottest keywords. Next, check 

if the domain name is available. You should definitely consider snapping it up before your competitor.

2- A well-written title tag. Your title tag is a simple piece of HTML code that's located in the "head," 

or top of your Web page. Within the source of your web page, it looks something like this:

(title)Insert keyword-rich site description here (/title) In your title tag, include a descriptive, 

accurate bit of text that describes your business clearly, letting potential visitors know EXACTLY what they can expect to find on your site.

For example, if "discount golf clubs" is your main keyword phrase, 

then in your title tags you could write something like:

(title)Discount golf clubs - Great selection of discount golf clubs for all golf levels and all types of 

golf(/title) As you can see, your main keyword phrase "Discount golf clubs" is in there twice, and the

 word "golf" is used a number of times.

3 Your headline tags- A headline tag (or tag) is like a brightly colored post-it note within your 

HTML source code that alerts search engine spiders to your headline and subheads — places that contain 

important information, according to the search engines.HTML (h) tags look like this:

(h1), (h2), (h3) As you can see, they always contain a number, since the search engine spiders view them in order of importance — an (h1) tag is more important to note than an (h2) tag, for example.

4 Your description- "meta tags(/a)"A description meta tag describes the purpose of your web page and ideally sits just below the title tag in the source code of your web site.

5 Your image tags- The only thing search engine spiders can "digest" as they crawl your web page is text. Spiders can't index images, so they skip right over them. But by placing keywords within the source code of your images, you can transform them into spider bait!

Finally, you should only try to optimize each page/salescopy of your website for 2-3 keywords MAXIMUM. That includes your main keyword and one or two secondary keywords.

I wish You Great Success.

Advertising and Promotions

Advertising and promotions are essential components of a comprehensive marketing strategy designed to increase brand awareness, attract customers, and drive sales. 

Here are key concepts and strategies for effective advertising and promotions.

Define Your Target Audience:

Identify and understand your target audience to tailor your advertising messages and channels accordingly.

Choose the Right Advertising Channels:

Select the platforms that align with your target audience. Options include online channels 

(social media, search engines, websites) and traditional channels (TV, radio, print).

Create Compelling Ad Copy and Design:

Craft persuasive and visually appealing ad content. Use attention-grabbing headlines, 

clear calls-to-action, and high-quality visuals.

Monitor and Optimize Campaigns:

Regularly analyze the performance of your advertising campaigns. Adjust targeting, messaging, and 

budget allocation based on insights and feedback.

Retargeting:

Implement retargeting campaigns to reach users who have visited your website but did not make a purchase. This can be done through display ads or social media.

Referral Programs:

Encourage existing customers to refer new customers by offering rewards or discounts for successful referrals.

Seasonal and Holiday Promotions:

Plan promotions around holidays, seasons, or special events to capitalize on increased consumer 

spending during these periods.

In-Store Promotions:

If applicable, consider in-store promotions, such as in-store events, demonstrations, or exclusive 

in-store discounts.

Remember to track the effectiveness of your advertising and promotions by analyzing 

key performance indicators (KPIs) such as conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and 

return on investment (ROI). This data-driven approach allows you to refine and optimize your strategies over time.

I wish You Great Success.

Mental Files

YOU are the greatest computer ever created!

The human memory has the ability to hear a 100-digit number or more once and then repeat it forwards and backwards, it has the ability to memorize a Shakespearean play word for word or memorize the stats of every football player. The human memory has the capability to meet 100 people in 20 minutes and recall every single name!

The question is, are you doing these things? 

If not, the reason is simply that you have not been trained to. 

An ancient Greek named Simonedes  developed a memory method called 'Loci'. With this method, 

Simonedes numbered locations in his home. He started in the doorway and then logically proceeded around his home. He reviewed these items so many times mentally that if you asked him what was number 25 then he could instantly tell you what piece of furniture that number corresponded to.

These 25 objects were actually mental files for Simonedes. Then if he had a list of items he wanted to recall he would place them mentally on these objects in his home. Let's say that you are a professional who wants to give a speech without notes. Simply turn the key points into pictures and then file them to your 'house files'. When you are called upon to speak simply mentally walk through the house and give your talk without notes.

For example, to give a one-hour keynote address about a book. You can write your speech out the night before. The first thing you want to do is to visualize the book on your front door and then mentally walked through your house and gave the one hour talk without notes. 

Anything that you want to recall simply turn it into a picture, place it on your house files and get ready to be amazed! 

I wish You Great Success.

Effective opt In.

An opt-in form is simply a small script-based form on your site that allows you to collect people's names and email addresses and add them to a database, so you can send them relationship-building emails in the future.

An opt-in form is simply a small script-based form on your site that allows you to collect people's names and email addresses and add them to a database.

Most people need a minimum of 5-6 points of contact with a business before they feel comfortable enough to buy. That's because the vast majority of online shoppers DON'T make a purchase on their first visit to a web site.

To overcome their buyer resistance, you have to reach out to them and give them a compelling reason why they should give you their contact information. Your "opt-in" email list is made up of people who want to hear from you.

Here are some more reasons why it's essential that you start building an opt-in list: 

-They've visited your site, or they've come into your shop. 

-They like what they see and gave you their email address.

-You are giving your subscribers something they've ASKED you for.

When someone gives you their email address, they understand that you'll be using it to send them information they actually want to receive — meaning your opt-in list will be highly responsive to any email promotions you run in the future.

You are developing valuable lifetime relationships with your customers and subscribers.

Email allows you to contact the people on your list over and over again, so you can build genuine relationships with them. 

Opt-in email marketing is effective... instantaneous... and FREE! You can contact your customers and 

subscribers whenever you want, with whatever offer you want, and it never costs you a single dime!

Every time you send a mailing, the response is 100% measurable. Unlike other forms of marketing and advertising, email allows you to evaluate the success of each campaign.

The key to growing your opt-in list is to convince your visitors to give you their contact information by offering an enticing free gift that's so valuable they can't say "no" to it.

Here are some ideas:

An eBook on a topic that's of interest to your visitors.

A free report full of valuable information

A free subscription to an online newsletter of interest.

A free "how-to" course, delivered as a series of emails.

Entry into a contest for a fabulous prize!

I wish You Great Success.

Leverage on Biographies

A biography is a unique way to have a successful person walk beside you as you examine the story of their life. You will often be surprised that the most successful people of all time experience the same struggles as you.

-Einstein was divorced, 

-Lincoln battled depression, 

-Ronald Reagan had his heart broken by his first wife  

-Sam Walton went broke twice. 

Where did I learn these facts? From the biographies! 

Did it make me feel better because they had hard times? Yes and no. 

It is refreshing and inspiring to read that they were also human and have walked down the same road that you and I have. On the other hand, it is without question that Einstein, Lincoln, Reagan and Walton were monumental successes. 

Sometimes when we face a problem we struggle with our thoughts so much, our energy is spent. The stress that comes with this kind of problem solving also affects how we think. If the anxiety level becomes too high, parts of the brain will shut down and it is impossible to generate the ideas needed to deal with the problem. When faced with too much stress the mind goes into the "fight or flight" mode. This allows the mind to deal with only two alternatives, fighting the opponent or fleeing the danger.

Sometimes it is nice to know that what you are going through isn't an experience unique to you. There is comfort in knowing that others have been there and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Often, when 

you are in the midst of the tunnel – the only thing that catches your focus is despair, discouragement and depression. Yet, it can turn your day around when someone ventures into the tunnel – walks with you and grabs your hand to say, 'I've been here... hang in there. I turned out alright and you will as well.'

As you read biographies you learn about creativity and the techniques that work best for you, a whole new world will open up to you. Creativity can be helpful in problem solving, dealing with people, and creating success in all areas of your life. Take the time to tap into your greatest power, the power of the imagination and increase your creativity in all areas of life.

Einstein said that he would simply imagine it so and then go about to prove it. In other words, the 

creative process occurred before the experiments.

I wish You Great Success.

Self Meetings

We are all talking to ourselves every moment of our lives, except during certain portions of our sleeping cycle. We're seldom even aware that we're doing it. We all have a running commentary in our heads on events and our reactions to them.

You are your most important critic. There is no opinion so vitally important to your wellbeing as the opinion you have of yourself. As you read this, you're talking to yourself right now. 

-Let's see if I understand what he means by that… 

-How does that compare with my experiences?

–I'll make note of that. 

–Try that tomorrow.

-I already knew that…

-I already do that. 

I believe this self-talk, this psycholinguistics or language of the mind can be controlled to work for us, 

especially in the building of self-confidence and creativity. 

• Be aware of the silent conversation you have with yourself. Are you a nurturing coach or a critic? Do you reinforce your own success or negate it? Are you comfortable saying to yourself. 

-Things are working out well.

-I am reaching my financial goals. 

-I will do it better next time.

• When winners fail, they view it as a temporary inconvenience, a learning experience, an isolated event, and a stepping-stone instead of a stumbling block.

• When winners succeed, they reinforce that success, by feeling rewarded rather than guilty about the 

achievement and the applause.

• When winners are paid a compliment, they simply respond: "Thank you." They accept value graciously when it is paid. They pay value in their conversations with themselves and with other people.

When you feel yourself getting stressed out or you begin losing your focus, walk away from everything for a change of scenery. Allow yourself to focus on another task. Some people, read, juggle, or exercise to get away from their mind blocks. 

When you return to this important task, you will have shifted from your stressed-out mind set to a new relaxed and ready to conquer attitude.

A mark of an individual with healthy self-esteem is the ability to spend time alone, without constantly needing other people around. Being comfortable and enjoying solitary time reveals inner peace and centering. 

People who constantly need stimulation or conversation with others are often a bit insecure and thus need to be propped up by the company of others.

I wish You Great Success.

Challenges and New Heights

"Almost all of the problems of mankind arise from the inability to be alone with 

oneself in a room for any period of time."----------Blaise Pascal 

Adversity will come to everyone at some time. How you meet it, what you make of it, what you allow it to take from you and give to you, is determined by your mental habits.

You can train your mind to face life's toughest challenges and it is important to develop this habit before you actually need it.

Getting away from the problem allows your subconscious mind to problem solve, while your conscious mind 

is occupied with other things. Sometimes you will find the solution to your problem in your sleep. This 

is when the subconscious mind is most active. Basically, all your experiences and learnings are stored in this part of the brain. This is where your creativity gets turbo powered. If you can tap into this 

force you will have creative powers beyond your wildest expectations.

Challenges can actually be a positive thing, even though it certainly doesn't feel like it when we are facing it. Challenges define us. It is easy to have a great attitude, a strong work ethic and a positive outlook when things are going great. 

However.

How do we stand up during tough times?

What single quality distinguished those who succeed?

Consider the following phenomenal achievements of famous people who experienced severe challenges:

- Walt Disney experienced both bankruptcy and a tragic nervous breakdown and still made it to the top of the

 mountain.

- President Harry S. Truman went broke in the men's clothing store he started.

- Sir Walter Raleigh wrote the "History of the World" during a 13-year imprisonment. 

- Martin Luther translated the Bible while enduring confinement in the Castle of Wartburg

We must push through the adversity we face. If we do not, we will be poorly prepared for winning. People are successful because they face challenges head on to gain strength and skill. They do not take the path of least resistance. 

Adversity is a powerful motivator.

I wish You Great Success.

Link Building

Link building is an essential aspect of search engine optimization (SEO) that involves acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. High-quality backlinks can improve your website's authority and search engine rankings. 

Here are some strategies for effective online link building:

Create High-Quality Content:

Develop valuable, shareable, and relevant content that naturally attracts links. This can include blog posts, infographics, videos, and other resources.

Guest Posting:

Write and publish articles on reputable websites within your industry. Include a link back to your site in the author bio or within the content (where relevant).

Outreach to Industry Influencers:

Connect with influencers and thought leaders in your niche. Request their input on your content or ask for a quote that you can include in your articles. This can lead to natural backlinks when they 

share or reference your content.

Broken Link Building:

Identify broken links on other websites, especially those in your industry. Reach out to the website owner and suggest replacing the broken link with a link to your relevant content.

Resource Link Building:

Create comprehensive resource pages or guides on your website. Outreach to websites in your industry 

and suggest linking to your resource if they find it valuable.

Collaborate with Other Businesses:

Partner with other businesses or websites in your industry for collaborative projects, events, or content. 

This can lead to natural link building as you both promote the collaboration.

Utilize Online Directories:

Submit your website to relevant and reputable online directories. These directories can provide valuable backlinks.

Here are a couple tips before you start submitting your site to these directories...

Don't expect to get much traffic from the directories themselves. That's not what this is about. It's about getting those links! The more links you can get from high PageRank sites to yours, the higher you'll get ranked in Google's listings.

Every directory you submit to will ask for a short description of your site. Make sure you use your 

top keywords strategically throughout your description. However, you'll need to use a slightly different description for each directory you submit to. 

Finally, if your keywords don't attract qualified traffic, you can have a #1 ranking and still not make a penny. Make sure your site is properly optimized for those keywords. If your site isn't optimized for your keywords, Google still won't include you in its rankings for those keywords

I wish You Great Success.

Curiosity

Creativity is defined by Webster as "creative ability or intellectual inventiveness." 

This is a skill that everyone has to some extent. There are ways to improve your ability to create and generate new ideas. Not everyone can be a great artist or a creative genius, but it makes sense to make the most of the potential we are given.

Leonardo Da Vinci, who is said to be one of the greatest geniuses of all time, also had this creativity. 

Let me give you a few of Da Vinci credentials:

500 years ago, he:

- drew blueprints for the world's first helicopter

- drew blueprints for a submarine

- built an extendable ladder that is still being used by fire departments today

- built the world's first hydraulic jack

- built a rotating stage

- and 500 years ago, he built a water powered alarm clock!

Leonardo Da Vinci had a book of questions. 

He would write down questions such as:

-why do birds fly?

-why do they slow down as they land?

-what do their feathers do?

The interesting thing is that he didn't worry about the answers. He simply wrote down the questions because he knew something about the power of the human mind. He knew the subconscious mind was powerful and if he wrote down the questions his subconscious mind would continue to work on the answers.

Brainstorming is an extremely good way at practicing creativity. A brainstorm can work with an 

individual or a group. This technique requires the generation of as many ideas as quickly as possible to solve a problem.

It does not matter how outlandish an idea might be; all ideas are written down. The ideas need to be written down, and a time limit should be imposed for accepting ideas. 

Remember the less judgment of ideas the greater the number of ideas generated. Although many of the ideas may be unreasonable and ineffective, they may lead you to the idea that will really work. 

It is helpful to set a goal for the number of ideas you wish to generate. 

This will give you something to work towards and may unleash the perfect solution.

Journal your thoughts for future use. This includes writing down dreams, insights, experiences, quotes, 

problems with friends, and any other information that is pertinent to you. This should have some kind of organization so you can look back on it periodically.

Another good way to help your creativity is to read. When you read your subconscious mind is automatically creating pictures whether you like it or not. So, develop a passion for reading and watch your creativity increase. 

Both Einstein and Da Vinci were avid readers. Model this behavior and watch your creativity increase.

Anyone who has ever taken a shower has had an idea. It is the man who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it that changes the world.

I wish You Great Success.

Attitude UP

Everyone knows that a positive attitude is key to the successful life. But what happens when things go wrong?

"Instead of spending your time thinking about how bad things are, think about how good they will be!"

 

What happens when circumstances deal us a blow? We have a tendency to let our attitudes take the dive along with our state of affairs. Life deals us setbacks, both minor and major, on a regular basis, but if we are going to be successful, we need to know how to deal with them and keep our attitudes intact! We need practical tools to help us understand how we can go about keeping our attitude up, when the circumstances are down. 

Here are some thoughts to help us do so:

Take some time-out. I'm sure you are aware of what happens. You are going about your day, and everything seems to be going well, when out of nowhere disaster strikes. All of your best-laid plans begin to tumble. Sometimes circumstances surprise us, and we react. Unfortunately, this often compounds the problem because by reacting we tend to operate out of our weaknesses instead of our strengths. We make decisions that are not well thought out. We function with a bad attitude that says, "I can't believe this is happening!"

The next time circumstances turn against you, take some time to just step back from the problem and think. This will enable you to deal with the issue at hand rationally, instead of emotionally. It will allow you to put your state of mind back into its proper place. It gives you the opportunity to choose your attitude as you face the circumstances at hand. Remember that we don't have to do something right now. Go grab a cup of coffee and relax little bit. By doing this you function with you being in control and not the circumstances.

Keep your eye on the goal. A second step in keeping our attitude in the proper place is to make sure we keep the important things important. One of the biggest problems with trouble is that it gets your focus off where it should be. When I experience difficult circumstances and people ask me how it is going, I tell them, 

"I am just keeping my eye on the goal." we should be focused on the goal and moving forward.

Focus on solutions, not problems. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, the old saying goes. Negative circumstances don't sit idly by. They scream for our attention. When we face difficult circumstances, we tend to dwell on them. We talk about them, fret about them, and give them way too much attention. 

Have meetings on the solutions and how you will implement them. Don't let yourself or other team members complain. Encourage them to solve, with an emphasis on the positive results that will come from doing so. Then take some time to put these solutions down on paper, so you can monitor your progress.

Get some positive input. The mind tends to build on itself when we begin to go in one direction. 

One thing we must do is get our thoughts back on track with positive ideas. When circumstances have got you against the emotional wall: 

-get with a good friend who can encourage you. 

-Listen to a motivational CD. 

-Pick up a good book and give it a read. 

Whatever external influence you can get to put your attitude back on the positive side of the tracks. 

Start plugging good things into our minds to fuel our attitudes.

One of the greatest internal powers we have is the power to control our thoughts. 

Spend time dwelling on the good things about your life or job instead of the problems. 

Think about positive things, things you enjoy that give you a sense of happiness and peace. 

There is an old childhood song that says, "Count your blessings, name them one by one." 

That is great advice! Let your positive attitude develop from within as well as from without. 

This makes all the difference!

Remember that circumstances are not forever. This too shall pass. There will be a time in the future when circumstances will change, and you will be on the mountain instead of the valley. 

Positive Reflection:

Q. Do you have a habit of reflection before responding?

Q. Do you have a habit of keeping your eye on the goal?

Q. Do you focus on solutions or problems?

Q. Do you give yourself positive outside influence?

Q. Do you have a habit of telling yourself the good?

Q. Do you remind yourself that nothing is forever?

I wish You Great Success.

Online Baby Steps

If you are new to computers, the learning curve involved in starting an online business can seem impossible. On top of trying to figure out all the business and marketing stuff, you're also faced with technical challenges around every corner.

Here is a step-by-step action plan that will give you the technical knowledge you need to get your business up and running as quickly as possible:

Step #1: Assess and build your general computer skills!

If you are reading this blog, it's probably safe to assume you have basic computer skills and know how to use common programs (such as Microsoft Word and Internet Explorer), send email, 

and navigate to different files on your computer. If you are not comfortable with these basic tasks, 

then you need to brush up on these skills -- and the easiest way to do that is pick up the following books:

PCs For Dummies (Or Mac for Dummies)

Windows for Dummies (Or Mac OS X for Dummies)

These are great books that will teach you the fundamentals,

Alternatively, you can also take an "Introduction to Computers" course at your local community college.

Either way, you need to acquire these basic computer skills.

The good news is you can acquire a solid foundation of skills in just a couple of weeks.

Step #2: Assess and build your general Internet skills!

 You need to know your way around the Web if you want to build a successful online business!

This doesn't mean you need to know the technical details of how the Internet works. 

But you should understand the basic principles of how websites work and how they fit into the big picture of the Internet.

The best way to figure this out is to buy the book "Internet for Dummies." 

Step #3: Build a Basic Website!

You don't need to know anything about building websites in order to have a successful

business on the Internet. All you have to do is hire web designers to do it for you.

I believe it's important for you to have at least some basic understanding of how to design and set up your own website. These skills will give you a significant advantage when communicating with the 

designers you hire to build your site or make small changes for yourself in the future.

You could learn basic web design skills from a book like "Web Design for Dummies.

However, since the skills you need for building a good website are more technical, 

I suggest you look into taking a web design course at a local college. 

It'll help you fast-track the learning curve and bring you up to speed much faster than simply reading a book.

Step #4: Get your business started!

Now you're ready to start building your business on the Internet!

Starting a business on the Internet without any technical skills is a daunting task. But like most 

challenges in life, if you break it down into bite-size goals and conquer them one at a time with a 

combination of patience and perseverance, you will be surprised at how quickly you progress.

I wish You Great Success.

Email Marketing

Email marketing involves using email to reach your audience. It’s a form of direct and digital marketing. The first email was sent in 1971 by computer engineer Ray Tomlinson. In 1978, a marketing manager sent the first commercial email to promote a new product. By the '90s, email became a popular advertising channel.

You can use it to:

Promote new products- Keep your customers informed about your latest offerings.

Offer discounts- Incentivize purchases.

Educate- Share the value of your brand.

Engage- Keep customers interested between purchases.

Email software allows you to test absolutely every single aspect of your marketing efforts. So, you can discover exactly what's working and what's NOT.  I strongly urge you to test as many different elements as possible. 

These include:

Your offer- Try testing different price points, different bonuses to go along with your main product, 

different product "bundles" -- as many variables as you can come up with. 

Different segments of your list- Send the same offer to different segments of your list (e.g., your customers vs. your subscribers)

Subject lines- This is the first point of contact with your audience. Your subject line has to grab their attention and encourage them to open your email!

The email itself- Be sure to test different email messages to see which one encourages the greatest number of buyers through to your sales letter.

Time to send- Which day of the week yields the best response? And which time of day? Will you get better results if you send on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. -- or Sunday at 9:30 in the morning?

Once again, the only way to know for sure is to TEST. 

Advantages of Email Marketing:

Forces action- Emails sit in the inbox until read, deleted, or archived.

Builds relationships- Connect with your audience.

Drives traffic- Direct users to your blog, social media, or other platforms.

Gather email addresses from website visitors, customers, and leads through opt-in forms, subscription pop-ups, and lead magnets. Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, such as GDPR or CAN-SPAM, by obtaining explicit consent.

Divide your email list into segments based on demographics, preferences, purchase history, or engagement level. Segmenting allows you to send targeted and personalized emails that resonate with each group of subscribers.

Set up automated email workflows, such as welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, follow-up sequences, and re-engagement campaigns, to deliver timely and targeted messages based on subscriber actions or triggers.

Follow best practices to improve email deliverability, including maintaining a clean and engaged subscriber list, avoiding spammy content and deceptive tactics, and regularly monitoring deliverability metrics.

Keep up with regulatory updates, some of the things you'll need to do are...

Include your physical address in every email.

Include easy-to-follow "unsubscribe" information in every email.

Remove your "unsubs" from your list within the required 14 days.

Remove all "hard BounceBack" email addresses from your subscriber list.

Just remember, if you follow the rules and be a good "email citizen," then you will be able to grow a 

responsive list of subscribers who will be eager to read your emails.

A responsive email list equals more sales!

I wish You Great Success.

Just Start

We created our circumstances by our pastchoices. We have both the ability and the 

responsibility to make better choices beginning today

Any day we wish; 

we can discipline ourselves to change it all. 

we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. 

we can start a new activity.  

We can do it next year with a mentor, or next month, or next week, or immedietly. 

Benefits of Having a Mentor:

Learning from Experience: Mentees can learn from the mentor's experiences, including their successes 

and failures, which can save time and avoid common pitfalls.

Career Advancement: A mentor can provide insights and advice on how to advance in a chosen career or field.

Confidence Building: Having a mentor can boost a mentee's confidence by validating their abilities and potential.

Networking: Access to the mentor's professional network can open doors and create opportunities.

Personal Growth: Mentors can help mentees develop personally as well as professionally, promoting a well-rounded

 approach to life and work.

Long-term Perspective: Mentors often provide valuable insights into long-term career planning and development.

If the idea of having a mentor makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are;

We can also do nothing.  

We can choose rest over labor. 

Entertainment over education. 

Delusion over truth. 

Doubt over confidence. 

The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. 

As Shakespeare uniquely observed, 'The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves.' 

I wish You Great Success.

Four Words

Over the years as I've sought out ideas, principles and strategies to life's challenges, 

I've come across four simple words that can make living worthwhile.

The Four powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care.

1. LEARN - Learning from other people's experiences and mistakes is valuable information 

because we can learn what not to do without the pain of having tried and failed ourselves.

What you don't know WILL hurt you. You have to have learning to exist, let alone succeed. 

Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences - negative or positive. We learn to 

do it right by first sometimes doing it wrong. We call that a positive negative. We could learn 

how someone who had it all then messed it up. 

We learn by what we see so pay attention. 

We learn by what we hear so be a good listener.  

We learn from what we read so learn from every source; learn from lectures; learn from songs; learn 

from sermons; learn from conversations with people who care. 

Always keep learning.

2.TRY- Try to make a difference, Try your best. You can't just keep learning, you have to try something 

to see if you can succced.  

Try to make some progress, 

Try to learn a new skill, 

Try to learn a new sport. 

It doesn't mean you can do everything, but there are a lot of things you can do, if you just try.  

3.STAY- You have to stay until the harvest. 

Stay if you have signed up 

Stay for the day 

Stay for the game 

Stay for the project - see it through. 

Sometimes calamity comes and then it is worth wrapping it up. 

But on this one, if you signed up, see it through.

4.CARE- Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around.

If you care at all you will get some results, if you care enough you can get incredible results. 

 

Care enough to start a new enterprise.  

Care enough to be the highest producer. 

Care enough to set some records. 

Care enough to win.

 

What difference can you make in your life today by putting these words to work?

I wish You Great Success.

Advertising Site

Creating an ad site that actually makes good money involves a LOT of work. It's not as simple as putting up a web page and then hoping that advertisers will flock to you in order to get their ads on that page. 

• Determine what you want to achieve with your advertising site. Is it to showcase products, generate leads, or build brand awareness?

• Understand who your site is for. Consider demographics, interests, and behaviors.

In order for an advertising site to be successful, it needs...

1. A LOT of traffic: Advertisers are only willing to pay for space on your site if they know you can get their ads in front of HUGE numbers of qualified leads. In order for this revenue model to work for you, you need to have a lot of highly targeted traffic coming to your site.

All conversions related to advertising are trackable, which means advertisers will know exactly how many people click on the ads on your site, and how many of those people actually convert into customers. 

So... what does this mean for you?

- get your site listed at the top of the search engine results 

- optimizing your site and using strategies such as article sharing, blog writing, and forum participation 

2. A Content-rich presence:  In order to be successful, an advertising site should have a huge number of content pages, with just one or two advertisements per page at most. 

Search engines LOVE web pages that are loaded with good design and valuable content. Write compelling copy that highlights the benefits of your offerings. Create engaging visuals, such as banners, product images, and videos. Include relevant information about the products or services being advertised.

User-friendly layout- Ensure your site is easy to navigate and optimize for mobile devices.

Visual appeal- Use high-quality images, consistent branding, and clear typography.

 

3. A Responsive opt-in list: You will have a far better chance of actually getting people to click on your clients' advertisements if you include them in a weekly e-newsletter that you send to your opt-in lists. 

You should include an attractive opt-in offer on your web pages that encourages people to join your mailing list, by sending them valuable free information, they will look forward to your emails and click on those ads.

4. A Community and User-friendly site: One of the best ways to make an advertising site profitable is to increase its "stickiness" by turning it into a popular community hangout.

You can do this by adding a forum to it and encouraging your visitors to talk to each other about their shared interests, and the problems they're hoping to solve. This has the added advantage of getting your visitors to create content FOR you -- so you don't have to spend as much time writing articles yourself.

When you start by building information-rich content pages that have a moderate amount of advertising on them, ensure your site has SSL encryption for secure data transmission and comply with privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR).

Test your site thoroughly for functionality, responsiveness, and compatibility. Launch your advertising site and monitor its performance.

You can also create your own product to advertise on your site. Listen carefully to your audience to discover the products they're most interested in buying. You can work on developing your own product that has its own special USP (unique selling proposition) and explode the profitability of your business!

.

Remember, an effective advertising site combines aesthetics, functionality, and user experience to attract and engage visitors.

I wish You Great Success.

Drop Shippers

Whether you're just getting started with an online store or you are an online veteran, 

dropshipping provides an easy entry point into wholesale buying.

Drop shippers are simply wholesalers who are willing to send products directly from their wholesale warehouse to your customers' homes for you, one at a time.

For online sellers, this product sourcing method offers numerous advantages: 

No inventory investment 

No storage  

No shipping issues, 

A much broader product selection.

It's also an excellent model to test new products. 

Of course, drop shipping does have its limits, two in particular: 

slimmer profit margins and occasional delivery problems.

Using drop shippers brings certain strengths to your Internet business, but that doesn't mean you should limit yourself to using only drop shipping. No single sourcing method will make you truly successful. 

 

Drop shipping provides a great complement to your other sourcing techniques and should be one part of your overall product sourcing strategy.

You will not find legitimate wholesale suppliers advertising in the search engines.

Unfortunately, locating real wholesale drop shippers isn't all that easy. 

There are a couple of different ways you can locate real, genuine wholesale drop shippers on your own:

1.Attend quality trade shows and meet with wholesalers and manufacturers who've been vetted by a trade association. Not every exhibitor at a show will drop ship, but many will, and you'll know that they're legitimate.

2.Call the manufacturer of the product you want to sell and ask for a list of their factory-authorized wholesalers. Then start calling the suppliers on that list to see which ones drop ship. 

Once you know you're looking at genuine suppliers, you can start narrowing down the list of ones you want to work with.

 

I wish You Great Success.

More with Less

The Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 Rule.

The 80/20 Principle states that 80% of results, rewards, or outputs are generated by 20% of causes, efforts, or inputs.

In other words, when it comes to getting the results you want, only a very few things you do really matter. The rest...well, they're just a waste of your time.

Business philosophers love to talk about the 80/20 Principle, because it applies so clearly to corporate situations. You've probably heard it said that 80% of profit comes from 20% of customers, or that 20% of a company's staff generates 80% of its productivity.

But the 80/20 Principle is much, much bigger than that. It's a universal, natural fact, proven over and over again in scientific research. And it's visible in nearly every imaginable circumstance.

For instance, in the wider world, roughly:

20% of thieves account for 80% of the value of all crime.

20% of drivers cause 80% of all car accidents.

20% of any community's population utilizes 80% of its resources.

And if you look at your own personal life, you'll find that about:

20% of the time you spend at work accounts for 80% of what you achieve

20% of your clothes are worn 80% of the time

20% of your home's carpeting receives 80% of the wear

These fascinating little statistics demonstrate the truth of the 80/20 Principle —  

The secret to using it as a tool for massive life transformation — lies in finding, focusing on, and 

exploiting the most important 20% of your resources in every situation in your life.

It is about learning to identify the things that matter most to you and add the most value to your life...Shifting the majority of your energy and attention to those things and disregarding everything else.

In theory, applying the power of the 80/20 Principle is really quite simple.

You see, we've all been ingrained with 50/50 thinking. We intuitively believe that hard work will bring about equal results. That cause and effect are equally linked.

The 80/20 Principle demonstrates that just the opposite is true. The world is imbalanced. Everything isn't fair. Working really hard doesn't necessarily mean you'll be amply rewarded. 

Hardly working at all can sometimes make you a multimillionaire.

This can be a very difficult idea to get your mind around. It can be even harder to put it into practice. 

After all, we're programmed to believe that a truly productive workday must consist of eight hours at a minimum. It can feel impossible to cut that down to just one or two hours, even when the results you're generating are the same or even better.

I wish You Great Success.

Vocal Impact 2

Remember to try to 'fill down' with your breath - rather than filling up and lifting your shoulders and chest. The latter cuts you off from your breath powerhouse in your center.

Centering the breath enables you to:

• Project without push
• Be connected to a deeper place - thus giving you more gravitas.
• Work freely, because you would not be supporting your voice in your throat.
• Open up your pitch range - giving variety and interest.
• Resonate more effectively.

Find that centered, grounded position again and try to maintain it throughout the exercises.

Place the flat of your hand between the base of your ribcage and your navel.

Breathe out fully through an open mouth; notice that little moment of 'nothingness' deep inside you as your body changes gear from breathing out to breathing in. Wait for the impulse for you next IN breath and the relax the area beneath your hand in order for the breath to replace. Repeat 6 times, 

always making sure not rush the exercise.

Breathe out fully and easily through an open mouth, letting the outgoing breath last for a mental 

count of 5. Relax the area in the center of your body, as in the previous exercise, in order for 

the breath to be drawn in. Then release the breath for six mental counts then 7, 8, 9 and 10 - always relaxing in your center, not lifting your upper chest. Think of the outgoing breath as warm quality 

and allow your throat and jaw to release and feel spacious.

Then repeat the exercise but count aloud easily to five on one breath. Send the counts to a specific 

place across the room. Repeat, gradually extending the counts as far as you can without feeling strain. 

Always stop when you feel your breath supply has been exhausted.

Repeat - this time intoning the counts. Start on a comfortable, mid register, but try going to your 

lower register and upper register, before going back to your most comfortable range. Keep the voice forwards as though the sound is leaving you on an arc of energy.

Ribs - Place the back of your hand on your ribcage. Breathe without lifting your upper chest, feeling your lower ribs expanding. Then find a point some distance away from you. Focus clearly on that place and send a stream of hissed sound on 's' to that place for 5 mental counts.

Repeat on a 'z' and a 'v' - focusing the sound across the space in a steady stream.

RESONANCE

Using your breath support, hum a very internal hum and feel all the vibrating places on your face, 

neck and skull. Turn the hum into a 'chewy' hum to get the facial muscles involved. Try to focus the hum to different surfaces, notice how the voice resonates differently in each place. Repeat as you go from 'mmm' to 'ah' then 'mmm' to 'oo'. Also, to different surfaces. Try saying the opening of a speech, feeling the vibrations of your voice coming forwards into your cheeks, lips, back of neck and top of skull. Do it on different pitches. Speak it feeling grounded with your energy filling your personal space and beyond.

ARTICULATION

First massage your face and jaw, being aware of any particular tension areas. Yawn vertically, 

horizontally and with your lips together - each time keeping your tongue tip in light contact with

 the back of your lower front teeth and programming your soft palate at the back of the roof of 

the mouth to rise.

Stretch your tongue out onto your chin to release tension from the tongue root. Speak with your 

tongue out on your chin and then with it back inside your mouth noticing how free it feels as a 

result. Say the "the sixth sheik's sixth sheep's sick" with precision and clarity, without missing out any of the sounds. When you feel it is clear, speed it up, still maintaining clarity.

Repeat on: Peggy Babcock (6 times -gradually speeding up) and Popocatepetl, Popocatepetl, 

Popocatepetl - Pop

Finally:

Always make sure you understand and believe in what you are saying. This applies equally to 

conversation as it does to presentations and speeches

Wherever necessary and possible, prepare the material to be spoken.

Most listeners want to hear you speak, they are generally on your side and want you to do well.

I wish You Great Success.

Vocal Impact 1

With just ten minutes of gentle exercise per day, you can build vocal stamina and improve the 

tone of your voice.

Always start with some gentle limbering to release excess tension from your body. Work from a 

‘centered’, grounded position, with a strong spine, but working towards releasing the muscles you are not using.

The breath is the powerhouse for the voice, so once you feel your body is released and centered, 

start to focus on your breath. Always try to breath to the base of your lungs not into the top 

or you will risk causing shoulder and chest tension.

Once you feel the breath is ‘centering’, then go onto sounds, words, sentences and whole speeches.

The Exercises:

Finding A Centered Position:

The body works at its best when it is firmly grounded and working in a state of equilibrium. 

First get the feet right, put them together, turn the toes to 'ten to the hour', turn out the heels so the feet are parallel. 

Within a short time, this will happen instinctively without you having to go through the whole process.

Close your eyes and start to part the area just below the belly button. Focus all your attention there and try to imagine the area beneath your hand as a ball of powerful energy. Imagine that energy spreading out all over your body. Feel the strong connection between your feet and the 

floor. Let your knees have a little 'give' in then- not bent and not braced back. Notice if you feel more connected in this 'centered' position.

Stretching:

First have a really good stretch. Stretch up to the ceiling, keeping your shoulders down, but 

feeling the stretch coming from your ribs and arms.

Develop into a stretch and a yawn to release the jaw and open your throat. Keep your tongue tip touching the back of your lower front teeth as you do this and consciously open the top of your throat.

Stretch up and hold the body in a tight position for a moment.

Flop down as you breath out fully.

Pushing:

To release tension around the arms and shoulders, imagine you are pushing against a wall a foot away at shoulder height. Push really hard, then gradually release the effort and allow your arms to fall easily beside you.

Head & Neck:

Then release your neck by allowing your head to fall heavily onto your chest. Raise it slowly until it feels well balanced on your shoulders. Try to use the minimum of effort and try to 

engage the muscles at the back of the neck - not the front.

Repeat this three times, imagine your head getting heavier as it falls and lighter as it rises.

Repeat the above exercise, allowing the head to fall to the back and then each side in turn.

Each time there should be no sensation of 'placing' your head, but of allowing it to find its 

resting position on its own.

Chest & Shoulders:

Lift your chest up and forward until you feel an exaggerated hollow in the centre of your back. 

Hold it there for a few mental counts and then release the chest.

Roll your shoulders forwards three times and back three times.

Then lift them up to your ears and try to move them into different shapes.

Try to speak with them up around your ears.

Then loosely shake them up, notice the contrast while you speak.

Wrist & Ankles

Shake out your wrist - trying to make them go as completely floppy.

Remember, even tension in your hands- although a long way from your voice box it affects the way you sound.

Then do the same for each foot - shake them out as though you could gently shake your foot off.

Replace on the ground and feel the connection.

I wish You Great Success.

Leverage on Ebay

Ebay is an incredibly useful tool for promoting a "regular" Internet business.

However, there is a right way to use eBay for promoting an off-eBay website -- and 

there is a wrong way.

The right way can drive huge waves of qualified visitors to your business... but the wrong 

way can get you banned from ever doing business on eBay again.

eBay DON'Ts:

DON'T include any links to your off-eBay website in your auction listings.

DON'T include any links to your website in your eBay store or custom pages.

DON'T include an opt-in offer in your auction listings.

DON'T include an opt-in offer in your eBay store.

DON'T automatically add your customers or visitors to your auctions to your opt-in list ...

In short, don't overtly try to send people off eBay or collect their information for marketing purposes on your auction listings, your eBay store, or any of your custom pages without their expressed consent. 

Your "About Me" page. And it's the most important weapon in your eBay marketing arsenal!

Here's how you use it...eBay DOs:

DO include a link to your off-eBay website on your "About Me" page, and other products.

DO include an opt-in form on your "About Me" page, with a compelling offer.

DO use every possible opportunity in your auction listings and your eBay Store to encourage people to check out your "About Me" page.

Tell them to read your FAQs on your "About Me" page.

When people buy something from you, send them ONE follow-up email and invite them to sign up for your newsletter or free report, so you can get them on your opt-in list.

If you do it right, you'll discover that eBay is an excellent customer acquisition tool for your business.

In fact, you might find it more effective NOT to sell your main product on eBay, but to sell related products for minimal profit, simply to grow your customer base so you can back-end sell your main products to them in the future.

Finally, eBay does regularly change their policies, so it's important you regularly check to make sure you're following eBay's official seller regulations, so you can stay on their good side.

I wish You Great Success.

Internet Toolbox

Running an internet business requires a variety of tools to manage different aspects efficiently. The specific tools you need can depend on your business model.

Here are six essential categories:

Email Marketing:

Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or Sendinblue: For creating and managing email marketing campaigns.

Social Media Management:

Buffer, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social: Schedule posts, track social media engagement, and manage multiple platforms.

Project Management:

Trello, Asana, or Monday.com: Organize tasks, collaborate with team members, and track project progress.

Communication and Collaboration:

Slack or Microsoft Teams: Internal communication and collaboration tools.

Zoom or Google Meet: For virtual meetings and conferences.

Payment Processing:

Stripe, PayPal, or Square: Accept online payments securely.

Backup and Security:

BackupBuddy or UpdraftPlus: Regularly back up your website.

Wordfence or Sucuri: Security plugins to protect your website from cyber threats.

Imagine you have access to every software tool you might need to get your internet marketing business started. 

Here six essential software programs that you must have. 

Open Office - You need to check this office suite out. Open Office meets your needs word processing, 

spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. You can also create pdf documents on the fly.

Graphics Editor - Now you can create and edit graphics with ease. If you are already familiar with Photoshop(tm), then check out Gimpshop (gimpshop.com). This gimp version really looks and feels just like Photoshop(tm).

3D Box Shot Maker- This great little program combined with gimp is all you will need to start creating great product graphics.

LS Screen Capture- This program will let you capture whatever is on your 

screen. You can edit it in gimp for even better results.

Web Authoring System- similar to Frontpage(tm) and Dreamweaver(tm). Anyone can create professional looking webpages quickly and easily without knowing HTML or other technical stuff NVU (nvu.com)

A great Audio Editor- Audio and Recorder. With this program you have everything you need to record and edit podcasts Audacity (audacity.sourceforge.net)

With these programs loaded onto your computer, you will have all of the tools to build a very profitable Internet Marketing business. You now have the professional tools to bootstrap yourself to success. 

Select tools based on your specific business needs and goals. Regularly review and update your toolkit to stay current with technological advancements and industry trends.

I wish You Great Success.

Website Review

In website review, the focus points are:

1. Your business model

2. Your keyword phrases

3. Your sales copy

I hope these tips help you get your business on the right track!

1. Your business model

Online, "something for everyone" approach simply doesn't work. I strongly urge you to set up different site to promote each of your main products (e.g., your pregnancy journal and your wedding planner).

You will have more success if you laser target your audience and speak directly to their specific needs, rather than trying to appeal to too many different people at once.

Once you start making some sales, you can stay in touch with your two main customer groups via email and promote different affiliate products to them over time.)

A good principle to follow is:

one problem + one solution = one website.

If you use one site to sell too many things to too many people, you'll end up selling to no one.

2. Your keyword phrases

One of the first things to do when checking out a website is the source code to see what keywords and phrases it's optimized for. Your keywords are the "key" to your success with the search engines.

There's no point optimizing your site for keywords that have overwhelming competition.

Instead, you need to find keywords that are far more focused and speak directly to your target market's needs.

For example, phrases like "memory problems during pregnancy" or "how to celebrate my pregnancy" should get you a far more targeted audience than simply, "pregnancy."

But are these actually phrases people type into the search engines?

Visit popular forums, blogs, and chat groups. See if people really are talking about these problems -- and if so, what language they're using to describe them. THAT'S the language you should be using in your salescopy.

3. Your Salescopy

You have to show visitors your site offers a solution to their problem. And you have to do it RIGHT AWAY.

That's why you need a large, easy-to-read, very clearly defined headline at the top of your site.

It should be the first thing people see when they arrive at your site, and it needs to present their problem -- and promise a solution -- in an attention-grabbing way.

Note that phrases should talk about your product in terms of its BENEFITS, not its FEATURES.

You have to include testimonials on your page! People need to see real words from 

real people, explaining how your product has made their lives better.

You can easily get testimonials by giving your product away for free to friends and acquaintances or people you meet online, blogs, or chat groups. Simply send them a copy and ask for some feedback in exchange.

Finally, your copy needs to include a strong call to action that compels your visitors to buy.

I hope that gives you enough to get you started.

I wish You Great Success.

Mission Statement

If you're like most people, you've probably flirted around with New Year's resolutions: You've said, "Resolutions don't work for me." Maybe you need a better approach. Instead of making a mental resolution, create a Mission Statement. 

A Mission Statement

is a handwritten or typed-out paragraph

is posted someplace you can see it regularly

is committed to memory

has specific, measurable outcomes

has a deadline — in this case, December 31st

Here's a process you can use right now to create a Mission Statement for personal success in your career or business. Get out a pen and some paper.

Step A. Write down 5 positive personality characteristics you like about yourself in your career/business. 

For example: willingness to learn, persistence, creativity, friendliness, sense of humor.

Step B. For the items you listed above, describe the way you express each positive characteristic on a regular basis in your career, using the word "by" to begin each phrase. For example, if you listed 

"Willingness to learn" above, you might write "by being committed to ongoing professional development" below. Another example: If you wrote "persistence" above, you might write "by making sure the job always gets done" below.

Step C. Write down 5 goals you’d like to achieve by one year from today. Be sure to list a specific 

financial goal separate from these 5 goals.

Step D. Look back over Steps A, B, and C, circling the 3 most important items in each column.

Step E. Now fill in the blanks of the following paragraph: "My purpose is to express my

 __________________________ ,________________________, and ______________________ 

(write in the three items you circled in Step A) by __________________________________________________,

 by ________________________________________________, and by ____________________________________________ 

(write in the three items you circled in Step B) to create ___________________________________________________,

 ___________________________________________________ and _____________________________________________, 

(write in the three items you circled in Step C) and at least ____________ (write in your financial goal)

 by ___________ (write in the date one year from today)."

When finished, you will have a short paragraph that reads something like:

"My purpose is to express my intelligence, creativity, and people skills by continually learning and applying new ideas, by finding unique solutions to my clients' problems, and by building a powerful network of contacts to create 15 new corporate accounts, a steady flow of referral and renewal business, and full technological competence, and at least $250,000 in gross commissions by this date one year from today."

I hope you give this simple exercise a try, and I encourage you to follow the guidelines above by 

posting it where you can review it and committing it to memory. Then you won't

make any more fruitless resolutions 

I wish You Great Success.

Security and Compliance 3

How to do BS7799/ISO17799 Projects

Who to Interview?

Security Management --------Sec Policy/Organization

Security Management -----------Asset Classification and Control

Typically, HR --------------------- Personnel Security

Site Security/IT manager------- Physical and Environmental Security

Business Manager/IT Manager--------------- Communications and

Operations Management

System Administration Staff---------------- Access Control

Development Staff-------------- System development

Business Continuity Manager---------- Business Continuity Management

Internal Audit/Legal-------------- Compliance

Appropriate staff/line Management----------- Business/Info Process

A Good Gap Analysis

Clearly defined scope

Clear findings against each control (good areas as well as gaps)

The ISMS

Clear practical and appropriate recommendations leading to compliance.

All recommendations reinforced and supported by findings.

Finalizing Resources

Resourcing:

Match actions with in-house resources and confirm availability.

Identify availability shortfalls.

Identify where specialist support is needed.

Obtain necessary approvals for SIP.

Ensure the group have access to the full

Gap Analysis Report for guidance

Establish the ISMS through the creation of the Information Security Forum

Risk Assessment and BS7799/ISO17799

Define a systematic approach to risk assessment.

Identify the risk.

Assess the risk.

Select control objectives and controls for the treatment of risk.

Identify and evaluate options for the treatment of risk.

Generic Steps

Identify assets.

Identify asset dependencies.

Business Impact Assessment (Asset Valuation)

Threat Assessment

Determine levels of risk (Risk Assessment)

Countermeasures Selection

Map to BS7799/ISO17799

Risk Treatment

Document Management

BS7799/ISO17799 section 4.3 calls for Distribution /Availability to staff as required.

Version/ Change control

Documents to be dated (Including previous versions)

By implications, uniquely identifiable and fully controlled.

ISO 9001 compliance is an advantage.

Appropriate change control is needed for intranet solution.

10 Tips for Success

1. Ensure senior management involvement

2. Recommend a realistic and useful scope

3. Develop a good risk assessment

4. Promote Active Risk management

5. Interpret the controls for the scope

6. Ensure early Security Forum creation

7. Ensure maximum use of the Statement of Applicability

8. Get internal third parties to sign up

9. Get audits underway to raise assurance

10. Take staff awareness seriously

I wish You Great Success.

Evaluating Security

The exact role of internal audit regarding information security varies widely among companies, but it always provides a significant opportunity for internal audit to deliver real value to the board and 

management. Internal auditors should play an important role in ensuring that information security efforts have a positive effect on an organization and protect the organization from harm.

Why worry so much about information security? Consider some reasons why organizations need to protect their information:

Availability. Can your organization ensure prompt access to information or systems to authorized users? 

Do you know if your critical information is regularly backed-up and can be easily restored?

Integrity of data and systems. Are your board and audit committee confident they can rest assured that this information has not been altered in an unauthorized manner and that systems are free from unauthorized manipulation that could compromise reliability?

Confidentiality of data. Can you tell your customers and employees that their nonpublic information is safe from unauthorized access, disclosure, or use? This is a significant reputational risk today!

Accountability. If information has been compromised, can you trace actions to their source?

An audit of information security can take many forms. At its simplest, the auditors will review the 

information security program’s plans, policies, procedures, and key new initiatives, plus hold some interviews with the key stakeholders. At its most complex, a large internal audit team will evaluate almost every aspect of the security program and even do intrusion testing.

This diversity depends on the risks involved, the assurance requirements of the board and executive management, and the skills and abilities of the auditors.

For example, if the organization is undergoing extensive change within its IT application portfolio or IT infrastructure, that would be a great time for a comprehensive assessment of the overall information security program (likely best just before or just after the changes). If last year’s security audit was positive, perhaps a specialized audit of a particular activity or an important e-commerce application would be useful. 

The audit evaluation can, and most times should, be part of a long-term (read: multi-year) audit assessment of security results.

I wish You Great Success.

Security and Compliance 2

BS7799 Contents of Part 1

• Scope

• Terms and definitions

• Security policy

• Security organisation

• Asset classification and control

• Personnel security

• Physical and environmental security

• Communications and operations management

• Access control

• Systems development and maintenance

• Business continuity management

• Compliance

BS7799 Contents of Part 2

• Scope

• Terms and definitions

• Information security management system requirements

• Detailed controls

1. Security policy

2. Security organisation

3. Asset classification and control

4. Personnel security

5. Physical and environmental security

6. Communications and environmental security

7. Communications and operations management

8. Access control

9. System development and maintenance

10. Business continuity management

11. Compliance

Critical Success Factors

• Policies, Objectives and Activities that reflect business objectives

• Appropriate resources

• Consistency with culture

• Visible support and commitment from management

• Clear understanding of the security requirements and risk

• Effective marketing of security to all employees

• Distribution of information to all partners, suppliers, employees and contractors

• Providing appropriate training and education

• Key performance indicators

Selecting Controls

• Identify business objectives

• Identify business strategy

• Identify security strategy

• Identify and implement controls

Key controls

1. Information security policy document

2. Allocation of security responsibilities

3. Information security education and training

4. Reporting of security incidents

5. Virus controls

6. Business continuity planning

7. Control of proprietary software copying

8. Safeguarding of company records

9. Compliance with data protection legislation

10. Compliance with the security policy

Certification requirements for BS7799 /ISO 17799

Organisation shall establish and maintain a document ISMS

• Management framework

1. Risk management approach

2. Identify control objectives and controls

3. Documented evidence: - evidence of the actions undertaken - a summary of the management frame

 work - the procedures adopted to implement the controls - the procedures covering the management 

and operation of the ISMS

In 2005 International Organization for Standardization released a specification, ISO 17799 in 2005

 which establishes guidelines and general principles for initiating, implementing, maintaining and 

improving information security in an organization. They intended to be implemented to meet the 

requirements identified by a risk assessment.

Management frame work

• Define the policy

• Define the scope of the information security management system

1. Characteristics of the organisation

2. Location

3. Assets

4. Technology

• Undertake risk assessment

1. Threats

2. Vulnerabilities

3. Impacts

4. Degree of risk

• Manage the risks

• Select control objectives & controls

• Prepare statement of applicability

1. Selected control objectives and rationale

2. Exclusion of controls and rationale

Applying BS7799/ISO17799

• A Practical Approach

• Gap Analysis

• Action Planning

• Risk Assessment and Treatment

• Developing an improvement programme

• Effective Statement of Applicability

• Planning and Costing a BS7799/ISO17799 project

• ISMS (Information Security Management System)

• Audit

I wish You Great Success.

Security and Compliance 1

Security and Compliance (Part I)

It is possible to have excellent security and not be compliant, and it is also possible to pass a compliance audit and have a very poor organization security. The illusion that compliance equals

 security has led organizations to excessively spend on compliance at the detriment of security. 

There are five principles in balancing compliance with security.

• Base your security program on a security framework

• Leverage compliance budgets for information security controls

• Automate policy compliance and auditing

• Be prepared to manage change in threats and regulations

• Create an effective awareness and training program

Different organizations, information security professionals and consulting companies approach security 

program in different ways. Many organizations follow the ISO 17799 approach. 

(International Organization for Standardization) and a few follow the COBIT standards. 

(Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology) which are both great starting points. 

But there is another approach called the Sherwood applied Business Security Architecture (SABSA).

The SABSA model uses different roles that work with the following perspective:

• Business owner – Contextual

• Architecture – Conceptual

• Designer – Logical

• Builder – Physical

• Tradesman – Component

• Facilities Manager - Operational

SABSA model slices an enterprise into six different layers so that security can be more focused, it is more business oriented. Although the model is theoretical and academic in nature, once an organization has its security building blocks in place it can evolve past the ISO model and implement the SABSA

Complying with BS7799/ISO 17799

Developing and implementing considerations from Business and Technical Perspective consists of: Part 1

• Code of practice for information security management

Part 2

• Specification for information management systems

Why Implement:

• Helps realize the security policy

• Builds a level of business confidence

• Easy and flexible architecture

• Common standard

• Position of strength

• Ability to leverage business benefits

• Develop best practice • Introduce benchmark standards

•Recognized international standards

The standard was developed from the following legislation:

• Data Protection Act 1984

• Data Protection Act 1988

• Data Protection Act 1998

• Computer Misuse Act 1990

• Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988

• Human Rights Act 2000

• Regulatory Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIP Bill)

I wish You Great Success.

Site Optimization

You need to focus on two core two areas if you want your SEO efforts to pay off:

1. Your on-site optimization efforts -- such as your best keywords in your sales copy 

2. Your off-site optimization efforts -- such as getting quality inbound links to point to your site 

For good rankings, there are three specific things you need pay attention to:

1. Your inbound links - you need to build a network of high-quality inbound links pointing to your site.

By high quality I mean, from sites that have a Google PageRank of 4 or more. 

(You can check out a site's PageRank by downloading the Google Toolbar to your browser.)

The best ways to get these links are to:

- Get your site listed with the top directories, like (the Open Directory Project)

- List your site on industry-specific directories

- Write content-rich articles and submit them to high PageRank article directories

- Offer free content to high PageRank sites that target the same market as you 

- Participate in forums that are popular with your target market and include a link to your site 

2. Your anchor tags - Make sure the anchor tag has your top-performing keywords in it.

Google is looking for hyperlinks attached to actual phrases (as opposed to URLs). 

The idea is hyperlinked phrases are more likely to lead to a useful reference site.

For example, if you have a dog training site, Google will pay more attention to a hyperlink that's attached to a phrase like, "best dog training tips" than a link that's attached to: doghouserules.com.

Ensure your anchor tags don't all use the exact same keyword phrase. They should include variations on a number of different keywords. That will make them look more natural to the search engines.

3. Your title tags - Your title tag is one of the most important tags on your site? It's 

one of the first things the spiders look at when they arrive on your site.

Ensure you include your top-performing keyword phrase in your title tag.

(You can see what your title tag is by looking at the very top of your browser when you're on your 

homepage. What information appears there? Does it include your top keyword phrases? It should!)

Your title tag is the text some search engines display in the listings that appear in the 

search results. So, it needs to clearly communicate to your visitors exactly what your site is about.

The best way to do that is by including the keyword phrases they typed into the search engine.

Finally, have patience. Search engine optimization is not an overnight strategy. 

Sometimes it can take up to six months to see the results of your work. But the results will be worth it!

I wish You Great Success.

Security Standards

Security standards refer to a set of guidelines, best practices, and specifications established to help 

organizations and individuals protect their information, assets, and systems from various security threats and vulnerabilities. These standards are developed and maintained by various organizations, government agencies, and industry groups to ensure that security measures are consistent, effective, and up-to-date. 

Here are some notable security standards:

ISO 27001: The ISO/IEC 27001 standard provides a framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS) within the context of an organization's overall business risks.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework: Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States, this framework offers guidance on managing and reducing cybersecurity risk. It's widely used by organizations to improve their cybersecurity posture.

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard): This standard is aimed at organizations that handle credit card payments. It outlines security requirements for protecting cardholder data and is essential for businesses that process credit card transactions.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): HIPAA sets security and privacy standards for protecting patients' healthcare information. It is crucial for healthcare providers, insurers, and organizations that handle patient data.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): GDPR is a European Union regulation that governs data protection and privacy for individuals within the EU. It has a global impact as many companies worldwide must comply with its requirements when handling EU citizens' data.

CIS (Center for Internet Security) Controls: CIS provides a set of prioritized actions for organizations to improve their cybersecurity posture. The CIS Controls are divided into three categories: basic, foundational, and organizational, each with specific recommendations.

FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act): In the United States, FISMA establishes security standards and guidelines for federal agencies and their contractors. It focuses on protecting government information systems.

BSI IT-Grundschutz: This German standard provides guidance for implementing information security measures. It's widely used in German-speaking countries and covers various aspects of information security.

COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies): Developed by ISACA, COBIT provides a framework for governing and managing enterprise IT. It includes guidance on IT security and risk management.

OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project): While not a formal standard, OWASP provides a list of the top web application security risks and offers guidance on mitigating these risks. It's widely used in the software development community.

FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards): These are a set of standards published by the U.S. government for various information security-related purposes, including encryption and cryptographic algorithms.

SOC (Service Organization Control) Reports: Developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), SOC reports are used to evaluate the controls at service organizations that may impact the security, availability, and processing integrity of data.

These security standards help organizations mitigate risks, protect sensitive data, and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Organizations often choose the standards that are most relevant to their industry and specific security needs. Additionally, compliance with these standards can provide a competitive advantage and build trust with customers and partners.

Security Standards (27K)

This is an informational, non-commercial website dedicated to promoting the latest international standards for Information Security Management Systems, the ISO/IEC 27000-family (“ISO27k”). - iso27001security.com/

The ISO27k standards provide best practice guidance on protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information on which we all depend. Three standards in the series are already released and publicly available:ISO 27001, the Information Security Management System certification standard;

ISO 27002 (previously known as BS 7799-1 and ISO 17799), the code of practice for information security management; and

ISO 27006, a guide to the ISMS certification process for certification bodies.

Several other ISO27k standards are currently in preparation.

More than 3,600 organizations have been certified against ISO 27001 worldwide with many thousands more using ISO 27002 as the basis for their Information Security Management Systems.

I wish You Great Success.