Is There An Ideal Business For Teachers?

A musing over the long standing argument that service and profit do not mix.

In other words, do teaching and business mix?

As I write, I am reminded of a speech that I attended at the Lowry Centre, Salford in the U.K. a few years back that was given by the lady who had just been appointed the unenviable task of managing the centre. Her opening line was one of the best I have ever heard - yes, even better than Last Night I Dreamed I Went to Manderly Again - well, perhaps not better than that but more appropriate because we're not talking fiction here but hard fact.

No, what she said was 'When I took this job, I was told that I had to run the centre as a service to the public but at the same time make a profit at which point I was immediately filled with dread because in my experience the two have never been compatible'…or words to that effect. I related to this entirely having worked a business as a driving instructor for over fifteen years and bent over backwards moving hell and high water for my pupils, the results of which were usually along either of the following lines: 'You were right all along, Hilary - I'm glad you were so thorough and made me learn properly'. Needless to say, such a conversation usually followed a successful result after a lot of pressure from me to make the pupil cooperate by having the requisite number of lessons.

The other conversation went thus, usually following a situation whereby lots of learning had eventually taken place following what I could only describe as lessons more closely compared to pulling teeth: 'Sorry, Hilary, but it's jut taking too long - my Dad says I should be doing blah, blah, blah by now and I'm going elsewhere'. Aside from the fact that this was sometimes a relief and a blessing, it does show that what the public expects as a service from you is quite often well over and above what they are happy to pay in terms of hours and cash.

So, can we really run a business that allows us to use what is undoubtedly a gift when it comes to describing teaching? I honestly don't believe deep down that we can provide the same service to people in the same way you can as a paid teacher or coach within the education system. This is because if the agreement was private, you probably wouldn't get those same people to pay you - some may pay you more, of course, but only if they knew much about teaching, that is.

Is it the case, then, that we cannot continue to give service and run a business into the bargain?
I actually believe we can. What we have to consider is precisely what we mean when we say that we are providing a service. I think we are actually educating people to understand precisely how the world works and how to gain from the system as it is. The world is not perfect but I have learned that you can show some people the way to better things using a system that provides the education and tools to be successful. As with all things in life, not everyone will be a success but, they will have received an excellent education in marketing and I believe that education is never wasted. Even those that never join the ranks of the big hitters, then, will have gained, even if some are going to gain more than others.

In other words, it's not unlike our education system right now. Some are going to come out better than others. The difference is that, like the lady who gave the presentation mentioned above, I accept that the in the end the service given may not work in the same way as a service to which we are used to expecting help and support from an ever running tap.

Rather, that the true meaning of receiving is in giving as well.

I thought it would be nice to share with you my experiences at a meeting held by my sponsor, Ann, in the UK, London - this August bank holiday weekend.
We began in the way all the best meetings do by tucking into the food - very good it was too, I may add! This was followed by a photograph session with Ann ( or anyone else for that matter ) along with the chance to make a video.

( You can also see this blog at hubpages.com where you can see the photographs.

The next bit was where we had to start taking things a little more seriously and watch as we linked up with two team members over the Internet: Troy Allen, Sr. in the U.S whilst he offered everyone the opportunity to follow him in his forthcoming Internet marketing boot camp - as Troy is an ex marine, I declined this invitation feeling my mindset was not quite ready for such an attack! I am sure, however, that the opportunity will be invaluable to those who signed up and I'd like to wish them the very best of luck! I cannot divulge too much about this, of course, as it's all still a bit under wraps and the rest of the team will be informed in time.

The second speaker by Internet was Dave Perry from Canada who explained about his course to help with our Google Ads campaigns. Once again, I had to decline this as, much as I like to keep on top of Google , I prefer to practice other more enlightening forms of advertising on a daily basis.

It was reassuring to hear that, despite my being the only one at the meting not to volunteer for either, I would still be seen as a valuable team memer but must, in future, place a regular note of all my achieved goals for the week on the Group Forum. This would allow the more free spirits among us retain a working place within the team!

Having survived said meeting which had followed an entertaining journey down on the train provided by some rather jovial footy fans - apparently, Wembley was going to be busy - I'd decided to take a tour round London on one of the buses the following day. As my return train from Euston was 1pm and I was staying near Marble Arch and the tour took nearly 3 hours, you can imagine this feat was worthy of praise from the likes of Troy The Marine, above. I had to set off for the earliest bus run at 8.25am : probably the best time, in retrospect, because the fumes can sure build up on an open top bus - I would not like to have done this when it was busy!

A trip up The Thames was included 'twixt The Tower and The London Eye. We also went up Fleet Street where we heard little snippets such as where the Great Fire started, a glimpse of Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese ( frequented by Charles Dickens ) and a view of Margaret Thatcher's house in Belgravia. Apparently - I think I heard the guide right - a house here sold for £62 million! Well, something to aim for, perhaps - but not in this week's goals!

Luckily, the sun shone constantly and the tour guide was wonderful. Contrary to popular belief, I found everyone very friendly and helpful and public transport is cheap and an absolute doddle ( compared to Manchester ). Then again, perhaps it's just the experience of sunshine but no rain within a 24 hours period that makes everything seem better, if not quite fascinating. The only downer was the football fans who were in rather high spirits on the return journey.

It was a great weekend and thanks to out sponsor, Ann, for going to the trouble - you could call it, for those reading this 'blog that are already involved in this business, our very own Mini U.K. M2 Conference. Perhaps the company will take note and run one of their own over here sometime. We're a very friendly lot ( especially up 'ere in Manchester ).

Just not while there's a football match on…

Hilary.

Using Blogs And Articles In Your Internet Marketing Business Plan

In order to maximise web site search engines, it might be tempting to post pieces of writing to as many sites as possible. This may include your own blogs, article marketing sites, social networking sites as well as your own customised web site. All very well and good, you may think.

Or is it?

Quite apart from the fact that many article publishers only like to see original content and not something that is ploughed out here there and everywhere, there is also the question of whether something is actually an article or a blog. Indeed, does anyone actually know enough about this to even notice? Let's look at what the Internet says about both articles and blogs and then I shall expand in a little more depth about my own theory.

Blog.
Let's look at this first of all. Just our of interest, the absolutely correct way of spelling it is 'blog. This is because the word is a derivative of two words i.e., web and log. The apostrophe replaces the word web. Not wishing to sound pedantic, however, it shall be referred to as blog for the purposes of this article. Generally speaking, it would seem that the accepted norm is to describe a blog as a commentary. This implies a certain amount of bias and could be described more of a point of view than a factual description of events.

Article.
This refers to an unbiased description of events. In other words, a news item. Quite whether any event can be said to be described in an unbiased way, of course, is open to argument and clearly a topic for another article as opposed to something that should be included in here.

Perhaps the difference can be made clearer by looking at how the subject of this article was introduced in the opening paragraph. Had it been written for the purposes of a blog, it might have begun as follows - - As one who is always looking for the easiest, most productive way to generate more website traffic, I can be relied upon to maximise any piece of writing by having it posted to many high quality sites as possible. The difference is not just viewpoint being biased or otherwise, rather that the subject and object change. In the case of the blog, the subject is the writer. In the case of the article, the discussion about blog and articles is the subject ( of the piece ).

Compound those facts with the general trend of the blog moderators to lean towards blogs being used to describe the more personal aspects of our lives, it would make sense to assume that the article should be kept for the article marketing sites alone.
This will, of course, be in the interests of the people managing the article writing sites as well for the reason mentioned above ( they prefer original content that has not been shared with any number sites out there ) and so resulting in a win - - win situation. This is something that should be aimed for when making your Internet marketing business plan as you start your Internet business.

Is Teaching The New Selling?

If teaching is, as I suggest, the new selling, then I might be in trouble running my own Internet business - not because I disagree with the concept, but rather because all those teachers out there may want to have a share in what I am doing! Allow me to explain how I have arrived at this theory. To do so, we need to go back almost twenty years when I was at a party talking with a chap who was just that little bit older ( naturally ) and wiser than I was.

If I remember correctly, he was either a social worker or salesman - I forget which but it doesn't matter for now. The bottom line is he had a theory that if you could teach, you could do social work and selling as well. I was actually considering becoming a driving instructor at the time and I assumed he was just padding the conversation to appear interested in my future goal.

In retrospect, I don't think I could have been more wrong - and yes, I know some people will say that they have living proof that what I am suggesting isn't so but there will, of course, always be exceptions to prove the rule. Anyway, allow me to explain in a more practical way why these three professions have such a transferable skill. In order to help somebody, we need to be a good listener. This ins not just to ascertain where the client is "coming from" but also to allow them to try and work out the answer for themselves. In teaching, a popular method is the use of Socratic questioning whereby one would ask the pupil a series of questions until they worked out the answer for themselves. It is not difficult to see how this method can be used in the aforementioned professions.

So, to come back to the original point as to whether teaching is, indeed, the new selling or not, we need to consider just what selling really is in relation to marketing as well because there always seems to be a fine line in distinguishing the two. I, personally, see marketing as the written word or advert that draws a potential customer in and the selling part that whereby you actually speak with said client. The buzz word of the last few years in marketing has been that of Educational Marketing - whereby one would offer a piece of information that worked to educate the potential customer in order to interest them enough to want to learn more.

Does it not make sense, then, to suggest that the selling process which inevitably follows the marketing should be done in a teaching manner? For example, you might follow up with a short question and answer ( Socratic ) session to allow the client to come up with his own solution ( which just happens to be what you are offering him ). OK., so perhaps this has been happening for longer than I have been involved in starting a marketing business on the Internet, and so one might not, perhaps, be able to say that the concept is a new one at all. It does, however, put into perspective the argument that the three jobs I mention above are all one and the same thing anyway so that the teaching is in the selling, new or not!

A Good Time to Start An internet Business

Is there really such a thing as a good time to start an Internet business - or, indeed, is it always a good time? A musing over this common area of procrastination.

One question that is paramount in people's minds right now ( in just about every country in the world ) is, of course, whether it is actually very wise to start an Internet business in the current economic climate. To this query I'm tempted to use an old cliché here and say, 'Well, yes, actually because there's no time like the present is there?' I doubt, however, that that is likely to wash with most potential clients. Rather than going into a detailed explanation/argument about the economy and world events that is likely to send y our prospect to sleep, I would be inclined to keep everything very simple ( as ever ).

Explain that there are either of two things that can happen in the immediate future:
1.The economy can turn around either slowly or rapidly
2. The economy can get worse.
Whichever of the two it happens to be, I really cannot see any disadvantage to starting your own business either from a practical or psychological aspect. Let's take point one to begin with. Imagine that things start to pick up and you have just set up in business - people will suddenly start to feel buoyant again and the thrill will allow them to feel that the world is their oyster. Psychologically, then, they are likely to be feeling a little elated and keen to get in on something that is growing - before all their friends beat them to it, perhaps? I would anticipate that if this becomes the case, there will be a surge in people wanting to come 'on board.' The practical reasons are obvious because people will see the bottom of the recession as the right time to start investing ( in a new businesses, shares or other venture ). From a psychological viewpoint, they are now more likely to go into something a little bit more entrepreneurial than your usual run of the mill stocks and shares and banking alternatives than they may have in the past. This is, of course, due to the fact that trust has been lost within those sectors and we all know that trust is what you build a successful business on, don't we?

Let's now assume that the economy gets worse ( as in point 2 ). Well, psychologically, it's my view that the worse it gets, the more likely people are to jump ship from where ever they are operating and not wait to be pushed - rather take the initiative ( people love to feel they are doing that ) and find a new situation over which they hold more control. From a practical point of view, they are also likely to see 'the writing on the wall' for conventional businesses as a whole and so reinforcing the view that getting out is better than being pushed out while they still have some cash to play with!

So, to come back to the old clichés, I'm tempted to use another and say 'The time is right' to start your own show. Indeed, one has to ask the question as to whether we can afford not to start our own businesses rather than trust ourselves to a system that has let the majority of the world down so badly. I know which side of the fence I'm on so perhaps I may finish with a slight amendment to the latter cliché above and that is 'The time is always right to start your own ( Internet ) business.


To see how I started in an Internet business that offers education on this subject and more, you can watch the short video on my site.
Hilary Hughes


www.hilaryahughes.com

Article Marketer.

Can You Be Too Helpful A Helper When Starting Your Internet Business?

The problem with having people under you as you start your Internet business is knowing when to let go and allow people to learn by their mistakes. Does anyone else feel disconcerted by that phrase?
I expect there are some parents ( of whom I am not one ) reading this who will have some idea of what I mean. There will also be people from other walks of life who are in professions where they have responsibility for ensuring people mature in a safe manner. In my case, this refers to my training and experience as an approved driving instructor.

I'm not sure that there is actually a specific piece of advice to this problem so perhaps the best thing is to show how I deal with such situations. I have detailed three stages of action below for when you start to recruit people in your Internet business.

1. Speak to your new recruit on the phone in order to ascertain their level of knowledge and skills. You can then ask them to send in e mails of any queries they may have which you will deal with on , say, an every other day basis to begin with. Give specific instructions to help them get up and running, especially if the system is complicated. You can, of course, use auto responders to keep them informed.

2.Start to move away from having a too hands on approach by responding to questions in a more Socratic way - that is to say, if they ask a question and you think they should be able to work out the answer for them self, then ask another question back which will lead them towards their own answer. I understand that Socrates only ever answered a question with another question - if you value your life, I would take this with a pinch of salt. Frankly, he sounds to me like an irritating sort of guy but I'm sure you get the picture.

3. Begin introducing them to Internet forums and any technical support channels that may be open to them as well as encouraging further self and professional development through reading, DVD's and courses etc. Reduce the e mail replies to about once a fortnight.

A less conventional idea ( but one which I've found helps people gain confidence ) is for you to ask them to help you with something that you know they are competent with. Only ask if you're sure they will be able to help so that they begin to feel appreciated and valued. Nothing brings on a person's self esteem/learning more than that - believe me! It is through developing people's self esteem that they will grow confidently and perform to their best.

Once you've let go sufficiently - your relationship may become one more of a business partnership than student and mentor but what happens when they make a mistake - which they will do one day - assuming your clients are human beings? My answer is always to make it clear that mistakes should not be taken personally and we all make them ( well, I do ) and that the situation should be corrected as soon as possible to limit the damage. You can be there for them as moral support, but try to encourage them to sort out their own problem - even if it's easier to do it for them! This is often where the use of Socratic questioning mentioned above comes in to its own. That is to say where some level of knowledge on the subject is already held.

And, on that note, I shall leave you with the question of how you are going to use the above pointers to solve said paradox of being too helpful a helper when starting your Internet business.

www.hilaryahughes.com
www.articlemarketer.com

Video - Just A Bit Of Fun

The Fundamentals Of Running An Internet Business.

There are three fundamental things to consider when starting an Internet Business though some would say four - I touch on that later - and we'll look at these individually in the article. These are :

1. Your product or service.
2. Your sales/marketing process.
3. Book keeping.

Let's take each point individually.

1. Your own product or service.

There are two ways of looking at this. Some would say that if you have a fantastic product, then it will sell itself. Others will tell you that it doesn't matter what the product is, if you have he right sales person. As ever, I have to disagree with both norms and say that for the best results they both matter to a degree. I would suggest that the ultimate business machine is one where the seller is second to none and also the product is one about which he feels passionate. Chances are if he does, then someone else will too. Realistically, though, it's likely that you will have minor deficiencies in either the sales technique or the product itself. In this case, I would say that combination of average product and sales process is better than an imbalance of one or the other.

2. Next is your sales and marketing.

Once you have your product, this is where we sort the wheat form the chaff. Some people say that sales and marketing are one and the same thing - I say that marketing is the sales process in print that draws the client in and ready to close. Having said that, there are occasions when the marketing will complete the sales process, as well. The marketing should be done in small stages, thereby slowly revealing a little more about the product or service a little at a time - so keeping the customer fascinated enough to keep wanting to know more. Sometimes, the customer will need a telephone call to complete and this is he part I cal the sales process. A good system will have people for you to call on to carry out this procedure if you are not comfortable with it ( and most people are not ).

3. Your book keeping.

This should be kept as simple as possible and you do not have to splash out on the latest computer software to start a small Internet business - particularly if you are a sole trader within the service industry where no stock is required. Indeed, all that is required in that case, is a small cash book to show what comes in and what goes out. Get an accountant to do the balance sheet and profit and loss account. They are pretty cheap for very small businesses and some will even do your books for free for the first year - or at least a larger discount.

If you keep things simple to begin with, setting up on your own Internet business should not be an arduous or stressful task. Begin by finding a system that offers you the things mentioned above and you shouldn't go far wrong. Having said that, you will most likely have to work very hard for the first year or so - indeed, I should have made that number four in the of the fundamental point shown above. Most of all, however, enjoy yourself!

To see how I started an Internet business that offers education on this subject and more, you can watch the short video on my site.
www.hilaryahughes.com
www.articlemarketer.com

Writer’s Block - Cause And Cures

The problem with giving advice when people want to set up an Internet business is when you come to have a problem and you can’t actually follow that same advice yourself. Actually, that’s not entirely true because the advice to which I refer concerns an article I did about deciding what to write about when your chosen method of marketing was writing articles. It has to be said in my case that the problem is not knowing what to write about but rather what to write. Indeed, is there any difference? Let us look at that point in more detail.

I have no shortage of subject matter. In fact, anyone that has had even a modicum of success in business should have something they can put pen to paper about. There will always be someone out there who is at a similar stage of learning to you who can benefit from your newly found expertise! No, the problem here is just a mental block on actually writing anything down at all. In other words, a severe case of writer’s block. I suspect that there is no one out there that has not suffered form this at some time or other and it might be a good idea to look first at the cause and then the cure.

One of the most common is probably having to write under pressure - in other words, when you have a deadline to meet and an editor that does not ( or will not ) understand this particular condition as something that is real. The other cause ( and this is most certainly the case with me ) is when I have a lot on my mind. That doesn’t mean to say when you have a backlog of stuff to deal with - rather a lot of emotional problems that just seem to cause a complete barrier to any creative flow.

Let us now consider the cures for these two cases. With the first example, my advice is get into a routine every day/week as required so that your creativity actually becomes a habit. If you remember being at school and having to be there the same time each day and doing certain lessons on certain days, that was not only to the advantage of the organisation but to enable the requisite part of your brain to kick in at the right time, in the right way, out of sheer habit - if nothing else. The answer then is to find a routine that suits you best and stick to it. The more you practice, the easier it gets.

That second problem of feeling stressed out is what affects my writing more than anything. Without doubt, the cure is to sit down with pen and paper and allow everything ( all those niggly little problems ) to come out onto the page. It won’t be long - I promise you - before your mind clears and you’re actually writing about something a little more enlightening. And, you never know, you might just end up with a piece of writing that you can actually publish. Never forget, people love to read about something to which they can relate at a personal level.
Just in case you haven’t already guessed, I sat down before writing this article with a case of writer’s block and realised half way through that it could well be of use to somebody else. Indeed, one of the rules of writing is that people like to see a conflict or problem with which they can associate in order for them to read on. It is well worth remembering that as you peruse your article marketing with a view to getting off to a good start with your Internet business - with or without writer’s block!
To see how I started an Internet business that offers education on this subject and more, you can watch the short video on my site.
www.hilaryahughes.com
www.articlemarketer.com

What To Write About When You Start An Internet Business

I recently read on a forum that someone was about to start their Internet business and wanted to know a little about article marketing. They had absolutely no idea about what they should be writing. I gather they meant in both the technical and imaginative sense. For the purposes of this article, we’ll discuss each of these aspects.

To someone who writes without effort, I found myself feeling both sympathetic and comforted at the same time. Sympathetic, because I think it must be very difficult not being able to put pen to paper at the drop of a hat - especially when you want to get something off your chest! - but rather that you have to make a concerted effort to do so.

My comfort derived from a rather more selfish state - that of feeling empowered by my realisation that not everyone would be out there competing against me as I use my own ( albeit modest ) writing skill for marketing my business.

So, what advice do we give to someone with neither the technical nor the imaginative skills? The best thing is to consider the following points one at a time.
1. Imagination.
2. Value.
3. Keyword Research.
4. Technical skills.

Let’s take the first point - imagination. If this is something that you have a problem with, try picturing yourself doing something that you really enjoy and could do moderately well (at the very least). You will that as you build a picture in your mind, it enables you to get passionately involved as well as increasing your focus. This means that you are now likely to come up with an idea that is both useful and attractive to a like minded person - yes, there will be plenty of them. Indeed, you are probably not quite as unique as you imagine yourself to be.

This brings us to the next point which is Value. Assuming you have managed step 1, you are halfway there. Your next task is to make sure that you offer people something in you article that is going to help them move forward. If in doubt about this, keep in as simple as possible. There are plenty of beginners out there and if you even only know a small amount about your subject, chances are, someone will be grateful for your knowledge. Do not try to be too clever - just be honest about how much you know. The aim is to help people and empower them - not pull the wool over their eyes.

The third point is keyword research. When you advertise on the Internet, the biggest problem is getting people to know you are there. If you have no audience, you can be the best writer in the world and no one will know. Working on the Internet can be a little like sitting in an empty room and chatting away to yourself. Therapeutic in the emotional sense, perhaps, but not in the financial one. My advice is to check out Wordtracker who do a free trial for a week along with a daily web based training session. Even if you do not purchase the product, you can do a fair bit of research in that time. Look upon key word research as the market research of the Internet.

Finally ( and perhaps easier than people think in this day and age ) is the technical skill you will need to be accepted by one of the many publishers of articles that are out there. Most errors can be cleared up via a simple spell checking program and followed up by a grammar checker ( if necessary ). If your computer didn’t come with one, then there are many such programs available for free on the Internet. Once you are really keen to take article marketing up as a regular item, you may wish to do a short basic writing course which ( in the UK ) can be done at various libraries on computer. Like most things, however, this is a bottomless pit that you can pursue further and in to college, so spending as much money as you wish.

My advice is to start as soon and as simply as possible and you will find out if you are cut out for it - basically, are you enjoying yourself ?- not to mention, generating leads! Article marketing is a vast subject and I only wished to go through the bare bones here in order to help those of you who were thinking of testing the waters. If you take on board the four points mentioned above, I really cannot see how you can go wrong.

Good luck!

Finding Your Routine As You Start An Internet Business

When starting an Internet business, unless you are already self employed, you will most probably find problems ensue with regard to your own discipline. This article coves a few cheap and easy solutions to ensure the transition is as pain free as possible.

We’ll assume that you have not been self employed before as you now start up in your own Internet Business. One thing that is likely to happen is that you will start to put off the more onerous aspects of the job - by onerous, you may find that even those tasks which you once found enjoyable become rather a trial when you have to take full responsibility for their completion, come rain or shine.

The idea is to aim for consistency. I would recommend that your goals are quite easily achievable in the first instance. This is for three reasons.
1. You will become demotivated if you fail badly.
2. If you achieve comfortably in the first week what you have set out to do (a projection ) on paper, you can then record your actual achievement and use it as a guide for the following week’s goals. Remember, if your goals are too ambitions, you will feel too exhausted to even bother to get stuck back in.
3. Having an achievable plan allows you to project how much output you will be able to achieve. This will provide some assessment fodder ( as I call it ) for the next few weeks.

I will go into assessment a little bit because this is how you are going to analyse your routine and so give you a chance of providing the information you will need to project the future course of your business. Let’s imagine you have come up with a projected hour a day to cover each of the following tasks over the course of a week:
1. Write article.
2. Renew free classified advertisements.
3. Revise and upload article.
4. Create new Google Ads campaign.
5.Deal with e mails and book keeping.
6.Re set goals for next week and any other bits nod bobs.
7. Day off - very important this!

Write each tasks down the side of a spread sheet and place a column after each one entitled - Projected Time and then one for Actual Time. Complete the projected and at the end of each day, fill in the actual time taken. After the first week, re set the goals which, hopefully, can now be more realistically set for the next week.

Just a word of warning here - I should try to set your hour per day at the same time as you will then automatically begin to switch in to working mode without even realising it. You want this state to become automatic so that you spend more time doing and less procrastinating about it!

This simple plan will allow you to become consistent very quickly when starting an Internet business. This is because you will find out what you can do comfortably ( not what everyone else thinks you should or shouldn’t be doing ) as well as providing you with a realistic vision of what is achievable. This will enable you to extend your goal setting to include such aspects as projected incomes and outcomes amongst other things. It will also allow you to aim for your maximum potential output level per hours worked whilst keeping the consistency which is so important to your new venture.


If you're interested in learning more about starting an Internet business and the training required, please watch the video on my website that shows how I found a company that can provide you with both.


www.hilaryahughes.com

The Holy Grail of Starting An Internet Business - Driving Traffic

When starting your Internet business, did you - or do you - struggle to drive traffic to your site? Driving traffic is rather like producing a cash flow in any business - without it, you are doomed ( trust me ). This article is designed to educate people on choosing a marketing and distribution method as opposed to actual content. Despite what you may hear from all the experts out there, and there are lots of them, I always say that there is not right or wrong way to do this. As long as it woks for you, then that’s fine.

There are two things to consider and the first one is how are you going to create this cash flow? Secondly, how are you going to do it in bulk? In other words, how you intend to leverage the Internet to maximise your gains. For the first part, you must choose a method of delivery with which you are comfortable and confident. I am assuming you have enough passion for your product already and that you are now ready to make a massive boost to your sales.

I mentioned confidence and comfort. Quite honestly, if you are comfortable sitting in front of a camera and subsequently, the next Internet star - I am not, by the way - then it will portray a sense of knowledge and experience to your audience. This is good news because people want someone who knows what they are doing before they will part with their cash. As confidence portrays success, you will then be on to a winner. An Internet Business is no different in this respect to an off line business.

The main three ways to attract business via the Internet are video, article or Google Adwords marketing. I use article marketing - perhaps because I had already had paid article work before I became involved in Internet marketing - but have also delved into the other two.

If you are not sure which is for you - ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I have an analytical mind?
2.Am I a bit of a showman?
3.Do I communicate well through writing and enjoy reading?

Choose whichever you are strongest in and I would suggest you start small and monitor your success by tracking your links. Once you have found something you enjoy that has moderate success, then you need to start doing it really big and, thus, use the leverage of the Internet. There are companies that will submit your video, for e.g. to thousands of sites. I use a firm called Article Marketer who, for a set fee, allows you to submit as many articles as you wish every month, whereupon they send it to round about a thousand sites within twenty four hours. This is using leverage.

In summary, when you get to the part of your Internet business that deals with driving traffic make sure you choose a marketing method about which you are confident and feel comfortable and then find a way which will allow you to use the leverage power of the Internet. In summary, when you get to the part of your Internet business that deals with driving traffic make sure you choose a marketing method about which you are confident and feel comfortable and then find a way which will allow you to use the leverage power of the Internet. This will enable you to achieve a high traffic flow when starting your Internet business.

A few comments about yours truly.

Hi, my name is Hilary Hughes and the reason I created this profile is because I used to be sick and tired of working well up until 9 o’clock in the evenings as a driving instructor. So, after a few false starts ( more of that below ) looking for something vaguely along the lines of mlm, became involved in an Internet Business that actually works!

So, what's special about  this profile?

Because I want to meet, network and give back to the other newbie entrepreneurs who are in the same situation - just like I was. And hopefully, my story can help inspire you to discover  a better alternative - just like I did. But before I get into all that, let me tell you a little bit about myself.

Coming from Manchester in the U.K., like most people, I ran the  gauntlet of appalling jobs, mainly those to do with insurance ( most exciting, I know ) until I set up in business as a driving instructor about 15 years ago.

On the personal side, as a musical person, I don’t think there’s any type I don’t like although I no longer play the piano.  Still one to enjoy the outdoors, I like to go out walking in the country - usually with church although I don’t get to play tennis or squash so much these days. Oh yes, I love writing as well.

I also have  a nephew nearby who enjoys helping me spend all my hard earned cash…

To tell you the truth, the reason I wasn’t getting round to doing so many things anymore was having gone from a really boring job to self employed ( which has been great ), I no longer had any time to pursue my own interests. Add to that being out on a cold winter’s night - well, when you start to get that  little bit older, it just isn’t fun any more. I’m sure you get the gist.

Heck! I was so tired  and only really working to pay the bills that I started looking round the Internet to find an alternative, something along the lines of writing for a living or some kind of mlm business seemed the obvious. Sadly, I spent ages writing and paying to publish ad’s that just weren’t working. To say it’s a frustrating scenario is the height of understatement!

Well, all that changed when an acquaintance I was in touch with ( who had experience a similar scenario ) contacted me to say she’d finally cracked it and that she’d earned $100k in her first 6 months! This was running a business on the Internet

It took me a while to pluck up the courage to join but I am now working alongside and getting advice from some of the greatest earners and millionaires in this business. I’m also eating up the training ( a subject really close to my heart having been instructing for so long ). I also know what I was doing wrong when I’ve been involved in those little Get Rich Quick schemes on the Internet that give  you no training whatsoever and pretty much say Thank you very much for your cash -  but now you’re on your own!!

So, that’s why I created this page. This really changed my life and I would love to network and work with like minded people and really get the word out. So I encourage you to check out my website.

 I’d love to hear from you, particularly if you’re keen to learn and work hard to begin with. This isn’t magic and ( although it’s close…) a great  effort is needed to make it work. 

Hilary. ..

www.hilaryahughes.com

Video - Start An Internet Business To Music

An Internet Business For The Young At Heart.

Are you feeling like I was - ready for a new challenge of generating an easier income on the Internet that actually seems like fun?

In other words, are you searching for An Internet Business For The Young At Heart?

Knowledge Is power

Coming for a family background of teachers, I should probably have learned earlier what I believe now and that is that the answer to happiness and success is in education. I have seen time and time again people lacking in confidence grow and achieve what was once beyond their wildest dreams, once they began to appreciate the benefits of knowledge.

A Company That Knows Its Marketing

Oddly enough, there are people at the other end of the spectrum who came out of school feeling over educated and unable to cope with the demands of the more people based problems in the world.
Just so we know where we stand here, I came out with neither a classical nor street wise education and made mistake after mistake in life to prove it ( quite a hopeless case really ). More of that below.

What is required to be successful are the appropriate skills to be a success ( and if that sounds obvious, you have to ask why so many people are not a success in Internet Business - young at heart of otherwise! ).

The Skills To Success

I really don’t whether there is a magic ingredient to this but I have noticed that the top earners all seem to have their fair share of the following. Some computer skills, empathy and an ability to present themselves well either in the written word or on camera.

Something else seems to come out of all this as well and that is their ability to be comfortable in their own skin. In other words, they are not frightened to lead.

Can I Really Become All These Things?

If I can do this, I defy anyone who has got as far as reading this article on a computer not to. After all, as I said above, my education was practically non existent. The good news is that you can learn all of these skills and make money at the same time! Indeed, once you grasp the underlying necessities, you can earn as much or as little as you choose - depending on the lifestyle you prefer to adopt.

If you’re still feeling young at heart enough to learn to run a business on the internet, then I’d love to hear from you.

Video - How I Got Started In The Business

Video - Start An Internet Business In Manchester

I've just put my first video up on you tube about setting up an Internet Business in Manchester. Hope you enjoy it!

Start An Internet Business In Less Than A Week Part 2

As pointed out in my previous article on how to start an Internet business in a week, the right training is crucial when commencing a new career. This article shows what you should expect from your chosen company and what they can expect from you.


Start An Internet Business In Less Than A Week Part 2

Assuming you’ve read the first article on how to start an Internet business in less than a week, you’ll now be familiar with the points you should be looking for in your research to achieve that perfect match between you and your chosen company.

In that article, I mentioned training and this article is designed to cover that subject in more depth.

The Right Training.

Broadly speaking, this includes both Internal and External. Each of these can be broken down further in to Professional and Personal training. The over all effect is what is commonly know as CPD. That is Continuing Professional ( or Personal ) Development.

Internal

Ideally, the company whom you work for ( or represent ) will have this in place. If not, they should be able to tell you where to go for the correct training - this is particularly important if you are going into sales / network marketing where you will, more likely than not, be paid, only according to how much you sell. This is one reason why I said in my previous article that the right training is so important. Many people fall into that particular type of work thinking a good knowledge of the Internet is enough.

I’m sorry - but it isn’t !

Starting your own business is a task ( and a risk ) in itself - so is learning to sell or market and should not be embarked upon lightly or in an amateurish fashion.

External

This tends to lean more towards the personal side of CPD, as it is something which you can be working on in your spare time. It is often much overlooked by the individuals who are setting up in their own business. Unless you want to become an entrepreneurial bore, it is important to get other interests as well as your work. Hobbies and sporting activities also have the added benefit of allowing you to network with new people and people will be the life blood of your new enterprise ( but you knew that already didn’t you? ).

Professional Development

If you’re wondering what the reason is why so few people succeed at online businesses, this has to be it. Those that do have merely worked their way through the maze that is Internet Marketing. Any one who is going to make money must have to offer something of value. Take it from me, if something is such a piece of cake to make money from, it won’t be long before everyone else is in on the act ( about 5 minutes where the Internet is concerned ) so taking away your precious idea.

Ideally, you need a full market training plan that will also enable you to earn money as soon as possible; along with a professional coach that will guide you on how much time you should be spending learning, marketing and generally doing other forms of CPD.

Other methods of training include your sponsor and even Internet forums where you can raise questions, not to mention a technical support dept. These are important, but more so is the market training plan and access to that marketing coach.

Personal Development

This is really more down to you and can include little things such as keeping your eyes open whilst browsing your local library for books, tapes and discs on self development. I’ve mentioned about the importance of keeping your mind active in other ways - forget not the saying - A healthy body - A healthy mind. The beauty of this sort of thing is you can usually do it for free: very important when you’re setting up on your own - believe me!

In a nutshell, you will attain the situation whereby you are doing activities that keep you healthy and alert which will make you more capable of doing a great job so creating more business, allowing you more time for activities which keep you healthy and alert etc… I think Bill Gates called this the upward spiral.

To conclude

I’m not trying to put anyone off trying starting their Internet Business - be it in a week or otherwise; rather helping people get a realistic notion of what is required. Indeed, it’s more than likely that you will lean one way or the other with your skills. You could well be the next sales and marketing genius but have little idea as to how to manage people under you ( people under you is what will happen when you are successful ). The opposite may also be true. Either way, I hope you an see how the training is so important.

A prime example of this is a story my father used to tell me about imparting knowledge onto others. He reckoned that he was taught to swim by someone who had never swum a stroke in their life and had, indeed, been terrified of water. The strange thing was this chap was the best teacher around and taught those on whom everyone else had given up.

Come to think of it, being one to spin a bit of a yarn himself, he’d probably have made a great Internet Marketer…think My Story Marketing -

Now, that’s another story.



www.hilaryahughes.com

How to Start an Internet Business in Less Than a Week

Have you ever wondered how some people can start an Internet Business in less than a week and go on to become the archetypal Rags To Riches success? Yet others will just fall by the wayside or become yet another Also Ran from the promise and hype with which the Internet is littered ( I don’t mean to frighten you off but, just for the record, only 3% will succeed ).
I’m assuming you’ve read a fair bit of the hype already ( oh, surely now, you must know what I’m talking about ). So, let’s address the reason why so many are going to fall through the net - and yes, that means the same people making the same mistakes time and time again. This article is meant to put in perspective your goal to start an Internet Business in less than a week, after which you may well decide it is not for you. Then again, you may just decide that you are, indeed, one of the gifted 3%!
Let’s look at what it takes, shall we, step by step?

Attitude
Probably the most over hyped word in the universe -- a positive attitude means a lot but it’s not the full story by any means; although I will concede that all things being equal, the more positive person will triumph over the negative one.

A Good Sponsor
You want one that thinks like you and shares your values. You’ll get over your differences if you have enough in common ( a bit like being married, I guess ). Remember though, there has to be something for the sponsor to work with in the first place ( translate that as a contribution from you ). It’s like any team work -- if it’s a good partnership, it’ll exceed expectations.

A System That Works For You
I cannot over estimate the importance of this. If, like me, the process of selling continues to be a dark art -- and that is despite having run my own business for over 15 years -- you want a system that will do this bit for you. One that automates the work as much as possible is also a plus.


The Right Training
Ahhh, the holy grail of running a business. I suspect this is where 99% of the 97% get it wrong. It is also where most people are going to bottle out because the training required to be successful is particularly hard work. For some reason, most seem to think that they will be successful on the Internet with the minimum of work and effort. Sorry -- but if this is what you think, I would get out now before you get in, so to speak. As an example, I have run a bricks and mortar business for over 15 years and have found that setting up on the Internet is no easier ( although eventually, more of the business is automated and therefore, less time consuming ).


Supportive Backup
I like an Internet Forum where I can bang an idea around a bit with like minded souls as well as some Central Technical Support. I’ll also mention training again, although some would say that the better the training and education, the more questions will creep up on you, creating more questions etc…


at least you know you’re learning when this starts to happen.


Finally, You!
OK, I know I said attitude wasn’t everything but you shouldn't be surprised to learn that you do matter in this business -- it’s just that you have to learn how to make yourself useful to others. in other words, how to sell yourself.
To conclude

With all these things in place, you can effectively learn how to start an Internet Business in less than a week. Remember, though, that you will have to work very hard. The customers will not just begin to come in like magic. To put it another way -- The start is only the end of the beginning and not the beginning of the end...
( one hopes ! ).



If you’re interested in joining me as you start an Internet Business in less than a week, then please come to my website where you can get involved straight away or request more information.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Hilary Hughes.



www.hilaryahughes.com