The Home Biz Newsletter Blog Page

Outsource for Savings

2010-02-04T06:35:00.001-08:00

Timothy Ferris wrote a great book called The 4-Hour Work Week. In that book, he talks about employing virtual assistants to work in your business while you work on your business. That is to say a virtual assistant (VA) works in your business handling administrative tasks while you focus on growing your business by engaging in income generating activities (e.g., meeting with prospects and existing customers, attending networking events, open house events, product demos, etc.).

Highly qualified VAs are available offshore for as little a $6 per hour. The VAs in based in the Phillipines are particularly skilled and affordable. Some people frown about using offshore personnel and think that money is leaving the USA. That is not true. When a business owner cuts expenses while increasing her/his revenue, it is most likely that that "new found" disposable income will be spent right here in the USA.

To learn more about this option that can help you save time, energy, and money, go to www.OutsourceForSavings.com.

Kind regards,

Obey the Law of Reciprocity!

2010-01-23T13:03:00.001-08:00

You know, I like to help people, and generally do not want or expect anything in return. However, when networking, some people always call me for a "hook-up" of some sort but they never reciprocate.

Check out this video I put on YouTube:

Here is a letter that I'm sending to a few people. They have to be reminded that networking is a two-way street:

======================================

Dear Friend,

I need your help.

You know that I network like a mad man and I work really hard to help others have success. I'm always looking for ways to connect people to prospective customers, vendors, and strategic partners. Not all of the referrals work out, but the fact is I give quality introductions via email, or I set up a conference call or a video chat.

Heck, I may have purchased products from you or used your service in the past - or maybe I still do.

Hey, I really need you to help me out.

Who do you know who is a busy corporate professional that has a side business?

I market two services that may be able to help them automate and preschedule blog posts and social media updates, and a tool that allows them to network with others from the comfort of their home or office.

Here are the links for these two services:

Please keep your eyes and ears open for me and forward this info to others in your network.

I've shown you time and time again that I do in fact keep my eyes and ears open, and forward info to my social media network about you and the products/services that you offer.

Let's get the exchange flowing, and let's keep it going and growing.

Thank you.

Kind regards,

Tyrone Turner

======================================

Hey, if they don't get the message, they don't want to get the message. I'll just take my database of contacts elsewhere.

You make sure that you do the same. Follow your dollar. Put money in the pockets of those that put money in your pockets.

Don't be reluctant to give first, but if it seems to be a parasitic relationship rather than a symbiotic one, drop that zero and go find a hero.

All the best,

The Pocket Stick for Self Defense

2010-01-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

This is a business blog but if someone attacks you and tries to liberate your property or life force from you, and you can't defend yourself or your property, well, you're SOL (i.e., "so outta luck")

In this fast-paced, at times dangerous world, it is better to be prepared for something and not need it, rather than need something and not be prepared. This is how it is when it comes to violent confrontations. Hey, most people are law-abiding citizens who will not try to hurt their fellow citizens, but then you have the bullies and jerks.

In my experience as a martial artist, most fights or assaults are not "fair". Usually someone attacks someone doesn't want to fight, or a person is caught off-guard/ambushed. Also, some sort of a weapon is used against an unarmed opponent, or it is many people against one person (i.e., someone got "jumped"). Again, this is not gospel as I leave the gospel to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but that has been what I've seen.

Well, you don't want to carry an illegal weapon like some of the exotic martial arts weapons or some knives. With knives, you especially want to leave them alone if you don't know how to properly use them!

Oh my. What to do?

Something that looks non-threating that you can carry around in your coat pocket or purse is the Yawara, also known as the Pocket Stick.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce David Bunch (a.k.a., Sensei Buddha) demonstrating and explaining the use of this weapon.

This weapon is less-than-lethal and legal to carry, but as demonstrated by Sensei Buddha, it can be a devastating. What I like about this weapon is that when I show it to some people, they laugh at it. Well, he who laughs last laughs best, right? Also, a Yawara can really mess up your smile. Kind of hard to have a picture-perfect smile when you're missing a couple of teeth.

When looking for that extra edge, forget about mace and other dangerous weapons that may backfire on you and learn how to use the Yawara--the Pocket Stick.

To learn more about Sensei Buddha, visit his website at www.BuddhaStrike.com.

Automate Follow-up and Get More Done

2009-12-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

A lot of us home-based entrepreneurs still have a full-time job. That sure does make growing one's business kind of difficult. However, difficult is not impossible. Especially in 2010 and beyond.

After reading books like Tim Ferris' The 4-Hour Work Week and Scott Fox's e-Riches 2.0, and joining great online communities like The Perfect Biz Finder and Click Millionaires, I picked up a couple of ideas on how to automate your initial contact and follow-up.

I discuss a few of them in the below video.

Check out the video and click through the links for more information on these free and low-cost services.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCESGetResponse
uReach
Phonevite
Send Out Cards
Ping.fm
Post Scheduler
Desk Ping
Let me know how these tools work out for you.

Video Tutorials: How to Interview Your MLM Prospects AND Sponsors

2009-12-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

This is a follow-up to my last blog.

How to interview new prospects for your home-based MLM biz (Pt. 1 of 2)

How to interview new prospects for your home-based MLM biz (Pt. 2 of 2)

How to interview your potential MLM sponsor/coach (Pt. 1 of 2)

How to interview your potential MLM sponsor/coach (Pt. 2 of 2)

All the best,

The Keeper of the ARC of the Covenant
http://www.twitter.com/tyroneturner

How to Screen Your MLM Partners

2009-12-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

PRINT THIS OUT if you're involved in our considering starting a network marketing home-based business. I am 100% confident that you'll find this helpful.

There is so much hype out there these days.

Before you invest your time, energy, and money, please ask your latest candidate to become your business partner 10 questions.

I'm not just talking about a new distributor you're looking to enroll, but also the gal or guy that is trying to recruit you.

Desired score for both is 70% - at least 7 out of 10 answers should be acceptable to you.

If you don't feel comfortable with the person or the proposition, DO NOT partner with them.

Questions for Your Prospective Trainees:

Have you ever worked a home-based business before? Tell me about your experiences.

[To determine their experience level].

What made you join that business?

[To determine their 'why']

Why do you want to join this business?

[To determine if their excitement being tempered by reasonable thought]

How much extra income per month would make you feel like you're getting ahead?

[What amount of money is considered 'success' to them]

How many hours per week are you going to dedicate to growing your business?

[Is the time commitment in-line with the income goal?]

How do you see yourself growing your business. From home, over the Internet, phone, mailing post cards, meeting new people, or some other way? [This will give you and idea of their personality type]

Do you have a * minimum * of $100 per month to commit to the operations of and marketing of your business?

[It costs to grow a business. This includes personal product and/or service use, along with replicated website, Bookkeeping software, CRM, samples, marketing collateral, postage, face-to-face networking events, and speed networking over the phone.]

How long are you going to commit to working this business before you decide that it is not for you? [Recommend 90 days]

Will you do what you say you're going to do? [To gauge their credibility--honesty]

Will you in be honest with me on how you feel and fact do what you say you're going to do once you make a commitment?

[Setting the stage for accountability]

_____

Questions for Your Potential Coach:

How many companies like this have you worked with before?

[To determine a track record of success or failure]

How long did you stay with your last company?

[To gauge their commitment level]

Why did you leave that company?

[To see if their reason for separating was valid - to you]
Why did you decide to partner with this company in particular?

[What was their why]

How many ways can I make money? [They should have a basic understanding of the compensation plan]

What are 3 things that makes an MLM program a good, worthwhile program?

[Look for 3 out of the following: Good company management with experience in the industry; Timing in the company and industry; Remarkable product; Fair compensation plan--rewards spare-time, part-time, and full-time people; Training system; Purpose that fits your tastes; Reputation and culture of the company and it's distributors]

How many people are you actively coaching now?

[To see how available they'll be]

How many business opportunities are you working right now, and why are you working more than one program?

[How focused are they and are they a shrewd capitalist?]

Other than the start-up kit and my monthly commitment (products or service subscription), how much extra money do I need to spend?

[They should be able to something like this: "It costs to grow a business. This includes personal product and/or service use, along with replicated website, CRM, samples, marketing collateral, postage, face-to-face networking events, and speed networking over the phone."]

How can I get the extra money to start and maintain my business?

[Buy from yourself--if your company has products that allows you to "switch stores", CoinStar(TM) machines, bag lunch, W4 adjustment]

_____

Go get 'em tigers and tigresses!

Wishing you massive affluence,

The Keeper of the ARC of the Covenant
http://www.twitter.com/tyroneturner

Santa, I Want a Home Biz Control Center for Christmas

2009-11-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

Thomas Friedman wrote a wonderful book called The World Is Flat. One of what he calls "world flatteners" is the Internet. The Internet allows solopreneurs and home-based business owners to compete with much larger companies as it is very inexpensive (sometimes free) and gives you leverage by putting a lot of things on autopilot.

Even though the tools are inexpensive, when you're using a lot of them the costs can really start to add up. On top of that, you're being billed from different vendors at different times of the month and that is another headache. When you get too spend-happy, you can end up in the red pretty fast.

As an example, here is a list of services that I subscribe to:

Autoresponder
Voicemail
Audio Email
Video Email
Teleseminars
Customer Relationship Manager

This stuff really adds up pretty quickly, and it takes a good amount of time to log into these various programs.

It is even more expensive and tiring when you are managing multiple income streams.

Why can't they all just be in one place at a fair price?

Maybe Santa will hear my request. I've been very well behaved this year.

I'm putting it out there. The law of attraction being what it is, I'm sure that the universe will send me an answer soon enough.

I'll keep you posted.

Who's Watching The Eggs in Your Basket?

2009-11-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

Daniel Stoica, Accounting Consultant, helps you explore and discover your passion and turn it into a successful business, as this is his passion. "Minimizing your tax liability and maximizing your net worth at the same time by providing you with professional accounting and tax preparation services" is his profession. He goes beyond his own expertise and uses the resources of his professional network to meet the needs of his clients. He is incredibly passionate about helping others.

I have to tell you, bookkeeping, accounting, and taxes and the like are not the most exciting topics, but when you don't have a seasoned professional like Daniel on your side, you can really lose your shirt - or more!

Sometimes, it is not about how much you earn, but how much you keep that counts.

In the Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 podcast I did with Daniel, here are some of the topics we discussed:

Where you should be spending your hard-earned dollars
What you should not be spending money on
What the best business structure is for your business
How taxes can really add up depending on the nature of your business
Some of the the deductions that home-based entrepreneurs qualify for
And a lot more!

This was a general accounting overview and Daniel has agreed to visit with us again to focus on specific aspects of accounting and taxes to optimize your profits.

To listen to the 60-minute interview that is certainly a must-listen to, click on the player below.

David is based in Chicago and his website is www.DanielStoica.com

All the best,

Pick the Right Biz for YOU

2009-11-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

Wow...

A lot of people want to start their own business but don't know where to start. I don't mean how to start making money but how to get started at square one by actually picking a business. Hopefully, an entrepreneur picks the right business. Not the right business according to me or anyone else. But what is the right business according to that entrepreneur. Even if you are the already operating a business, perhaps you can maximize your fun and profits by taking on a different function within the business.

This is where Steve Little comes in. Steve Little is the President of Zero Limits, Inc. He is truly a renaissance man. He has been an entrepreneur since 13, he's a champion athlete, and has made tens of millions of dollars and he's still going! He's been rocking and rolling as a successful entrepreneur for more than 40 years now. Steve’s mentoring has helped hundreds of people to break the barriers sabotaging their success and have created their dream life as a result. He has put his knowledge into a program called The Perfect Biz Finder. What it does is help you find your perfect business in 21 days or less. Step by step resources and blog take you by the hand and show you the perfect business that is genetically matched to your DNA.

You can take a free psychoanalytic survey (valued at $297) on his site at www.PickTheRightBizForYou.com.

Check out this 45-minute interview that I did with Steve on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009. You have GOT TO give this a listen.

Make sure to bookmark Steve's site and to take the survey. He has some exciting announcements in the weeks ahead.

To your success,

Ain't No Party Like a Webcam Pitch Party

2009-10-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

TokBox - Free Video Chat and Video Messaging

We're bringing solopreneurs from all over the country together for organized, video/webcam networking events using a "pitch party" format. A pitch party is when everyone takes a turn giving their one-minute "elevator pitch" so that others can better understand what they are selling, to whom they are selling, and the benefits of their product or service. Prominent off-line, face-to-face networking groups like BNI, Le Tip, and Leads Club use a pitch party format.

The way we're able to bring business people from around the country together for virtual face-to-face networking is by using the free platform provided by TokBox.

Ideally, this will be used for entrepreneurs who are local to each other. This is a cool way to network, but it DOES NOT replace speed networking over the phone events or face-to-face networking events.

To learn more about what we're proposing with web cam pitch party, go to www.WebcamPitchParty.com.

Let me know what you think.

Is Social Media a Fad?

2009-10-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

All I got to say, social media ain't my grandfather's radio.

Check this video out and draw your own conclusions.

As Perry Belcher said, "Hey, you can't put the @#!% back in the horse."

Talk to you soon.

YOU are still here!

2009-10-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, we feel overwhelmed and that we don't have a snowball's chance in Hell to have success or some other desirable outcome. But the fact of the matter is, you are still here so as long as you can look up, you can get up.

Lean on your faith - believe in yourself, believe in the righteousness of your goal; believe in your allies; and have faith in a higher power.

Be inspired by these words from Laurence Fishburne in his portrayal of Morpheus in the movie The Matrix Reloaded.

Just follow these six steps, and what you desire will be your's in uncommon hours:

THINK about what you want
SPEAK about what you want
Take ACTIONS toward getting it
Make your pursuit a HABIT - do something every day to put yourself closer
NEVER QUIT no matter what happens
Enjoy the RESULTS of your labor

Be advised, that these six steps always yield results, but make sure that you start with positive, desirable thoughts, or you may be quite displeased with the results.

Remember the old-school computer jargon - 'GIGO' - garbage in, garbage out.

"Don't have stinking thinking." ~ Zig Ziglar

Become a Web Marketing Whiz Kid

2009-10-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

Kyle Nichols is the owner of a wonderful Internet marketing and coaching company, and what they have done is combine high-quality training and coaching from some of the best online marketers along with a very lucrative money-making referral program.

A member can truly earn while she learns. What is so pleasantly surprising is how affordable the program is, yet powerful enough for members to build an immediate and substantial long-term recurring income stream.

Kyle shared some tips on how we can become web marketing whiz kids by leveraging his latest product/program, You Can't Say No.

What is really appealing (to me, anyway) about this program is that it compliments whatever you're already working on by giving you more 'How To' online marketing knowledge. The catalog of training audios, videos, and the community of other online marketers that share best practices is extremely impressive. I can't believe that a person can have access to this program for less than $1.75 per day - unbelievable. Hey, You Can't Say No to that (pun intended).

To learn more about this product/program, visit www.WebMarketingWhizKids.com.

Click on the player below to listen to the interview that I did with Mr. Nichols on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009.

As Internet Marketing heavy-hitter, Perry Belcher, would say, "Hey man, the poops is out and you can't shove it back into the horse, so get with it because Internet marketing is not going anywhere and is only going to get bigger."

Hmmm...spoken like a true Texan.

With appreciation,

Put your monkey in a bubble to get more leads

2009-10-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

What in blue blazes am I talking about?

When you're out networking, be it face-to-face or virtual, you can stand out from the crowd if you use Survey Monkey when you follow-up. Survey Monkey is a free service that you can use to gather information from your new contacts. You can ask up to 10 questions on the free version (there is a subscription version that has additional features) and use those answers to truly add value to your new contact. It is like a lead capture page on steroids. Go to www.SurveyMonkey.com to set up your free account.

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You can and should add a 'bubble comment' to your survey. This is also a free service that allows you to add a personal touch to your websites.

For those of you that are network marketers, you add a bubble comment to your company's replicated website to add your personality to it.

To get your free account, go to www.BubbleComment.com.

***** Sidebar Begins *****

To see how I use these two free resources together, go to www.TyroneTurnerWantsToHelp.com

***** Sidebar Ends *****

Go get 'em, tigers and tigresses!

All the best,

I like Magic Jack!

2009-10-02T09:39:00.001-07:00

I ordered my Magic Jack about two months ago and I really enjoy it. The sound quality is pretty good (not as good as my true Verizon land line). This is great for a second phone line or a part-time home-based business phone line.

It is a USB plug-in that is portable. You'll have to take a phone with you, though.

You get voice mail (via email), and call waiting. The only drawback is that the computer has to be on to use the phone but for less than $50 bucks per year you can be up and running with a phone number in your zip code - or any other zip code that you want in minutes.

My recommendation - buy it.

Happy dialing,

Build a sales funnel for maximum profit

2009-09-07T13:39:00.001-07:00

I hear a lot of talk about building a sales funnel -- recycling your customers to maximize profit for yourself and to add benefit to the customer by introducing them to related products or services. Your sales funnel may also include introducing them to various people that provide a given product or service. You don't always have to be the one profiting, and as a matter of fact, you'll be more of a 'go-giver' if you were not the only person generating revenue.

Remember, it is always easier to keep a customer and resell her/him rather than go out and get a new customer.

Also, keep in mind that the products/services in your portfolio should be related so that you will not be all over the place.

Let me give you an example of how I set up the sales funnel for my business. Perhaps my example will give you some ideas on how to create your very own sales funnel based on your target niche(s) and your product/service offerings.

Grassroots Business Network, LLC's Sales Funnel

We help sole proprietors and home-based entreprenerus put the pieces together. This is done creating environments that are conducive to networking (face-to-face and over the phone) and the teaching of specific skills, how to use certain tools, and 1-on-1 coaching to develop a customized system to help them accomplish their business goals.

For more information on the networking events, go to the www.Meetup.com/NYCSocialMedia, and visit www.SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com.

We are also an independent broker of various products and services that gives our customers access to top-notch resources. Here are some of the products and services that we promote that are relevant to our niches:

Pick the right biz for YOU

Business consulting and legal advice

Quality, affordable health plans

The ultimate permission-based marketing tool

Okay, folks, I hope that made sense to you. Let me know what you have in your sales funnel as I may be able to send business your way.

Thank you.

All the best,

2009-08-19T17:24:00.001-07:00

I'll be interviewing Ciro @ 8:30pm - in 5 minutes. Check it out - http://budurl.com/be3k

2009-08-19T17:23:00.001-07:00

Folks, I keep talking about this show because folks really need to hear Ciro DiSlafani talk about making career changes - http://budurl.com/be3k

2009-08-19T14:18:00.001-07:00

Unemployed or looking to make a career change? You need to check out this radio show tonight @ 8:30pm EDT - http://budurl.com/be3k

2009-08-17T17:30:00.001-07:00

Join us for the Big Link speed networking over the phone event happening right now - http://budurl.com/rtta

2009-08-17T09:35:00.001-07:00

Join us for the Big Link speed networking over the phone event 2nite @ 8:30pm EDT - http://budurl.com/rtta

2009-08-10T14:34:00.001-07:00

Join us for a speed networking over the phone event 2nite @ 8:15pm EDT. Here is the link - http://budurl.com/7zb5

Taking the online conversations offline

2009-08-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

Lisa Torres (aka the Social Butterfly) and Tyrone Turner (aka Ty the Card Guy) share a few tips on things to do to get the online conversations offline.

Some things touched on:

Social networking sites
Face-to-face networking events
Virtual networking events
Follow-up tools
Video email and chat
Building your list

2009-08-05T20:05:00.001-07:00

Backyard pitch party in Brooklyn on Thu, 08/27 - http://budurl.com/v3u8

2009-08-03T13:15:00.001-07:00

Join us for a 'Big Link" speed networking over the phone event tonight @ 8:30pm EST - http://budurl.com/rvnl

2009-08-02T07:35:00.001-07:00

Some of you want to leave your job to pursue your biz full time. What's holding you back? Stable income? Benefits? Something else?

2009-07-31T08:35:00.001-07:00

Who do you know that is a small biz owner or a sales pro? Speed networking over the phone event happening @ noon - http://budurl.com/deea

2009-07-31T08:29:00.001-07:00

Chat with other sales pros and small biz owners @ 12 noon EST today - http://budurl.com/deea

Use the Lotus Code to Achieve Your Goals

2009-07-08T03:44:00.000-07:00

Click on the player below to listen to the companion audio to this blog post

Comment | Copy This

The Lotus Code is a 2,500 philosophy that lays out a blueprint to achieve success. It has six parts that build upon and support each other.

Here is an overview:

Thoughts: Thoughts are things - well at least they can become things. Everything begins with a thought. Books that have really helped me get my head right and attract the people and situations that I want are The Secret, The Power of Positive Thinking, and Think and Grow Rich.

Words: Words are powerful. They can make or break people. This is the power of prayer and affirmations. T. Harv Eker's, The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind talks about making declarations and Anthony Robbins' books like Awaken the Giant Within are heavily influenced by neurolinguistic programming.

Actions: Nike's timeless slogan is "Just do it," and that is what is necessary. You have to do something. Books like The Science of Getting Rich tell us step by step what to do to achieve desired results. Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People is also an excellent read on things to do to achieve success.

Habits: Stephen Covey reminds us in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the right actions to make habitual so that we can achieve success in uncommon hours.

Persistence: Persistence, particularly in the face of adversity, is what helps of earn our desired outcome. The universe must be paid in full, and this debt must be paid in advance. Feeling pain and fear and doing it anyway is what turns us mere mortals into the champions that we aspire to become.

Result: Everything that we do or don't do will lead us to this outcome.

Remember, the universe is neutral so this roadmap can lead us to our goal or to a very sad and desperate state of affairs. As it has been said, "We become what we think about." Truer words have not been spoken. I hope that you found this information helpful.

Kind regards,

Sample of an Monthly MLM PNL Statement

2009-05-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

This is an example of the a Profit and Loss statement for a fictional network marketer named Joanne Networker for May 2009.

Most network marketers talk about how much money they make, but how much you keep is what determines if you really made money (profit), or if you didn't (loss).

Simply put, revenue (money that comes in to you) less expenses (money that you pay out) should equal profit (income).

If your expenses exceed your revenue, as is the case with Joanne Networker, you are in a deficit -- you loss money.

Please review the spreadsheet while listening to the audio.

Comment | Copy This

CLICK HERE for the spreadsheet

DO NOT delete anything from the following cells on Tab 1 -- PNL: Total Revenue (B11), Total Expenses (B33), or Profit or Loss (B35). From Tab 1 - 4, don't delete anything from Line 18, column B through Column T.

They contain formulas that calculate totals automatically.

This is not the holy grail or anything like that, but make sure to use this tool as it will help you monitor your cashflow.

For your convenience, there are also tabs in the spreadsheet that serve as weekly expense reports so you monitor your expenditures on a weekly basis.

Kind regards,

Huh? Speed Networking Over the Phone?

2009-05-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Whoa! This is hot!

Expand Your Network with Unlimited Virtual Networking Events for less than $10 per month...

Have real conversations, make more connections, and grow your business without having to leave your home or office!

As you know, your business success has a lot to do with how effectively you network. New referrals, ideas, and opportunities all come from the people you know. But to increase the power of your network it needs to constantly be growing.

Unfortunately, traditional approaches to networking can waste time and money without delivering results to your business or new contacts to your network.

Has this ever happened to you at an In-person Networking Event?

Have you ever gone to a networking event where you made no new connections, or you couldn't break into a conversation with someone you really wanted to meet, or you couldn't break away from a conversation that went on and on and on?

Even worse, have you ever paid an annual membership fee so you could then pay for gas and parking driving to an event where you then paid to enter and met nobody new?

But what about Online "Social Networking" sites?

With the explosion of social networking sites over the last few years, we found it a bit ironic that none of these sites is really "Social" (i.e., instead of interacting - you type something, hours later I type a response, you respond, etc, etc, etc...)

...nor were these sites really helping us meet new people in any meaningful way to build out our network. Sure we were making hundreds of new contacts on these sites - but how many of these "connections" did we ever actually talk to?

We knew there had to be a better way. Working in affiliation with Blitz Innovations, Inc., allow me to introduce you to SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com.

If we could combine the personal nature of in-person networking, the reach of online networking, and the convenience of the telephone - and give professionals the ability to make 10-15 new connections in a single event through actual 1-on-1 conversations; we knew we could turn the failed promise of "networking" into networking that actually works.

10,103 conversations later, we've heard again and again that this is an amazing way to meet new people and grow your network"

After 100+ conversations on SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com, I've already gotten a feel for how powerful SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com can be, and can recommend it to other business owners and sales people without hesitation.

Imagine what it would be like to meet 1,240, 12,400, or more new contacts on SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com. What new opportunities would that lead to? How would that impact your business?

In fact, if you've got the time - you can see & hear all of their feedback by clicking here.

Join as a Professional subscriber now and Take Your Networking to the Next Level

As a Professional subscriber, here is what you get:

Attend an unlimited number of Virtual Networking Events each month

Meet an unlimited number of new people through SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com events

Send an unlimited number of followup messages to new professional contacts you make on SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com

Create your own group(s) on SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com

Host an unlimited number of your own SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com events

Record your own audio "elevator pitch" played for people you speak with.

Lock in the rate of $9.95 per month for as long as your subscription remains active.

Go SpeedNetworkingOverThePhone.com, to join now.

As Zig Ziglar would say, "See you at the top!"

Don't take fashion tips from naked people

2009-05-24T01:24:00.001-07:00

I'm writing this because I don't want people to get duped into buying into systems that don't work or listening to people who have no track-record of success.

CLICK ON THE PLAYER BELOW TO LISTEN TO THE COMPANION AUDIO (3 minutes, 56 seconds)

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A couple of year's ago, I came across a CD featuring a successful financial products sales agent named John Addison called Don't Take Advice From Anyone More Screwed Up Than You. That CD changed my life. That CD has really had a heavy influence on my life and has shaped the way that I look at the world and business.

For the life of me, I just don't get the popular show American Idol. I get the part about people working hard to live their dreams, but why do people listen to Simon? I saw an interview on 60 Minutes about a year or so ago and by his own admission, he has less than no talent. However, he is an authority in identifying talent. Perhaps that works in the entertainment industry, but not in grassroots business. If you are a sole proprietor, a home-based entrepreneur, a sales agent looking to achieve and exceed quote, or a small business owner, you need to learn from those who have walked a mile in your shoes. You need proven strategies and how to information that really works. Not theory.

Please, do not take fashion tips from naked people!

I am so sick and tired of coming across people who are self-appointed (and self-anointed) "gurus" or "experts" getting away with blowing smoke up - well you know where.

When you go for a job interview or you're looking to retain the services of a professional (e.g. doctor, photographer, etc.), you want to see their resume´, right? Well, make sure that same standard is applied to the "gurus" you come across on the Internet.

I can NEVER give a woman any tips about how to deal with menstrual cramps or the pains associated with childbirth. I am a man and have never and will never experience those challenges. I wouldn't dare try to give any advice other than referring them to another woman who could speak to her with empathy.

When someone presents him/herself as being an expert, ask them two simple questions:

What in your experience qualifies you to be an expert?

May I have three references, please?

They better be able to give you a work history with references. Don't think of them as show-offs if they can provide this information to you, because Will Rogers said, "If you really did it, it ain't bragging."

Don't take fashion tips from naked people.

In network marketing, affiliate marketing, and direct sales, oftentimes it is the blind leading the blind when looking for short-cuts to success. Yes there are faster ways to become successful, but their are now proverbial "magic bullets" that will solve everything for you. It is all about putting in work. As Vidal Sassoon said, "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary".

There are a lot of pretenders pushing systems that are supposed to help you "explode your business", however, all that really happens is that you end up imploding your business instead. The marketing systems can become expensive and may promote things other than your primary product or service. You end up conveying a confusing, not very unique message to your prospects.

Also, just because someone was successful in one thing, doesn't mean that they would be successful in something else. For instance, Michael Jordan was an awesome basketball player, but a below average baseball player.

Please don't accept anyone's success theories as gospel. If they haven't done it themselves, they are experimenting and guess who the guinea pig is? YOU!

If you're a network marketer that is looking to grow her/his business, here is what I recommend:

Make sure that you're working with a company that meets the 7 criteria of a good home-based business. For insight, go to my blog post entitled "The 7 Wonders of Home-based Entrepreneurship"

Make sure that your sponsor will make herself/himself available to mentor and coach you. If they won't commit to helping you have success, don't sign up with them.

Subscribe to Networking Times

The reason that I mention Networking Times is because it is THE journal/trade publication for network marketing. There are FREE weekly webinars and articles posted on their website. You even get more with a subscription that is only $47.77 per year. There are successful network marketing legends and rising stars who contribute to the content. There are people like Tom "Big Al" Schreiter, Mark Yarnell, Doug Firebaugh, Randy Gage, Karen Phelps, and tons of others. Also, referral-getting gurus like Bob Burg and Ivan Misner also contribute. Folks, you can't get any better that having these experts as resources. It takes a village to raise a child, and business is a team sport. Refer to village elders and pick your team wisely.

Don't take fashion tips from naked people.

Thank you for your attention.

To your success,

Follow Your Dollar

2009-05-18T13:39:00.001-07:00

Where do you spend your money?

Wherever and with whomever that may be, that is where you should start to ask for help to promote your business.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you are regular customer at someone's place of business, why not ask them if you can leave flyers, brochures, or a stack of business cards? You spend good money with them, right?

If you don't want to be so forward and would rather take a more indirect route, how about handing or mailing them a "Who Do You Know Who Letter."

Here is how the letter goes:

##### BEGIN #####

[Date]
[Prospect’s Name]
[Prospect’s Mailing Address]
[Prospect’s Mailing Address Line 2]

Dear [Prospect’s First Name]:

This is just a quick note to say thank you for your business and support. Just to refresh your memory, I market [products/services, or a family of products/services] that helps people to [describe a few of the benefits]. I am expanding my business and I need your help. Who do you know who matches one of the below customer profiles? I would be thrilled if you would take a few minutes to make a list of acquaintances and friends who could benefit from my services; people and companies who you believe want or need the quality service and follow-up I will provide.
Here are some memory joggers to help you identify the ideal customers for the [products/services or family of products/services] that I market:
Who do you know who [identify niche #1]?
Who do you know who [identify niche #2]?
Who do you know who [identify niche #3]?
Who do you know who [identify niche #4]?
Who do you know who [identify niche #5]?
If you know anyone that fits any one of the above, please forward their contact information to me. I’ll call you in a few days to chat, okay?

Thank you in advance.

Kind regards,

[Your signature in BLUE ink]

[Print your name]
[Your Title]
[Mailing Address]
[Telephone Number(s)]
[E-mail Address]
[Website Address]

##### END #####

One hand washes the other, right? If someone wants to retain your patronage, they should at least be willing to keep their eyes and ears open for you. If they can't do that, perhaps you should take your business elsewhere.

Go get 'em tigers and tigresses!

Kind regards,

The 7 Wonders of Home-based Entrepreneurship

2009-05-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

Well, a more appropriate title would be "The 7 Things Home-based Entrepreneurs Should Worry About".

When a person takes the entrepreneurial plunge by starting a home-based business, be it MLM, direct selling, reslling, or something similar, there are some things that you should consider so you can see the light at the end of the tunnel - and it won't be an oncoming train like the one pictured above!

Let's get right to it...

Company is owned and/or managed by those who have done it successfully, or are doing it successfully in the present

This is very important. For the life of me, why would people follow someone that talks theory and not proven fact. When you select a company to invest your time, energy, and money in, make sure that the leadership understand your pain - they have walked the road that you now want to travel. If they didn't, how can they empathize with and advise you? For instance, I could never teach a woman how to deal with menstrual cramps or childbirth because I never experienced either one. Make sure that you pick an income opportunity where the company's owners and/or management has been successful in doing what you're endeavoring to do for profit.

Company's "old", and market is "young"

Newer companies tend to go through growing pains, and a lot of other changes as they find their way. According to Scott Shane's book, Illusions of Entrepreneurship: The Costly Myths that Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Policy Makers Live By, literally half of start-up small businesses fail within the first 5 years. While fortune favors the bold, it would be best to invest your time, energy, and money in a business that is "old" -- been around for more than 5 years.

The market should be "young", though. I don't mean young in age, but young in the sense of having a growing, expanding market. You want to be positioned in an industry that has a lot of growth potential. For instance, selling 8-track tapes is NOT an expanding market.

Must have a good, competetively-priced product that is consumable or subscription based

I remember looking at a film called The Pirates of Silicon Valley that was a historical dramatization of the rise of Apple and Microsoft. It is a little-known fact that Bill Gates used to work for the owner of Apple, Steve Jobs. When Steve Jobs found out that Bill Gates was using some of his technology to market Microsoft's Windows that was what Steve Jobs considered to be a "watered-down" version of the Apple operating system, he laughed and mocked Bill Gates. Bill Gates said, "You just don't get it. It is NOT about what is better, but which product can best capture market share".

Let that sink in.

Most people I know can make a better burger than McDonald's. Quick question though. Can you sell more burgers than McDonald's?

Okay, back to the point. The product or service that you decide to market doesn't necessarily have to be great, but it has to be good at a competetive price. If it is great, but over-priced, it will collect dust on your shelves.

Also, the product should be consumable or subscription based. That is to say that when people get to the bottom of a box, bag, or bottle they must reorder from you. If it is a subscription-based service like cable television, insurance, a discount medical plan, or a legal expense plan, the consumer must reoder to keep enjoying the benefits of the service. Ideally, the product is on auto-ship or the service is on automatic debit (to the customer's bank account or credit card).

How much, how often, and how many ways will you be paid?

It is paramount that you know this. For instance, if you're a network marketer or an affiliate marketer, how many ways can you generate revenue? Can you retail? Can you get override commissions from your sales team? Can you generate performance bonuses? How often are you paid? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Also, how much volume has to be moved (i.e. how much must you sell) to achieve your income goals? This can best help you determine the return on investment of your time and energy.

Training and support are provided

Folks, you cannot buy a business in a box. Most of us don't know a thing about running a business, so we need mentoring and coaching. If there is little to no training and support, the likelihood of you succeeding are next to none. Enough said on training and support.

Are you passionate about the company's mission?

Your love of the game will help you through the trials and tribulations that you WILL face as an entrepreneur. If you are not in sync with the company's mission, you will not have the mental toughness and endurance to succeed in your chosen endeavor.

What is the company's culture?

Is the company that you're working with demand that you are Internet-savvy? Do you have to do door-to-door sales? Must you advertise? Do you have to cold call? Are you encouraged to attend conference meetings? Are you encouraged to do home parties? How about trade shows? Also, what restrictions are placed on you marketing your business?These are things to consider about the culture of your chosen business.

Did this blog post help you at all? Please let me know as I am aiming to help. Thanks.

To your success,

MLMers, monitor your cash flow

2009-04-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

Network marketers spend a lot of time learning about their products/services and sales techniques, but they do not spend time learning business operations.

One critical piece to the business operations puzzle is learning how to manage your cash flow.

The audio and slideshow presentation below sheds some light on this oftentimes overlooked and misunderstood part of running a successful home-based network marketing business.

I hope that you find this information helpful.

To your profitability,

The 10 Commandments of Social Media

2009-04-17T10:43:00.001-07:00

I have been doing a lot of homework on social media and social networking sites. Whenever I hear about a webinar on the topic, I am there.

Since I have been applying the new things that I've learned about social media and social networking sites, I've begun to develop some relationships with people that I never thought that I would have the opportunity to work with.

Being the nerd that I am, I have taken a lot of notes of what I've learned and I have condensed those notes into 10 areas - 10 commandments if you will.

Check out the below audio and slideshow combination of what I call "The 10 Commandments of Social Media".

Just press the arrow key on the audio play to launch my melodic voice (smile), and follow along with the arrows on the slideshow.

#####

Make sure to click on the little square to the immediate right of the arrows and slide counter to open a new browser and to enlarge the slideshow so that it is easier to follow along.

#####

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It is important to partner up with others that can share best practices with you. I teamed up with an online community of social media students and teachers. We're all learning from and teaching each other on Twitter.

We like to use Twitter to share info because you have to be short and sweet. Please feel free to connect with me on Twitter. My Twitter address is www.twitter.com/tyroneturner.

All the best,

'Archie' explained

2009-04-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

This is a follow-up to my last blog entry. I hope that this helps you put the content into context.

To your success,

My name is Tyrone, but you can call me Archie

2009-04-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

No, not Archie Bunker...

No, not Jughead's buddy either...

Well, my parents named me Tyrone, but you can call me Archie.

A few blogs posts ago, I talked about what I call The ARC of the Covenant for Entrepreneurs. Just to refresh your memory, ARC is an acronym that stands for Appreciate, Reward, and Celebrate.

I have since expanded on this acronym and have taken the new moniker of Archie.

Here is what Archie stands for:

A = Appreciate others, and let them know how you feel about them

R = Reward others. Hey, a little token of your appreciation can go a long way

C = Celebrate the success and special milestones of others around you

H = Help others achieve their goals

I = Inspire others by leading by example

E = Encourage other to have the courage to live their dreams

So, what is your name? Archie, I presume? (smile)

Take care of yourself.

Get rich in the niche

2009-03-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was asking a home-based entrepreneur what was her niche -- who was she selling to? Her answer to me was "everybody". She has great products and services, and spends a lot of money and time marketing her products and services, but she rarely makes sales.

Why is that? Hmmm....

Well, her customers don't know who they are. That is to say that she has not clearly identified who her customer is. If you don't clearly identify your target market, no one will step forward to buy, nor will anyone be able to refer prospects to you.

As my business associate, David Frey, who is the author of the best-selling, The Marketing Bible, teaches that you can "get rich in the niche".

For instance, the niche that I tend to focus on at the typing of this blog post is network marketers. I have clearly identified challenges facing this particular group of people (and have a unique understanding because I am one of them), and my angle is to offer various relationship-building tool and a contact management solution to help them grow their business.

"Getting rich in the niche" was best explained in Chris Anderson's book The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More. Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired wrote an article published in that magazine in October 2004. It made a huge impression immediately and Mr Anderson subsequently expanded his theory into a book.

The theory refutes the long-held wisdom of the 80/20 rule whose premise is that 80% of sales would be made on the 20% of the inventory. The arrival of the Internet as a mass medium has proven this wrong. Amazon says 50% of its total sales come from a wide range of items that only sell once a month, while eBay’s staggering success came from auctioning obscure items.

The classic graph pictured above illustrates the Long Tail. The Long Tail theory is that the Long Tail equals the Head in size; that collectively many products account for as many sales as the few bestsellers.

In short, my understanding and application of the Long Tail approach as it pertains to my niche is to contiually reach out to them to add value by sharing information that will help them grow their business. I also keep my options open to offer them additonal products and service to help them meet their objectives. That way, I can 'recycle' the customer and each customer is worth more because she buys more - of less.

Don't try to sell everything though. Joining too many affiliate programs or become resellers of too many products or services will cause you to lose focus.

Well that's my two cents.

All the best,

Notes: "Long Tail, Short Head: unprecedented cross-selling", by Annie Turner - BKI Media. Article can be viewed by CLICKING HERE.

Balanced Goals for a Successful Life

2009-03-13T22:06:00.001-07:00

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Cover these 8 areas for success:

Family - "It's all about the family." ~ Don Vito Corleone

Job - "There is nothing necessarily wrong with working in the E quadrant" ~ Robert Kiyosaki

Business - "Having a home-based business can help you save a ton in income taxes." ~ Sandy Botkin

Education - "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave." ~ Mustafa Muhammad Al Amin

Service - "Help others get what they want, and you'll get what you want." ~ Zig Ziglar

Fun - "Party on dudes!" ~ Wayne & Garth

Health - "Your health is your greatest asset." ~ Unknown

Spiritual - "Free your mind." ~ Morpheus

I hope that you enjoyed reading and/or listening to this blog post.

To your success,

Mom & Pop Shops Will Save The Day

2009-03-10T10:38:00.001-07:00

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PREDICTION: Micro and small businesses will be the superheroes of this recession.

Here are a few reasons why:

They growing and create a kinder, more personal, more human way to do business

Today's Mom & Pop Shops, become tomorrow's Inc. 500 companies

Opportunities abound for talented corporate professionals who can lend their training and savvy to help the Mom & Pops Shop to grow

Of course, there are challenges with small companies - particularly the need to multitask, but if you have the stomach for it, you may be rewarded handsomely. Remember, in all things, fortune favors the bold.

"It all started with a little mouse." ~ Walt Disney

I hope that this blog post gave you some things to think about.

Will you be one of our superheroes?

All the best,

Team-up with others to boost sales

2009-03-08T08:57:00.001-07:00

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This is kind of a follow-up to my previous post about The ARC of the Convenant for Entrepreneurs. To better appreciate, reward, and celebrate my customers, employees, and partners, I teamed up with two other entrepreneurs that market products and services to my very same target market - sole proprietors and home-based entrepreneurs.

Here are some of the main points covered in this audio:

Team up with other sole proprietors and home-based business owners who are not direct competitors, but you share the same target customers

Complimentary products/services make you more attractive to prospects and existing customers

Joint ventures add value to the marketplace

We didn't come in on the same ship, but we're all in the same boat, so let's work together

My associate, Felicia Richardson (aka The Candle Burning Diva) markets gourmet, scented candles. Her website can be viewed by clicking here.

To view Steve Kessler markets travel certificates, gas and grocery vouchers which can be great incentives. You can visit his website, clicking here.

I hope this helps,

The ARC of the Covenant for Entrepreneurs

2009-03-06T04:56:00.001-08:00

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The relationship between a business owner and her customers, employees, and partners is sacred and should be treated as such. In the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic holy scriptures, reference is made to the Ark of the Covenant.

However, this is not about that Ark, but about the ARC.

ARC is an acronym for appreciate, reward, and celebrate.

Here is the breakdown:

Appreciate

Appreciate your customers because their patronage puts food on your table. In today's world, there are endless choices, but your customers chose to do business with you. Appreciate them for that.

Appreciate your employees. If those hard-working, dedicated men and women didn't deliver on the promises that you make to your customers, you would not be able to compete in the marketplace.

Appreciate your partners because they help add value to your employee and customer relationships by helping fill 'gaps in your game' or but offering a complimentary product or service.

Reward

Reward your customers with outrageous customer care, and a very good product/service. Offer specials like reward dollars and other 'frequent flyer' like incentives.

Reward your employees with public praise and other performance based incentives (e.g. extra paid time off, professional development, etc.)

Reward your partners with what they crave most - new business referrals.

Celebrate

Celebrate customers on special days like birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, holidays, and other special occasions

Celebrate employee achievements and milestones. For example, throw pizza parties and such to celebrate birthdays, employee anniversaries (e.g. 5 years with the company, etc.), and other life-changing events like birth of children, marriage, etc.

Economic stimulus package for sole proprietors

2009-02-25T07:25:00.000-08:00

The big banks, and the auto makers have been given bailouts, and W-2 employees have been given economic stimulus checks.

HEY! How about sole proprietors and hard-working sales agents?

Well, Janet and Tyrone have teamed up to give you the Sole Proprietor Economic Stimulus Package.

This package will help you free up your time, save you energy, and save you money, so that you can do what you do best - go get more customers.

Check out our YouTube video and the explanation below.

Janet Peters and Tyrone Turner have teamed-up to bring you an outstanding, recession-proof package to help you get your business going.

How?

Well, what Janet does is help small business owners save time, energy, and money by handling back office support while they engage in income-generating activities.

In short, Janet says, "I work in their business, while they work on their business."

Tyrone Turner (aka Ty the Card Guy) helps sole proprietors and sales agents by introducing them to various tools and strategies that enables them get the attention of the those hard-to-get, "must-have" customers .

After an initial 30-minute phone conference with Janet and Tyrone to better understand your needs, you will get the following:

A monthly video conference or phone conference with
Janet and Tyrone to best help determine how to best serve you

Data entry and contact manager maintenance

Our 'secret' weapon that will help you get more referrals

And a WHOLE LOT more!

If you'd like the details on our package, send a blank e-mail to janandty@getresponse.com.

We look forward to working with you and/or others that you
know.

All the best,

"Your partners in success."

P.S. Learn more about Janet's services @ http://jmivirtualassistant.com

P.S.S. Those that sign on with us before Sunday, March 1st, 2009 will get a free vacation for two (hotel and airfare included) to a popular destination like Las Vegas, Orlando, or Cancun!

Be on a mission, but don't be a missionary

2009-02-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

Mother Theresa was a wonderful person, and the world was certainly a better place because she was here.

However, remember that she was all about charity, and you should be about growing your business.

Don't hear me wrong. Community service and "giving back" are highly recommended, but when growing your business, remember to be on a mission, and not to become a missionary.

What do I mean by that?

Well, when you are growing your business, you should be focusing on doing productive, meaningful things that will help you increase revenue.

If you are expending valuable resources (i.e. time, energy, and money) on people and things that do not want to, or cannot help you generate revenue, you need to stop it.

For instance, some people that are network marketers spend a lot of time and energy pursuing people that have said 'no' to their products or income opportunity.

The person that says "I'm not interested" is not the one that network marketers tend to spin their wheels on. It is the people who say things like "I cannot do that," or "I don't know anybody," or "I can't afford it" are the ones that network marketers tend to waste resources on.

Let me tell you a quick story about two Greek oyster fisherman. Their names are Artemis, and Spiros.

Artemis was a very well-to-do oyster fisherman, while his long-time buddy, Spiros, struggled to feed his family.

One day Spiros asked Artemis if he could accompany him on an oyster catch so that he can learn his 'secrets'.

Artemis was more than happy to oblige.

So when they went to catch oysters, they got on their boat, went out to Artemis' favorite spot next to some rocks where the water is not too deep, and they both dived and got started scooping up oysters and placing them in their net bags.

They both caught a whole lot of oysters.

They got back to the beach, and Artemis started cracking open oysters like crazy looking for pearls. Those that didn't have pearls were cast into a large bins.

Spiros was amazed by how fast Artemis was going through his oysters. So, Spiros got started.

When he cracked open his first oyster, there was no pearl.

Spiros started singing begging and pleading with the oyster to give him a pearl.

While he begging and pleading, Artemis was busy going through his oysters. Artemis actually found a couple of pearls. Artemis was really excited about cashing in his pearls for some cash so that he can continue to buy nice things for his family.

When the day was done, Spiros was still pleading with the same oyster...

The moral of the story is that you have to keep going through prospects (oysters) to get customers and distributors (pearls).

Remember, some will...some won't...so what? Somebody else is always waiting.

Be on a mission to grow your business. Do not be a missionary to try to 'save' people who don't want to be saved with your product or your business opportunity.

Are you too old to become successful in business?

2009-02-08T03:27:00.000-08:00

Check out my man, Father Time to the left. That old fella's time is just ticking away.

Even though time is ticking away for all of each each day, do you think you are too old to become successful in business? Please allow me to answer for you...

HECK NO!

Ever heard of KFC - also know as Kentucky Fried Chicken? Of course you have. Did you know that the founder, Harland Sanders (also known as Colonel Sanders) was more than 60 years old when he started his franchise?

This is kind of long, but you definitely want to read it and you may want to print this one out.

### BEGIN ###

Harland Sanders was born on 9 September, 1890 in Henryville, Indianapolis. When he was six years old, his father died. This meant that his mother had to go out and work leaving him to do all the housework, and look after his three year old brother, and baby sister. These household duties included cooking and by the age of seven, Harland had become a master of several regional dishes.

At the age of ten, Harland had little interest in school, so he dropped out after completing sixth grade, and went looking for work. His first job came at the age of ten when he started working at a nearby farm for just $2 per month. At the age of twelve, his mother remarried and Harland moved to Greenwood, Indianapolis and held a number of jobs over the next few years. His first job there was in New Albany as a Street Car Conductor.

Other early jobs he had included six months as an Army Private serving in Cuba, operator of an Ohio River Steamboat Ferry, sold tires, and finished off by working at a number of service stations. During this time Harland also studied Law by correspondence, then practiced in Justice of the Peace Courts, and was selling insurance policies.

Other than cooking, the main job that he liked was during his time as a fireman for the railways which lasted five years and Harland would often talk about this. One of his talks about the time at the railways included this quote, "I started firing for Southern out of Jasper, in 1906. I was filling sand boxes in Jasper when a fireman failed to show up one morning. I showed the engineer that I could fire so he took me on the trip. I fired for Southern for the next five years."

"About the most exciting thing that happened to me was a runaway - train ride down Darlington Mountain near Russellville. It was a pretty steep grade and I was sitting with my head out the window enjoying the breeze when the engineer said, 'Harland, get ready to hang on because we don't have any brakes."

When Harland was 40, he had his own service station in Corbin, Kentucky. At that time, there was no restaurant at the service station, so any meals prepared for travelers were done in his own kitchen, and they were served in his living room. And there were regular occasions that he had 15, or more guests for dinner.

It was around this time he knew he was onto something as very soon, people started to come to his service station just for food, and not for petrol. As a result, Harland purchased the motel that was across the road. This motel included a restaurant which could seat 142 people.

His popularity with cooking spread and soon got the attention of State Governor, Ruby Laffoon, who in 1935 made him a Kentucky Colonel in recognition for his contributions to the state's cuisine. And in 1939, the restaurant started appearing in Duncan Hines "Adventures in Good Eating", a famous guide covering American restaurants at the time.

One thing that Harland always did was to experiment with food to try and improve his dishes, and make them more popular. These experiments included finding suitable ingredients to add to the flour which coated his chickens. One of the more successful experiments happened in 1939 with the mixture of the eleven herbs and spices which now form the coatings to his chickens.

In those early days, Harland's biggest problem is that customers had to wait about 30 minutes for the chicken to be cooked in an iron skillet. Most restaurants at the time would cook chicken in deep fat, which would only take a few minutes. However, he refused to cook chicken in deep fat as he thought it ruined the flavor.

Then in the late 1930's he was invited to a demonstration of a product he called a new fangled gizmo, which turned out to be the newly invented pressure cooker. Harland liked what it could do to green vegetable, and how quick they were cooked. So he wondered what it could do with chicken and bought one. After a number of experiments, and modifications to the cooker, he could cook chicken quickly, and the taste was even better than before. This original Pressure Cooker is one of the exhibits at the KFC museum in Corbin. Pressure cookers are still used today by KFC in the cooking of chicken.

Harland also liked to keep his kitchen clean, and to be able to show his customers that he had high standards. To achieve this, the kitchen was painted white so any signs of dirt could be spotted, and to make cleaning easier. Also, there were holes in the wall to allow customers to see into the kitchen, a feature which came standard in all KFC restaurants in 1982, something that is seen in a number of other restaurants world wide, but it is not certain if Harland started the idea, or if he copied someone else.

In 1948, as a result of marriage problems, probably because he spent more time cooking than with his wife, he divorced his wife, Josephine. Later that year, he married Claudia Price, who was a waiter at his restaurant.

However, in the early 1950s, an interstate bypass with built, which completely bypassed the town of Corbin. Business was effected, and predicting that he would eventually be bankrupt, Harland auctioned off his operations, and paid all money he owed. All he had left to live on was Social Security Checks of $105 per month. And at his age, he was not expecting to work again.

In 1952, Harland had a chance meeting with a Peter Harman, who owned Harman's Cafe in Salt Lake City, Utah, another popular, and famous eating place. And Peter was a skilled business man. As a result of this meeting, a business relationship was established, and Peter convinced Harland to cash in his social security checks to start a franchise for chickens coated in Harland's recipe.

Soon after this meeting, Harland, with his wife, Claudia started traveling around visiting restaurants. And if a particular restaurant agreed, he would cook his chicken dish coated with his herb and spices. Many liked how the chicken was cooked and included it on their menus. His fee for using the mixture to the restaurants was five cents per chicken that was covered.

The first years of the franchise was a struggle, and Harland comments on this by saying . "One of our biggest problems getting started was money. After we sold the restaurant at auction, I was getting $105 a month from social security. That paid for my gas and the travel needed to get the franchises started. Lots of nights I would sleep in the back of my car so I would have enough money to buy cookers the next day if someone took a franchise."

His wife also commented on the business at the time by saying "He helped a lot of people go into the restaurant business. "Sometimes their pies or meats or vegetables wouldn't be just right so he began to show them how to do all of it. He wanted the restaurants that served his chicken to have good food."

In the late 1950s business was improving and the company, Kentucky Fried Chicken Inc was formally established. On regular occasions, Harland would be asked to appear on television or radio interviews. It was on such an occasion that the only clean thing he had to wear was a white palm suit. This was that popular, it was all he would wear on all future public appearances, going through about eight suits a year.

By 1964, there were approximately 600 restaurants in the United States using his chicken recipe when he sold the franchise to a group of investors for $2 million. Part of the conditions of sale is that Harland would remain on the board of directors, and receive an annual lifetime salary of $40, 000 per year. One of these investors, John Brown, later became Governor of Kentucky from 1980 - 1984. To raise funds for the franchise, the investors sold shares in the company on 17 March 1966, and was first listed on the New York Stock Exchange on 16 January 1968. The last time the franchise was sold, it was purchased by Pepsi in 1986 for US $840 million. Pepsi also run four other food franchise's. Other than KFC, only one other of these, Pizza Hut, is in New Zealand.

Although Harland had sold the franchise, he remained involved with the investors, and in 1976, he was the second most well known celebrity in the world according to an independent survey. His involvement in the company included visiting the restaurants on a regular basis, traveling approximately 160, 000 kilometers per year.

Although his now famous recipe was first discovered in 1939, he had never written it down until the 1960s. And the mixture was transported to the restaurant in his car. As for preparing the recipe, Harland is quoted as saying "I hand-mixed the spices in those days liking mixing cement on a specially cleaned concrete floor on my back porch in Corbin. I used a scoop to make a tunnel in the flour and then carefully mixed in the herbs and spices."

Nowadays, only a handful of people actually know the recipe, and each has signed a very stick confidentiality agreement. The original recipe is secured in a safe Louisville, Kentucky in facilities, which they say is better than Fort Knox. As for actually preparing the mixture, several companies are involved, none of which have the completed receipt and the operations are computer controlled to ensure that everything is mixed together correctly, and at the right time. The mixture is then exported to all the countries where the franchises are. The chickens themselves originate from within the country a franchise is located in.

In regards to today's operations about the recipe, Harland is quoted as saying "It boggles the mind just to think of all the procedures and precautions the company takes to protect my recipe," the Colonel said. "Especially when I think how Claudia and I used to operate. She was my packing girl, my warehouse supervisor, my delivery person - you name it. Our garage was the warehouse."

"After I hit the road selling franchises for my chicken, that left Claudia behind to fill the orders for the seasoned flour mix. She'd fill the day's orders in little paper sacks with cellophane linings and package them for shipment. Then she had to put them on a midnight train."

Harland was still involved with the franchise when he was diagnosed with leukemia in 1980, and died later that year as a result at the age of 90, on 16 December.

Due to his popularity, he is the only person connected to the food industry who has a statue in the state capital of Kentucky.

### END ###

Hey, Colonel Sanders started his franchise when he was more than 60 years old, and was still actively promoting his business until the day he died. I guess that takes away a lot of our excuses, doesn't it?

Peace & blessings,

Entrepreneurs and sales people, PLEASE don't become ninja warriors

2009-01-28T06:52:00.000-08:00

Ninja warriors are known for their skill in evasion and stealth. Those are great skills to have if you are a warrior, but it is not what you want to do if you are an entrepreneur. You want to be a loud and as visible as possible.

At the writing of this editorial, the world is in a recession. We are all hearing and seeing a lot of companies downsize and take losses - even almighty Microsoft and Google. Because of the economy, companies and individuals have Companies are cutting back on their marketing and sales agents and sole proprietors are putting networking and professional development on the back burner.

To me, that is sebbeku (aka hara kiri) -- ritualistic suicide.

Folks, when the going gets tough, the tough must get going.

Here is what I suggest:

Review your marketing plan and budget, and redirect spending to things things that are generating buzz for you, and discontinue spending on things that don't work

Make sure to get out there and network. Of course, you should be seeking out new customers, but also seek out strategic partners. A good strategic partner is another business owner or sales agent that sells a different product to your customer. For instance, a car salesperson could team up with a car insurance sales agent and an auto customization shop owner. They all fish from the same prospect pool but are not in direct competition with each other.

Do special limited time promotions like giving a free vacation or buy one get one free type of deal.

Recommended Resources

Sunrise Premiums
Salesconx
BlitzTime
GbnLLC.INFO (Face-to-face events in NYC, Northern NJ, Charlotte, and Atlanta)

Well, that is my two cents...

The Lumberjack Story

2009-01-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

The below story is a slightly revised version of an article that was written by Tom "Big Al" Schreiter. He is one of my absolutely favorite home-based business coaches.

Anyway, without any further ado, check this out...

"The Lumberjack Story"

An experienced lumberjack walked past one of the new recruits. The new recruit viciously chopped away at the large tree but only managed to bruise the bark. Seeing the hard work and wasted effort, the experienced lumberjack said, "Hey, why don't you sharpen your ax? It will make you much more efficient."

The new recruit answered, "No. I can't take the time to sharpen my ax. I'm busy trying to cut down this tree."

Many new business owners suffer from the "dull ax" syndrome. They set goals, work hard, but never reach the success they desire. Why? Because they never took the time to sharpen their "ax" by learning new, effective skills. These entrepreneurs waste effort, waste resources, and waste their careers. If only they would take a little time away from their frenzied futility to learn the skills that would serve them for a lifetime.

As home-based business expert Tom Paredes says, "You need training even if you get a job at McDonald's flipping hamburgers. So why not expect to invest some time and effort in learning new skills for your business?"

What happens when new entrepreneurs venture into business uninformed? Let's go back to our new lumberjack.

It seems the new lumberjack finally got tired of beating his dull ax against the tree. In desperation, he went into town to the local hardware store. The manager of the hardware store said, "Yep. Your ax sure is dull. But, if I were you, I wouldn't get the ax sharpened. There is a new way of cutting trees that is even better than a sharp ax. It's called a chain saw."

"Just give me that chain saw and I'm outta here," said the new lumberjack. He took the chain saw and disappeared into the woods.

Two days later the new lumberjack returned to the hardware store. He was sweaty, had blisters on his hands, and looked very depressed. He found the store manager and said, "Hey you. You sold me this chain saw and promised me better results. I've been slaving away in the woods for two days and still haven't finished cutting down my first tree!"

The store manager replied, "Well son, just hand the chain saw over here and let me see what the problem is." The store manager examined the chain saw and saw nothing wrong. Then he grabbed the starter cord and gave it a big pull.

"B-b-b-r-r-r-r-r-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-m-m-m-m-m!" The chain saw belched some smoke and began to run.

"Hey! What's that noise?" the new lumberjack exclaimed.

It seems that the new lumberjack never took the time to learn the features or even how to use his new tool.

The same is true in business. One must not only acquire new tools, but also the knowledge on how to use them. And, in this rush, rush society, it will take some discipline and time investment to perfect one's new business-building skills.

The payoff?

Almost anything you want. All you have to do is be willing to change. After all, Michelangelo changed from painting floors to painting ceilings when he got the Sistine Chapel job. The same new opportunities await you with your brand business marketing skills.

Enough said...

Entrepreneurs, do you have time to exercise?

2009-01-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

If you're a business owner, you have to be healthy. Everyone knows what to do: eat better food; and exercise more. People just don't necessarily know 'how' to go about doing it.

For the next couple of blog entries, I'll talk about the need for entrepreneurs to exercise and how to squeeze it into an already packed schedule.

Busy people because they don't think that they have the time to exercise. I came across a book called THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO SHORT WORKOUTS, by Deidre Johnson-Cane, Johnathan Cane, and Joe Glickman. On page six of the book, here is what the authors say about busy people and exercise:

"The busier you are, the more you need to exercise. Exercise reduces stress, boosts your energy, and improves health. When you are busy, you can't afford to get sick. Exercising is an excellent preventive measure. You're not training to climb Mount Everest, just to get in and stay in shape, which in our culture has become a rather lofty goal."

Man, that was very well said.

It seems contradictory that if you are tired that you should not exercise. But
it is definitely true that exercise boosts your vitality and makes you more virus proof. Like a lot of you, I work in an office building where sick people come to work with all of their nasty viruses and we have to share the same recycled air. Sometimes people catch a real nasty bug, but they recover surprisingly fast. Why? Because they make time for exercise.

Here are 10 good reasons to exercise (from THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO SHORT WORKOUTS):

Improves your appearance and your self esteem.

Lowers your blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease.

Makes your muscles, joints, and bones stronger. This is particularly important for women over 40 who lose bone density as they age.

Is practical: Carrying groceries or your kids, or changing a tire are far easier when you've got some 'oomph'.

Reduces stress and helps people counteract depression. For a society that pops Prozac and other psychotropic drugs like candy, that's significant.

Improves your ability to concentrate.

Increases your levels of HDL, the "good cholesterol".

Improves your sleep.

Speeds up your metabolism-a huge factor in a country with obese people than any other in the Western world. We've become a nation of kings and queens - Burger Kings & Dairy Queens.

Increases the likelihood of you winning the Super Lottery.

Okay, just kidding about #10, but the other nine are right and exact.

I had knee surgery last in early December (2008), and I'm on the comeback trail, so I'm looking forward of moving away from my rehab training and getting back to some fitness training. I can definitely spare a few pounds.

Business owners, please find the time to exercise and make sure to eat right.

What is the point of working hard to build your fortune and to create a better quality of life for yourself if you're not healthy enough to enjoy it?

To your health,

6 Quick Ideas for Building Your Contact List

2009-01-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some great ideas on how to build your network:

6 Quick Ideas for Building Your Contact List:

Trade Show Marketing, Fishbowls, and Plexiglas Drawing Box

Read the local business paper and scan articles written about successful small business owners.

Join two of the hundreds of networking organizations in the US (e.g. BNI, local chamber of commerce, etc.).

Go through the want ads and look for others promoting their businesses. Call them and say, "I am a local business owner in the ... business, and I am looking to network with other business owners so that we might refer business to each other . . . would you be interested in getting together? I would like to learn a little about what you do and also talk to you about what I do to see if we might help each other get more business?" You may have to talk to 10 to get 2, but many will want to meet with you.

Ask 10 people that you know for 3 names and addresses of business owners that are in the process of building a business.

I hope this information helps you grow your list.

All the best,

Hey, do you know 'Vito'?

2009-01-11T08:47:00.000-08:00

Pssst...

Do you know Vito? Vito is an acronym for "Very Important Top Officer". Vito is the decision-maker in a given organization.

When I was an account executive and later a business developer for a major international litigation support company, I encountered scores of individuals who falsely conveyed that they are the decision-maker. This can cause you to waste time and money on the wrong people. Interview people carefully to separate the prospects from the suspects. Doing so will help you save a lot of time, energy, and money.

We are living in the information age, so check out your target company's/prospect's website to learn more about the company and to figure out who the decision makers are. Once you've done that, you are ready to start trying to get an appointment with Vito.

Here is an example of how to get a meeting with Vito...

Make a phone call to the company's main line. You'll probably be speaking to a receptionist or an operator from the message center. Say something like this:

You - "Hello. How are you today? [wait for a response]. I am putting together a information packet for Ms. Vito, and I'd like to send one to her assistant as well. Would you be so kind as to tell me his or her name, please?"

Receptionist - "Her assistant's name is John Smith."

You - "Thank you very much. I'm going to drop off goodies as well when I have the information packets delivered. What is your name? I'd like to drop off some for you too."

Receptionist - "Why, thank you! My name is Mary Brown."

You - "Okay, Mary, thank you so much, and look out for the little bag of goodies that I'll be sending your way. Enjoy the rest of the day."

<><><><><><><><><><>
Sidebar - goodies can be something like assorted candies, cookies, etc.
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Goody bags work nearly every single time. Now, you make sure to get goodies over to John and Mary (the assistant and receptionist) a.s.a.p.! These two individuals are gate keepers, and they are privy to Ms. Vito's likes and dislikes, her schedule, and other "need to know" info within the organization.

The gatekeepers are very, very important resources and can be wonderful allies. Definitely get goodies over to them, and at the very least work to get a phone meeting so you can gather information. Take care of them, and they in turn will take care of you and help you get a meeting with Vito, and/or help you identify others that you can speak to.

That's karma baby....

For more information, go to your local library and check out Getting to VITO (The Very Important Top Officer): 10 Steps to VITO's Office, by Anthony Parinello.

Check out an interview that I did last year on this subject. It is a 30-minute interview with my business partner, Lisa Torres.

CLICK HERE, to listen to the interview now.

Think on these things, and I hope you get good mileage from this info.

All the best,

How to NOT get overwhelmed with social networking sites

2009-01-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

This is a more refined illustration of two previous posts that I made on the topic of social networking. It is kind of long, but please read it and save it as I think that you'll find value.

Do you have a set schedule for visiting and participating in the conversation on social networking sites?

Some of you have expressed how daunting social networking sites are and that you don't know where to start

This article may give you some ideas on how you can be both efficient and effective.

[Sidebar: With social networking sites, start with Twitter.com as it is quick and easy to manage]

Also, for the record, here is my disclaimer:

This is a written from a totally subjective perspective. I have a very busy, demanding job *** and *** I am growing a my event planning, promotions, and education company. This is not necessarily intended to be a model for you to follow, but rather to provoke thought and to push you to find out what works for you.

I don't think that most people even think about scheduling time, but if you don't you'll do one of two things: nothing at all; or become overwhelmed and unproductive -- spread too thin.

I just figured that I'd let my business partners know how I go about managing my time while remaining active on social networking sites.

I have a day job that is quite fast-paced and demanding, so I only commit one hour, fifteen minutes during each work day (Mon-Fri) and that is done in five separate 15-minute. increments - no more than that.

[Sidebar: All of this takes the back seat when I have an appointment, conference call, or other productive potentially revenue generating business endeavor to tend to.]

This is my schedule - it works for me. It may or may not work for others but it keeps me active while avoiding becoming overwhelmed.

Monday through and including Friday

9:30am to 9:45am: LinkedIn.com

I check to see what my 'connections' are up to and see if any questions have been asked or answered that relate to my interests. I will chime in if I feel moved to do so. I also search to see if a new contact of mine has a profile then I'll invite them to
connect.

2:00pm to 2:15pm: Facebook.com

I check to see what my 'friends' are up to and see if any questions have been asked or answered that relate to my interests. I will chime in if I feel moved to do so. I also search for people from my past (e.g. high school classmates, and Army buddies) to see if a new contact of mine has a profile then I'll invite them to connect.

5:15pm to 5:30pm: FastPitchNetworking.com

I check to see who clicked on my profile, and if they seem impressive, I'll reach out to them to connect. I also search for new people of interest in a given geographical area (e.g. NYC) to offer an invitation to connect.

7:00pm to 7:15 (during subway commute home): Twitter.com

I let my 'followers' know what I'm doing or what is on my mind. Also, I answer questions that one of my followers may post.

9:45pm to 10:00pm: MySpace.com

I search for 30 to 35 year-olds in NYC who are interested in networking. I send them a 'friend' invitation.

* I don't participate in BlitzTime or Meetup events every day so I don't schedule a set regular time for them.

** I tend to update my Blogger.com and YouTube.com accounts during the early morning hours after excercising and before my family wakes up, or during the weekend when I have new material add.

I recycle (i.e. copy and paste) articles from my Blogger.com page and put them elsewhere like Meetup.com mailing list distributions, BlogTalkRadio.com posts, and MySpace.com blog posts.

I tend to use my YouTube.com videos in conjunction with a Blogger.com post, and of course, I recycle (i.e. copy and paste) the video and text for posts to other sites (e.g. BlogTalkRadio.com blog, MySpace.com blog, FastPitchNetworking.com discussion board and mail the link to my network, Meetup.com mailing list and discussion board, and Facebook.com discussion boards).

Again, I have a day job that is quite fast-paced and demanding, so I only commit one hour, fifteen minutes during each work day (Mon-Fri) and that is done in five separate 15-minute increments. That is 75 minutes - no more than that.

Thank you for your time and attention.

"That's all folks!" ~Porky Pig

Kind regards,

Tyrone Turner

P.S. I also suggest that you go with about 5 social networking sites at a time. You can always change up. Take your time and don't overwhelm yourself.

5 Brochure Mistakes to Avoid

2009-01-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

I met with a few graphic designers and marketing consultants over the years, and here are five things that they have taught me to be aware of when designing brochures:

Don't lead with your company info. Always lead with the readers' interests: their perceived problem(s), followed by your solution. You must capture their attention immediately.

Don't try to be everything to everyone. You'll end up with a mish-mash of diluted messages that may conflict and confuse readers. Focus your brochure to your target audience with 2-3 complimentary messages.

Don't pack it with details. Less is usually more. Too much text and people won't read it: boil it down to succinct points. Communicate with images and transform text into bullets where possible.

Don't use big words and acronyms. Don't attempt to impress readers with big words. Use common, easy-to-understand words that won't cause confusion.

Don't assume they'll act. Tell readers exactly what you want them to do and entice them to do it. For example, do say: "Call today for a FREE trial", etc.

Well, there you have it. I hope that you found this information useful.

Now go get them tigers an tigresses!

All the best,

Tyrone Turner

Time management for online social networkers

2008-12-31T07:48:00.000-08:00

After thinking about yesterday's post, I decided to add this one.

Now, keep in mind that this is MY schedule for online social networking, and not necessarily a suggestion on how you should schedule your day.

The intent is to give you an example of how to go about scheduling your time spent on online social networking sites.

Also, the presumption here is that you're using online social networking sites to grow your business.

Before I go into it, I want to let you know a little about how my day goes...

I am employed as an operations manager for a litigation support company. In a nutshell, my company works onsite for various law firms and corporations handling their mail room services, photocopy and scanning centers, and office supplies. I am charged with managing 35 people, tracking cash flow for my site (profit and loss), and acting as a liaison between my employer and site (i.e. client) for various issues.

It is a very demanding, fast-paced job, so I do not have a lot of time to surf on the Internet during work hours and such, and when I'm not working my job, I'm working my home-based event planning and promotions business, or consulting various home-based entrepreneurs or sole proprietors.

Of course, all work and no play will make me a dull boy, so I make sure to make time to rest and spend time with my friends and family.

I tend to be check online social networking sites Monday through Friday, and here is how I manage my time spent on social networking sites:

Breakfast - While eating my breakfast at my desk, I'll check out LinkedIn to see what my connections are up to and to see if any questions or answers of interest have been posted.

Lunch - I usually have my lunch at my desk so I like to see what my friends on Facebook are doing and type in a few names of people from my past whom I'd like to reconnect with. I also like to see what my connections are doing of Fast Pitch! Networking

Late Afternoon/Early Evening - Before I go home, or while I'm on my way home on the subway, I'll log onto Twitter to let those who are 'following' me know what going on with me and probably make a comment about some miscellaneous thing or pose a question.

Evenings - Some evenings are spend either attending a Meetup (i.e. face-to-face event), or doing a 'phone blitz' on BlitzTime

The weekends are typically reserved for family and friend time, but I do take the time to do research, so I'll check out a few recorded videos on YouTube or Ustream, check out podcasts/Internet radio shows on Blog Talk Radio.

Remember, it is important to get out there and talk to people. But even if your impetus for using online social networking sites is business related, don't forget focus on building relationships.

If you want to see some cool videos on using social networking sites for business and pleasure, check out Perry Belcher's videos on YouTube.

I have not had the opportunity to meet him or even chat with him yet, but his videos are totally awesome.

Check them out.

Have a great 2009, folks!

Tyrone Turner

Online Social Networking Sites - Where Do You Start?

2008-12-30T18:01:00.001-08:00

DISCLAIMER: I do not claim to be an expert. I am nothing more than a student of this new phenomenon called online social networking. The following are just my thoughts based on my personal experience and results. The intention of this blog entry is to provoke thought on this topic so that people make better time management decisions and have realistic expectations from their online social networking experiences. This is NOT gospel. I leave the gospel to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John Peter, and Paul (smile).

How many times a day do you get invitations via e-mail to connect with someone, or to become friends with someone on one social networking site or another, or that someone is following you? I get these kind of e-mail messages every day and I have to constantly remind myself to heed to the advice that I give others...

Make sure to limit the number of online social networks that you belong to otherwise you'll be glued to the computer and real life will pass you by. On top of that, you'll blow up your e-mail account because it will get full of messages pretty quickly.

I like what Timothy Ferris does with his e-mail as stated in his best selling book, The 4 Hour Work Week. He checks his e-mail twice per day, and only Monday through Friday. When you adopt that practice, you'll find that you're a lot more productive.

Anyway, I digress. Let me get back to my take on online social networking sites.

They are cool tools to add to your social and business tool box. However, they DO NOT replace what you're already doing (e.g. picking up the phone and visiting with people face-to-face)

Know what your goals are. If you're getting involved with social networking sites to grow your business, make sure that you're joining the right online social networks. Not all are conducive to business networking.

Join no more than 5 online social networks

Use online social networking sites to as a bridge to get online conversations offline (e.g. face-to-face)

In a previous blog entry, I talked about 7 different types of face-to-face networking groups, and how the guru of networking and founder of Business Network International, Ivan Misner, Ph.D., mentions that you should belong to 3 different types of these networking groups. Because online social network cuts out the travel component, I'd say that you can do 5 online social networking groups.

Here is my Fab 5 (in no particular order) as these are the ones that best fit MY objectives and personality:

Meetup - I am a huge fan of this site because they get it. I love their slogan: "Maybe it's time for a little less face-to-screen and a little more face-to-face." I have been able to meet some wonderful people in Atlanta and Charlotte. I was able to get on a plane and meet these wonderful folks who were incredibly hospitable and welcoming to me. To date, my event planning and promotions business, Grassroots Business Network is growing mostly because of Meetup.com.

LinkedIn - I have found this site to be a great resource because there is a huge knowledge base here. People ask and answer great questions. Also, if you're good at what you do, people recommend you on this site for the whole world to see.

Facebook - Man, you can find anyone here! I've bumped into people that I haven't seen or spoken to in years. It is definitely worth getting on this site because you can reconnect with people from the past.

Twitter - This is kind of like a 'mini blog' where you can give your contacts that answer to that ever-present question...What are you doing right now?

Fast Pitch! Networking - This one is a sleeper hit. Fast Pitch! Networking is loaded with features. Everything from instant messaging, video chat between you and your contacts, and the list goes on. This one is a serious business only resource.

I know that I said 5, but I just have to throw this one in as it is a new type of online social networking site...

BlitzTime - This company provides a very unique phone-based and web-based platform that allows for speed networking events over the phone. It is a blast and you can really cut through to the chase and get down to the nitty-gritty with people. It is hard to explain, so just go to BlitzTime.com and click on the Interactive Demo link at the top of the page.

Well, there you have it, folks. I hope that this sheds some light on online social networking sites.

All the best to you and remember to get out there and meet people from time to time.

Hey, you! Get out up from that computer desk! And you! Put down that Blackberry!

Tyrone Turner

Setting goals for the new year

2008-12-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

When I hear people speak about their goals, they are usually only talking about how much money they want to make, or how much weight they want to lose. How about having a more balanced approach - a more holistic approach to goal setting?

How about focusing on eight areas instead of only two?

Below are the eight areas and some brief definitions. Something that you'll notice is that you have to be very specific when setting goals.

Financial - EXACTLY how much money are you looking to earn? How to you plan to go about doing that? Via your job, your business, selling stuff on eBay, etc.? WHY do you want this money? What will you do with it?

Physical - EXACTLY how much weight or inches are looking to lose? How will you go about doing it? Explore your options, then commit to sticking to your game plan.

Business - EXACTLY how much money are you looking to make? Don't sell yourself short, but be realistic. If it is a sales goal, how many new customers and or distributors (if you're an MLMer), ordering how much volume do you need to achieve this goal? What face-to-face networking groups are you going to visit with? Do you have a BlitzTime account yet? Are you going to get those premium qualified leads by signing up with Salesconx?

Family - What are you going to do special this new year with your significant other, your children, and other love ones? If it is a trip, when are you going on this trip?

Recreation - It is said that all work and no play will make one a dull person, so what are you going to do for fun this new year?

Spiritual - Do you belong to a house of worship, or do you belong to a community service organization? If you don't give, you generally will not get. That is how the law of attraction works, so go become a 'go giver'.

Career - Are you looking to get a promotion at your current job or looking to make a change in the new year? What are you going to do to prepare yourself? When are you going to update your resume? Are you on LinkedIn? Have you been asking co-workers and clients to recommend you on LinkedIn? Recommendations are key. What job fairs and networking events are you going to go to?

Education - I believe it was Aristotle who said that it is man's (and woman's) responsibility to educate their soul. What are you going to do increase your knowledge in the new year? Are you going back to school? What workshops and seminars are you going to attend? Any audio and/or video programs on your shopping list? What topics are your interested in and what books are you going to read on said topics?

I hope that this gives you something to think about when setting goals for the new year - make sure to balance your scales.

All the best,

Tyrone Turner

P.S. Who do you know who would be interested in eliminating their debt in the new year? For free how to info, have them send a blank e-mail to the following e-mail address: getoutofthedebttrap@getresponse.com.

How to grow your business during the holidays

2008-12-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 11:00am (EST), was the debut of my Internet television show, The Tyrone Turner Show.

The theme of this broadcast was how to grow your business during the holidays.

CLICK HERE for the recorded video of the first show.

Below is the outline of the points covered.

Welcome

Purpose of the show

A little about me

The mistake that most sales people and entrepreneurs make during the holidays

The top 10 things to do:

Go to holiday functions
Organize the contact info you gathered
Reach out to existing customers to offer assistance
Setup a BlitzTime account
Join Salesconx
Join online social networks. I personally like these five: Meetup.com; LinkedIn.com; FastPitcthNetworking.com; FaceBook.com; and MyMarketingRoom.info
Send out notification e-mails and letters to your contacts
Research face-to-face networking groups to join
Seek out speaking engagements
Create budgets (time and money) to invest in your professional development

I had technical difficulties at the beginning of the broadcast, and the audio was choppy at times, but I hope that you can still glean some helpful tips from this show.

If you haven't already done so, and you're looking to do your own Internet television broadcasts, go to www.ustream.tv to set up your free account.

It is a best practice to give credit where credit is due - thank you very much Lisa Torres for telling me about ustream.tv and assisting me with the technical difficulties that I was having at the beginning of the show.

Thank you for you time, folks.

Multiple Streams of Income -vs- Multiple Streams of Outgo

2008-12-06T08:42:00.000-08:00

I've been home on medical leave (I had knee surgery this passed Tuesday), and the pain and rest have been very sobering and has made me think a lot about our wonderful network marketing industry.

Best-selling author, Robert G. Allen, wrote a great book a few years ago called Multiple Streams of Income, and having multiple streams of income is indeed a desired condition.

However, the mistake that most MLMers make is that they try to establish multiple streams on income simultaneously and that is generally not possible.

Another cool guy named Robert, Robert (aka 'Rich Dad') Kiyosaki, in his joint book project with real estate mogul, Donald Trump (the book was entitled Why We Want You To Be Rich) gave us a great acronym - f.o.c.u.s. -- Follow One Course Until Successful.

Robert Kiyosaki is an avid fan of MLM and says even if you don't make one red cent from your MLM business, what you gain in how to develop networks and how to sell, will serve you well in other entrepreneurial endeavors.

Be very careful about trying to start new income streams before you already have your first deal up and running.

If you try to start several things at the same time, you will not create multiple streams of income, you will instead create multiple streams of outgo.

In network marketing legend, Randy Gage's latest book, Why You're Dumb, Sick, & Broke, he suggests that MLMers follow the following course of action:

Get your MLM up and running, and self-sustaining (RESIDUAL income, not bonuses, that can support you)

Purchase real estate investment properties (rental income)

Create your own information products ('how to' / 'self-help', etc.)

Another thing is that multiple streams of income suggest a diversified portfolio - not two or more MLMs. For instance, working two or more MLMs at the same time is a no-no.

People may tell you otherwise, but being the professional network marketer that you are, remember to ask them Dr. Phil's famous question: "So, how is THAT working out for you?"

Nine out of ten wannabe 'multistreamers' will start babbling and not give you an answer. The one of of ten who may be making some cash may be doing something that you probably cannot duplicate, or they are not telling you how much money they are laying out to earn 'x' amount of money. They may actually be in the negative.

If you're having problems selling your products or services, and building your downline, you may have to tweak your marketing message a little bit. I strongly recommend that you download Kim Klaver's free ebook entitled If My Product Is So Great, How Come I Can't Sell It? CLICK HERE, and/or listen to the companion audio file entitled 100 Customers In 100 Days by CLICKING HERE.

Well, there you have it folks, I hope that this information helps you out a little.

All the best,

Tyrone Turner

Auto-pilot, no-selling, systems for MLM don't work!

2008-12-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

I am so sick and tired of people promoting auto-pilot, no selling required Internet based downline building and customer acquisition systems online. They do not work.

You may get a sale here and there, but how long will that business stay on the books? Not very long because you don't have a relationship with that individual.

MLM is a relationship business. More accurately, a mentoring and coaching business where your duty is to help others achieve THEIR goals, and in return, you will attain yours.

Here are some things that I learned from my mentor Michael Dloughy. He calls this the 5 Pillars of Success that will help you create walk-away, residual income with your MLM business. Use it as your rule and guide.

Here they are:

Company management has experience in network marketing and is currently building an MLM downline organization

Timing in the company and timing in the industry is right. For instance, don't join a company that has been in business for less than two years and that is positioned in an obsolete or soon to be onbsolete industry. Would you join an MLM selling vinyl records? Also, how many Internet marketing guru types do you know who have built a successful, vibrant MLM organization? Hmmmm...

Remarkable products that people would buy even without a compensation plan attached to them.

The compensation plan rewards top builders as well as fairly rewarding the part-time person. By the way, studies show that 96% of your team will be part-time people

A "proven" duplicatable system that allows part-time people to create significant royalty income and full-time people to create extraordinary royalty income

Use the above as your reference sheet to keep you on track when trying to build your MLM business and feel free to get more free tips by going to www.GetABackupPlan.com.

I hope this helps you avoid stepping in the poop...

Tyrone Turner

The 7 Different Types of Networking Groups

2008-12-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

All networking groups are not created equal. I'm not saying that one is necessarily better than the others, but your expectations and the rules of engagement are different.

According to the Guru of Networking, Ivan Misner (Founder of Business Networking International), you should belong to at least three of the below seven different types of networking groups to maximize your exposure.

Let's discuss the different types of networking groups, and who should and should not join the different types of groups.

Strong Contact Networking Groups

This type of networking group meets on a regular basis (usually every week). You will be meeting with the same people each week and there may be visitors from time to time. Attendance and the giving and receiving of referrals are strictly monitored. Also, when you are a member of this type of networking group, you will have exclusive dibs on your profession - there will be no one else from your profession allowed to join the group. Any and all referrals for whatever it is that you sell will be given to you. Examples of a strong contact network are Business Networking International (BNI); Le Tip; and Leads Club.

These networking groups tend to meet in the morning before the start of the business day - typically over breakfast. For instance, I am a member of a chapter of BNI and we meet at 7:00am every Friday morning.

Who should join? B2B sales agents, self-employed individuals, and small business owners.

Who should stay away? Network marketers who are looking to recruit.

Casual Contact Networking Groups

Your local chamber of commerce is a good example of this genre of networking group. These networking events are usually well attended, but there will be overlap amongst vocations. For instance, if you're an insurance agent, you will most certainly bump into other insurance agents. The best way to get noticed in this type of networking group is to volunteer for a leadership roll. That way, you will stand out over your competitors. Chambers of commerce are also cool because they tend to have very good workshops.

Who should join? All sales agents, self-employed individuals, and small business owners

Who should stay away? N/A - come one, come all

Community Service Organizations

Rotary Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis, fraternaties, sororities, community boards, environmental groups, civil rights / civil liberties groups, and houses of worship all fall under this umbrella. Everyone should join something that supports their community. As I heard a gentleman named Greg Provenzo say years ago, "The grass is not greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water the grass!" Make sure to take care of home first. However, do understand that these organizations were formed for a specific cause - not for getting more customers for your business. However, once you get people to know you, like you, and trust you, you very well may end up doing business with them.

Who should join? Everyone - take care of home!

Who should stay away? Anyone looking to get quick customers. If you are found to be the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing, you're finished.

Women's Networking Organizations

These organizations are unique in that they tend to be combinations of two or more of the other kinds of groups. For instance, you have the National Association of Women's Business Owners (NAWBO), but you also have Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD). The first one is for business networking, but the latter is built around a social issue. Also, women's groups do allow men to join. I myself am a member of the Manhattan Women's Chamber of Commerce.

Who should join? Sales agents, business owners, freelancers, civic-minded individuals - anyone.

Who should stay away? Men who are looking for dates. Gents, the ladies will see that coming a mile away. You have been warned.

Cocktail Mixer Business Networking Events

These are probably the most prevalent among all networking groups. They are typically held in bars and restaurants, and are usually very well attended. I have met most of my contacts at these type of events. They are the quickest way to build your rolodex. However, only seasoned networkers can really flourish in this environment. More on that at a later date. One thing to be careful about is not to drink too much, and be advised that some will drink to much. Some come looking for a date, rather than seeking business opportunities. Please remember that.

Who should join? Everyone. However, don't drink too much.

Who should stay away? N/A, but be advised that loud music and alcohol will be two things that you'll have to contend with.

Professional/Trade Organizations

If you're serious about your particular profession, you probably should belong to a professional/trade organization. Examples are the Direct Selling Association (DSA), American Medical Association (AMA), National Association of Public Accountants (NAPA), National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), NY Bar Association, etc. Typically, there aren't very many sales opportunities within a professional/trade organization, but there may be opportunities for joint venturing and/cross-selling.

Who should join? All professionals/tradespersons within a give industry or trade.

Who shouldn't join? Outsiders (to the profession/trade) looking for a quick sale.

Hybrid Networking Organizations

These are organizations that do not neatly fit into one category. My organization, Grassroots Business Network, fits into this category because we are a casual contact networking group, with strong contact network, and community service organization tendencies. Also, the workshops feature uniquely qualified experts in various industries (e.g. wellness, sales, marketing, tax planning, business development, among other topics). Another example of a hybrid networking organization is the Network Marketers Alliance. They are a professional/trade organization that organizes and promotes different type of networking events.

Who should join? All sales professionals, small business owners (up to 10 employees), self-employed professionals, and freelancers.

Who should stay away? N/A, however, if you intend to give half-hearted service to rerferrals, don't bother because we will put the word out on you. You have been warned.

I hope that this blog post gives you some guidance when you're out and about on the networking scene. Please let me know how things work out for you, okay?

Tyrone Turner

Can you say 'goyasu'?

2008-12-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, weird things pop into my head and I think that they are worth blogging about. I hope you agree that this was worth posting on this blog.

All sales reps and business owners have one common challenge. That challenge is marketing. We're always looking for more effective ways to get the word out about our business. In my opinion, word-of-mouth via networking is probably the most powerful and under-rated of all options. How can you create powerful word-of-mouth advertising for yourself?

By volunteering to speak at group meetings.

First of all, when you are a featured speaker, it is assumed that you are an expert on that particular topic. This is when assuming is a good thing. Speaking to groups of people can help you close volume (i.e. pitch numerous people at once) and is a great way to save time, energy, and money. You can really get your name and brand out there by volunteering to speak at events.

Oh - back to the word goyasu. Here is what it means:

G et

O ff

Y our

A ss[ets]

S peak

U p

Maybe I'll make a move to have the word goyasu added to the dictionary. Hey, if bling can make in there, why not? (smile).

So the moral of the story is to go out there, and let your light shine by sharing your expertise with others. I do understand that public speaking is not for everyone, but certainly fortune favors the bold, so be bold and collect your fortune.

If you are looking to improve your public speaking skills, networking organizations like Business Network International, Grassroots Business Network, Toastmasters International may help, and the Network Marketers Alliance may help.

Talk to you soon.

Special Announcement: An Open Letter to Network Marketers

2008-11-23T19:11:00.000-08:00

The home-based business and direct selling industries are growing fast. There is so much opportunity for so many people to acquire new skills, time freedom, and even financial. The problem is that we network marketers are our own worst enemies - we tend to bad mouth other companies and their representatives.

When working toward a common goal, everyone else circles their wagons and fires outward, but as the legendary network marketing trainer, Mark Yarnell, says, "Network marketers circle wagons and fire inward."

This in no way raises our image among the general public. If anything, it makes us all look like starving hyenas.

We also need to stop trying to recruit everyone that crosses our path. The driving force of any business is customers. Why are people so focused on the recruiting aspect? You can have a huge sales organization/downline, but the truth of the matter is this: If no customers are being acquired, no money is made.

Like superstar network marketing trainer, Kim Klaver, asks, "When you go into a car dealership, they try to sell you a car. NOT try convincing you to open your own dealership, right?"

I am working very closesly with a group of network marketers in NYC who are diligently working to create a virtual chamber of commerce for network marketers where they can meet other network marketers selling everything from A to Z. Over time - after getting to know, like, and trust one another, members will be able to refer customers to each other, without the fear of the people they send being pitched to be recruited.

No other business does that - tries to sell you their business opportunity first over their product/service. Why are we network marketers so goofy? According to the Direct Selling Association, 1 out of 10 (10%) will buy your product(s)/service(s), but only 1 out of 1,000 (less than 1%) wants to start a business.

Doesn't it make since to pursue customers? You can have a full staff of sales reps, but if no one is coming through the door to buy your product(s)/service(s), you don't have a business - you have a social club. In mainstream businesses, this is when people get laid off.

I myself currently buy products and services from numerous network marketing companies. Here are some of the companies: Pre-Paid Legal Services; Vitamark; SendOutCards; United Credit Education; Scent-Sations/Mia Bella Candles; and AmeriPlan among them. These are products that I would buy anyway, so why not buy them from a network marketing company (via an independent contractor like myself)? Network marketing companies tend to have better, safer products anyway.

Another thing is that there is too much "rah-rah" hype going on in network marketing meetings today. There is a place for goal setting, positive thinking, and motivation, but there is a big void when it comes to skills training. Skills training goes far beyond learning scripts on how to pitch your business to someone. Also, a person who is only taught goal setting, and positive thinking may be extremely motivated and high-energy. But if there is no business skill training, that individual is very likely to have a negative cash flow and quickly becomes a pariah to most people - because she/he will always be in recruiting mode.

We should all commit to learning business and communication skills (including active listening) in order to be successful.

Learning how to network is also very, very important. Networking includes seeing opportunities for others and yourself, relationship building, and follow-up skills. These skills can be taught, and indeed must be taught to network marketers if we are to be taken seriously.

A rising tide lifts all ships, right? Together, everyone achieves more, right? Zig Ziglar says, "Help others get what they want, and you get what you want," correct?

If we direct sellers and network marketers want to be taken seriously, this is something we need to work on. So, in support of this effort to improve skills development among network marketers, and to foster cross-selling so that we can keep the money in the network marketing family, the organizers of this meetup group are working to make this a true chamber of commerce for network marketers, and to foster professionalism by educating retaining the services of qualified instructors who can teach all of us various generic skills and need-to-know information like getting organized, how to evaluate a business, tax planning, relationship management, etc.

Effective immediately, I'm am in the process of forming networking 'power teams' comprised of network marketers from different companies. We're looking to form different groups of 15 members (Fab 15), and have no more than one representative per company or industry on teach team. We intend to meet once per month, and again, these meetings will be limited to 15 people.

Some of our gatherings will be live, face-to-face events, but the majority will be phone-based speed networking events using the awesome platform provided by BlitzTime.

Here is how a Fab 15 group will look (one rep per company or industry) - please do not feel slighted if your company is not named. This is just an example:

Pre-Paid Legal; Mia Bella Candles; United Credit Education; NetWorth USA; Send Out Cards; May Kay; Pampered Chef; Isagenix; Discovery Toys; Primerica Financial Services; Ambit Energy; Money Mastery for Life; Vitamark; Ribbon (Quixtar); and Passion Parties.

None of the above companies are competing products or services, and should be able to get along well with each other. We will use the model of well-estathe Breakfast Network to facilitate our meetings for the best results and benefits to all involved.

Also, we will be airing a monthly Internet radio show at www.HomeBizRadioShow.com. All of the calls will be recorded and archived for playback, downloading, and burning to CD.

Let me know if you're interested in being on a future broadcast - we're always looking for guests for our show.

Please come in the spirit of cross-selling and commerce - NOT recruiting. Those who are looking to become "downline pirates' are not welcome here.

We hope to see you at one of our future events!

Tyrone Turner
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Learn how to succeed in any MLM program.
CLICK HERE to get your free ebook now.
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I just had an awakening about MLM

2008-11-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

I have decided to align myself with an MLM coaching and mentoring company.

WHY? I came across a very useful set of guidelines that got me thinking. They are called "The 5 Pillars of Success" (according to Michael Dloughy).

Here they are:

The company's management team must have rock-solid experience backed with unquestionable integrity. Ideally, they are currently active in network marketing and presently building a downline organization.

Timing in the company. Timing in the profession of network marketing. Timing within national and global trends.

Remarkable products people will buy even without a compensation plan attached to them.

A compensation plan that rewards the top builders as well as fairly rewarding the part-time person. Studies show that 96% of your team will be made of part-time people.

A "proven" duplicable system that allows part-time people to create a significant royalty income and full-time people to create an extraordinary royalty income.

My friend, you may not even be interested in starting a home-based network marketing business, or you may already be a distributor for a company, but I encourage you to plug into Michael Dloughy's FREE, generic network marketing mentoring and training.

This training will help you find the right home-based network marketing business for YOU - not me, or anyone else, but for YOU. Or, it will help you make the most out of your current network marketing business.

For the free mentoring and training site, CLICK HERE.

See you at the top!

~Tyrone Turner

The biblical story of Joseph, and the election of Barack Obama

2008-11-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

This is a business blog, but due to the historical significance of electing Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States, I decided to post this entry to my blog.

This instantly popped into my mind when Katie Couric announced that Barack Obama is projected to become the President of the United States of America.

Folks, were you raised in the church, synagogue, or mosque? If so, you probably remember the story of Joseph, son of Jacob.

To learn or reacquaint yourself with is story, click on the links below:

Joseph's Dreams / Joseph Sold By His Brothers
http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=Genesis+37&version=47

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=Genesis+39&version1=47

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams / Joseph Rises to Power
http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=Genesis+41&version1=47

Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt
http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=Genesis+42&version1=47

Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt
http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=Genesis+43&version1=47

Joseph Tests His Brothers
http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=Genesis+44&version1=47

Joseph Provides for His Brothers and His Family
http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=Genesis+45&version1=47

Joseph Brings His Family to Egypt / Jacob and Joseph
http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=Genesis+46&version1=47

Where am I going with this? I am the grandson of sharecroppers, and the great-great-great grandson of slaves. Born in the United States of America - modern day Egypt as it is 'THE' country on the world stage.

President-elect, Barack Obama, is very much like Joseph. He had a dream, and strong faith in the face of overwhelming odds to become an administrator in the land of his people's bondage.

Don't hear me wrong now. President-elect Obama IS NOT a prophet or the second-coming of Christ.

If you are a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, you know better than to put your undying faith into any man or woman. That is reserved for the MOST HIGH (or whatever your deem appropriate).

It is just that this is like prophecy to black folks born in this country. I didn't think that I would live to see this moment. It is so relieving to see that the country can get passed the color issue and elect a black man to the presidency.

I never thought that I would see this in my lifetime, and I hope that I live to see individuals of Latino, Asian, Jewish descent get elected to our great nation's high office.

GOD bless America.

Kind regards,

Tyrone Turner
http://www.linkedin.com/in/tyroneturner

How to get more people to your networking events

2008-09-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

The blog entry below are some ideas I picked up from a phenomenal sales trainer that I met recently named Lawrence Sharpe. He is a principal in a company called Neo-Sage (www.neo-sage.com).

Lawrence Sharpe is a director with Manhttan BNI - a franchise of Business Network International (BNI).

___

First things first, here is what to say to people:

"I get together every month with other small business owners and sales professional to share ideas and to pass referrals to each other. We work together to help each other build our respective business - get more sales. Would you be interested in joining us at our next event?"

Disclaimer: You can take a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. These are some things that are within YOUR control, so these are the things that you can do to boost attendance at your networking events.

Who are your current vendors and service providers?

Follow your dollar. Who do you spend money with? Who does... your taxes, your lawn, your housekeeping, your dry cleaning, your stationery, fixes your car, etc.

You are their customer, and in a world of endless choices, they want to keep your business and get more referrals, right?

Who already gives you referrals?

They will add to the energy as they already endorse you.

Who is in your social circle?

Let them come see what you do to grow your business when you're not knocking back tequila shots (Oops! Told on myself)

Who are your customers?

Ask them to come out to support you - they may see you in a new light, and meet someone that can fill one of their needs.

Who would you like to have as a client (i.e. your prospects)?

Who are people that are your 'must-have' customers? Instead of trying to cold call them or trying to get a meeting with them, how about inviting them to an event by sending them an invitation letter or card then following up with a phone call. If you bring them to a setting where they may also build their business, it is a lot less threatening.

I hope that this helps.

For a calendar of upcoming networking events hosted by me and my partners in Grassroots Business Network, go to www.GbnLLC.info.

The 6 Points of Leverage

2008-08-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

I got this info after reading Robert G. Allen's and Mark Victor Hansen's book entitled The One Minute Millionaire.

Check this out:

1) Mentors

You must have teachers to show you the way. Experience is the best teacher - especially someone else's. Why take lumps when you don't have to? Work smarter, not harder.

2) Team

Business is a team sport, and teams win. That is what Robert Kiyosaki has taught us. When you put a bunch of determined, independent, competent people together, success happens in uncommon hours.

3) Infinite Network

When you build your team, the million dollar question is "Who do you know who [sells/buys/etc.]?" This is how you break through to the next level to accomplish your goals.

4) Skills

Friends, if you take an idiot and you motivate him/her, you will have a motivated idiot. People need to move beyond being motivated, and become competent. Skill development is crucial to business success. The most important skill that one can develop is the skill to sell/persuade. This is when skills pay the bills, folks.

5) Tools

What separated Neanderthals, from Cro Magnons, and Cro Magnons from Homo Sapiens? The intelligence to employ the use of tools. There is no need to do the heavy lifting. Use tools to get the job done.

6) System

The authors of this book use system as an acronym - Save Your Self Time Energy [and] Money. You see, your teachers are grooming you. Your team is supporting you. You're meeting people through the infinite network. You have developed some necessary skills. You have tools to make it easier. The system helps you put it all together.

Do you have a system?

Here is an analysis of the SendOutCards system. I refer to SendOutCards a lot, because I am rather fond of the company, and it's products have helped me prosper in Corporate America, and in my business.

Here is my checklist:

Mentors: Kody Bateman; Jordan Adler; David Frey; Steven Greene; and Phil Barnhardt

Team: David Steiner; Florence Callendar; and Charmaine Johnson (there are others, but these two are stars)

Infinite network: Colleagues on the SendOutCards forum and mailing list - whew! Those gals and guys know everybody - they introduced me to Business Network International (BNI), and inspired me to start Grassroots Business Network, LLC

Skills: BNI; and the members and the experts of Grassroots Business Network

Tools: SendOutCards' contact manager and the greeting cards and post cards

System: Step 1 - send one unexpected card each day; Send 2 - Send one DVD and e-mail the online walk through link each day; Step 3 - Set up 1 free gift account a day; Step 4 - You may or may not be interested in this, but there are 3 ways to become a sender of cards. Where do you see yourself getting started (i.e. make a decision)?

See there, that is is easy-to-follow plan.

To learn more about SendOutCards and how it could help grow your business, and to take a FREE test-drive of the program, CLICK HERE.

Talk to you soon.

How to give quality referrals

2008-07-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is not meant to be a comprehensive "how to" - it is an overview of how to go about being a 'Go-Giver'

Suggested Reading:

Find out who the other person's target customers are

Ask the person who else sells to that target customer

Think about who you know personally, and ask around

Reach out to prospects on behalf of the person you're giving the referral to. Make sure to name drop so that they know that you are a 'friend of a friend'

Ask permission to share the prospect's contact information

Introduce both parties via e-mail

Follow-up with an e-mail and phone call to confirm that they both received your e-mail. Ask when they plan to reach out to the other person, and/or when the other person should reach out to them

Follow-up with an e-mail and phone call to find out what happened

I hope this helps.

Is Network Marketing A Business?

2008-07-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

My answer is a resounding NO.

Anyone that is an independent distributor with a network marketing company is an independent contractor, not a partner or shareholder in the business. As a matter of fact, network marketing companies have non-compete clauses in their independent distributor agreements that prevent its distributors from working with another network marketing company. If you are found to be doing so, the company reserves the right to terminate your distributorship (i.e. fire you).

Well, here are a few points to consider:

Network marketing allows average people to generate passive, recurring income (which can can potentially lucrative)
Sales training is done at the independent distributors own pace, and is often free of charge. The ability to sell is a coveted, invaluable skill.
Independent distributors are taught operations (e.g. how to manage others, time management, forecasting, industry-specific expertise, etc.)
The personal growth and development books and programs that the industry advocates are life-changing
May be a compliment, supplement, or gateway to what you REALLY want to be doing.

I started my OWN business back in October 2007 (along with my business partner, Lisa Torres). Our company is called Grassroots Business Network, LLC. What we do is organize and promote networking events and developmental workshops specifically for small business owners with up to 10 employees, sales agents, freelancers (including network marketers), and those interested in starting their own business - whatever that may be. We are actively organizing and promoting events in NYC, Charlotte, and Atlanta.

I say without reservation that the skills, tools, and systems that Lisa and I have learned from network marketing has been invaluable in helping us to develop and grow our business.

Not only in business, but the skills that I have been able to develop in network marketing have allowed me to significantly increase my income in Corporate America, and have enabled me to seek and seize bigger and better opportunities with relative ease. Understand that it is not me, it is the training that network marketing provides.

You can not make one red cent with your network marketing distributorship, but you will become a better, more marketable you. These are some things that they don't teach you in the classroom. You instead learn by doing. Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best: "Do the thing and get the power."

Here are a few books that I highly recommend: Why You're Dumb, Sick, and Broke, by Randy Gage; The Cashflow Quadrant, by Robert Kiyosaki; and Multiple Streams of Income, by Robert G. Allen

I hope that you found this blog entry to be thought-provoking.

Click here to check out
The Network Marketers Alliance!

Heroes, Helpers, and Haters

2008-06-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

First things first…

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert. This is not gospel. I leave the gospel to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul. However, I do feel that you will get some value out of what I have to share here.

When marketing a product or service, you need to clearly identify your niche - target population. Some people say that everybody is a potential customer or business builder, and that thinking is flawed. Successful business people focus on one or at most, very few specific target groups - niches. According to the recent best-selling book The Long Tail, the secret to success is to sell more of less to a very specific group of buyers — a niche.

More on this at a later date. I just wanted you to have a taste of it to prepare you to understand some of the language and reasoning in this article.

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In your network marketing career, you're going to come across 3 types of people: Helpers; Heroes/Heroines; and Haters.

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Let's examine these three types…

Helpers are people that look up to you and feel that it is an honor and a privilege that you asked them to assist you in some way. These people generally look up to you for one reason or another. Perhaps you have a job position, a particular social status, or a bank account balance that they desire and respect. Whatever the case may be, they are always willing to help.

Here is a good way to ask a Helper to assist you by referring customers to help you grow your network marketing business:

[HELPER], I really need your help with something. I market a product/service to [YOUR NICHE] that helps them to [BENEFITS TO THE NICHE]. Who do you know who would be interested in learning more about a product like that? I would really appreciate any and all help.

Here is a good way to ask a Helper to assist you by becoming a business builder - join your team:

[HELPER], I got something to show you. I'm putting a team together and I'd like for you to be part of it. What we're doing is working with a company that markets a product/service to [YOUR NICHE] that helps them to [BENEFITS TO THE NICHE]. I need you to review this [TOOL — DVD, CD, recording phone overview, magazine, brochure, website, etc.) and let me know by tomorrow if you'd like to join our team, okay?

There are also Heroes/Heroines. Heroes/Heroines are people that you look up to for the same reason that a Helper looks up to you. These are people like a good teacher, your doctor, lawyer, accountant, a respected business person that you know, etc.

Here is a good way to ask a Hero/Heroine to assist you by referring customers to help you grow your network marketing business:

[HERO/HEROINE], I know that you keep a busy schedule, but can you please do me a favor? I market a product/service to [YOUR NICHE] that helps them to [BENEFIT TO THE NICHE]. Who do you know who would be interested in learning more about a product/service like that? I would really appreciate any and all help, and any referrals you send my way will be given the utmost customer care. I will not embarrass you or let you down.

Here is a good way to ask a Hero/Heroine to assist you by becoming a business builder - join your team:

[HERO/HEROINE], I really respect you and your opinion. I know that you keep a busy schedule, but if you would be so kind as to squeeze in 15 minutes to review a [TOOL — DVD, CD, recorded phone overview, magazine, brochure, website, etc.). I'm looking for people that are interested in earning extra money from home in their spare time, by telling other people about the product/service explained in in/on the [TOOL]. Please let me know when you can get back to me on this, okay? I really appreciate your help.

Now, they may be interested themselves, but don't approach them that way as there may be an ego situation going on. They are your hero/heroine, remember? What could you offer them. Also, do not let their less than favorable opinion about your company, and/or its products/services get you down. If you have thoroughly researched your company, and there is a lot of positive press, and/or it is positioned in a growing industry, don't worry about it. Hey, they don't know what they don't know.

Finally, let's talk about Haters. Haters are your peers — family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. These are your warm market contacts. When dealing with your warm market, remember Napoleon Hill's words from pages 140-141 in his book Think and Grow Rich: "Close friends and relatives…often handicap one through 'opinions' and…ridicule…meant to be humorous. Thousands of men and women carry inferiority complexes with them all through life, because some well-meaning but ignorant person destroyed their confidence through 'opinions' or ridicule." Hmmm… Why do our companies and sponsorship lines tell us to go after our warm market? They talk about Napoleon Hill's book all the time. Didn't they read this passage from his book? Hmmm…

Anyway…

Your job with Haters is to inform them. This group is called Haters because they are the ones most likely to knock the average person out of the box. The key here is to not ask them directly for anything - it is not about them.

Here is a good way to ask a Hater to assist you by referring customers to help you grow your network marketing business:

[HATER], I started a business where I market a product/service to [YOUR NICHE] that helps them to [BENEFITS TO NICHE]. Who do you know who would be interested in learning more about a product/service like that?

If they say something slick, which it is very possible that they will, your response should be, "Well, I wasn't asking YOU. I was asking who do you know who would be interested in learning more about a product/service like that."

Here is a good way to ask a Hater to assist you by referring business builders to help you grow your network marketing business:

[HATER], I'm looking to make a change in my financial status and the quality of my life. I recently started my own business where I market a product/service to [YOUR NICHE] that helps them to [BENEFITS TO NICHE]. I'm looking to assemble a team to help me spread the word about this product/service. You may not be interested in this, but who do you know who would like to earn extra money in the spare time by helping to spread the word about this company? I have a [TOOL — DVD, CD, recorded phone overview, brochure, website, etc.) that I'll give to them. So who do you know that would like to learn more about this?

So as Kim Klaver teaches, go pick a niche, and go for it. I'll give you two examples how to identify a niche for your products/services.

Felicia Richardson, Independent Associate with Pre-Paid Legal Services told me that one of her target niches/ideal customers are single moms in the Bronx. So, her "quick pitch" sounded like this: I market a service to single moms in the Bronx who would like to protect their family for less than the cost of a bottle of water a day. Who do you know who would be interested in learning more about a service like that?

I'm an Independent Distributor with Send Out Cards. One of my target niches customers are insurance agents. So my "quick pitch" sounds like this: I market a service to insurance agents that helps them to triple the amount of referrals they currently receive. Who do you know who would be interested in learning more about a service like that?

Folks, I sincerely hope that this helps you get more customers and business builders. I look forward to learning from you all, and I am committed to sharing with you. That is what the Network Marketers Alliance is all about.

We also have a monthly radio broadcast. Go to www.HomeBizRadioShow.com to learn about upcoming shows and to listen to recording of past shows in our archive.

All the best to you and your business.

The B.A.D. Principle of Networking

2008-06-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

Main Points to Remember

Join casual contact networks and social/business networks to build breadth (i.e. sheer numbers)

Join strong contact networks to develop depth (i.e. deep relationships)

How to network and follow-up

2008-06-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Not sure of how to network and follow-up to increase sales? Check out this 8-minute video:

How to Network and Follow-up
by Tyrone Turner, Copyright © 2008, All rights reserved

You can have great marketing brochures, a killer website, and an awesome product/service. However, people will buy from those that they like, know, and trust, and the only way that you're going to accomplish that is to build a relationship.

Here is a 10-step follow-up system on how to build relationships with new people that you meet:

First things first, have your "quickie pitch" and your "60-second commercial" prepared

Here is the format for the quickie presentation (approximately 10 seconds long):

My name is ___. I market a (product/service) that (what it does). My ideal customers are (describe target customer). Who do you know who would be interested in learning more about a product/service like that? Let me know, okay?

Here is the format for the 60-second presentation:

My name is ___. I market a (product/service) that (what it does). My ideal customer are (describe target customer). My motto/tagline is (your catchy motto or tagline here). Please let me know if you know somebody that would be interested in learning more about a product/service like that, okay?

1) Approach and Interview the new person and ask "Who are you, and what do you do?" Ask the new contact what they do and who their ideal customer is. Take notes on what they say. Make sure to have a little notepad. Gather as much contact information as possible (i.e. mailing address, e-mail, and fax). Note: If the person is reluctant to give you their mailing address, just tell them that you want to send them product samples or information about your business.

2) Quick Pitch or 60-Second commercial - If they haven't already asked you, ask them if you can briefly tell them about your business. Usually, the quick pitch is the way to go but if the environment allows it, and they person is asking you a lot of questions, go with the 60-second commercial.

3) Graceful exit - Give them permission to work the room, and promise them that you will be in touch as you want to learn more about them and their business.

4) Update your contact manager - When you get back to your office, input their information into your contact management system (e.g. Outlook, Sugar, Act, Goldmine, SendOutCards, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc., or an Excel spreadsheet)

5) Email (or fax) them a "nice meeting you" note.

6) Direct mail - Send them a "nice meeting you" greeting card via the U.S. Postal Service. A greeting card is 11x more likely to be read when compared to a letter.

7) Phone call to check-in - 5 business days later, if the new contact hasn't already called you, pick up the phone and call them. Make sure to ask them if you have caught them at a good time! Schedule a phone conference or a face-to-face meeting to discuss business matters. The purpose of this meeting is to learn more about their business to see if you two can somehow help each other out down the road - if the chemistry is right and after you have developed trust.

8) Appointment (face-to-face, video conference, or phone conference) and Exchange Marketing Material. On the phone conference/at the face-to-face meeting, learn all that you can about their business. Ask questions about who their ideal customers are, and what other types of businesses service their target market. At the end of the meeting, ask them to give you brochures and other information about their business, and hand or mail them info about your business. On a face-to-face meeting, bring a small gift. I typically bring a small bag of candies, or some company-branded giveaway like a pen or mug. Sometimes, I'll give them an educational CD (Ivan Misner, Robert Kiyosaki, or David Bach). Make sure to tell the other person that you will be following up on "x" date to discuss what you've read about their product/service, and to get feedback on what they learned about yours.

9) Follow-up phone call - The million dollar question: "So, what do you think?" Commit to them, that as you two get to know, like, and trust each other over time, you will be keeping your eyes and ears open to send business their way when possible.

10) Never stop following-up - periodically check-in with them to to share information and just to say "hi". Mix up and space out your approach. Use text e-mail, audio e-mail, video e-mail, fax, direct mail, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings. Never, ever, ever try to hard-sell them. The info you gave them about your business and your character will do the selling for. Just remind them from time to time what is is that you do, and you'd be surprised how people will buy from you and/or send referrals your way.

TOOLS

You may want to consider adding some of the following to your marketing arsenal:

Autoresponder (for mailing lists, newsletters, and special reports; you may also want to use audio enabled e-mail; and/or video enabled e-mail

Send real greeting cards via the Internet. You can create a personalized greeting card over the Internet in less than 60 seconds. The company's back office prints the cards out, stuffs it in an envelope, and sends it off to the recipient via the United States Postal Service

Telephone/virtual assistant/fax -- also called a unified messaging system.

When meeting face-to-face, give the person a small bag of candy. Keep a steady supply chocolates and other candies. They are available at discount prices.

You may want to also consider video blogging, and broadcasting, and maybe even podcasting and teleseminars.

A lot of my clients, family, and friends like to burn scented candles, so I became a "Candle of the Month" subscriber as candles make great gifts.

If you'd like to know my specific recommendations for the products and services described above, just contact me.

I've had people buy from me because I am pleasantly tenacious in my follow-up. You have to show people that you are really interested in them, and that you believe in your product/service. It is very, very important that during the follow-up, "courting" process, you develop a relationship. People are more likely to do business with people that they know, like, and trust.

Always remember that new customers are the life blood of any business, and the best way to get new customers is through the referrals of other satisfied customers.

Take care of your customers, and they will take care of you.

"Givers gain." - Ivan Misner, Founder and Chairman of Business Network International (BNI)

"Appreciation beats self-promotion any day of the week." - Kody Bateman, Founder and CEO of Send Out Cards, Inc.

"We shower our customers with attention. There is no doubt in my mind that our philosophy can be applied to selling just about anything - from aircraft engines to beanbags." - Jack Mitchell, CEO Mitchells/Richards, author of Hug Your Customers®

I hope this helps.

The 7 Different Types of Networking Groups

2008-05-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

All networking groups are not created equal. I'm not saying that one is necessarily better than the others, but your expectations and the rules of engagement are different.

According to the Guru of Networking, Ivan Misner, Founder of Business Networking International (BNI), you should belong to at least three of the below seven different types of networking groups, but not more than one of the same type to maximize your exposure.

Let's discuss the different types of networking groups, and who should and should not join the different types of groups.

Strong Contact Networking Groups

This type of networking group meets on a regular basis (usually every week). You will be meeting with the same people each week and there may be visitors from time to time. Attendance and the giving and receiving of referrals are strictly monitored. Also, when you are a member of this type of networking group, you will have exclusive dibs on your profession - there will be no one else from your profession allowed to join the group. Any and all referrals for whatever it is that you sell will be given to you. Examples of a strong contact network are Business Networking International (BNI); Le Tip; and Leads Club.

These networking groups tend to meet in the morning before the start of the business day - typically over breakfast. For instance, I am a member of a chapter of BNI and we meet at 7:00am every Tuesday morning.

Who should join? B2B sales agents, self-employed individuals, and small business owners.

Who should stay away? Network marketers who are looking to recruit.

Casual Contact Networking Groups

Your local chamber of commerce is a good example of this genre of networking group. These networking events are usually well attended, but there will be overlap amongst vocations. For instance, if you're an insurance agent, you will most certainly bump into other insurance agents. The best way to get noticed in this type of networking group is to volunteer for a leadership roll. That way, you will stand out over your competitors. Chambers of commerce are also cool because they tend to have very good workshops.

Who should join? All sales agents, self-employed individuals, and small business owners

Who should stay away? N/A

Community Service Organizations

Rotary Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis, fraternaties, sororities, community boards, environmental groups, civil rights / civil liberties groups, and houses of worship all fall under this umbrella. Everyone should join something that supports their community. As my partner, Lisa Torres says, "The grass is not greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water the grass!" Make sure to take care of home first. However, do understand that these organizations were formed for a specific cause - not for getting more customers for your business. However, once you get people to know you, like you, and trust you, you very well may end up doing business with them.

Who should join? Everyone - take care of home!

Who should stay away? Anyone looking to get quick customers. If you are found to be the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing, you're finished.

Women's Networking Organizations

These organizations are unique in that they tend to be combinations of two or more of the other kinds of groups. For instance, you have the National Association of Women's Business Owners (NAWBO), but you also have Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD). The first one is for business networking, but the latter is built around a social issue. Also, women's groups do allow men to join. I myself am a member of the Manhattan Women's Chamber of Commerce.

Who should join? Sales agents, business owners, freelancers, civic-minded individuals - anyone.

Who should stay away? Men who are looking for dates. Gents, the ladies will see that coming a mile away. You have been warned.

Cocktail Mixer Business Networking Events

These are probably the most prevalent among all networking groups. They are typically held in bars and restaurants, and are usually very well attended. I have met most of my contacts at these type of events. They are the quickest way to build your rolodex. However, only seasoned networkers can really flourish in this environment. More on that at a later date. One thing to be careful about is not to drink too much, and be advised that some will drink to much. Some come looking for a date, rather than seeking business opportunities. Please remember that.

Who should join? Everyone one.

Who should stay away? N/A, but be advised that loud music and alcohol will be two things that you'll have to contend with.

Professional/Trade Organizations

If you're serious about your particular profession, you probably should belong to a professional/trade organization. Examples are the Direct Selling Association (DSA), American Medical Association (AMA), National Association of Public Accountants (NAPA), National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), NY Bar Association, etc. Typically, there aren't very many sales opportunities within a professional/trade organization, but there may be opportunities for joint venturing and/cross-selling.

Who should join? All professionals/tradespersons

Who shouldn't join? Outsiders (to the profession/trade) looking for a quick sale.

Hybrid Networking Organizations

These are organizations that do not neatly fit into one category. Grassroots Business Network, fits into this category because we are a casual contact networking group, with strong contact network, and community service organization tendencies. Also, the workshops feature uniquely qualified experts in various industries (e.g. wellness, sales, marketing, tax planning, business development, among other topics). Another example of a hybrid networking organization is The Network Marketers Alliance. It is a professional trade organizationThey are a casual contact network with very strong professional/trade organization, but it's networking events tend to have strong contact networking tendencies.

Who should join? Depends.

Who should stay away? Depends.

I hope that this blog post gives you some guidance when you're out and about on the networking scene. Please let me know how things work out for you, okay?

Tyrone Turner

Do you have a blog page?

2008-04-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Internet can be a very cold, impersonal place. How can you
warm people up to you? One way is to set up a blog page. Blogs
are free to set up, and you can let your visitors know that you
are a real person.

Most network marketing companies offer replicating websites
(e.g. http://www.yourcompanyname.com/username) and those sites
are set up to tell visitors about the features of your company's
product(s)/service(s), and the business opportunity. Your
unique personality is not on display.

######### Sidebar Begins #########

Make sure to purchase a unique domain name to redirect to
your replicated website. It is not a bad idea to run the
name by your network marketing company's corporate office
before actually purchasing the domain name.

######### Sidebar Ends #########

However, a blog page can serve as your "gateway" page - a page
designed to get people to know you better. Remember, network
marketing is a person-to-person business. So, let people in on
some of your personal business like your hobbies and interests.

Generally, people do business with those that they know, like,
and trust. As a matter of fact, these three elements are very,
very necessary if you plan to build true "walk-away" (i.e.
residual) income with your home-based network marketing
business.

You see, sales people can sign up a lot of customers and recruit
a lot of business builders in short order, but can they keep
them?

Hmmmm...

I'd say, not normally.

However, if you build a solid relationship, by letting people
know who YOU really are, they'll most likely stand by you
through thick and thin.

So, I recommend that you have at least two (2) websites with
unique domain names: Your blog; and your company's replicated
website

You can get your FREE blog page at http://www.blogger.com

You can get unique domain names at http://www.directnic.com
I recommend Directnic over GoDaddy because even though the
initial domain purchase is cheaper for the latter, the former
will charge you additional fees for setting up e-mail accounts
and such.

Again, don't forget to clear a unique domain name that you're
intending to redirect to your replicating website with your
network marketing company's corporate office before actually
purchasing it. Companies selling financial services and or an
insurance or insurance-like product (e.g. Pre-Paid Legal) are
very strict about this policy and may subject your
distributorship revoked.

My blog is usually entered through my gateway page with it's
unique domain - http://www.tyroneturner.com

A good example of a replicated website with a unique domain name
redirected to it is at http://www.GetAPeaceOfMind.com

Let me know what your blog page and uniquely-named replicated
website is when you set it up, okay?