Hope everything is going well for you this Valentine’s Day! Take care of yourself, and most importantly, take a break!

You can here more of my thoughts on taking a break at MomSoapBoxTalkRadio.com.

Popularity: 26% [?]

The main downside of selling products online is purchasing inventory. The risks involved include buying too much inventory and not being able to sell it. Or not buying enough, and then having no way to meet demand. Or paying too much and not being able to make a profit at the prices you have to set in order to sell the product.

So — what if you could sell a product without having to purchase or stock inventory?

Only in a perfect world, right?

Well, in a word, no. You can sell other people’s products through affiliate marketing. You just link to their products on your website and the prospect clicks the link to go to their site to purchase. A cookie is set on the prospect’s computer, so that when she purchases from the other site, you are credited for the sale, and make a commission.

No inventory, no muss, no fuss.

Naturally, selling other people’s products as an affiliate is not as easy as just tossing a banner on your site and waiting for people to click. You have to know what you’re doing.

And, naturally again, my brilliant friend Alice Seba has put together a wonderful guide to teach you how to do just that. It’s her Affiliate Marketing Sweetie guide.

Maybe you are already working from home, creating your own products or selling those of a direct sales company…but the problem is, if you ONLY sell you own products, it’s impossible to dominate your market. Your customers will be interested in things you don’t have to offer. Might as well sell them someone else’s product and get paid for it. Wouldn’t it be nice to get an extra check or two in the mail each month?

Sounds like a great Christmas present, huh?

Popularity: 21% [?]

Do you have trouble publishing your newsletter on a regular basis? Maybe you have it scheduled to go out once a month. But by the time you have a chance to research three or four articles, plug them into our template and send them out to your mailing list, the deadline is past.

So what’s the point? I have a client who has a fairly large mailing list. But because of the chores involved in publishing the newsletter (a full-time job in its own right!), she doesn’t publish on a regular basis.

But you don’t have to waste your time (or your list!) with a hard to publish newsletter that you hate putting together — and your clients may or may not read.

Give yourself a gift this Christmas: Freedom from newsletters that stink! Just order my friend Alice Seba’s Email Marketing Sweetie guide.

Alice will teach you how to write short, sweet newsletter issues that will make your job MUCH easier while establishing your credibility — and encouraging your subscribers to buy from you.

What more could you want?

Popularity: 16% [?]

Whether it’s you or a loved one who is trying to make a living selling products online, you probably know (or have heard) that it’s really hard to make money online.

Ten years ago, if you built it, they could come, so to speak. But today, with billions of websites online, you have to know what you’re doing to capture the attention of people who are wanting to buy the products you sell.

So how do you do this?

My friend Alice Seba has an awesome guide called Internet Marketing Sweetie. Alice’s guide teaches you how to dramatically increase the number of prospects tha visit your site, build responsive relationships with your prospects and turn your competitors into partners.

I own Alice’s guide and I use her “Sweetie” principles in my business every day. My business wouldn’t be what it is today without her!

And best of all — this guide is an online download, so you’ll have it in plenty of time for Christmas!

Popularity: 14% [?]

If you’ve never heard of a virtual assistant, you’re in for a treat!

A virtual assistant, also known as a VA, takes some of the load off you, so you can work on the important things in your business, your family and your life. She works on a contract basis, so you don’t have to worry about employing someone. And best of all, she works with you via phone and internet, so you don’t have to worry that you won’t find a VA in your area.

Have you wished someone else could deal with all the email you receive? Or maybe you need someone to do some product updates to your website that you’ve been putting off. You may need to have some letters written, website pages updated or articles submitted to directories.

A VA will be able to handle some or all of these tasks. You can hire her for as long as you need to, or on a project-only basis.

Best of all, my friend and VA, Arika Liddiard, is offering a Christmas special for my clients: If you have a Shop Kit Plus site with Watersweb, just contact Arika at her virtual assistance site for five hours of service at the incredibly low rate of $50.

Make sure you contact Arika before Dec. 31, as this deal is for a limited time only. (Just contact Arika by Dec. 31. Actual work on the project can start after the holidays, if you wish).

Popularity: 23% [?]

In our house, the mice don’t stir, they glow — one beady red eye on the bottom.

Say what?

If you guessed a cordless laser mouse, you’re right on target. This nifty mouse is perfect for your laptop. Just plug the micro receiver into the USB port of your notebook, and you’re ready to go. No need for a table or a mousepad. The arm of your chair, your leg, or your sleeping kid’s back will work just fine.

OK, just kidding on that last one.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Imagine sitting in your office working on the latest orders while your family is watching a fun kid’s movie in the living room. Or maybe you keep having to tell the kids they can go outside to play in a little bit, after you’re done working and can go out with them.

Or is this scenario not far from your imagination. If you’re like me, you’ve been there, done that.

At least, this was my story before I purchased a laptop and Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router. The router allows me to take the laptop into the living room, out front or out back and connect to the internet. Talk about freedom! And the kids are happy because they can go outside and play while I watch them — and still get my work done.

Sounds like a good deal? It is! Just make sure you purchase a router that has a big enough range for your area. (And always use the secured, password-protected connection!)

Popularity: 14% [?]

What good is a camera without a great tripod? None, if you are a product seller. To get really great product photos, you need to keep the camera incredibly still. This can only be done with a tripod.

And for that matter, you also need to set the timer for your photograph, so that you won’t bump the camera when the shutter snaps.

Popularity: 14% [?]

You’ve got a great product: You know it, your best friend knows it, your mama knows it and all your current customers know it. But what about that new person who stumbles onto your site during a Google search for your products?

Is she going to see how great your items are from your product photographs, or is she going to wonder what you are really hiding being the blur in that image. Will she be distracted by the stain on your carpet in the background of the photo? Or maybe she’ll wonder what the product even is, because the poor lighting doesn’t show any details.

In any of these cases, this visitor will most likely head elsewhere to find what she is looking for.

Don’t let this happen to you!

The first step towards taking great pictures for your website is making sure you have the right equipment. I personally recommend the Canon Digital Rebel camera. It will take great photographs for the web — and for print. So you can use the images in your online store and any printed ads or brochures.

Popularity: 13% [?]

If you’re going to ask for a laptop, there is no sense in not asking for a carrying case as well. Right? Right?!

I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to be spending the day with the kids at Grandma’s house, or headed to Texas to spend a week with the in-laws, then the laptop and several notebooks are coming with me.

This carrying case is an excellent solution to keeping all my stuff organized and my laptop protected.

[tags]leather notebook case, leather laptop case[/tags]

Popularity: 13% [?]