You are reading this because you are either an Associated Content Producer looking to add another stream of income, a stay-at-home parent looking to add some extra money to the paychecks that are coming in, or you just dream of starting your own successful business.

The big question is: Where do you start? I am going to answer your question with a question. What do you like to do?

If you are a people person that loves to decorate, you can go back to school and become an interior designer. No time or money for school. Right. OK, you can work for a company such as At Home America. At Home America offers their kit for a relatively low cost for shipping provided that you book and hold a few parties to make up the difference of the kit. You can beautify your home as well as give other people the opportunity to purchase top end, lower cost items to decorate their home as well.

If you are a stay-at-home parent, you know that one of the most important things to do with your young children is to read to them. Maybe you just love children’s books. For a low start up fee, you could become an Usborne Books at Home Independent Consultant. You can host home shows, do direct sales from the catalog, web sales, or become an Educational Consultant and contact schools and daycare’s to host book fairs. There are incentive trips, continual training and support, and the hostess program is one of the best in the direct sales industry. Any free books your hostess would earn would not come out of your pocket.

If you love to cook, you could sign up with a company such as Pampered Chef. The start up cost is relatively low, but you must be a people person as this will require cooking shows. While you can probably do direct sales from the catalog, most people want to see what they are getting before they decide to order it.

So what if you have no money to start up or none of the above interests you? Then you think outside of the box! Do you love pets? Start a pet treat business. You can search the Internet for free pet treat recipes. It is considerably cheaper than buying them from the store and the buyer knows that they can pronounce everything on the label! I’ve done this in the past and make $4 per order of treats; most treats cost less than a dollar per order to make.

Do you have a bunch of books laying around the house? Do you always pick up more books when you go to garage sales or thrift stores? If they are in good condition, consider setting up a book shop on Amazon or eBay.

Are you knowledgeable about what products are currently hot on the market? Set up a drop shipping business on ebay. You can search the Internet for sites that offer free drop shipping. Just do your homework and always make sure you know what the cost for shipping is going to be. Add a dollar to it for handling the sale. Start the bid at what the product would cost you plus the minimum fee ebay charges for listing with them.

Are you crafty? Crochet, cross stitch, knitting, sewing, making jewelry, and other practically “lost arts” can be sold on etsy. Etsy is a relative newcomer to the world of Internet sales, but if you are good at marketing and want to stay away from the outrageous fees eBay charges, etsy may be the place for you.

If you are just looking to clear out your material or yarn stash, but you do not want to spend any money by offering the items online consider thinking one season ahead. If it is winter, make things for spring. Then at the beginning of spring, get a garage sale license and sell what you’ve made. Every season is three months. How much stuff could you make in three months? What would you charge for it? Check the Internet for formulas on how to price your goods. Don’t sell yourself short

Do you love to write? If you do and are good at marketing, check out Lulu for self-publishing. You can publish everything from cookbooks, CDs, books, and calendars.

For more ideas visit The Working at Home Mom…dads I am sure she would welcome you too. You will get more great ideas on starting a new business. No, that’s not my link. I am a regular reader of her blog and she generates lots of brilliant ideas to help bring more income into your life!

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I have researched this on and off since 2005, and there are some good FREE autoresponders available.

There are 2 types of autoresponder software- one you install and host on your server and those that are a service that you sign up for.

Let me say, that I have gone the self-hosted route and the free ones either didn’t install correctly, or worked for a while and then quit. There’s a reason they’re free. I suspect that once the script became buggy, the developer started to give it away rather than work out the bugs. This has happened with Infinite Responder and Parabots, which WAS an excellent program at one time and now problematic since it has become a free program.

Self-Hosted Autoresponders

The downside of self-hosted autoresponders is that the developers no longer support them when they are free, whereas with a service, the burden is on the company to fix bugs and keep you happy, even if you are a free member. They hope that eventually you will upgrade to a paid level.

1.) PHP List is an open source script- you can either have them host it( Not free) or you can install it onto your own server (free).

I found it easy to install and configure. The one I have is a little old and they have added some new features to the newest version, plus plans to add new ones like email to fax. So I will be taking a second look at this.

My only reservation is that sometimes when server updates happen, the script may stop working and since I am not a programmer and I only have a small working knowledge in this area, I’m afraid that I’ll have an important announcement and I won’t be able to get them out in time.

You do need a little technical knowledge to install these- how to set up a database and edit a few files at the very least. If you are comfortable w/ doing this, go ahead, if not scroll down for some Hosted services.

2.)  Parabots – is now free. Installation is not super easy, and many people have had problems w/ the install for one reason or another. I have it on one server and so far have not had any problems with it, but others do.If you’re technically challenged in any way, do not use it.

One big downside id that this script comes with no support and is no longer being developed.

3.) Infinite Responder – Is fairly easy to install and use. many people have complained that it has stopped working after a few weeks. I have only tested it on myself, so I cannot say one way or the other.

4.) lastly, In your own C-Panel – there is a very simple one, much like Gmail’s vacation message, but there is also a full featured (and more) one in “Mailing Lists” . You won’t see it until you set up a mailing list. It is very complex to customize, since there are tons of options and features to choose from. I have some techie friends that found it to be almost overwhelming as ell as time consuming.

I like it, but I don’t have the patience to fully set it up the way I would like it to be and I do not like some of the defaults.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 for a list of Hosted autoresponder services.

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Hosting customers of Lazer Web Hosting enjoy free trainings such as: setting up and using autoresponders for FREE Choose s hosting Plan today and attend their free trainings and webinars.

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On May 28, 2009 Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer introduced the world to their new incarnation of its search technology, Bing. All web users had access to Bing on June 3, 2009. Why did Microsoft alter the search engine and how does that effect the search engine ranking your business already has achieved? Will your keyword ranking lose ranking?

The first question is quite easy to answer. Microsoft is desperate to grasp some of the market share that Google now has. Do the names Magellan, Open Text, Info Seek, Snap and Direct Hit ring a bell? These are all Search engines that Google has gobbled up in the last decade. In 2006 the market share for Google and Live Search were 49.2% and 9.6% respectively. At the time of Bing’s launch the market share of Google had grown to 72.4% and Live Search had fallen to just 6.3%. With the Google slice of the search engine pie so large and not slowing down, Microsoft had to make some improvements to their search engine offering. The second question is not so easily answered. When first looking at it, the rankings you and your SEO provider have worked so hard to get should not be affected. Some features of the new Bing are innovative and could garner an ease of use which could be beneficial to your website visitors. One major difference is the fact that Microsoft calls their latest offering a decision engine not a search engine. The primary reason for the title change is that Bing is supposed to assist the user in making decisions by delivering the best results, presented in a more organized way to simplify key tasks and actually help you make decisions quicker. There are specific features such as cash back on great products, and Price Predictor, which will tell the user when to buy an airline ticket in order to help get you the best price. Bing is offering compare and contrast features so your customer will be able to compare your product, price and shipping requirements against others. It could be wonderful for your business to have such features at the tip of the users fingers. A primary goal of all websites is for the consumer to make a wise choice|smart decision (the decision to buy) at a fast pace. Bing says it will do just that.

Something else to keep in mind is that Microsoft plans on spending between $80 million and $100 million promoting Bing. These figures represent almost one quarter of their total yearly advertising budget. This large amount of advertising can only help all of those websites ranked on Bing. High rankings should translate into sales. It is almost like getting free advertising. Your SEO company should make extra effort in the next year to increase your standings on Bing so you can enjoy the effects of this advertising push.

Microsoft reports that your websites rankings may jump around a bit at first. They say that the rankings will become stable in a short while. Since the searches are going to be more refined and narrowed, it is believed that URLs with hyphen separated words will have an initial advantage. But it is too early to analyze the results. We can only go by what Microsoft is telling us at this time.

Should you change your SEO optimization strategy? It is always a good idea to speak with your professional, but right now,probably not. Remember how small Bing’s percentage of the total search engine really is. A month into its launch, Bings share has grown to 8.23% of all searches. While this is not a great number, the upward trend can only help those websites rank well on Bing. Microsoft’s Bing has improved greatly in a short amount of time. Last year the term that was searched the most|the most commonly searched term on Live Search was Google. After it had been unveiled, Steve Wozniak, the Apple co-founder called Bing astounding. All the buzz can only increase web traffic and hopefully improve web sales.

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Choosing a web host isn’t the easiest thing to do. If you aren’t careful, you might find yourself in a nightmare situation with a host that doesn’t provide quality service, respond to technical support requests, or provide solid up-time for your website(s). There is a huge selection of companies providing web hosting services, and to someone unfamiliar with the industry, it’s very easy to end up with the wrong provider for your needs. Here are five tips to hopefully get you pointed in the right direction.

1. Free and commercial web hosts. Free web hosts can be a good choice based on your expected internet traffic and the content on your website. Free web hosts usually offset the cost of providing free web space by placing banner ads or pop-ups on the site. If you are building a professional website, however, this is not a good option for you. Free web hosts have a reputation of disappearing due to lack of money. The old adage, You get what you pay for may be true when it comes to web hosting. For reliable, continuous web hosting without annoying pop-ups or advertising that has nothing to do with your web content, use a commercial web host. Research various web hosts for a competitive price that suits your budget.

2. Bandwidth. Your website will generate traffic. The amount of traffic that is driven to your website will determine how much bandwidth you will need. If you are a small business owner or have a personal website, a small amount of bandwidth, such as 5 MB, should be enough. To stay competitive, many web hosts now offer unlimited bandwidth. If you foresee heavy traffic to your site, ensure you read the fine print to avoid overage charges because unlimited usually has restrictions.

3: Windows vs. Linux Servers This issue is a little more advanced, but it can still apply to many people. Lots of web hosting companies only focus on providing Linux or UNIX operating system-based servers, which may or may not include the ability to run scripting languages like ASP. If you know that your website will require applications often associated with Windows platforms, don’t assume it’ll be compatible with any random host. Check to see if they offer Windows hosting first.

4. Secure Server. If you will be selling products or services on your website it is essential that your website offers a secure server (SSL.) A secure server ensures that personal information collected through your website is safe from hackers.

5: Read The Terms of Service! This one is actually more important than many people realize. There are quite a few things you can do to get kicked off of your hosting account with many hosting companies, and they usually do not give you a chance to retrieve your files or configurations from their servers before deleting your account. If you plan to host a site containing adult content, inflammatory language, or other questionable content, make absolutely certain to read over the TOS carefully for any clauses forbidding such content. If you’re uncertain, ask customer support.

It is important to choose an established and well-respected web host that offers the hosting services you need at a reasonable price. With a reliable, professional web hosting company, your web site will be readily available to you and your site visitors, your data will be safe, you will be able to easily upgrade your hosting plan if needed and your hosting package will include FTP, email and other features so you can get the most out of your web site.

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A new phenomenon that has become immensely popular amongst Internet users is “Blogging”. The term refers to making an online journal and which uses a reverse chronological order to display contents. It is at the blog owner’s discretion how many blog entries to make and when. New posts may be put up once every day, a week, a month or more than once. He can also opt to post less often. It all depends on his own choice.

More often than not, the postings on a blog are interrelated in some manner. This is, however, not the case always and bloggers may write about anything they want to randomly. The reasons why a blog owner may decide to start up a blog may be varied. The topics can may be private or of a public nature. In this article, I will unveil to you the difference between a private and a public blog. Also, the use of blogs for personal reasons and creating and maintaining a blog for professional use will be highlighted.

Private Blogs viz-a-viz Public Blogs

Blogs can be divided into many different categories. One way to do that is to separate them into private and personal blogs. In private blogs, only people that have been approved and given permission by the blog owner can view posts and leave comments.

Giving a blog a public or private status depends on the blogger’s level of comfort with the idea of other’s reading his posts. To further illustrate the point, let’s take the example of a person who wants to blog about his anger and frustration at different things happening in his life.

This would make for very personal writings so the blogger may choose to make his blog private so as to avoid family or friends stumbling upon it by chance. On the other hand, a blogger who is writing in order to promote his business or a cause that he feels strongly about would want others to visit his blog. This is due to the fact that the more traffic he is able to generate for his blog the more financial benefits he would procure for himself or he will be able to arouse curiosity and awareness about his cause.

Other kinds of blogs that mainly contain pieces of poetry, fiction or rants about general things may either be public or private. It would largely depend on the blogger’s decision whether to make his feelings open to public scrutiny or not. There are some bloggers who prefer to let their blog remain to public so other’s who have similar interests or who are going through the same kind of a phase through their life would get some consolation or hope.

Professional Blogging

Creating and maintaining a blog may actually be financially rewarding for some bloggers. Several companies have started to cash in on this opportunity to promote their services or products by keeping a number of blogs and hiring bloggers to update these regularly.

The bloggers are paid according to the number of posts they submit, the word count of the post, the amount of hits their posts receive, or it can be a combination of both these methods of determining a blogger’s worth in monetary terms. Blogging, as a career, is a tough job that asks for a fair amount of dedication from the blog writer. It is the blogger’s duty to supply a regular stream of posts to the blog and to ensure it is of a high quality.

Personal Blogging

Individuals may create their own blogs to give vent to their personal feelings. Blog owners use them to stay in contact with their circle of friends or family. Others blog in order to give expression to their thoughts or to provide information to readers about some subject. Some personal blogs can be loads of fun. However, a word of caution to such bloggers!

They must be careful they don’t stress themselves too much with the effort to maintain their blog. Personal blogs should be a healthy and enjoyable way of passing time and at no point should become a cause for stress.

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More people than ever are blogging, and everyone does it for a different reason. It’s therapeutic for some, using their blog as an online journal as a way to vent steam and heal emotionally. Others throw up advertisements and sell links in hopes of making some cash from their blogs. And while these things are a possibility for blogging writers, there are many other advantages that writers can take get out of this medium.

Blogging can:

Teach others what the writer has learned Any good writer will research, research, and research some more. Unfortunately, not every thought gets published and paid for. But at the very least, a writer can post as many valuable things that they’ve learned as they have time for on their blog. This way, you and I as the reader, get to learn from the things this writer spent hours looking into.

Showcase the writer’s skills

Many writers claim they can write, but how do you know if they really can and if they can write at all, how do you know the quality of their work? Picking a topic you are passionate about and writing until your heart’s content on a blog gives a writer the ability to show an editor that they really can write. An added perk? Blog posts are supposed to be short and being that editor’s have limited time this will be welcomed by them.

Promote the writer’s products and/or services Writers have a variety of writing skills and are usually involved with many different projects. Some blogging writer’s may have their own books and what a better place to advertise them? Posts can be used to pulled snippets from the book and a different area can advertise and even have the book for sale.

Even if a writer hasn’t written books, a blog is still a good place to write about other services they offer like public speaking, tutoring writing one-on-one or even writing articles.

Allow the writer to network with other writers

Success doesn’t come from sitting in your office like a hermit crab. Writers have to get themselves, and their work, out in the public eye to be noticed. This means in person networking and online networking as well. Through comments left on a writer’s blog, the writer has a built in audience of other writer’s or readers to “chat” with.

The more a writer chats with their readers, the more likely they are to keep in touch with them, form a relationship, and then call on that reader when they need writing done or even advertise on their blog, thus netting the blog money. A writer never knows what good could come of it and networking should be a priority.

Provide a little extra cash

As I’ve mentioned above, some people blog to earn money through ad revenue. This is a great opportunity for blogging writer’s too. Who couldn’t use a little extra cash?

If you are a writer interested in starting your own blog, visit Blogger or WordPress for help setting up your free blog. Visit my blog, Blessings from Above, to see what an operational blog looks like. The link can be found in the links section on this page.

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