The Goofproof Blog - Business Booster

May 28, 2009

Maybe You Call It a Hobby

Filed under: Internet Marketing — Tags: , , , — sol21 @ 10:42 pm

It doesn’t matter what you call it but if it is something you love to do  and spend every spare minute doing it (and it isn’t your business) it’s a hobby!

Millions of people spend countless hours and countless dollars (or other currencies) on “hobbies.”

Now that the economy is less than stellar,  has the thought of turning that hobby into a paying enterprise been rattling around in your head? If you are nodding  ”YES” but HOW?  You have landed on Square One.  (That’s where you start.)

First, decide if that hobby can be classed as a “craft”,  like jewelry making, woodworking, needlework, glass blowing, or hundreds of other possibilities.  If so,  get on your mouse and run right over to a place called Zibbet.  Zibbet is a marketplce, free and open to all, where you can set up shop in your own little studio, upload photos of each of your works (and your own) describe them, and yourself,  and Voilá you are in business.  You can charge what you want, describe how you like, then - - - -bring in the customers!

Now  how do you  find customers?  You know how if you have been a regular visitor to this page!  If you don’t know, all you have to do is: 

JOIN THE LISTBUILDING CLUB              

May 27, 2009

Who Needs Traffic?

Filed under: Internet Marketing — Tags: — sol21 @ 4:40 am

In and around New York City these days there has been a big huff about traffic!  That’s no news - we’ve been yelling about it for years. Too much,  that is, and in the wrong places, that is, and at the wrong times, that is! But right now, it’s different because the City management has taken the outrageous step of opening up Times Square to Pedestrian traffic!  Four blocks above 42nd Street and same South at Herald Square (34th Street.) Now when we say “Pedestrians,” we mean the whole nine yards - cafe tables and chairs, bicycles, scooters, rollerskates, skateboards, whatever  means outdoor fun. 

Meanwhile, taxi drivers scream, traffic cops vanish, and the media pronounces, “It will alleviate traffic.” Frankly, I don’t see how, but for now I will keep my mouth shut and ponder the meaning of the word “traffic.”

To an internet marketer, there is never enough traffic.  Those who have lots and lots, only want more, and those who don’t have enough, want more.  Everyone wants traffic!  There is never a thought about it all getting bottled up and packed in tight and unable to move.  What if a system existed for closing for instance, all online bookstores on Wednesdays, and all online clothing stores on Thursdays, etc., etc., until every type of merchandise was catalogued and assigned a closing day - would the normal traffic for that Niche slide over into another lane? Or would it just wait until tomorrow? Human nature being what it is, I bet the traffic  would slide - when people are in the mood to buy, they will find something to buy. A mouse is easier to slide than a taxicab.

Of course this is all nonsense unless you can find a motive for Google to push traffic into your lane. So what are you going to do?

JOIN THE LIST BUILDING CLUB 

May 26, 2009

Memorial Day 2009

Filed under: Miscellaneous — Tags: — sol21 @ 1:11 am

As we enjoy a beautiful day outdoors, parades, ceremonies, family festivities, we also sense an underlying sorrow that nothing has really changed about the way we approach and deal with war.  It’s still there - it hasn’t gone away.  All those who have given their lives so we can maintain our way of life  - where are they?  Are they judging us? Would they like to give us some good advice? Unfortunately we can never know for sure, but now that we can SEE everything that goes on in the world instantly our attidudes must falter. Not just Americans but every person on the planet, if honest, must at least give the subject a little thought.

Tomorrow will be business as usual.  Will we have forgotten today so soon? I hope not.

May 23, 2009

Find an Angel?

Filed under: Internet Marketing, Miscellaneous — Tags: — sol21 @ 8:04 pm

Just in case some  of  you may  not  be on the Webgrrls’  mailing list, I’m sending along  this message from Nelly Yusupova - Webgrrls NYC Chapter Leader
****************************************
The Hatchery and Columbia University present HATCH MATCH 2009,
an Internet Week New York event.

YOU MUST RSVP TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
Event is held at Low Library on Columbia University Campus - See Map

Join us for an evening of facilitated networking with New York’s leading web/Internet/IT investors and advisors.

Register in advance ($15 per person) or at the door ($20 per person, cash only).

Thursday, June 4th, 5 - 8PM
5:00 – 6:00 pm  Registration + Networking
6:00 – 8:00 pm  Investor Meetings + Networking

HOW THE EVENING WILL WORK:
We’ll have two rooms, a general networking forum in the Low Library rotunda and a private back room area where investors will be set up at individual tables.  After checking in at the event registration desk, head to the private room to sign up for your investor meetings.  Sign-up is on a first come, first serve basis, and each one-on-one meeting lasts 5 minutes, so arrive early and have your elevator pitch honed!  After your investor meetings are over, return to the general networking forum where advisors and other entrepreneurs will be mingling.  Light refreshments will be served.

WHAT IS HATCH MATCH?
What defines a great networking event is meeting people you want to meet and having great conversations that stimulate action.  Hatch Match is designed to help you do just that!  Through active, facilitated networking, Hatch Match makes introductions and provides you with access to more than 30 advisors and investors in a format that’s convenient, efficient, and fun.

Hatch Match is an annual event, organized by The Hatchery.  Typically held during Internet Week New York and co-hosted by a university partner, Hatch Match aims to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and other parties interested in growing and being part of New York’s vibrant internet/web/information economy.  We are pleased to be co-hosting this year’s event with Columbia University, through its technology transfer office, Science & Technology Ventures, and its Center for Advanced Information Management.

Register today to sprout that new idea!

May 22, 2009

Are You Building Your List?

Filed under: Internet Marketing — Tags: — sol21 @ 12:41 am

No? why not? Square One says “Build a List.” Everybody knows that you can’t communicate without a whole bunch of communicators: Thus the phenomenol success of Social Networking. You can get to know people; you can connect with those whose interessts are similar to your own. Sometimes you can even sell them something. But anyone who has tried it will agree that finding people with like interests on the huge social networks (FaceBook, Twitter) takes a lot of time and effort. you can spend days searching out the people who might want to be your “friends” and then another couple of years convincing your friends that they should really be your clients (subtly, of course.) Meanwhile, your business is slliding down the tube. You haven’t given it enough attention: it is not bringing in sufficient revenue to allow you to advertise for customers!

What to do? Believe it or not, there is a simpler solution. It is:
The List Buiiding Club

Your membership in The List Building Club  also brings you access to its own social network (see banner in sidebar) where your friends are pre-chosen to be concentrating on the same thing that you are: building a list!  Now, within that Nexus (as it’s called) are people in all different businesses, with a huge variety of interests.  You can join or initiate Groups and Forums. You can comment on anything and everything, knowing that everyone of you has the SAME basic interest: Building a List!

Don’t waste any more time (money.) Join:
The List Building Club

May 20, 2009

Is “Ida” Relevant To Boosting Your Business?

Filed under: Miscellaneous — Tags: , — sol21 @ 9:06 pm

Ranking #2 in Google Trends for today is the discovery of Ida, thought to be the “missing link”  between modern man and our Primate ancestors.  Some will not be impressed by this, some who find the whole idea of Evolution offensive, will probably rave and rant in days to come.

Nevertheless it is a great discovery, if proven to be authentic. Just think for a minute about all the businesses: book publishers, websites, travel programs, science researchers, University Departments, art projects, Halloween Costume Makers, the list could be endless, based on the idea of search for ancestors. The fact is: we humans are obsessed with the desire to find out who we are and where we came from. And if we are not happy with the emerging results we either deny them or seek out a plastic surgeon and/or a psychiatrist (both lucreative businesses.)

If you positively won’t believe that you might be descended from a long-snouted primate, ask yourself what kind of a business Ida could have started or developed in the world in which she lived 47 million years ago.  Clue: researchers think she died of Carbon Dioxide poisoning, the gas hovered over the lake where she lay buried and remarkably well preserved. If Ida were your sister or closest friend wouldn’t you want to do something about that?  CSI.

To read the whole story, Click Here.

May 18, 2009

Apparently Everyone Needs Social Media And SEO - Why?

Filed under: Internet Marketing — Tags: , , — sol21 @ 11:03 pm

There has been a tsunami of articles, blogposts, surveys, Tweets, FaceBook entries, and opinions expressed anywhere and everywhere about how useful Web 2.0 is in search engine optimization - gathering traffic and ultinately, creating sales.  In the beginning, the older sites were never meant to promote sales -  they were what they claimed to be: Social Networks. More recently, however, savvy marketers have recognized their value as business networks.  Their popularity has soared in the business community.  Obviously, when anything suddenly soars, it attracts a lot of attention and negative as well as positive reaction. Particluarly since the advent of Twitter the use of Tweets has been touted as a promoter of SEO, traffic, and ultimately, sales.  Is that true? 

 

Many have claimed that one Tweet is worth a thousand words elsewhere - the controversy rages on.  Very recently ( in the last 3 or 4 days) I have read several comments that could be easily classed  as fence sitting.  “It works if you do it right!”

What’s right? It depends on you! If a writer of a post or a Tweet is powerfully motivated by the thought of selling his wares, his message may have a negative effect on his readers, effectively driving them away - perhaps forever.  But if he is skillful in social networking  he will know how to make friends, to attract people to him and anything he does (or sells.)  In essence, they become fans and it is difficult to separate the product from the person.  Why are so many “stars” of all variety paid fortunes for selling products on TV?  The viewers love them, so almost automatically they love the product and can’t wait to hand over the money. 

So if you want your posts and Tweets to bring traffic (and sales) become more lovable. Find a way to reach the HEARTS of your readers.  You will have traffic (and sales.)  You will be on the plus side of social networking.

May 14, 2009

Try It All!

Filed under: Internet Marketing — Tags: , — sol21 @ 11:42 pm
The ONE Click Internet

The ONE Click Internet

The title of  this post is deliberately confusing. What are you supposed to try?  All of what? Life is a puzzle so you have to figure out what it means. The most obvious course  is to visit the link above and try all the fabulous things available on the internet. Not only products and services you can buy, but tips and information of all kinds, particularly about some very well researched topics such as computers, cars, travel, shopping, an infinity of website and internet tools that will make your life online so much more fun and easier to boot.   The internet is a huge space.  It is not well ordered so you have to think a little, too. You have to decide what you want from it then ask Santa Google, who will do his best to give you what you want. 

In the context of The GoofProof Blog’s overall reason for being, “Try it All” means just that. Try everything you ever wanted to do. Even if  it’s impossible, trying to figure out how to make it possible will do you a world of good. It will get those brain cells bubbling. It will get you looking at yourself in the mirror and saying, “I will lose weight this time - I really will.” Or “I will rake a vacation this summer - I really will.” Or “I AM serious about building an internet business - I really AM.”  Whatever you decide to try, the internet with all its minefields and mysteries is there to help you - yes help.  Just give it a try and see what happens.

May 13, 2009

Job Search!

Filed under: Internet Marketing — Tags: — sol21 @ 10:03 pm

We’ve added for your convenience a Job Search widget in the right Sidebar.  If you are looking for a job, try it out! You may be lucky and find just what you are looking for, or at least get a few ideas.

Boosting your business can include sharpening your job skills, so any action you take in the area  of reaching out, enlarging your knowledge, or interviewing is helpful. 

I’ve  been amazed lately at the comments in other blogs and in forums at the number of people who do NOT present themselves in the best light. They seem to be saying “Help Me!”  That is definitely a negative approach and will get you nowhere except further in debt.  Show people what you CAN do, not what you can’t.  Money can be made in all sorts of places - just look at yourself as if you were someone else.  Are you happy with what you see? If  not, this is the time and place to do something about it.

Good Luck!

May 12, 2009

UpGrade Your Goals

Filed under: Internet Marketing — Tags: — sol21 @ 11:33 pm

I just finished reading Tellman Knudson’s Special Report on free traffic.  He encourages us to share it with friends, colleagues, co-workers,  grandmothers, poodles, and all other communicants.  I am very happy to do this as it is indeed a special report. Not only does he list 178 sources of FREE traffic available to all, but makes a couple of very good suggestions on upgrading our goals, expanding and demanding more of ourselves every single day.  His writing is amusing, inspiring and straight to the point.  Here’s the report:

http://www.TellmanOnTraffic.com/free/

When you finish reading the report, I’m sure you will want to join

The List Building Club

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