The Jeffrey And Tracey Info Emporium

Are you struggling to come up with new ideas for articles?
Whether you are a new or veteran writer, this problem can
effectively halt your ability to use this method of promotion.
So, to help you overcome this, I have compiled a list of things
you can do to find new article ideas.

1. Message Boards Read the posts at message boards to see what
people are interested in. You can then write your article on
topics that people already want to know more about.

http://homebizlink.com/wwwboard/
http://bkauras.com/internet-marketing-forum
http://www.bizweb2000.com/wwwboard/index.html
http://www.websitepublisher.net/forums/
http://www.ablake.net/forum
http://www.williecrawford.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi

2. Discussion Lists This is similar to using the message boards.
Just read to see what others are posting about and write
articles on those subjects.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hbj_chat/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ideasbypost/ http://www.o-a.com/
http://www.netpreneur.org/connect/am/default.html
http://www.i-advertising.com/html/join/join.shtml
http://bkauras.com/marketing_discuss_list

3. Surveys You can use a survey to find out what people want to
hear more about. There are several places to find people to take
your survey. Send the survey to your net contacts, post to
discussion groups, post on message boards, put it in your
newsletter, or put it up on your website. Offer something of
value for free, like an ebook or ecourse, to those who take your
survey.

4. Newsletters By subscribing to and reading newsletters, you
can find out what is currently popular. Here are a few
directories where you can find newsletters.

http://www.newsletter-directory.com/ http://www.ezinehub.com/
http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/ http://www.expresslists.com/
http://www.jogena.com/ezine/ezinedata.htm
http://www.list-city.com/

5. Keywords Get article ideas by studying the most searched for
keywords, which you can find at these sites.

http://www.wordtracker.com/ http://www.metaspy.com/
http://50.lycos.com http://www.top-keywords.com/
http://www.kanoodle.com/Spy/ http://buzz.yahoo.com

6. Chat Rooms Find article ideas in chat rooms by looking to see
what questions are being asked and by asking what information
the other chatters are interested in.

7. Best Seller Lists Research what the topics of the best
selling books are. Most likely, if there are people buying books
on those topics, there are those that will be interested in
reading articles on them.

http://www.amazon.com/ http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
http://half.ebay.com/products/books/index.cfm
http://www.booksense.com/bestsellers/index.jsp
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books op-50.htm

8. Visitor/Subscriber Questions If you have a website or ezine,
you probably have a goldmine of article ideas. Pay attention to
the questions your visitors and subscribers ask you. There might
be an article hidden in those questions somewhere.

9. News Websites Check some news sites to find out what the
latest happenings are. Then you can research the hot topics and
write articles on them.

http://www.internetnews.com/ http://www.internet.com/
http://news.com.com/2001-12-0.html
http://www.internetnewsbureau.com/ http://www.internetworld.com/
http://www.newslinx.com

10. Article Writing Services If you have tried all of the above
methods and you haven’t been able to come up with anything,
there is always the option of having somebody else write your
article for you. These can get pretty expensive, though, so
research thoroughly before selecting a person or service.

http://www.dawnriversbaker.com
http://www.ezineaction.com/other.html
http://www.toupin.com/serv_writing.asp
http://www.writingdoctor.com/
http://www.drnunley.com/copywriting.htm
http://www.writemix.ca/WritingServices.htm

I hope that this list has given you a good head start on find
new ideas for your articles. Good luck!

Feel free to publish this article in your ezine or on your
website, as long as nothing in the article or resource box is
changed.

A great way to celebrate your achievements and capitalize on your successes is to share them with your clients, members, community leaders, and other influential decisionmakers. But how can you do that without sounding like you are bragging?

Tell the story of your success using one of these five approaches, which will work for newsletter articles, website content, and press releases.

Profile a Person Involved
Personal profiles are a great way to share good news. Instead of talking about your accomplishments directly, profile the people who worked on them or the people who benefit from them. If the profile is of a staff member, have them explain the challenges associated with the project and why the success is so meaningful to them. If you profile someone who benefits from the successful project, ask them to explain how his or her life has changed for the better as a result of the organization’s achievement.

Analyze a Trend
Put your accomplishment in the context of larger trends within your community or national trends in your field. Use events and statistics from sources outside your organization to demonstrate how your success fits into a larger pattern (or bucks a trend).

Explain How You Did It
In an easy-to-follow format, provide your readers with clear directions on how to do something related to your accomplishments. What did you learn during the process that you can share with others? What can your newsletter readers do to help build upon your achievements and further your mission? Show your readers, step-by-step, how they can be a part of your success.

Create a Top Ten List
People love lists! Create a top ten list related to your accomplishment. Consider these angles: Ten Things We Learned on the Way to the Top, Ten Mistakes We Made Before We Hit It Big, and Ten Things We Do Every Day to Keep Growing. You don’t need ten items, of course. You can pick any number that works.

Challenge the Conventional Wisdom
Busting a myth or challenging what most people assume is true is another great way to grab and keep your readers’ attention. Being successful often involves taking risks and doing things differently than others. Talk about how you broke away from norms to accomplish something great.

It is important for you to share your successes publicly, because success breeds more success. No one likes a show off, but if you use a strong, creative angle like those described here, you can tell your positive stories and successfully cultivate more supporters, clients, donors, and volunteers.

© 2005, Kivi Leroux Miller. All Rights Reserved.

Kivi Leroux Miller is president of Writing911.com, which provides free writing advice, tip sheets, e-courses, and in-person workshops for people who need to write well at work. She specializes in helping nonprofit organizations improve their newsletters, annual reports, and other publications.

Visit http://www.Writing911.com to sign up for “Writing Tips,” a free monthly e-newsletter that will help you improve your writing and your publications.

Last night I walked into a book store. There at the front was a table stacked high with the “DaVinci Code”. On another table in the religious section were several books with the theme of Jesus in a different light. Each one stating they had new information or new perspective that would give you a more honest look at the life and purpose of Jesus. Some of the authors were scholars of the bible with many years of study behind them.

So what is going on? Why the interest in the life of Jesus? Why the attempt to put Jesus on the level of man? It is a sign of the times. God’s word warns these times would come.

Some of these scholars would say that the bible is not God’s word. That it is just a book of stories that have been passed down through the years. We can believe some of it but not all of it.

Paul warns Timothy and others who would follow Jesus, to be aware of false teachers. The book of Jude is all about an apostasy in the last days. Where learned men will grow strong in their own belief and not continue in the word of God, leading others away as well.

Christianity, believing in and following Jesus, is a walk of faith. Hebrews 11: 6 tells us without faith it is impossible to please God. For we must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. We have not seen Jesus. We have not touched his nail scarred hand or put our hands in his wounded side. By the faith given to us by Holy Spirit we believe Jesus is who he says he is. We believe he did what the bible says he did on the cross for our sins. We believe he was buried and resurrected on the third day and is sitting at the right hand of God interceding for all who call him savior. We believe he is coming again, this time as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

When he returns there will be a lot of surprised scholars and unbelievers. The bible says there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Not only will the unbelievers be judged but the Christians as well. Christians will be judged on their service and faithfulness to Jesus.

“Be not deceived God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”. Gal. 6:7. Sow to the spirit and you will reap spiritual things. Follow the teaching if men, no matter how learned, and you will reap fleshly things.

When we hear and read men that claim to know more than God or disclaim his word we need to look up. Jesus says the time is ripe and he could come at any time. Redeem the time for his coming is near.

There are those that will laugh and scoff at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, just as some laughed at Noah. Beware of those that would cause you to be surprised when he comes. Be looking for and loving his soon return. “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing”. II Tim. 4:8.

Let us hold fast the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and look up for our redemption is near.

Warren Adams is a bi-vocational preacher. He has a burden for Christians as well as the lost. He wants to see Christians wake up and live the life God wants spiritually,financially and physically. http://www.ItsOkToBeRich.com

Ever wonder why some executives repeatedly win positive media attention for themselves and their companies? Reporters on deadline return again and again to sources they know. But how do you get on their source list in the first place? How do you position yourself as an industry expert, trend setter, or market leader?

You do it by understanding what reporters need. Introducing your capabilities to the media to lift your profile is a combination of persistence and preparation.

Begin by making a list of those media outlets and reporters covering your industry; locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Look for opportunities to contact reporters when you read, hear or see a story they’ve authored that’s in your field. If they’ve done a good job, tell them. Also be prepared to tell them what you might have added to the story.

Identify areas of legitimate news that reporters covering your industry can hear from you first. If you’re a source of information, even if it isn’t directly about your company, you become valuable to the reporter. Be ready to add valuable perspective to the storyeducating the reporter in effect and by doing so, becoming a source for future stories. Every reporter, but particularly beat and industry reporters, thrive on such relationships.

Once you’ve introduced yourself to reporters, make sure you understand how to stay valuable in order to serve both your needs. There is much to gain for the executive who speaks to the public through reporters, and of course, there’s more to lose as well. For those executives who understand their role in shaping image, direction and mission, and who can communicate larger ideas effectively to a reporter, the rewards are substantial. .

Once you’re ready to become a source for reporters, there are some basics to keep in mind. Here are some tips to help you once you’ve earned that media spotlight:

Accessibility counts (a lot): If you’re going to work with the media, you’re going to have to accept that reporters live by the deadline. That means the interview they absolutely must have is the one they need now. If you’re going to accept the interview, accept it immediately so the reporter won’t move on to the next, more accessible source. You can set the interview for any time before that deadline, once they know you will talk.

Interview the interviewer: Any legitimate reporter will be amenable to answering a few questions prior to the interviewespecially questions designed to put you at ease about their credibility or their purpose. At minimum, ask the reporter what he or she wants you to contribute, who else has been or will be interviewed, and when the reporter’s deadline is. Don’t ask specifically what questions will be asked.

Know what you want to say: This is called messaging and it’s a vital part of the process of speaking to any reporter. You are not speaking with a reporter just to answer their questions. This is your opportunity to deliver a message of your own. Take it!

Less is more: Speaking to reporters requires getting to the bottom line as quickly, and as quotably, as you can. Deliver the supportive data, facts and backup information after you’re sure you’ve delivered your bottom-line message. Try to make your message as accessible as you can to the greatest number of people (no jargon!)

Practice, practice, and practice: It takes a while to get comfortable with developing messages, reducing them to a few well-spoken statements, and staying on message through questions. Start with local and trade reporters. The more you do it, the better you will get. No matter which reporters you speak to, trade, local, regional or national, print or broadcast, follow the same process.

You don’t need legions of public relations staff working for you to begin your media outreach. You can build your own relationships with reporters and begin your own outreach. Give reporters what they needaccess, good quotes and reliable informationand you’ll be rewarded with access to their audience. Seize those opportunities for yourself, your department and your agenda.

Aileen Pincus is President of The Pincus Group, a media training firm near Washington DC that also provides speech, presentation and crisis communications training. A former local and national television reporter, Senior Hill Staffer and communications executive, Aileen and her staff provide executive communications worldwide. She can be reached at http://www.thepincusgroup.com

It seems that the old adage that two wrongs do not make a right
has been dealt a serious blow by a new technology that is taking
the headphone industry by storm.

Noise cancelling headphones have long been in use by the
military but have only recently made their long awaited debut
into the consumer market. The technology is simple enough to
understand although it can be surprising just how effective the
technology really is. Noise cancelling technology is based on
the fact that any sound can be effectively cancelled or deleted
by producing a noise that has sound waves that are perfectly
inverted to the initial sound. Aside from completely undermining
the saying that two wrongs don’t make a right, this principle
delivers an astounding degree of peace and quiet for the wearer
further explained at http://www.cancelingnoise.com.

Noise cancelling technology is perfectly poised to take
advantage of a whole host of situations where people are exposed
to ambient noise for long periods of time. Air travel is
certainly one of the most promising areas of the market, with
business travelers and frequent flyers expected to lap up noise
cancelling headphones in order to get some solace from the
hissing and droning of aircraft. Bus car and rail travel also
look to be possibilities for noise cancelling technology but
perhaps to a lesser extent.

At present, Bose is dominating the marketplace with Sony in hot
pursuit. There is no debate that current prices for the new
devices is somewhat high, with Bose noise cancelling headphone
fetching upwards of two hundred and fifty dollars in retail
stores. Bose are obviously looking to secure the high end of the
market and as more competitors enter this promising new market,
a price war is sure to develop.

But for now, those of you who are willing to pay can enjoy the
sweet sound of silence for a couple of hundred dollars and six
hours into that twelve hour flight, there are sure to be some
regrets for those who opt to save their pennies and not purchase
noise cancelling headphones. For product reviews and buyer
information you can visit http://www.cancellingnoise.com.

One of the best things you can do for your business is to ask
new customers how they found out about you. But when you do
this, don’t expect to get accurate information.

I know this sounds strange, but it makes sense, I promise.

If you make decisions about how to promote your business, then
obviously you want to know how your customers find out about
your business. So, you ask. The trouble is the information you
get when you ask this questions is not always accurate. In fact
it’s mostly inaccurate. My estimate is that it’s about 25%
accurate at best.

There are two reasons for this.

One reason is that people simply do not remember. People don’t
remember because they have other, more important, things to
occupy their mental space. Your business and your marketing are
not tops on their list of priorities. (Sorry!)

But, they want to give you an answer (because you asked) so they
say some thing makes sense. “I saw your ad in the yellow pages”
they might say. Or “I think I found you in the phone book”. I
know because I do the same thing. It’s not that we’re dishonest.
We just want to be helpful.

A friend of mine told me about a survey they did once for an
event they helped promote. They asked people how they found out
about the event and over half of them said they heard about it
on the radio. On the surface this sounded like great marketing
feedback.

But there was one problem.

They never promoted this event on the radio.

People said “I heard about it on the radio” because they wanted
to be helpful and because they listened to the radio a lot. So,
it made sense (to them) that they probably heard about the event
on the radio.

The second reason this sort of feedback is usually not accurate
is because people hear about your business in many ways.

Remember, if you’re doing your marketing well you are probably
using more than one media to deliver your message to your
market. Depending on your budget and market you might be using
five or more different ways to let people know who you are and
what you do.

It’s not hard to find five or more ways to promote your local
business:

*On site signage *Yellow pages *Bus bench *Newspaper ad *Direct
mail piece *Coupon shopper *Newspaper insert *Networking *TV
*Radio *Local sponsorships

And this is good because it builds both awareness and
credibility for your local business. (Remember, the more ways a
person hears about your business, the more credible and
memorable your message becomes to them.)

The trouble is, people are not going to remember (or tell you)
they saw it in all these different places. They’ll give you the
name of one place they saw your ad. (Usually the most recent
place they saw it.)

So, we have a marketing paradox.

To get the best results you want your message to be seen by
people in multiple ways. But, that makes it impossible to
determine (with any accuracy) which media is working best. And
you want to know what media works best so you can make the best
use of your marketing dollars.

What do we do about this?

It would be nice if a complete answer to this question would fit
in the next few paragraphs. But it won’t. A complete answer
covers a lot of ground that I have been writing about for the
past six months. And it depends on a lot of factors like your
business, your budget, your marketing goals, etc.

It also depends on how important tracking marketing ROI is to
your business.

One of the big obstacles to tracking results is scale. As a
small, local business, if you went to the expense of trying to
survey and track every type of marketing available to your
business, you’d spend much more on tracking and surveying than
you would on the marketing itself.

If you have a multi-million dollar marketing budget then you can
afford to do some serious testing. Once your testing shows you
reasonable results, then you roll out the big campaigns on a
larger scale. But that only works because your testing costs are
a tiny fraction of your whole marketing plan.

But, for those of us with small, local businesses, this method
simply does not work. The testing would eat up most (or all) of
our marketing budgets.

However there are some things you can do to try to monitor what
is working. Over the next few months I will be writing in more
detail about these. (We don’t have room here in one article to
cover them properly.)

In the meantime, here are some tips to make your local marketing
work better and to help you monitor it.

1. Establish a budget and commit to it. Consider this as
important as your rent or payroll. Don’t make it a low priority
unless your revenue and profitability are low priorities. 2.
Decide what you want to say and whom you want to say it to. Keep
the message simple, clear and concise. 3. Decide if you want to
increase awareness for your brand or if you want a direct
response. These are two DIFFERENT goals and they require
different tools and strategies. 4. Remember your goal is
EXPOSURE. You want to expose your market to your message as
often as you can within your established budget. So spend your
marketing dollars to buy this exposure as effectively as you
can. 5. Stick to it for a reasonable amount of time. Don’t quit
after a couple months. Give it time to work. 6. Get feedback
from customers, friends, business associates, employees. Try to
find out WHO is seeing your message and HOW they are seeing it.
Always be willing to tweak and tune it as you go, based on
feedback. 7. Watch your revenue and your new customer activity.
Does it go up or down as you implement this marketing?

Remember, they key to getting more customers is to let more
people know who you are, what you can do for them and why they
should consider doing business with you. Focus your resources on
making sure your potential customers know you and remember you.
Then they will consider doing business with you.

If you focus too much on tracking, you can end up wasting time
and money on efforts do not build your business.

Great gifts for Mothers start with the types of gifts your Mother likes to receive, and then takes into consideration her favorite things in life! Ask yourself a few questions about why your Mom is unique:

• What does she like to do when she has spare time for herself? Does she like to sew, knit, garden, travel, read, play bingo, shop, see movies, etc?

• Is there some luxury item that she’s always wanted to buy for herself but she just hasn’t yet (and it’s in your price range)?

• Does she like to be pampered with girly body sprays, lotions, bath salts and facial masks?

• Is there something for the home (whether it be decorative or functional) that she’s always been meaning to buy?

Just remember. . .sometimes it’s the gift-giver that needs to step-out-of-the-box alittle when thinking of great gift ideas! Here are some of our favorite gifts for Mothers:

Adventure Gifts - A really fun gift for Mothers, why not provide her with an opportunity of a lifetime? Whether it be hang-gliding, whitewater rafting or a more tame activity like private chef cooking lessons, or professional golf lessons, adventure gifts can provide a NEW experience she’ll never forget!

Decorative Kitchen Towels - Great gifts for Mothers, decorative kitchen towels help spread a décor theme throughout the kitchen. In fact, checking out the latest decorative kitchen towels at retail can be a great tool for brainstorming a new decor theme!

Gardening Tool Set - Does your Mother love to garden? If so, select a gardening tool set complete with a garden digger, trowel, shovel and waist belt. Add some flower seeds you know she’ll like and a gardening hat to boot!

Homemade Gifts - Cherished gifts for Mothers, homemade gifts are always a welcome surprise! Especially for Mothers with small children, or new Mother gifts, homemade gifts make Mom feel special.

Restaurant Gift Certificates - A great gift for mothers, restaurant gift certificates give Mom a break from cooking and are always appreciated! Select her favorite restaurant for a special family outing, or a romantic dinner with Dad! A great new Mother gift, too, dining out gets Mom out of the house!

Reading Material - Select a good book or magazine on a topic that your mother likes to read or learn more about. I gave my Mother the National Audubon Society guides to wildflowers and birds as part of her Christmas gift one year, and she just loved them! A wonderful gift for new Mothers too, books or magazines on babies, parenting and fun family activities are always appreciated!

Scrapbooking Supplies - A great gift for Mothers, scrapbooking is all the rage! If your Mother loves scrapbooking, check out her photo albums and notice what type of stickers, stamps, markers and lettering she uses. Take mental notes of her graphic style, and surprise her with some fun, new scrapbooking supplies. They make great gifts for new Mothers, too, as they’re often eager to add captions to photos of their baby’s first experiences.

This is just a selection of the many wonderful Gifts for Mothers that we’ve come up with!

http://www.unique-gifts-for-her.com
http://www.modern-interior-decorating.com

The age of the internet is in full force these days and everyone from little kids to great-grandparents are utilizing this remarkable tool to do many things. One of the biggest growing uses of the internet these days is online shopping. You can buy everything online from computer games to houses, to fresh produce. You name it, it can be bought online. But with the amount of items for sale online, what is the best way to make sure you are buying smart?

Here are 7 Tips To Never Paying Retail:

Tip 1: Use your greatest resource.

The Internet is the fastest growing resource for consumers to research and purchase items. People are able to find detailed information about any product they wish to research. Shoppers can enjoy the convenience of shopping from home at any time of the day. Most Internet companies are offering free shipping, and by ordering through most, no tax also. It actually saves money to shop online.

Tip 2: Be patient.

If you must have it today, you will probably pay more than if you can wait a few days and look for the lowest price. If you plan ahead for what you would like to purchase you can save money on most everything. When you plan to make a purchase, consider the end of season. This is usually the best time to get a great deal. Put aside the money that you would use to purchase this item today, and have it handy for when the item is available on sale. You will be able to get more for the same amount of money.

Tip 3: Find a good resource.

Find a good resource, such as, www.WhatsYourDeal.com, where coupons, deals, and discounts are collected and posted daily. These are promotions retailers use to encourage internet shopping. Basically, the coupons are giving you free money. You are going to save money on items you were going to purchase anyway.

So, why would a retailer encourage shopping over the net? For a retailer, their overhead is dramatically reduced by removing fancy showcases, displays, and retail stores. They are able to cut costs and pass the savings on to the consumer. In this way they can increase volume.

Tip 4: Be persistent.

If you have a good resource, use it. Find your resource and use it daily. A quick scan of daily discounts will show if there is a coupon or code for your planned purchase. Make the deals page your default page in your web browser. A great deal is no good if you never hear about it. Remember some great deals sell out quickly and if you don’t act on it, it will quickly be gone. Check your resource a few times a day.

Tip 5: When you see a deal, go for it.

This is important. Many times we say “I should have bought that when I saw the sale.” When a good deal comes along, take advantage of it. But be sure to test if it is something you will use, something you can give away, or something you will use for future gifts. Future gifts we always need: wedding presents, baby presents, birthday gifts.

Tip 6: Using rebates to save.

Rebates are a great way to save money, but they are no good unless you send in the required information. A lot of items these days can be bought for next to nothing or even free with rebates. The reason retailers and manufacturers use rebates to make the price more enticing, is because most people do not send in for the rebates. Don’t be lax in this area, when you have made a purchase with a rebate, follow through and get your envelope ready, cut the UPC codes and send your receipts. Make copies of the receipts and keep track of the rebates you have sent in.

Tip 7: Never buy the “Latest and greatest”.

Latest and greatest may be the best thing for collectors and people who like blowing their money, but for most purchases, this is the most costly way to go. If you choose the next to the newest model, you will save a lot of money. End of season sales are another way to save. One area that you can take advantage of this is children’s clothing. If you purchase 6 months in advance, you can save fifty percent or more. Planning ahead can save you a lot of money.

Taking advantage of these tips can save you thousands of dollars a year.

Kim Sunshine - Consumer Savings Expert - Co-owner of http://www.WhatsYourDeal.com - A Deal Site.

Last year our household saved over $7,000.00 using these same techniques. Come save with us as we cut the cost of living.

What?! You still take your contacts out and clean them every day? I can’t tell you how happy I am that I don’t have to do that anymore. The good news is, neither do you!

I’m talking about Focus Night & Day contact lenses. If you haven’t heard of them, they’re contacts that you can wear for up to 30 days continuously. You never have to take them out before that!

As an avid mountain biker and outdoorsman in general, it’s not always practical for me to take my contacts out. It’s a pain to have to take my contacts out while camping, and it’s not exactly safe, either. First thing, I doubt that my contacts would be very clean after sitting around out in the woods. Second, what if I need to get up early and do something? My uncorrected vision won’t let me do too much.

Do you like to hike, camp, swim, bike, run, canoe, fish, or hunt? If you answered yes to any of those, then Focus Night & Day contacts could be for you. Or if you are just sick of having to take your contacts out at night only to put them back in the next day, these lenses are just what you have been waiting for!

Now that I have these, I don’t even think about Lasik surgery anymore. Switching contacts once a month isn’t that big of a deal, more of a compromise between the hassle of contacts and the risk of Lasik.

Here are some tips if you decide to get Focus Night & Day:

1. Ask your optometrist for a trial pair. This way you can try them out for free to make sure they work for you.

2. Get some lens drops. These lenses will dry out a little easier since they never leave your eyes, so it’s a good idea to keep some drops handy.

3. When you switch to a new pair at the end of the month, let your eyes go for a full day without contacts. They need some time to breathe.

The first few days, I actually felt like taking them out at night, out of habit. After that short adjustment period, I realized that these contacts are amazing!

Want to buy some now?

Check out TheContactLensesStore, which has the lowest price I could find online.

Enjoy your new vision! I know I will.

Levi Bloom is an avid outdoorsman who hikes, bikes, camps, swims, and more. He frequently writes about the outdoors, sports, health, and fitness. Find more of his insights at BloomBikeShop.Com and RunnersResource.Com.

“The World Wide Marketplace” (c)janes-place

Some of you have asked about marketing outside of the internet.
To be effective, you “must” have tools. It’s time consuming to
search for the tools that you need. Here are some tools that I
use and have found them to be effective:

1) I had business cards printed up “Free” and I place one in
every piece of correspondence I mail out. The quality of these
cards really are impressive! Get your business cards free here:
http://janes-place.com/marketing.htm Click on the small banner
on the navigation bar. It says Free Business Cards.

2) I also had return labels printed up with my name, address and
URL, at the same place I got my business cards. Every time I
mail a letter, they are exposed to my URL. Eventually it will be
burned in their minds.

3) Since the printing on labels are so small, I had a
self-inking stamp printed up and stamp every piece of mail that
goes out of this house. Even the postal people can see this!

4) I read ezines. Every article you read is the way that person
does things. You take what you can use from the article and
leave the rest.

5) I download a lot of ebooks and read them! A lot of people
download ebooks, but never read them. Say you don’t have time? I
use to say that too! I now print them out and read them when I
am waiting to see the doctor, dentist, anyplace where I have to
wait. I always have a highlighter in my purse and highlight
information that I find useful. That way later, I don’t have to
read the whole article again to find the information I’m looking
for. You will find a lot of good ebooks at janes-place:
http://janes-place.com/Downloads.htm
http://janes-place.com/InterNETACTIVE.htm
http://janes-place.com/ezineadvertising.htm
http://janes-place.com/quickway.htm
http://janes-place.com/more_downloads.htm I am working right now
to get some more up to help with your marketing efforts.
Download these ebooks and read them! They are there to help you!

6) I also jot down notes in the margin, like “try this”, or
“check this out”. That way, when I’m ready to use the
information in the ebook, I go thru my notes.

7) When I go shopping, I strike up conversations with fellow
shoppers. I “always” get around to asking the question, “Do you
have a computer?” Nine times out of ten, the answer is, “Yes”. I
reach into my purse, pull out one of my business cards and give
them one. I invite them to visit my site and sign-up for my
newsletters.
When I call another business, or they call me, I tell them
about my site. For example, a lady called me the other day to
get me to sign-up for MCI Long Distance service for my phone. I
immediately brought up the subject of my internet business. As
we talked, I found out that she was a new user of the internet
and her mother made dolls that she wanted to put on the
internet. I told her that I had a solution for both of them. She
needed to sign-up for Newbie & Affiliate SOS Newsletter, to
learn more about the internet and her mother could go to my site
and place a free classified ad for her doll business and that
there were a lot of other “Free Marketing Tools” on my site for
her to use. Guess what? I just acquired two new customers and
friends.

9) Everyone that I encounter in everyday life is a potential
customer! They may not visit today or tomorrow, but they know
that my site exists, because I told them about it! Have you ever
taken someone’s card, put it in your wallet or on top of a
table, then forgot about it? You happen to see it again while
cleaning out your wallet or the table. You think, “Oh, I forgot
all about this!”. You then recall the conversation that took
place when you received the card and realize that this is
something that you need to do or want to do? I have and a lot of
other people do the same thing.

10) Find local places on the internet to advertise. For example,
we have a site for the city where I live. I have placed a
classified ad to let everyone in my city know that my site
exists and I’m local. This makes people willing to do business
with you. You are local! They somehow “feel safer”, knowing that
you live close by.

11) I have placed an ad in our local newspaper. There are a lot
of new people buying computers that can benefit from my “newbie
tips” in Newbie & Affiliate SOS Newsletter, but they can’t
benefit from my newsletter, if they don’t know about it!

12) We have a lot of local swap meets in our town. I visit them
and pass out flyers. I stand by the front gate and pass them out
as customers enter. Yes, some throw them away, but some will
read them and use them. I have a relative that works one of the
local swap meets. I have printed up flyers and he sits them on a
table with a large FREE Take One! sign in front of them.

There is a whole world to get your message to out there. Why
just concentrate just on the internet?

I also advertise my ink affiliate locally. Everyone needs
printer ink and would love to save money on it! I have to let
them know that a local internet user uses the ink and has a site
that they can order it from.

I have printed up flyers and distribute them locally, in
offices, businesses, any place that will allow me to place them
in their establishment.

The world is a huge Marketplace. Learn to use it to your
advantage.