Affiliate Marketing-And Working At Home

Affiliate Marketing-And Working At Home
By Vickie J. Scanlon

I received an email that asked - "Is affiliate marketing a fast way to make money"? My answer: No, but you can make money. And, Affiliate Marketing can be one way in which an individual can work from their home. But my advice, start your online business, while you are still working. Because it will take time. With that being said, what are the pros and cons of an affiliate business?


Pros

First, with an online affiliate business you do not have to worry about commuting back and forth from work. You are-there, so to speak. However, it is a business and you and you alone have to do the work. Does that mean long hours? More than likely. Does it mean some disappointments? Certainly.

Second, no dress code. You can sit in everyday clothes and write your articles, or update your site, and no one will care. And, it saves you money.

Third, you can start an online business with a small outlay of money.
At the least, starting an affiliate business, requires a website or blog-or both. You will need to pay for a website-to have the element of professionalism. No sense having ads that belong to the webhost, right. Or you can try your hand at a blog, if your passion is more content based, and you can get a blog for free. So what is the bare minimum of cost?

Your costs could include:
1) Cost for website
2) Internet connection
3) FTP software to upload your copy
4) Your labor-which you will give passionately


Cons to a Home/affiliate business

First, anything that is home-based will require you to deal with one important issue - isolation. There will be no co-workers to speak to, or to parlay questions. It's just you. So prepare for some outings to keep you fresh and less isolated.

Second, just because you are working on the Internet does not mean they you are on easy street, or you will get fast money. Not true. You are starting a business, it's just online. So, no you will not get quick money. Why? The Internet is wide open to all. Thus, the search engines are not going to instantly put you up at the top, or Index you instantly. It takes time and patience-and you can pay your dues while the search engines get to know you and the legitimacy of your business.

Third, if you have no knowledge of the workings of the Internet, this will slow your progress to success. Just keep putting one step in front of the other -and move forward.


Naive Thoughts

I thought I should include the naive thoughts about an Internet business. Because it is always wise to get past the disappointment to move forward. It goes like this. Yes, you will actually
have to work to see some success with your business. Do not believe those that say, I only work 3 hours a day and made $10,000 this month. This leads me to this naive thought....

You will find instant success with great sums of money flowing into your coffers. Wow, I wish that was true. Unless of course, you are lucky. But if you have little or not knowledge about the ways of the Internet, it will slow your progress. There is a lot to learn, and let me tell you, it is not at all like a brick and mortar business.

Learning the ways of the Internet takes time. Yes, you'll have successes, and that will move you forward. But, also there will be some mistakes. And sometimes these mistakes may take several months to recover from. But then again, these mistakes, as I have found out, usually do not happen again, especially if it costs you money.

To conclude, there are pros and cons to anything you do. But the bottom line is this-do you have the will and determination to continue in the face of disappointment? If you said yes. Then begin your business online-and work toward success.
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Your Business – Your Health

Your Business – Your Health

By Vickie J. Scanlon

So you have a business, and you’re working hard. Sometimes, when you are really focuses on your business, you neglect certain things, like-your health. So what do you need to think about.

Your Weight

I have found, to my dismay that my weight began to creep up once I started a home business. That was because I was spending a lot of time in front of the computer, trying to crank out a business-I wasn’t moving. And, I began to pursue some rather bad habits:

1. The refrigerator would call me-whenever I happen to be near. I guess, it was and is too accessible. (Boy is that an understatement.)
2. Not enough exercise

Those two things cause my weight to creep up. What can you do? Well, you can say, “Gee, my clothes must of shrink.” Or you can stand in front of the mirror and say, “I don’t look to bad.” Self-justification is a killer isn’t it? And trust me it doesn’t help.

So what do you need to do? Simple: Get up and start moving and be more conscious of when and how much you are eating.

Exercise and controlled eating will help you keep these risk health factors under control: cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes. With that being said, I guess it’s about time I go for my walk before I tackle my next four hours in front of my computer.

To conclude, since summer is almost upon us, it’s time to take a little time out for you on a daily basis. Absorb the sunshine and some light conversation and keep your health in check- it’s important for both you and your family.
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More On Affiliate Programs

More On Affiliate Programs

By Vickie J Scanlon



How do you choose an affiliate program? Simple question, but is the answer that simple? Yes and no. Let me explain.

First things first - If you are just starting out with a new website or blog, do not be surprised that sometimes the affiliate program you are asking to join will say – no. This, I must remind you, is only a temporary setback. And yes, it won’t be the last time you will see this happen. Even after you are established, you may find the “I regret” message occasionally hit your email. You have to say, “That’s okay”, and move on.


Learning By Doing

There are a lot of lessons to be learned, and yes, trial and error on your part is necessary-to find out what works and what does not work. So to begin, let me say....

The most important lesson that I learned is to select a product or service that compliments your niche or theme. Trust me, if it doesn’t fit your niche or blend well with your other products you won’t see the sales you expect. In fact, it may confuse your visitors-and cause a quick click away.

Second, to begin your affiliate search, look to affiliate brokerage firms such as: Commission Junction, Linkshare, OneNetworkDirect (software), or Clickbank (software). These affiliate brokerage firms give you many choices to choose from to get your affiliate business jumpstarted. Granted, the companies that you choose to go with, may still stay no-but the choices are many.

Third, do not restrict yourself to one product or service. Yes, many will disagree with me, by saying – “no, no just select one or two products and advertise like crazy.” When I first began, I thought –okay that sounds good. But…I ask you this: What happens if the product or service you relied on decides to fold their affiliate program? It happens. In other words, do not put all your eggs into one basket. I would attempt to build my affiliate programs up to a minimum of five products or service. Why? If one program slides, you still have other programs to rely on for income.

Fourth, do your research. Always research the programs you want to join. Here are several questions to ask yourself: 1) is their customer service good; 2) how new of a company are they. In other words, think like a consumer, as well as, guard your online creditability and integrity to the highest.

To conclude, as your affiliate business or website grows you may be surprised to find that some affiliate managers will be requesting that you join their program. Take the flattery that they offer, but never blindly accept until you have checked them out.

About the Author:
Vickie J Scanlon -- Visit her site at: http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz
for tools, ebook reviews, computers, security software and products for business, and how to info for the Affiliate Marketer/Internet Marketer. Catch all her articles on her blog- My Affiliate Place Blog.

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