Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Are Bad Times Really a Blessing?
This week I’m going to talk about something different… something that will allow you to look at the negative in a completely different light.
Hey, it wasn’t me who burned the economy by allowing banks to leverage their assets by 30:1, I’m just the spectator trying to make my way through the aftermath. Politicians and economists are clowns in a circus- all we can do is watch and be entertained by them.
Right now, you’re hoping for the best as we charge through 2015. You’re hoping that everything will be okay and that you will get more out of this year then you did the last. We want more income security, the value of our home and assets to increase, and to live the good life.
Great.
But what if life is trying to teach us something? What if you could learn from the bad times.
A wise man once told me that whenever you feel life pushing you around, don’t get upset; it’s trying to give you a lesson… to make you a better and happier person.
It’s one thing to learn from our mistakes, but there’s something even more special about seeing an inner message in those mistakes…
What I’m saying is: instead of stressing about your lifestyle being threatened, perhaps the greater lesson is that your lifestyle was flawed in the first place.
We as a people lost our way long ago. For many, hardship has become not being able to show off the latest Chanel purse, or not being able to trade up to a house with the same square footage as your buddy’s or not having the newest cell phone.
As a society, we got addicted to ‘stuff’. Material possessions. The world grew to count on Americans as the chumps of last resort to sell crap to. China’s economy was built on that fact. All the time Americans use credit cards in shopping malls, the world continued to turn.
Life is teaching the brief inhabitants of the third rock from the sun a lesson. Maybe it’s to stop us from blowing each other up. After all, if we’re prepared to fight illegal wars (i.e. a wars that the U.N. did not sanction) to keep gas prices down so we can drive ludicrous gas-guzzlers, it’s fair to argue something needed to change.
On a side note, I don’t care what car you drive, just don’t bitch about gas prices if you drive a Suburban! And no, I don’t drive a Prius.
Maybe you’ve lost your job. Maybe it’s threatened (and you usually won’t know it’s threatened until you’re actually fired).
What’s the worst that can happen? Will you starve?
Maybe in the great depression, but not in this era. If you and your loved ones have shelter, food and water you’re in better shape than a lot of the world.
And did/do you actually enjoy that job anyway?!
Do you need a certain level of salary just so you could live in the good part of the town where your job was? Well guess what, now you don’t need to live in that town! In fact, you may not even want to live in a town at all. Now you can move somewhere you’ve always wanted to.
Life is giving you a chance to re-evaluate our lives. To take a step back.
Surely we hear all the horrible reports of mass shootings and other crimes on a constant basis. What you don’t often read about is all the good that is done by regular folks all over the country.
A person’s true colors come out in a crisis. Some yes, will turn to the dark side, but you’ll also see the better side of human nature. Life is making us connect with each other once again; we’ve not only lost touch with what life’s all about, we’ve lost touch with each other.
A long period of prosperity as we’ve had can actually be very stressful. People feel pressured to get indebted just to keep up with everyone else.
I for one try to maintain a reasonably modest lifestyle, though towards the end of the boom I succumbed to certain pressures to keep up with the Jones’s. But the Jones’s lifestyle was a big façade…
As the saying goes, “When the tide goes out, you see who’s been swimming naked.”
Well, I’m sure during the recession you saw so many naked bodies you thought you were in a nudist colony! You can most certainly make your own American Dream, but it can’t be done on a revolving line of credit.
The good news is that regardless of what the media says, the playing field has never been more level than it is right now. More million dollar businesses are being started at kitchen tables and in basements then in any other time in human history. The point is you don’t need a lot to make it and live the good life.
I know there’s all those toys, but take it from someone who’s been there and done it, toys don’t fill the soul. And they make you a lot poorer!
If you’ve been sucked too far in to the ‘game’, I don’t doubt your family missed you. Their Mom and/or Dad were gone for a while there, but now they’re back- physically and mentally…
THAT IS, if you can let go and basically get off the merry go round and OPT OUT of the race with the Jones’s. Re-evaluate what you actually need and want from life.
If you’re struggling just take a moment to wonder if this isn’t a blessing in disguise. Maybe life’s giving you a second chance or giving you time-out to regroup and reconnect. Maybe the thing you feel you’re clinging on to by the fingernails right now isn’t worth clinging to.
“Failing” is a subjective word.
Regards,
Mark Patricks
Sunday, February 22, 2015
8 Surefire Ways to Never Get a Job
I had an interesting conversation today with Patrick Coffey. He is in the process of hiring a new customer service representative to join the team. And boy did he have a lot to say about the hiring process!
He posted the job opening on CareerBuilder just two weeks ago and in that short period of time they have received over 500 applications! That’s a lot of résumés to look through. Thus it takes a lot for a person to stand out among the crowd.
Now I know you read our Easy Street newsletter each week to learn money saving tips and tricks. But in order to save money you have to make money, so I thought it prudent to tell you the eight most common mistakes Patrick is seeing. Some are obvious while some, I’m sure you’ve never thought of.
Mistake #1: Typos!
Nothing says “I really don’t want this job!” like a misspelling or incorrect information. Double and triple check your résumé for typos. Have a third person look over your résumé and cover letter before you hit send. Careless and easily correctible spelling mistakes are an easy way for hiring managers to pass you over.
Mistake #2: Disregarding Your Online Reputation
If Patrick liked an applicant’s résumé the next step would be to check out their Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages. “You can learn a lot about a person online. One applicant had semi-nude pictures of herself on her Facebook page. Another had her privacy settings activated but had a message up that referred to ‘f%$* buddies’ and other sexual encounters.”
Job applicants should assume employers are checking out their web pages. They use social media and other web pages to judge the character of an applicant. Pictures with inappropriate clothing, bad mouthing an employer, references to drugs and alcohol can all put a potential candidate out of the running.
Remove all scandalous material and put up only appropriate pictures up while searching for a job. Facebook provides privacy settings so use them!
Mistake #3: No Cover Letter
To compete against the hundreds and maybe even thousands of other job applicants you need to find a way to stand out. A cover letter is a great way to do that.
Write a paragraph or two explaining yourself and why you would make a great addition to their team. Personalize the letter with the name of the hiring manager instead of To Whom It May Concern. Reiterate the position you are applying for and your qualifications in the first paragraph.
This is also a good place to site examples rather than mention general skills. If you are applying for a marketing position, cite a time when you used your marketing expertise to execute a marketing campaign.
Mistake #4: Violating Interview Etiquette
You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. If a potential candidate is lucky enough to make it to the next round in the interview process a face to face interview is arranged.
That means dressing appropriately for the interview, arriving on time and having a firm handshake. Research ahead of time what type of company you are interviewing with. If it’s a financial company wear a conservative suit or dress, no loud prints or colors. Likewise interviewing with an internet company a tie without a jacket may be appropriate. Try to gleam this from the tone of the company’s website, when in doubt overdress with a conservative outfit.
To go along with your clothing arrive at an appropriate time. Arriving late to an interview is not an option. Arrive five to ten minutes early, but no more than that. Being too early can be just as bad as arriving late. To make sure you arrive on time do a dry run the day before your interview to make sure you know where the company is located and how long it will take you to get there.
Employers also judge potential candidates based on how firm their handshake is. Many applicants provide a weak handshake due to nervousness or stress. A limp hand will be remembered far longer than a strong one.
Mistake #5: Not Researching the Company Before The Interview
Undoubtedly you will be asked if you checked out the company’s website during an interview. No matter what, ALWAYS review it. If you don’t have access to a computer or the internet use a friends. This step is so important and a big reason why some candidates don’t get hired.
I sat in on an interview a few years ago, the applicant had the experience we were looking for, answered every question appropriately and did everything right, except check out our company’s website ahead of time. This one fact cost the applicant the job.
Employers are looking for reasons not to hire you. Don’t give them one. Read over all company material ahead of time to get a feel for the type of company they are. Make sure to compliment employers on their site when appropriate and ask questions about any content. Be able to express in words that you visited your potential employers’ website.
Mistake #6: Not Being Able to Give Examples
There are questions you will be asked no matter what job or industry you are interviewing in. Ask a friend or relative to go over these questions with you ahead of time and come up with examples for each one. Preparation will take you far.
Make sure you have answered prepared for questions such as these:
-What is your biggest weakness?
-Give an example of your leadership abilities?
-Describe a situation in which you had to work with a difficult person. How did you handle it?
-What have you been up to since your last job?
No matter what question you get, never answer with just a “yes” or a “no”. Employers are trying to learn as much as possible about you so expand on your responses and give examples. About.com provides answers that any employer would like to hear to these typical interview questions.
Mistake #7: Not Asking Any Questions
An interview is a two way street. Employers conducting interviews like it when potential candidates ask them questions too. Don’t be afraid to ask about something that confuses you or interests you about the position or company. Asking questions shows a potential employer you are interested in the job and have done your due diligence before the interview. Great questions to ask are:
-Is this a new position?
-What happened to the last person that held this job?
-What are the day-to-day responsibilities of this job?
-Can you describe an ideal employee?
-How do you see the company in the next five years?
Employers will judge you based on the types of questions you ask. Ask open ended questions and not one’s easily answered by a simple web search. Don’t ask about salary or vacation time during your first phone or face to face interview.
Mistake #8: No Follow Up
Following an interview send a thank you letter to the employer. If most of your contact has been through email then sending a thank you letter via email is appropriate. Make sure to reiterate your interest in the position and remind the employer of any vital qualifications you possess. If there is anything you failed to mention during the interview mention it at this time. Keep your follow up brief and to the point.
A major purpose of the follow up is to demonstrate that you have good manners. If more than a week has passed from the date you were told you would hear from the employer send an additional email inquiring about the position. This will demonstrate your continued interest in the company and willingness to go the extra mile.
At every chance try to show your potential employer you are the best candidate for the job. Do your due diligence, practice your answers and know the proper interview etiquette to ensure a fighting chance at getting the job. Interviewing can be stressful, but taking the proper steps necessary to beat out your competition will help ensure you’re the right man for the job.
Good luck!
Keeping Money in Your Pocket,
Nancy Patterson
Friday, February 20, 2015
Getting to know money - and yourself
MANILA, Philippines – Have you ever dared to ask yourself this question: If money were a person, who would it be? What will he or she look like? Is he or she going to be a friend, a special someone, a parent or an enemy?
Reality TV show star and Canadian entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary said, “Here's how I think of my money: As soldiers. I send them out to war everyday. I want them to take prisoners and come home, so there's more of them.”
The way you think about money directly impacts your financial behavior and decisions. If you think you need to change the way you view money and get to know yourself a little bit more in this area of your life, you will need to consider these following principles:
1. Get rid of guilt.
If you must start anew with your financial life, you should forget the past and the guilt from your mistakes. Focus on the future instead. Shun those thoughts that keep reminding you of what you should have done before with your finances so you could have been this and that today. Those thoughts will never help.
Consider investing in the market. There are many ways to do so. Begin by exploring your options. You can also open a small business or a savings account (if you haven’t done so before) to start getting your finances in order.
2. Be friends with money.
Some people say that money is your friend only if you know how to manage it. But that might not be the case all the time. You can start friendship with money by knowing what it should and should not be. Learn how to manage it. Practice wise financial habits. Make the most out of the online resources, books and seminars that talk about these things.
3. Remember that you are in control.
To help ourselves out, we can pretend for a while that money is a person. But the hard truth is it is an object which you can have control over. You can do whatever you want with it. While this is the case though, don’t forget that you should also be a good steward of money. Keep some for emergencies. Avoid overspending. Pay your bills on time. Make money work for you.
4. Share what you have.
Are you afraid to give? Someone once said that wealth is measured not by what you have but by how much you give. Giving plays a significant role in our financial lives. In many cases, giving yields the maximum ROI. You can share your money for a good cause like getting involved in a charitable activity.
So, who is money to you? Remember: If you change the way you think about money for the better, your financial attitude and decisions will never be the same.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Seeing Your Goals Through
A new you starts with a dream...
Let me tell you up front that if you do not have a dream, you will not become a millionaire other than by winning a game of chance. It's just too hard.
To make this kind of money you need to be laser-beam focused, and you can't be that if you only have a half-hearted interest in what you are doing. You know this is true.
How? Just look at some famous multimillionaires who still keep working ten or twelve hours a day, even though they don't need the money.
Why do they do this? Because they have a passion for what they do. They would probably do it without payment!
Dreaming is a type of visualisation. It is visualisation plus passion. These are the things that you really want to be, to have or to do. If you do not achieve these things over (say) the next ten years, you are going to be seriously disillusioned and upset.
You should be able to write a list of six such things. If you cannot think of a single one then you are most unlikely ever to live a life of power and passion. Also, your chances of making big money are vanishingly small. If you’re like, this is your first reality check.
Can you think of a few things about which you are passionate? One or two things which you care deeply about? Just one would be a start.
Don't beat yourself up if you cannot immediately think of something. It is hard to dream up a better life for yourself due to the decades of negative conditioning you have allowed yourself to accept. How often did your teachers, parents and friends encourage you to dream and ask you to share your vision with them? Approximately never? I thought so! How often did someone shoot your fledgling dreams down in flames or pour scorn upon them? Small wonder that your dreams are not on public display.
Here is a little exercise that might help.
Imagine walking into a room and meeting the 'you' of ten years from now. What will you be wearing? Where will you be living? What will your lifestyle be like? What car will you be driving? Will you be running a business? If so, how successful will you be? What will your net worth be?
You really only have three choices here about how the ‘you of the future’ will look, and this is where the power of this exercise lies:
1. Somewhere in between how you are now, and a depressed, broke and scruffy vagrant.
2. An exact clone of how you are now - absolutely nothing has changed in a decade.
3. A happier, wealthier, healthier version of the ‘you of today.’
Only a suicidal depressive would visualize number one. Number two is effectively saying that nothing will change; you will not grow over the next ten years, you will not get richer, happier, wiser, healthier - anything. The 'you of tomorrow' will be indistinguishable from the 'you of today.'
So that just leaves number three, and if you selected this it remains for you to back this glittering vision of the 'future you' with all the force of your imagination.
Having imagined how you will be in the next ten years, here is a really neat to trick to help you achieve it.
Ask yourself the following questions:
“What do I need to achieve in the next 12 months in order to make my future dream a reality?”
“What do I need to do in the next month to start myself on this journey?”
“What can I do by next week to prepare myself for the journey?”
“What can I do right now, today, in order to start this process off?”
Do you see how this works?
You need to dream, but this is not enough. Dreams come a size too large so that you can grow into them and this means that dreams are too large to realize all at once.
Our minds are finite, and so all large projects must be broken down into bite-sized chunks otherwise we become discouraged by the scale of the endeavor. This is one of the secret keys of successful people. They are undaunted by large projects, because they use the trick of breaking them down into simple steps. Each step is easily manageable, and can be completed in anything from a few hours to a few weeks.
In contrast, it is useful to analyze the situation of people who are stuck, both monetarily and in spirit, if only to allow you to avoid these errors. This is based on my experience of decades of dealing with both winners and temporary losers in the game of life.
1. They are frightened. Their lives are dominated by fear. They see the world as a scary, threatening place and crave security, dullness, mediocrity. They long for every day to be the same as the last and become scared and upset if even a small change breaks the monotony of their days.
2. They completely lack visualization ability. If asked to visualize their future self, they would stare at you blankly. They are not pretending. They do not even understand what you mean by this exercise. If you force them to try, they'll come back with nothing more than a shrug.
3. Assuming that you could drag some sort of dream out of them (for example wanting to be worth a million dollars some day) then they would be wholly incapable of working backwards from that point to the present, and suggesting actions they might have to take in order to make this come about. Again, they are not faking. There is now; there is the future; and in between, a yawning, fathomless chasm - a blank.
4. Even if you were to write the steps out, 1-100, with a check box next to each one, they absolutely lack the discipline even to start on the task, let alone complete the steps. At the first slight downfall, or negative comment from a friend, they will give up. In any situation that requires a choice between working for a better future, and instant gratification now, they will unfailingly choose instant gratification.
But this is not you, hopefully. If you recognize yourself here, then don't worry because it is possible to change and get out of this 'stuck' pattern you are in.
You need to develop the habits of a winner. You want to enjoy today, but have an even better tomorrow waiting for you. To do this you must model yourself on winners - people who have achieved great things in their lives. I am talking here about 'winners' and 'losers' but I do not mean the term 'loser' in the usual derogatory sense. By a 'loser' I mean someone who, by their own definition of winning and losing, is falling well short of where they want to be. By a 'winner' I mean someone who, by their own definition of winning and losing, is pulling ahead of the game and achieving that which they set out to achieve.
This is how a winner operates:
1. They are brave. Like all human beings they feel fear, but have mastered it and are able to rise above it. While they acknowledge that there are frightening people and places in the world, in general they view the world as a benevolent place, full of great opportunities and wonderful people. This is a vital principle. Winners view the world as mainly benevolent with some bad bits. Losers see the world as mainly malevolent with some good bits.
2. They are good visualizers. They have the ability to imagine the future, often in glorious Technicolor detail. They have high self-esteem, and know that they are worth more than they have at present. Life to them is an exciting adventure to be lived to the fullest. In contrast, losers view life as a terrible chore to be somehow 'got through' with as little pain as possible.
3. They are intelligent and logical. If they have a dream of the future, they know the secret technique for making this happen. Today's dreams are tomorrow's realities. They know that large projects cannot be tackled by finite human minds unless they are broken down into manageable, bite-sized pieces. They are able to work backwards from a future dream to the present day, and to list the logical steps required to make that dream come true.
4. Having written down the steps required to achieve their goals, they know what is required next. Action. Up until this point, all of their plans amount to little more than ethereal hot air. It is action which grounds the circuit and allows the current to flow. They know that the journey will be long and hard. Any worthwhile dream will involve hard work, concentrated effort and some suffering to attain. They need one more quality. Discipline. This keeps them going during setbacks, when the list seems too long, and when others heap mirth and derision upon their efforts.
Five Tips to Turbo-Charge Your Dream
1. Dream of a brighter tomorrow. Your yearning power is more important than your earning power.
2. Be rational. Mysticism is your mortal enemy. There are obvious, logical steps between here and your dreams. Write them down in bite-sized chunks and follow them like a route map.
3. Act. All is dust without action. Action is the key.
4. Be disciplined. Life is tough. Fight. Others want you to fail. Ignore them. The world is against you - go your own way. People will spout nonsense - ignore it.
5. Start today. Procrastination is the thief of time. Winners start right now. Losers chatter to themselves that they will start 'one day real soon.' It never happens.
Regards,
Mark Patricks
Friday, February 13, 2015
The Effective Newsletter: Your Gateway to Success
When a marketer or entrepreneur like you is trying to get a business started, the key to success is to get the attention of and build relationships with prospects and potential customers.
Sure, it's obvious. But I wanted to mention that simple fact right at the top, as many businesspeople in startup mode seem to forget it. Anyway, there are hundreds of methods for marketing your business, especially online.
But one of the best ways to promote your online business is actually a simple “updating” of a form of marketing in use for decades in the offline world.
I'm talking about a newsletter, which is simply a publication sent to a group ofsubscribers. The type of newsletters we're talking about today are free – you'll see why in a moment.
You see, for many companies, it's quite difficult to convince a prospect to spend money on their first visit to a website. With the newsletter, full ofvaluable and useful free content, you have regular contact with those people, allowing them to get to know you well enough to actually spend money.
What can you talk about in a newsletter?
There are a ton of financial and investing newsletters that offer investment advice and news. Natural health newsletters are also huge. But really a newsletter can be about any subject that people have an interest in – and you're willing to publish.
No wonder there are dog training newsletters, organic tomato growing newsletters... Pretty much anything you can think of... there's a newsletter.
In the old days, newsletters were sent out via snail mail. If you had thousandsof subscribers, postage could be pretty expensive. That expense was a barrier to entry of many businesses who wanted to put out a newsletter but couldn't afford it.
But in your case, the newsletter is online and sent out by email. It could come in the form of the body of an email, an attached PDF, or even in “page turning” software that replicates the experience of reading a print publication. However you deliver your newsletter, your delivery costs are very cheap because it's all digital.
As you can see, a newsletter is many things: an informative document, a sales opportunity, a call to action, and an introduction of your business to potential customers. A well-crafted newsletter can mean the difference between your business breaking even and breaking the bank.
In this article, I'm going to tell you how to craft the perfect newsletter. You'll learn to grab the attention of people and get them to buy what you are selling. Whether you're selling advice, widgets, or a lifestyle, an effective newsletter is the first - and arguably the most integral - step in securing those all-important sales with your online business.
The Email Newsletter as Marketing Tool
A newsletter introduces potential clients to you, your business, and your products. For this reason, it's longer than a banner ad, more detailed than a sales email, and gives the potential client just enough information for them to want more. Remember, in the newsletter model we're discussing today, your newsletter is free and offers valuable free information. But you're NOT giving away all your secrets.
The best information – and the product itself – has to be paid for.
An effective newsletter is not selling your product directly – although you might include some ads in your publication; it is selling yourself and your competence. Present a newsletter that hits all the right notes, and it literally doesn't matter what you're selling; people in that audience will be interested and be willing to pay to learn more.
So what goes into powerful newsletter?
First, you need to identify your audience. Are you targeting wealthy retirees in the market for Mexican vacation villas or are you going after work at home moms?
Once you know who your audience is, research them. What topics are trending in your targeted demographic? What are their concerns? Identify them and address them. Let your reader know that you know exactly what they're going through. And then - and this is critical part - let them know you have an answer. Don't give them the whole answer in your newsletter; just assure them that you possess the answer, whatever that answer may be.
This is the essence of an effective marketing newsletter. You want to come off as not only competent, but authoritative. Your clients need – and want – to trust you.
Which brings me to step two: research.
Research is your friend. Research will make you money. Research will grow your client base. Because nothing lends you credibility like accurate information. Throw in figures; not complex equations, but throw some numbers around. Add a visual element to your newsletter – whatever is appropriate to your niche. It could be a graph or pie chart or a sidebar with fast-facts or illustrations.
Incorporating visible statistics and data not only adds a dash of graphic stimulation to what could otherwise be a block of text, they are also easy to understand and pack a load of important information that could sway an on-the-fence client to a paying client.
An Integral Part of Your Marketing Package
While a strong newsletter is a vital part in any marketing campaign, it's just one piece of the puzzle. So, accordingly, it must fit in with the others. Other pieces of your marketing campaign might include a promo videos, email blasts, banner ads, social media campaigns, and so on.
The thing to keep in mind is that they should all push the same message. Ask yourself what you’re selling whenever you create an ad or content. Staying on topic is vital to your success.
Telling a Story
Above all, an effective marketing newsletter needs to engage the reader's interest. You could have the greatest product for sale since the electric light bulb, but if your marketing newsletter reads like the owner's manual for a lawnmower, well, all I can say is, "Good luck!"
That's why it's so important to craft an engaging newsletter. And nothing engages a reader like a good story. You don't have to be Hemingway, but couch your product and company information in a clean, simple story.
Maybe tell about the first time your product succeeded. Maybe talk about the Eureka! moment when the idea hit you. Or invite well-known experts in your niche to contribute content. Nothing lends you credibility like positive endorsements from third parties. If you don't know anyone in your industry personally, feel free to contact them via email. Most of them will be happy to oblige.
Avoid industry-specific jargon. Avoid cluttered lists of technical specifications.
But DO tell about how your product changed your life and the lives of others. Talk about how it could change the life of your newsletter reader. Include testimonials of people who have already tried your product and found success.
The Writing of the Newsletter
Now, you might be thinking, “Heck, I'm no wordsmith! How am I supposed to write a slick newsletter that will entice buyers?”
Not to worry! Look, most people can write a perfectly good newsletter. You know the subject already. Just write like you talk. Of course, for a busy entrepreneur that responsibility can get time-consuming. So there is no shame in going “outside” in that case.
There are plenty of writers out there – well-qualified marketing writers, no less – who would be more than happy to take on the writing duty for a small fee. All you'll need to provide is some basic information about your product or service, contact information, and any other points you want hammered home. Advertise on Elance.com or CraigsList.com and you'll soon have plenty ofoffers coming in.
Industries that Love Marketing Newsletters
The beauty of a marketing newsletter is that it can prove effective – and has proven effective – for just about every industry there is. Banking? Check. Retail? Check. Real estate? Check. Small business? Check.
Whether you're selling dominoes or diamonds, a well-crafted newsletter will increase your profit margin, guaranteed.
A Few More Basic Rules for Success
While there is no definitive formula for crafting the perfect marketing newsletter, there are a few tips that will serve you well:
• If it's an email newsletter, keep your subject line enticing, informative, and respectful
• Keep the length to about a page; if you're sending out monthly newsletters, this can be longer
• Use a simple and approachable writing style
• Give enough information to grab your reader's attention, but leave them wanting more
• No fancy fonts, please
• Proofread your newsletter. And then proofread it again. If you have a buddy who majored in English, ask him to look it over.
• Remember, first impressions are crucial. Spend time crafting the perfect headline.
• Write a number of different newsletters with different sales tactics: some direct, some indirect, some hard-hitting, some soft; then split test to see which was the most effective and concentrate on that type.
If you follow these simple rules and practice, you'll be crafting effective marketing newsletters in no time. But remember, there is no secret formula that guarantees your product's success. Practice, practice, and practice some more. If you do that, you'll be an expert in no time. And that's when your marketing newsletters start transforming into money in your bank.
I wish you the best of luck!
Patrick Coffey
Sure, it's obvious. But I wanted to mention that simple fact right at the top, as many businesspeople in startup mode seem to forget it. Anyway, there are hundreds of methods for marketing your business, especially online.
But one of the best ways to promote your online business is actually a simple “updating” of a form of marketing in use for decades in the offline world.
I'm talking about a newsletter, which is simply a publication sent to a group ofsubscribers. The type of newsletters we're talking about today are free – you'll see why in a moment.
You see, for many companies, it's quite difficult to convince a prospect to spend money on their first visit to a website. With the newsletter, full ofvaluable and useful free content, you have regular contact with those people, allowing them to get to know you well enough to actually spend money.
What can you talk about in a newsletter?
There are a ton of financial and investing newsletters that offer investment advice and news. Natural health newsletters are also huge. But really a newsletter can be about any subject that people have an interest in – and you're willing to publish.
No wonder there are dog training newsletters, organic tomato growing newsletters... Pretty much anything you can think of... there's a newsletter.
In the old days, newsletters were sent out via snail mail. If you had thousandsof subscribers, postage could be pretty expensive. That expense was a barrier to entry of many businesses who wanted to put out a newsletter but couldn't afford it.
But in your case, the newsletter is online and sent out by email. It could come in the form of the body of an email, an attached PDF, or even in “page turning” software that replicates the experience of reading a print publication. However you deliver your newsletter, your delivery costs are very cheap because it's all digital.
As you can see, a newsletter is many things: an informative document, a sales opportunity, a call to action, and an introduction of your business to potential customers. A well-crafted newsletter can mean the difference between your business breaking even and breaking the bank.
In this article, I'm going to tell you how to craft the perfect newsletter. You'll learn to grab the attention of people and get them to buy what you are selling. Whether you're selling advice, widgets, or a lifestyle, an effective newsletter is the first - and arguably the most integral - step in securing those all-important sales with your online business.
The Email Newsletter as Marketing Tool
A newsletter introduces potential clients to you, your business, and your products. For this reason, it's longer than a banner ad, more detailed than a sales email, and gives the potential client just enough information for them to want more. Remember, in the newsletter model we're discussing today, your newsletter is free and offers valuable free information. But you're NOT giving away all your secrets.
The best information – and the product itself – has to be paid for.
An effective newsletter is not selling your product directly – although you might include some ads in your publication; it is selling yourself and your competence. Present a newsletter that hits all the right notes, and it literally doesn't matter what you're selling; people in that audience will be interested and be willing to pay to learn more.
So what goes into powerful newsletter?
First, you need to identify your audience. Are you targeting wealthy retirees in the market for Mexican vacation villas or are you going after work at home moms?
Once you know who your audience is, research them. What topics are trending in your targeted demographic? What are their concerns? Identify them and address them. Let your reader know that you know exactly what they're going through. And then - and this is critical part - let them know you have an answer. Don't give them the whole answer in your newsletter; just assure them that you possess the answer, whatever that answer may be.
This is the essence of an effective marketing newsletter. You want to come off as not only competent, but authoritative. Your clients need – and want – to trust you.
Which brings me to step two: research.
Research is your friend. Research will make you money. Research will grow your client base. Because nothing lends you credibility like accurate information. Throw in figures; not complex equations, but throw some numbers around. Add a visual element to your newsletter – whatever is appropriate to your niche. It could be a graph or pie chart or a sidebar with fast-facts or illustrations.
Incorporating visible statistics and data not only adds a dash of graphic stimulation to what could otherwise be a block of text, they are also easy to understand and pack a load of important information that could sway an on-the-fence client to a paying client.
An Integral Part of Your Marketing Package
While a strong newsletter is a vital part in any marketing campaign, it's just one piece of the puzzle. So, accordingly, it must fit in with the others. Other pieces of your marketing campaign might include a promo videos, email blasts, banner ads, social media campaigns, and so on.
The thing to keep in mind is that they should all push the same message. Ask yourself what you’re selling whenever you create an ad or content. Staying on topic is vital to your success.
Telling a Story
Above all, an effective marketing newsletter needs to engage the reader's interest. You could have the greatest product for sale since the electric light bulb, but if your marketing newsletter reads like the owner's manual for a lawnmower, well, all I can say is, "Good luck!"
That's why it's so important to craft an engaging newsletter. And nothing engages a reader like a good story. You don't have to be Hemingway, but couch your product and company information in a clean, simple story.
Maybe tell about the first time your product succeeded. Maybe talk about the Eureka! moment when the idea hit you. Or invite well-known experts in your niche to contribute content. Nothing lends you credibility like positive endorsements from third parties. If you don't know anyone in your industry personally, feel free to contact them via email. Most of them will be happy to oblige.
Avoid industry-specific jargon. Avoid cluttered lists of technical specifications.
But DO tell about how your product changed your life and the lives of others. Talk about how it could change the life of your newsletter reader. Include testimonials of people who have already tried your product and found success.
The Writing of the Newsletter
Now, you might be thinking, “Heck, I'm no wordsmith! How am I supposed to write a slick newsletter that will entice buyers?”
Not to worry! Look, most people can write a perfectly good newsletter. You know the subject already. Just write like you talk. Of course, for a busy entrepreneur that responsibility can get time-consuming. So there is no shame in going “outside” in that case.
There are plenty of writers out there – well-qualified marketing writers, no less – who would be more than happy to take on the writing duty for a small fee. All you'll need to provide is some basic information about your product or service, contact information, and any other points you want hammered home. Advertise on Elance.com or CraigsList.com and you'll soon have plenty ofoffers coming in.
Industries that Love Marketing Newsletters
The beauty of a marketing newsletter is that it can prove effective – and has proven effective – for just about every industry there is. Banking? Check. Retail? Check. Real estate? Check. Small business? Check.
Whether you're selling dominoes or diamonds, a well-crafted newsletter will increase your profit margin, guaranteed.
A Few More Basic Rules for Success
While there is no definitive formula for crafting the perfect marketing newsletter, there are a few tips that will serve you well:
• If it's an email newsletter, keep your subject line enticing, informative, and respectful
• Keep the length to about a page; if you're sending out monthly newsletters, this can be longer
• Use a simple and approachable writing style
• Give enough information to grab your reader's attention, but leave them wanting more
• No fancy fonts, please
• Proofread your newsletter. And then proofread it again. If you have a buddy who majored in English, ask him to look it over.
• Remember, first impressions are crucial. Spend time crafting the perfect headline.
• Write a number of different newsletters with different sales tactics: some direct, some indirect, some hard-hitting, some soft; then split test to see which was the most effective and concentrate on that type.
If you follow these simple rules and practice, you'll be crafting effective marketing newsletters in no time. But remember, there is no secret formula that guarantees your product's success. Practice, practice, and practice some more. If you do that, you'll be an expert in no time. And that's when your marketing newsletters start transforming into money in your bank.
I wish you the best of luck!
Patrick Coffey
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Sports Fans, Problem Solvers, Clever Students… This Jobs for You
What do you do when you have a “burning” question?
Say you're at lunch with a friend, and he maintains that the Al Pacino movie, “Scent of a Woman,” was released in 1996. You say no way, it was 1992. (You're right.)
Or maybe you're walking home in a scary thunderstorm, and you wonder if more people have died being hit by lightning or from shark attacks. (You're 16 times more likely to be bitten by a shark than struck by lightning.)
Or maybe... just maybe, you're watching baseball one day and you wonder who has the record for the most home runs in a game. (Turns out that 16 players have hit four home runs in a game – they share the record.)
Where did you go to get those answers?
Most likely you went online, using a search engine. And you no doubt found that answer in seconds. What would have taken hours of research in the old days of encyclopedias, sports almanacs, movie guides, and other reference books, now takes a fraction of the time thanks to the availability of so many online resources dedicated to conserving information on just about any subject you can think of.
And that bodes well for you, if you're interested in making money online in an easy and hassle-free way. The thing is, those searches you just did, that online research you conducted to find an answer to those mundane questions... it's worth money to other people.
You see, if you're interested in online research or just interested in making some easy money from doing something you do every day anyway (look weird stuff up on Google), there's a great opportunity you may not know about: becoming a ChaCha Guide. And no, I'm not talking about the dance.
A ChaCha Guide works for themselves by helping others find information. These are folks that would rather not do the legwork because they're busy, don't know how to find information online, or are just plain lazy.
No matter. As a ChaCha guide you help them all... and get paid in the process.
You work for ChaCha.com. But really you're an independent contractor, a freelancer of sorts. You maintain your own schedule, working when and where you want. The only requirements for being a ChaCha Guide:
• Have a boundless curiosity
• Love helping others
• Excellent communication skills
• Desire to contribute to a community
That's the touchy-feely stuff. You should also have a high-speed Internet connection (who doesn't these days). And you must be over 18 years of age.
Sounds easy enough. If you possess these skills becoming a ChaCha Guide could be one of the most rewarding – personally and financially - jobs you'll ever have.
How ChaCha.com Can Work for You
The idea behind ChaCha.com is simple, yet ingenious: people go there with detailed, technical questions and post their queries. Then, folks like you - folks who love researching new topics, scour the web, using all the tricks they can think of, and answer those questions.
Here are a few examples of the questions that are on ChaCha.com right now:
"Who is the human resource director for Boulder City, NV?"
“When does the next season of Game of Thrones start?”
"Are there more unicellular or multicellular eukaryotic cells?"
"Why did Adam Smith insist that a market economy would produce consumer goods more efficiently than a command economy?"
“What states require a license to drive a motor scooter less than 50 cc?”
“What are some tips for creating a great fantasy football team?”
As you can see, some of these questions are very straightforward and easy to find the answer to. Others are a bit more difficult and chances are, you'll have to dig a little to come up with the correct answer.
That's why you - the Guide - get paid to provide correct answers. The people who post the questions are counting on you to find the answer.
But answering questions is just the tip of the iceberg. There are actually four different types of Guides, each one commanding a different pay rate.
The 4 Different ChaCha Guides
As I mentioned above, there are different Guide roles within ChaCha.com. They are:
Expeditor: You answer questions in real time, sending answers directly to a mobile phone. Questions can range from relationship advice to movie reviews, knock-knock jokes to common sense tips for teens. The goal of an Expeditor is to answer these questions rapidly. If the question is too difficult or requires research, it is sent to a Generalist Guide. ChaCha.com gets over 1 million questions each day, so there are plenty of opportunities for you to shine!
Generalist: The Generalist Guide is the meat-and-potatoes of ChaCha.com. They answer all types of questions, research every subject under the sun, are quick learners, and have exceptional web searching skills. Sound like you? If it does, get ready to broaden your horizons. Generalist Guides that perform at a top level are often featured on the ChaCha.com home page. It's a great way to establish a reputation online as a learned, reliable source of expert information.
Transcriber: A Transcriber Guide listens to voicemails left at 1-800-2ChaCha and types them into text questions. This is a great role if you have sharp ears and broad general knowledge, because you'll have to be able to discern the question from background noise and put it into a form that can be answered quickly. A Transcriber doesn't answer the questions, they just put the voicemails into the form of a text question that will be answered by the other Guides.
Vetter: As a Vetter Guide, you'll be answering questions rapid-fire style. If you're good at Jeopardy! or Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, you'll be great as a Vetter. A good Vetter has a positive attitude, a great sense of humor, and quick typing skills. You'll be answering more questions than an Expeditor and a Generalist, so having a flair for the creative is also a useful skill to have as a Vetter.
To be honest, the job you want is the Generalist position. You get paid 10 to 20 cents per completed task, the highest of the different categories. Granted, that doesn't sound like very much. But when you consider how easy many ofthe questions you receive will be and how little time it'll take you to find the answer, it's not bad at all. And you can make a nice chunk of change. Try $9 to $10 an hour for answering simple questions.
Of course, you're never going to get rich doing this. But you can expect to make a nice little side income as you work on another part-time business. It can also be a great way to make extra money after your full-time job. The best part is that it'll be doing something you're doing already anyway (online research).
The Nuts & Bolts of Being a ChaCha Guide
It's actually pretty simple to become a ChaCha.com Guide: just click over tobecomeaguide.chacha.com and register for the role you're interested in. There are a few basic requirements that are recommended, aside from the high-speed Internet connection I already mentioned:
• Guides should have a computer with at least 1GB of RAM
• You should provide a standard W-9 Form
The cool part is that as a Guide you get access to search tools and other training to make your job even easier. And an even higher-level benefit is that as you work as a ChaCha Guide, you gain knowledge you never would have without this opportunity and have the chance to expand your mind.
So if you're looking for a fast, fun, and wide-ranging outlet for your knowledge and expertise, becoming a ChaCha Guide might just fit the bill perfectly.
I wish you the best of luck!
John Hollister
P.S. I just gave you all the tips you need to become a successful guide at ChaCha.com. But here are a few more resources to aid you.
Resources
Tips on Working as a ChaCha Guide
http://www.squidoo.com/ChaCha-
http://www.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.ehow.com/how_
http://adrienneleigh.hubpages.
http://sasinib.hubpages.com/
http://www.scribd.com/doc/
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-
How to Become a ChaCha Guide
http://becomeaguide.chacha.
http://becomeaguide.chacha.
http://www.chacha.com/
Monday, February 9, 2015
3 Lessons to Raise Financially Savvy Children (These Could Help You Too)
Bagged lunches…crisp clean notebooks….new clothes…kids across the U.S. have headed back to school to learn new math, geography and history concepts. One lesson they won’t be taught in the classroom, however, is arguably one of the most important for their future success: How to smartly and responsibly handle money. That is a lesson left to parents, who do not get a lesson plan.
And yet this lesson is so vital to our children becoming well rounded adults. They need to know basic concepts like how to budget their money, why debt is dangerous and how to make their money grow. Not only is this good for them, but it’s good for the economy and society as well.
Children learn about money way before their first allowance. They pick up bits and pieces every day: parent’s reactions to bills, taking money out of the ATM, using coupons. It’s hard to know what to teach your child and when. Thankfully there are a few general money concepts every child should learn.
Even before your child can talk they are asking for things. Infants cry when they are hungry. Toddlers point to show you what they want. By the time he/she is three or four they’re constantly saying, “Mommy can I have X” and “Daddy I want Y.” A child has a natural sense of entitlement. “I am, therefore give to me.” The job of every parent is to teach their child that hard work will get them what they want, especially when it comes to money.
So many people in our society have a sense of entitlement when it comes to money. People expect the government to feed them (food stamps), give them affordable housing (section 8 housing), care for them when they are sick (Medicaid), even to help fund retirement (Social Security). Perhaps this senseof entitlement is one of the reasons our nation’s debt is over $17 trillion.
If you give your children everything they want, of course they are going to feel entitled. Its Christmas therefore you owe me presents…It’s time to go back to school therefore you need to buy me new clothes…I turned 16 this year therefore you should buy me a car. Kids like these are in for a rude awakening once they go out into the real world.
I plan to teach my children that they shouldn’t expect anything to be handed to them. I will not give them an allowance or buy them their first car. Both of which would just reinforce a sense of entitlement.
I will however allow my child to earn money by doing jobs around the house. They can mow the lawn, shovel snow off the driveway, walk the dog around the block, make their beds every day, wash the dishes after dinner, etc. And I’ll certainly co-sign a loan for my child to get a car, provided he has a job and can afford the monthly payments and insurance. Each of these things I think will teach my child the connection between working hard and earning money to buy the things that you want, rather than just expecting things to be handed to them.
It’s equally important to teach our children about debt and alert them to the dangers of borrowing money. I worry that many people in today’s society don’t realize just how expensive going into debt and borrowing money is.
More and more people see financing as a way to live the kind of lifestyle that they’ve always dreamed about. They lease a car so they can get a nicer car than they could otherwise afford, they want to upgrade to stainless steel appliances in their kitchen so they finance them rather than save up for them.
The truth is debt is expensive. Whenever you borrow money you are getting a raw deal. To show your kids the dangers of borrowing money illustrate for them the true cost of the debt. Explain to them how much they’ll actually be paying for the item over the life of the loan. For example, borrowing $100,000 over 30 years at 6 percent interest means you’re really paying about $216,000. You end up paying more in interest than you do for the principle. Plus the home is worth only half of that amount. Doing it this way takes the emphasis off the interest rate, which is the main thing people pay attention to, and puts it on the true cost of the loan. It can open up a child’s eyes to what really constitutes a good deal.
Now if you’re going to show your child the dangers of borrowing money, then you should also show them how their money can grow if they save it. If you want to encourage good money habits with your children explain to them the magical powers of compound interest.
If you ask a child if they’d rather make $10,000 per day for 30 days or a penny that doubled in value every day for 30 days, they’d likely answer the $10k a day option. When in reality option B is the much more lucrative deal. Thepower of compounding interest turns that penny into nearly $5 million versus the $300,000 they’d make with the $10k a day option.
For this reason, compounding interest is often seen as the eighth wonder ofthe world. That may be stretching it in my book, but it certainly needs to be said that compounding interest over time is a very powerful financial tool. And because children have the benefit of time, they stand to gain the most from using this tool.
Explaining to children that investing your money early will yield you the highest return on your money is easier when you tell them stories like the one I just told you about the penny versus $10k a day for 30 days. You can further illustrate that point by talking to them about investing their money dividend paying stocks that will compound the interest over 40 to 50 years, turning their meager investment into millions of dollars. The most important part being that the earlier they start, they richer they’ll get.
Teaching your children about money doesn’t need to involve rigorous lessons at the dinner table every night. Instead use every day occurrences as teachable moments to teach your kids values and beliefs about money. When you go to the grocery store, use it as a moment to teach your child about value. Which is a better deal: 5 bananas for $1 or 2 for 50 cents? When your child receives money for their birthday make them put a percentage of it in their savings account to teach them the importance of saving. Explain to your child that you pack their lunches instead of giving them money to buy lunch at school because this allows you to afford other things for them like new shoes or that video game they really want. In the end you’ll have raised a well-educated, financially savvy individual who will be well on the road to riches that they can be proud to earn themselves.
Good luck!
So many people in our society have a sense of entitlement when it comes to money. People expect the government to feed them (food stamps), give them affordable housing (section 8 housing), care for them when they are sick (Medicaid), even to help fund retirement (Social Security). Perhaps this senseof entitlement is one of the reasons our nation’s debt is over $17 trillion.
If you give your children everything they want, of course they are going to feel entitled. Its Christmas therefore you owe me presents…It’s time to go back to school therefore you need to buy me new clothes…I turned 16 this year therefore you should buy me a car. Kids like these are in for a rude awakening once they go out into the real world.
I plan to teach my children that they shouldn’t expect anything to be handed to them. I will not give them an allowance or buy them their first car. Both of which would just reinforce a sense of entitlement.
I will however allow my child to earn money by doing jobs around the house. They can mow the lawn, shovel snow off the driveway, walk the dog around the block, make their beds every day, wash the dishes after dinner, etc. And I’ll certainly co-sign a loan for my child to get a car, provided he has a job and can afford the monthly payments and insurance. Each of these things I think will teach my child the connection between working hard and earning money to buy the things that you want, rather than just expecting things to be handed to them.
It’s equally important to teach our children about debt and alert them to the dangers of borrowing money. I worry that many people in today’s society don’t realize just how expensive going into debt and borrowing money is.
More and more people see financing as a way to live the kind of lifestyle that they’ve always dreamed about. They lease a car so they can get a nicer car than they could otherwise afford, they want to upgrade to stainless steel appliances in their kitchen so they finance them rather than save up for them.
The truth is debt is expensive. Whenever you borrow money you are getting a raw deal. To show your kids the dangers of borrowing money illustrate for them the true cost of the debt. Explain to them how much they’ll actually be paying for the item over the life of the loan. For example, borrowing $100,000 over 30 years at 6 percent interest means you’re really paying about $216,000. You end up paying more in interest than you do for the principle. Plus the home is worth only half of that amount. Doing it this way takes the emphasis off the interest rate, which is the main thing people pay attention to, and puts it on the true cost of the loan. It can open up a child’s eyes to what really constitutes a good deal.
Now if you’re going to show your child the dangers of borrowing money, then you should also show them how their money can grow if they save it. If you want to encourage good money habits with your children explain to them the magical powers of compound interest.
If you ask a child if they’d rather make $10,000 per day for 30 days or a penny that doubled in value every day for 30 days, they’d likely answer the $10k a day option. When in reality option B is the much more lucrative deal. Thepower of compounding interest turns that penny into nearly $5 million versus the $300,000 they’d make with the $10k a day option.
For this reason, compounding interest is often seen as the eighth wonder ofthe world. That may be stretching it in my book, but it certainly needs to be said that compounding interest over time is a very powerful financial tool. And because children have the benefit of time, they stand to gain the most from using this tool.
Explaining to children that investing your money early will yield you the highest return on your money is easier when you tell them stories like the one I just told you about the penny versus $10k a day for 30 days. You can further illustrate that point by talking to them about investing their money dividend paying stocks that will compound the interest over 40 to 50 years, turning their meager investment into millions of dollars. The most important part being that the earlier they start, they richer they’ll get.
Teaching your children about money doesn’t need to involve rigorous lessons at the dinner table every night. Instead use every day occurrences as teachable moments to teach your kids values and beliefs about money. When you go to the grocery store, use it as a moment to teach your child about value. Which is a better deal: 5 bananas for $1 or 2 for 50 cents? When your child receives money for their birthday make them put a percentage of it in their savings account to teach them the importance of saving. Explain to your child that you pack their lunches instead of giving them money to buy lunch at school because this allows you to afford other things for them like new shoes or that video game they really want. In the end you’ll have raised a well-educated, financially savvy individual who will be well on the road to riches that they can be proud to earn themselves.
Good luck!
Keeping Money in Your Pocket,
Nancy Patterson
Nancy Patterson
Friday, February 6, 2015
The Booming Healthcare Industry and You
If you look at any job forecast or trend story, one industry reigns supreme in terms of growth and availability of jobs: healthcare. The widespread availability of medical care in the United States, healthcare reform, and our aging population in need of more and more medical services of all types as they get older all contribute to this phenomenon.
And while there are plenty of new jobs every day for doctors, nurses, MRI techs, and other providers of all kinds … not all healthcare jobs require you to work with patients. So don't let that throw you.
In fact, it's estimated that over 70% of a hospital's staff is administrative; that is, 70% of the people working in a hospital never interact with patients. They are the behind-the-scenes folks that do the paperwork, data entry, and other “office” work that makes the medical machine run.
But wait, it gets better. With hospital's converting their old file and paper method of organizing charts and records to digital processes, more and more administrative jobs are becoming available and much of that work can be accomplished at home.
In fact, many medical companies let at least some of their workers to do their job from home. It saves them money not having to provide an office space. Plus, studies show that work-at-home employees are actually more productive.
There's one sector of the healthcare industry that leading experts are expecting to become more and more in demand – and it provides great opportunities for those seeking to work from home. I'm talking about becoming a Medical Records Technician.
What a Record Technician Does
Doctor's penmanship is notoriously sloppy. They see a patient for about five minutes, scribble some notes in the record, prescribe something, and they're off to the next patient. But those scribbles - those barely legible bits ofinformation that are put down in a patient's record are important. Indeed, they can be extremely important, and in extreme cases, the difference between life and death.
That's where you, as a Medical Records Technician, ensures the safety ofeach and every patient that enters your hospital, doctor's office, or clinic.
I think this would be a good point to tell you about the immense shift hospitals have gone through in just the past couple of years when it comes to keeping track of a patient's medical history.
A short time ago, all that information was kept in a folder. And in that folder were the scribbled notes and diagnosis of whichever doctor examined you. It could have been many doctors who examined you, meaning there are often many indecipherable handwritten notes in there – years and years worth.
That's where the Medical Records Technician enters and saves the day.
Your job is to take the individual patient folder and decipher to the best of your ability what diagnosis the physician has annotated there. And each diagnosis has a specific code. If a patient is diagnosed with an inflamed appendix, an earache, or a hernia, there is a very specific code pertaining to that condition that is used in medical records within the hospital and also for filing with insurance companies.
That isn't to say that you need to become a code-breaker. There's a big list ofcodes that you refer to as you enter the data from a record. It's a reference book – also online - you'll have a copy of if you take on this job. Once you've been at in awhile you'll memorize the most common ones and your job gets a bit easier every day until it's second nature.
And if you're worried about deciphering on your own what a physician meant with that strange curly-cue he scribbled in file – don't. As a Medical Records Technician, it is your job to get a patient's file and accurately as human possible. And sometimes that means asking the physician or his staff for clarification. And they're happy to do it because they realize it's necessary to ensure their patients safety.
It's an extremely important facet of today's medical care. If you're looking for a serious career in a dynamic, exciting, and interesting environment, becoming a Medical Records Technician could be your dream job.
Becoming Certified
While it's not strictly necessary to be accredited in order to find employment as a Medical Records Technician, also known as a Coder, it's highly recommended that you become certified through the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) program. Not only will you have the officially-recognized credentials, but you'll learn everything you need to know to find a job and be successful.
Classes for the CPC can be taken online at your own convenience. You'll gain a sound knowledge of medical procedures, including surgery, pathology, and medicine. You'll be an expert on the rules and regulations of standard Medical Coding.
Sound good? Well, it gets better.
As I said above, the healthcare industry is the single largest growing economic sector in today's economy. Folks are living longer and every day better medicines and procedures are being developed to extend out life spans. This means there will not be enough trained people to fill these healthcare jobs. And Medical Coding is a crucial part of any hospital's success.
In fact, I want you to try an experiment: click on a job board (doesn't matter which one) and search for Medical Coder or Medical Records Technician. Are you surprised how many vacancies there are? There are probably a few right in your hometown. Obtaining your CPC guarantees you not only a great job, it will more than likely allow you to choose where you work – and, yes, that means from home.
Oh, did I mention the salary range for a Medical Coder? If you go ahead and get your CPC it can be up to $70,000 a year. Not bad, eh?
I wish you the best of luck!
John Hollister
P.S. I just gave you the tips and (hopefully) the motivation to embark on your new career as a medical coder. But here are a few more resources to help you.
Resources
How to Become a Medical Records Technician
http://www.innerbody.com/careers-in-health/how-to-become-a-medical-records-technician.html
http://www.aapc.com/certification/cpc.aspx
http://www.aapc.com/medical-coding/medical-coding.aspx
http://www.ahima.org/coding/profession.aspx
http://www.healthcaresalaryonline.com/medical-coder-job-description.html
http://www.ehow.com/facts_4798843_job-description-medical-coder.html
http://healthcareers.about.com/od/administrativeandsupport/p/MedicalCoders.htm
http://www.maximhealthinformationservices.com/remote-medical-coding-jobs.aspx
http://www.billingandcodingjobs.net/entry-level-medical-billing-coding-jobs/
Medical Records Technician Job Listings
http://www.aapc.com/medical-coding-jobs/
http://www.indeed.com/q-Entry-Level-Medical-Coding-jobs.html
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Get Paid to Surf the Web – for Real
Do you like to surf the Web?
Ever use Google?
Last question…
How would you like to get paid to do both of those things?
I’m talking about $50 an hour at a minimum. It could be a great part time gig to make extra money. If you go full-time, you could make a very nice living – close to six figures a year. And in either case, you don’t have to worry about going to an office, a 9 to 5 schedule, or any of that corporate hassle.
You work where you want, with whom you want, when you want (although you do have to meet deadlines).
And it’s all thanks to a specialized skill (one you can learn easily with practice) that you combine with a little mental elbow grease to create a money-making opportunity that could only come around in recent years.
I’m talking about becoming an Internet researcher.
No degree, special training, high-tech equipment, or expensive software is required. All you need is your computer, access to the Internet, and an email account. Yet, you’ll cash in doing something you probably already do for hours every day for free.
As a Internet Researcher you’ll work with writers, marketers, authors, website owners, publishing companies, and other businesses to find information they need for their blogs, websites, articles, books, ebooks, special reports, white papers… basically anything that can be published offline or online.
These folks want to concentrate on the actual writing, which is what makes them money. So they prefer to hire freelance professionals to do the research.
They need facts and figures, statistics, quotes, case studies, testimonials, study results, graphs and charts… and much more.
A project could be tracking down information about the Great Depression and accounts of daily life of that era for a novelist writing a book set in that time. Or you could help an advertising copywriter who needs detailed statistics about historical gold prices for a new sales letter. Or a blogger might need help tracking down quotes from famous politicians for his latest post.
Really the sky is the limit when it comes to the assignments you’ll get as an Internet Researcher. That’s what makes this opportunity so fun – every day will be different.
Your Research Resources
The Internet is chock-full of information to help you with your research projects.
Search Engines
Search engines are the gateway to the Web, so it’s no surprise that you would start your research here.
Google is a huge resource. First off, the search engine itself is a wonderful tool. Just by entering keywords related to your research assignment, you’ll have instant access to hundreds, if not thousands, of possible resources to get information and stats you need for your project.
To get the most out of Google, there are a few best practices you should follow. Otherwise it’s quite easy to get buried under a mountain of results, many of which aren’t useful.
1. To look for a specific word or phrase put it in quotes. This will return only results with those exact words in them, which eliminates many related but not useful results you might get otherwise.
Say, for example, you were researching European cruises. If you put that in Google, you would get information on both Europe and cruises, including cruises everywhere in the world. But if you the phrase in quotes and search for “European cruises” the results would be only about, you guessed it, cruises in Europe.
2. You can also exclude words from your searches to get more targeted results. All you have to do is use the minus sign. So, for example, if you don’t want any information about Mediterranean cruises specifically, you could search for this:
European cruises -Mediterranean. Be sure that the minus sign is touching the word you want to exclude.
3. To search for similar words at the same time, you use this symbol: “~”
For example, to get results about ferries in Europe, as well as cruises, you would enter this in the search box:
European cruises ~ferries
Google offers a wide variety of search tools just like this. You can find the official search tips here: http://www.google.com/
Google also offers some other resources that are perfect for Internet researchers.
Google Books – Save a trip to the library. You’ll also be able search by keyword and Google Books will scan the thousands and thousands of books in its collection to find related passages.
You could also set a Google Alert for articles and news related to the topic you’re researching. When you sign up, you’ll receive a regular email (daily if you wish) from Google that offers the most recent and most informative news stories and other web content (including blog posts) on that topic. So insteadof searching for the information it comes directly to your inbox.
Of course, when it comes to search engines Google isn’t the only game in town. Microsoft’s Bing.com is fast becoming a quality search engine. It returns different results than Google. So if you’re Google search is coming up dry, check out Bing.
Another great search engine, especially for statistics, historical data, and other detailed, quantifiable information is Wolfram-Alpha.
Industry Publications
Industry publications specific to your topic are going to be required reading. For example, if you are researching human psychology for your client, you would definitely check out the website for Psychology Today for the latest news and research in this field.
If you are researching health topics, check out some of these: New England Journal of Medicine, Merck Manual (info on drugs, diseases, and health), and Journal of the American Medical Society.
Financial News
Copywriters working with investment advice publishers can be very lucrative clients. They get paid a lot – so they pay the people they hire to help them well, too. For these types of clients you don’t need to be an expert in investing. But it helps to know where to track down the information they need, like current and historical stock prices, quarterly reports, news from the Federal Reserve, and similar information.
Bloomberg, Reuters, and the Wall Street Journal are excellent sources offinancial news and trend analysis. Yahoo Finance is the best place to find stock quotes and other “numbers” like that.
Magazine and Newspaper Archives
Thanks to the Internet, hundreds of publications have put decades and decades of past issues online, every article searchable by keyword. Go to sites for the New York Times, Time Magazine, and the like and search their archives for information on just about any topic you need for your research project.
If you’re clients are interested in worldwide economic trends, check out TheEconomist or U.S. News and World Report.
Government Websites
The U.S. government puts out a ton of information every day, week, month, and year.
You’ll find official statistics for things like gross national product, unemployment, agriculture figures, geographical and geological surveys, and so much more.
So keep an eye out for government agencies related to the niches you’re researching in.
- The Food Drug Administration is in charge of drugs and medical treatments.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics studies how many people are working out there and where.
- The Small Business Administration helps entrepreneurs get on their feet.
- The Census Bureau has information on population, political affiliations, and more.
- The Bureau of Economic Analysis releases information on the U.S. economy.
This is just a small taste of the government agencies that you can use as research resources. This is official data – very trustworthy.
Warning! Warning! Danger Ahead!
Caution: Do not use Wikipedia as a primary source. There are just too many people with an agenda (or just plain wrong information) on Wikipedia. You can use Wikipedia as a jumping off point for further research. Never use any info directly from this site.
The Nuts and Bolts of Finding Gigs
The best way to find clients for your Internet research business is to ask.
It’s that simple.
Believe it or not, many of the world’s best paid copywriters, authors, and other writers do not realize how they could benefit by hiring a researcher to track down information for them.
So all you have to do is contact them and explain the benefits.
The first step is to make a list of the top copywriters, authors, publishers, website authors, and bloggers. Get their contact information. And then write them a simple letter explaining the benefits of your services.
Sure, not everyone will respond and hire you. But those that truly understand will appreciate the value of your work and will get in touch.
You can also post your services on craigslist.com, elance.com, and guru.comand other freelance sites.
Lastly, be sure to let your network know about your new career. Put it on Facebook, on LinkedIn, on your own blog… wherever. You never know who you know that might hire you… or whether they have somebody in their network in need of your services.
Once you land a client, it’s time to set ground rules.
As an Internet Researcher you’ll probably have to offer your services at around $20 an hour to start. But once you have some experience under your belt, within a few months you could be charging $50 or more per hour. I’d recommend working out retainer relationships with good clients that pay well and you enjoy working with.
That way you have a steady stream of income, even if you just keep this as a part-time income stream.
If you run into any potential clients that balk at paying $50 an hour for your research services, remind them of all the time and hassle they’ll be saving. These folks are interested in saving time most of all because they know they’ll be making plenty of money once the project is done and it’s ready to be published.
To Your Success,
John Hollister
P.S. The Internet is the world’s most powerful and comprehensive research resource. There are thousands of websites that can help you research any topic under the sun. But here are some of the best – you’ll no doubt discover your own as you start your Internet research business.
Search Engines
www.Google.com
Books.google.com
www.Bing.com
www.Wolfram-Alpha.com
Publications
www.time.com
www.nytimes.com
www.economist.com
www.usnews.com
Financial
Finance.yahoo.com
www.reuters.com
www.bloomberg.com
www.wallstreetjournal.com
Health
New England Journal of Medicine: http://www.nejm.org/
Journal of the American Medical Society: http://jama.ama-assn.org/
Merck Manual: www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/
Government Websites
Food Drug Administration: www.fda.gov
Bureau of Labor Statistics: www.bls.gov
Small Business Administration: www.sba.gov
Census Bureau: www.census.gov
Bureau of Economic Analysis: www.bea.gov
Where to Find Jobs
You can’t get paid to surf the Web without clients, right? Here’s where to find them:
www.elance.com
www.guru.com
www.craigslist.org
www.facebook.com
www.linkedin.com
Warning! Warning! Danger Ahead!
Caution: Do not use Wikipedia as a primary source. There are just too many people with an agenda (or just plain wrong information) on Wikipedia. You can use Wikipedia as a jumping off point for further research. Never use any info directly from this site.
The Nuts and Bolts of Finding Gigs
The best way to find clients for your Internet research business is to ask.
It’s that simple.
Believe it or not, many of the world’s best paid copywriters, authors, and other writers do not realize how they could benefit by hiring a researcher to track down information for them.
So all you have to do is contact them and explain the benefits.
The first step is to make a list of the top copywriters, authors, publishers, website authors, and bloggers. Get their contact information. And then write them a simple letter explaining the benefits of your services.
Sure, not everyone will respond and hire you. But those that truly understand will appreciate the value of your work and will get in touch.
You can also post your services on craigslist.com, elance.com, and guru.comand other freelance sites.
Lastly, be sure to let your network know about your new career. Put it on Facebook, on LinkedIn, on your own blog… wherever. You never know who you know that might hire you… or whether they have somebody in their network in need of your services.
Once you land a client, it’s time to set ground rules.
As an Internet Researcher you’ll probably have to offer your services at around $20 an hour to start. But once you have some experience under your belt, within a few months you could be charging $50 or more per hour. I’d recommend working out retainer relationships with good clients that pay well and you enjoy working with.
That way you have a steady stream of income, even if you just keep this as a part-time income stream.
If you run into any potential clients that balk at paying $50 an hour for your research services, remind them of all the time and hassle they’ll be saving. These folks are interested in saving time most of all because they know they’ll be making plenty of money once the project is done and it’s ready to be published.
To Your Success,
John Hollister
P.S. The Internet is the world’s most powerful and comprehensive research resource. There are thousands of websites that can help you research any topic under the sun. But here are some of the best – you’ll no doubt discover your own as you start your Internet research business.
Search Engines
www.Google.com
Books.google.com
www.Bing.com
www.Wolfram-Alpha.com
Publications
www.time.com
www.nytimes.com
www.economist.com
www.usnews.com
Financial
Finance.yahoo.com
www.reuters.com
www.bloomberg.com
www.wallstreetjournal.com
Health
New England Journal of Medicine: http://www.nejm.org/
Journal of the American Medical Society: http://jama.ama-assn.org/
Merck Manual: www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/
Government Websites
Food Drug Administration: www.fda.gov
Bureau of Labor Statistics: www.bls.gov
Small Business Administration: www.sba.gov
Census Bureau: www.census.gov
Bureau of Economic Analysis: www.bea.gov
Where to Find Jobs
You can’t get paid to surf the Web without clients, right? Here’s where to find them:
www.elance.com
www.guru.com
www.craigslist.org
www.facebook.com
www.linkedin.com
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