Truth in Advertising – be Aware of Another Scam

Posted on May 28th, 2009 by Sandy Reed

You may have been exposed to this ad on television lately – a 6-year-old company touting itself as “America’s leading provider of extended auto warranties” .    We have seen it many times on satellite TV.  Since we have a 2004 Dodge pick-up without an extended warranty, my husband decided to check out this company. 

At first it sounded legitimate and promising, but as the conversation went on it became apparent that something wasn’t quite right.  They were offering 18-month financing and full coverage for around $3,000.00 for a five-year warranty.  When we told them we wanted to check out their company before making any commitments, they began offering incentives to “buy now” that would not be offered later such as free commercial coverage, no processing fees, etc.  Thankfully we have the Internet these days, so I decided to look them up on the Better Business Bureau while my husband had the company on the phone.  Here’s what I found out…

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Why use article marketing to build and promote your business?

Posted on May 26th, 2009 by Sandy Reed

 

marnieheadshotWhen you’re building any business, especially an online business where there are thousands, if not millions, of people competing for attention, it’s critical that you find a way to create visibility and set yourself apart from your competitors.  Giving potential clients the opportunity to get to know you on a personal level through writing and publishing your own articles is one way to stand out and get noticed. 

Article marketing helps you build a successful business by:

  • Giving you the opportunity to build a list of clients that are interested in your products or services, so you can notify them when you have something new to offer. 
  • Establishing you as an expert in your field and building credibility with your potential clients.
  • Giving publishers and editors the opportunity to review your articles in an open, non-threatening environment.
  • Letting readers of your articles know about your business and what you have to offer by creating a personalized resource box listing your credentials, which is attached to all of your articles.
  • Allowing you to include a link to your blog or website in your resource box, so readers can go directly to your site and get more information about your products or services.
  • Giving you free publicity when you allow syndication of your articles to publishers and editors of newsletters, websites, and magazines.
  • Educating readers in your field of expertise and using it as a springboard from which you can improve the world around you.

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Are You Ready for Commencement?

Posted on May 19th, 2009 by Sandy Reed

As many adults and young adults are getting ready to commence on a new life adventure, the education they have worked so hard to obtain is their guiding light.  But in reality, whether we are starting with a new diploma or degree or just utilizing our accumulated life experience and creating a new life from where we find ourselves, we are all in the same place beginning a new chapter in our lives.  It’s never too late to begin again with our newly acquired knowledge.

I have reached a place where traditional goal setting is a hindrance to my joy in life.  As I commence each day, I still feel like I should be setting goals, because that’s what I have been taught for many years.  “You can’t reach a moving target”, I have heard.  “People with goals are always more successful than those who don’t know where they’re going”, they say.  Still somehow setting goals has become less and less attractive to me.  The only two goals that seem to be worthwhile are (1) enjoy life, and (2) follow my inner guidance. 

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Beware of businesses with free trials…

Posted on May 14th, 2009 by Sandy Reed

I recently decided to look into grants for women-owned businesses, so I looked online for legitimate companies that could help me track down grants.  That was my first mistake…  I found a company, which will remain nameless, that looked legitimate, so I sent them an email requesting a CD with information.  The CD was free, but they requested a credit card number to pay for shipping.  It sounded like a reasonable request at the time, but here’s where the problems began. 

I printed out the information from the website, and upon further scrutiny I discovered that not only did I agree to pay shipping for the CD, the fine print stated that I would also be signed up with a wealth building company and charged $69.95 a month, if I didn’t cancel within the first seven days of the free trial.   I, of course, cancelled this “free” offer right away.

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Faith – the Key to Transforming Your Business

Posted on May 9th, 2009 by Sandy Reed

 

Faith is defined by Dr. Ernest Holmes, the founder of Science of Mind magazine, as “an idea so inwardly embodied that the mind can no longer conceive of its opposite.”   But what if your business is struggling and you feel like you are living its opposite right now?  What if no matter how hard you try, all you see is its opposite?  When you have faith, such as Dr. Holmes described, you don’t have to “try” to have faith – you just have it…  Here’s an example.

When you get up in the morning do you “try” to have faith that the electricity will work so you can have your morning coffee, or do you know and expect that it will?  When you go to bed at night, do you “try” to have faith that the sun will come up in the morning and you will have all the air you need to breathe, or do you know without a doubt and expect to have a normal day with the sun coming up and air to breathe?

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Getting clear and moving forward!

Posted on May 6th, 2009 by Sandy Reed

I just went on a good long walk on a beautiful California morning.  Makes me realize how cluttered my mind gets spending the days working, working, working.  If you ever get stuck and need a fresh perspective on a challenge, get up and take a walk.  After a few minutes of monkey mind chatter, you will begin to calm down and get insights you’d never get sitting at your desk stressing and straining…

Speaking of insights, I’m beginning to read good things in the morning paper!  What a concept!  The Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has given his most optimistic view yet on the economy.  Bernanke says he expects not only an end to the recession this year, but also a return to growth.  Hallelujah!

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It’s a celebration of life – and business!

Posted on May 5th, 2009 by Sandy Reed

cincodemayoIt’s Cinco de Mayo and even for those of us not of Mexican heritage, we get to enjoy the day and celebrate as if we were.  It’s so much fun to go to any Mexican restaurant (some of my favorite foods!) and watch the celebration in action.  For those of you who don’t know, Cinco de Mayo was started as a commemoration of a Mexican military victory in the 1860’s, first in California but now nationwide.

Even in celebrating life events, we find a benefit to our businesses.  At all the Mexican restaurants nationwide they count down the days to Cinco de Mayo not only to celebrate the tradition, but  because they know it will bring prosperity and positive cash flow as we all take part in the fun and good food that is a part of the occasion. 

Appreciating each other’s hertitage and celebrating together reminds us of our connection and our uniqueness at the same time.  As we are serving our customers in the myriad of businesses across the globe, we learn to appreciate each other and our contributions to the global economy.  We all need each other to make it work.  No one is less important than anyone else.  We all fit somewhere within the chain of service and product providers and consumers.  So today, as we join together in the celebration, let’s take a few minutes to appreciate the contribution each and every one of us gives to the whole.  After all, we are all in life together.

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