July 2nd, 2008
This is an eye-opening story I read by Sean Brodrick…
I’ve been pounding the table about an energy crisis for quite some time.
As a loyal reader of my Money and Markets column, you might think
I’ve been proven right by gasoline soaring over $4 a gallon in 32 states
and oil hitting new record highs. But most of what I’ve been talking about is simply the long-term
supply/demand squeeze that will transform our oil-addicted civilization
in the future. It appears, however, that the future is happening now.
My fundamental and technical indicators are ALL sounding alarm bells.
Today, I’m going to give you an uncensored, no-holds-barred look
at the consequences of the energy crisis. First, let’s talk about
why Peak Oil poses such an extreme economic threat to both
Wall Street and Main Street.
The Short-Term Energy Crisis in America!
If oil reaches $200 a barrel, forget $4-per-gallon gasoline.
Think $6.64, according to a Rice University analysis of the link
between prices of crude and gasoline.
And they’re optimists in the bunch of experts who study Peak Oil.
What I’m telling you to prepare yourself for is a short-term spike in
oil prices where gasoline becomes unavailable. As in, you’ll want to buy it,
but it won’t be available at any price … or any price you can afford.
You see, the world’s producers are pumping flat-out.
Saudi Arabia just promised to raise production a little bit,
but that reduces their spare capacity to almost nothing.
There is no margin of error … no room for something to go wrong.
But something always goes wrong!
What will spark the kind of gasoline crisis I’m talking about?
Take your pick of potential disasters. Here are just the top three …
#1) U.S. Edging Closer to War with Iran
Last week, the Jerusalem Post reported that former U.S. ambassador
to the U.N. John Bolton said that Israel is likely to attack Iran in the time
between the November presidential election in the U.S. and the
inauguration of the new president.
Mr. Bolton also said that he does not believe the U.S. will participate
in the attack. Israel may attack because Iran will not give up its
nuclear development program.
However, in the U.S., CBS News reported that the Israelis are trying hard
to get the Bush Administration to mount an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
And the U.S. Congress is debating a resolution that slaps new economic
sanctions on Iran, proposes a blockade, and seems to open the door
for military action.
Ron Paul, the courageous U.S. Representative who has long stood up
against the Iraq War, calls the new bill “a virtual war resolution.”
Do you think the Iranians are sitting on their thumbs, waiting for something
to happen? Hardly. According to another Israeli news service, Iran has aimed
its Shahab-3B ballistic missiles into launch positions, targeted squarely at
Israel … including Israel’s nuclear reactor in the Negev city of Dimona.
What’s more, Iran says that if it’s attacked, its Revolutionary Guards
would mount attacks on shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz oil route.
Two-fifths of all globally-traded oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
And it’s not hard to figure that oil facilities in Saudi Arabia could also
be targeted.
If it comes to a new war in the Persian Gulf, don’t expect $200 per barrel oil.
Expect $400 per barrel oil … $500 per barrel oil … maybe higher.
#2) Monster Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita proved that the Gulf of Mexico is America’s soft
underbelly, vulnerable to a devastating punch from Mother Nature during
hurricane season.
When a global weather pattern called La Niña is strong, hurricanes are also
more powerful than normal. Well, batten down the hatches, because a strong
La Niña is expected to last through the summer, delivering worse-than-average
storm activity THIS season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted
above-normal hurricane activity in its Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook.
NOAA projects 12 to 16 named storms will form within the Atlantic Basin,
including 6 to 9 hurricanes, of which 2 to 5 will be intense during the upcoming
hurricane season.
And that could be a lowball estimate. The average number of Category 4 and
Category 5 hurricanes worldwide has nearly doubled over the past 35 years.
Now here’s the bad news: The Gulf of Mexico is home to 20% of the natural gas
and 30% of the oil produced in the U.S. and 40% of America’s refining capacity.
If that refining capacity gets taken out by a massive hurricane, forget $4
a gallon gasoline … $5 a gallon gasoline … heck, we might be looking at
$6 a gallon gasoline or higher, very quickly. And the higher we go,
and the longer we stay higher, the more “normal”
otherwise outrageous gasoline prices become.
And refineries are already playing with fire as it is …
#3) Refiners and Retailers See Profit Margins Squeezed With the rising cost of oil, America’s refiners are taking a gamble
by keeping low inventories of crude and lowering their refinery
utilization rates at the same time. According to the Energy
Information Administration, gasoline stockpiles fell by 153,000 barrels
to 208.8 million barrels in the most recent week.
Refinery utilization, which normally hovers in the 95% range
at this time of year, is currently at just 88.6%. In fact,
it’s at the lowest level for early summer in 15 years.
If refinery inputs are at 15.4 million barrels per day (mainly crude oil),
a one-percent change in yield is a 154,000 barrel-per-day
(4.7 million gallons) change in product volume. U.S. consumption
of gasoline is around 388.6 million gallons/day.
So those few percentage points mean a real difference in supply …
which means higher prices.
Meanwhile, demand for motor gasoline over the past four weeks
declined by an average of 9.3 million barrels per day — down 2.1%
from the same time a year ago, and down 5% from its peak of 21.3
million barrels a day on January 4, the EIA reported.
This lessening of demand is the excuse the refiners use for the low run
rates. Since American consumers are using less gasoline, they say
they need to process less. But less supply drives up prices,
so consumers use less gasoline — it’s a vicious circle.
While rising input costs have squeezed refinery margins mercilessly,
gasoline retailers — gas stations — are also seeing profit margins
tighten to the vanishing point.
In 2007, the average markup of gas sold at the pump was 14.3 cents
per gallon over what the owner paid, according to data from the National
Association of Convenience Stores, the trade group for the stores
that run more than 80% of the country’s gas stations.
The profit, or net margin after all expenses have been figured in,
has now shrunk to a measly 1.5 cents a gallon!
Now, with the price of gasoline rising, charges for credit card
transactions are rising as well, and many gas station owners are
making no money at all.
That’s why Exxon, the most profitable company in the history of the
world, announced in June that it is selling the 2,200 gas stations it owns.
Will it find buyers for those gas stations? If not, we can expect gas
stations to close. And we may see gas stations across America close
anyway, as station owners gets squeezed out of existence.
Some rural areas are served by only a few gas stations … as they start
to go out of business, it may become very difficult for some Americans
to buy gasoline. And that will lead us to a whole new problem …
Prepare for Hoarding and a
Recession-Turned-Depression
Why hoard? Well, when the price of gas rises 10 cents in a week,
as it did in my neighborhood, it starts to make economic sense
to hoard gas. Say you run a lawn service that uses 500 gallons
of gasoline a week. If you buy next week’s allotment ahead of time,
you can save $50 a week.
And if refinery utilization is so low that gasoline stations simply run out —
or a massive hurricane takes out refinery capacity — then you’ll see
hoarding kick into overdrive. This will only deplete stockpiles that are
already near historic lows, making the whole situation much worse.
Eventually, we may get to the point where you are unable to buy gas.
I’m talking about actual gasoline shortages … massive unemployment
and foreclosures … evicted families living in tent cities and cars they
can’t afford to drive … maybe, if things get really bad, food shortages
and food and fuel riots.
At $7 gasoline, those making less than $25,000 a year will see gasoline
expenditures go from 7% of their income to 20%. For some people,
it simply won’t be worth it to drive to work.
Factor in the airlines parking planes, delivery trucks no longer running,
fishing fleets staying in port, and car manufacturers going out of business.
Wait a minute — car makers going out of business?! Yep, GM is on
deathwatch now, and it’s not getting better. In fact, according to a
leaked report from J.D. Power and Associates, the June seasonally adjusted
annual sales rate will plunge to 12.5 million vehicles, down from 16.3 million
last June.
Add it all up, and America has the ingredients for a major economic collapse.
And Yet Oil Demand Is
Still Skyrocketing Globally!
Will reducing U.S. demand cause oil prices to plummet?
No, because demand in emerging markets is accelerating, and even if the
global economy slows, that won’t stop them. Much of China’s growth is
fueled by internal spending now. They may not like it if Americans are
out of work, but they’ll carry on.
Just think: How bothered were you by the collapse of the Soviet Union?
A major superpower hit the skids in 1985 and imploded in 1991. Did that
adversely affect your life in any meaningful way? I’m not saying a severe
recession in America won’t affect China … just not as much as we might think.
This year, emerging markets are overtaking the U.S. in consumption of oil
for the first time, and it won’t be long before they consume more than the
entire developed world.
At the same time, internal demand is rising in major oil producers and exporters.
Over the last three years, oil consumption among OPEC members has grown
by more than 5% a year. Hence, their exports go down and prices go up.
So while America’s car sales may be hitting the skids, 6.6 million to 10 million
new cars, trucks and vans will hit the roads in China this year. India will
probably grow at an even faster pace, percentage-wise. Bottom line:
They’ll use every barrel of oil we don’t.
And the Rising Price of Oil Could
Even Lead to Severe Food Shortages
American agriculture directly accounts for 17% of our energy use,
or the equivalent of 400 gallons of oil consumed by every man, woman
and child per year, according to the most recent statistics I could find.
If the cost of fuel gets too high, farmers won’t plant. If truckers run
out of fuel, they won’t deliver food to supermarkets. If enough of this
happens often enough, people won’t just sit there and take it.
They will lash out.
Now, what would you say the odds are of this happening in a year
when we are on the brink of war with Iran … when meteorologists
say this hurricane season should be worse than normal …
and when refineries are keeping historically low levels of inventories?
I’d say better than average.
And the sad thing is, I’ve just barely scratched the surface of what
could go wrong this year. I’d say America is in real trouble.
- Sean Brodrick -
How to Protect Yourself — And Your Family
The best way to protect and hedge yourself against the uncertainties
of the economy, is to have a successful home business
CLICK HERE for Naked Niches
TAGS:  CBS, China, Exxon, gas crisis, Gulf of Mexico, iran, J.D. Power, oil crisis, OPEC, peak oil, Revolutionary Guards, Saudi Arabia, Straight of Hormuz, war with iran
Posted in Misc. | No Comments »
June 17th, 2008
In the Training post #2 called “Moving the Free Line”
I discussed that what you should focus on at the
early stage of internet marketing carreer is capturing
a person’s first name and email address.
It’s the easiest barrier of entry to break.
Your goal at this point, is to build a list of people
who are interested in the information that you have.
And the vehicle that you use to build your list,
is to have what is called a mini-site. A mini-site
is not a full blown website of 100 or more pages,
but rather a small, one or two page site.
Most Internet marketers understand that having mini
sites is the fastest and easiest way to make money
online.
They don’t require a lot of time, energy, or money
to set up, and once you’ve got one up and running,
you can sit back and just collect money from all
the sales you’re making.
At least… that’s how it’s supposed to be, right?
The truth is that mini sites really ARE easy to set
up. They really DON’T require much time, energy,
and money to set up.
So why is it that so few people actually make money
with their mini sites?
The answer is that they never learned how to actually
turn their mini site into a profitable moneymaker
that runs completely on autopilot. The good news is…
*************************************************
YOU’RE ABOUT TO LEARN HOW TO DO IT!
*************************************************
Here’s what this is all about: My colleague Michael
Rasmussen has just released a brand new video course
that will walk you through the process of creating a
killer mini site from the ground up.
Then he’ll also teach you how to actually start making
money with it right away and into the future.
If you’ve been looking to get started making money
online and don’t want to pay thousands of dollars
for training, then this is exactly what you need.
The best part? The videos are FREE!
First, let’s talk about the videos themselves.
If you’re in a hurry, you can just check the
videos out right now for free. Here’s the URL:
www.minisiteprofitsexposed.com/?thankyou-page=19491
*************************************************
OVERALL QUALITY
*************************************************
It’s important to note that these are online videos
that you access from your web browser. Michael uses
Camtasia Studio to create these videos, which is the
premier software program for creating screen capture
tutorials such as these.
The first thing you’ll noticed when you hit the play
button on the first video is the incredible production
quality. These are NOT your ordinary screen capture
videos. These are very high quality videos.
Videos are more interesting than reading.
He uses beautifully created graphics to pass his
wisdom along to you, and the sound quality is the
highest you will ever hear in an Internet marketing
product. They sound like they were recorded in a
professional studio.
Now let’s move onto…
*************************************************
THE ACTUAL VIDEOS
*************************************************
Here’s a brief summary of each video. Obviously
it’s impossible to list every single thing here,
but I want you to get a feel for what each one
covered, and how well it covered it.
If you’re in a hurry, you can just check the
videos out right now for free. Here’s the URL:
www.minisiteprofitsexposed.com/?thankyou-page=19491
VIDEO 1 - INTRODUCTION
This videos introduces you to the entire course, as
well as the teacher himself. You’ll learn what you can
expect from the course, and why it’s structured the
way it is.
Michael realizes that you may not have heard of him,
and so he spends some time establishing his
credibility with you by sharing some of his biggest
successes. It doesn’t come across as bragging at all.
Michael explains that, in order for you to get value
from the teachings, you need to have faith that the
teacher actually knows what he’s talking about. By the
end of this video, you will have no doubt.
By the way, this is a good lesson for all of us
product developers. If you want people to accept you
as an authority on any subject, you first need to
establish your credibility with the reader.
That way they’re willing to relax, and trust that
what you’re telling them is sound advice.
VIDEO 2 - THE BASICS
This video will introduce you to the basics of mini
site marketing. This will set the foundation that all
future learning will rest upon, so it’s important to
pay close attention to this one.
You’ll learn:
* What mini-sites are, and what makes them different
from regular content sites.
* Which businesses they work well for… and which ones
they don’t.
* The right mindset to have when it comes to creating
mini sites as part of your online business strategy.
* And the different tools you need to get started.
This was a great video, and did an excellent job of
kicking things off, and building the foundation for
the rest of the course.
VIDEO 3 - SQUEEZE PAGES
This is probably one of the most useful videos of the
entire course. As I’ve been telling you, the money in
internet marketing is in the list.
Every Internet marketer needs to build
an email list, but how do you do it?
What is the best way to capture the most opt-ins?
The answer is ’squeeze pages’. This video will teach
you:
* Why using a squeeze page is far superior to other
opt-in methods.
* The single most important thing you must include at
the top of your squeeze page to skyrocket your opt-in
rate.
* The secret structure of a squeeze page, and why most
marketers get it wrong (which costs them a LOT of
money).
* The most important to include in your opt-in process
that will make sure that people actually receive your
email.
After watching this video, you’ll know everything you
need to know to start building a massive opt-in list
right away.
This will probably be the first video that
you ‘take action’ on. You’ll be so excited about the
possibilities, that I guarantee you’ll go and create
your own squeeze page right away.
VIDEO 4 - MINI SITE COPYWRITING - PART I
Nothing happens until the sales copy is written.
Graphics alone will never sell a product, but sales
copy alone WILL. This video begins to demystify the
mysterious process of writing words that make people
whip out their credit cards and buy.
Specifically, you’ll learn:
* Why you need to learn copywriting, even if you “hate
to write”
* What a compelling offer looks like, and how to tell
the difference.
* How to write an eyeball-grabbing headline that
practically forces your readers to go through your
entire page.
* A simple trick you can use in your opening to make
your reader want to learn more.
There is no skill that is more important to your
success than the ability to write killer sales copy.
Make sure you pay extra attention to this video, as
well as…
VIDEO 5 - MINI SITE COPYWRITING - PART II
This video dives right into the individual components
of a killer sales letter. You’ll learn how to create
the “secret structure” of a mini site sales letter
that makes big money. Specifically, you’ll learn:
* How to create captivating body copy that draws your
reader into the sales letter.
* Bullets that force your reader to keep reading the
whole page, and makes them insanely curious and want
to buy your product
* How to take the risk off people’s shoulders, so
they’ll feel safe buying from you.
* How to craft your ‘call to action’, and get people
to whip out their credit cards and buy immediately.
* The secrets of writing a killer P.S. that helps seal
the deal, and flip your prospect into a buyer
instantly.
This video covered a surprising amount of detail,
especially considering that this course is not
specifically about copywriting. Michael Rasmussen is
definitely someone who overdelivers in his educational
products.
Whew! That was a lot of information.
And that’s less than half of what we have in store for you.
Follow the videos and put the knowledge into action.
Remember the course is absolutely free, so you have
nothing to lose and a priceless education to gain.
So go ahead and check out Mini Site Profits Exposed
right now, and see what all the fuss is about.
Here’s the URL:
www.minisiteprofitsexposed.com/?thankyou-page=19491
Warmly,
Carl Willoughby
TAGS: Camtasia, copywriting, email list, make money, make money online, Michael Rasmussen, mini site, opt in, sales letters, squeeze pages, video
Posted in Training | No Comments »
June 15th, 2008
Contrary to popular belief, Father’s Day was not established by Hallmark,
American Greetings or others to grow the greeting card business.
In fact, there were no Father’s Day cards when the holiday was contemplated.
Mrs. John Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a “father’s day”
in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart.
William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife
(Mrs. Dodd’s mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child.
Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children,
by himself, on a rural farm in eastern Washington State.
It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength
and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.
The first Father’s Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washington.
At about the same time, in various towns and cities across America,
other people were beginning to celebrate a “father’s day.”
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father’s Day.
Finally, in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation
declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day.
Father’s Day has become a day to not only honor your father,
but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers,
and adult male friends are all honored on Father’s Day.
If you’re lucky enough to have a father that is still alive, go visit him,
take him out to dinner, or at the very least, just call him and tell
him that you Love him.
It’s not necessary to BUY him a gift!
But if you want a unique gift that he will absolutely Love,
get him the Coolest Musical Instrument on the Planet…
http://www.HughTraceyKalimba.com
TAGS: American Greetings, Father’s Day cards, Fathers Day, Hallmark, Hugh Tracey, Hugh Tracey Kalimba, kalimba, musical instrument, President Calvin Coolidge, President Lyndon Johnson, William Smart
Posted in Misc. | No Comments »
June 12th, 2008
Forgive me. I’m a day late in getting out Lesson 2.
Here in New York City, the weather hit 100 degrees
and I decided to beat the heat by going to the beach.
That freedom of doing what one wants when one wants
is the basis for becoming an entrepreneur. It gives you
something as equally important as money, that is TIME!
So let’s get on with it.
If you are brand new and just getting started
there are a couple things that are important.
Number one is the concept of traffic and conversion.
You need to know how to generate traffic to a website.
Traffic is simple getting people to come to look at your
website. (I will discuss the specifics of how to create a
website at a later time).
For now, you just need to know that you will eventually
put up a website and that you have to generate traffic
(get people) to go to your website.
Once you get traffic to your website, you have to
convert that traffic. What that simple means is that you
have to get your visitors to take some sort of action.
The ultimate action is to spend money and buy something
from your site. But it doesn’t happen that easily.
First, you have to take baby steps.
So for right now, what you want to do is convert the traffic
to take an action. That action is to give you their name and
email address and you do this by offering them something
…for FREE. This is called “Moving the Free Line“.
What you should focus on at this early stage is capturing
a person’s first name and email address. That’s all.
It’s the easiest barrier of entry to break.
You do this by giving away something of interest to your
potential future customer for free. It could be an ebook
or a report, a subscription to an ezine or membership club,
a video clip or mp3 audio…
…something related to what you are going to sell.
And you give it away for FREE.
Your goal at this point, is to build a list of people who are
interested in the information that you have.
Once you have a list of people who are interested in
a certain kind of information, you have the ability to
contact these people again and again and give them
more information related to their interest.
After you’ve done this a few times, and your list gets
to recognize your name and they like the information that
you send them, then (and only then) are you are in a position
to recommend that they pay for some additional information.
Because you are sending them information that they have an
interest in, a framing is going on in people’s minds,
in that they are starting to believe you are an authority,
You are positioning yourself as an expert on the subject.
So in the future, when you make a recommendation to spend
money and purchase something, your list will listen to you.
So, how do you set about doing this?
Tune back in tomorrow to find out….
To see an example of how this is all done,
go to:
www.HealthyChocolateSuperfood.com
TAGS: build a list, conversion, framing, generate traffic, moving the free line, traffic
Posted in Student Loan Debt Consolidation, Training | No Comments »
June 8th, 2008
How good would life be if you could…
- Spend more time with family and friends.
- Live wherever YOU want.
- Throw the alarm clock away.
- Take vacations when YOU chose.
- Say goodbye to your terrible boss.
- Didn’t have to drive to work.
- Play and exercise more.
- Have plenty of money in the bank.
- Built a REAL retirement plan.
- Invest in your kids’ education.
- Make money while relaxing on the beach.
- Have financial security forever.
…to live life on your terms and
live however YOU choose to live.
Be Honest. EVERYBODY WANTS THIS!
But only about 2% of the world’s population
get to live life like this - on their terms.
JOIN THE 2%
www.MoneyPlus2000.com
I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars on
software, seminars, services and other ‘experts’
ebooks and products, all related to making money.
I’ve also invested thousands of hours
to perfect my money making techniques.
Now, I’m going to “give back” and train you
how to make enough money to be financially
free.
You’ll also avoid the costly mistakes that I’ve
made during my learning process.
To get access to all this ‘insider’ information
and the benefit of years of research and experience
would normally cost thousands of dollars.
And I’m going to give you the information…
FREE OF CHARGE!
Just check back on this site every day!
Today, the free training starts.
Since it’s Sunday, todays lesson is an easy one.
I want to watch a short video by Napolean Hill.
For those of you not familiar with Mr Hill,
he wrote one of the best selling books in history…
“Think and Grow Rich”
(second only to the Bible)
So without further fanfare, watch the video
and then return tomorrow for lesson 2.
Watch it here:
Think and Grow Rich
TAGS: free of charge, free training, money, Napolean Hill, Think and Grow Rich
Posted in Training | No Comments »
June 7th, 2008
Do you dream of making money online?
Making money with your computer by just pushing
certain buttons and have the money flow into your
bank account… It’s not a dream, It’s a reality!
Internet Marketing is not new.
People have been doing it for years (including me).
Many average people, such as carpet cleaners,
construction workers, accountants, garbage men, etc.…
have become Millionaires from Internet Marketing.
Why?
Because you can now reach out to millions of people
all over the world with your message and sell them
something they want or need.
Now, I’m not talking about the hard sell pitch that you
might expect from a car salesman, insurance salesman
or door to door vacuum cleaner salesman.
You see, the difference is that the customers come to you
(or rather your website). These are people that are actively
searching for what you are selling. They find YOU!
You don’t have to chase them and then hard pitch them.
It takes some knowledge and skill to make this happen.
It may sound complicated but you may be surprised at
how simple the process really is.
Making money online as an Internet Marketer is broken
down into simple steps that anyone can implement.
As an Internet Marketer it is your job to send people to
a company website using the techniques and strategies
that you will learn here, right from this site.
When those people make purchases, you are paid
a commission from the company who owns the product.
This is called Drop Shipping (if it’s a physical product).
A person goes to your website, makes a purchase and
the company will ship the product directly to the customer
and send you a check for your referral commission.
Pretty Cool!
This same concept is called Affiliate Marketing when it’s
an informational product. It works pretty much the same way.
A person goes to your affiliate website, makes a purchase
and instantly downloads the information.
You get paid a commission (usually 50% or better)..
There are literally hundreds of thousands of companies
online who are willing to pay you up to 90% of the entire
sale price just for sending people to their site.
You don’t have to touch the product, buy any inventory
or even handle any customer complaints or issues.
You’re just a middleman linking up someone who is looking
for a certain product or information, with someone selling it.
This is basically how Internet marketing works.
However, there are many aspects of Internet marketing
that you need to learn if you plan to make money online.
This is where this website comes in!
We will teach you everything that you need to know and
provide you with all the tools and learning resources that
you will need to start earning money online.
The training starts tomorrow.
And don’t worry if you should miss a day, because
the lessons will be archived so that you can learn them
at your own pace whenever it’s convenient for you.
The training will be completely FREE
as opposed to something like this:
http://plus2000.startintro.hop.clickbank.net
TAGS: affiliate marketing, drop shipping, free training, Internet Marketing, make money, millionaire, money, website
Posted in Internet Marketing | No Comments »
June 6th, 2008
In the last post I talked about how offline retail sales
growth has slowed to a near standstill… Doom and gloom.
Yet, e-Commerce businesses are flourishing. Why?
Forrester Research cites several reasons consumers
are doing more and more of their shopping online:
1) It’s convenient.
2) You can research products online.
3) You can purchase anything, any time - 24/7.
The research also shows that frequent online shoppers
are unlikely to slow their spending any time soon.
Generally speaking, online shoppers have higher income
levels than average consumers and are more insulated from
the effects of recession.
They also tend to be more optimistic about their financial
futures. This is GREAT news for an e-Commerce business!
However, even in a recession-proof market, you still have
to provide the kind of buying experience visitors are after
… or (click) they won’t be back.
Forrester Research suggests some key issues you need to
get a handle on if you want to convert your visitors
into sales and get their repeat business.
The #1 concern is Shipping charges!
The most common issue scaring customers away is
higher-than-expected shipping charges.
You can’t eliminate shipping costs, but you can
help yourself by NOT padding your shipping charges.
Avoid lowering your product price by falsely inflating
your shipping costs. Potential customers will likely
bail out of their shopping-cart, if the shipping charges
are too steep - never to return.
Back orders
The second-biggest cause of online shoppers’ dissatisfaction
is back-ordered products. People don’t want to wait.
You should constantly monitor your inventory levels
and your suppliers’ product levels -
- especially on your popular sellers.
Keep a close eye on your wholesaler’s inventory.
When you see they’re nearly out of an item, protect yourself
and remove the listing from your website until they restock.
It’s also smart to order a few of your best-selling items
and keep them on hand. Then, if your supplier runs short
before you can pull the item listing you won’t find yourself
in a back-order situation.
If you can overcome these basic operational hurdles, you’re
putting your eCommerce business in a position to profit.
Many home business people today avoid the back order dilemma
by selling “Information Products“.
The advantages of information products are many.
1) With a proper sales letter, the perceived value is high.
2) No shipping cost because the buyer can download the info.
3) No waiting - the download and gratification is immediate.
4) No inventory storage - the products are digital.
5) No back orders (you can sell an unlimited amount).
6) Super-High Profits…
If you would like to start your own “Information Product”
empire, but don’t know how to start, sign up for the
FREE TRAINING PROGRAM at:
www.MoneyPlus2000.com
TAGS: back order, Back orders, E Commerce, ecommerce, Forrester Research, free training, Information Products, recession, Shipping charges
Posted in Misc. | No Comments »
June 5th, 2008
Gas prices are at an all time high!
So much so, that rather than fill up when they need to,
incidents of people running out of gas WHILE DRIVING are up 400%.
Food prices are climbing drastically.
The February 20, 2008 INFLATION RATE = 4.3%
Restaurants are altering their menus to stay profitable.
Grocery stores are having to scale back on variety because
people aren’t buying as much.
On January 23, 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services,
published its annual update of the Poverty Guidelines.
For a family household of 4, the poverty level is $22,200.
35 years ago, you could buy a NEW house for that much.
The U.S. Department of Labor says that over 80,000 Americans
have lost jobs so far THIS YEAR.
It’s not confined to any particular industry -
cutbacks are happening across the board.
Bankruptcy filings are up 50% this year.
Foreclosures were up 75% in 2007.
If the 47,171 foreclosures in the 1st quarter continue
at the same rate, that would be 188,684 in 2008 or 2.9%
of the total.
This is not insignificant!
On the bright side…
The gigantic and well respected Forrester Research says that:
“E-Commerce is projected to continue its double-digit,
year over year growth rate in 2008 and beyond.”
What are the ACTUAL numbers there?
How much are consumers REALLY going to be spending online
in the near future?
2008: $204 Billion
2009: $235 Billion
2010: $267 Billion
2011: $301 Billion
2012: $334 Billion
Add that up. In the next 4 years, over $1 TRILLION dollars
are going to be spent online by consumers.
- And that’s over $130 Billion in GROWTH.
Get your slice of the e-Commerce pie.
www.MoneyPlus2000.com
TAGS: Bankruptcy, Department of Health and Human Services, E Commerce, Foreclosures, Forrester Research, poverty, U.S. Department of Labor
Posted in Mortgages | No Comments »
May 25th, 2008
Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday.
Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May,
this year - it’s tomorrow May 26th.
Memorial Day was formerly known as Decoration Day.
It commemorates U.S. men and women who died while they
were in military service to their country.
A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. US EST.
It is urged that at 3pm, you take a minute to reflect and remember
those who have perished so that you and I could have the freedom
to live in peace and prosper in this great country.
Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials.
Another tradition is to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff from dawn
until noon local time. Volunteers usually place an American flag
upon each grave site located in a National Cemetery.
Memorial Day is also used as a time for picnics, barbecues,
family gatherings, and sporting events. One of the longest standing
traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, (Indy 500)
which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911.
Some Americans also view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning
of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season.
HAVE A SAFE, RELAXING AND FUN MEMORIAL DAY!
Give your family a health snack to eat at the picnic.
www.HealthyChocolateSuperfood.com
TAGS: American flag, Decoration Day, federal holiday, freedom, Indianapolis 500, Memorial Day, military service, summer, United States
Posted in Misc. | No Comments »
May 18th, 2008
The Spanish Catholic Church drank chocolate for energy.
The Spanish recognized chocolate’s restorative and nutritional
properties. As a result, during the 16th century,
chocolate became known as a clerical fasting beverage.
After much debate, the Catholic Church allowed people to drink
liquid chocolate as a nutritional substitute during fasting periods
(when solid foods are not allowed).
In 1521, Cortés led his forces against Montezuma’s warriors
and defeated them in battle. Cacao, a treasured treat and
a form of Aztec money, became one of the spoils of war.
“The divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue.
A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk
for a whole day without food.”
- Hernán Cortés -
circa 1519
Healthy Chocolate as an Antioxidant Beverage
Xoçai Activ™ is a powder product that combines
the wonderful flavors of raw, unprocessed cacao,
açaí berries, blueberries and other high-antioxidant berries
that you “activate” by adding purified water.
Per fluid ounce, Xoçai Activ™ delivers an astounding
antioxidant content or ORAC Value of 4,275*.
ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity).
The Xoçai Activ™ addresses the needs of a sugar-conscious
consumer by adding Fructose, a low-glycemic sweetener,
while delivering a lasting, “dark-chocolate” taste.
Did you know that less than 10% of Americans are getting the
recommended daily intake of antioxidants? Why not get the
antioxidants that your body needs by drinking “healthy chocolate”?
By drinking 1 oz of Xoçai Activ™ you are providing your body
with the necessary antioxidants, only 30 calories and 3g
of natural occuring sugar, 1g of fiber and it’s fat-free!
Xoçai Activ™ is light-weight, convenient, portable, and can be
stored for up to one year before you have to “activate”
the product by adding purified water.
Xoçai Activ™ addresses the needs of the “All-Natural” consumer
because there are no added colors, no artificial flavors,
and no preservatives!
Xoçai Activ™ is ideal for the “PURIST”, who wants nothing
but the raw, high-antioxidant ingredients or for the
“ENERGETIC”, who wants to live life without limitations!
You owe it to yourself to live a more Activ™ Lifestyle!
To get more information or to order, go the website:
www.HealthyChocolateSuperfood.com
Make sure you fill in your email address so that you
can watch the video and get the natural chocolate facts.
www.HealthyChocolateSuperfood.com
TAGS: acai, antioxidant, Aztec, blueberry, cacao, Catholic Church, chocolate, Cortez, fasting, fat free, fiber, fructose, healthy chocolate, low glycemic, Montezuma, ORAC, purified water, Spanish, Xocai, Xocai Activ
Posted in Healthy Chocolate | No Comments »
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