I’m a great believer in doing things for free – without compromising on quality or getting what you want. In this day and age, I think it’s perfectly possible to have your cake and eat it, but you’re going to need to think about things in a different way. Here’s how:
Do you really need it? The first mindset you need to adapt is asking yourself the question of "Do I really need it?" when you’re looking to spend some money on something. Most of the stuff we buy is because we WANT it rather than NEED it. There is a big difference and if you’re already saying to yourself "I need it", it’s likely that you’ve already talked yourself into it. Try to stay objective and think about whether you do actually need it or whether you just want it really badly. Then think about:
Is there a different way to get it? Can you get the same item or the same result without spending money on it? If it’s an item you’re looking at purchasing, find out the price in the shops and then search for it on the Shop Bots like Kelkoo that are out there to see if you can get it for less. Have a look on Ebay too and also register on Freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org/) – people post unwanted items on this site and you can get them for free, provided you pick it up. You’ll be amazed at what is posted on there. To get the same result for something – let’s say you were thinking about going to an exhibition – could you go and work on someone else’s stand for free and be able to promote your business in exchange? If it’s an advert, could you write an article in the publication instead of paying for an advert?
Have the mindset of not spending money You see, doing your marketing (and other things) for free is all about having the mindset of not spending money. A good tip to try is to reduce your marketing budget to £500 a year or less and stick to it. That means if an advertising opportunity comes up that costs £1000 you’re going to have to think much more creatively about how you do this since you don’t have the budget. So could you barter with the publication to reduce the cost; could you write an article instead; could you team up with another business and advertise together? The possibilities are limitless – you just have to be creative.
Be creative If I said to you – come up with 10 ways to promote your business – you’d probably find that easy to do. You’d be likely to include advertising, sending out mail shots and so on. If I said to you though – come up with 10 ways to promote your business for free – I know you’d find this harder to do, but just thinking through this, you’ll be amazed what you come up with and you’ll have 10 ways to promote your business that don’t cost you a penny. Be creative, you never know what the results will be.
Not spending money is just a mindset. It’s hard to think this way if you’ve been used to spending but when you put your mind to it, you’ll be amazed at what you can come up with. My philosophy is "Why spend money if you can have it for free?" Try it, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Google Adwords – Understanding Your Bids & Keywords
When you set up a Google Adwords campaign you particularly have to place specific attention on your keyword choices as well as your bids. After all, you don’t want to be charged more for a bid that you could have avoided paying. So, who controls the bidding process? Google of course! I know, we would love to control it but the powers that be have the last say. So, how does this bidding process really work? Well, let me explain: If you are running a Google Adwords campaign sometimes you may find that the information on the Google ad group 1 can sometimes have no ads showing for a particular keyword. This keyword obviously has a low quality score from Google so the bid on it can exceed your current bid. What this means is each keyword is given a quality score based on its relevance of the keyword, ad text, and landing page. If your quality is low, the minimum cost per click bid required to show your ad for the keyword will be high. Conversely, high quality keywords have a lower minimum cost per click bids. If for example the minimum cost per click bid for the keyword is greater than the bid, the keyword(s) become inactive and your ad stops showing for that particular term. It is extremely important to always monitor your ads performance while you are running your ad and after you run your ad. This will allow you to test and gain accurate results that can be tweaked and improved for the future. Also, a very important thing to remember is to never get emotionally attached to any of your keywords! This is a big no-no. There’s tons more keywords out there that you can find that people are searching for. One of the best tips when creating a Google Adwords campaign is this... if you are running your ads and you develop many inactive keywords, you’ve got two choices – one, take all the keywords and delete them and then just re-add them in there or secondly, raise or increase your bid. There’s really no other choice. Having inactive keywords happens to everyone but it’s good to know what to do in this situation. There’s no other choice you pretty much have, unless you have the keywords on your webpage. Now you can’t do this with all of your keywords because it just won’t make sense – but you can take some of your keywords and add them to your page. If you have the keywords on your page, what happens is Google sometimes – not all the time – Google can sometimes give you a better quality score. If they give you a better quality score, your bid price will go down. These are just some tips that will assist you when creating your ad campaigns and hopefully you’ll gain the upper hand using these strategies.
Good luck!
There are many strategies out there to make money on the internet but nothing makesense unless you have a big list. Email Marketing is a the most profitable way to makemoney on the net. When you build a list of hot and hungry prospects you control your future. Discover how to use the internet and turn your computer into a cash gushing machine. Go here: PromotingTips.com
Good luck!
There are many strategies out there to make money on the internet but nothing makesense unless you have a big list. Email Marketing is a the most profitable way to makemoney on the net. When you build a list of hot and hungry prospects you control your future. Discover how to use the internet and turn your computer into a cash gushing machine. Go here: PromotingTips.com
Friday, May 23, 2008
Tips for Successful home schooling
Are you interested in creating a great home schooling program? Home schooling has many benefits and is no longer a matter of debate. Here are some tips to make learning at home an even more beneficial for you and your child.
Inspire your Child to learn how to write.
Writing assignments elicit more sighs and yawns more than other types of leaning assignments for a child, but it’s possible to allow children to like writing assignments by giving them practical assignments. For instance, you can get a child to write what he likes most about his/her toy; or to write a letter to a favorite relative as a way of keeping touch. You can also introduce the child to blogging online. If your child sees posts by other children, it is likely he will want to try writing his own topic. Pen pal letters also stimulate the child to learn how to write.
Inculcate a reading culture
It’s always god to teach your child how to read (appropriate materials please). But, you also need to take steps to ensure that the child does not have conditions that might hinder reading like visual problems or dyslexia. When you are home schooling, you will need to set a good example by reading for pleasure, and make sure that your child notices. Don’t pick reading materials that are too complicated for the child to comprehend, as this will lead to frustration. Computer games that have text in them are good for reading as they are for child development.
Learn to compromise
As to how much further you can go in insisting that your child performs a particular task for home schooling, there are no easy answers. Suppose your child wants to learn science and you had scheduled algebra, what do you do? You can change the schedule a bit and accommodate your child’s educational cravings; just ensure this is not often repeated and putting your foot down sometimes is necessary skill when teaching children. Home schooling does not necessary mean you follow your own schedule; you will need to be flexible.
You will want to ensure that your child’s education is at par with his peers’ learning at public/private schools. One way of doing this is getting your hands on a used or free curriculum which can help you have significant costs savings and will allow you to duplicate the curriculum that your child would receive in a traditional classroom setting. You can also pick inexpensive learning materials that are up for sale from a local library, or from numerous online stores.
If your child has refused a task, then a time off may be a good idea. Home schooling doesn’t have to be a battleground.
Sometimes a change is good than a rest.
There are times that your child may not want to touch a book or is plainly bored. You may not have much success teaching such a child at that moment. But you may improve results significantly by simply changing the home school environment. You may proceed to a park or a restaurant or the park or to a close relative’s house. You can also simply change the schedule and go the extra curricular way; it works wonders.
Inspire your Child to learn how to write.
Writing assignments elicit more sighs and yawns more than other types of leaning assignments for a child, but it’s possible to allow children to like writing assignments by giving them practical assignments. For instance, you can get a child to write what he likes most about his/her toy; or to write a letter to a favorite relative as a way of keeping touch. You can also introduce the child to blogging online. If your child sees posts by other children, it is likely he will want to try writing his own topic. Pen pal letters also stimulate the child to learn how to write.
Inculcate a reading culture
It’s always god to teach your child how to read (appropriate materials please). But, you also need to take steps to ensure that the child does not have conditions that might hinder reading like visual problems or dyslexia. When you are home schooling, you will need to set a good example by reading for pleasure, and make sure that your child notices. Don’t pick reading materials that are too complicated for the child to comprehend, as this will lead to frustration. Computer games that have text in them are good for reading as they are for child development.
Learn to compromise
As to how much further you can go in insisting that your child performs a particular task for home schooling, there are no easy answers. Suppose your child wants to learn science and you had scheduled algebra, what do you do? You can change the schedule a bit and accommodate your child’s educational cravings; just ensure this is not often repeated and putting your foot down sometimes is necessary skill when teaching children. Home schooling does not necessary mean you follow your own schedule; you will need to be flexible.
You will want to ensure that your child’s education is at par with his peers’ learning at public/private schools. One way of doing this is getting your hands on a used or free curriculum which can help you have significant costs savings and will allow you to duplicate the curriculum that your child would receive in a traditional classroom setting. You can also pick inexpensive learning materials that are up for sale from a local library, or from numerous online stores.
If your child has refused a task, then a time off may be a good idea. Home schooling doesn’t have to be a battleground.
Sometimes a change is good than a rest.
There are times that your child may not want to touch a book or is plainly bored. You may not have much success teaching such a child at that moment. But you may improve results significantly by simply changing the home school environment. You may proceed to a park or a restaurant or the park or to a close relative’s house. You can also simply change the schedule and go the extra curricular way; it works wonders.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Study Abroad Education Programs
Study abroad programs become the first choice when it comes to pursuing higher education. The advancement of technology and increasing liberalization have also elevated education abroad as a viable option for many. However, what has made these programs popular among the students of developing countries and other hitherto marginalized sections of the population is the availability of numerous study abroad scholarships and International fellowships.
Over the years, USA seems to have captured the imagination of the youth who wish to pursue higher education abroad. Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, New Zealand and Singapore are some other places that have witnessed tremendous flow of International students. India and China are two other countries that are attracting a growing number of foreign students at present.
However, taking the decision to go abroad for studies is not an easy one as it involves considerable expenses. But with numerous education loans and scholarships around, it has become much easier today. Most of the countries that seek to attract students from other countries offer scholarships on a wide variety of study abroad programs that may include courses in medicine, engineering, arts and humanities, science, management, law, fashion design & technologies, and various other courses. For example, if you are willing to study in USA, you can think of applying for Fulbright Scholarships, Marshall Scholarships, AFLSE Scholarships, Miss America Scholarships and so on. In order to qualify for certain scholarships you may have to fulfill certain criteria like merit, need, ethnicity etc.
For specific information on a country's study abroad programs, it is always helpful to visit the local office of the country's embassy or the office of the High Commission. Moreover, certain countries has also opened office specifically to cater to the needs of the International students. Certain good educational websites also provide information about the study abroad programs that are available in a country and other related information. Another option to take the right decision is to go for professional help and visit an experienced education consultant.
Over the years, USA seems to have captured the imagination of the youth who wish to pursue higher education abroad. Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, New Zealand and Singapore are some other places that have witnessed tremendous flow of International students. India and China are two other countries that are attracting a growing number of foreign students at present.
However, taking the decision to go abroad for studies is not an easy one as it involves considerable expenses. But with numerous education loans and scholarships around, it has become much easier today. Most of the countries that seek to attract students from other countries offer scholarships on a wide variety of study abroad programs that may include courses in medicine, engineering, arts and humanities, science, management, law, fashion design & technologies, and various other courses. For example, if you are willing to study in USA, you can think of applying for Fulbright Scholarships, Marshall Scholarships, AFLSE Scholarships, Miss America Scholarships and so on. In order to qualify for certain scholarships you may have to fulfill certain criteria like merit, need, ethnicity etc.
For specific information on a country's study abroad programs, it is always helpful to visit the local office of the country's embassy or the office of the High Commission. Moreover, certain countries has also opened office specifically to cater to the needs of the International students. Certain good educational websites also provide information about the study abroad programs that are available in a country and other related information. Another option to take the right decision is to go for professional help and visit an experienced education consultant.
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