Have you ever heard of cross promoting? Cross promoting is when you merge your offers to play off of one another.

Consider Amazon, for instance. They are masters at cross promoting. Every time you purchase an item or simply browse for an item on Amazon, they provide customers with complimentary products that you might like as well. And, in more instances than not, you end up purchasing more products.

As an affiliate marketer, you too can use the power of cross promoting to skyrocket your affiliate profits.For instance, let’s say that you have a dog training website and you sell a very popular dog training eBook that you wrote. Instead of only selling your original dog training book, you could sell your affiliate partner’s books or short reports on how to keep dogs healthy, how to cure your dog of ailments, etc. But this cross promoting stuff doesn’t just stop there.You can also sell physical products too. For instance, let’s say that in the book, you talk about the importance of clicker training to train your dog to behave better. Well, on your website, you could also sell dog clickers. These dog clickers will make the training much easier and will fatten your wallets.

The key is to sell everything that your customer needs to be successful in their dog training endeavors and to keep your customers happy. By doing this, you will not only provide your customers with one-stop shopping, they’ll come to see your site as the leading authority on everything related to dogs. They’ll then be more likely to come back to your site for other purchases, as well.

In conclusion, you should maximize your commissions whenever you can. Not only will you provide a better user experience, you’ll make more commissions.

So, get out there and start cross promoting now.

If you’re serious about internet marketing then the key to success is to treat your endeavors seriously from the very beginning. This means that you should set up your very own home office and keep everything nice and organized. Now mind you, your office doesn’t have to be 1,000 square feet; in fact, I’ve had offices that were 200 square feet. The key is to work with what you have.

First of all, develop a workable plan. Figure out where you’ll put your office, your budget for home office expenses, how much you’ll spend developing it, what furniture you’ll lease or purchase, etc. By doing this, you will go into it with a clear head and a budget in mind so that you don’t waste money on items you don’t need.

Second, get the bare essentials. For instance, you’ll definitely need a computer and of course an internet connection. Although I prefer a PC, if you want to use a Mac, that is fine too. Just keep in mind that most IM software is typically for PC users so you may be better off with a PC. When you choose your computer, you don’t necessarily have to go with a high-end model. Just choose one with the functionality you need.

Third, set up a comfortable place to work. It should be set up in a quiet and well-lit area. A separate room would be perfect because it would allow you the privacy you need to get the job done. Make sure that you decorate your area with positive and motivational pictures. As for me, I framed my first online dollar—that motivates and encourages me.

Fourth, have the right office supplies and furniture at your disposal. For instance, a comfortable desk and ergonomic chair are essential. After all, you’ll likely spend a lot of time in your chair so you definitely need an ergonomic chair. Also, make sure that you have a comfortable desk and perhaps a file cabinet and bookshelf to store supplies and important paperwork. Some marketers include a refrigerator or microwave in their home offices, but that is up to you. Fifth, get a quality fax machine and printer. As an Internet Marketer, you’ll need to be able to fax pertinent documents (like W9s) to affiliate partners, as well as other material. Therefore, you’ll definitely need a quality fax and printer.

In conclusion, setting up a home office doesn’t have to be difficult at all. However, a well-organized one is critical to your success as an Internet Marketer. To set up your home office, make sure that you plan ahead, budget accordingly, purchase the right supplies like a computer, printer, and fax, and set up a comfortable place to work. Once you do this, you’ll have the right tools so you can concentrate on growing your IM business!

I picked up a copy of Writers Digest for 2008 and realized something. I’m really undercharging for my freelance writing talents. However, I’ve found that what you could make in print just doesn’t compare to what you make on the ‘net. I think it has something to do with “perceived value.” Magazine publishers pay you a lot more for your freelance writing services because they value your writing talents and know that it will, in essence, make them a ton of money.

However, clients on the ‘net are so conditioned to working with cheap writers that they sometimes balk at paying adequate freelance wages. This is really sad, in my opinion. I mean, the potential for clients to make money on the ‘net may even be higher than those offline. So, what is a freelance writer to do? I believe that your best bet is to study freelance writer rates and then choose your own rates based on your overhead (office supplies, rent, internet access, etc.), background, financial needs, and qualifications. In addition, here are the preferred rates from Writers Market:………………………lowest……..average…….highest

Business Articles…………$N/A……….$750………..$N/A

Newsletter writing…………$800………$2,000………..$5,000

Web page writing…………$100………$1,251…………$7,000

Ghostwriting (as told to)…$5,500…….$22,800………$80,000

Ghostwriting (no credit)…$5,000……..$36,229………$100,000

Source: Writer’s Digest 2008

Amazing isn’t it? Well, about a year ago, one of the warriors, Dee Powers, conducted a modest survey of online freelance writers to determine their rates and here’s what she came up with: ………………………………..lowest…..average…..highest
250-350 word article…….$5………$13……..$17

500 word article ………….. $7………$20 …….$30

1,000 word article …………$12…….. $54 ……$125

2,500 word short report…..$25……. $141 ….. $325

5,000 word report …………. $50……. $380 ….. $800

10,000 word long report …$100……. $797 …..$1,600
ebook per page
400 words on a page………..$10……. $25 ….. $40

Source: http://www.warriorforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=162503

So, as you can see, there is a big disparity between online and offline earnings for writers. The question is, what will you do about it?

It’s amazing that when you work from home, people don’t think you are actually working. In fact, I’ve had several people ask me, “What do you do all day?” Then, when I proudly say, “I complete my projects” they then say, “Ummm humm.” Then they proceed to call me during the day to ask me if I saw the latest Oprah show or soap opera or just show up unannounced.This used to irritate the heck out of me, but I now understand. Some people just aren’t going to get it, and that is OK. As long as I do what needs to get done then that’s all that matters.I typically work 7 to 10-hour days and do so around my kids. I typically have my toddler under foot all the time, and my other two kids when they return from school.

My day starts at 6:00 a.m. when I work for about one and a half hours, get them ready for school, work throughout the day, and then work some more, pick up the kids for school, make dinner, spend quality time with family, and then put the kids to bed and work another couple of hours.

My schedule is crazy and likely wouldn’t work for everyone, but it works for me.

The only childcare that my children have is me, my mother, and my hubby. I have tried daycare for each of my kids, but it honestly doesn’t work for us. My kids would cry all day and I would be so worried about them that I couldn’t concentrate on my work. So I make my schedule around their schedule.

That said, I’ve found that the best ways to handle people who don’t respect your home business schedule are:

1. Realize that not everyone will understand that you actually work from home and don’t just say you work at home while you’re really doing nothing at home, and that is OK. You can’t make people understand and it’s fruitless to try.

2. Set a realistic work schedule and allow some free time. Perhaps there are times when you want to do non-work-related tasks; well, allow time for that. Develop a schedule that works for you. For instance, if you want to volunteer at your child’s school every Friday, then do it. Just get your work done afterwards or take the day off.

3. Use humor. Now, when friends call me (who know that I work from home) and make unrealistic requests, I say something smart like, “I would love to help you today but I’ve got a ton of toe jam that needs to be removed and it will probably take me about eight hours or so. But after that I’m free.”

4. Deal with distractions and move on. No matter how hard you try, there will probably still be times when people will drop over unannounced or need favors. Just deal with the situation quickly and get back to your projects or drop your project and pick it up later. The key is to always stay on top of your projects so that you’re not stressed out when this happens, as it inevitably will.

Well, that’s it. I’ve gotta go and watch Oprah, Judge Mathis, and Judge Judy now!

I’ve been busy doing my taxes these past few days, working on client projects and trying to complete my April challenge, and I’m getting a bit worn out. Tax season is really stressful for me because I typically put off filing my taxes to the last minute. Filing forces me to take a cold hard look at how much money I made last year and it isn’t pretty at all.

If I think about all the hours I slaved in front of the computer and how much I made after expenses, it is pretty sad. I don’t plan on giving up, however. Instead, this just encourages me to keep going and to make better decisions in the near future. Here are 6 things I plan to do better next year:

1. Watch those expenses. This includes PLR material, domain hosting, web designers, and other contractors as well. In fact, I really need to learn how to create my own websites, as that would save me a ton of money.
2. Keep better records. My recordkeeping definitely needs to be improved. Sharing this information with you guys forces me to be better at this.
3. Work more productively. I must limit my working hours to five hours a day. This way, I’ll really have to be productive and won’t have any time for b.s.ing on the ’net. Instead, I can become a writing machine that gets it done quickly and efficiently.
4. Concentrate more on IM efforts. Last year I had a balance of IM efforts and freelancing. This coming year, I want to complete more IM projects and fewer ghostwriting projects. Then, I won’t have to worry about nonpaying clients or paying additional funds to third-party sites like Elance. Plus,I can also benefit from residual income.
5. Take quarterly reviews. Every month, I need to make quarterly reviews of my finances to see how I’m doing month to month. This will keep me focused and keep me on task to achieving my financial goals.
6. Make more money. If I made more money, tax time would be more exciting and fun. I could then bask in the glory of my financial success and prove to the IRS that I am actually not a poor business owner!