Networking Women Today

Guest Bloggers

Networking Women Today  is currently accepting guest bloggers. It’s a great way to get your name in front of a community of women working in the field of business.

If you’ve got a great idea for a post and would like to generate added exposure for yourself, your website, blog or organization, then feel free to contact Networking Women Today and pitch your idea. The only requirement aside from writing a great post that’s useful and helpful to women in business and well-proofread is to promote your guest post on your own blog or website with a link back to Networking Women Today.

To submit your guest post query, simply send us an email at info@networkingwomentoday.com and include “Guest Post Query” in the Subject line.

Weekly Contributors

Networking Women Today  is currently looking for ongoing contributors.

If you can commit to writing one article per week that can help women succeed in business, send us an email at info@networkingwomentoday.com and include “Weekly Contributor” in the Subject line. This is not a paying role but does provide the author additional online exposure and networking opportunities.

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***Previously Posted On http://heathertaskovics.net***

WOOHOO! So you’ve read Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog series in your valiant quest to become an entrepreneur and you find that there is still one more question burning from within the depths of your soul: “What Is Affiliate Marketing?”

Affiliate Marketing Defined

Affiliate Marketing is a type of marketing system by which companies pay a commission to people (affiliates) for referring their products and/or services to the rest of the world. It is fairly popular with first-time internet marketers as it can be an easy way to earn some extra money.

The Various Types Of Affiliate Marketing Programs

Here are the three types of programs that you will typically find:

• Pay Per Click
• Pay Per Lead
• Pay Per Sale

Pay Per Click (PPC) – Not to be confused with Pay Per Click related to Google Adwords, with this PPC, the affiliate is paid every time a banner ad or a link that is placed on the affiliate’s website has been clicked on. Typically the affiliate is required to get a certain number of clicks on their links before they receive any compensation. For these the pay is rather minimal and should not be used as a sole source of income.

Pay Per Lead (PPL) – With PPL, the affiliate receives commissions every time a lead turns into a potential buyer. Even though the buyer may not complete the purchase, the merchant believes that the lead is still valuable and therefore will pay the affiliate for that lead.

Pay Per Sale (PPS) – PPS is the most common affiliate marketing pay system. In this system, the affiliate receives commissions based on purchases made by the lead. If the lead does not buy anything, the affiliate will receive no compensation.

Examples Of Affiliate Marketing Websites

There are hundreds of affiliate marketing sites out there. The following is a list of what I consider to be the *BIG THREE* in the industry:

• Clickbank.com – This is by far the most popular website for finding affiliate marketing opportunities. There are thousands upon thousands of products available to market–there are even detailed sales stats to help you choose which product(s) to market. Because many of these products are digital, you can easily earn as much as 75% commissions.
• Amazon.com Affiliate Program – Since 1996, everyone’s favorite place to shop for books, CDs, DVDs and clothing (and just about anything else you can think of!), has had an affiliate program. You can earn as much as 15% on purchases and they provide widgets that you can post on your blog site as well as links for marketing on social networks. Many people create complete online *stores* just with Amazon.com affiliate links.
• CommissionJunction.com – Basically, this is THE place to find merchants that offer affiliate programs. It is a central location through which you would receive your commissions earned from numerous merchants that you choose to market. CJ provides you with the affiliate links, which include imbedded tracking code so that you can monitor the performance metrics of the link.

And thus concludes the “So You Want To Be An Entrepreneur” series. I hope you have found this article series useful in your search for finding the right marketing opportunity and learning a bit about the industry. If you like what you have read, go ahead and share it on Twitter and Facebook.

And by all means, please DO leave your comments in the space provided below. I would love to hear from you.

Thank you so much for joining me on this fantastic journey!

As always, until next time…

TO YOUR SUCCESS!

Heather Taskovics
Co-founder, Networking Women Today

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***Previously Posted On http://heathertaskovics.net***

Congratulations! You’ve decided to forge your way into the unknown and take the plunge in to the world where men and women are kings and queens of their own destiny–the world of the entrepreneurs. If you’ve read Part 1 of this series, then you’ve created your list of what you desire out of life and are now ready to decide whether to go with an MLM company or become and affiliate marketer. In Part 2 of this series, we are going to focus on MLM and what it’s all about.

MLM Defined

MLM or Multi-level Marketing (also known as Network Marketing), is a type of marketing system in which companies contract people to work as distributors and sell their products and/or services to others–either in person, over the phone or via the Internet. The multi-level part comes in when the distributor enlists other people to become distributors under him/her and earn an income. Depending on the type of MLM system that is used, a certain percentage of the money from products or services sold is passed on to the distributor.

The Many Facets of MLM – Compensation Plans

There are several ways that an entrepreneur can get compensated for their efforts in MLM.

• Unilevel
• Forced Matrix
• Binary
• Breakaway
• 1Up/2Up

Of all the different compensation plans out there, the Unilevel, Forced Matrix and Binary plans are the most common that companies use to pay distributors.

Unilevel Pay Plan: The distributor is typically paid the highest on their front line–those who have been personally recruited–and earns a small percentage on every level built in their downline. Then there are Unilevel pay plans that compensate only a small amount for personal enrollments and a higher percentage on the downline levels. There is usually no limit to the number of people that can be sponsored on the front line; however, with most companies there is a limit to the number of levels a distributor can have.

Forced Matrix Plan: This plan is basically the same as the Unilevel plan, with one exception: There is a limit to the number of people you can sponsor on the frontline. This means that if, for instance, you had a 3X5 Forced Matrix, then you could only have 3 direct referrals–anyone you get to sign on after your initial three would then be placed under one of your three. This process would continue until you have filled all five levels and then you would “cycle out” and start again. Once you’ve sponsored your 3, then you can focus on helping them train their 3, etc. This is actually a great way to grow your team and see profits increase faster.

Binary Pay Plan: In this plan you have two “legs” with an infinite number of levels in your downline. You are compensated based on the number of people in your weakest leg–if you have 30 people in one leg and 20 people in the other, you will only receive payment for the leg with 20 people in it. The idea behind this is that you have more of an incentive to help your downline in the weaker leg and balance the legs in order to be able to receive full compensation for everyone in your downline.

Breakaway Pay Plan: This plan, also known as a Stairstep Breakaway Plan, is actually the first and oldest (circa 1959) type of pay plan ever used in the industry–and is still widely used to this day. What is interesting is that once you have achieved a specific qualification level, then you and your downline “break away” from your upline–become what is known as a generation–and you will receive higher commissions. Your sponsor receives a small commission, known as an override commission, as compensation for losing you and your downline. The problem with this is when someone in your downline breaks away, your commissions suddenly become significantly less than before–the override commission doesn’t usually make up for the loss of income. This is just another incentive to continually build your frontline.

1 Up/2Up: Typically used with high-ticket products and/or services, the 1Up/2Up compensation plan goes like this: The first sale you make (or first 2 sales as in the 2Up plan) goes directly to your sponsor–any sales you make after that first one (or two) then go to you. The same applies to those in your downline–you would receive the first 1-2 sales that your frontline gets and they would keep the rest. This is not usually recommended for the newbie entrepreneur; however, that is for YOU to decide!

Just Remember This…

It is extremely important to understand your company’s compensation plan in order to best use it to your advantage–however, no compensation plan can work for you if you do not believe in the products/services that you are marketing. If you joined a company solely for the pay plan in hopes of becoming a gazillionaire and could care less about WHAT you are marketing, then you need to re-think what you are doing, because I can guarantee you that you will not succeed unless you are 100% sold on what you are marketing. Make sure you do your homework and learn everything you can about the company and products/services in addition to the compensation plan and you will be you will be on your way to seeing real success in your business.

Well, that’s it for this installment of “So You Want To Be An Entrepreneur”.   Part 3 will focus on affiliate marketing and using sites like Clickbank, GetResponse and Aweber for your business.

Thank you so much for reading this. I’d LOVE to hear from you. Please take a moment to share any thoughts you have on this post. If you enjoyed this content, feel free to share this with all your friends!

TO YOUR SUCCESS!

Heather Taskovics
Co-founder, Networking Women Today

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***Previously Posted On http://heathertaskovics.net***

Hooray! You’ve decided that you’ve had enough of working long hours to make someone else’s piggy bank expand while watching yours shrink from starvation. You now want to join the ranks of those who want to reclaim their destiny, rather than leaving it at the hands of someone else. You are an independent thinker who wants to be your own boss and earn millions of dollars so that you can drive around in your new Lamborghini and take vacations on the southern shores of France in your little chateau by the beach whenever the mood strikes you. You have decided to become: AN ENTREPRENEUR. TA-DAH!

So now what?

Finding Your Niche

Determining your niche market is fun to do, but it can take some time. You want to make sure that you’ve done your due diligence and the proper research to find what works for you and is of an interest to many.

There are a some of the things that need to be done first:

1. Create a list of what interests you–things that get you excited and inspire you to take actiion and see it through to completion.
2. If you have decided to get involved in Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) or Affiliate Marketing, then do the research to determine what it is you would like to promote (more about how to do this in Parts 2 and 3).
3. Write out a game plan of actions that you want to take to achieve your goal.
4. Keep a schedule of tasks that you want to accomplish each day that will bring you closer to your goal. It helps to write them out the night before in preparation for the following day.
5. Write down your WHY–There are no right or wrong answers here–these are YOUR PERSONAL REASONS that remind you WHY you have decided to become an entrepreneur. You will want to refer to this as often as possible to help keep you on track.
6. Be constant and consistent.

These are just a few simple actions that can be easy to accomplish–as long as you are willing to do them. Understand that if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur you need to commit yourself to staying on the path to achieving your goal, regardless of the ups and downs along the way. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes–it is how you learn and grow to become the successful entrepreneur that you envision yourself as being.

The Journey Can Be Even More Important Than The Destination

While it is important to have an end goal in mind (the fame, the fortune and the chateau in France), you should also be aware of the present moment–that is: what you are doing right here, right now and what is going on at that time. Don’t become so attached to the final outcome that you fail to see even the most subtle of opportunities that arise on your path to greatness–this can either shorten or extend your route.

When we are mindful of our actions and what is going on around us we find ourselves more satisfied with the results of those actions; rather than going about our tasks without any thought whatsoever and wondering how it is exactly that we even got to the finish line.

And Now We Begin To Eat The Elephant…

In the beginning, it may seem a bit daunting to see where you are now, where you want to be and all the work that needs to be done to get there. The idea is to start from the beginning and START SMALL. Write down that list of goals and things that interest you and keep that list with you at all times as a reminder of WHY you decided to become an entrepreneur. What may seem like small footsteps eventually end up becoming miles–and all those steps can add up rather quickly if you let them. Further on down the road you’ll be able to look back and admire all those accomplishments (BIG and small) that you have achieved along the way.

We Are Always Works In Progress

The most successful entrepreneurs are constantly reading, studying and educating themselves in order to stay ahead of the game. They know that things are always changing–technology, socio-economic environments, politics, etc. They also realize that in order to grow they, too, should adapt and evolve.

Make a point to be consuming as much information as possible. Attend seminars and classes–you can even check out the latest videos from your favorite entrepreneurs on YouTube. Read the latest books on whatever niche it is that you have chosen; subscribe to trade magazines, ezines, blogs, and the like.

Just something to note: In order to ensure success in business, you must also ensure success in life; therefore it is also very important to be good to yourself: eat a healthy diet, exercise (i.e. yoga, pilates, tai chi, running, etc.), meditate, read self-help books, check out blogs, watch videos and listen to audio recordings in order to improve your life mentally, physically and spiritually.

You cannot expect to succeed in business while staying in one place with old mindsets and attitudes. Education should be the #1 most important investment you ever make–the rewards will definitely outweigh the risks.

I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of the “So You Want To Be An Entrepreneur” series. Part 2 will cover the different compensation plans that companies use.

If you found this information to be valuable, go ahead and share it with all your friends. You can even leave a comment below with your own tips on choosing a niche. I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

TO YOUR SUCCESS!

Heather Taskovics
Co-founder, Networking Women Today

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This might sound familiar to you.  One day you feel motivated and the next day you’re feeling the complete opposite. Staying motivated, no matter what the circumstances are, is not easy.  Let’s face it — if it were that easy, everyone would do it.  It is possible though!

Usually at the beginning of a project or job, you tend to feel good about it and are filled with enthusiasm and motivation.  Throughout the duration of the project, you might experience unexpected failures or problems, and your motivation fades.  Some people even become depressed and consider giving up.  All of their once positive and enthusiastic thoughts have turned completely negative.  Dreams in the beginning of the project become reality and tend to cause one to lose confidence.  These emotions can lead to us giving up before the project can be completed.

If you can learn to understand and analyze your emotions, and what caused them — you can turn these negative emotions around.  When we lose our motivation, we tend to lose our focus, our confidence and our direction, so try this:

• Focus on the task at hand — be specific and remain positive.
• Don’t focus on what you don’t have — instead focus on what you WANT.
• Don’t focus on your fears — instead try to OVERCOME them.
• Don’t focus on being poor — instead focus on a plan to create success and financial security.
• Create a step by step plan, and carry out one step at a time.  Focus on your plan and be realistic about your goals.  Remember, goals that are unreachable can lead to depression, but small steps (goals) that are accomplished lead to increased motivation!
• Increase your confidence by being grateful for what you have, and not what you are missing.  I am willing to bet you’ll start discovering you are more successful than you think.
• Don’t waste your energy on being jealous of others — instead, work on achieving your own goals.
• Don’t take your strengths for granted.

In summary . . . if you have no direction or focus, you won’t find motivation.  Creating a day-to-day strategy and a to-do-list and doing it provide a sense of accomplishment.  Mark off each item on your to-do-list once you have completed it.  By making this list or outline of what needs to be done, you will find ways to accomplish them.  You will start believing that you deserve success — don’t waste time worrying about the future.  Start now — change your future for the better!

Finally, if you experience a loss of motivation or start feeling depressed — don’t be surprised.  Try and take this opportunity to look back and analyze what you are doing right, and what you are doing wrong.  Discover your faults and correct them — you just might find that when you re-evaluate your plans and goals, you will experience new found enthusiasm and motivation!

To your success!

Dayle Patronik-Schneider
Co-founder, Networking Women Today

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I have been working tirelessly for a few months now building solid relationships with people via the net.

Why?

What is the value in having relationships with others we don’t really know? If you are building a “network marketing” business, the essential element is the network.

But, sometimes, it is very hard to make a great connection with someone over a computer, don’t you think?

So… how do we truly build a strong friendship with someone via cyberspace?

If you are going to reach out to someone and make a connection, take a look at their profile, have a sense of who they are first before you reach out.

Remember that behind the computer screen is a person with a set of values themselves and they will remember you when you truly show your interest in their life and their family.

Why is it so important to build a strong connection?

That person will remember you like a needle in the haystack.

They will remember that you didn’t just try to sell them your biz… they will remember that you listened and you truly were interested in them as an individual, first and foremost, before any business discussions took place…. You never know… you may truly gain something very valuable from that friendship…..something more valuable than just signing them up.

Some basic tips on building relationships via the net:

1) Read their information page or profile to learn more about them as an individual.

2) Ask them about their family, their hobbies, their interests

3) Comment on posts, genuinely

4) Offer your friendship; unconditionally

5) Offer support if they need it, you may need it one day as well

6) Remember, building a friendship online is no different than building one in person… be yourself and that will shine through the screen!

Warmly,

Your Friend.. Melissa

http://www.melissaannmitchell.com

Co-Founder, Networking Women Today

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Are you trying to create your own profile to show case your brands, services or your self? Are you trying to carve a niche for your own products and promote them? Are you trying to generate tons of links and organic traffic to your website as a promotional way to improve your business? For all your needs, social media marketing could be the possible and viable option to be successful. Some of the top tools are

Twitter, StumbleUpon,Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, Del.icio.us, Digg, Technorati, Reddit, Secondlife andNewsvine.

The idea is to get in touch with as many people as possible offering what you have and making money in the process. Now, depending upon your target customer group, you could choose from the sites listed above. Let’s say for example if you are an Outsource Training Institute, then you would like to use Linked In rather than any other site. As this social media tool would help you reach people who would be interested in outsourcing training. You need to pitch in to meet your target customers in order to have better results. Hence, knowing which social marketing tool that you would be going for is the first and foremost thing.

Then comes how could you take over or dominate the social media-marketing tool that you are using for the promotion of the product or service that you have to offer. The tips below can help and have helped me in my own work –

 To personalize your profile, you should have a good photo uploaded. Remember, first impression is the best impression!

 Updating the profile in a detailed manner, highlighting the strengths is important.

 Your contact information should be crystal clear.

 While writing your profile page, try to have the SEO keyword approach in mind.

 Get your profile associated with sites that would have similar keywords and to blog feed

 You should be active on your profile, update it as and when required

 Whatever application that a social networking site is offering should be activated. Like for example, if you are using Linked In – Company Buzz, WordPress & Bloglink and SlideShare must be activated.

 Ensure that your settings are such that anyone could approach you with their requests or needs.

 Browse through connections to get contacts and send them invites often – add 30 friends daily on Facebook. There are automation tools, see my resource page for more information.

 Making recommendations is another tool which would help you maximize the potential with social media marketing sites. Ensure that you are asking as well as providing recommendations in order to be visible and active.

 Sending messages free offers you have might grab the attention of the contacts would be a great thing.

 Join groups and conversation/forums and add valuable content.

The list is not exhaustive. Just remember that you should be active and visible to gain better business opportunities.

Melissa Ann Mitchell

http://www.melissaannmitchell.com

Co-Founder, Networking Women Today

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