Hi everyone, I hope your week was fantastic! I always get asked about tax write-offs, tax deductions, and tax exemptions for your home business. Tax write-offs can keep your business a-float. Uncle Sam wants your small business to succeed. There are all types of things you can write-off on your home business. You can even deduct your computer that you use for home business.

Keep your receipts for everything. Even if you buy paper for your printer; save the receipt. Anything at all that you use for your home business. You can even put your business name on your vehicle and write-off mileage, gas costs, and maintenance. Some states let you write-off more things than other states.

Check with your tax person to find out what you can write-off. Always remember to keep those receipts to prove you purchased items or services for your business. You can even write-off the software you use on your computer. If you design websites, you could write off all the graphics programs. That would save you thousands of dollars through the tax year.

In the state I live, selling lingerie is a tax exemption. That means I can sell as much lingerie as I want and won’t have to pay taxes. Home businesses get all kinds of benefits like this, that a storefront business wouldn’t receive.

You may not get to write everything off on your home business every tax season. But, every little bit counts. Little things here and there add up at the end of the year. That’s why it is so important to save your business receipts. It will make life a lot easier for yourself and your tax person.

It could mean the difference of paying thousands of dollars to the IRS. Instead you may only pay a small portion if you remember to write-off your business expenses. Business expenses are the only way the IRS will give you a break on your taxes. So document everything and have proof you spent what you say you spent.

Try not to use a tax place like H&R Block. I know they are popular and give you a tax check on the spot. But so many times, a place like this will have very under-qualified individuals doing your taxes. They won’t know everything they need to know about tax write-offs for a business. They are used to doing taxes for individuals without and kind of business possessions.

You need to find a tax person that is familiar with home business tax write-offs. Most small tax firms will have very qualified tax people. Just stay away from the commercialized tax people. On top of them not giving you all your deductions in tax season; they charge an arm and a leg for their services.

Thanks for reading my blog everyone! If you have any questions just email me.

LP@thehomedropshipguide.com

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Hi everyone, I hope your day is going great! I always get asked if marital aids are a good business to get into. Marital aids and adult novelties are a great business to start. 8 out of every 10 couples have used or will use marital aids or adult novelties to spice up their love life.

Sex sells and so does anything to help a couples love life. If you have been married for a long time, you probably know exactly what I am talking about. Sometimes a couple’s love life can get old and boring. The old saying “spice up your love life” holds true.

Since 8 out of every 10 couples have used adult items to spice up their love life, I know I don’t have to tell you they sell great. Oils, lotions, toys, and games are probably the best selling items on the internet right now. So the answer is, “YES”, adult novelties and aids sell excellent online.

The sex industry does very well in sales. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry for a good reason. Almost everyone will buy something from the sex industry in their lifetime. There are billions of people all around the planet. If you do the math, you will find that the sex industry can be very profitable.

I used to make a living from selling lingerie and marital aids. Ebay is a great place to sell such items. Ebay has a huge section dedicated to adults. This section of ebay is probably the most popular category on ebay. Just about anything up for auction in the adult section will sell on ebay.

If you have your own website, you can charge top dollar for the items you offer. You won’t have to compete with ebay sellers who are cutting each other’s prices to death. I suggest you look around on other websites and see what they charge for the same items. Then use your head and charge what you think is a good price that will still make you profit.

Anything from adult role playing items to solo items will make you lots of money if you are a reseller. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you are looking to make a lot of profit, I suggest you at least look into selling adult items.

Lots of couples are too embarrassed to buy these types of goods in a storefront. That’s why about 90% of all adult items sold, are sold online. Being discreet is very important to couples. And buying online takes away the embarrassment of buying these types of goods face to face.

I suggest anyone looking to make good money online look into selling adult novelties and marital aids. It may not be something to write home about. But it will pay the bills. Most of the people reading this blog need that boost in sales. And selling adult novelties and aids are the perfect way to kick start any home business.

Thanks for reading everyone. Let me know if you have any questions.
LP@thehomedropshipguide.com

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Hi everyone, I hope your weekend was great! Today I am going to tell you about ebay about me pages. Ebay about me pages can boost your sales by more than 100%. Your ebay about me pages can be advertised anywhere on the internet.

An ebay about me page is like a mini website. You can tell visitors all about yourself. You can tell them about your business and what you specialize in, as an ebay seller or buyer. Your ebay about me page is there to let the world know about your ebay business. So use it!

Your auctions will end a few days after you list them. So advertising your auctions all the time is a pain in the neck. But with an ebay about me page, you can advertise that everywhere. It won’t go away or end in a few days. An ebay about me page is your advertisement. Use it like your own website and advertise it everywhere you can.

Website experts drive traffic to their websites to create sales. You can do the same thing with an ebay about me page.

With an ebay about me page, you will have a targeted place to advertise in order to drive more customers to your ebay auctions. Lots of people don’t even know they can have an ebay about me page. If you go to your ebay account, you can find a lot of useful items that ebay offers to make your experience a better one.

Ebay might charge top dollar for auctions these days, but the traffic and sales you can receive are a great return. Set up your about me page and start a advertising campaign now. In three to six months you will see a steady bead of traffic that will keep your business a-float. If your not sure how to advertise your ebay about me page, take a look here.

Having a great ebay about me page is important also. Make sure your page isn’t all text. Try and add some pictures that relate to your business model. A cool design or template works great. Take a free template from the internet and customize the template to yourself. Originality isn’t a “must have” for an about me page, but it helps.

You can find some pretty good about me page templates online anywhere these days. Just go to your favorite search engine and search for “Free ebay about me pages”. You should come up with some pretty decent templates in your search. Just copy and paste the code for the template into your ebay about me page. Customize the template you yourself and “wallah”, you have yourself and ebay about me page.

Here is a great place to download some ebay about me templates.
http://www.shipscript.com/workshop/ME_templates.htm
Click onto the template you like. Then copy and paste the HTML code right into your ebay about me page.

Thanks for reading everyone. Let me know if you have any questions. Good Luck!

LP@thehomedropshipguide.com

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Hi everyone thanks for visiting. I hope your weekend is full of fun and good fortune. Today I will tell you about an always popular topic, “Ebay’s Hot List”. Knowing what the hot sellers on ebay can keep you going. There will obviously be a lot of competition when you are a seller of hot items.

You have to stay 2 steps ahead of your competition at all times. Ebay is probably the most competitive auction place on the internet. If you post an item for $20.00, you can be sure some jerk will come along and make their price $19.99. There will always be competition as long as ebay stays as big as it is right now.

Thousands of powersellers have left ebay since the newest rule and price increases this past April. So the competition left are the serious sellers. They mean business. Most of them buy bulk in pallets or even truck loads. That means they get their stuff cheap. It also means they can beat the competition’s price.

Drop shipping isn’t a very good strategy if you are selling popular or hot items. Drop shipping prices will always be higher than someone who bought 10,000 of the same item. For instance; if somebody bought 1 item from a wholesaler for $20.00 to be drop shipped, they would have to pay for drop ship and handling fees on each individual item also. But the person buying 10,000 units per order is getting them for $6.00 per item and one bulk shipping charge of a couple of hundred dollars.

Don’t get me wrong, ebay is a great place to drop ship items. But you have to find the niches that are not as popular to compete with the low prices. Popular and hot items on ebay are most profitable when you buy in bulk.

Here is why:

Your average drop shipper will pay over $10,000 or more a year in drop ship fees through the year. Even though most wholesalers only charge $2.00-$5.00 for each drop ship order, it all adds up. Think about it; If you had a $2.00 drop ship fee and sold 10,000 units through the year, that adds up to $20,000 in drop ship fees you paid.

But the person who bought 10,000 units up front and paid $400.00 for total shipping fees, saved both ways. They would save 10’s of thousands of dollars in drop ship and shipping fees. Plus they got the item $14.00 cheaper per unit, than the person buying one item to be drop shipped. That’s a lot of potential profit! Buying wholesale in bulk is the only way to sell hot items for this reason. Drop shipping popular or hot items just won’t work on ebay anymore.

You need to buy a lot of product up front if you want to sell popular items. I always hear people asking me why someone is selling the item cheaper on ebay, than they can buy it from their wholesaler. It’s because you are looking at the price for one item. If you buy bulk, you will get the item way cheaper than the single item price.

There is no breaking up the pallets or cartons when you buy wholesale in bulk. All the wholesale company has to do is direct your order from the manufacturer to them and to you. They barely have to handle the order when you buy in bulk. They are basically making a profit just to transport the merchandise to you. So the price will be cheaper.

But for drop shipping, the wholesaler would have to remove that pallet or carton from the truck. They have to store the goods somewhere. Then they would have to pay extra warehouse workers to get that pallet or carton. Then they would have to get ONE item off a huge rack of goods(probably with a fork truck). Then that person has to box it up individually and ship it to the destination. That takes time and man power. There is more handling when drop shipping is involved.

I hope you all understand; the competition is very tight when you sell popular or hot items on ebay. That’s why buying bulk is so useful when you have lots of competition. You can edge the price down to keep with the competition and still make profit.

Categories in alphabetical order; here is an accurate list of the hot items on ebay right now.

ART, ANTIQUES, COLLECTIBLES
Pop Art Prints
Buddha Statues
Cuckoo Clocks
Retro Ball Clocks
Roman Numerals Clocks
George Nelson Clocks
Vintage Schwinn Bikes
Vintage Lone Ranger Comic Books
Vintage Belt Buckles
Indian Moccasinss
Marilyn Monroe Dolls
Vintage Guitars
Vintage Hot Wheels
Vintage Hot Wheels
LEGO Wild West
Toy Story Woody
Elvis Cookbooks
Beatles Yellow Submarine Figures
Johnny Cash Signed Photos
Grateful Dead Posters
Kiss Dolls
John Wayne Movie Posters
Saturday Night Fever Records

FASHION
Under Armour Golf Shirts
Paige Premium Denim Jeans
Tory Burch Flats
Ed Hardy Hats
D&G Sunglasses
Kate Spade Handbags
Milly Dresses
Elvis Sunglasses
Vintage Mickey Mouse T-Shirts
KISS Shirts
Abercrombie & Fitch T-Shirts
Ed Hardy T-Shirts
Rolling Stones T-Shirts
Bebe Tank Tops
Superman T-Shirts
Paul Frank T-Shirts
Threadless T-Shirts
Hannah Montana T-Shirts
Affliction T-Shirts
Transformers T-Shirts
MTV T-Shirts
Harley-Davidson T-Shirts
Batman T-Shirts
Woodstock T-Shirts
Beatles T-Shirts
Juicy Couture T-Shirts
Nike Shox
Nike Dri-Fit Tank Tops
Oakley Sunglasses
Mark Nason Boots
Cowboy Hats
L.A.M.B Gwen Stefani 3.4 oz
Citizen Eco-Drive Watches
Juicy Couture Charm Bracelets
Coca Cola T-Shirts
Star Wars T-Shirts

HOME
Crystal Chandeliers
Vintage Wallpaper
Atomic Fabric
Mosaic Tiles
West Elm Pillows
Kate Spade Vase
Makita Cordless Drills
Eames Rockers
Leather Ottoman
Leather Club Chairs
Lawn Chairs
Herman Miller Aeron Chairs
Egg Lounge Chairs
Barcelona Chairs
Louis Chairs
Zebra Chairs
Dining Chairs
Wicker Chairs
Red Office Chairs
Dog Shirts
Thomas Paul Plates
Dora Chairs

MOTORS
8-Cylinder Engines
1959 Cadillac Eldorados
Chrome Wheels
White Wall Tiress
Corbeau Racing Seats
Exhaust Systems
Tail Lights
Pontiac Hood Ornaments
OEM Cadillac Grills
Corvette Emblem Flags

SPORTS
Nike Golf Bags
Titleist Golf Balls
Nike Sasquatch Drivers
Nike Golf Shoes
Golf Carts
Cannondale Road Bikes
Giro Helmets
Cycling Jerseys
Vintage Saddles

TECHNOLOGY
Bushnell Digital Binoculars
Canon PowerShot SD1000
Blackberry Pearl Unlocked
Nokia N95 Cell Phone Unlocked
Motorola H700 Bluetooth Headsets
Motorola RAZR2 V8 Unlocked
Apple iMacs
Garmin nuvi 660
TomTom One
Sling Media Slingbox
Sony Bravia 46″ LCD HDTV’s
Apple iPod touch 4GB
Garmin Forerunner 305
iPod Shuffle’s
Kicker Amplifiers
JL Subwoofers
Classic Movie DVD’s
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 Video Games
Nintendo Wii Remote Controllers
Guitar Hero III
Rock Band Video Game Bundle’s
Sony PSP 2000’s

This list should help every one of you decide what you should buy bulk to resell. This list is up-to-date and will give you an edge over your competition. If you have any questions let me know.

Thanks for reading!
LP@thehomedropshipguide.com

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Hi everyone, I hope your day is awesome! Did you know you could make money with your website in other ways besides just sales? That’s right; there are tons of ways you can make money with a website. People think they can’t make any money with a website because they don’t know what to sell. All you need is lots of website traffic to produce sales.

Lots of people have a website, but they don’t make any money with it. You need to offer as many ways to make money on your website as possible. Think about it; would you make more money selling your goods on just one auction place, compared to many auction places? A website works the same way. The more ways to make money you offer on your website, the more money you will make.

There is Google Adsense, affiliate marketing, advertising, selling ad space, trade advertising, PPC links, and lots of other ways. If you would like to learn something in detail, just ask. There are so many ways you could make money with your website; it’s a shame that some of you don’t have one yet.

It can take six months to a year to produce consistent traffic to your website. The best time to start a website is NOW! Build that website and advertise. If you don’t know how to market or advertise a website to bring in traffic (visitors) check here. Advertising is the main reason popular websites make money. Marketing and advertising equals traffic. Traffic equals money.

If you sell products on your website, that’s a bonus. For example if you are a retailer, you can make excellent money with a website. You not only make money with sales; but you also make money by having clickable links that give you a commission. Whether the commission is by sale or by clicks. You can make great money with a website of your own.

Build a website thinking outside the box. There are tons of options you can make extra money on your website. Just do a search for make extra money on your website. Commission Junction, Clickbank, Ebay’s affiliate program, the options are endless.

Keep selling your goods, but keep those clickable links where they can be seen. A great place for clickable ads are on the home page and so the customer doesn’t have to scroll to see the ad. Near the top of the page is the best place for clickable links.

Let me know if you have any questions. I would love to help.
LP@thehomedropshipguide.com  

Thanks for reading!

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Hi everyone, I hope your weekend was great! I have been so busy this weekend. In my research I found a great way to add your YouTube videos in your auctions. YouTube has become a breeding ground for new ways to make money. Putting videos in your auction pages will draw more customers.

In today’s world, reading can take up too much time out of our active lifestyles. The newer generations are looking for easier and faster ways to do things. Putting videos in your auctions can help the new generations. You can also get business from customers who can’t read very well.

It has been proven that auctions with videos will sell 8 times out of ten. Compared to the 4 out of ten auctions that will sell without a video. Making a video of the product you are selling can lay so many questions to rest with your customers. You will also notice less emails asking questions you already listed in your auction.

Pictures say a lot, but videos say so much more! Including more money in your pocket for selling more items. Videos are the future of anything we do online. Take advantage of all the technology we have or your competition will get to it first. Don’t let your competition beat you to the rat race of using the newest technology available.

Adding a YouTube video to your auctions is totally free. How can you go wrong if it’s free? Just make a video and edit it. Make sure it is good enough for you and runs properly. Save the video to your computer and upload it to your YouTube account. Now copy the HTML code (the HTML code is located under “EMBED” on the right side) for your video on YouTube. Now paste the HTML code into your auction.

More people will be likely to stay on your auction pages if you have a video of the item you are selling. The longer they stay on your auction, the more likely they will be to buy or bid on the item. This is a very simple and effective way to drive more sales. Give it a try!

Thanks for reading, see you all tomorrow. If you have any questions, email me.
LP@thehomedropshipguide.com

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Hi readers, thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope your weekend is going great! Today I will be telling you about popular scams I have dealt with through my 10+ years of using ebay. Ebay used to be a very trusted place. When ebay started back in the late 90’s; it was very rare if you got scammed or ripped off. Now ebay has become a breeding ground for scammers.

The sad truth is; lots of people out there use ebay to rip people off now-a-days. You have to be careful, even if you are an experienced veteran seller. I have seen just about everything. But it never ceases to amaze me about all the new types of scams that have gone through ebay in the past ten years.

Phishing scams are probably the most successful scam that people fall for everyday. An ebay phishing scam is a fake ebay email or web page. The scammers make the web page or email look exactly like it came from ebay.

Other scammers try to steal your ebay id and password. They send you a link through your email. It looks like an email that came from ebay. The email may contain a message saying your ebay account needs attention right away. The email contains a link to sign in to your ebay account.
If you click onto the link; it will bring you to a page that looks like ebay. But it’s not; your information gets logged by the scammer and they get your ebay id and password when you sign in.

Just a note, never click onto links in an email from ebay or paypal. Go directly to the website and sign in that way. If you do click a link in an ebay or paypal email. Make sure you look at the web address to make sure it’s really an official website. If the link brings you to www.joeshmoe.com, you know it’s not an official email from ebay or paypal.

Another way people get scammed on ebay is the old “I never got it routine”. I can’t even count how many times this has happened to me. It’s probably happened around 100 times or more. Even though someone signed for the item. Ebay and paypal still take the buyers word over yours (A new ebay thing that is unfair to sellers).
This scam works like so; the customer pays and you send the item. The person reports that they never received it. You usually get a negative feedback and have to send the money back to the customer or another item. So the seller looses out twice.

Another popular scam that still happens to people on ebay is; the stolen credit card payment through paypal. A buyer will buy an expensive item and pay you through paypal. You ship the item and think the transaction went smoothly. A few weeks later you receive a chargeback on paypal.
Guess what? The guy who you shipped the item to used a stolen credit card to pay. Now you lose out on the value of the item you shipped. You lose twice, because you also owe paypal the money that was sent to you from the stolen credit card transaction. Since a few weeks have passed, this can really damage your business.

The best thing you can do to avoid these types of transactions; is to not let new ebayers bid on your high priced auctions. I know it sounds mean not to let anyone new bid. We were all new on ebay at one time or another. But don’t take the chance of someone with a feedback rating of 0 or less bid on any of your high priced auctions. If they do bid, just retract the bid to have it removed.

Most scammers use new accounts to rip you off. This is because their last account got suspended for the same thing. Then they sign up with a new account and try their scam again. Until they rip someone else off and ebay suspends them again.

Another popular scam not only found on ebay. The famous Nigerian check scam. This person will win your auction and ask if they can pay by money order or cashiers check. Then they will go on to talk about how they have a friend in the USA and they want you to ship the item there. They will also offer to pay you more than the item costs. Then they will ask you to send the difference of the money to the person when you ship the item.

This sounds good, right? Wrong! Think about it. Who is going to send you more money than the item is worth? It turns out the check is fake. By the time your bank notices it, a month or more has gone by. Now you owe the bank money on top of the item and cash you sent the scammer.

The best way to avoid this scam is, don’t fall for it. If you do get a check or money order for something; call the bank that the money order or check is from. Make sure that person has an account and the check or money order is real.

These are just a few popular scams that have been floating around ebay for years. Be careful and use your head with every transaction. If you have any questions just email me.

Thanks for reading everyone!

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Hi everyone, I hope your week is going great! Today I will be talking about some major changes that will be taking place on my home business blog. I have also recruited a well qualified team to help me.

My blog has become so popular that I can’t take on the workload by myself anymore. I actually have a team of people for every major part of home business now. If things work out and I am sure they will; we will all become partners.

I will be able to concentrate on each individuals needs a lot better than in the past. We can actually help everyone who comes to our blog and needs home business advice. We will be adding new ways to help visitors to our blog. Convenience for my readers is one of our number one priorities.

I will make sure my readers get the best home business help possible. Each one of my home business experts has been running a successful home businesses for 8 years or more. Combined we have over 50 years of home business experience.

New Marketing and Advertising Team - I would like to welcome my new marketing and advertising team. I have recruited 5 of the best marketers and advertisers that I know. They know ten times more about advertising and marketing than I will ever know.

Two of the individuals in my 5 person team are the ones who taught me years ago. They know everything I don’t know and then some. That’s saying a lot because if you know my experience as a home business owner, I know a lot about running a successful home business.

They even have college degrees in marketing and advertising. They are all local friends who have decided to help me out. I really look forward to these new additions to my blog.

They have great heads on their shoulders and I couldn’t be happier about the situation. Now I will be able to concentrate most of my time helping people instead of advertising all the time.

I am also going to have a marketing and advertising help section on my home business blog. Anyone who needs to know about marketing and advertising can visit this section of my blog and get VIP service and help.

Even if you just need to increase your web traffic. My readers will have all the tools and help for any of their marketing and advertising needs.

New Blog Name Change - I have decided to change the name of my blog to a team name. In the next week or so we will be working on another name for my home business blog. Don’t be alarmed if you come to my business blog and notice another name.

We need a new name since my partners and I all agreed that it won’t be just my home business blog. It will be a team effort and we think calling ourselves a home business team is just the beginning.

Home Business Tutor Membership - We will also be offering a home business monthly membership program. We will be offering a subscription service where members can get 24-7 help with their home business. I am not sure what the membership cost will be yet.

We have to come up with something that is fair to my readers. Hopefully we should have all the bugs worked out by the end of the month.

New E-books - We will be releasing a new e-book every month. My new home business team will be writing e-books that nobody else has even thought about. As usual our e-books will still come with free tutoring to make sure you are on your road to success.

Home Business Consulting - We will also be adding a home business consulting section. We will be able to help people with anything they need in home business.

We will be helping readers with anything from - buying wholesale, drop shipping, buying and selling on auction marketplaces, how to market and advertise, how to be an affiliate marketer, how to build/host your own website, how to increase website traffic, how to make money by writing your own e-books, how to make money from blogging, anything that has to do with home business online.

There are so many great things coming to this blog. I am so excited about all the new changes we will be making for our readers. Our number one priority is to help anyone who wants to learn about running a successful home business.

These are just a few things we will be changing to make your experience on this blog a lot better. I will have more announcements coming soon about the new changes we will be making. Come back soon and check out our new blog!

Thanks for reading everyone!

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Hi everyone, I hope your week is going well. Everyone always asks me if they really need a logo for their business. The answer is absolutely yes, you need a logo! Every established company has a logo. Think of all the retail stores you visit. I bet every one of them has a logo of some kind; even if it’s just their company name in a fancy font.

Your customers will remember you better with a logo. Most people don’t remember names, but they remember pictures or symbols. They can associate your logo with your business a lot easier. Some people remember the logo of a business and don’t even know the name of the business. That’s because pictures stand out before words. Thus a major reason you need a logo for your business. Even your ebay auctions will sell better if you have a business logo on your auction pages.

It’s okay if your first logo doesn’t stick. Lots of companies change their logo through the years. It’s called “changing with the times”. They don’t change their logo drastically. But it is usually enough for their old customers to notice. It is usually a logo that will also attract new customers. Think about companies like Pepsi and Coke. They have changed their logo, just a little bit on a few occasions through the past 50+ years.

Logo’s can make or break your business. If your logo is big and ugly, a customer might remember you as such. If your logo is smart and to the point, a customer might be more attracted to do business with you. Logos have proven to work very well and that is why every major business out there has one.

It’s all about memory. The human mind will remember symbols and pictures before they will remember a name. So it’s nothing personal if someone does business with you and can’t remember the name of your business. But you can be sure they remember what your logo looks like. From now on, that person’s memory will remember your business logo and associate it with their experience.

Names of businesses don’t usually catch on to someone’s memory the first time around. Not unless they know memory tricks. For instance, “saying the name out loud” will usually trigger a person’s memory to remember the name like a file cabinet in alphabetical order.

But overall, symbols and pictures are very easy for a person to remember, compared to words. This is probably the biggest reason everyone who runs a business needs a business logo. Your customers can relate you with something other than words if you have a logo.

“Hey, remember that place with the big turkey sign outside? They had great prime rib!”

This person’s memory didn’t remember the name of the business. But, they remembered a turkey logo that stuck out. Now that person will relate good prime rib to the turkey logo.

There is nothing worse than a great business that is easy to forget. No matter how well a business name is thought out; it will never be as catchy as a great logo. A business name is very important.

But, Believe it or not; it takes an average of 3 visits to your business before a person will bother to remember the name of your business (unless you are a franchise or retail store chain).

That’s just another great reason to have a logo that stands out. Logos that are visible to your customers will catch on to their memories immediately. It’s like reeling in customers subliminally. Once you get into a customers subconscious as being a great business, they will relate your logo as such.

If someone had a bad experience with your business; they may avoid any logos that resemble yours. It’s something about advertising a logo with your business that will help people remember you one way or another. Give your customers a chance to remember you on their first impression. Make a good impression and they will remember your business logo as such. Give it a try!

Thanks for reading everyone!

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Hi everyone, I hope everyone is doing fantastic! I would like to congratulate Amanda for winning my contest! Look out for more contests like this all through the summer if you need a home business tutor. I can teach you about anything that has to do with home business.

Today I will be telling you about copy and paste e-book horror stories. You know the e-books that are just some copy and pasted garbage that the seller found on the internet. They tried to pass it off as a new and foolproof way to make money. But what they sold you was information you will never be able to use.

These bogus e-book sellers never even test what they are selling. They just pass it off as the best thing on the planet. Those are the e-books that draw you in to only tell you about nothing. They tell you all about what you can use to make money. But they never actually tell you how to do it.

By the time you are done reading half of those e-books, you only learned about a few websites and where to go to make money “supposedly”. The e-book publisher never seems to explain how to make the money in detail. They just continuously plug their other websites or other e-books all through the e-book you bought. Then they go on to remind you how rich you will soon become.

These are most likely copy and pasted e-books. Copy and pasted e-books were and still are very popular. They sell cheap and people buy them because they are cheap. You get what you pay for, a garbage e-book full of “plugs” and a continuous harmony of “you will make money”.

You can buy e-books that are re-sellable. Companies like PLR (Private Label Rights) have been writing e-books and re-selling them for years. They give their customers full resell rights to keep reselling the e-books over and over again. Like a used record, it skips through the internet and gives all e-books a bad rap.

This is a major reason why you have to watch out which e-books you are buying. Chances are, if you are paying under $10.00 for an e-book, it won’t really tell you much in the subject you wanted to learn about. I would be willing to bet it is some copy and pasted stuff you could have found around the internet for free. The thing is; most of those e-books are never tested to prove they really work.

A qualified publisher of an e-book will put all the techniques to the test before making the e-book public. They usually have lots of experience in the subject matter so they don’t need to copy anyone else. They will probably give you secrets and information that you never heard of before. Their e-book will actually tell you how to do something. Unlike those copy and pasted e-books that will just tell about something, and only half the story.

It takes lots of research and expertise to write an e-book the correct way. People want an e-book that will teach them something they can actually use. They don’t want to hear they will be rich. They want to hear how to become rich. They don’t want to learn more useless nonsense they can’t use.

There are lots of ways to pick out a copy and pasted e-book. One sure way is the fact that: If the seller is offering resale rights of any kind. STAY AWAY! This means they probably didn’t even write the e-book them self. They probably didn’t read it or even put it to the test. They bought it off of someone else who had resale rights and the cycle starts again. This also means there are probably millions of people with this same useless e-book.

The worst part is these e-books sellers claim you will make lots of money overnight. If anyone says you will be rich tomorrow just from buying their e-book; don’t believe it. The only way you will become rich overnight is if you win the lottery.

It takes lots of time and hard work to make money online. It doesn’t mean you can’t make a lot of money online. It’s very possible to be rich by implementing a few good strategies. But you won’t make thousands of dollars over a short period of time. Stay away from e-books claiming any of this.

Look for e-books that have originality and a money back guarantee. These are usually the types of e-books that really can make you money. Make sure you are buying fresh content and not an e-book that has been circulated for 10 years. Another problem with the copy and pasted e-books; they are usually so old the content can’t be used anymore because it is outdated.

Use your head before making an e-book purchase decision. Do some research on the product to see if it works. Try and look for information on places like www.scam.com and get real people opinions. I am sure with a little research you can save a few dollars. You might even find that e-book as a free download, if it is one of those copy and pasted e-books.

I hope this helps everyone make a good decision on the next e-book they buy. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for reading!

Posted by HPG Inc | 1 Comment »

Hello readers, I hope you had a great weekend. My city had a power outage in my area yesterday and I didn’t get my power back until today. We are in a very bad heat wave and electricity is scarce. I was going to blog on my laptop, but we didn’t have power for the network. Just goes to show you how important electricity is in today’s world.

Today I will be talking about my favorite subject. Customer service is the most important piece to any home business. Customer service will make or break any company in today’s business world. And just like electricity runs our devices, customer service should help you run your business.

Not many new companies plan for good customer service. Good customer service should be a well thought plan, to treat your customers the best they can be treated. If you are paying for something, that company should give you the VIP service. Wouldn’t you want to be treated that way?

People tend to steer away from companies with bad customer service. The consumer wants to be re-assured that they will be treated properly. After all, if it wasn’t for the consumer, you wouldn’t have a business. It’s important to give your customer anything they want, within reason.

Some companies plan out a customer service department but only to a certain point of a sales transaction. For instance, dial by number customer service. Nobody likes dial by anything for customer service. I know I am not alone when I wait for the option of: to speak with a live representative press zero.

Customer service has become one big joke to most companies. Those are the companies that get a bad rap through the years. Even though they had a great product, their customer service stinks. So, now they will pay for it all through the existence of their business. For being known as having terrible customer service.

We shouldn’t make the consumer choose between a great product or customer service. Most times the consumer will go with a bad product with great customer service. At least with great customer service it will get replaced if the product breaks, right? The consumer should get both, great customer service and a great product for buying our products.

Great customer service all through the life of the product is a must have also. Make sure you give a warranty for the products you sell. And if that product is under warranty and breaks, honor your warranty plan. Don’t blame it on customer abuse or try to weasel your way out of it. Great customer service will honor their customer service rules, no matter what. This includes rebates and warranties.

How many times have you mailed out your rebate forms and you get a letter back stating why you didn’t qualify for the rebate? Or your warranty didn’t expire, but that part isn’t covered under the warranty agreement. This is where customer service is going wrong.

Great customer service doesn’t talk the customer into buying something extra. Like a warranty they won’t honor later. Or that rebate check that never arrives. A good business would give you those things anyway or at least honor them.

It’s sad that the consumer has to watch their back at all times. All consumers are weary of being scammed. That’s because it will happen to all of us at one time or another. If you haven’t been scammed, you are either lucky or it isn’t your turn yet.

Bottom line is; Great customer service is dead to most big businesses. That’s why it is our job as a little home business; to give the best possible customer service you can give. Bend over backwards for your customers and they will always return. Give it a try!

Thanks for reading my blog everyone. Let me know if you have any questions.
LP@thehomedropshipguide.com

Posted by HPG Inc | 2 Comments »

What a beautiful day it is today. This type of nice day outside can give you time to do the extra things you need done around the house and yard. Just like a house needs to be kept up, so does your home business. You can’t build a business and just let it sit there without modifying or upgrading as time goes by.

People have a habit of doing just enough to get through the day. When was the last time you put that extra “Oomph” into something? You should be putting that extra something into your business all time. It will make your home business better with each extra step towards change.

Don’t get stuck in your own ways. You know, put up auctions, answer emails, and you’re done. Next time you work do one thing extra that will help your business. Anything, you can do to change for the better, even if it’s just a minor detail.

Do some research to find a domain and host for a website you always wanted. But this time, “really do it”. You need a website of your own to survive in today’s home business world anyway. Get out there and actually do what you always wanted. Stop sitting back saying, “I will do that someday”. Get out there and do it now!

That’s all it takes is a little, “go get’m” attitude. You have to actually take control of your dreams and ideas and act on them. Bill Gates and Donald Trump never sat back and let things come to them. They worked very hard to get where they are today. Day after day and every single day of your life, you have to work hard for what you want.

Only a select few of us (less than 5%) will ever be as well off as Bill Gates or Donald Trump. Most of us will have to work hard for the rest of our lives to be wealthy. It is very possible to be wealthy and live happily from your home business. But don’t go into it thinking you will be “Bill Gates Rich”. Almost none of us will ever reach this status.

A couple of hundred thousand dollars a year will keep me very happy. That’s the goal I am working on right now. I haven’t reached that plateau yet. But I keep chipping away at it everyday. When I reach that goal, I will raise my bar again. You have to keep raising the bar to your goals. Don’t ever settle for anything. You don’t have to, if you have what it takes. And all it takes is a little “Know-How”.

Learn as you go. Always keep your ears and eyes open for opportunities that come your way. Use your head and don’t fall for scams. Listen to people that have “Been there, Done that”. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Do the necessary research on whatever you are thinking of doing to expand your business.

The internet is a great research tool. You can find free information about anything you want. Generations before us never had access to the internet. They had to learn the hard way. This generation has everything they need to succeed right in front of them. And they don’t even realize it. Take advantage of the tools in front of you and learn everyway possible on how to make money with your computer.

We will all make mistakes. That’s why we keep learning. It helps if you have an experienced individual to help you (Like me). Then you can make fewer mistakes, because you can ask about the situation first. You will have to make great leaps of faith to make your business grow.

You have to believe and trust in yourself. Because it really is a leap of faith when you expand and grow your business. You have to make sure you expand into the right directions. It is so easy to make a bad left turn somewhere and end up back where you started. Every time you make a mistake, take that negative energy and turn it into a positive energy that will help you over come the obstacles in your way. Learn from your mistakes.

Take that initiative and go forward with your business. If you have a website that you haven’t updated in a few months; go make a few changes that will make it better. Every little detail counts. Every little detail you make better with your home business will make it a better experience for everyone. It’s human nature to always keep changing for the better in business.

So, get out of that, “same old, same old” routine you are in right now. Everyday, make sure you upgrade at least one thing to your business. I can promise you, as time goes by, your business will keep getting better. There will always be bigger and better things for a reason. We keep making them better because times goes by with great change. Technology will always lead business to success.

You have to get out there and use all the necessary tools and information at your fingertips. Then put it all to use. Use your brain to make money. Get out of that dead-end, brainless job routine. Challenge yourself and put yourself to the test. If you believe in yourself, you can do anything.

Thanks for reading my blog everyone! See you tomorrow.

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Hi everyone, I hope your week went nice and smooth. Today’s topic isn’t so much about home business. But you can save and make a little money for yourself after reading today’s post. As much as the online marketplace has really opened up in sales; retail store chains are still visited by millions of people.

I am going to tell you some SECRET ways to save money the next time you go to a retail chain store. How about if I told you that you would never have to buy at full retail price ever again? Retail stores won’t advertise this stuff.

If they advertised what I am about to tell you, they wouldn’t be in business much longer. For the sole reason, everyone would do it and put the store into bankruptcy. In today’s lowering economy, you need to save every dime you can. And why not make a buck or two reselling the stuff they sold you so cheap?

Buying The Store Display - This is the old school way of saving a few bucks. You can actually shave half off of the retail price for buying the store display model. The store display usually comes with everything except the box and instructions. It works perfectly fine, just like a brand new one. Who needs a box anyway? You can download the instructions for anything online these days. There is no shame in buying the store display. I have bought the store display on request more than a few times.

When you find something you like, just ask to speak to the manager. The manager is usually the one who gets last say on store displays. Be as nice as you can to them and tell them you are interested in the store display for that item.

The store display might show some wear and tear. This is a great time to ask for a discount on top the already lowered store display price. Wear and tear is the main reason a manager will knock a price down for you. Even if there is no wear and tear, I have had plenty of managers give me another discount. They just want to make room for a newer better product.

Then someone else like me will come along and buy that store display and the cycle begins again.

Talk them down in price - You might be saying “yeah right”. But I say this absolutely works great! I have saved some serious cash in stores that have a salesman that asks if you need help. Guess what? Most big retail store chains have a salesperson that asks if you need help. This is the guy you are going to talk down like you are at a yard sale or flea market.

If he can’t give you a discount of your purchase ask to speak to a manager. Be as nice as you can and tell them you want to buy it. Then ask if there is any kind of special discount you have going today. Most stores don’t advertise that they can be talked down, but they can.

Many times at a big store chain like Bob’s or Best Buy I have walked out with a 10% discount or more. Just from asking them if I could get a discount today. Most retail store chains tell their employees and managers to give customers like me a little lee-way. It keeps us coming back and they know that. That’s why they do it. Give it a try.

Secret Deals and Discounts - Every retail store chain has their little original stamp on sales. Some will match the price difference 100% if you can find it cheaper elsewhere. Others even take 10% off if you find it for the same price elsewhere. Just so you don’t go to that other store. By the way; Sears and Circuit City both do this. It’s their policy, you just have to know about it and inquire at the time of your purchase.

Big retail stores will go to amazing heights to get you as a customer. They know any discount they can give you will keep you coming back. Some stores even have a VIP list of customers. These are customers that shop there regularly. VIP customers may be on this list and not even know about it, as it is not advertised. But if you asked for a discount, mentioning you shop there all the time; you will be sure to get the universal 10% VIP discount or more.

You just have to inquire about these things. That’s all it takes.

Coupons, codes, and rebates - This is another way big retail store chains are driving in customers. Whether it is on their website or in store; they want you to use these types of customer gifts. You can save tons of money by entering a promotional code or coupon number.

This type of private advertising on promotional deals can keep a big retail store popular. It can also keep the customer coming back. Customers always come back if they know a certain store will give them a better deal than the competition.

Rebates are another huge way big retail stores are driving more customers. Stores are offering rebates like never before. The consumer is actually looking for the rebate on goods they want. The next time you walk into a retail store chain, pay attention to how many signs there are stating you get a rebate.

A couple of great places to get coupons for store chains are; printable-coupons.blogspot.com and wow-coupons.com .

Memberships - Here is another chance to get a discount on top of a discounted price. Being a member to a certain store chain; Best Buy, Pet Smart, CVS, BJ’s, and so on, they all have a membership that customers can get. Those members get a discounted price on everything.

Better than this, you are sure to get another discount by using the other techniques I already talked about. Being a member to that store proves you shop there a lot. You will be sure to get the VIP treatment when you ask for a better deal.

These are some great ways to save some money the next time you go into a retail store. Give these techniques a try and I bet you walk out saving some money.

Let me know if you have any questions. See you all tomorrow and thanks for reading!

LP@thehomedropshipguide.com

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Hi everyone, I hope your day is going well. In the times of expensive fuel costs, shipping anything has gone up in price. Today I am going to show you how to save 50% on insurance if you ship through UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL and most other carriers.

U-PIC is a service that will insure any package you ship. They will insure your package for 50% less than any major carrier service. You can still use UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL and most other carriers to ship your package. You just have to insure the package through U-Pic.

They have special deals for people or businesses that ship in large volumes. You should be able to save money the more you ship goods anyway. Now you can. Major carriers do not give discounts for anyone who ships in volume. That’s why U-Pic comes in so handy.

All you do is leave U-Pic’s insurance card inside your parcel. If the packages arrives damaged, your customer can fill out the card to tell what happened. If it is lost, they pay for the lost package. You can choose to pay a monthly rate or pay by the package. Monthly rates can save you lots of money. They conveniently bill you on the 10th of each month.

U-Pic actually makes a claim easier to file than the other major curriers out there. I have been using U-Pic for a few months now and it’s safe to say they offer a great service for half the price. How can you beat that? If your sick of paying high insurance costs check them out. At the very least you will save lots of money through the year in insurance costs.

You get a small start up kit that tells you everything you need to know in case you have to file a claim. U-Pic only deals with insurance, they don’t ship anything. They are here to represent small business by saving you money that can go into more important things for your business.

Thanks for reading my blog everyone. Email me if you have any questions.

LP@thehomedropshipguide.com

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Hey everyone, hope your day was a great one! Today I want to talk about one of the easiest ways to get your home business started. I will show you how to make money with the things around your house that you don’t want anymore. Even how to look for things at a yard sale or flea market. Everyone has junk in the cellar, attic, or spare room they don’t need anymore.

The best treasures are the ones stored away in your house that you forgot about. Years later something that was worthless could be worth more than your house. I am sure you heard the recent story of the guy that went to sell his old toy and found a 1 million dollar sculpture in the box. His father gave it to him as a present when he was a kid.

That’s why yard sales and flea markets are potential gold mines. People never really know what they are getting rid of now-a-days. It may look worthless, but an experienced eye can find any treasure. I have been scouring flea markets and yard sales so long that it is like second nature to find an item worth buying.

Everyone has a treasure or two in their house they don’t realize they own. The item is only worth as much someone is willing to pay for it. Most collectors will pay a small ransom for an older, hard to get, item.

The things to look for are;
How old is it? Older than 30 years and its worth buying.

Where is it from? Anywhere out of your own country will be worth more than if it was made in your own country. (Imports bring more money)

Can you make 100% profit or more if you resell it? If you buy it for 5 dollars and can make 10 or more to resell, it’s worth buying.

Is the condition good? This is the best way to talk anyone down from a high price. If the condition is not so great, you can get it for a lower price. Talk the seller down if you think you can make money. If the seller doesn’t have a personal attachment to the item then they won’t be asking an outrageous price anyway.

Is it a popular name brand you recognize? Not all popular name brands sell well. But most collectors’ look for things by the name brand. If the item has a name brand, note it along with the model number and look it up online to see what it would resell for. This may only give you a ball park figure, but it’s a start.

Is there a famous person involved with the item that has passed away? Sadly, most items sell for a lot of money if the person in question is not with us anymore.

Does the item have potential to hold on to? If you think the item may have potential to sell in a few years and you have the room to store it. This may be a great time to store away an item. I remember back in the day I bought a Mike Jordan Fleet rookie card at a yard sale for $15.00 the first year he ever played in the NBA. I resold that card years later for over seven hundred dollars!

Is it selling so cheap you can’t resist? Sometimes an item sold at a yard sale or flea market can be so ridiculously cheap, you will know you can make money to resell it. We are all familiar with the value of certain things that others are not. This may be your area of expertise.

These are just a few questions you can ask yourself. It’s important to get a round about idea of what an item is worth to buy and resell. It does take a little experience. So get out there; look in your house, yard sales, or flea markets. There are always ways to make money with other people’s garbage. There are even ways to make money with your own garbage.

Look around the next time you clean your house. Maybe spring cleaning can open a new doorway for you in sales. I try and preach how important it is to sell used items over new items. People will pay top dollar for an item that still works as good as the new one. People will also pay top dollar for an old item that doesn’t work. There are collectors for everything!

Auction marketplaces and classifieds are the best places to sell used items. You will hit the widest range of collector’s if you go this route. Any item has a resell value if it is used. Learn the prices they resell for and you can adjust your buy price offers accordingly.

Thanks for reading my blog everyone. See you tomorrow. Let me know if you have any questions.

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