Ten Ways To Build A Customer List.

1. Preparation is 75% of the battle. Choose a niche subject which interests you and study the question and answer sections in relevant magazines. More information on readers’ problems is what they will pay for. So:-

2. The most obvious things is to find a product that a lot of people want. Notice want, not need. People will fulfil their wants rather than their needs. Buying something you want has the feel good factor.

3. Get to know your product. Come over as an expert by knowing what you’re talking about. Feel genuine enthusiasm.

4. Write a short Press Release about your product and email it to all the publications whose readers might be interested in your product. Don’t make false claims but make sure you note all the plus points. If you’re not sure how to write a good Press Release email pressrelease@percydale.com for a Free leaflet.

5. Find clubs, organisations and web sites and write letters. Talk about what you know with fellow enthusiasts and you can’t go far wrong. Ask questions or request info from readers. Always include contact details. Replies will give you contact addresses of people who are actively interested in your chosen niche.

6. Contact secretaries of clubs with details to be put on notice boards or included in members’ newsletters. Offer special rates to people who order through them.

7. Put a brief advert in the classified sections of magazines and newspapers directing people to your web page for free information available via a squeeze page. Want to know more about squeeze pages? Email Squeeze@percydale.com for free information.

8. If you make your promotion letters interesting to read then it’s not just people who share your interest that will be interested. Others readers will be intrigued and possible follow it up. This may sound odd but... people are interested in what’s interesting.

9. Have your product all ready to go as soon as you get the response you want. Have a follow-up product ready to promote in 2 to 4 weeks time.

10. Include a nice friendly letter thanking your customer for their custom. Possibly offer a desirable incentive gift in return for them recommending two addresses of people who might be interested in receiving information.

Ten Things Real Entrepreneurs Know

Real entrepreneurs know that:-
1. You never stop learning.
2. Simple ideas can trigger massive results.
3. Life never stands still. It’s going up or going down. You choose which way it goes.
4. Doing nothing is never the answer to a problem.
5. Some people work hard to get to the top of the tree but even they reach it they will never achieve as much as if they had aimed for the stars but only got part of the way there.
6. Real entrepreneurs are always looking for new ideas.
7. It doesn’t matter how good your job is the only really successful person is the owner of the company. He is the only one who can’t be sacked.
8. If at first you don’t succeed the only failure is the person who doesn’t pick himself up, dust himself down and start all over again.
9. If at first you don’t succeed but keep on trying you will eventually achieve success.
10. Being a success is a habit you want to cultivate. It gets easier every time you achieve it.
Theodora Cochrane has been a successful entrepreneur for many years and is author of 'Prospecting for Gold' which is a business course designed to help budding entrepreneurs to take the first steps to success and to offer helpful suggestions to successful entrepreneurs who are looking for opportunities to climb a few more mountains.
For more information click on "Prospecting for Gold" on the right sidebar or send your name and address to to gold@percydale.com

Don't Buy The Box

We often laugh at young children who ignore the present but play with the box. But isn't that what a lot of us do?

You get the sales letter with the bonuses, testemonials and tempting pictures of the cash you can make and the life you will lead.

All packaging! It's the pretty ribbon, the sparkly paper and the fancy box.

Don't be fooled. Find out if what is in the box is really what you want.

Cross out all the blurb and see what is really on offer. If the bonuses are worthmore than the product don't buy it.

One of the things we do with 'Prospecting For Gold' system is to help new entrepreneurs formulate their own business plans and choose the best of what's on offer.

Send yourname and address formore information to gold@percydale.com

Storm Over -No Damage

Yesterdays post was missed because I was anxiously watching my trees lashing about in the terrific winds and hoping that none of them would blow down on top of either my horses or me.

Thankfully they didn't so there will be a double dose of blog today.

While watching the trees I was able to do some thinking about business opportunities in general.

Looking back over the years I've been studying business opportunities I've noticed that MLM marketing is one of the most controversial on offer. Some regard them with complete and utter disdain, others find them extremely successful.

The arguments against multi-level marketing reminds me of what my Bank Manager (we could actually talk to a real one back in the dark ages) said to me when I was 1 shilling and three pence (old money) overdrawn.

"Just imagine what the state of the economy would be if everyone in the country was 1/3 overdrawn."

In the light of the present credit card debts that amount is laughably small, but my argument is still valid. The odds against that happening were millions to one at that time.

Now I am a great fan of Kleeneze. When I first retired from teaching and retreated to my smallholding to live the life of a hermit with my beloved computer and the internet I signed up with Kleeneze to help out a new distributor and to get me out meeting human beings for a change.

My friend left the company after a month. I loved it and have been doing it on a very part time basis for over 12 years. Why do I like it? Well my customers are now my friends. I don't run it as a business, although it has never made less than £10 per hour which isn't bad for a hobby.

The point of this is that one or two very respected and responsible gurus denigrate Kleeneze as the representative of MLM saying that if every distributor recruited five people there would very soon be all distributors and no customers. Like my BankManager's argument, it is invalid.

Many people will view it as I do, an enjoyable hobby. Others won't be willing to put in the effort needed to turn it into a full-time business and build a team. Those that do, and enjoy it, will be very successful and will make the money they want.

If you are interested in Kleeneze contact me via the email address at the end of this post. Please make it clear that it is Kleeneze that you are interested in, otherwise you will receive information about my main business which is finding your niche as an entrepreneur.

Hope those of you the the SW UK also survived the gales with no damage.

For information on business building or Kleeneze contact me on gold@percydale.com

Take The Plunge

What would you say about a developer who bought some land but didn’t do anything with it – then complained because it hadn’t made any money for him?

Stupid, Huh?

Maybe another man wasn't that stupid. Maybe he got the land, bought the building materials, got them organised into neat piles and - - - went away and did something else! Then he, too, complained because he hadn’t made any money.

Both men explained that making money from building a house is impossible. The whole idea was a bad one. It was all probably just a big con! Not only that, but all the property developers who were successful were lying or just lucky.

Then you get the sensible bloke who made a fortune. He bought his plot, got the materials he needed and then, with the advice of an expert, built a house, sold it and was on the first step of success where the sky is the limit.

Which are you?

Do you invest in a scheme but fail to follow it through to success?

Why?

Did it not really set you on fire? Did you go into it convinced you wouldn't succeed? Or did you chicken out at the last minute?

If you want to succeed don't run up and down the bank or dip your toe in the shallows. Breathe deeply, square yourself up and TAKE THE PLUNGE.

'Prospecting For Gold' will help you make those first steps to achieving your goals.
If you are really aiming for the skies email your name and address to gold@percydale.com .

Sensible People Heed Warnings

People who can’t see some sort of global recession coming are like people standing with their backs to an elephant and insisting such animals don’t exist.

Too much of our money is being wasted on futile schemes and posturing by people in authority who should know better. Bonuses, severance pay and golden goodbyes are dished out willy-nilly whether they are deserved or not.

And who pays?

We do - in taxes or higher prices.

The money taken from us isn't an endless resource. When it runs out the economy goes haywire - and you're slap bang in the middle of a recession.

At present it’s not an elephant they don’t believe in? What if it was a lion, not an elephant?

Taking no evasive action would be extremely dangerous.

So let’s take it that the recession is like a lion. It might pounce. It might go away. But the wise person gets to a place of safety as soon as possible.

How can you and I get to a place of safety from the lion of recession? If you want to find out then send your name and address to gold@percydale.com.

Let's Get Down To Business

So here I am back blogging again. This time it’s going to be updated daily to try to get through to some hopeful entrepreneurs who haven’t quite got where they want to be yet.

I’ve come across a lot of people who are getting very disheartened by the numerous get rich quick schemes there are. By the time you've bought them, tried them and found they aren't really for you it's easy to think you're doing something wrong or the scheme is a scam.

Most such schemes are genuine and have done what they claim for some people but by no means all.

So what are the reasons for failing?
a) You haven't really done much more than think what you might do.
b) You haven't followed the instructions to the letter.
c) A certain amount of luck is involved.
d) The scheme doesn't ring any bells for you.

Being an entrepreneur is like climbing a mountain. You don’t just need to know the route you have to know how to tackle it.

Consider I am your guide. I'm not going to climb the entrepreneurial ladder for you. I can show you how to chose the right business for you personally and then suggest the steps you should take to succeed.

I call this 'Prospecting For Gold'.

To find out more send your name and address (and 'phone number if you wish) to gold@percydale.com for a FREE information pack send.