• What is RSS? Defining: Let’s see how Wikepedia defines it.

(1)  RSS (most commonly expanded as Really Simple Syndication) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.

(2) An RSS document (which is called a “feed”, “web feed”, or “channel”) includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and authorship. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically.

• Subscribing.  You need the RSS button on your blog because you want to make it as easy as possible for others to subscribe to your blog content.  The icon or symbol is generally recognized as an orange dot with two semi-circles, but it may also be in another color.  Depending on your blogging platform, this may involve simply adding an html code that has already been written.

It’s important to make sure that the symbol is easily seen by your readers, and I was reminded of this earlier today by one of my readers.  She commented that she liked my blog but felt that I would benefit by adding an RSS feed button so readers can subscribe easily.  The button is currently on my website but is one of many at the end of each post under “Share and Enjoy.”   I’ll be movingit to a more visible location.  Thanks, Sherika. (more…)

Most of us have heard the expression, “You must grow or you will die!”  Sounds extreme, but the reality of this statement is all around us.  If a plant does not grow, there’s something stifling its growth and it is going to eventually die. The same principle applies to your business.  For your business to thrive, it must expand and grow.

Following are 5 ways to grow and expand your business:

1) As an entrepreneur you are a business owner and it is important to invest in expanding your own knowledge and ability.  Very few of us who started an online business had any idea of what was involved and perhaps, like me, you’re still learning.  So it’s important to continue to educate yourself on the critical areas in your business.  This will often involve connecting with Mentors who have achieved success in their fields. There are Mentors like Denise Wakeman, founder of the Blog Squad, who can help you to gain visibility online.

2) Be willing to stay in touch with market trends and changes in technology.  Have you been online for a while?  What methods are you using to grow your list of subscribers? How much do you know about Teleseminars and their effectiveness?  You may be ready for Kathleen Gage, the Street Smart Marketer, VIP Club, which provides ‘a step by step training program to market online, gain more clients and make more sales.‘ (more…)

You have heard and accepted that starting a blog or becoming a blogger is one of the easiest ways to begin building your brand  and create a success circle online, but your next question may be, “Where do I begin?” You have prepared your mindset and have decided on what you would like to start blogging about.  Keep in mind that everyone starts somewhere, and you may decide six months from now that you want to change direction, but for now, let’s get the process started for your first blog.

1.  Choose a Domain Name:  In building your brand and creating your success, you want to select a domain name that is simple, easy to remember, but represents you and what your focus will be – your niche.  You will also want to choose a domain name that matches the title of your site so that it’s easy for readers to connect both together in their minds and visually.  If you’ll be adding a logo in the future, make sure that the logo matches your domain name.  Next, you’ll need to register your domain name.

2.  Register Your Domain Name:  Your domain name is your URL; the address people will type in or click on to access your blog content.  There are many registrars, and a search on google.com will confirm this; however, the one I’ve consistently used is GoDaddy.com.  Note that on GoDaddy.com domain registrations are approximately $10 per year.  You may be tempted to go with a registrar where the cost appears to be less, but please make sure to read the fine print as while the initial cost may be low, you may find that if you need to forward and mask your domain, you may be asked to pay for those services separately, or they’re not offered at all. (more…)

This is a guest post by Lisa Robbin Young.  Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/

5 Tips to Save on Your Taxes

By Lisa Robbin Young

As a business owner, at least here in the United States, Ben Franklin reminds us that there is at least one certainty in life: taxes. As a direct seller, you may have opted to build a small “side gig” to earn a little extra operating funds for trips, to give your family a little “more” or just to fund your shoe shopping habit.

Ultimately, though, if you’re producing revenue, you’ve got a business, and Uncle Sam wants his due. Even if you’re not profiting from your direct sales business, there may be some taxable situations that will effect you.

Mind you, I’m not a tax professional, but my friend, Scott Lovingood is, and he shared some great tips on his call  for the Small Biz Super Summit this Spring. While the deadline for filing your taxes for 2010 may have passed, now is a great time to consider ways to get your finances in tip top shape this year. (more…)

Last evening I started thinking about what my post for today, Day 10,  in the 30-day blog challenge would be about.  It occurred to me that it should be about accountability – how being accountable leads to success in your small business.  Having an accountability partner who has similar goals is even better, but if that’s not the case just being accountable to a group is a great boost.  Above all it’s important to be accountable to yourself.

Over the eleven years I’ve been in Direct Sales with my areas of specialization being image and  skin care as well as  in the greeting card industry, I’ve been a power partner to other women and I’ve also had great power partners.  We have been there for each other meeting in person or on the phone with updates and progress reports.  We’ve encouraged, supported and even nagged each other, but the goal was always to leap forward in our business and reach the goals we had set for ourselves.

Since starting my online business, I’ve missed having a power partner.  Like many of you experience my family just smile and nod their heads when I’m excited about a breakthrough or an affiliate sale, or a really great teleseminar, etc.  When I say I have to update my blog, they, as well as other friends just ask, “Do you get paid to do that?”  On the other hand, I have found wonderful mentors and supportive online marketers who have helped to keep me on track as long as I make the time to implement the training and strategies.  Herein lies the challenge.  Do I hold myself accountable and make the time or do I put it off? (more…)

Over the past week we have been discussing the importance of having a personal business online, even if you are in Direct Sales with your company affiliate website.  However, as I noted in my posts, there are some essential steps that need to be taken first: having  the correct mindset, personal and practical action steps to determine how you will brand yourself online.

One recommended way to build your brand is to engage in building a Profile on the three main Social Networking Sites.  The first one we will focus on is Twitter.  I am by no means an expert on any of the social networking sites, and I am learning as I go.  What I do know is that it is imperative to allocate time to engage in conversations, etc. each day.  Your goal as you build your brand is to increase your visibility and this can be achieved only by consistency.  This point is one of the first lessons that one of my Mentors, Denise Wakeman, gives in her “Online Visibility Secrets” program.  I’d encourage you to  click on the link to learn more about what the 26-week program offers.

In the meantime I’d like to share an article I recently read  on “5 Small Business Tips for Social Media” which I feel that you as a small business owner can gain a lot of information from.  You can read more…

Please feel free to leave your comments on this post.

Today I’m not doing any keyword research for this post because it really is just a beautiful poem that I’ve had for some time.  Unfortunately I cannot give credit to the author because I have no idea who wrote the poem, but if there is anyone who does, please let me know so I can give credit where it’s due.  I have a copy of this poem on the wall in my office and whether you are new to internet marketing, or a successful marketer, I encourage you to print it and keep it where you can refer to it frequently.

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ARE DREAMERS WITH GOALS

Your dreams are you vision of where you’ll be after the battle,
your prize at the end of your journey to success.
Your goals are the steps you take to finally attain your prize.

Unless you’re willing to work hard and establish some discipline in your life,
all of your dreams will be pipe dreams,
little mental fantasy trips that will never materialize.

Make concrete steps toward fulfilling your ultimate dream,
and start with solid objectives and goals.

Your dreams are where you want to go,
your goals are how you get there.

The indespensable first step
to getting the things you want out of life is this:
Decide what you want.

Don’t be afraid to think big and dare to be great.
Dreamers are not content with mediocrity.
They never dream of going halfway.
People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.

The last stanza/paragraph is my favorite: “Don’t be afraid to think big and dare to be great.  Dreamers are not content with mediocrity.”  Enjoy and dream big!

Yesterday we talked about 5 personal action steps that are essential to building your brand for success online.  Today we will focus on how to build your brand in practical ways.  What are some of the action steps you should start taking, if you have not done so already, to build your reputation online?  This is only a brief list, but it covers 4 of the most readily available steps you can take and they are all free. These are also the first four steps that were recommended to me by my Mentors and have proven to be very effective.

1)  Join Social Networking Sites and set up a well thought out Profile on each.  You want to be authentic but reveal only what is relevant and in keeping with the brand you are building.  The sites most frequently recommended are:  Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

2)  Blogs:  You may start your own blog, which is one of the easiest way to become known online.  If that seems daunting at first or you don’t have the know-how, start by leaving comments on blogs in the category you will be focusing on initially.  Leave meaningful comments that add to the conversation and demonstrate your knowledge or expertise. People in your target audience will begin to know you and associate your name with quality information.  You will usually be asked to leave your website address when you leave a comment.  If you do not have a blog or other static website set up, use an addresses from one of your social networking sites, for example, your Facebook or LinkedIn address.

3)  Article Writing: If you like to write and are willing to share your knowledge then article writing is an effective way to build your brand.  There are many Article Directors on the Internet and you can easily find these through Google, but the only one I’ve used is Ezinearticles.com.  It’s very easy to join and start submitting articles, being careful to follow their guidelines to avoid rejection.  These articles can be as short as 250 words.  At the end of each article is one of the most valuable ‘real estate’ online – your Resource Box, which allows you to include information about yourself that is relevant to the articles you’ve written as well as include links to your blog, if you have one, or to your profile.

4)  Book Reviews:  When we read a good book we are usually excited about sharing the valuable information with others.  When you read books that are specific to your area of expertise, you have the opportunity to do book reviews for both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  There may be others, but those I personally know of.  This benefits you significantly because you first create a profile, then by providing a thoughtful and beneficial review you add value to other readers and enhance your position as an expert.  These reviews are also indexed by the search engines, which further builds your brand.

5)  Be consistent.  A hit and miss attitude does not contribute to success; consistency does.

As you work to build your brand, keep track of your progress towards your goals and be prepared to add further steps or make adjustments to align your vision with your goals.