Jackie Pollock’s Blog

This morning I heard on the radio as reported by ABC national news that only about 8% of  registered eBay users actually sell anything on eBay.

I thought that this was an amazing piece of information that I wouldn’t have been able to guess at an answer if I were asked.

Most everyone going to eBay is there to look around and kind of “window shop”.

The purpose of the news article was to point to the method many people use if they have items they want to sell on eBay.

Many people use small stand-alone businesses that do the selling for people who don’t want to do the selling themselves on eBay.

Most of us know there are these eBay selling businesses, but we probably didn’t know that the vast majority of sellers on eBay are not ordinary people selling just an item or so here and there just to empty out some closet or garage.

There are of course the usual household items sold by ordinary people. But it is mainly people actively engaged in selling goods and products as a small business that makes up the marketplace array displayed on eBay.

This just brings to light once again that even if you don’t want to go through the arrangements of locating products you could sell on eBay, you can easily have all the business you could handle by setting up your own business selling other  people’s items on eBay for them.

This could be a small home-based operation to a store-front business on Main Street and also a business that could be marketed online for customers as well.

Till next time,

Jackie

Does it look like ebooks might be falling out of favor as a preferred format for distributing digital products?

There seems to be growing talk criticizing the long-known features of click here, save it to there, and then printing the thing out - when you get around to it.  Seems like that is getting to be oldfashioned in many circles today.

There is a point to this criticism - often when you buy something, you want to have it now in its complete package and ready to use - now.

Granted, when you buy a dvd of something, you still have to wait to receive it, but you don’t have to put in any more of your time and effort and supplies (paper) after you hit the pay button.

With an ebook, you pay for it and then you have to take the steps to get it downloaded and then, of course, printed out on your own paper on your own printer.  Or you could let it sit on your hard drive - inconvenient and apt to be forgotten.  Not all of these ebooks are exactly cheap when you also figure in the extras that customers have to go through to get the product they already paid for.  It’s just not quite instant or maybe it’s just not “hip” any more to go the ebook route.  I think it’s more like that - ebooks are just not quite as preferred any more.

But . . .

Ebooks are not dead!  They just have more forms of format competition now.  Videos and audio videos, dvds, and good old preprinted and bound books and reports are getting a lot of attention.

We are becoming much more in tune to watching videos and listening to audio media - look at the popularity of YouTube and others like it.  More information products are also formatted into video courses and that just expands the ability of the purchaser  to understand and use the product- visually depicted instructional format lets things come to life.  Add audio and you have a great learning package!

I think ebooks will be around for quite a while yet.  There still is a good thing about the format even though there is some work and effort (though it is a small amount of effort!) required of an ebook purchaser.  Some ebooks fit into the ebook format and simply are not video candidates.

But, there is no doubt that audiovideos, audio, dvds, and regular book formats are moving to the information media distribution frontlines.

Things continually evolve in internet marketing and that is part of continuing education in the business, wouldn’t you say?

Till next time,

Jackie

First off, let me say that Planning is, indeed, very important.  No argument there at all.

Without Planning, you won’t know where to plant that first step to get things going.

And without Planning, you won’t know when you have accomplished each of all the intermediate goals, or milestones, along the way, not to mention what the big goal is to be at the finish line.

Here’s where Action Trumps Planning, though:

We can draw up the greatest plan for our project-to-be.  Spend all kinds of time on it.  Sometimes months and months of time on it!  Fine-tuning and more fine-tuning.

But unless we take Action, nothing happens!

Plans are like a skeleton.  Action, however, puts meat on them bones!!

Thanks for visiting,

Jackie

Look at those new unemployment numbers for the month of October - almost 240,000 newly unemployed workers, added to the total of about 1.3 million for the year so far.

Makes the economy more and more dismal!

With these huge numbers of people now out of work, many are going to hit the internet and search out new opportunities and many of those are going to look into online businesses.

For established marketers, these new opportunity seekers represent a growing market of interested buyers for their products.

Of course there are also going to be many marketers ready to pounce on these unemployed opportunity seekers  as easy targets.

A buyer’s arm is not literally being twisted to get them to buy a marketer’s product, no matter how many emails he sends out highlighting the greatness his product will bring once an interested visitor (buyer) does click the key to buy.

But buyers are in an easier-than-usual mode for buying now and they will likely buy quicker because they feel desperate to get something going.

They know online marketing works.   They hear it all the time.  Emails are blasting that to them constantly.

Many will buy products and put their hopes into the products.  Many buyers will fail at making a successfull business out of their product purchases.

Many will buy, but only a few will succeed.

That fact alone is the good news for existing online marketers because the “buyers market” is expanding.

Let’s hope online marketing’s reputation doesn’t bring in a lot of new, unscrupulous marketers acting as sharks would waiting for more bait to fall their way.

If you are a good, reputable online marketer, you’re going to have a lot of eager people ready to follow your program.

Your new buyer’s success is a great thing for them - and it is a great thing for you and your own future continuing success.

Here’s to everyone’s success in these rough economic times!

Jackie

Seems to me that lack of organization is the real problem I have if it looks like I have too many things to do and not enough time to do them all.

Seldom do we have to do everything - completely - all at once, in one day.  We just think we do and sometimes just like most everyone, I think I have so much to do that I can’t possibly get it all done.

Well, I probably can’t get it all done - in one day, that is.   But that doesn’t mean I should just say “Phooey” and leave it for another day.  That just starts the whole procrastination thing all over again, right!?

To avoid complaining about Information Overload as our problem in getting everything done,  I try to do  this . . .

• Divide things up.  For a half- hour or an hour time frame, schedule one task for each time slot.  Do that for each of the several things to do in a day.

• Devote the time for the task to work and no distractions!

• Take a break of 15 minutes or your regular lunch schedule to give your brain a break as well as your own physical body!

• Schedule your tasks to fit an adjusted time frame for the next day.  Some tasks will need longer time frames and some may be able to skip a day.

• Always stick to your schedule.  Continuing what was not totally completed in one day to the next day’s schedule will result in its eventual completion.  Adjusting my schedule to fit changes and time frames for tasks for the next day is necessary and realistic.

I think being organized, which is a good way to “chunk” things up in easy to handle pieces, is what it takes to get things done.  Working at a job or task in sections, or “chunks” (so to speak) will result in getting it done.

And it will result in getting things done sooner than I thought in the first place!  How about you?

Thanks for listening!

Jackie

That term - information overload - is used a lot.  It seems a good term to use very soon, especially if you are trying to take on what is involved in starting an online internet marketing business.

Just starting with a blog, which everyone says is simple, easy, nothing at all - can actually be pretty daunting if you know nothing about techie stuff and how to use a computer beyond email.

Select a Domain name and get it registered, select a Hosting service, setup email accounts, subscribe to an autoresponder and get it setup properly, how about getting Google Adsense installed,  RSS feed, and so on and so on!

If you are a “Newbie” this is when the term Information Overload comes into usage.

Don’t be intimidated and don’t use Information Overload as an excuse.   

When you are new to doing all these things on your computer, it can seem like Information Overload is the term to use because of what looks like an unbelievable amount of stuff to learn and do.  All at the same time, too!

I prefer to think of it as a student just beginning a new school semester.

You have your 4 or 5 new subjects or courses and they represent what you must tackle and learn if you are to successfully conquer the new semester.

Every day you spend “class time” on each subject and you also spend time with each as “homework”.   Gradually the learning process takes shape and progress is made.

As you continue with each “class”, you learn a bit more in each area.  And you will continue to learn more as you go on building your knowledge base.

Taking each component to starting your own website or blog for your internet business as an individual step in the whole picture will get you the “education” you need.

Just take each component on as if it were a “class” you would take going to school.  Each one of those components would get its own specific study time and altogether they will eventually fall into place as your understanding grows.

Until next time!

Jackie

Taking the next step can mean what is the next thing to do once we learn that there are many ways to earn income with an online business.

You can do some research for some examples of online internet marketing businesses and you will quickly have dozens of listings to click through, in addition to many more ads on the sidebar beckoning you to come on over and click on them.

You want to know how you, too, can get in on this internet marketing that so many people are talking about.

The world really is abuzz with opportunities for starting your own online business!

And joining in by finding what business model you can do can be accomplished easier and quicker than buying into a franchise operation or other “brick and mortar” business,

So you look and look and research until you are ready to . . .

Take the next step!

• Sell physical products on eBay -  dropship wholesale or retail merchant
• Sell digital products through the use of eBay
• Sell other people’s products as an Affiliate Marketer
• Sell in a variety of ways and earn advertising income with your own Blog
• Write an ebook on a topic you are an expert on - or can learn to become an expert on
• and more ideas will come your way as your research continues!

So much information is right now available for anyone to take up and go with it.

Spend some time to find good programs if you intend to buy a “How to” guide, book, video, or course.

I have gotten to know some terrific people over the last year to align with as great teachers and coaches - you can find them and their products listed in my Links and Recommended categories.

As we’ve all heard before - A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.  How true, but then in order to keep your journey moving forward, you must . . .

Take the next step!

That’s all for now!

Jackie

We know we should always be geared to doing something positive and to keep ourselves moving forward with our businesses and our personal lives.  By moving forward, I don’t mean we all have to be at a good fast clip to be moving forward.  It can be slow too.  Just so that you are moving forward is what is important!

Today I happened to latch on to something that really got me fired up in interest and possibility thinking.  What it is involved with is book-selling.  All kinds of books.  And mostly used, old books in categories as varied as anyone can imagine.

There’s a great marketplace out there for books on Half.com, eBay, Amazon, and other online sites. We all know that, but after a little further investigating, I found how huge it is.

The most obscure subjects to old cookbooks, textbooks, or owner repair manuals for automobiles through the years are all in-demand items in varying degrees.

Yes, it’s a lot of hunting to keep your product stock in good supply, but what a great fun and interesting additional venture to work with!

As I get more set up with my book selling microbusiness, I will have more to let you know about it all.

If anyone has something they would like to say about selling books online, we’d like to hear from you.

As my old boss used to say when signing off on his business letters. . .

Onward and upward!

Jackie

The Fed is pumping out $750 billion there and some $300 billion here (to another proposed “stimulus package”) and well, just billions and billions to businesses and major players in our country’s economy and ultimately, the world’s economy.  All to try to postpone a major global economic catastrophe!  There has to be so much going on in the background, though, even with all the information presented to us every day.

Enough to think about in itself, isn’t it, but we still have to think about and focus on how each of us are going to tackle the mess in our own small way.

This is where, once again, each of us has to think of pulling together our own store of resources to keep our own personal lives afloat while the country’s economy is  floating hazardously on  perilously stormy seas.

We have to keep busy in the background of our personal lives to keep afloat.

Start your own internet marketing business. Start small if you need to while you still have your job or other responsibilities taking up your valuable hours.

But do start that home-based business of your own.  There’s a lot of research to do with getting started.  The internet is loaded with info on any direction you want to go.  And if you don’t know a direction to go, you will get ideas from existing business examples to keep you busy until you find your direction.

I have little stuff in the works right now and am constantly working on building and expanding on what’s working now.

No matter how bad our economy gets, and there are some very disastrous predictions on those possibilities, you and I have to take care of ourselves, too.  There is that instinct for survival.

Don’t wait for a tragic event like losing your job along with thousands of others each month.  Do something now.  Take action now, even if it is in small increments.

Get a head start on your own Disaster Relief Plan.  Find a internet-based opportunity that you can start small and grow it along as you build your knowledge of the requirements in step-by-step planning.

I did all of what I have talked about here.  You know this is something you too should dig into:   to have your own backup plan should the economy claim you and your income some day in the weeks or months ahead.

Charge on!

Jackie

From the U.S. to England to France and countries beyond, we have a whole lot of government bailing out going on!

Can you and I submit our requests for bailout if we lose our houses, jobs, cars, or a bunch of money in Las Vegas some weekend?

Seems like we can expect some kind of help in no matter what happens.  Our two presidential candidates each are coming up with new programs and promises on how the government’s role will include saving you and me from possible foreclosure to extending unemployment benefits when you or I will lose your job.  Many of us have lost our jobs in our worsening economy and still more of us will lose our jobs in the months ahead.

This may all sound great!  But it’s not!  Government is not supposed to protect your jobs or your investments.  Government is only supposed to protect the country - the citizens of the country from enemies, foreign and domestic.

Take control of your self!  Yes, we do have many safety nets in place in the U.S., from unemployment compensation, Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, and more.  But, even these programs are heavily burdened by massive numbers of recipients and are all on the way to more emergency bailout measures themselves.

Adding more promises to save everyone from major events in their personal lives to what we have already promised in current governmental entitlement programs is putting us squarely in the Garden of Eden known as Socialism.  There is no denying it.  When the government bails out and becomes thereby the owner of major banks, major insurance corporations, auto manufacturers, and more components of our economy and our society, we are under Socialism.

Don’t we want to be Free any more?  Free to work in any occupation we prepare ourselves for, free to work and save enough money to buy the house, car, education, and consumer goods we can afford?  And do this all by ourselves?  As we grew up hearing and knowing that’s how you can do things in the U.S.?  Each of us are free to do it all?

We must have gotten used to be taken care of.  Because that seems to be what we want more of.  After all, if the government can bail out banks, insurers, auto makers, and major Wall Street players, why not bailouts for you and me, too?  We’re just little peons compared to these others, aren’t we?

There’s a big price to pay to enact all these bailouts and other economic and social safety net programs, because they all cost money.

Taxpayer money is what pays for all of this.  Today and in future generations.

Government produces nothing and earns no income.  Money distributed by the government is first obtained (forcibly by taxes!) from taxpaying citizens.

It is taxpayer money that pays for all the programs and entitlements we receive.

We need to get back to our basics.  The Constitution is still there.  We should go back to it.

Everyone needs to go to work.  Somehow, we can all take care of ourselves.  It may be hard and it can take some time.  Help is always available and always will be.  Help should not be equal to bailout, though.   Help is help.   Help is not bailout.   Bailout just takes away incentive for each of us to be accountable for whatever we are working toward achieving.

If you know you are going to be bailed out if you fail or get into trouble, you are not going to really worry about failure since you will be saved from disaster anyway by some governmental program.  So what if I fail, you may say, I know there’s a governmental agency I can call.

Start your own business and take the time and commitment to build your own economic stability program.  It’ll take time, and there will be help available, but we should get away from expecting so much in the way of our government being there, at the ready, to bail us out of trouble.

Seems like Big Brother - taking care of all us Little Brothers and Little Sisters, doesn’t it?

Till next time,

Jackie