Broadband is ultra fast speed internet access, and is decidedly quicker than super slow dial-up access over a modem. If you are viewing this www guide then you are presumably thinking at purchasing net access for the very first time, or wanting to upgrade to broadband.

The perk of broadband is people are able to see TV programmes over the internet, all this has became very popular with the BBC launching their new player which will allow you to view the most recent shows of Cheers. With fast internet access surfers might also get rap music & comedy movies at a much greater speed than modem access.

Broadband is uncomplicated to install. The first step surfers will need to do is register with an ISP, of course known as an Internet Service Provider, & the firm will supply users with an internet connection through your home connection. If you yourself currently have an Internet Service Provider then please make sure users use an internet provider comparison website for unbiased guidance on the very best wireless broadband deals. You can quickly observe the finest deals with a broadband comparison service by simply typing in your postcode and then the service will come back with a list of fast broadband packages in your location. surfers will be under no pressure to sign up with any high speed broadband while you browse the deals.

Once you have signed up with your Internet Service Provider the broadband corporation will arrange a date for turning on the broadband and supply clients with any necessary hardware and cd software. The routers and connection software will come with step by step guides & most internet organisations might well offer people tech advice if needed. Discover broadband deals and packages, use the comparison site Compare Broadband UK.

Once users have successfully connected to the internet people will probably start to savour the super fast speeds of broadband. If you are going to get music, telly shows such as Friends or hollywood movies please be wary of any download allocations users may have on your www package. Dance music and telly downloads such as Friends could take up a lot of your ‘download allocation’ as the broadband company are enormous in file size.

I received the following email from one of my ezine readers. He asked a question I am sure is on most peoples mind who want to start a small business.

What Do I Sell?

Hi Jim,

I have been thinking for a long time about what to sell from a web page, I just can’t come up with any good ideas. I have read it many times before, what the gurus says, it’s all about setting up a web page with something that I’m interested in & some things that motivates me.

I have lots of interests, but guess what, I just can’t see how I can make any money on them.

So that’s my problem, I just can’t come up with any good idea, so I just feel a bit frustrated about this.

Do you have any advice, what to do in my case?

By the way, I really enjoy receiving your newsletters, thanks for putting them out.

Regards,

John

Dear John,

What to sell?

That is a question I hear a lot from clients, ezine readers and visitors to my website. They are eager to start a business; but the only thing holding them back is… What to sell?

As John mentions in his very first paragraph, he’s read many times that it is always a good idea to pick an area that you have an interest in.

This is true for several reasons:

1. You will be motivated to work at your business because you love what you are doing.

2. Also when the going gets rough (and it will) you are more likely to stick with it instead of giving up.

3. If you like what you are doing, it won’t seem like work and may even be fun.

When you can combined your work and your livelihood, that is true bliss.

How many times have you heard an actor or sports celebrity remark in an interview that they not only are doing what they love but getting paid to do it.

Most of my working life has been devoted to self employment. I did, for the most part, what I loved and it rarely seemed like work. For over 25 years I was a Cabinet Maker and woodworker. It was my hobby, my livelihood and my passion.

If you have such and interest and/or passion for something, consider how you can relate this to someone else with the same interest and make money doing it.

You don’t necessarily have to do the thing, perhaps you can just teach someone how to do it or write about it and sell the information. “How-To” info products are one of the best sellers on the Internet.

For example take my cabinetmaking. I don’t necessarily have to build or sell cabinets online. I am sure there are a lot of people who would pay for information on “how-to” layout and build cabinets from someone who has built cabinets.

I didn’t exactly do that with cabinetmaking in my online business; but I did draw on my experience of 30 years of running a small business to counsel others how to do it for themselves. Add to that the Internet and you have the makings of a small business selling to a world wide audience.

So lets answer that question: “What to sell?”

There are many products to sell from a website. Here are just a few ideas:

Affiliate Programs

The Internet gives you a great opportunity. You can learn as you earn. By that I mean you can sell other peoples products and earn a commission while you learn how to market a product, build a website and run a small business.

Affiliate programs have been around since the Internet started spawning small business seekers. It is a good way to get your feet wet, so to speak, while learning the ins and outs of Internet marketing.

You don’t need to spend the time, effort and expense to produce your own product. If you promote some good affiliate products you can earn some good money as you learn how to run your small business.

I have been an affiliate for several companies since I started marketing online in 1999 and I am still making money with them today.

Do your homework, and don’t over do it by signing up for every affiliate program on the web and you can make some serious money. It will require some work and effort on your part; but isn’t that how you learn and prosper?

Products with Resale Rights

Products with resale rights, such as ebooks and software are becoming very popular lately as a way to sell someone else’s products and keep 100% of the sale instead of a small affiliate commission.

With the right products and the proper promotion, you can have a profitable small business online.

With the resale rights, you basically own the products you are selling and therefore have more control over your product line than you do with an affiliate program.

In some instances you can also buy the Master Resale Rights which means you can, not only sell the product and keep all the profit; but you can also make more by selling the Resale Rights.

You should however, be aware that if it is a good product, you will have lots of competition. After all the person who sold it to you also sold it to a lot of other people.

So to increase your chances of success, you will have to go one better than your competition and offer something that they don’t along with the product you are selling.

Use your imagination and be creative. That’s called marketing.

Franchises

Franchises have been around for as long as someone has had a good idea and allowed others to sell his idea under his name for a price, of course.

Some that come to mind are McDonald’s, Wendy’s, KFC, etc. you get what I mean.

Franchises have not been a real big draw online because in order to get a really good franchise you have to make a large investment. But they are around and if they are established will save you a lot of time branding your product.

Plus the parent company will help you with your marketing efforts.

Your Own Info Products

Of course, there is nothing like having your own product to sell.

With your own products, you will have total control over your business enterprise. From pricing to promotion to total profits.

You can then have your own affiliate program and have thousands of people selling your products for you. Plus you can make more money selling the resale rights if you wish.

Thanks to the Information Age and the Internet, it is a lot easier to produce your own products. If your skills and abilities are unique? If you have been alive for any length of time? Your experience is of value and worth something to somebody.

Take what you know or what you have experienced and find a niche of other people interested in the same thing or want learn about it and you have a business with your own info product.

There is a lot on the Internet to help you create your own products. It just takes a little time and effort. But then doesn’t anything worthwhile?

Sell “Stuff” on eBay

eBay and the many other auction sites online are not necessarily just to sell junk you got out of Grandma’s attic. It can also be a business.

There are people making a living selling things on online auctions. And a good living at that.

There are some rules and regulations; but the exposure is greater than you could muster with your own website.

There is a lot of information in the form of websites, ebooks and print books on the subject.

In Conclusion

I am sure there are many more things to sell from a website that I haven’t mentioned here but these should get you brainstorming ideas.

Here is one more piece of advice I will share with you that is a sure fire way to have a successful product to sell.

One of the best ways to start a business is NOT to come up with a product to sell and then find people who want to buy it; but to find a NEED that people have and create a business (or product) to fill that need.

Here is an extreme example to make my point.

People who are thirsty will buy water at any price; however, people who are not thirsty will not buy water no matter how you try to sell it to them.

Or to put it another way: “You can’t sell ice to an Eskimo!”

Fill a need or solve a problem and you will have a profitable business.

One last thought. The Internet will allow you to try different things and fail and then try something else, without a large investment.

I know it is not easy and at times it can be overwhelming; but the worst thing you can do is NOTHING.

About the Author — Jim Capobianco, the author of “10 Steps to Your Own Home-Based Business”, has been self-employed for over 25 years, both on and off line. At his web site, Cap-Tech.com and in his newsletter, The Cap-Tech Times, he shares his experience and expertise when it comes to owning your own business. Come pay a visit at: http://www.cap-tech.com

Many people are saying that the Internet is dead. So is there still money to be made on the Internet?

The answer is a definite YES.

Research shows, time and again, that consumers want to spend more online, and that the internet is fast becoming an integral part of their lifestyle and it’ll continue to be so. Internet consumers are cautious and they want Sites that are credible and worth shopping before they part with their money.

The traditional brick-and-mortar rules of business still apply to internet business. It’s prudent to remember that the internet is not your business goal; it’s a medium in helping you achieve your business goals.

Adhere to my following Rules and you’ll be on your way to building a viable, sustainable and successful internet business.

1. Develop a viable business plan

The biggest reason why so many dotcoms failed is an inadequate business plan of how and when they will achieve profitability. To have a successful and sustainable internet business, developing a viable business plan from the outset is crucial.

Your plan must have a clear and sincere vision that has meaning to you and your business. Your main focus should be to “plan to profit within a set period of time” and this would require you to allow time for thoughtful researching, planning, execution and testing. You’ll need to test out your business model first and ensure that it’s viable and sustainable.

Don’t make the same mistakes that many dotcoms made — trying to build a global brand before their business model even worked as it’ll lead you into receivership faster.

Regardless of how fanciful and good your website is, if your aim is not to make profit, you’ll go out of business.

2. Model someone successful

It’s always wise to learn from the mistakes of other people rather than to learn from your own mistakes as this can sometimes be very costly and painful.

Track and learn from benchmarked success stories, be they your competitors or otherwise. Why would you want to spend time re-inventing the wheel when you can learn from those who have already been there and done it successfully. Learn how they design their website, create products, write salescopy, their sales process, etc.

3. Focus on a niche market

Don’t be everything to everybody by trying to dominate a huge and general market because you just simply can’t do it effectively.

Focus your internet business on a targetable portion of the market or a narrowly defined group of potential customers. Address the need for a product or service that’s not being addressed by mainstream providers. The advantage of this is that it’s less competitive in such a market as large businesses won’t want to be in it.

For this to be effective, the market niche that you’re targeting must be fast moving, its customers accessible and there mustn’t already be a dominant player in that particular market niche.

The key here is to find a niche market, assess the needs of the market and then offer them your products and/or services that meet their needs.

4. Differentiate your business

To capture a larger market share and be viable, sustainable and profitable, you’ll need to differentiate or distinguish your business from your competitors; make your business special in the eyes of your customers and/or prospects.

You can do this by creating what is called an Unique Selling Propostion or USP and then effectively convey that USP to your target market via your marketing efforts and business performance.

This is particularly crucial if you’re operating in a highly competitive market.

A USP is the one thing or idea that sets your business favourably apart from your competitors. Think about these questions: “What’s the one thing that makes your business unique and distinct? Why should people buy from you and not from your competitors? Do you promise great value, benefit or service?”

Your USP is the focal point around which the success and profitability of your business is built and so you must be able to state it and fulfill it honourably and effectively.

5. Spent your funds wisely

Costs is one of the major determinants of your internet business’ survivability. You’ll need to carefully track and control your costs from the outset and make sure you can start to show a profit soon, as unmindful spending with no thought given to incoming resources will bleed you to death.

Credible websites not only require money to set up but also to maintain; advertisements cost money. Driving traffic to your website where you lose money on sales made is suicidal. Do your sums; consistently refer back to your vision to ascertain whether an expense is warranted or meaningful.

6. Superior customer service

In addition to a viable business plan, a superior customer service will be key to your success.

Superior customer service must be a high priority in your action plan. Build a trusting and long lasting relationship with your customers and prospects, send your staff for customer service training, fulfill your orders promptly, and constantly remind yourself the reason of your very existence.

This is crucial as it costs five times more to win a new customer than it costs to keep an existing customer. Moreover, a dissatisfied customer will tell, on average, five or six people about your bad service. The point I’m driving at here is that looking after your customers saves money and boosts profits.

Learn and apply what I teach you, do it right, and you’ll rise above your competition and blow them out of the water in no time.

Copyright 2004 by Larry Lim, www.MarketingSphere.com

Larry Lim is a practising marketing strategist and tactician who dishes out highly effective marketing strategies and tactics that will enable you to successfully start and grow your business on the Internet.

Visit his Internet Marketing Strategy website which is jam-packed with internet marketing secrets and resources that will skyrocket your sales, and shoot your profits through the roof.

To read more articles, visit www.articlesphere.com

Whatever the demands whilst obtaining or bringing back foreign currency, FCD could aid you spare time and precious money They offer one off overseas exchanges, regular overseas transfers & also have options when bringing foreign currency back to the English Isles. Buy foreign currency from currencies.co.uk and see what great rates they can offer you, their team of brokers work hard to buy at the best rates.

Currencies.co.uk are also the leading independent foreign currency brokers whilst primarily been exchanging foreign currency since the year 2000 this is pretty brilliant. the FCD team appreciate an awfully fine set of brokers that have become recognised in their competent advice & assist Another reason Currencies.co.uk can be found to be hence widely selected is that for currencies exchange the FCD team broker the leading foreign currency rates and the leading foreign currency deals, this has been well documented by 2 Sunday Times 2 The Observer.

The FCD site can be particularly easy to use; once you have opened an account you might well be able to guarantee the current foreign currency exchange rate by telephone. If a rate should be provided which you like, The business may if required like a shot fax, email and post your confirmation. When your business purchase foreign currency from Currencies.co.uk, the currency rates might often be based towards live interbank prices (the currency rate around which one bank sells to another) The combination of these can be found to be aggregated from a selection of sources, are also quoted during real time and it will probably be loads more competitive than naturally quoted by high street money exchangers or building societies. The interbank currency rate, which the majority of foreign currency exchange sites & newspapers show is a mid market exchange rate which is not in fact for sale to trade at. One could always get an exchange rate slightly below the interbank foreign currency rate or possibly sell somewhat above; this is the primary way Currencies.co.uk will offer the foreign currency transfer.

Because you can be found to be emigrating you yourself can be found to be probably going to be transferring great amounts of money into a foreign money, your foreign money exchange rate rate will probably mean the difference between being able to afford a bit of luxurious accessories or perhaps ending up with lots less than you budgeted for.

Just about everyone’s heard of the old “bait & switch”. I’ll bet you could probably give an example or two of how it’s been tried on you before too, couldn’t you? Even those who think they don’t know what it is will recognize it when it’s explained. Let me give you an example and tell you how some “not so honest” lenders use it in the mortgage business.

The “bait and switch” basics:

An unscrupulous business owner runs an ad offering his particular product or service at an incredibly low, bargain price. He has no real intention of selling his product or service at the price advertised however. His advertised price is merely the “bait” to entice customers to contact him, to tempt you into picking up the phone or walking in his door.

Once you’ve made contact and the scammer has your undivided attention, the “switch” and sale’s pitch begins. He’ll tell you why the product or service they advertised is either no longer available or attainable, and why his other, “improved, advanced” and more expensive product or service is a much better deal for you.

And that of course was his plan from the beginning … “bait” you in with a bogus price or product, and then “switch” you to higher priced service or product … hence the name “bait & switch”.

The carpet cleaners bait & switch:

Mr. Carpet Scammer advertises a special coupon that offers “3 rooms cleaned for only $9.95″. That’s the “bait”. You call in and an appointment is scheduled. Once he’s there, the “switch” begins, … if you want to pre-condition the carpet, extra $ … spot-cleaning, extra $ … moving furniture, extra $ … stain guard, extra $, and so it goes …

By the time he’s done, the bill could be $150+. And the worst part is, even if he didn’t say how much extra the “extras” would be, you agreed to pay for it when you signed his contract before he started the job!

Now don’t get me wrong … my intention here is not to pick on carpet cleaners. Quite to the contrary, I want you to understand that the old bait & switch is used even in businesses where you wouldn’t expect it.

Understand that every profession has its good and it’s bad, and the mortgage business is no different.

The mortgage bait & switch:

Here’s the way the old bait & switch works in the mortgage business: Mr. Mortgage Scammer checks the daily rate sheet looking for the lowest possible “rate” available on ANY kind of loan program. It doesn’t matter that it’s a rate for a loan program that only 1 out of 1,000 homebuyers would actually qualify for … or WANT, for that mater. What matters is that he can advertise that rate because that rate IS available … to somebody.

Next, they advertise … “(X) PER CENT, THAT’S RIGHT! (X) PERCENT! AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW! BUT YOU BETTER CALL NOW! (X) PER CENT MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE VERY LONG, SO CALL US RIGHT NOW AT 555-555-5555 BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!” AGAIN, THAT’S (X) PERCENT! CALL US RIGHT NOW AT 555-555-5555!”

The So Called “RATE” is the “BAIT”.

He knows that 99% of the people that call on that ad won’t qualify for the rate he’s advertised. But that doesn’t matter to the people that run these types of ads. All that matters to him is that you pick up the phone and call HIM and HE gets the opportunity to talk to you before anyone else does.

Once they has you in a conversation, they’ll sympathize with you over the fact that you don’t qualify for that rate and then (as was their plan from the beginning) … the “switch”. “But I think I can probably get you qualified for (X %) if we get started right now!” And so it goes.

Beware the bait and switch my friend. And remember, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Michael E. Hart is a Senior Loan Advisor with Anderson Lending Group in Peachtree City, Ga. and author of “Top 10 Tips To Sell Your Home By Owner”. Mr. Hart is a private real estate investor and a former real estate agent. He can be reached at 678-318-3542 or http://InternetLoanCenter.com.

I have a deep and abiding belief that there lies within every person the capacity for greatness. I don’t mean the old adage that you can become anything you want to be — I’m more receptive to Peter F. Drucker’s admonition to not “waste time trying to put in what the creator left out.” But the potential of almost every person is far above his or her level of achievement. That so few rise to their potential does not in any way diminish the validity of this belief. We often see some obscure person rise apparently from nowhere to leadership of a cause or a movement, giving proof to the idea that this capacity lies dormant within each and every one of us.

We’ve been conditioned by life and by the authority figures we grew up with to recognize and accept ourselves as we are, with severe restrictions on our abilities. We were taught to accept our role and station in life without whining, that the ability to accept and endure our lot shows strength and character. So long as we are prepared to go through life accepting that which fate has thrust upon us as our ordained destiny, so too are we condemned, by our own resignation, our own self depreciation, to the ranks of mediocrity. Others may put me down but the choice to stay down is mine alone.

If we can find within ourselves the courage to challenge fate, to say to her and to the entire world, “I am not ordinary. I will not accept that it is my destiny to live out my life in a humdrum existence, doing things of little consequence, never dreaming, never daring to reach for more.”, then we have forced open the door to, at least the possibility of greatness. Leadership writer Paul J. Meyers said, ” there is in our world a vast storehouse of plenty which is approached by some with a steam shovel, by others with a tea spoon.”

“What”, you ask, “if I spend my entire life in pursuit of this fantastic dream yet never achieve it? I will feel robbed, cheated, let down, betrayed.”

Who suffers the worse fate, the man who fights to no avail with every fibre of his being for that in which he truly believes or the man who spends his life whining, “I could have been a contender”? “Man’s goals should exceed his grasp, else what’s a heaven for.” (Robert Browning )

Of all the peoples in the world we, who live in Canada and The United States — countries built on and by the impossible dreams of men and women of vision and courage, determined to soldier on in the face of horrendous odds — have the least excuse for believing in our limitations, for accepting our fate. With the hundreds of larger than life legends in our heritage, how can we dare to not believe in our own incredible potential?

All of us in North America, indeed throughout the world, must relearn this ability to “dream the impossible dream” and to bring to bear the necessary resources, belief, determination and courage to make our dreams come true.

I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.(source unconfirmed)

Len McNally is President and founder (in 1996) of The Leadership Centre, dedicated to leadership development, management team building and change management through executive and corporate coaching - from the top floor to the shop floor. With more than thirty years experience in sales, marketing and business development Len has for many years been an avid student of psychology, behavior and motivation. He still reads three to four books a month and has writen several book reviews for Amazon.com. He can be reached at (519) 759-1127 or email: the.leadership.centre@sympatico.ca. Other articles may be seen at: http://www.tlc-leadership.com

Have you seen the offers for free IPODs? Run a search on Google, Yahoo, AOL, or any search engine for the key word IPOD, and you will be presented with a flurry of offers for free IPODs.

With the soaring popularity of free IPODs this offer definitely seems very alluring. After all, who wouldn’t want a free IPOD?

The truth about these offers for free IPODs is that there are very clever marketers behind them. These marketers are willing to give you an IPOD for free in exchange for your email address. Your email address holds allot of value for them. Through your email address they can make offers to you for various products and offers, which have lucrative pay outs for the marketers.

By having you agree to share your email address they will be able to send you offers withouth being accused of spam. If you decide that you no longer want to receive future offers you simply opt out and the offers will stop coming.

But with the price of an IPOD starting at $300, how can those marketers afford to give everyone a free IPOD simply in exchange for their email address? After all, someone could register and then opt out right after receiving their free IPOD.

In reality the marketers are counting on two important goals. They are hoping that a high enough percentage of respondents will participate in the offers they receive, making it worthwhile to run their marketing programs.

Second, before giving away the free IPOD the consumer is required to participate in a few trial offers. Every time the consumer participates in a trial offer the marketer is paid. But if a consumer does not fully participate he would not receive the free IPOD.

In other words, the free IPOD is only given out when the consumer has taken actions that will compensate the marketer for the free IPOD.

This can be a win-win situation for both the consumer and the marketer. The marketer gains by having a consumer participate in trial offers, for which the marketer is paid, and the consumer gains by having the opportunity to receive a free IPOD.

It is a fact of modern life that credit cards are an increasingly essential financial tool. There are many situations in which if you do not have a credit card, you will either be unable to pay for goods and services, or to take up special promotions. There are also countless more situations when having a credit card will simply be extremely convenient. Credit cards are also safer than carrying large amounts of cash around with you, especially when you travel.

Criteria

Well, first of all you should be over 18 years of age. You will also need a job or some form of regular income. These are then main criteria and if you can demonstrate them well, you will probably not have much trouble getting approval. You may have had a card in the past that you failed to pay or some other blemish on your credit report. If this is the case, you will find it more difficult to get a card.

Credit Rating

Your credit history plays a very significant role when it comes to assessing who will be approved for credit and who will not. It is based on personal information, your salary, if there have been defaults or court judgments awarded against you, and a host of other factors. They are all put into an equation that computes a personal score for you. Lenders will then decide whether or not to lend to you based on this score.

You should also be aware that many other companies will use your credit report also. It is not only credit companies, but also insurance companies and even employers, when looking at job applicants. This may seem surprising but the thing to remember is that you do not want to damage your credit report by failing to meet repayments.

Refused Application?

If you are finding it difficult to get approval for a credit card, you may consider seeking a co-signor. This is someone, usually a parent or close relative, who will guarantee the debt for you. They must understand the nature of the agreement, and if the situation arises whereby you are not able to make your repayments, they will become fully liable for the amount you have borrowed. It may also be a good incentive for you to repay it.

The final thing to remember is that if you have been turned down for a credit card, it may be an indication that you are not ready for one.

Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the UK credit card comparison site www.creditcards121.com/, where you can find a selection of credit card advice. For US visitors there is also the comparison site www.credit-cards-info.com/ for all US interest free offers.